January One -- Socks
May 19, 2006
0.592592592592592592592
Yes. I really did put the squares in the sand. G was a bit freaked out about this and wanted to know which was the most important when he had to grab them up lest they drift into the sea to be lost forever. I said don't worry. If they get wet they get wet. The yarn will dry. And the likelihood of them being lost in that crystal clear water was pretty slim and you know what? It's yarn. That I knit. It's not so precious. They're squares for a blanket that should be used and loved and abused and it will last and if it doesn't I'll knit another one. At the heart of it, isn't knitting a functional USEful craft? You need to use the stuff, not put it under glass. (Okay - maybe when it's 100 years old and I'm dead and famous my family can leave it to a museum and put it under glass with the picture on the beach beside it, but not now.)
Before I left I couldn't stop knitting squares, as you know, and I continued to knit pretty much through the entire vacation. After the first day on the beach I came up with a goal: six squares finished. Half the blanket. So I knit and I knit and I ran out of the dark green and moved onto the solid color squares and then I ran out of almost all the medium green so I knit my last square and had just enough left over for the middle of the 8th square. Hence the number in the title. That's how much I've finished.
Borrowing from Lauren, I have the light sections to do. I've used all the green yarn I have and Tina's going to make me some more and I love this project. The light green (limestone) seems to be knitting at a bigger gauge than the rest of it, so the squares where the light green is on the outside are a bit wonkier, but overall I think it's FABULOUS. I originally thought it would be a test and then a gift and now I don't know if I can part with it. Especially since I might find bits of sand in some of the squares every now and then and it will remind me of Anguilla. That would be really nice all cuddled up on a snowy winter night. Wouldn't it? Could you give it away with memories like that knit into it? We'll see.
While I wait for my new yarn to come, I've started a new sock. I'm taking a page from the genius that is Eunny and I'm not sure if I'm going to continue the socks I have on my needles right now so I started a new one. Shut up. I am SO allowed. Anyway, they're going to be plain old sockinette socks because it seems all I can do these days is knit. But when I say plain old I'm totally lying.
What you're seeing there in the crappy dark picture above (Sorry! No Anguilla light today. Only gray rain.) is HAND DYED, HANDSPUN SOCK YARN! Can you BELIEVE it! It's all freaking BARBERPOLE! My heart can barely take it. Where did I find such gorgeous yarn? Well, the other day I was reading over at Amanda's and she posted a picture of this new sock yarn she bought and my heart actually DID stop so I rushed over to Teyani's to see if she had any left and thank god she did. The yarn is from Crown Mountain Farms and Teyani calls it Sock Hop yarn. All of the colorways are named after 50s Tunes. I bought Heard it Through the Grapevine (on the left in the picture above) and Heat Wave. I've started a sock in that. Can I tell you? THIS is what I want my spinning to be. I want to spin my own barberpole sock yarn. I fear I'm a long way off from this endeavor, but in the meantime, I'll take one in each Sock Hop color! Thank you Teyani!
Thanks for all the entries in the MDK Peaches & Creme contest! It's closed now and the entries are all really great (read them - seriously - they are so funny!) I'm going to have a hard time narrowing it down to ten. I'll announce a winner when I get back. Yes. I'm off again tomorrow. I know. Just when I'm back I'm off - but absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? My grandmother's 85th birthday party is on Sunday and it's been planned for a while now so I'm going down to help my sister and visit with the family. I'll be back sometime on Wednesday and I'll try to check in before then. It gets kind of crazy down there so no promises. Orignally our vacation was planned for the first week of May so I didn't think I'd be gone back to back, but there it is. See you on the flip side! Have a great weekend!
Posted by Cara at 11:50 AM | Comments (20)
April 28, 2006
WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP!
My host server had a DoS attack today, so my websites were off line for awhile. I wrote this post this morning before Jen called and asked me to hang out. So off I went AND she took pictures for me all gussied up. They'll come later. Patience my pretties.
Build a house and build it high
Build it right up to the sky
See the roof, see the floor
See the little swinging door
See the momma making bread
See the children asleep in bed
1…2…3 WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP
This children's song was going through my head yesterday while I was trying on dresses for the wedding. The red one from Nordstrom’s doesn’t fit. It’s not really bad, in fact, G first thought it was good – the problem is the dress is really nice. The fabric’s nice. The color’s nice. And it sort of fits. It’s the kind of dress you try on in the store and you carry around with you for an hour because you can’t decide so you buy it anyway and end up returning it. Instead I bought it online and now I’ll return it. The fit is just off. It fits through the middle, sort of, but it’s too big through the chest, sort of. And no, I don’t think alterations will help. Plus, as G said, if you’re going to pay $188 for a dress you want it to fit RIGHT. (Please don’t tell him I thought the price was pretty reasonable.)
Anyway, so when I went out to the P.O. yesterday I stopped at some of the outlets around my house, you know, just to see if there were any dresses out there.
DUDE! When did my body get so old?!?!?
I had an older friend tell me once that 25 was it. That you start to lose your body after 25. She neglected to tell me that it’s gone by 36. ;-) It’s not really that I need to lose that much weight (20 lbs would be great, 15 probably ideal, even 10 would make a big difference) it’s just that everything needs to be toned up. I know, I know. The weather’s nicer now and I have no excuse (well this week I do – PMS is kicking my ass – actually my boobs) NOT to start running again and plenty of inspiration to get me going: Ann, Elisa, Chelsea, Lolly, the other Lolly. Hell, everybody’s doing it! Why shouldn’t I? And I will. My arms were enough to scare the crap out of me. I used to have nice arms. I want nice arms again. Not all Angela Bassett muscley or anything just a teeny bit cut.
Normally I’m not one to obsess about my body (god knows I obsess about everything else) but this wedding is one of those high school reunion type things. You see, these people knew me or met me when I looked like this. Never mind the fact that NONE of them look like they did back then, I don’t look like I did. And it’s not that I really want to look like that again – well the body, yes, but the hair was a pain in the ass and I actually think I look younger with shorter hair – but I want to look like I feel and I still feel like I did back then. Only smarter. And wiser. And better. You know?
Now I’m even more happy about the shawl. I’ll wear the San Simeon dress and cover myself with my own handknit luxury.
To assuage my bruised ego, I started a new sock.
It's Pomatomus in one of the new spring colors from Blue Moon: Dutch Canyon. Sometimes it’s good to try new things because I learned that a) the whole time I was knitting this I kept thinking how nice Dutch Canyon would be as a jaywalker and b) that Pomatomus is an interesting pattern but maybe not so much for me. Especially in this yarn. It will be ripped.
Live and learn people. Live and learn.
Have a great weekend. I will let you all know how the wedding goes. Thank you so so so much for all the compliments on my shawl. It means so much, especially since it will probably be ignored at the wedding. ;-) I PROMISE I will do my best to get action shots. I’m not sure how and I’m not sure when, but I will get them for you! I PROMISE! Jen took them for me! Hopefully they'll go up sometime tonight. Thanks!
PS - GO TELL CARRIE MAZEL TOV! The Pants asked her to make it legal! YAY!
Posted by Cara at 05:33 PM | Comments (6)
April 14, 2006
Rare Gems
I guess I might as well admit it. I'm a sock knitter. I know you all think I'm a sock knitter, but I've been avoiding the label because, well, I DO knit other things besides socks. Although it might not seem like it these days.
I finished three socks while I was at my sister's. The first one I'm going to talk about is a mate - so now I have a pair.
Yes, yes. I ran out of yarn. I'm still using the old put up - I've got a lot of STR skeins to get through - but it wasn't all the fault of the yarn. The colorway is a RARE GEM, which means no one else in the world has it but me! Sometimes mistakes are made in the dye pot and Tina transforms these "mistakes" into gorgeous unique colorways through overdyeing. I was worried from the start that I'd run out and in this world of self-fulfilling prophecies I did. The funny thing? I made a mistake in the pattern. I hope you're laughing because I certainly did - this is my 11th pair of jaywalkers? I've lost count to be honest. So here I am knitting on this sock and I decide to do a stitch count and I realize that somewhere I added an extra stitch. The best part is that I made the mistake in a place that's completely obliterated by the pattern! That's why I couldn't see it. (For those of you intimately acquainted with the jaywalker pattern, I added the second ktfbl on a knit row down the middle of the sock so on the next row the pattern was unchanged for the first ktfbl. And if you understand that - maybe it's time to find a new sock pattern. ;-) ) When it became clear to me that I was going to run out of yarn, I called my favorite dyer Tina and asked for some Spinel, which I thought would work perfect for the toe.
And I think I was right! I love the sock. Then I had to decide whether or not I wanted both socks to match, since I had already finished the first sock with the Rare Gems yarn. I decided I liked them different. Truly a pair of Rare Gem socks.
I love them. They will sit in my (soon to be determined) sock drawer and wait for the cold feet of fall.
I also finished one of my Hot Flash jaywalkers:
OH MY GOD! I have GOT to start counting more. This time I made a very similar mistake (left out a ktfbl) and ended up a stitch short. I'm getting better with the whole perfectionism thing though because I didn't rip it out and fix it at the source (the mistake was on the cuff and when I figured it out I was on the foot.) I fixed it where I found the mistake. Same as the Rare Gems sock. Love the sock. Will be making another one.
And in the biggest news of the day, I finished sock ONE of my Sockapaloooza socks:
LOVE the yarn. LOVE the pattern. LOVE the sock. (That's three loves for sockapalOOOza.) It is SO hard knitting socks for someone other than yourself - especially someone far away that can't try them on for you. They are pretty loose on me so and a bit long so I've got all my toes crossed that they will fit the recipient.
I think it's pretty funny that the jaywalker looks bigger than the sock pal sock. So not the case.
Anyway. That's what I knit while I was away. It was excellent to see the kids and hang with my sister but I'm VERY glad to be home. Look for lots of black and bead lace knitting to come and another sock pal sock. That's going to be pretty much it until the end of April. Deadlines loom. Oh and if anyone has any ideas about sending expensive and IRREPLACEABLE jewelry through the mail (fedex, etc.) please let me know. I left my fancy wedding ring at my sister's and I want it back in my possession ASAP. I don't feel like going back down there to pick it up and I'm missing it desperately. But can you really send that kind of stuff?
Posted by Cara at 11:26 AM | Comments (34)
April 03, 2006
Monday Monday
It's one of those mornings. Daylight savings time really threw us for a loop. I'm up by 7:30AM every day (even on the weekends) and today I slept until 8:30. Then G was really late and I drove him into the city so my morning was pretty much shot. Add to that some seriously hurting boobies and a massive sinus headache and I'm just so freaking happy today!! Yeah MONEY!
I did, though, have a very fun and productive weekend. Saturday was CAR day. G and I had narrowed it down to three cars after all our (his) research and spreadsheets and statistics. We had one more test drive Saturday morning: one was already pretty much out of the running because of cup holders (all things being equal, it's a dealbreaker), one was on the top of the list, and then one needed to knock our socks off. Didn't happen. Then we went and test drove our first choice again and we were both once again COMPLETELY WOWED!! We love this car. It's different - not many people have it all - it's fast - it drives like a dream - it's safe. Everything we want. We're not in a complete rush - we have a couple of months before we have to give our car back, so they're working on finding exactly what we want. (We always go for a weird combination of color/extras that's kind of hard to find.) On Sunday we actually changed our minds a bit about the interior color and G sent the guy an email. Wouldn't you know it? They found the original car we asked for at the port, but now we'll have to wait again for the color combo. I'm so excited!!! I would tell you what car we got, but it's so perfect for the ABC A-Long Letter R that I don't want to give it away. ;-) Suffice it to say we're EXTREMELY excited about our new purchase. It's going to be a blast!!!
