January One -- Geometric Scarf

December 09, 2004

Second Guesses

Ugh. I'm almost finished my holiday reprint orders - I've got a pile ready to go out in the mail - but there are a few snags. I hate snags.

On to second guessing.

Second Guess #1
Yesterday started out pretty good. Georgie and I drove into the city - which was okay - too much traffic - but it was nice to spend the morning together. I had a haircut at 10:00. I was early and I didn't have to wait. Haircut took no time at all. [I felt a little guilty about it though. G had told me the night before wouldn't it be neat if I grew my hair out. It's pretty short - but back when he met me ~gasp~ seventeen years ago it was very blonde, very wavy and halfway down my back. I think he's being pretty nostalgic, but he was cute about it and I went to the hairdresser with my much darker, much shorter hair thinking about growing it out. It took Tom and I about ten seconds to decide that was a ridiculous notion and once I was back to my short, tamed self I felt so much better. No second guesses there.]

Haircut over I trekked over to the West Side. I was going to make fish for dinner and I'm very particular about where I buy my fish. So off to Citarella I went and in the meantime, I thought I'd stop into my most hated despised disliked LYS. I had originally vowed never to go back there again - I've literally NEVER had a good experience - but this time I really only needed needles and I thought that maybe it would be okay. I had no plans to talk to anyone. I was on a single-minded mission. It was okay. The fates seemed to agree because I found a parking space RIGHT IN FRONT of the store. If you've ever been to Manhattan - scratch that - ever DROVE in Manhattan, you know that this is definitely a planetary alignment kind of thing. It was about 10:50 AM at this time and I figured I was good to go. Only problem. When I got out of the car to put money in the meter, I ran up to check if they were open. Of course not. [Should have been my first clue to run screaming.] They didn't open until noon. Lazy asses. I shoved in enough quarters to buy me an hour and figured I'd get the fish first. I meandered to the fish market with a detour in Staples, a quick check in a used book store for the Holy Grail (not there), and bought my salmon. Not before flirting shamelessly with the lovely older gentleman also buying salmon. (Suffice it to say lemon pepper was involved. Trust me, you don't want the details.)

On my way back to sit in my car and knit while waiting for the LYS to open, I passed by a costume jewelry store. I went in. I bought this:

for my Geometric Scarf. This scarf is slowly becoming the Million Dollar Debacle. I had a bunch of other pictures, but my stitches look sloppy and the border is gross and it's taking forever to knit (admittedly I haven't been spending that much time on it) and now, in taking the pictures, I don't even think I like the stupid $40's worth of earrings I bought. Second guesses.

[OOOOOO - I'm feeling better! Bruce doing Jersey Girl just came on my ITunes. I can be happy now!]

Anyway. So I now I have to run back to my car to put more money in the meter and the store is STILL not open and then I realize I left the fish in the jewelry store, which I'm sure they're not appreciating. With money in the meter I don't have to run, but I'm hot and sweaty now and does anyone really care about this? I don't know. It's my blog so fuck it.

I get back to the LYS and believe it or not THERE IS A LINE TO GET IN! I'm flabbergasted. I mean c'mon people. A LINE. I repeat over and over again I just want needles, I'm not going to talk to anyone, I just want needles. They finally open and I follow the line upstairs and it's packed already. Head down, I beeline to the needles. A wall of freaking bamboo. Nothing that I want. Crap, crap, crap. I just stuffed an hour of quarters in the meter (that's six quarters for the uninitiated.)

[You may ask, legitimately, why I thought I'd spend an HOUR in a place I really don't like, but this is New York and there was a space RIGHT IN FRONT and a parking ticket costs like $7000! I put all I had in the meter to save myself.]

I attempted to ask for help and I can assure you - I'M NEVER GOING BACK THERE.

After a very brief stop at Patricia's Yarns in Hoboken (she's very nice, but didn't have what I wanted either) I think I've solved the needle problem for the KSH. Elann.com, my newest enabler, has Swallow Caseins IN EXACTLY THE SIZES I NEED - 3.0mm and 2.75mm. So I ordered them. How easy was that? No muss no fuss and now I can attack the hairy dental floss armed to the nines. Or 1.5s and 2s.

Second Guess #2
Number 2 hurts me a little more. I'm struggling with G's vest. Because I'm 11 stitches short of the smallest pattern size to get gauge, I keep getting confused in the binding off/decreasing. On the back I had this problem - but remedied it by binding off the 20 stitches they asked for and having less left on the stitch holder for the back of the neck. Well, now I'm decreasing for the arm and the neck. I realized that I better have 20 stitches bound off to match the shoulder on the back. Which means I have less decreases on the neck.

[OOOOOOO. Bruce's FOR YOU just came on - Now I feel ecstatic!]

Fine, no problem. Then I looked at Bonne Marie's beautiful new Aran Cardi and I'm feeling bad about my stitch work on the neck. I know, I know. I'm far from the expert she is and I shouldn't compare myself to anyone but myself. But I can't help it. It looks sloppy and I really don't feel like pulling it out. I just want the vest done. Georgie won't notice and he's the one who has to wear it. Heck, he said Max's hat was the best thing I've done so far. What does he know.

Alright. I'm done feeling sorry for myself. What a self-serving post. If you've read this far, can I call you my friend?

Posted by Cara at 09:14 AM | Comments (3)

November 29, 2004

bloat...

Thanksgiving's over. Let's move on. Please.

It's not that I hate the holidays per se, but I don't really see why singling out a special day for thanking those you love is necessary. Don't you do that every day? I try to. I try very hard. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don't, but I like to think I don't need a day to remember. Same goes for Valentine's. I don't even like turkey.

I did get some knitting done even though the beloved children keep me very busy. They're definitely the goofiest, craziest, most wonderful people I know. There is almost no greater pleasure in my life than being their aunt. Sometimes, I miss them so much it hurts. Okay, okay. I almost made myself cry.

Back to knitting - this is the progress I've made so far on the Geometric Scarf:

I'm not sure about the yarn - it splits, but it is very, very soft. The scarf will have to be blocked well though.

And since these days finishing one project means starting 18 more, I bought a couple of pattern books. Samara, my baby sister (12 years my junior), was in for the holiday from Michigan with her man Ted. I picked up the Rowan Vintage Style book and Magazine 36 at Ewe and I. (First time I've ever been able to find what I needed there.)

I also bought a ball of Kid Silk Haze #598 (Toffee). I'm going to make the Brie gloves in the magazine for Samara. They'll go perfect with the "vintage" (read Salvation Army) coat Ted bought her. We also decided on Laurent, from the Vintage Style book, for her birthday present in March. Should be a good project for me since I've never done intarsia. I so want to learn.

Brie

Laurent

My sister and I both enjoyed perusing the Rowan books - so much so I'm considering joining the Rowan club. Could be a nice birthday gift to myself.

Progress has also been made on G's Vest. Not enough, but progress still.

Posted by Cara at 02:34 PM | Comments (4)