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June 30, 2006

Spin Out: 17360

Honeys, I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?

The good news is 17360. That's right.

$17,360

That's how much money we raised when I tallied this morning. That's over $3,000 in ONE FREAKING DAY! Nothing like waiting until the last minute! LOL! I checked this morning and the registry was closed but I opened it up again for just today. I WANT $18,000!!! This whole thing started out with a "To Life" theme with the whole Double Chai and everything. Well, there nothing more CHAI than 18 (which is the number the hebrew letters for the word for life add up to) so let's do it. I promise I won't ask for anymore money. Well, at least not until we do this again next year. GO HERE TO GIVE! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

I've got ONE MORE PRIZE to annouce as well. This one was actually offered up pretty early, but stupid me lost track of the email when things got going so she gets her very own spotlight.

The original Knitgrrl, Shannon Okey, has generously offered one winner a personalized signed copy of her not even released yet book, Spin to Knit.

The book isn't do to be released until October, but the winner will get their hot copy right off the presses a bit early. THANK YOU Shannon! This is definitely one I'll want on my book shelf!

Okay. I said there was bad news, right. Well, it's not really bad, it just impatient kind of bad. I know I promised you a great long post with lots of pictures about last Saturday's actual Spin Out. I kinda sorta lied. But I didn't know I was lying!!! I swear. Turns out when the fabulous chicas, Jillian and Amy, at Knittyspin found out that Wild Fibers didn't want my article anymore, they pounced! So I'm writing the article for them - look for it sometime next week. And, of course, when it's there you'll hear from me! This is a really really good thing for all of us, but I'm sorry if some of you are disappointed.

Of course, now I have to go BACK to writing the article. My sister and the kids are coming today and I spent all day yesterday cleaning bathrooms and I was going to write all night and then I fell asleep. It's coming Jillian! It's coming!

Tomorrow I will annouce our final Heifer total and I will start awarding prizes on July 4th - at which time I will pick the GRAND PRIZE SPINNING WHEEL WINNER! Then I will announce a winner or two every day until I'm done with prizes. I'm hoping to have at least 15 VERY impressive gift bundles. Maybe more. Prizes are STILL rolling in!

I know I've said it a million times, but this time I mean it. ;-)

THANK YOU!

Posted by Cara at 07:48 AM | Comments (36)

June 29, 2006

Spin Out: NOT GIVING UP!

We're thisclose to the goal. I'm NOT GIVING UP!

WE DID IT! WE DID IT! WE DID IT!

I'm not sure of the total at the moment, but some incredibly generous folks MADE SURE we made the goal and THEN SOME! I'm in a frenzy at the moment with cleaning and my dad stopped in for a visit and I've got so much to do, but I'll be back a bit later with a new total. DON'T STOP NOW! We've still got a whole day to go! HOW HIGH CAN WE GET THIS?!?!

The Heifer Registry will close tomorrow and even if we don't get to our goal, I can't tell you how proud I am of this effort. I truly believe that world peace is accessible - just put the FIBER COMMUNITY on the job and IT WILL BE DONE! WE CAN DO IT! Thank you all so so much.

I've got a few more prizes to announce: Linda at Stone Leaf Moon is sending us one of her inspiring and unique handspun yarn creations; Jennifer of Knit Notes has offered up a set of her amazing cards; Helen of Bay Colony Farm is sending us some of her fantastic bunny fiber and Cathy Cooper handed me some gorgeous Grafton Fiber batts last weekend! ! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Tomorrow will be my wrap up post on Saturday's event and all of the fundraising. I haven't posted yet because I was maybe going to write something up for Wild Fibers Magazine, but that fell through - so the entry is coming!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Posted by Cara at 11:02 AM | Comments (19)

How To Build A Log Cabin.

Using the Long Tail Cast-On, cast on X number of stitches. Knit X number of rows then bind off all stitches except for the last one. Turn work counter- clockwise and continuing with the same yarn or starting with another, pick up X number of stitches across the entire edge. Knit X number of rows then bind off all stitches except for the last one. Turn work counter- clockwise and continuing with the same yarn or starting with another, pick up X number of stitches across the entire edge. Knit X number of rows then bind off all stitches except for the last one. Turn work counter- clockwise and continuing with the same yarn or starting with another, pick up X number of stitches across the entire edge. Rinse and repeat. Edited because I'm an idiot! Thanks Larissa!

X = whatever number your imagination can withstand.

The beginning of the log cabin above and the green squares I was working on before use this formula:

Cast on 20 stitches. Knit 24 garter stitch ridges (48 rows). Bind off all stitches except the last. Turn work and pick up along edge. Knit 9 garter stitch ridges (18 rows) and bind off all stitches except the last. Turn work and pick up along entire edge. Knit 9 garter stitch ridges (18 rows) and bind off all stitches except the last. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Note - the amount of stitches you pick up completely depends on you. I like to pick up the stitch between the garter stitch ridges and one stitch for every bound off stitch. But whatever method you prefer will be just fine. After a while you get what you like and that's what you do.

Note 2 - you can keep going as long as you'd like or you can stop when your square is smaller and make a few more and sew them together. Or you can make big ones and small ones and sew them together. Or make them medium size put a back on it and make a pillow. The sky's the limit.

Note 3 - To learn more about Log Cabin Knitting, I HIGHLY recommend Mason Dixon Knitting. It's what started my obsession. There are a few patterns in the book if you feel like you aren't ready to branch out on your own and Ann & Kay explain everything in a way that makes you understand AND laugh. What's better than that?

I encourage you to use your imagination and change up these numbers as you see fit. Thank you.

Posted by Cara at 08:32 AM | Comments (27)

June 28, 2006

The Palette Log Cabin

I think every artist who succeeds (in their own terms) has some ability to keep moving forward in the face of constant obstacles...emotional, mental, financial, physcial...and that is what sets them apart from those who always talk about trying or starting but never get beyond the talking stage. I WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD, AND I WANTED TO FIND A WAY TO WORK MORE ABSTRACTLY.

From Nancy Crow, by Nancy Crow. (Sketchbook notes, p. 54)
I've started on my next Log Cabin piece. I'm calling it Palette. I've been thinking and thinking and thinking about this new project. To the point where my brain is going to explode. I was going to wait for some new yarn but the need to get started was too strong so I decided against it and I'm going to use all of the yarns in this picture plus one extra (it's kind of orangey):

I just bought two new books: Debbie New's Unexpected Knitting and Nancy Crow's Nancy Crow. I've only really briefly looked through the New but I think it will be a great resource once I can get past the chemistry textbook feel. It's a nice resource for knitting different shapes.

And then there's the Crow. I was sitting in my car the other day waiting for my guru Kay when she ran out and threw Nancy Crow's book at me and told me it would "blow my fucking mind" then she left. When Kay returned to the car, my brains were indeed splattered all over my brand new car. I was caught between tears of joy and tears of Damn that Kay!!! Nancy Crow is my new hero. And not just because she takes color and shape and line and does miraculous things with FABRIC - the way a different kind of artist works with paints or ink or whatever medium. It's because she GETS IT! The book is filled with her sketchbook notes and thought and ideas and OBSESSIONS! "As I moved on with the new series I became consumed by it. Ideas flooded my brain, overwhelming me with possibilities, pushing me to make quilt after quilt." (Nancy Crow, p. 87) THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I FEEL! A couple of weekends ago I myself was absolutely consumed by this new piece. I was sitting at the computer making squares in Photoshop, filling them in with color. Then I was sketching things out on scraps of paper. Then I was telling anyone who would listen about what I wanted to do. I couldn't get it out of my brain fast enough! The creativity was PHYSICAL. I used to get this way with my writing, but I haven't felt it in a long long time and here it is! Still being creative, but in a new way. It's fabulous and frustrating and wonderful and scary all at the same time.

No fears. I'm not abandoning my knitting for fabric. Although I'll never say never because it always comes back to bite you on the ass. You see, the thing I love best about studying the art in Nancy Crow's book or The Gee's Bend Quilts is that I CAN SEE THEM KNITTED! I think garter stitch and log cabin construction are the perfect compliment to quilts. The binding off and picking up of stitches - which makes seams - mimics the stitching in quilts. And I'm lucky enough to have an amazing color artist in Tina Newton, from Blue Moon Fiber Arts, as inspiration for my "fabrics." So I've got my canvas and I've got my paints and I am raring to go.

I so feel my limitations - I'm not a very adventurous knitter skill wise. I don't feel like I have the chops to just throw a short row in here or bind off there and pick up here or decrease or increase. Right now the most important thing for me is color and execution. Hopefully I will be able to branch out in my forms. I need to take more chances with my work. What's the worst thing that can happen? It doesn't work out? So I rip it. The real problem is that I'm so so impatient. I want it done NOW. I don't sit and tinker ever. I need a goal to work toward. I need to start tinkering.