Friday I worked diligently on a job and rewarded myself by starting my Sockapaloooza socks.
And the whole time I'm knitting them (I got about two pattern repeats in after the picot edge) I'm thinking this yarn would look really really good as...
...you guessed it. Some people may claim to be a harlot when it comes to their knitting, I'm just basically a whore. I scraped the sockapaloooza socks and started a pair of picot edge jaywalkers for moi. So crass. I knit the entire cuff on Saturday going from car dealer to car dealer. G was nice enough to drive the whole time - usually I'm the one behind the wheel. The heal has now been turned and I just have to pick up the gusset. Before you go and accuse me of being the worst kind of charlatan, the yarn just wasn't working with my chosen Sock Pal pattern. I've since ordered some new fantastic yarn from Tina at Blue Moon, which should arrive later this week, and this yarn is guaranteed to be PERFECT for the pattern and my sock pal. GUARANTEED. And since the socks I've chosen are short, on size 2s with an easily memorizable pattern, we're good to go by the deadline.
The best way to gain back interest in something you claim to be bored with is to actually SAY you're bored with it. All I did this weekend was knit socks. I picked up the Embossed Leaves sock again - and found that I had made a mistake with the instep pattern somewhere after I picked up the gusset so I ripped. Then counted wrong and ripped again. FINALLY I'm on my way to finishing the foot. It's going pretty fast - I think I've got a repeat and a half to go before I start decreasing for the toe. There's only one itsy bitsy problem. I think I like them better on the needles than I do on my feet.
I dont' know. It's weird - I think they look really cool off - the colors the yarn the pattern, but on, they seem just eh. Oh well. I will finish them. I think it's pretty funny that you all got so concerned when I said I was bored with socks. I mean, I don't really consider myself a sock knitter. Of course, I knit socks, but basically I've knit the same sock a million times. I often get questions about socks and sock knitting and I rarely know the answer - unless, of course, you're asking about jaywalkers. I don't know anything about heels or toes or short rows - in fact, I put my normal jaywalker heel on my embossed leaves sock. Not that I mind being thought of as a sock knitter, it's just not really how I see myself. That said, here are the three socks I've got on my needles currently. Two need the gusset picked up and one needs a foot.
Yesterday, I finished another job and sent it off to the printer! YAY! And I'm thisclose to getting the taxes done - I just needed some stuff from G which he provided late last night. Today they will be finished. And then I have to at least make an attempt to clean. A bathroom at the least. Bookish Wendy is coming for a couple wild parties with the girls over at MDK. I hope they don't get sick of me because I plan to go to see them Tuesday, Wednesday (with the LI Crew in da house!!!!), Thursday and finally Friday in Philly! WHOOHOO! I lurve me some Ann and Kay.
Last but not least, I flashed my stash on Saturday. Many of you stopped by to see. When I was taking the pictures I didn't really think much of it - it's just another blog thing why not, but after getting all the comments and traveling around to other people's stashes I actually was kind of uncomfortable about showing mine. The few posts I read about excess and waste didn't help matters, but I glossed over those. I mean, I know I have a decent amount of yarn. Some of it I should really get rid of because I will never knit with it and deep down I know it but I'm not ready to part with it. Besides STR (which I'll get to in a minute) I haven't really been buying a lot of yarn lately. Most of what's in my stash was bought last year: my first experience with elann.com. My first trip to Maryland. My first pair of socks. Since I've gotten rid of all those firsts, the only yarn I've really bought had a pattern to go with it. And I've been trying to knit from stash when I can. The STR is a whole other ball game. I think of that like a collection. And the truth is that I do knit it up - I've got STR socks on the needles (right now three pairs going) at all times since I started buying it. I'm going to Maryland next month and while I will probably come home with some yarn, I don't have any intentions of buying any. I won't be buying any STR (unless I see something I've really been looking for, but I doubt it.) I will be looking for fiber and spinning stuff. That's this year's obsession. Right now I'm too busy making my own yarn to buy someone else's. ;-)
The thing is my house is also filled (and I mean filled) with books. I doubt anyone would comment on the excess of that. Just an observation. I could be wrong, and I'm sure my feelings of discomfort are just that - my feelings. No one said anything unkind to me - it's just the impression that I got from the comments. And no need to stroke my ego in the comments today - it's all just thoughts off the top of my head.
Off to finish the taxes and clean a toilet or two. Ghost story winner announced tomorrow.
Have a FANTASTIC DAY!
L, C
Posted by Cara at 01:50 PM | Comments (20)
March 15, 2006
Frantic
Hi! Let me introduce myself. My name is Cara and I used to blog. A lot. Oh god how I miss it. I'm home again folks and I can only hope you missed me as much as I've missed you. And miss you I did! I'm SO out of the loop. I forgot not one but TWO birthdays: two of my best blog buds Margene and Wendy. How awful am I? I pride myself on being an excellent friend - I work hard at it - and I totally dropped the ball. So much so Margene sent ME a present for HER birthday! How ridiculous is she and how much do I suck?
Bunnycrack from Kim! Awesome, no? That Margene. She rocks. Happy happy birthday to you! And a FANTABULOUS birthday to the BOOKISH Girl! Sorry guys. Next year I'll do better. I promise.
So G and I had our homecoming last year night (But oh man it felt like a year! Being at my sister's - no matter how much I love her, the kids, spending time with them - is NOT a vacation. I work hard. This time there was lots of work and lots of sick so I'm happy to be home.) and it wasn't what I had anticipated to say the least. I'm on the train coming up from Philly and I get a call from G-Love. He had arrived home a couple of hours earlier and when he finally got home from the airport he realized a mistake had been made! Right out of our favorite movie, G had picked up the wrong suitcase at the airport!!!! Now, before you start snickering and think to yourself WOW! She bagged a winner! I saw the suitcase he picked up and it was identical to his bag. And to make matters worse, the bag itself is very different and easily identifiable. Georgie is the last person on earth (I guess, now, one of two) to NOT have a roller bag. Know what I'm talking about? He carries a soft suitcase (not a duffel) and it's got this bright orange/yellow trim and the word LUCAS on it. So here comes the same bag on the baggage carousel and right next to it - TOUCHING it - is his other bag. He was on the phone arguing with the car service guy about where to meet and I was ringing in on the other line and he just picked up his bags and left. It wasn't until he got home that he realized he had the wrong bag. When he called me I was all like OH MY GOD it's FRANTIC and what if there are drugs in the bag?! Apparently only an I-POD, ten pairs of sneakers and some condoms. Somebody had fun in Miami.
When G called me I was like no biggie - pick me up at the train station and we'll head over to the airport. I always come into Newark Penn Station and the airport's like ten minutes from there. One problem though - G flew into La Guardia. Nothing like a midnight run to LGA. While we were going through the tunnel we got a call from American Airlines informing us they had his bag. Whew. We got to the airport with a little detour (missed a sign) switched out bags and headed home. Thank god we made that little detour because we took the BQE home and there was like a ten mile back up going TOWARDS the airport. Which we would've been stuck in. Maybe until today. Sometimes there is such a thing as luck.
So we're home. Safe and sound. I miss the kids terribly - I've spent A LOT of time with them this month and now they're off on a fabulous family vacation. The baby and I had some great bonding time. As sad as it is, it's a great ego boost when the little guy cries every time you're out of his line of sight. Awwww.
Knitting was sporadic. I found that weaving in ends on Short Rows was a great nap filler. I'm almost done, believe it or not. I have another new goal for this sweater - I want it done by Passover. And I have a FANASTIC new project on the horizon - details later in the week I hope. I need it for an event at the end of April so I have to start it soon, but it's something I've been dreaming about for awhile and I think it will be phenomenal if I can pull it off.
Socks, socks, socks! I finished a jaywalker and cast on for a mate (not this sock's mate - but you know how I like to switch socks up.) And the embossed leaves saga continues!
Looks like I haven't made any progress, doesn't it? Uh uh uh! Looks can be deceiving! No sillies! It's not the second sock or anything as ambitious as that - it's still the first sock. Only a brand new incarnation! I got to the turning of the heel, believe it or not, and decided it wasn't right. I had done about 15 rows of ribbing and the 3.5 pattern repeats called for and, well, it looked short. So I ripped back to row 12 of ribbing and started knitting the pattern on size 2 Addis. I continued on 2s for two repeats, then switched to 1s. Right now I've got about 3.5 repeats done and I'm planning on doing 4.5 and then starting the heel. Everything's going along pretty well now. I'm happy with it.
Anyway. I'm back. And I hope to be back for good - for a while at least. There's still a lot of running around this month and now it's extending into April and May but, it's okay. I'll deal.
Hope you're having a GREAT day!
L, C
Posted by Cara at 02:18 PM | Comments (24)
March 04, 2006
Embossed Leaves
God I just LOVE jumping on someone ELSE's bandwagon. Love it! So I'm making these pretty socks from the Winter 2006 IK in Koigu #P704. I've decided that the spackly spotty Koigus are my favorites. What a surprise to knit! Every now and again such a shocking color rolls past my needle - something I'd never expect and seems so out of place - that I have to laugh. Very nice. (Although for the record, STR is MUCH softer than Koigu. Surprisingly so.)
Okay - so the socks. I LOVE the pattern. So much so I'm planning on knitting 8 million versions of this sock as well. There is a problem though. I followed the cast-on directions (even though they don't really seem like what I thought a tubular cast on was supposed to be) and I did the ribbing on size 2 Addis (3mm) and then after fifteen rows of twisted knit ribs, I started the pattern on size 1 Addis (2.5mm). Now I'm thinking I should've done the whole thing on 2s. Or even start over and do the ribbing on 3s and the body on 2s. They seem too tight. All you embossed leaves knitters out there - what say you? Yeah. Yeah. I didn't do a gauge swatch. They're socks. Do you really swatch for socks? Isn't it just easier to rip out and start over? Thanks for the thoughts.
I washed my yarn and hung it to dry and you were all right. It seems a lot better. Thank you all so much for your advice and encouragement (and offers for a good home for the yarn. The yarn appreciates it, but I think I'll keep it.) I think my problem was I really thought my spinning was improving by leaps and bounds (and I still believe this) but when I went to ply and was reminded of those bits of the spinning where I HADN'T improved - I was disappointed. It's a one step up and two steps back kind of thing. I'll get there. I know I will and I can't wait to spin some more.
Unfortunately though there won't be much spinning this month. Although I'm going to kick ass to get the Project Spectrum Spinning in. It seems I'll be on the road a lot this month - G's away a few weekends in a row and I'm on my way to Philly today. We've got some family stuff going on this weekend that I don't really want to talk about, but I will absolutely appreciate any good vibes you can send my way. I'm awfully open on the blog - but only when it comes to me and me alone. Stuff that affects my larger family I like to keep pretty quiet and it hasn't been the best of times for us lately. Tomorrow is just another chapter in the continuing changes that we're all still struggling to get used to. Blah. Let's all sing together: It's just another Xanax Sunday la, la! (Apologies to The Bangles.)
I be back home on Thursday, so I'm not sure how much I'll be blogging between then and now. I'm on kid duty a lot - I'm actually going to help out my sister - so my computer time might be kind of scarce. Look for late night shout outs. Have a great weekend! See you soon!
L, C
Posted by Cara at 08:44 AM | Comments (45)
February 22, 2006
Join the CLUB!
Now you too can have the stash I have! Well sort of.... Blue Moon has unveiled their SOCK CLUB!!!
Posted by Cara at 12:13 PM
February 21, 2006
Come Play With Us
So Becky tagged me for the "The View from Your Front Door" meme. I told her that it would be really, really boring. I'm not so sure she believed me.
I live in a high rise apartment building, so looking out my front door gives me a wall. A very boring wall. I thought I'd take a picture of the hallway too. This is walking straight out my front door and turning left:
It's a crappy picture of the hallway, but it's usually pretty dark out there. They're supposed to be re-doing the hallways in the building - walls, carpeting, lighting. They're charging us a gazillion dollars but the board's fighting about it. As usual. Supposedly it was all supposed to be started and halfway completed by now and I think they painted the stairwells and maybe ripped out one floor. Fun, fun, fun! Anyway, the most interesting thing I can say about my hallway is that sometimes it scares the freaking crap out me. (Ask Jen. She'll tell you. I totally wigged her out the other day.) It's because sometimes, when I'm walking down from the elevator to my apartment, all I can think about is the twins in The Shining. You know - the ghost girls who want Danny to play and then the hallway fills with blood and I literally break into a run to my apartment. I hate scary movies and I think The Shining, with Jack Nicholson, is one of the scariest movies ever. But yet, whenever it's on, I have to watch it.
I much prefer the view from my balcony:
For this very nice meme I will tag: Jasmin (because I learn something new on her blog everyday), Kris (because she's my bp and she lives far from me), Stephanie (because she has a beautiful blog and lives in a beautiful place), and Kimberly (because she takes great pictures and here's a good excuse to take some more.) Do you want to do it? Well, then, I tag you too!
I may have exorcised the Ikea Demons yesterday when G and I test drove a car out of Sweden known for its safety and family appeal. Welp this car is the fastest car I've ever driven and I've driven some fast cars. The last time we had that much fun in a test drive we bought the car. We're still a couple of months away from any decisions, but I know what I want. Actually, I have to say that car shopping yesterday was one of the most pleasant experiences we've had in a while. Two dealerships, two different cars, two test drives. No one gave us a hard sell. Both salespeople loved the cars they were selling. Both extremely likable. I'd feel good buying a car from either one. And that says a lot. What was interesting too is that one salesperson had been in the business for over 20 years. The other was just barely OVER twenty years OLD. But that second test drive, with the young guy, MAN was that fun. You know you're in for a good time when the salesguy gets in the car and says, don't worry, I went to Skip Barber. Yipeee! G and I are still laughing over it!
I'm off to the dentist today. Blah. I hate the dentist. Well, I actually like my dentist and everyone in the office. I've been going there for 15 years and G something like 20. In fact we both have appointments today - one after the other. All together now: AWWWW! We get to see each other in the middle of the day, which is always a treat and may just help relieve the awful anxiety I get at the dentist. And it's going to be bad today - I haven't been in a while.
I leave you with my knitting from yesterday. Favorite STR EVAH! ;-)
Posted by Cara at 09:17 AM | Comments (34)
February 20, 2006
P.I.S.S.
As the indomitable Snow put it, I'm suffering from Post Ikea Stress Syndrome. P.I.S.S. How great is that?
When last you found our intrepid Heroine, I was going to take the fucker apart and show it who's BOSS! On Saturday G and I ventured out to a Lowe's to get some supplies for rip down and rebuild. I think we were successful. Things were looking up!
Cedar balls, for the finished product, and an electric screwdriver. I was OPTIMISTIC!!!
We started to take the thing apart. The first thing we had to do was get those little grabby half circle things out of the holes - you know the ones that hold the metal thingamajigs? You don't? Consider yourself lucky because once you get those things in there they don't freaking come out! So we're trying our hardest to get these fuckers out and it's amazing we're still married and we can't get them out. Then I think hey! Maybe all I have to do is unscrew these screws over here and I can get it out! No go. Those little wooden Ikea pegs things that I want to stick in some Swedish designer's eye are everywhere in this piece so even if you take the screws out you can't get the thing apart. So we're back to trying to get the top off so we can begin to TRY to take the thing apart but we can't do it. I'm crying. I want to throw the thing out. And G's totally with me. I call Ikea and ask them if I can drop the thing off and pick up a new one, since I can't take it apart. The woman tells me I can return it fine, but it has to be unassembled. In the calmest, most exacerbated voice I have I tell her that if I could get it apart, I wouldn't have to bring it back. She puts me on hold. I want to set fire to everything around me made of particle board. She comes back and tells me that they'll take it, but I'll have to pay an additional percentage, depending on its condition, over and above the 30% restocking fee. I say thank you and hang up. We consider this. Really, really consider this.
One problem. The freaking thing won't fit in our car.
So we, two intelligent creative people, think of what to do. We'll rent one of those trucks from Home Depot! Yeah! That's it! And we'll take it back to Ikea and get 50% or less than what we paid for it then buy a new one! Then return the truck! So we'll be out an extra $500 but it will be PERFECT!
I actually made a few phone calls to some people to see if I was crazy to do this (G was right there with me, god love him!) but no one was home. Which turned out to be a very, very good thing.
This is CRAZY! I thought. GO BACK AND RETHINK! I was right when I started. Go back and drill the freaking holes in the wood. Turns out that middle piece, remember? It's not particle board. It's solid wood. Maybe that's why it's the piece that holds the whole sideboard together? Anyway, we get to measuring and turning it this way and on its head and every which way and in the end WE DO IT! WE DRILL HOLES AND THE DRAWERS WORK! And it's all fixed and we can dance and sing and rejoice.
Almost.
As I'm finishing the rest of the drawers, I realize that one of the reasons you needed to put that freaking piece of wood in the right way, besides the holes, is that the stain is on the front side out. You know. To match up with the rest of it. So I've got all the drawers in and everything's together and this thing ain't never coming apart, but I've got a nice solid piece of PINE sticking out of my DARK WALNUT dresser. FUCK!
Off to Home Depot we go.
It looks good enough for me, so please don't tell me if it looks bad. Seriously. I don't want to know. This thing about killed me. I have poly for it too but I'm letting it go for now. I can always poly it later. Jacobean MinWax if anyone's interested.
You think that's the end of the story, don't you? It's NOT! So I hated the drawer pulls that came with the dresser and I walked into Restoration Hardware and found the perfect pulls IMMEDIATELY. Bought them, brought them home, tried them out. BINGO! They don't fit. Well, they fit, but the screws were too short and they didn't come with backs. What the? So on our venture to Home Depot we got some longer screws and some nuts and washers and problem number 3,719: the screws are silver and the pulls are a dark bronzy color. So the guy at Home Depot suggests we paint the screws. We buy paint and long discussions ensue on what's the best way to paint these little teeny tiny screws that will attach the draw pulls that I adore for the dresser that I now loathe.
The ones I love on the left, the Ikea icky ones on the right.
Not to fear, my lovelies. At around midnight Saturday night in a stain induced haze I figured out the problem. So genius am I.
See (well you can't really see, but take my word for it) the Ikea pull has like a tube that extends through the hole in the drawer front and you screw in the screw into the back. So what I figured out is that I could attach the Ikea drawer pull onto the INSIDE of the drawer and screw in the screws on the beautiful drawer pulls into the tubes from the front. Make sense? Look at the picture again. It makes perfect sense and better yet it WORKS!
Knit Olympics:Day Ten: PROGRESS!
I started the second mitten. As I mentioned before, I'm doing the reverse on the second one. Pink as the Main Color, Navy as the contrast. I like it! I'm confident these mittens WILL be finished by next Sunday.
I also started a couple of socks:
On the left is the ribbing for the Embossed Leaves Socks from the Winter 2006 IK (do I really need to link to it?) in Koigu #P704 and on the right is a new Jaywalker in STR Panzanite (no it's not on their website and Toni at The Fold doesn't have it - if you like it, call and ask for it!)
We're off to look at cars today. G has a spreadsheet with him. Oh fun!
L, C
Posted by Cara at 12:00 PM | Comments (45)
February 03, 2006
Did someone say socks?
Oh My God. I want one!
Sock Peacock by Felt Up Designs
Did someone say socks? TAKE TWO!
Look what I won! All that gorgeous SILK! It's pretty funny really. Danielle was looking for sock patterns - JAYWALKERS need not apply. So I sent her a link to the Acorn Socks I knit last summer for SockapalTWOza. She loved them and I won! Thank you Danielle! I hope you love knitting the socks as much as I did!
PS - Thanks to Jasmin. I saw the contest link on her blog when I was trolling for Jaywalker updates! By the way, Jasmin has a gorgeous blog. You must check it out.
PPS - Danielle is holding another contest! She wants hat patterns, with lots of hand dyed angora to give away!
Posted by Cara at 03:06 PM | Comments (24)
January 31, 2006
Knit. Eat. Sleep.
Rinse. Repeat.
It was a wonderful vacation. We slept great. We ate even better. And, well, I surpassed my knitting goals. There was lots of cuddling and togetherness. A pedicure. A spin out. A suite. All in all, it couldn't have been better - even though the weather wasn't as warm as we'd have liked and the wind was a bit too strong. I wouldn't trade it for the world though.
Here's what I knit:
I finished the Short Row sleeves. YAY! All that's left is to weave in the 3,418 ends from the back and the front and seam, do the collar and seam some more. I can taste the end. Hopefully it won't take another six months to finish.
I finished my Rare Gems sock AND my first Red Hot Sizzling Sock. The RHSS is knit using Ruby Slippers STR with the picot edge modification - I started it Wednesday when I should've been packing - managed the picot edge and a couple repeats before it was time for bed. So most of the sock was knit in Florida - including the last couple of repeats and the toe while waiting on the runway for the plane to take off. The flight took about two hours longer than scheduled so I was also able to cast on and start the second Petroglyph sock. I got past the ribbing and a few repeats - but we were watching The Wedding Crashers on the plane and until I got smart and put it down, I screwed up some of the repeats. I'll rip that today and start the second RHSS as well.
The food was unbelievable. I had what can honestly be described as the best meal of my life. I was dizzy it was so good. We ate at Mark's in South Beach. For an appetizer I had Jumbo diver scallops, puree of calabaza, guava butter and plantain chip. Georgie had Tartare of yellowfin tuna, avocado, cucumber noodles, lemongrass oil. For dinner I had pistacio crusted lamb chops with brussel sprouts and cauliflower with bacon and pomegranates and potatos au gratin. G had Maine lobster tossed with saffron linguine, roma tomatoes, basil, white beans, English peas and prosciutto, served with roasted garlic crostini. Neither one of could speak the food was so good. (All of the dishes above are on the menu at the website except my lambchops.) I don't even remember dessert, but it paled compared to the meal.
The next night we ate at Azul in Miami. I started with the butternut squash soup with hazelnuts and G had fried oysters wrapped in salmon, tuna, beef and crab carpaccios. For dinner, Georgie had the halibut and I had the Salmon duo - one side of the plate had poached salmon and the other side had salmon wrapped in mushrooms in a kind of spring roll type wrapping. Yummmm! Dessert here was really a treat though - vanilla souffle with three different sauces - chocolate, rasberry and creme anglaise. So divine.