I will be starting the Log Cabin Knits blog sometime soon - it'll probably be after July 1st though because I'm trying to learn to be kinder to myself and not expect myself to be able to do everything at once and I'm also learning to say no. So I'll have the site up when it's ready, whenever that will be. Soon though. I envision something akin to Whip Up, which I really like. A beautiful place to share ideas and inspirations and techniques - a working collective of sorts. I would encourage all who would like to join to start up their log cabins. Don't wait on me. There will be no rules or patterns or anything - just creativity! I'm envisioning Show and Tell Fridays where we all show our squares or blankets or progress or inspirations, but that's the only special thing I've come up with so far. This isn't a typical knit along at all. I aspire it to be something that grows and expands with our knowledge and skills and really the only limits I see are our ideas. There will be no deadlines. No real goals except what we ourselves can accomplish.

I'm very, very excited about all of it. Thank you.

The yarn I'm using for my project is Socks That Rock in Heavyweight from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. Please see the extended entry for yarn colors and purchase information.

I'm constantly being asked about the yarn for my Log Cabin squares. I'm using Socks That Rock in Heavyweight from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. The colorways I'm using in the new blanket are identified in the picture below:

Most of the colors are NOT listed on Blue Moon's website. BUT THEY ARE AVAILABLE. To order, please call or email Blue Moon. Tell them you saw it here. ;-)

Thanks.

Posted by Cara at 12:12 AM | Comments (47)

June 27, 2006

PS: Blue Heaven

I told myself that if I folded the 87 loads of laundry and put my stuff away INCLUDING the piles of towels and sheets that had been sitting on the floor folded for like two months, I was allowed to ply up all the merino I spun up on Sunday.



I was a good girl, obviously. I switched out my regular flyer for my plying flyer and plying bobbin because I wanted to ply it ALL. I've got about 310 yds there. For some reason (and yes I can hear you all laughing) I get really obsessed with the spinning and have to get it all done AT THIS MINUTE. And I never remember how long it all takes. I'm ALWAYS surprised at how physical the plying is - much more physical than the spinning - and seriously - it takes forever.



I've really only had one spinning lesson and that was really focused on plying and I was taught that no matter how thick or thin the singles being plied, the distance between the two singles should always be the same. I think I'm managing that pretty well.



I've got another 4oz of Amy's Spunky Eclectic Merino in the Moonflower colorway from the Almost Solid series to spin up. I still don't know what the wpi is on this but I compared it to some STR lightweight I had and I'd say it's a fairly consistent sportweight. I'm also still feeling really precious about my hanspun and I have visions of a large basket or bowl sitting on the magic dresser filled with handspun - something like a living art installation where I can see it and touch it but never never actually USE it. I was thinking socks for this patch but how can I put this stuff on my feet and wear it around in smelly shoes and god forbid I get a hole.

In all the Spin Out excitement, I forgot to annouce the Bruce Quiz winner!!!

CHRIS from Woolybuns!

Congratulations Chris! I hope you enjoy the CDs and Yarn! Thanks everyone for taking my funny quiz. I think out of 202 quizzes, 95 were eligible to win. For those of you with less than stellar performances, here's a little annotated answer grid:

Question 1: Which album introduced me to Bruce?
A) The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle
B) Tunnel of Love
Georgie used to drive me around NJ and sing me Tunnel of Love. Incidentally, I fell in love with both G and Bruce at the same time. Cheezy I know.
C) The River
D) Lucky Town

Question 2: Am I
A) wrapped up like a douche?
B) asleep in a papoose?
C) snapped by a noose?
D) cut loose like a deuce?
Manfred Mann recorded Bruce's Blinded by the Light and totally mangled the words. To this day Manfred Mann's version is Bruce's highest ranked song - it reached #1 on the charts.

Question 3: Which artist DID NOT appear at a Bruce performance I attended?
A) Terrence Trent D’Arby
B) Billy Joel
C) Peter Gabriel
We attended the Rainforest Concert at Carnegie Hall a bunch of years ago that featured Bruce and Elton and Sting and Billy Joel and a bunch of others. Billy Joel also showed up at a concert we went to out on Long Island and Terrence Trent D'Arby showed up at a concert to sing Jumpin' Jack Flash.
D) Sting

Question 4: Which song was first played for me at a toll booth on the New Jersey Turnpike?
A) Drive All Night
I've told this story before.
B) Thunder Road
C) Racing in the Street
D) Stolen Car

Question 5: Where did they blow up The Chicken Man?
A) Trenton
B) Philadelphia
Well they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night they blew up his house too....
C) New York
D) Atlantic City

Question 6: What was my first Springsteen concert tour?
A) Born in the USA
B) Human Touch/Lucky Town
'91 or '92. Can't remember. I pumped my fist so freaking hard I had black and blue marks across my palms. No lie.
C) Tunnel of Love
D) The E Street Band Reunion Tour

Question 7: In how many states have I seen Bruce play?
A) 9
B) 5
C) 3
New Jersey, New York & Pennsylvania
D) 1

Question 8: Which song did Bruce write about a suicide bomber?
A) Point Blank
B) Paradise
Lyrics here. But I just the few people who gave answer C!
C) You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
D) Souls of the Departed

Question 9: Bruce sings about getting stuck “somewhere in the swamps of Jersey.” Who’s he trying to get to?
A) Mary
B) Terry
C) Rosie

My tires were slashed and I almost crashed but the Lord had mercy
My machine she's a dud, I'm stuck in the mud somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
Hold on tight, stay up all night 'cause Rosie I'm comin' on strong
By the time we meet the morning light I will hold you in my arms
D) Linda

Question 10: Will I cry at the concert tonight?
A) Nah. I only cry when the E Street Band’s playing.
B) Maybe. Depends on the set-list.
C) Only if he plays The Fever.
D) Are you kidding? The waterworks will start on the Turnpike on our way down to Camden.
I'm pretty sure I made it there without any tears, but I was totally crying when he played We Shall Overcome. I'm a wimp!

Last but not least - all you Chi-Town folks! You think I'm dumb just because I'm from New Joisey? The first thing I did when I found out I was heading out to Chicago was call Toni at The Fold and tell her I'm coming. ;-) G and I are roadtripping out there Saturday. I basically have Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night, Sunday morning and all day Monday free. We're staying right off of North Michigan Avenue if that means anything to anyone.

Toodles!

Posted by Cara at 09:31 AM | Comments (30)

June 26, 2006

PS: Forever in Blue Jeans

All I did yesterday was SPIN! I was so inspired by all of the spinners - old and new - at Saturday's gathering that I couldn't help myself. And I was so tired I didn't want to have to think or use any brain power whatsoever. So I watched like 8 hours of Another World and spun up this GORGEOUS blue merino from Amy at Spunky Eclectic. It's Moonflower - part of the almost solid series - but I think it should be called Forever in Blue Jeans.

I'm one of those people who drops trou the minute they walk in the door and leaves the clothes wherever they find the floor. So yesterday I was spinning in the bedroom and out of the corner of my eye I was constantly seeing my favorite pair of jeans (read the only pair that fits my fat ass these days) on the floor (pretty close to the closet door but more towards the middle of the walkway) and they looked JUST like the fiber I was spinning up.

This is my first attempt with merino and I have to say I'm really proud of how I'm doing. It's a bit overspun in spots when I forget that I've got the drive band set on the lowest whorl and I'm treadling away like a madwoman, but for the most part it's good. I'm going to finish up the little bit I have left of the first 4oz today and hopefully ply it all tonight. I think it's a nice sportweight and I'm very tempted to make a pair of socks out of it. Depends on how much I get from the 4oz. I have another 4oz of this so if I get a lot I may make a shawl or something. We'll see.

I promise a nice long post about Saturday but I'm really beat and need to process it all. When I talked to Shana and found out we had a place, I totally lost it. Tears and everything. I was just so relieved. Thank you again Shana and thank you Kim McNeal at the Parks Dept. Seriously rocking my world.

There's still LOTS to do with Spin Out. The registry will close on Friday - but as of right now we've raised $13,467!!!! There are a few more prizes to announce and I can tell you right now that prizes will not be awarded until after July 4th. I'm sorry about the delay - but my family's coming up to visit Friday thru Wednesday and I still haven't received all of the prizes to put together gift packages. So I'm not going to kill myself about it all. I know you know that it will all get out and things will be GRAND! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Here's something for some of you to think about: I'm coming to CHICAGO! Yarn crawl anyone? I'll be there the third weekend in July - Fri-Mon and while some of my time will be spent with G, it's a work thing for him so I'll be on my own a lot too. Let's plan something!! (ETA: Um, I meant the weekend of the 15th. I figured that's the third weekend because the 1st is on a Saturday. So sorry!)

PS:
Is this you? Or someone you know?

I've had a request for information about the spindle you were using on Saturday, but I'm sorry, I forgot your name! Can you leave me a comment so I can get in touch with you? Thank you so much!

Posted by Cara at 01:02 PM | Comments (38)

June 24, 2006

We Came. We Spun. We KICKED ASS!

THANK YOU SHANA AND KIM AND THE WHOLE AMAZING CREW AT THE EAST 54th STREET REC CENTER!!! YOU ROCK!!!! COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!

AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED - YOU ROCK TOO!!!