Every meal we ate was delicious - but these two meals stand out.
What else? We had our first stuck on the runway experience - you know - when they taxi out and it looks like you're going to take off then they stop the plane and tell you we'll be sitting here for the next two hours - make yourself comfortable? Yeah. Not too much panic from the anxious claustrophobic girl. The good thing was I had already taken my pre-board Xanax so I was nicely juiced when they made the announcement. I knit along happily on my RHSS and finished it - I was about to kitchener the toe when I couldn't find my cuticle scissors - I always travel with them. The round tips have been allowed by the TSA for years and years. Anyway, since the plane was a free for all I went up and asked the flight attendants if they had a scissors. Not allowed. But one of them told me she saw a woman knitting a blanket back in coach - let's go ask her. So I walked to the back of the plane with the flight attendant - but she didn't have scissors. We talked for a bit about my sock and then I made my way back to the front. Fun times on an airplane.
By the way - in case you're flying any time soon - customs has completely RELAXED the requirements for knitting needles and such. I used to have a whole system for getting my needles and such through customs - but this time they barely batted and eye and even told me I didn't have to take my scissors out (I used to put them in the cell phone bin because otherwise they'd rip apart my stuff.) I traveled with addi turbo circulars - from US 1s to US 6s exclusively and had no problems what so ever.
I'll be making the official announcement tomorrow, but I'm closing down the jaywalker knit along after the giveaway on the 14th. I decided yesterday and as hard as this decision is for me, oh my god what a weight off my shoulders. This thing has taken over my life and that's not fun. Basically I'll be shutting down sign-ups tomorrow, because, well, if you haven't had an update by then, you're not eligible to win anyway. It's been an amazing ride, but I kind of want my blog back.
I wanted to add a word cloud which I saw over at Karma's but I'm having server issues all over the place. When things get back up I'll add it.
Here it is!
Have a great day!
Posted by Cara at 10:04 AM | Comments (41)
December 30, 2005
Jaywalker Seven!
First things first.
Yesterday I finished my fifth pair of Jaywalkers - my third since the knit along started. These are Azurite STR. You know what that means? Let's do the math! I first blogged about Jaywalkers on October 20, which means I started knitting on October 19th. Yesterday was December 29. That means that in 70 days, I knit FIVE pairs of Jaywalkers. That's a sock a week people! That's got to be some kind of record, no? This morning I laid them all out in their glory.
Since this week it's all about me (I mean c'mon - it's my blog - I can brag a little - and my birthday IS two days away!) I'm taking the easy way out on the updates. They will return, in the extended fabulousness, next week. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Amanda's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Anne's finished socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Bethe's finished hybrid socks! And the ones she just started!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Carole's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Say a prayer for Corrina's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Ellie's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Gail's finished socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Helen's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Holly's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Jeanne's finished socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Jen's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Jenny's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Jess's finished socks! (December 26th entry.)
~ Happy New Year! Check out Kate's finished socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Katherine's finished socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Kelly's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Kris's doomed socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Kris's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Laura's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Lauren's finished socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Lisa's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Liz's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Liz's finished socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Liz's socks! (She needs your vote as well!)
~ Happy New Year! Check out Manda's socks! (Manda, darling, you're the PSYCHO, not me! No one dies during updates!)
~ Happy New Year! Check out Marie's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Margene's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Naomi's two-color socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Renata's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Robyn's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Rosemary's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Sandra's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Shannon's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Tracy's socks!
~ Happy New Year! Check out Vicki's socks!
I leave you with this:
Yeah. That's right. I'm rubbing it in! ;-)
Posted by Cara at 03:43 PM | Comments (39)
December 27, 2005
I'm thinking I know what you're thinking
So yesterday we went down to Philly for some Chanukah festivities. Our first stop was at my Aunt's where basically my mother's family and some extras got together for a deli tray. (Do me a favor - don't ask about the deli tray - if you don't know, you don't want to know.) In the olden days, we'd all get together at my grandmother's for Chanukah and a deli tray, but Grandmom's not into entertaining anymore and my aunt seems to be all into the family thing these days. One of the things she requested when she sent out the printed invitations was that all the adults bring a $5-10 gift for a pollyanna type exchange. Normally, I DO not like to participate in these things. First off, I can't stay within a budget (as any of my secret pals might attest to) and also, what the hell can you buy for $5-10? Apparently a lot.
After eating and the kids opening their presents (I mean, c'mon, how much happier could my grandmother have been when my nephew jumped up and said "How did you know? It's JUST what I wanted!!! My sister was pretty stoked too since she bought the gift for my grandmother. Good deeds all around. Warms my heart!) it was time for the adult gift exchange. Have you ever done this? Everyone gets a number and you go in backwards order - person #10, for instance, picks a gift. Then person #9 can either pick a new gift, or any other gift. So if you're #1 you basically can choose from anything. These things can get kind of raucous. Especially when a NON-relative takes away your 85 yr old grandmother's jet propulsion foot massager and said grandmother winds up with a flask. Fun, fun, fun! Anyway, to make a long story even longer, G's gift ended up being one of those 20Q toys. Have you seen these?
You think of something, and then the artificial intelligence machine asks you 20+ questions until it guesses what you're thinking of - the thing is freaking freaky! It pretty much always gets it right from Aardvark to Tampon. I shit you not. My sister was the one who contributed the gift and we had many hours of fun before the exchange. Anyway, so G is in line at Dalessandro's Steaks (because one of our agreements when he comes to Philly is that he gets to try yet ANOTHER cheesesteak place. He fancies himself a connoisseur. If I've told him once I've told him a million times: no matter if he married a Philly girl, no born in Boston raised in Chicago and Jersey City boy is EVER going to be a cheesesteak connoisseur!) and he's completely engrossed in his 20Q game when some guy, with his kid standing next to him, starts tapping G on the shoulder. He looks up and the guy pulls his own 20Q game out of his pocket and proceeds to say: "Last night I thought of the most vile disgusting things and it got them all right!"
If that's not an endorsement for a toy, I don't know what is.
Okey dokey. Because it NEVER gets old, The Hard Rock Jaywalker:
Socks That Rock - Hard Rock Colorway. 'Nuff said.
And in the it's getting REALLY old it's multiplying category:
Yup! That's right folks! We've ADDED gifts to the pile that can't be opened until my birthday. I've blogged about this before, but my Dad gives us all a birthday book - a special book from him - since we were born. So when I saw him yesterday he gave me my book(s). With explicit instructions NOT to open them until Jan 1. He does this every year actually, so it's a no brainer. And usually it's the only present I open in the morning (G gives me his presents at midnight) so I don't mind waiting. Now I'll have a BONANZA! Yippee!
Off for a much needed haircut and lunch with my honey today! Have a great one!
Posted by Cara at 09:38 AM | Comments (28)
December 24, 2005
8...4...2....
Posted by Cara at 04:26 PM | Comments (8)
December 19, 2005
After all, this is still a knitting blog.
We don't just bitch about work and give shit away, we actually knit!
Sock one, Jaywalker KAL Pair #3 (Jaywalker Pair #5 total - for those keeping score.) STR Azurite. For Grumpy. As soon as I finished, I immediately (and when I say immediately I actually mean right after I finished) cast on for the second Hard Rock sock. I'm ten repeats in. I think this will be my plan going forward with the jaywalkers and STR. Make one sock, cast on in a new yarn. Make second sock from first yarn, cast on in a new yarn, go back to old color, etc. Works for me. And I seem to actually like the second sock A LOT better when I've knit some other color in between. It's kind of weird that way.
I had a good weekend. I slept A LOT. A LOT. I guess I really needed it. G and I are coming back together - reconnecting after working crazy hours and work dinners and funerals and they'll be lots of togetherness for the rest of the year. He's taking off some days at the end of the week and may even do a holiday family thing with me next week and well there's that Xmas stuff and then BIRTHDAY WEEK! We usually do birthday stuff leading UP to the birthday, instead of the week after. G always takes me out for a special dinner, usually lambchops (read about last year here) and we'll probably go out, but I said I want lambchops for New Year's Eve. And instead of champagne I want Moscato d'Asti. So delicious! But still my cherry pie. And a Carvel Ice Cream cake on the actual Birth Day.
So I slept a lot and didn't get a lot done workwise, of which there is still A LOT to do, but I instead I did something really special for G (and for me.) As soon as he left yesterday for his last work dinner, I went down to storage to bring up these:
I just LOVE my holiday lights. I usually put them up and surprise G - he never helps. It's my thing. We don't have a tree - my Jewish guilt won't let me go that far (but it will let me marry a Greek Orthodox, LOL) but I just love the lights. I mean, c'mon, Chanukah IS the Festival of Lights, right?
Not the best pictures, but in the dining room we have blue lights with twinkling white lights and in the living room we have colored lights with twinkling white lights. And then the clump of lights that hang down in front of the TV. And no, that's not OPRAH. It was some movie I was watching - The Company. About ballet dancers in Chicago. It was eh. Although I think James Franco is hot.
Looks like Typepad is back up, so I'll try to update the Jaywalker KAL today or tomorrow. Have a great day!
Posted by Cara at 11:09 AM | Comments (19)
November 28, 2005
Thundercrack!
baby's back.
This time she'll tell me how she really feels.
This post will have something for everyone! Consider it Random Wednesday. Only it's Monday.
As I mentioned on Friday, Thanksgiving went really well. The food was great, company better and it all went off without incident. Except for the fact that my sister got a cold Wednesday night and felt miserable all day Thursday, it couldn't have gone better. My contribution (besides watching the kids off and on all day to keep them out of their mom's hair and vaccuuming) was a salad. I modeled it after my favorite salad of all time from Gigino's in NYC. It's the Peperina salad and I made it with mixed baby lettuces, shaved pear, shaved parmesan, pecans (I thought they used pecans, but I guess they use walnuts) and pomegranate seeds sprinkled with white balsamic vinegar. I was really pleased with how it came out and everyone seemed to enjoy it.
I've got no pictures of the kids because I didn't take my camera with me. I know. Blasphemy. But I'm sick of taking pictures and I'd just download them to the computer and they would sit there. Besides this was a break from photography work and it worked because yesterday I got A LOT of work done and I'm feeling like I'm back on track. At least a little bit. But I got a lot of cuddle time with the kids and they got their new bunk beds which was a trip in and of itself. My nephew ended up sleeping on the bottom bunk and my niece slept with me on the floor. The baby is big as can be - if I could only show you his monster thighs - but he's so much fun! He giggles nonstop and just smiles so sweet and he's such a cuddler. This is definitely one of my favorite ages. They're still babies, but they can engage you in that wide eyed wonderful way. All you have to do is smile and his whole face lights up. I miss them.
I hit the mail jackpot on Friday. Georgie was particularly impressed. I always call him to find out about the mail when I'm away and his standard reply is junk junk and more junk. This time HE called ME. There were lots of lovely thank you cards from all those boxes I sent out the other day - so sweet! An email is plenty, but a card? In the mail? For me? I was really touched. Thank YOU! Vicki's card was my favorite - check out this knitted thank you:
I tried to find the card on the artist's website, but it wasn't there. Hey Vicki! Where'd you get the card? It's SO LaPierre!
But what really impressed Georgie was the package from Hong Kong. I got my Crossed In Translation book! Yay! The book is really beautiful - think Rowan meets the House of the Rising Sun. And the freaking pattern is TWO pages. Lucky for us, knitalongers, there's barely any words to go along with the pattern. It's all charts and schematics. We should be able to figure this out no problem, right? G-Love thinks I've completely lost it. He may be right.
Oh and rest assured, seeing the sweater in it's native language has only made me love it more.
She slips, she slides, she slops, she bops, she bumps, she grinds
Now if only I could stop making socks:
Kaci - this pictures for you! Mwah!
I finished one...
and started another!
For all you Jaywalkers out there, I'm planning on doing an FAQ for this Friday's update. So if you have questions - let me know in the comments, or in an email. And don't forget you can always email me or Kathy (who, by the way, is an inspiration to me! First Jaywalker, and now Grumpecue! Kathy, you're killing me!) Basically everyone seems to have similar issues, so we'll address them this week. Namely gauge and the bar increases (yes - the holes are supposed to be there! It's a design thing! ;-) ) But if you've got other questions, let me know.
My heart's wood, she's a carpenter
She's an angel in the night, what she does is alright
As much as I love my socks, I'm sort of getting frustrated with myself. It's like I can't knit ANYTHING else. I think about all these projects I want to knit - mittens, finish my gloves, work on the Prairie Blanket. I just can't seem to concentrate. I'm trying to go with the flow like Margene says, but I'm antsy. And this doesn't just relate to my knitting either - when's the last time I read a book? Can someone tell me please? How pathetic is that?
We're not going to even discuss the fact that I just got off the phone with the embryo people - I was late on my payment to keep those totsicles frozen. When's that shrink appointment again?
Dance with me, partner, dance with me, partner
Dance with me, partner, all night
If you've got the DVD, make sure you watch the supplemental material on documentary disc. I can't stop watching Thundercrack. Over and over and over again. It's simply stunning. DO IT! WATCH IT NOW! You can thank me later.
Posted by Cara at 10:16 AM | Comments (18)
November 18, 2005
An Invitation to ROCK!
First, let's get some business out of the way. CONGRATULATIONS JULIA! YOU WIN! Crossed in Translation, a new KAL, will start on January 1. More details, buttons and signups to come soon. Thank you all for voting and for your suggestions!
Okay - onto the REALLY good stuff!
My knitting has been sporadic and directionless in the last couple of weeks - which with all the work I have going on makes for very UN-relaxing knitting. I NEED something. I need to knit and feel progress (since everyday I'm getting more and more bogged down in my work) and right now that can only mean one thing.
I'm casting on for a new pair of Jaywalkers! With Socks that Rock of course!
I love these socks. I wore my Fire on the Mountain socks yesterday and they made me happy all day long. My feet felt great and the pattern is SO comfortable: They stay up. They are nice and tight without being binding. The yarn is so soft and lovely. And I've got all this yarn taunting me every time I walk by my living room (because basically there's yarn all over my living room mixed with A LOT of crap. I promise I'm going to clean up in January. Just let me get to January, okay?)
There's another reason to start a new pair of Jaywalkers. I'm convinced this is the BEST pattern to use with Socks That Rock. And guess what? With all my screaming and yelling about how amazing STR is, Tina and Kaci over at Blue Moon Fiber Arts contacted me and I might have a job with them!!! How crazy is that? There aren't many details yet, so don't ask, but it looks like it'll involve some writing. The fact that these women are crazy and amazing and recognize something in me doesn't in any way change my opinion about this yarn. I LOVE it. Almost as much as I love Bruce.
So, because I love the yarn and I love the pattern I want to share it all with you! I'm starting a Jaywalker Knit A Long right here right now!
The rules:
1. Knit a pair (or more - hey - I'm going to start my THIRD!) of Jaywalker socks. I know a lot of you have already started a pair - and that counts. But if you've finished a pair already, that doesn't count. Instead, go on over to Kathy's and let her know. She'll add you to the gallery.
2. You don't have to adhere strictly to the pattern, so all you Drunken Jaywalker people (you know who you are!) come on over.
3. The socks don't have to be for you. I know everyone's crazy with holiday knitting (Suckers. I'm just saying....) so why not make a pair of Jaywalkers for that annoying relative in your life? Nothing like a pair of Jaywalker socks to send that subtle message - I wish you'd go play in traffic! You're the only one who has to know the sentiment behind the gift! ;-)
4. You don't have to knit the socks with SOCKS THAT ROCK yarn - use whatever yarn you like. BUT the prizes will be Socks That Rock.
5. There are no deadlines on when this KAL will end, BUT
6. On February 14th I will draw three names out of the proverbial Internet hat of all the FINISHED KAL socks and each of these people will WIN a skein of SOCKS THAT ROCK in their preferred colorway. That is, assuming I can get Tina to dye it for you. I won't tell you how many colors are in the recipe book - your head will spin around. To be eligible to win the socks, you will have had to give me at least ONE update before February 1st. I want you to really be in it to win it you know? No pulling in at the last minute with a finished pair of socks to get in on the lottery. ;-)
7. Updates will be on FRIDAYS. So leave me comment or email me and I'll do the updates then. K? Terrific!
Are you in? Leave a comment. And if anyone wants to make me a button - I would greatly appreciate it. I'm thinking something with a traffic sign motif. But you all can run with it. THANK YOU!
Now. I need some help. I've got all this Socks That Rock and I can't decide which color my new socks should be! Here are the choices I've got:
AZURITE
PETROGLYPHS
HARD ROCK
CARBON
Vote early. Vote often. I want to cast on for these socks five minutes ago, you know? So I'll go with what I get by Saturday night. Or maybe sooner. And I'm not guaranteeing I go with your choice, I'm just looking for opinions. Thank you very much!
C'mon PEOPLE! LET'S ROCK!
PS - I've got to give credit where credit is due. The KAL idea came from Moth Heaven Julia. She was making fun of me for starting the (not necessarily) impossible Crossed in Translation KAL and said I should've gone with a Jaywalker KAL. Hmmm. Good idea! Thanks!
Posted by Cara at 08:56 AM | Comments (82)
November 07, 2005
She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes
And I knew without asking she was into the blues
She wore Fire on the Mountain Socks That Rock
I knew right away she was not like other girls
Other girls.
I've been listening to The Dead all morning, and to be honest, I forgot how much I really enjoy them. I've been dancing around in my seat letting the arms fly. Of course, I'm wearing my socks. Tina - you are my HERO! I know I've gone off before about Socks That Rock and I may be sounding like a broken record, but this is my favorite yarn. Tina - YOU ROCK! (Warning - copious amounts of sock pictures to follow.)
That should do it, no? Jaywalker pattern by Grumperina. Socks That Rock in Fire on the Mountain. Size #1 Addis. PERFECTION.
It was a hard weekend. Meaning, I worked really, really hard. Three shoots - five kids. Now I'll be strapped to my computer until the next shoot next Saturday. I'll be so happy when it's January. Don't get me wrong - I love what I do and am extremely lucky that this endeavor seems to be working out, but it's hard with a seasonal business. You get a couple of jobs sprinkled over a month or two and then BAM. Nonstop work. Like I said, I'm really happy about it - just tired.
What's up next knitting wise? Well since Baby Xavier is here, I better get cranking on his Prairie Blanket. Sorry baby! I promise you'll have it before it gets warm. Or cold. But not before it gets warm AGAIN. What is up with this weather?!
I need mittens - I want cozy warm handspun mittens from some of the stuff I bought at Rhinebeck. Then I read Nona's tutorial on i-cord finger gloves and by golly - I know EXACTLY the koigu to use for gloves.
And I have to start a pair of angel socks for the Sockapaltwoza. Weird things happened there with my own angel, but I'm not going to blog about it - let's just say the effort was underwhelming in the least. I know they're angel socks, but c'mon. Again, I want to thank Alison for all she did with this knit-along. By almost all accounts it was delightful. And I will be signing up for the next one. Anyway - I've got to make angel socks and I think I'm going to do the Go With The Flow sock pattern from IK Summer '05. I searched the blogs for info on these socks and it seems the consensus is they're a bit small knitted as written. I will be using the specified yarn (coincidence) but I'd love to hear if anyone made these and had size issues. Right now the plan is to add one extra pattern repeat. Maybe I'll cast on today.
And the Vesper Yarn is calling me like an obnoxious man with a bullhorn. I HEAR YOU! I may wind it up today. You know, just to touch it a lot. I've decided that I will be doing a few rows on the Sunshine Socks every day BEFORE I'm allowed to knit anything else. I want those fuckers finished. If I can make two pair of Jaywalker socks in about three weeks time, I can make a stupid st st sock in a week. Just because I'm so not liking the yarn is no excuse. Besides, I want a month's worth of socks like Margene!
Question for you all (actually I have two today) - what shoes do you wear to show off your socks? I need some new shoes and I want them comfortable (I generally live in my Merrells) and I want them open a little bit (preferably slip ons) so that my fantastic socks show through. Any and all suggestions welcome.
And my second question? Well, I'm so sad to report that my Almost Everyday Cardigan is pilling horribly. I have one of those stone things and I tried to use it but I'm afraid it made the situation worse. Please help me. I want to LIVE in this sweater - and it's crazy pilling. Georgie got in the car after the last time I wore it and asked me if I was shedding. I had been pulling off the pills while I was driving and there was a nice little pile of red yarn left for him. Not fun.
Thanks for all the encouragement to run on Friday - I DID! And I'm off to run again now. I leave you with this -
Posted by Cara at 09:57 AM | Comments (19)
November 03, 2005
If the Socks Are A Rockin', Don't Come Knockin'
Introducing Rock Star's hippie cousin:
This sock is all about the love and while it still ROCKS, it does in a DUUUUDE, catch my trail kind of way. Its mate has already been started. Maybe a finished pair by next Monday.
I'm feeling really bad about all the Jaywalker's I'm seeing out and about in blogland. Seems many, many people are having problems with gauge. This makes me sad because I'm at the point where I cast on my 76 stitches and rock out. No issues whatsoever. I'm using Addi size #1s. Two circs. I think I might have knit a bit tight on this third sock because my scale's telling me I've got 2oz left to start the second sock. I started out with the same 3.8 oz as the ROCK STAR pair and by the time I got to the second one on that pair I had 1.9 oz left. No biggie. Just a little more wiggle room. Anyway - I'm hoping people can work out their issues with the pattern because I really, really love it. Something about it goes so fast for me. Maybe because I've got all the measurements in my head (like 25 repeats before the heel; 57 before the toe) so I know exactly where I am at all times and how much I have left. And, still, I'm LOVING this yarn. I think I want to get two skeins of Fire on the Mountain so I can make extra long socks. I think the natural pooling in the stockinette is really nice. I'd like to see it run free on some knee highs.
Speaking of SOCKS THAT ROCK - JANET rocks. She won the blogiversary grand prize - a pair of socks, knit by moi, in her choice of SOCKS THAT ROCK colorways. Toni's out of stock, ahem, right now, but Janet - let me know what you want and your size (fingers crossed for small feet) and I'll get started, oh I don't know - how's January sound? Things should be pretty slow by then. ;-)
And Wendy wins the runner-up prize. She'll get some SOCKS THAT ROCK - but she'll have to knit it up herself. Wendy wins because I liked her birthday present suggestion the best. A tiara. You know what? She's absolutely right. I wouldn't have considered myself a tiara kind of girl, but after wearing Charlotte's Butterfly Princess Tiara at various times on Halloween, I'm saying YES! Bring on the diamonds! Every girl needs some sparkle in her life, no? (Although Mason Dixon Ann almost won with her suggestion of pillows. I could use some new pillows Ann, so feel free! And I also need liked Patti's suggestion of a year of housecleaning.)