Real post on Monday - if I'm awake by then. I'm exhausted. If I ever do this again, well, it'll be in September.
L, C

PS - Just a friendly reminder that the REGISTRY is open until JUNE 30th. Raffle Prizes will be awarded after the registry closes! Thank you so much for EVERYTHING!

Posted by Cara at 10:37 PM | Comments (33)

Spin Out: THE SHOW MUST GO ON!!!

LOCATION CHANGE!

We will now be meeting at the

The EAST 54th STREET RECREATION CENTER
348 East 54th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues)
New York, NY 10022
212-754-5411

Travel Directions
Bus: M15 to 54th Street
Subway: 6 train to 51st Street or E and V trains to 53rd Street

More about the facility here.
I'm trying to get there by Noon and the event will go until about 3:30.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO BRING YOUR SPINNING WHEELS!
THANK YOU SO MUCH SHANA AND KIM!!!!

WE ARE ON! I just don't know where yet. If you would like a number to reach me during the day - in case you're traveling in and won't be able to get updates here - email me at spinout@januaryone.com and I'll get you a number to reach me. I've had a couple of possibilities on indoor space come up - but I won't know for a little bit. We might just get a late start to the day is all.

THE SHOW WILL GO ON!!!

Raffle Update

So I might as well cheer myself up by telling you that we've got ourselves another cool grand!

While the actual event might not go off as planned, the fundraising angle is better than I ever imagined! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Posted by Cara at 06:59 AM | Comments (14)

June 23, 2006

Spin Out: PLEA FOR HELP!!!!

Does anyone anywhere out there have connections to some kind of (covered) space in Manhattan large enough to hold a lot of us and our wheels? I know this is a tall order but I'm trying to work all the angles here! I'm thinking community center, library, place of worship, office building, gallery, etc.

PLEASE EMAIL ME spinout@januaryone.com! THANK YOU!

Posted by Cara at 11:29 AM | Comments (10)

June 22, 2006

Spin Out: KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

DUDES! The weather forecast for Saturday is TOTALLY FREAKING ME OUT!!!!

I've checked here and here and here and here and here and here and here and they seem to get worse and worse! What should we do? Do we move it to Sunday? If it doesn't happen this weekend - it doesn't happen. Period. It HAS to be this weekend. I don't know how much cover there is and how close we are to cover. I'M SO UPSET!!!! All of you traveling from out of town - what's the latest you will need a decision by? Is tomorrow night too late? ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

UPDATE

So I'm looking at the permit last night and it says nothing about a raindate, even though I applied for one. (Yeah. Might have been better to check that out earlier. Sue me.) Called the office first thing this morning and they told me they don't schedule raindates in the summer because it means double booking every event and they're already booked solid anyway. So the event goes off tomorrow - or not at all - or at some other TBD date.

I'm going to decide this tomorrow morning. If I wake up and I see Noah out there with his Ark, I'll reconsider. Anthing less than a deluge I'll be out there. Spinning my little (broken) heart out. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT! I appreciate it so much.

If you need me today - I'll be out buying tarps. If I spend a shitload of money on rain protection, that means it won't rain right? I'm going to look for stuff that can't be returned. ;-)

AND in the IRONY SUCKS category - my building has no water - hot or cold - for the day. YAY!

Posted by Cara at 08:23 PM | Comments (36)

Wet T-Shirts

See, now, this is why I shouldn't do housework. Wet. Soaking wet. Although they've been sitting there since last night so now they're probably moldy and wet. Normally G does the laundry. He's kind of particular about it and apparently I'm just not up to snuff so he does it. Of course, I'm perfectly capable of folding all of the said laundry which is totally a cop out. I mean how hard is it to throw clothes in the washer then move them to the dryer? The folding is where all the skill lies. But I digress. We generally do laundry on Sundays - which is a holdover from apartment living when you had to lug all your clothes down to the basement and save up all your quarters and try not to get grossed out by the other things living down there. We have our own washer and dryer now - in the kitchen under the counter - so why limit laundry to Sundays? Anyway, yesterday was NOT Sunday but somehow we had missed laundry on like the last two Sundays so I was desperate for clothes and thought I'd do a nice thing. I got through the dark load and the white load okay fine. But the delicates (I don't know - ask G. It's his system!) didn't fare so well. I really stuffed the washer, but they made it through that fine - it's the dryer where everything fell apart. I cleaned out the lint compartment and then went to set the cycle timer and that's where I think things went bad. The freaking machine won't turn on. Can I just tell you? ALL MY CLOTHES ARE FREAKING DELICATE! I literally have nothing to wear. Sure, sure, what about all the clothes in the closet? Very funny. You see I'm fat and it's summer so I have like one pair of pants and two shirts that fit and I feel comfortable in. You know what I'm talking about. And now they're wet.

I completely blame G for this. When the stove blew up, he kept saying things like "I wonder if everything's going to start to go bad now. You know it's been nine years." JINX JINX JINX! I told him to SHUT UP! Like NINE is the magic number when all your appliances stop working? Is that true? I thought these things are supposed to last forever. When we moved in here all the appliances were from the Stone Age. I swear there was a little fairy or something rubbing two sticks together in the back of the oven. We got everything new then anyway because it was all supremely gross and the cootie factor was enormous. But c'mon? Is everything really supposed to stop working now?

I'm never doing laundry again.

Posted by Cara at 09:03 AM | Comments (32)

June 21, 2006

Spin Out: GOT SWAG?

Forget the assholes of this world! PEOPLE ARE GOOD!

WE'RE AT $11006!!!


Once we reached $11,000, I upped the goal again. Am I being greedy? I don't think so! We've got a little more than a week to go before the registry closes - please feel free to donate up until JUNE 30th! This whole experience has so lifted me! I HAVE FAITH in ALL OF YOU!

And I've got swag too:

You've got buttons and magnets (they look the same) and bumperstickers and postcards I made advertising the raffle. Get there early peeps! I only have a limited number!

I promise - I haven't been checking the weather obsessively, but it looks like it's going to be in the 70s with scattered thunder storms and a 40% chance of rain. Sunday looks to be the same. So we're on as of right this second. I will update Friday night with a definite go ahead, but I think it looks good. What's the worst thing that happens? It rains a little? Bring your trash bags just in case. Also, Ruth was kind enough to check out Cherry Hill Fountain for us - everytime I've tried to get there I've had a change of plans! - and she says there are a bunch of benches around one side of the fountain - but you still might want to bring some kind of stool if you're bringing your wheel. What else? Oh yeah - some more prizes!!

Dani of Sunshine Yarns has generously donated a MEGA skein of Emerald Isle Sock Yarn - enough for TWO PAIRS! And the fabulous Adrian of Hello Yarn is sending us 8oz of her merino/silk blend! THANK YOU DANI AND ADRIAN!

And this JUST IN! LEXIE BARNES herself is donating a KNITTING BAG! How fabulous is that! Lexie YOU ROCK! I'll be sure to fill it with some of our other donated prizes for A FULL BAG!

Just so you all know, I've decided that instead of a million little prizes going out, I'm going to combine prizes into fabulous pseudo gift baskets - each filled with all kinds of different items from various vendors. So they'll be fewer winners - but whoever wins will be VERY HAPPY! TRUST ME! I've got many of the prizes sitting here tempting me and they are all GORGEOUS!

Again and again I can't THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH! WOOHOOOOOO!

Posted by Cara at 05:19 PM | Comments (14)

Pay Me My Money Down

First off - the quiz was broken but now it's fixed. Basically I had to start a new one - if you've already taken it, please don't take it again. Thank you! (Over a hundred of you took the quiz - is it the chance at free yarn, or bless my heart, do you all really want to learn about my religion, BruceSpringsteenOlogy - where it's okay to take any drug you want?)

I don't know where to start, really. I'm exhausted. We got home about 1AM and had something to eat then went to bed. But I was up at like 5:30 still thinking about the concert.

I expect a lot from a Springsteen concert. I expect to be transported to another place - a place where everyone pumps their fists in harmony. No, really, I expect to be lifted by the words and music. I expect the bass to pound in my throat and to be thrown into a frenzy and get extremely emotional. And I am RARELY disappointed. Last night was no exception. For the most part.

This time around Bruce is touring with a HUGE band - like 3 or 4 guitarists, bango,back up vocalists, piano, drums, a horn section, two violins, stand up bass, an archordian - there are A LOT of people on stage. And while the sounds of his new album verges on country (which I really don't like) or hootinan, the horns save it! The horns are everything. (I may be in love with La Bamba!) (OH MY GOD! La Bamba and I went to THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL! HOW COOL IS THAT!!!) The whole concert feels like you're at a New Orleans funeral. And the songs aren't his - they are mostly songs that have become part of the fabric of America - old Negro Spirituals, protest songs, ballads. In the liner notes most of them aren't attributed to any one person - they just are. But the presentation is pure Springsteen - it's rousing and fun and playful and serious and heartfelt and AMAZING.

The first four songs were a blast. I wore a smile so big my face hurt. I was bouncing around like a kid presented with a puppy - complete with squeals and clapping hands. I was sweating and dancing and singing at the top of my lungs! I WAS IN MY GLORY! I had Bruce and my man by my side and nothing could go wrong.

The next part of the story I'm a bit ashamed about. But I'll tell it anyway.

I'm not much for public sharing - i.e. movies, concerts, theater, sporting events. I'm acutely aware that there are many people out there just waiting to ruin public experiences for me. No, I'm not paranoid (much) to think that they are DELIBERATELY out there waiting to ruin things for me, but they are there. Waiting. It never fucking fails. I go to the movies and even when it's empty someone sits next to me and talks the whole freaking time. I go to the theater and someone talks the whole freaking time. So I avoid these situations. I rarely, if ever, see movies in the theater. I'd rather watch at home where the only person who can ruin the experience for me is myself.

Inevitably this happens at concerts as well. Especially Bruce concerts. Bruce's fan base is such that there are many people stuck in 1984 (the year Born in the USA was released and Bruce became MEGA.) These fans feel it is their god given right to see Bruce in New Jersey whenever he performs, get shit roaring drunk and scream out THUNDER ROAD every opportunity they get. Doesn't matter if Bruce is alone on stage playing acoustic. Doesn't matter if it's the E Street Band. They come and they drink and they scream. It's really quite a shame because in the end (if they remember anything) they don't like the show because they don't get Thunder Road and they don't get arena rock and still they come. One of my favorite concert moments ever was seeing Bruce at the Beacon Theater in NYC - a very small venue. He was on the Tom Joad tour, which was a solo acoustic tour, and he started the show telling people that he needed quiet to sing these songs and please help him out and still there was one asshole - no doubt from Jersey - who wouldn't stop yelling out Thunder Road. Bruce stopped, in the middle of the show, and told him in no uncertain terms to SHUT THE FUCK UP. If you don't believe me - I've got it on tape. ;-)

Last night, the first four songs were SPECTACULAR! I heard my favorite of the new album - Oh Mary Don't You Weep, which was followed up by a nothing short of astonishing version of Atlantic City. Really - blew my freaking socks off. I was dancing I was singing I was deliriously happy. It was GLORIOUS. And then this asshole and his girlfriend bogarted their way into the seats next to us. Now, I know when you buy tickets to a concert it's a crapshoot who your neighbors will be. That's the price you pay (along with your first born to Ticketbastard.) BUT when assholes show up next to you WHO DON'T EVEN BELONG IN THE SEATS then you have every right to be livid. Don't you? So these cocksuckers show up and they're plenty drunk and the girl is holding one of those extra large beaker bottles filled with beer and she kept her bag on her shoulder the whole time so the beer bong thing is swinging around and her bag is swinging around and they're dancing like drunken fools they are and they have friends two rows up who they keep high fiving with over this poor older woman's head who wisely stayed in her seat the whole time because really she probably would've gotten sucker punched if she stood up. In between songs, when Bruce is talking about the homeless and the death penatly and war, this fucker next to us is shouting "Who loves you Bruce? Philly loves you Bruce! New Jersey loves you Bruce! THUNDER ROAD!!!"

Now I understand full well that this is a concert. People are allowed to dance and SHOULD dance and people are allowed to scream and SHOULD scream (hey I can BROOOOOOOCE along with the best of them - and I do) but the drunken disorderly-ness is UNACCEPTABLE. I will never understand why people pay A LOT of money to come to a concert to get shitfaced. Wouldn't it be a lot cheaper to stay home and drink that six pack in front of the tape player? You can yell all you want there. It's just so obnoxious and ignorant and base. And yes I think I'm better than this guy. I really do. Because at the end of the night he's going to get in his car and drive home drunk and I can only hope he was arrested.

The worst part of all of this? I let the guy ruin my night. I HATE THAT. HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT! I tried so hard to be all zen and say that it was okay and I was there and the music was good but I was so freaking aware of his spastic moves and that his drunk ass girlfriend was thisclose to hitting G in the head and that they yelled through the quiet songs and screamed during Bruce's talks and that there was nothing I could do about it because anything action on my part of G's part would've ended in a fight and I HATE IT! I LET THE FUCKING DRUNK ASSHOLE WIN!

Really, though, in the end I don't blame the asshole. He's an asshole. He has no choice in his life but TO BE AN ASSHOLE. He's not smart enough to know better. (Or maybe he was - on the drive home I said to G what could that girl have possibly seen in him and we both commented on how we observed that when the girl left (to go buy more beer) the guy became completely normal. He stood there quietly - even sat down. As soon as the girl got back MR. ASSHOLE returned. It was really quite hysterical.) Anyway, I don't blame the drunk guy. Put beer in front of him, he's going to drink it. He has no self control. And I really don't blame the venue either (which was quite nice - Tweeter Center in Camden) - they're trying to make a buck. I blame Bruce. On the Devils & Dust tour, he made it tour policy that as soon as the lights went down and the concert started, all concessions stands closed. And yes, people were drunk because they spent all day drinking in the parking lot, BUT THEY DIDN'T GET DRUNKER. They got more SOBER as the night went on. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences ever. And while I don't expect this at every concert - maybe half way through you cut people off? An hour in? SOMETHING? I can't believe you enjoyed the THUNDER ROADING any more than I did. In fact, I know you didn't. So Bruce, my love. Do something!!!! I'm with you all the way, but please. No more.

Whew! That felt good. You may ask why I still go to Bruce concerts when inevitably there will be assholes nearby. Because my friends, those first four songs - when the asshole wasn't near us - were some of the best moments of my life. And that's worth all the assholes in the world.

Back later with some good stuff. And if you're interested, AOL is showing 18 Nights of Bruce - a live clip from each of the US concerts. Last night's My City of Ruins is already up. ENJOY! (I promise - no assholes.)

PS - Oh and so far no poison ivy. But I'm still itchy - although it's kind of an all over body itch so I think it's all in my head.

Posted by Cara at 12:54 PM | Comments (26)

June 20, 2006

BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCE!

First things first. With friends like this, who needs enemies? AND she told me to take a hot shower which is like the kiss of freaking death when you've been exposed to poison ivy. She's trying to kill me and I think she's actually enjoying herself. Bottom line. If that patch in the picture was/is poison ivy, I'd say I'm fairly fucked. I didn't walk into it or anything, but I did try to place a square on top of it for a picture - didn't work out though so it was quickly off the leaves. Yeah. Now I'm knitting a small pox blanket. Terrific. Apparently this shit could erupt on my skin anytime between the next ten minutes and two weeks from now. It's like I've got bugs crawling on me. I itch EVERYWHERE. If you should happen to see me this weekend, oh say, at like an event in Central Park, and I'm covered in oozing pus filled sores, please note that I'm not contagious. And don't use Ann's wheel or anything. I'm just saying.

Let's move on to happier things, okay? Because today is BRUCE DAY!!!!! That's right baby! IT'S A REUNION! And in honor of the day I'm having a BRUCE CONTEST!

Here's a quiz! ETA: THE QUIZ IS FIXED. PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT AGAIN IF YOU'VE ALREADY TAKEN IT. THANK YOU. Take it and everyone who scores 50% or better will be put into a random drawing for the following prizes*:

The Essential Bruce Springsteen
Prove It All Night STR
My favorite bootleg recording of Prove It

If you win, and you are already a Springsteen fan and feel you are above and beyond something like a Greatest Hits album, I will burn you anything you want from my bootleg collection. And if you win and for some ungodly reason AREN'T a Springsteen fan, I will have to insist that you listen to the entire Essential Bruce from beginning to end and report back to me. I will instinctively know if you are lying. Entries received after Thursday, June 22, 11:59 PM EST will NOT be included in the drawing. One entry per person please. HAVE FUN and don't cheat! You know who you are! Hee!

Thank you for all your lovely comments about my (poisonous) green squares. Each square roughly measures about 10"x10/5". So I'm guessing the blanket will be somewhere around 30"x40". I haven't completely decided on the layout yet - and for sure I will tell you all about the seaming.

Oh yeah and WE BROKE THE $10K MARK! Gobsmacked. That's what I am. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

* Ann, my love, you are so totally NOT ELIGIBLE to win.

Posted by Cara at 10:44 AM | Comments (47)

June 19, 2006

Knitting: It's the new puppy.

I finished my squares, but first, a story.

So I've been knitting these squares, right, and one of the nice things about them is that they are super duper portable. More portable than socks and the best part: I can knit them without paying any attention. I know there are people out there can knit while juggling three eggs, and while I'm fast - I usually need to have my eyes watching what my hands are doing. Not so with the squares. It's the combination of the yarn (no splitting), the needle size (Addi #5s fit perfectly in my hands) and garter stitch. I can walk, chew gum AND knit all at the same time. AMAZING! Anyway, because of this new found skill and my total obsession with squares I've been knitting EVERYWHERE. ALL THE TIME.

G asked me to meet him in the city Friday night and I took the train into New York. I was in the elevator going up to the station with another person. A guy - kind of cute. Baseball cap. I was knitting away.

"Isn't that dangerous? Like running with scissors?" he said.
"Not when you know what you're doing." I said.

He then proceeded to tell me that his grandmother taught him to knit. Or maybe crochet. I asked him if it was two sticks or one. Turns out his grandma was a hooker. Fun times. Was he trying to pick me up? I don't know but I thought it was a good line if he was.