All the rest of you should worry not. I will most likely be buying myself a wheel and Georgie's got the whole Bruce thing covered. He let me know the other day that we'll be going to see him on November 18th. Look for the hyperventilating to begin around the 10th.
So Janet and Wendy - congratulations and send me your addresses. And then go back and read yesterday's post. HAHAHAHA! I'm pathetic.
When I made my startling confession to being a deadhead, some of you questioned my mention of "the one." I just love how you all leaped to Georgie's defense. So sweet. Have no fear - if you read carefully I put "the one" in quotations marks - clearly demarcating that even though this was a "the one" it wasn't THE the one! Georgie is THE THE ONE. The one and only. As in She's The One. "The One" is the guy I gave that very special gift that you only give once - in a basement rec room with Light My Fire playing in the background. I shit you not. Ahhh. Special Memories. All I have to say is that he was no Steve Lapierre. Of that I'm sure. ;-)
Oh yeah. In the interest of full disclosure I bought some more yarn. Sock yarn at that. Someone stop me.
Pretty purply Koigu. Couldn't resist.
Long coveted Vesper Sock Yarn. Enough said.
Have a great day!
L, C
Posted by Cara at 09:29 AM | Comments (18)
October 28, 2005
Fire on the Mountain
Oops. I did it again. I couldn't help myself. Really. I swear.
Blame it on Sandra. I was wandering blogland and came across her (attempted) Jaywalker socks in the Fire on the Mountain SOCKS THAT ROCK colorway. I thought they were looking mighty fine, but apparently Sandra's are way too big. Then I remembered! I had picked up the same colorway at Rhinebeck! ( No "which colorway DIDN'T she get comments" please.) So I cast on. I couldn't help myself. Things are going swimmingly! I swear these socks are fast. I managed 15 repeats last night - ten more before I start the heel. Finished sock by the end of the weekend, I'm guessing (hoping.)
Know why I picked the Fire on the Mountain colorway?
Cause I used to be a deadhead, that's why. Surprised? It was a high school thing. And a boyfriend thing to be honest. I've never been one to find music on my own. I always find them through other people (mostly guys with whom I'm somehow involved.) You all know Georgie gave me Bruce. My first boyfriend gave me Earth, Wind & Fire. My best friend in high school (a guy) gave me Steely Dan. The "one" gave me the Dead. ;-)
I've been to a few Dead Shows (and managed to stay sober throughout. HONEST! I did NOT inhale!) When I saw them later on they were really awful - maybe around 93? 94? But when I saw them in '86 they were amazing. AMAZING. I'll never forget it. The best part, though, was that my baby sister was four at the time and we used to listen to the Dead together in my basement turned bedroom. We'd dance and sway and she wanted to go with me to the concerts. But my parents wouldn't let her (which was really, really smart.) I did bring her home a souvenir though - a tie-dye with a huge skull on the front that she proudly wore to preschool. I think they made her take it off because she was scaring the other kids. Way to go sis!
So I think I'll knit on these socks with a little Jerry and the boys on in the background. R.I.P.
You all think you're worth so much? How about sharing the wealth!
My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?
How pathetic is that? HAHAHAHAHA!
Thanks for all the BLOGIVERSARY wishes! MWAH!
ETA: Letitia, honey, maybe YOU should read one of your books. It's bad manners not to leave a real email address. And just for that, you're not getting SOCKS! Thanks for stopping by though.
Posted by Cara at 04:11 PM | Comments (18)
October 26, 2005
A-a-a-CHOO! Snooort. Cough, Cough.
Ah. The soundtrack of my life. I'm sick. Sick. Sick. Sick. I'm kind of a rotten sick person. I expect to be waited on hand and foot and I complain and whine a lot. I think because, secretly, I'm excited to actually HAVE something to complain about. Something tangible like snot running down your face. Like your teeth itching so bad they hurt. Like a drippy eye. You know what I'm talking about.
See that? That's the couch. That's where I slept last night. Believe it or not it was more comfortable than my superfantasticsuperdeluxesuperspecial bed. Now, I think, you know how really sick I am. Thankfully TCM is showing Alfred Hitchcock this week. I watched Notorious last night, and then Rebecca came on, my all time FAVORITE! And after that Suspicion. I taped Rebecca and Suspicion. Gotta look and see what's on tap for tonight.
Want to know what a selfish knitter I am? I'm already on record saying I don't knit no holiday gifts. If I decide to knit something for you, I decide what you get when you get it. That's it. End of story. BUT, I so enjoyed knitting my sockapal2za socks that I volunteered to be an angel. I received my new sock pal's name the other day and high on the ROCK STAR socks, I thought I'd hit the Socks That Rock yarn for my pal.
You see, there was a skank in there that I was pretty perplexed about. Azurite. Muted colors - lavenders, purples, grays. I honestly don't remember how it got in there. I can't see myself picking it. It's not really something I would normally go for - but there it was. Perfect, I thought! My sock pal can have some Socks That Rock as well!
And then I wound the sucker up. And created a nice big tangle in the process. Well, let me tell you, after handling this yarn and looking at it all wound up there ain't no way I'm giving it away. NO WAY no how. It' beautiful.
The picture doesn't do it justice. But more than the colors, the feel of this yarn is truly spectacular. You know those rumors about how Koigu and Cherry Tree Hill are really Gems Opal, just with different dye jobs? I had heard the same about STR. But I think NOT. As soft and nice as Koigu and CTH and even Gems Opal are, STR is like SILK compared to them. Silk. I shit you not.
Because I'm a selfish knitter, my sock pal will be getting some nice blue Cherry Tree Hill that I've got in the stash. I'm thinking some simple (yet elegant) garter rib socks from the Sensational Sock book. That's the plan anyhow.
Oh and I want to cast on for mittens. Mittens are calling me.
I've got a busy night tonight. First on tap, the KnitLit3 reading. I'm not going to be able to stay until the bitter end, but I'll be there. I have to dash over the the theatre, dahling, for an evening of singing and dances and witches. We're going to see Wicked. Someone cast a spell on me please and take my cold away? Please?
Oh and if you see me tonight, I'll be wearing the ROCK STAR socks and I would think very kindly of you if you would only refrain from telling me that my nose actually matches my socks.
Posted by Cara at 11:54 AM | Comments (25)
October 25, 2005
Rock Star Socks
Let's play that game - which ROCK STAR do you feel like today? I'm going with Keith Richards. Ugly. Curmudgeonly. Looking like death warmed over. Yeah. I went to bed with that tickle of doom in the back of my throat and woke up with a Ring of Fire. Give me stuffed nostrils and piles of snot filled tissues anyday - there is NOTHING I hate more than a sore throat. WWND?
The night wasn't all bad though because I did have a dream about Springsteen. I was climbing up the stairs to my seat at a concert, but he was at the top of the stairs. I, of course, was moaning over and over again "I love him. I love him." and when I got to the top of the stairs I was all like Hey Bruce what's up and he gave me the jive handshake and said "Hey, how come you never sent me some of the flower cards?" And I was like, "You WANTED me to send you flower cards?" And he said, "Yeah. We're redecorating the house and Stephanie wanted to see them." I don't think much more needs to be stated here, do you? Well, except that in my dreams Bruce and I have a long-running does he really know me kind of relationship. He always seems like he remembers me from the last concert, but I'm always surprised.
Anyway, so I woke up knowing full well my public awaits the unveiling of THE SOCKS. But, my throat is BURNING and I'm feeling all this pressure from the link (Hey all you new readers! Welcome to my blog!) and the weather SUCKS and the light is bad and I'm supposed to be photographer girl and all but I so don't feel like taking pictures and then I hop on over to Grumperina where she has knit the most beautiful pair of socks for her grandma and has taken even prettier pictures. My loser-meter just exploded.
So then I thought, do I really need to take pictures? I'm sick. I have to go out in this world-ending NorEaster (notice how EASTER is in the name of the storm? Biblical proportions anyone?) to get my hair done. That's right. My hair. I've needed a dye job for like two months and the roots are down to my knees and it's long and greasy but do I really care about my hair when it's just going to get all wet after spending a million dollars? NO. But I can't disappoint. I really can't.
Details:
SOCKS THAT ROCK, ROCK STAR colorway
Jaywalker pattern by Grumperina
Addi US #1s, two circulars
6" cuff, 9.5" foot
The only places I went off the pattern were dividing for the heel (because of the 2 circs) and the toe decreases. I was too lazy to figure out the place of the first decreases for the toe because of the whole dpn to 2 circ thing, so I just started decreasing. I LOVE this pattern. I love the fabric it creates. I love the look of it. I'm normally a non-chevron kind of girl - I hate the whole feather and fan thing - but this works for me. It's tailored, but zippy. And it shows off the colorway so well. Thanks Kathy for a great pattern! I will for sure be using it again.
The yarn. Really, I think the socks speak for themselves. At a high-octane, punk, mosh pit kind of level.
Thanks to EVERYONE for hanging in there with me while I bit my nails to the quick about the yarn sitch. There was a point in the toe decreases that I was SURE I wasn't going to have enough, and then suddenly it became clear that I wasn't THAT close. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed it wasn't more dramatic. I actually had to cut the yarn to do the kitchener.
Like I don't have ENOUGH drama in my life.
Posted by Cara at 09:57 AM | Comments (40)
October 24, 2005
Whoa...DUDE, did you see how awesome close that was?*
DONE!
Socks started Wednesday, October 19th, 6:45.
Pair finished Monday, October 24th, 5:10.
That's got to be some kind of land speed record, right? Somewhere? Somehow?
Full out photo shoot tomorrow. The light sucks and I'm tired. ;-)
*Thanks to Stephanie for the ROCKIN' Title and for breaking my sitemeter. Whoa...DUDE, did you see how many hits today?!
Posted by Cara at 05:28 PM | Comments (23)
Sock Tease
Click on the picture for a better view. ;-)
Heh. Heh. Heh.
Okay, sports fans, I kicked ass yesterday on the sock front. I actually considered pulling an all nighter to finish it, but alas, I didn't. 2:30's late enough to go to bed and then I slept like shit. 87000 dreams. I don't think I ever hit deep sleep to be honest. I'm exhausted. Back to the sock. I've done 44 pattern repeats (I'm counting the double decreases down the front of the sock) and the finished sock has 57. So I have 26 rows left before I start for the toe decreases and as the scale says, I have half an ounce left.
A word about the scale. There's definitely something wrong with it and as soon as this sock is finished I'm returning it. I knew pretty much as soon as I opened the box that it was a return - the instructions were kind of wrinkly and there was a Duracell battery in it already. And the low battery indicator was on. In fact, after changing the battery to a fresh one, the low battery indicator is STILL on. I weighed another one of my STR skeins and it came out to 3.8 (or 3.9 depending where it sat on the scale) as well, so I'm not too concerned that I'm getting small skeins, I just think the scale is off. I will be buying a new one.
Regardless, I've been weighing the freaking yarn like every ten rows. Which is ridiculous because I have no idea how much the first sock weighed at any given point during the knitting. I only know what it weighed at the END of the knitting. I will probably finish the sock today (or as much as I can - you know - if I run out of yarn) because I CANNOT STAND THE SUSPENSE! It's killing me not knowing if the yarn will make it to the end. The pathetic little ball looks so tiny.