I knit all through a graduation party Saturday night but no one commented on my knitting at all.

Fast forward to Sunday afternoon at the mall. My sister escaped from the black tops of Do The Right Thing Crooklyn to the glory that is the air-conditioned New Jersey mall. Remember how I felt the last time I went shopping with my sister? Yeah. Not the best self-confidence builder. Well, this time I remembered my knitting and I didn't stop the ENTIRE time we were out. (Except, of course, when I was driving my hot new car.) I knit through an hour of trying on clothes at Bloomingdale's and not buying anything. I knit through a half hour of trying on clothes at French Connection and (thank GOD!) the exchange on one pair of pants for two new pairs. While we were in French Connection one of the sales guys asked me what I was doing. I told him I was knitting and he seemed amazed that I could knit and watch my sister shop at the same time. When I was sitting in one of the open dressing rooms across from my sister's dressing room he totally laughed everytime he walked by and gave a hand wave as if to say I was completely ridiculous but fabulous for knitting without end. I know he wasn't flirting with me because I wasn't his type at all, if you know what I mean.

Then we went to Nordstrom's. Shoe department. (Do they actually sell anything else at Nordstrom's?) I was walking around display shopping and knitting. A cute sales guy asks me what I'm knitting. I tell him. He tells me he would love to learn to knit - if it was socially acceptable and all. I said IT TOTALLY IS! And then he told me that maybe he'd get a book out of the library. Then we go back to looking around and when he comes by us again he tells me I should knit him a hat. I laugh and say - how big's your head? (See - this is why I don't think he was flirting with me even though my sister thinks he was because if that's not an opening I don't know what is!) This seemed to confuse him a bit but then he disappeared into the back to get my sister's shoes. At this point my sister was completely flabergasted that my knitting was getting all the attention here. (HAHAHAHA!) When he came back he dropped the shoes off by my sister and totally came over to talk to me. He started telling me his life story. How he gave up his engineering career and how he just got a house and this is his second job. His real job is in finance. He was very sweet and I have no idea what he wanted from me - maybe just to know about knitting? Maybe I reminded him of his dear sweet grandmother that used to knit and he's lonely and the knitting made me seem kind and open? I thought it was interesting that not one woman said anything to me about my knitting. Only men - and young men at that. I don't know what this all means but single girls out there - know this: Knitting. It's the new puppy. Use it wisely.

Without further ado, my green squares. All finished but for the sewing.

Remember how you all thought I went a little overboard with the sock thing? That I might not ever knit anything again? You ain't seen nothing. The socks? Kid's play. This log cabin thing may ruin me forever. There are other things I want to knit - remember that whole Japanese sweater? Yeah. I'd still love to knit that. But these log cabins have taken over my brain like some kind of mad knit disease and I can't stop thinking about them.

Now that I've finished the green squares (Kay? Whenever you're ready I'm ready babe!) I'm already planning my next blanket. I'm seeing them more like canvases rather than functional pieces. Have you ever had this feeling - it's like your brain is so full of the idea that it feels like it might burst if you don't get it out? That's how I've been feeling all weekend. I've been doodling, playing with Photoshop - dreaming about the damn squares. It's a sickness. But if loving squares is wrong - I don't ever want to be right again. Stay tuned.

Back to the green squares - I anticipated the photo shoot of all 12 squares the whole weekend and I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I wanted something different. I finished the 12th square this morning and then I went out for a run. I'm so fat but at least I'm trying. Anyway - I kept running past all these nice lush patches of lawn and I thought that's perfect! So you have the pictures above. And then, when I was heading home to my nice air-conditioned apartment, I saw this patch of greens.



It's my log cabin in nature. Cool huh?

I never talked about my day with those goofy pug lovers. It was more fun that I thought I should share. I didn't want to incite any ugly envy or anything. I will say this: when Jen, Xavi and I were on the train home we saw this amazing rainbow. And as Ann suggested, cherry pies started falling from the sky. It was that good. And thanks for all the kind words you left for me! It's nice to know you think such nice things about me. I thought for sure I'd get a least one bitch. Or maybe even a mothafucka. Nothing. I really am losing my touch.

Spin Out UPDATE!

Get your prizes here! Right here! I've got quite a few prizes to announce: Emily of Sophie's Toes Sock Yarn has graciously donated two skeins of her hand-dyed sock yarn in the colors "Handsome Park Ranger" and "Summer in the City" - you know - in honor of our little event! (And be sure to check out her quilts. They are breathtaking!) Stacey at Made By Ewe offered up one of her hand painted spindles and some of her yarn. Beautiful stuff! Potter Craft, publishers of the ever famous Mason Dixon Knitting and Big Girl Knits, is sending over a collection of goodies. Kelly at The Gabby Knitter is donating some of her fabulous hand dyed sock yarn. Jennifer over at Spirit Trail Fiberworks is sending us some of her hand-dyed gorgeousness! Sivia Harding has donated two BRAND NEW beaded sock patterns. You know how I feel about my Sivia (of the Diamond Fantasy Shawl fame!) And last but not least, Kathy Elkins of WEBS has generously donated a fantastic knitty prize! More details to come! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ALL! I'm overwhelmed by all of your generosity!

We're T Minus 5 Days until the big event, but the Registry will be open until June 30th. So there's plenty of time to give. Now who's going to push me over the edge? So far today we've got a total of $9996! THANK YOU!

Posted by Cara at 03:59 PM | Comments (54)

June 15, 2006

Swimmin' with the Pugs

If you need me today, I'll be over here. In the meantime, I'm totally co-opting this cool meme thing I saw over at Kimberly's:

Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me — it can only be one word long. Then copy and paste this into your blog so that I may leave a word about you.

Go to it chickies!

Posted by Cara at 12:01 AM | Comments (111)

June 14, 2006

My Tongue Hurths.

Thomething happened to my tongue yetherday and it really really hurths. I think I burned it. But not on the uthual tip - on the thide. Tho everytime it toucheth my teeth it hurths. FUCK!

Thanks for coming out yesterday to cheer on this grand experiment! What I love best of all is that the marjority of the comments were from people I don't know - which is FANTASTIC! Out with the old in with the NEW! I've been trying to respond back to everyone in one way or another, so bear with me. If you get an email from me like six weeks from now you'll hopefully understand. I'm slow sometimes. And no, Lucia, I don't think that knitblogging is over. Not by a long shot - I do think that the lull these days is caused by a seasonal thing - the kids ARE out of school. The weather IS hot. We're all feeling a bit gin and tonics on the porch-ish. (Although make mine a lemonade please.) Add to that the normal ebb and flow of knitblogs and there you have it. God help me if the knitblogs go away - how else will I fill the time avoiding deciding whether or not to try to get pregnant? (Did I just say that out loud? Shit. I kid. Kidding. (hahahaha - kid - when talking about trying to get pregnant?!) I PROMISE I am taking my medication. It's Summer. I always go crazy in the Summer.) Change is good, or so I try to tell myself as I grasp onto the last bit of normalcy with my fingernails turning white and my hair blowing around as the winds of change try to knock my "normal" into oblivion. Change is good.

Did you know that there are no original ideas? I was all psyched about my Log Cabin Knits idea that I went out and bought the URL and everything. Then I come to find that there's a KAL here and there was one here which I guess got folded up into this one. So, of course, I thought, does the world really need another log cabin knitalong? And suprisingly, the answer I received from the universe was a resounding YES! That's the beauty of this thing - there's room for EVERYONE! (Also I paid for the freaking name and by god I'm going to use it.) I'm working out some technical stuff, but I envision something with lots of white (sort of like this blog) with Show & Tell Fridays and a very, very loose format where you can post if you want or don't want and share inspiriations and books and websites and people who inspire you and where it's all about the LOG CABIN in every form you can think of. Just want to knit endless squares and never put them together into anything? This is the place for you. And while my log cabin was of course inspired by Mason Dixon Knitting, the log cabin's of my future (I've got like 87 planned out in my head. It's very full in there these days.) are inspired by many many many different things. Therefore this KAL will NOT be associated with MDK (which the others seem to be) except in that it bows at the feet of Ann & Kay with reverence.

What do you think? Am I being an ass trying to reinvent the wheel? Or should I just go with my vision? I would just hate to step on any toes. Opinions welcome. Thank you!

There's MORE STUFF TO GIVE AWAY over at SPIN OUT Central. Teyani of Crown Mountain Farms has upped her prize contribution from two skeins of SOCK HOP Yarn in the never before seen colorway Love Me Tender to include one skein of superwash merino fiber (in Sock Hop Colors), one set of GORGEOUS handmade Asciano rosewood knitting needles and a handmade Jenkins turkish drop spindle. Thank you Teyani and Klaus! Morgaine from Carolina Homespun is sending us a generous prize package including learn to spin kits and fiber! Thank you Morgaine! And last but not least, Patty and Maureen from Green Mountain Spinnery in Vermont are sending in a Painted Hat kit which includes the pattern and two colors of Mountain Mohair and a carry bag. The best news though - THEY'RE COMING DOWN FROM VERMONT FOR THE EVENT! Can't wait to meet you! THANK YOU THANK YOU!

I also heard from Heifer International yesterday - we're like the poster child for amazing things you can do with a registry. They are very very grateful for all you are doing. Thank you from them and thank you from me.

That's still really nice, isn't it? Damn. Where the hell'd my MOFO go?

Posted by Cara at 10:35 AM | Comments (23)

June 13, 2006

DUDE! Why I still blog: Reason #429

(Warning: this is one of those feel good rose colored glasses the universe is a beautimous place post. If you're one of those people who hates everything and everyone, back away slowly. I'm usually like that myself so I understand the nausea. I promise to be back to my cynical sarcastic fugly self tomorrow. Thanks! Have a great day!)

Have you noticed it too? That the knitblog world seems so, I don't know, quiet? Maybe it's just shifting, as these things are wont to do? I just dont know. It seems like lots of people I used to see around all the time have just sort of disappeared. Or maybe it's just that everyone got a life and I missed the memo? (Maybe it's me? I promise to shower more.) I've been thinking about this a lot the last couple of weeks. Like maybe it's all ending and the new new thing is coming along and I still just want to write in my blog and show off my stuff and I have a compulsion to share! In some ways I've never been more excited about my knitting and where it's going and I'm not one of those people that can keep my mouth shut. I find it interesting - this incredibly fluid incredibly fickle world we pseudo live in. I guess that IS what keeps it interesting. I DO STILL have faith in all of it - this big goofy experiment of a community where people come together because they love this one thing - this fiber thing - and then they bare their souls and actually become friends and join together to care about stuff. I BELIEVE!

Because, for instance, just yesterday THIS came in the mail.

NORMA! You nut! I laughed for like a half an hour and then everytime I went into the dining room and saw it sitting on the stack of mail I laughed again. DUDE! You ROCK! Thank you! (What's so funny is that I rarely say dude except with my knitter friends. You guys bring the dude out in me. It's true.)

And then, the other day, these found their way into my home:

BRIGHT! CHEERY! HIGH ENERGY! Gotta love my girl Jenny! She was all worried about me that I wouldn't get sockapaloooza socks so she somehow got my foot dimensions and knit me a pair. How freaking sweet is that? I put them on immediately and I love them - because yes - I love the socks, but more so because they're from Jenny and even though I met her for a couple of hours one really sunny day two years ago May, we made a connection and I love her. Thank you Jenny!

ETA: I did receive Sockapaloooza socks. Lovely ones. From Elizabeth. Thank you Elizabeth!

And in the blow my socks off with a 50 lb canon category I received this:

I can't even begin to describe to you what these are. Stephanie of Spritely Goods was the FIRST person to offer up a prize for the Spin Out - even before I knew I was going to give prizes. Even before I knew that there would be a fundraiser for Heifer - SHE KNEW. She generously donated some hand-dyed batts. Then she donated money to the cause, and then, because you know, enough is never enough, she offered up some SAMPLE BATTS for spinners attending the event. MINI SAMPLE BATTS! Are you freaking KIDDING me?



I guess not because these little babies arrived in my mailbox and I swear to you I cried. Obviously, Stephanie lovingly carded all this fiber, made the little batts, made the mini labels. Do you know what the back of the label says? I'll read it to you:

In honor of June's Project Spectrum color Blue, I'm pleased to present you with a sample of handblended merino fiber in the Desert Daybreak Colorway. Enjoy and spin happily! - Stephanie

She's even getting you all in on Project Spectrum!!! I need a new way to say it but THIS GIRL ROCKS! Sure, sure, the cynics among us will say free advertising, but c'mon. The amount of work that went into this was way more than what she'll get from the free ads. As Georgie said when he came home and I showed them to him - she's just a little bit better than me. My god Stephanie. I'm so incredibly touched that Ann can come with up a crazy idea and that people like you can take off with it. Thank you thank you thank you. Get there EARLY people. This gold ain't going to last!

I still blog because people came out of the woodwork yesterday to ask if I was okay. You know. Because I said I'm going to host another knit along. I'm fine. It's all good. I have a plan. HAHAHAHAHAHA! No really. Thank you for your concern. Yes I'm still seeing my psychiatrist. Yes the drugs are working fine. Yes. Yes. No. Not really. Do you think it would help? Really, though. I'm okay. It's going to be great. And I think, this way, I'll get to meet lots of new people! As I said, the knitblog world is constantly changing and while I miss my old friends that have moved onto greener pastures, I'm making new friends! Have you read Julia's blog, Fricknits? She takes really beautiful pictures and has the cutest little boy and knits well and teaches kids to knit and most importantly she writes really really well. Go check her out! And the other day I saw a great meme type thing over at Victoria's blog (who also takes some really really nice pictures,) Peace and Sereknitty. It's sort of the anti-high school meme. What I Really Like About Me. Victoria would like us to all be a bit kinder to ourselves by stating five things (baby steps) we like about ourselves. Here are my five:

1. I have a great neck. Long and thin and ballerina like.
2. I think I have a pretty good sense of humor. And most importantly I can laugh at myself.
3. I'm loyal to the bitter end. If I'm your friend - you're stuck with me.
4. I am extremely passionate about what I love and what I don't love.
5. I'm well mannered - I always say please and thank you. I think please and thank you go a long way toward helping people feel appreciated.
(I'm adding an extra because I just can't leave it out. Yeah. I'm all about the self love.)
6. I have great feet. Perfect feet. Pretty feet. I love my feet.

See? Blogworld is still a great place to pull up a piece of the Internets and grow some roots. HAVE A GREAT DAY! THANK YOU FOR READING!
L, C

Posted by Cara at 10:21 AM | Comments (57)

June 12, 2006

Love Square No. 9

Whew! What a weekend! I photographed a birthday party Friday afternoon then hopped a train to Philly. When I got there, since G was working all day Friday and Friday night, I joined my sister and the kids at an elementary school carnival. No rides, just lots of games and about a zillion kids hopped up on cotton candy. CRAZY!

Saturday morning I lounged around and then G and I had babysitting duty. We watched the baby while the rest of the family went to see The Lion King. We ended up in Rittenhouse Park, with my brother, and I was looking for all those crazy Philly KIPers, but I couldn't find any. We got there around 3 - I guess everyone had left by then. We had a fun time pointing at planes and dogs and squirrels and birds and eating applesauce and then the rest of the family met up with us.

G and I had adult time at dinner that night - at Pod. Eh. The service sucked - well - not sucked really, but we had 9:30 reservations and they didn't seat us until after 10. Okay. Fine. I understand that you can't control how fast people eat and all and everyone else with reservations was waiting as well - BUT this couple came in, a couple that can only be described as acid washed - nuff said - and they were all kissy and huggy with pretty much everyone from the hostesses to the bus boys and guess who didn't have to wait long for a table? And then got a PRIME table? And then guess who got seated at a dirty table so that the guy could clean it off right into my lap and I had the smell of moldy cleaning fluid in my nose the whole time? I actually yelled at the hostess. I said you sat us a half hour after our reservation but you couldn't wait the five minutes to set up the table? They attempted to take care of us with a free appetizer and free dessert - which was GOOD. They did the right thing, but it was almost too much and they fucked up other parts of the order and in the end I wouldn't waste my time again. The food was decent, but I'm sure there's better out there. So much for the amazing Stephen Starr.

Besides the kids and hanging with my man, the best part of the weekend was right outside my hotel window:

Sunday was the Philadelphia International Championship, which went right by our hotel at Logan Circle. Very cool! Check out that Peleton! The whole time I was snapping away I was thinking of our Claudia - who's riding for MS. Have you donated over there yet? I know I've been asking you for money nonstop, but Claudia's raising for an extremely good cause, so if you can't give here - give there. Or give to both. That's what I've done. I matched my Heifer donation with a donation to fight MS. Thank you!

There was KNITTING TOO! Look what I did!

Two more squares!! Nona asked for a real life progress shot so here you go:



I've finished NINE completely and I'm already well into No. 10. I LOVE THIS PROJECT! I'm not sure how I'm going to put all the squares together - I'm going to wait for input from The Master. Oh and for all those asking about the yarn - it's Socks That Rock, heavyweight version, in Limestone (light), Jade (medium) and Beryl (dark.) I'm getting lots of questions and comments about this blanket and seems like you all love it as much as I do so I thought, you guessed it, time for a KNIT-A-LONG. (You know, because I didn't learn my lesson from the last one.)



I'm still working out the details on how I'm going to do this and I'm pretty preoccupied right now with Spin Out stuff, so let's say it'll have a July 1st opening. Details to come! Watch out for it!

And finally, I was over at Six and A Half Stitches where there was some talk of piles. That's one of my favorite things about my log cabin squares - feeling the heft of the piles - the way they line up or don't line up - the alternate colors peeking through. Here is my pile:

Thanks for reading! Have a great day!

Posted by Cara at 02:04 PM | Comments (30)

Spin Out: Triple Double!!!

Did I have a good weekend? YOU BET! I cannot find the words. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! We've reached another goal and I'm pushing it even further. Double Double Double Chai!

LET'S GET TO $10800!!!