In the meantime I've become convinced these socks are magic. I'm almost afraid to finish them for fear the White Sox will lose if I'm not knitting ROCK STAR socks. Ugh.
Now go back up there and click on the picture already. Lazy ass. ;-)
Posted by Cara at 09:27 AM | Comments (17)
October 22, 2005
Calling all Sock Mavens! URGENT!
I finished the first ROCK STAR sock. And it is indeed very ROCK STAR, although Georgie said it was pretty and well, that's not quite what I was going for, but what does he know right?
Anyway, here's the problem. Or maybe it's not a problem and I'm getting all uptight for nothing.
I went out and bought myself a postage scale. I weighed the finished sock and got 1.9 oz. I weighed what's left of the STR yarn and I get...wait for it... 1.9 oz. Exactly the same as the first sock. Does this mean I'll have enough? This is decidedly less than the 4.25 oz. that are supposed to be there (according to the label.) That said, the wound ball of Koigu I've been comparing my STR to weighs only 1.8 oz.
Opinions please. Thank you very much. In the meantime, let's all just sit back for a minute and talk about how it took me just over three days to finish one sock. (I cast on about 6:30 Wednesday night. But all the knitting was Thursday and Friday.) I don't think the other one will go as fast unless I'm panicked the whole time about the yarn. If (and that's a big if) I run out of yarn I think I have a solution. I have some very dark wine colored Koigu in the stash which might work for the toes. So that's the plan if I run out. I'm going to cast on for the second sock. Pictures Monday.
Posted by Cara at 08:50 PM | Comments (19)
October 21, 2005
Rock Out with Your Sock Out
Every once in a while, the Knit Gods smile.
I'm not sure I can put into words how much I LOVE this sock. I love everything about it. The yarn, the electric colors, the PATTERN! I think I have chosen the EXACT pattern this yarn needed. EXACTLY. There is NO OTHER pattern that would work. What do you think?
There's just one problem. Beth left me a comment yesterday and upon receiving it I went and checked out her lovely blog. She had just finished her own pair of STR socks, which are gorgeous by the way, and in reading her re-cap she pointed out something that I had missed. THERE ARE ONLY 325 YDS IN THE BIG SKEIN OF SOCKS THAT ROCK. Please take note of this people! That's 25 yds LESS than two skeins of Koigu. Cherry Tree Hill gives you 370 yds. DUDE! The socks still rock, but just a teensey bit less.
I guess if I was a toe-up kind of girl this wouldn't matter too much, but alas, I'm a downer, so I'm in a little bit of a panic. Beth was gracious enough to give me the measurements for her socks and I decided that I would get to a 6" cuff and start the heel. It actually is okay so far - I'm ready to turn the heel. I do like a longer sock, but it seems that this particular sock wants to stop where it has - and I'm okay with that. I will though be in a panic for the entire knitting process until both socks are done and I know I'll have enough yarn. Blah!
The real, real problem is that I LOVE these socks so much I want to knit them forever until the are so long they will cover my whole body like a ROCK STAR BODY SOCK. They are that beautiful to me.
Posted by Cara at 10:04 AM | Comments (36)
October 20, 2005
The Sox Channel*
Okay. I'm giving away my allegiance. Even though some people will be nail-less watching their Killer Bees, in our house it's SOX, SOCKS and more SOX.
When rooting locally, we're Bronx bound. Should the Phils ever come close again, I'm right there. But in our heart of hearts, we're South Side all the way. (And when I say our hearts know that I mean G's heart, but since our hearts are permanently intertwined when he loves, I love. Ann - that was your cue! Run with it!) Why are we rooting for the Sox? You see, when Georgie was a wee one he lived in Chicago, for the first four years (or five - it varies in the telling) to be exact. Then they came to New Jersey. But the love of Chicago lived on in his older brother and sisters, so The Sox it is. And since they've never really had an opportunity to root for the team - here we go.
On to SOCKS! Guess who I talked to yesterday? Toni at The Fold. I missed her. And I needed more SOCKS THAT ROCK! I'm not kidding. I heard a certain someone gifted her STR to someone else and I couldn't let her go STR-less so I took care of that right quick. And she's a ROCK STAR so that's what she's getting. I LOVE YOU MAN! (And Toni totally seconded my notion of the Lendrum - she was quite encouraging. Now to find one to try. Hmmm. Where could I try a Lendrum? Anybody know anybody who can lend me a Lendrum?)
And since Margene told me yesterday in no uncertain terms that I was to drop everything and start a ROCK STAR SOCKS THAT ROCK, that's just what I did:
Here's the B-Side:
Funny how different, huh? I'm going with Kathy's Jaywalker pattern from MagKnits. I mean, c'mon! Who ever heard of a ROCK STAR that crosses at the light? Puhleese! I cast on for these socks while waiting for my class to show up last night. I've just started the pattern, so I can't see how it's going to shake out yet - and honestly - I can't really tell from the pictures either, but we're crossing our toes. GOAL: to have one sock finished by the end of the weekend.
I'm going to need to kick ass on this because there are more socks to be knit. I got my Sockapal2za angel recipient yesterday. This poor sole (hahahahaha) not only didn't get socks from her pal, but wasn't able to send out the socks she knit to her pal! Doesn't that SUCK? So she's going to get SOCKS THAT ROCK from me! YaY! And I found out that I WILL be getting a pair myself. I believe in the POWER OF THE SOCK!
Alrighty then. Enough is enough is enough. I'm going to take it easy today. Knitting. Some laundry. Straighten up a bit. Pay my NJ ST Taxes. (DO NOT FORGET TO PAY THE TAXES!!!!) You know. Stuff around the house. Tomorrow, I'm off to The Spinnery with Jen! Scary stuff I tell you. Sccaarry stuff.
*Anybody out there watch Elmo? You know how they always have "The ___ Channel" on Elmo's TV? Like The Bicycle Channel or The Arm Channel or something. That's what I've been thinking of. Little old kidless me has been thinking about Elmo. Kill me now.
Posted by Cara at 10:25 AM | Comments (18)
October 19, 2005
Knocking My Socks Off
It seems everytime I open my bloglines, Lolly's got a new Soctoberfest update! Did you see how many participants? And the prizes? And I'm all like shit. I need some sock yarn to start some socks. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The really sad thing is that I JUST started the second Sunshine Sock. With Vicki. On the couch Sunday night. I've got about ten rows of ribbing done. It's a stockinette sock. And there's still poor Retro Rib - I'm about ready to turn the heel on the first one, but I can't even remember when I last picked that up. And let's not forget that I've got a baby blanket to knit for a baby that could, in all reality, come any day and I need to just CHART my dad's Aran for goodness sakes and the Powell 106 is feeling lonely. What's a girl to do?
Wind up some SOCKS that ROCK, that's what! This is pretty much what I did upon waking. Colorway: ROCK STAR. Dude! I'm all about the ROCKING these days. (Aren't you all sick of me yet? Seriously. I will completely understand.) Anyway, the yarn's all wound up, now I just need to find a pattern.
What's that? Need some sock books to go with that sock yarn?
Lucky for me, some came in the mail just the other day! We've got (clockwise from the top) Handknit Holidays by Melanie Falick, Holiday Knits by Sara Lucas, Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch, Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush and Simple Socks by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts.
I bought the two holiday knitting books solely for the ornament patterns. It's coming pretty close to the holidays and I need to send out cards. Usually I use one of my flower/plant/tree pictures, but I'm running out of archives. And unless the weather turns really nasty really fast (read: snow) I'm not going to get a new one this year. So I thought I'd knit some ornaments, take them outside, and take a picture! Voila! I get to combine two of my loves and get a nice card this year. We hope! The best laid plans and all that.
I bought the sock books - well that should be obvious. (I really got the Nancy Bush because of Margene!) I haven't really had a chance to look through any of them - they came Friday afternoon while I was frantic getting ready for the weekend. But the girls had a good look and they gave all of them a thumbs up. The Sensational Socks looks, well, sensational, from what I've seen. It's a cross between an Ann Budd template book and a Harmony stitch guide. My favorite part - it's got directions for 4 dpns, 5 dpns, and TWO CIRCULARS! Whippee! I'm sure I'll be picking a pattern out of here for my socks that rock.
Alas, not sure it will be today. I've got class tonight that I'm woefully ill-prepared for and stuff to ship out (my business is really going crazy. WHICH IS GOOD! I AM NOT COMPLAINING! Just stating facts.) But Lolly, I really want Soctoberfest socks. Really, really really!
Before I sign off, I wanted to mention two women I met at Rhinebeck that I left off the big post. And not because they weren't on my mind - they were - I guess I just didn't know where to put them. Judy of Smatterings said hello to me at the meet-up and I am so glad. This woman is a REAL artist (who almost died for her art!) while I'm just faking it with a big camera, as Laurie so eloquently suggested. Judy - it was wonderful to meet you and talk with you and you are so beautiful and elegant - I can't wait to buy some of your yarns! Thank you for saying hello!
And Terry - my kindred spirit - my worry sister! Parting was such sweet sorrow (how many times did we say goodbye?!) It was so great to meet you in person - I dare say there wouldn't be a Flower Basket without you!
Gotta run! Really! It's been over a week! L, C
Posted by Cara at 09:46 AM | Comments (15)
September 06, 2005
Ends
I set myself some big-ass goals this weekend and guess what? I MET THEM! Yahoo! First up on the list: DON'T BE CRAZY! And I wasn't too crazy. Really. There were a few moments here and there of bad thoughts but successful thought-stopping ensued which may or may not have included jumping on a trampoline screaming "I LOVE YOU!" at the top of my lungs. Actually, just thinking about doing it made me smile which stopped a bad thought. Did you know it's scientifically impossible to have bad thoughts while jumping on a trampoline? It's true. Don't believe me? Try it yourself.
Second goal: EXERCISE! Which I did! I actually got off my ass and went out this weekend to run, not once but TWICE! Granted, I started my beginner running program from the freaking beginning AGAIN, but it felt so good to be out there and the weather was glorious. I was a little sad though because my running route is basically the same as my flower route - the path along the development behind my building is the source of most of my flower pictures. I basically missed the whole season. Literally. And what's out there dying is pretty much TOO dead for my tastes. I do like to take pictures of flowers on their last stem, but these babies are already gone. A trip to the botanical gardens may be in order very, very soon. My little sister will be coming to stay with me next week for a little bit while G is away (AGAIN!) and hopefully we'll make a trip up to the Bronx.
Third goal: EAT! Yeah. Too much of that. I'm already putting back on the gloriously lost crazy pounds. You knew it was going to happen. But for two days I looked thin again. Hopefully the running will keep things in check. I was back in pants I couldn't wear since LAST summer. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I always look my best and mentally I feel my worst. It's a sad truth.
Fourth goal: KNIT!
I'm really enjoying this lace project. I've put markers at all of the 12 stitch repeats and it's been fast going that way. I've barely had to tink back - I think maybe once so far. I've got one purl row to go on the fourth repeat. I'm planning on doing all ten - for the shawl. Those girls that can do the scarf and call it a shawl are much more petite than I. I may actually go even farther - depends on the yarn situation. I'm liking the yarn too - at least the color. The variegation seems to be working really well with the pattern. Each diamond has some blue, some green, some darker blue. It's looking lovely. As I knit it I'm thinking it will be beautiful to wear to synagogue this year, should I go for the High Holy Days. With a nice navy skirt and a crisp white blouse. I always loved High Holy Days clothes. Almost as much as I love the prayers said this time of year. They're mournful and melodic and I often catch myself singing them year round. Anyway, I've been enjoying the DFS and I highly recommend it!