Did you see what my friend High Energy Jenny is doing? She's selling off some SPECTACULAR kits and giving all the money to Heifer! HOW MUCH DOES THAT ROCK? Go see what she's got left! THANK YOU JENNY!

And Jeannine Bakriges, knitter, spinner, dyer, teacher, writer extraordinaire, has generously donated FIVE copies of Knit Lit Too and an Adam Mielke spindle! THANK YOU JEANNINE!

All the information on donating and winning can be found HERE!

I cannot adequately tell you what your donations - all of them - mean to me! I've never done anything like this before and I'm truly touched by your generosity. THANK YOU!

Posted by Cara at 11:06 AM | Comments (5)

June 09, 2006

Square Dancing

I'm back with my squares again and that makes me very happy. Although this batch of yarn is a wee bit different than the first batch. I'm trying very very hard to suppress the urge to reknit the first 7 squares. I think, in the end, the differences will be okay because it will make the blanket look even more vintagy. The new yarn is a bit brighter and the color more uneven than the first batch, so it'll look like the blanket aged, you know, under a sundrenched window by the ocean, folded up so that some parts faded and some parts didn't. At least that's what I'm telling myself. I'll finish what's left and then decide if the color differences are too jarring. Here's where I am in my progress:



I'm hoping the last squares will go kind of quick. I'm excited to move onto the next phase of putting this all together.

G and I are off again this weekend. To Philadelphia - but with a twist. G has to go down today for work and I'm following tonight - I have a birthday party to shoot this morning - and we'll be staying at a posh hotel for the weekend. I will see the kids too, but it'll be more of an adult themed weekend.

Have a great one everybody!
L, C

Posted by Cara at 08:24 AM | Comments (15)

June 08, 2006

Spin Out: The Verklempt Files

Yesterday I received this email from Josie:

Hi There:

Love your blog and the organization Heifer International. I am happy to say that on behalf of the second grade class at Anansi Charter School in Taos, New Mexico, I have donated $100.00 towards a knitting basket. I taught the entire 2nd grade to knit this year (12 boys, 4 girls) and they loved it. Here is the blanket that they knitted and which I assembled. We raffled the blanket to raise money for them to paint a sign for school and to do a ropes course at the end of the year with the balance going for the knitting basket. They were very proud of their accomplishment ( and I was too!) Thanks for this fundraiser--you're doing good work!

Josie

Go ahead. Grab your tissues. I'll still be here. HONK. SNORT. There. That's better. Never, in my widlest dreams, did I think I'd get emails like this. THANK YOU JOSIE! THANK YOU KIDS! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT!

L, C

PS - Besides THE WHEEL(!!!!!), we've had a couple more prize donations: Susan from Spinning Bunny has donated 16 ounces of hand dyed targhee in any of her colorways - winner's choice - and 2 skeins of 50% superwash merino 50% tencel sock yarn in any of her colorways - winner's choice. And Roxy from Roxy Yarns is sending us Serendipity Knitting Needles and Interlacements yarn. THANK YOU SUSAN AND ROXY!

Posted by Cara at 08:58 AM | Comments (25)

June 07, 2006

Spin Out: HUGE! HUGER THAN HUGE! THE HUGEST!!

I haven't been able to contain my excitement! I've been bursting at the seams, but now I can SHOUT IT!

Are you ready? I don't think you're ready. Seriously. Sit down. Okay?

It was all Tina's idea. And then she talked to Toni and WE'RE GIVING AWAY A WHEEL!!!!! I shit you not!!

It's a Majacraft Suzie Pro - with the green wheel - and Toni tells me it's handpainted on the back.

THANK YOU TONI AND TINA! YOU ROCK!!!

And how do you WIN this FANTASTIC, SPECTACULAR, FABULOUS, STUPENDOUS GRAND FREAKING PRIZE? I'm glad you asked. Here's the info yet again:

I've set up a REGISTRY at Heifer International.

For every $10.00 you spend on this registry, your name will be placed in the proverbial hat for drawings in the coming weeks. For instance, if you spend $50.00, your name will be put in the hat 5 times. You can win more than one prize if your name is in there more than once - we will not be pulling out multiple names after a win. There are various ways to spend:

-- Knitting Basket: $500.00
-- Share of a Knitting Basket: $50.00
-- A Full Llama: $150.00
-- Share of a Llama: $20.00
-- A Full Sheep: $120.00
-- Share of a Sheep: $10.00
-- Trio of Rabbits: $60.00
-- Share of Rabbits: $10.00
-- A Full Goat:$120.00
-- Share of a Goat: $10.00
-- A Full Pig: $120.00
-- Share of a Pig: $10.00
-- Chicks: $20
-- Bees: $30

The way the registry works is this - click on the type of animal you'd like to buy - whether it be a full animal or a share of an animal. You will then be taken to a page about the animal and given the option to purchase the whole animal or just a share! It's as EASY as that!

I hope there is something for everyone here. The FABULOUS and FANTASTIC PRIZES will be awarded ALL OVER THE WORLD! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ATTEND THE EVENT TO WIN! So if you can't be there on the 24th, you can still be there in SPIRIT!

Since the registry only tells me that you've given, not how much (for raffle purposes) here's what I'm asking: WHEN YOU DONATE TO HEIFER THROUGH THE REGISTRY (and I know you will ;-) ), PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO spinout@januaryone.com STATING HOW MUCH YOU GAVE. Otherwise, you'll be put in the raffle pot ONCE, regardless of how much you donated.

ALL IT TAKES IS TEN DOLLARS AND A DREAM!
THANK YOU ALL SO SO MUCH!

Posted by Cara at 06:44 PM | Comments (9)

Crapshoot

aka Random Wednesday.

- Please go watch this video. It has given me immense pleasure this morning. I've watched it no less than ten times. Seriously. I just watched it again and it's fantastic!

- Yesterday I waited for my new stove to be delivered. They were supposed to come between 1 and 5 PM. My building has strict rules - deliveries HAVE to happen before 5. At 4PM I called dispatch and said, um, remember how I told you the delivery had to be before 5, well, um, where's my stuff? They said they'd be there. At 4:57 they called and said they'd be late. Can we try to deliver anyway? I said sure but the building will turn you away. At 5:32 I got a call from the delivery guys saying they were turned away. Can they come today? Anyone want odds that I'll be cooking tonight? ETA: THEY'RE HERE!

- Actually, I can tell you I won't be cooking tonight because G and I are taking my sister out to Brooklyn to finally move her stuff into her new place. She's been staying here and for the last three nights we've gone "shopping." I put the word shopping in quotation marks because even though we've spent hours in a handful of stores trying on hundreds of garments I think she bought like one pair of pants. Or maybe more than that but she's returning everything but one pair of pants. My baby sister, bless her heart, can't shop retail. She can only shop thrift stores and New Jersey, Valley of the Damned Mall, doesn't have many thrift stores. Or at least none that I know of but I'm strictly a retail girl. I've learned a lot these last few days shopping with my sister. Mainly that I'm old and fat. It's been really really disconcerting watching her try on clothes. She did point out that when I was 24 my body didn't look like it does now (Thanks. Thanks a lot.) but I know my body doesn't look like it did when I was 24. What bothers me is that for every size 4 she tried on it seemed like someone had a bycicle pump attached to my belly and was pumping pumping pumping me up. And this is the week AFTER my period, when I'm supposed to feel all deflated and everything. I'm not going to even get into the fashion. It's like I've been living under a rock. I look at her clothes and think my god she's got a strange sense of style - I mean she wore a cowl neck thingy to work today that I swear to god I had in seventh grade - and then I go to the stores AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SELLING! I was shocked! And the brands! I haven't even heard of half these brands. All I want is a nice pair of jeans that fits me and doesn't cut in my crotch doesn't show my ass crack and doesn't flare out like a freaking parachute at the bottom. Is that too much to ask? Throw in a bit of stretch and you've got yourself a deal.

I have never really felt old. In my mind I'm a much more mature, oh, let's say, 20. 20 was a good year. But these last few days I've felt like my sister's mother, waiting for her outside the dressing room, all dumpy and gross in my baseball cap. So not fair. Before you tell me to stop wallowing and get off my fat ass, I have been. Last week I got on the scale and I had tipped my threshold weight. You know - the spot on the dial that you swear YOU WILL NEVER GO OVER? Yeah. I went over. But instead of waddling into to the kitchen to open the new bag of chips, I strapped on my sneakers and got out and ran. I've been running for a week, I guess. Today was supposed to be a run day but it's pouring outside and I have to wait for the freaking oven guys anyway. Hopefully tomorrow. I hate the way I feel right now.

- Knittng has been nonexistant and I really, really miss it. I haven't been bringing it with me while I've been out shopping with my sister which is just so stupid really. I mean, I could've been relaxing with my shit while she's been trying on clothes and I just know it wouldn't have been so awful for me. Don't ask me why I haven't brought it with me - I don't know. Maybe I want to feel sorry for myself? My squares yarn came and it's great and I found my size 5s I thought I lost and I should just sit on the couch all day today and knit but I started cleaning yesterday and it felt kind of good to see the floor again so I'll probably keep going with that. And I have some work to do too. Bleh.

- Have I mentioned I hate Summer? It doesn't matter if it's rainy and cold outside, if the calendar says Summer my brain goes into hyperdrive. I'm already sick of myself and it's only June 7th. Maybe you should reconsider sticking around. Don't say I didn't warn you.

- There is some GOOD news around here! First up, WE HAVE AN OMBRE WINNER! The MDK girls picked

A Very Brady Ombre (or "Groovy Ombre") by PBnJ: Avocado Green, Burnt Orange, Harvest Gold, and "Paneling Brown." Apprently, 1971 was Harvest Gold year for both of them! Congratulations PBnJ!

Also, we're at $4846 in the Heifer Registry! YAY! And some new fantastic prizes came in yesterday: Paula and Kate at Woolarina are pitching in some yarn and stuff. (Go tell Paula CONGRATULATIONS on her wedding this weekend! YAY PAULA!) Allison from the Simply Sock Yarn Company has some fabulous Toasty Toes to send us. Lori Lawson, fiber artist extraordinaire, from the Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio in San Juan Capistrano, CA, is putting together a generous package of hand painted fiber and yarn for us. And last but not least, Cecil Miskin from Buffalo Gold has donated a huge gift of buffalo goodies: fiber and yarn and fiber for felting! I can't wait to feel the buffalo! (Oh and be sure to check out the contest Buffalo Gold is sponsoring over at Wild Fibers Magazine - you can win $1000 shopping spree at Buffalo Gold!) THANK YOU ALL!

Posted by Cara at 10:11 AM | Comments (27)

June 06, 2006

Nothing Says Hell Like High School

Via Ann and Vicki. Hey Ann? Where's YOUR picture?

Fill in the blanks about your senior year. The longer ago it was the better.

1. Who was your best friend? Beth and Steve, that is until Steve got a girlfriend and she wouldn’t let him hang out with me. From what I understand, Steve eventually married her and they had at least one kid who was born on 01/01/01. I always found that CRAZY amusing.

2. What sports did you play? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

3. What kind of car did you drive? I was at the mercy of my parents on this one. Usually I drove my dad’s car which was a Pontiac Sunbird. White. I didn’t mind that car. My sister and brother and I drove that thing into the ground. I learned to drive on a Chevy Impala Station Wagon, but they got rid of that sometime my senior year and my mom drove a Buick something or other which was totaled by the neighbor across the street right after I left home. Did NOT like the Buick, but because of the Chevy, I can parallel park anything.

4. It's Friday night, where were you at? Somebody’s basement, but most likely Dave Goodman’s. We would listen to the Grateful Dead or Led Zeppelin or some other classic rock (I don’t remember any Bruce, to be honest – not with this crowd) and we would drink and get high.

5. Were you a party animal? Not really. I had a midnight curfew, which I was usually very good about unless I arranged to sleep out. I never really liked getting drunk or high and when I drove there were RULES about my car – no alcohol, no drugs. I kicked somebody out of my car for drinking. I guess I was more scared of my father than peer pressure.

6. Were you considered a flirt? Yeah. Probably. I liked to fuck with the boys. I was smart and had a fairly voluptuous body, but I was way too honest for my own good. ETA: I should clarify this - when I say I liked to fuck with the boys I meant tease them or mess with their minds or whatever. Not necessarily get down and dirty. Also, when I say I was too honest for my own good - I mean very free with my opinions, of which I had many, which maybe didn't go over so well. I think I was a little bit scary.

7. Ever skip school? All the time. There was a two month period when I missed 7th period English almost every day.

8. Ever smoke? Yes.

9. Were you a nerd? Yes and no. I was known, at times, to eat lunch in the M.G. room (the place where the mentally gifted mentors and students hung out – about as nerdy as nerdy can get.)

10. Did you get suspended/expelled? No.

11. Can you sing the Alma Mater? Maybe, but somehow it mixes with the UMich fight song. So no.

12. Who was your favorite teacher? In high school? No one really comes to mind.

13. Favorite class? None. I really couldn’t stand high school. I was bored and restless and probably thought I was better and smarter than everyone. I couldn’t WAIT to get out of there.

14. What was your school's full name? George Washington High School

15. School mascot? Eagle

16. Did you go to Prom? Yes I went to the prom – both my Junior and Senior and they both sucked for various reasons. Although I did wear great dresses for both.

17. If you could go back and do it over, would you? Not if you paid me millions of dollars and threatened the lives of small animals.

18. What do you remember most about graduation? After it was over, I remember finding a friend – an old friend – we hadn’t talked in a LONG time after a particularly nasty blow up in tenth grade where she called me a bitch and I told her she taught me everything I knew. When we “broke up” I lost my base, if you will, and never really solidly belonged to any one group again. I was kind of friends with everyone and friends with no one, you know. Anyway, at graduation we some how met up on the football field and had a huggy/weepy moment. Otherwise it’s all a blur.

19. Favorite memory of your senior year? We had a class trip to NYC. I already knew I wanted to live here and I remember leaving the class and hopping in a cab over to the Hard Rock Café where I bought a t-shirt. A very risky thing for me to do. I also remember English Class with Mr. Lynch – we were reading The Portrait of An Artist as A Young Man and I said I didn’t believe in God. Mr. Lynch, I’m assuming he was a Catholic, put me on “trial” at the front of the class and the two of us argued theology for the rest of the class.

20. Were you ever posted up on the senior wall? I don’t know what this means.

21. Did you have a job your senior year? Absolutely. I worked, if you count babysitting, from when I was 12. My senior year I worked at Casual Male at Welsh & the Boulevard. I was an Assistant Manager.

22. Who did you date? I had a steady boyfriend for a couple of years from 9-11th grade and in 11th grade I dated a guy that was bad news and totally fucked me up and in 12th grade I didn’t really have a boyfriend. I did sleep around a bit. Just a bit though.

23. Where did you go most often for lunch? Probably Aldo’s Pizzeria if I left school – otherwise we just hung out on the back steps and smoked.

24. Have you gained weight since then? Yep.

25. What did you do after graduation? The summer after graduation I was a counselor at an overnight camp. I had signed up for it because I didn’t know if I could leave home to go to college, so this was a test run. Needless to say, that September I started at NYU and I never lived in Philadelphia again.

26. When did you graduate? 1987.

PS - The picture. I didn't have some kind of weird skin disease back then, it's the scan and oh my god I wish you could see the tan lines and FROSTED hair! I was a looker, that's for sure! ;-)

Posted by Cara at 11:38 AM | Comments (23)

June 05, 2006

Spin Out: Double or Nothing!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Thanks to a spectacularly generous donation from Luise in MA, we've PASSED OUR GOAL! So LET'S DOUBLE IT!

DOUBLE DOUBLE CHAI! I'm bringing over all of the information on giving - and we've added BEES!

Here's how to donate:

I've set up a REGISTRY at Heifer International.

For every $10.00 you spend on this registry, your name will be placed in the proverbial hat for drawings in the coming weeks. For instance, if you spend $50.00, your name will be put in the hat 5 times. You can win more than one prize if your name is in there more than once - we will not be pulling out multiple names after a win. There are various ways to spend:

-- Knitting Basket: $500.00
-- Share of a Knitting Basket: $50.00
-- A Full Llama: $150.00
-- Share of a Llama: $20.00
-- A Full Sheep: $120.00
-- Share of a Sheep: $10.00
-- Trio of Rabbits: $60.00
-- Share of Rabbits: $10.00
-- A Full Goat:$120.00
-- Share of a Goat: $10.00
-- A Full Pig: $120.00
-- Share of a Pig: $10.00
-- Chicks: $20
-- Bees: $30

The way the registry works is this - click on the type of animal you'd like to buy - whether it be a full animal or a share of an animal. You will then be taken to a page about the animal and given the option to purchase the whole animal or just a share! It's as EASY as that!

I hope there is something for everyone here. The FABULOUS and FANTASTIC PRIZES will be awarded ALL OVER THE WORLD! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ATTEND THE EVENT TO WIN! So if you can't be there on the 24th, you can still be there in SPIRIT! LET'S BUY A WHOLE HERD PEOPLE!

Since the registry only tells me that you've given, not how much (for raffle purposes) here's what I'm asking: WHEN YOU DONATE TO HEIFER THROUGH THE REGISTRY (and I know you will ;-) ), PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO spinout@januaryone.com STATING HOW MUCH YOU GAVE. Otherwise, you'll be put in the raffle pot ONCE, regardless of how much you donated.

THANK YOU ALL SO SO MUCH! I'M THRILLED!!!

Posted by Cara at 12:22 PM | Comments (7)

500

This is my 500th post. And wouldn't you know, I couldn't come up with a good title.

There isn't any knitting. I think I finally finished the heel flap on my second Heat Wave sock, but I have to count again. I really miss my squares and I just don't feel like knitting anything else. So I spin....

I've had this Dudley Spinner tie-dyed roving in my stash since I first bought my spindle. I don't have a lot of it - I think that's about 3 3/4 oz so I wanted to make sure I could REALLY spin before I used it. I first sa