Yes, I completed a sock. I very much like it - it's bright and cheery and it fits well. The heel isn't perfect - I need to tighten up some almost holes, but in the end I think I like the gusset/flap heel best. I tried two different kinds of short rows and didn't like either. I still have to try an afterthought heel - next pair of socks - but for now this works well for me. Nice to know that, you know? I haven't cast on for the second - but I will today. And I want these clogs. Especially for Rhinebeck.
And last but not least....
Yes, my friends, it's a FINISHED back AND FRONT of the now infamous Short Row Sweater. This was the MAJOR goal of the weekend - I want this sucker done! Of course, in succeeding at said goal, I kind of made pretend that there weren't 3,681,207 ends.
Just for kicks, you know, to see if this thing will actually, one day, miracle of miracles, BE a sweater, I pinned the back and front together.
WHAHOOO! This might actually WORK! I'm very happy with it so far. Here are some close-ups on the zigzags:
So all I've got left are the sleeves - which should be a breeze since they're all one color. I'm planning on doing both at the same time - and I still haven't decided yet if I'm going to even cast on for them BEFORE I attend to those ENDS. Ugh. I see myself wearing this sweater for the High Holy Days too. With the same navy skirt. It's nice to have goals. ;-)
Lest you think it was all fun and games and knits here this weekend, there were still tears and sadness. Some of it personal, some of it global. The more I read and see of the tragedy on the Gulf Coast the more disillusioned I am with the human race as a whole. People are just SO MEAN. I'm sick to death of the finger pointing and name calling and who did or did not do what. I've never had any love (or even like) for the current administration, but now I'm even disgusted with the people I supposedly AGREE with. Now is the time TO SHUT THE FUCK UP and ACT! It's not the time for who's right and who's wrong. It seems to me that the political atmosphere in this country is directly to blame - which means BOTH SIDES. BOTH SIDES. NO POLITICIAN OR PUNDIT IS INNOCENT.
[ETA: If I hear one more "person" say how everything would've been handled so wonderfully if Ghouliani had been mayor - I'm going to start screaming and not stop. There is NO WAY that the disaster in NOLA can be compared to 9/11. After the towers fell, the event was pretty much over, except for the clean-up. The whole tragedy affected (physically) a very small part of the city. There was no recovery. By the end of the day, things were back to "normal" in terms of people getting food, shelter, communicating with each other. Sure, some people were homeless - but those people had the means (by virtue of where they lived) to find other shelter. Ghouliani didn't have to hold the physical well-being of the city together. This may seem harsh - but it's the truth as I see it.]
I watched the Sunday news programs this weekend - it's something G usually does and occasionally I tune in. When I saw Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard on Meet the Press, I was beyond horrified. Then I read about shoe shopping and slack jaws and I wonder, where is our collective conscience? And even if you don't really care about what's happened here, where is your INTELLIGENCE to keep your mouth shut? We can't even make it LOOK like we care. (And isn't it so much worse that these WOMEN can't seem to gather up any real sympathy?)
All weekend long I'd pop on over to Margene and Susan's site and gain a little bit of hope back.
Knit on through all crises. And that's exactly what I'm doing.
Posted by Cara at 11:42 AM | Comments (17)
August 11, 2005
The Agony of Defeat
Short Rows are killing me again. NO, not that Short Rows. Sock heel short rows. Yesterday I attempted both Wendy's version and Alison's PG-R version and while I enjoyed the short rows - I didn't enjoy the holes that formed when joining in the round again - no matter how many stitches I knit together or how many stitches I picked up. Also, when I tried it on, holes and all, I don't think I liked how it fit. Damn Short Rows! They've become my white whale for sure. So I started doing a regular gusset heel - I mean, I like it so far in the socks I've made and it works for the master, so who am I to argue, right? I would like to try an afterthought heel though. That might work.
Anyway, the sock's going a road trip today. We're heading to the beach for a little sun and work, believe it or not. I've got a beach shoot. Yipee!
Posted by Cara at 09:19 AM | Comments (14)
August 10, 2005
Sox in the Bronx
The White Sox won 2-1. Apparently excellent pitching makes for a boring game, and of course we missed the two big homers in the 9th because we left. Oh well.
Now that's not to say there wasn't a bit of excitement. G and I go to, on average, one baseball game every year and a half. Mainly to the Bronx, but they're ALWAYS full of excitement. The last one we went to tied for the biggest shutout in baseball since 1900. Then there was the bench clearing brawl in 1998 when Benitez hit Tino between the shoulders because he was pissed he gave up a two-run homer to Bernie. I'm normally a peaceful person, but what a fucking good brawl. And we were about to leave that game too.
The most special, most amazing of amazing baseball moments for us will always be in Fenway (tut, tut) on our wedding night. On that fateful summer evening, the Texas Rangers, ARod in tow, played the BoSox. On his first at bat, Scott Hattenberg line drived into a triple play. On his next at bat he hit a grand slam. Probably the first and ONLY time that’s ever happened in the history of baseball. And we were there. Fate stepped up to the plate.
So what happened last night? Well, the excitement really wasn't on the field, but in the stands. Sort of. Some complete and utter asshole competing for a Darwin award took a header into the net behind home plate. We were sitting two sections to the left.
Click for a better look.
So he had to crawl his way out of the net back to the stands where the cops were waiting with a loving embrace. Apparently his friends were taunting him to jump from the third level. If you want, you can read more about this stunning display of intelligence here. He may not have made ESPN, but by gawd he made the COVER OF THE POST! Impressive indeed.
I gotta say, my mind was changed about one aspect of America's game. I've always hated what I've thought to be phony patriotism during the seventh inning stretch. Instead of a rousing rendition of Take Me Out to the Ball Game, the powers that be have decided to play God Bless America, followed up by a really goofy Take Me Out. To me, this always smacks of lip service and Ghouliani and profiting off of dead soldiers and civilians. I don't know HOW they're actually profiting - maybe in brownie points - but still. Insincere, maybe? At least that's the feeling I've come away with. Especially when that Ronan Tynan guy does it. But last night they had a recording of Kate Smith - guaranteed to be from a fantastic Flyers game - and I was struck by the fact that HEY! We're at WAR! Men and women are DYING FOR MY RIGHT TO BE AT THIS BALLGAME! Suddenly it all seemed very appropriate. God Bless Kate Smith. She really knew how to bring a point home.
Posted by Cara at 09:22 AM | Comments (11)
August 01, 2005
Got Gauge?
I want a t-shirt that says this. Who's going to help me design it? We can sell it and give the proceeds to charity. I'm not kidding. I need a t-shirt that says "got gauge?" and maybe one that says "swatch-n-bitch". What do you think?
This weekend was all about the knit, baby. And even though there was some phenomenally BAD news of the knitting variety, I enjoyed the weekend and thinking about my knits.
I'm leading off with the bad, because, well, it's so bad that I want EVERYONE to read it - none of this skimming through and missing it at the end.
Okay. Here goes.
Friday night, I FINALLY cast on the front of Short Rows. And guess what? I GOT GAUGE!!!! This may seem like a good thing, but trust me, it's very, very, very bad. Why you ask? Because when I knit the back, I didn't get gauge. Or at least I thought I didn't - I seem to remember measuring it a bunch of times. I even remember starting it a couple of times and ripping it because I DIDN'T get gauge. I deliberately, painstakingly decided to move up a size in the pattern - which would leave me with a sweater conveniently between the medium and large size. Nice and comfortable for me. But while I was casting on and knitting the front, something kept nagging at me about the back. It just seemed, so, I don't know, HUGE. And I kept pushing those bad feelings down, down into the locked closet of my brain that sucks all the bad thoughts in like a hoover - as I've been training myself to do. (It's working. A little bit. Everyday.)
But. I just couldn't let it alone.
Sunday, I got out a sweater I have that fits pretty good and put the two backs together. Then I took out not one, but three tape measures. Sure enough I GOT FUCKING GAUGE! The sweater matches perfectly to the dimensions the pattern lists for a large. It is WAY too big.
I think you all know where this is going. Do I really have to say it? At least I didn't get too far on the front (honestly, I was getting bored pretty quickly. What happened to all the love?) I'm going to cast on again for a back. In the size I should've done the whole time. I'm going to knit said back, and compare the two. Then I'm going to rip the sleeve I'VE ALREADY KNIT, because I can salvage the yarn easily. I think I might just leave the first back and buy more yarn. The thought of ripping it, after I've cut and WOVEN IN all those ends is enough to - I don't know - NEVER KNIT AGAIN?! What's a few extra dollars for a project I really loved (once) and want to get right? Don't you agree? Eventually I can rip out the bad back and make something with the yarn. But right now, I think that would just be way too depressing.
That's it. That's my awful knitty news. Feel sorry for me. Seriously - I WANT the pity.
On to the GOOD!
I found a new knitting store this weekend. I was looking through the new VK and came across some interesting notions. When I went on the website to see where they were sold, I found Stix-n-Stitches in Montclair, NJ. They literally opened about a week ago. The store was very nice - nice wood - roomy - lots of cool notions and stuff. Tons of Classic Elite yarns. I asked the proprietress, Sheila, what kinds of new yarns she was going to get in. No Noro or Debbie Bliss, because another yarn store in town is going to carry it. What about Rowan, I asked. Another new store opening up is going to carry that, so no. I found this really, really interesting. What do you think? Is she limiting her business by not carrying yarns that other stores in the area are carrying? I'm not sure what I think about this.
One thing she does have is a full line of ArtYarns - which happens to be one of my all time favorites - so that's good!
That's Ultramerino 4 - a new fingering weight yarn. They've come out with Ultramerino 6 as well to go along with the 8. Good stuff. Oh and I bought some circular needle size markers as well. They clip onto the wire and clip right off. Never seen them before - maybe they'll help.
All in all - a nice store that I definitely plan on going back to - Jen - whenever you're ready!
I spent a lot of time looking through stitch pattern books this weekend. I was pulling together cable patterns for my dad's sweater and also looking for stitch patterns for squares for the John Glick Afghan Project. Some fits and starts, but I've managed to identify all of the cables and I've finished one square and started another.
Both squares are from Cascade 220 I had in the stash. I love the blue-green heather color and I have more, so I might make another one with this. The stitch on that one is the Quaker Ridge from Barbara Walker - I figured it was fitting for John since by all accounts he was a peace loving man, traits the Quakers embody. The brown square stitch is called Jacob's Ladder or Ladder of Life - both of which I thought were appropriate. I've tried to infuse the squares with love. I hope they bring comfort to the recipient.
And last but not least, when your knitting gets you down, KNIT SOCKS!
I'm calling these my Walking on Sunshine socks! I'm hoping to remember the bright, warm, NOT HUMID, sunny day I started them on when I'm wearing them on a particularly cold and gray winter day. Also, they match my bright orange flip flops (which I won't be posting a picture of - they've turned black under my toes and well, ew.)
I'm using Trekking XXL Crazy Stripes in Color 38 - I'm loving me some stripes and stockinette and hey, you can never have too many socks, right Margene? (Check it out - she's got FOUR FEET!)
Posted by Cara at 10:58 AM | Comments (22)
July 29, 2005
Proof
that I still knit:
Socka-Pal-2-Za Socks
Acorn Sock pattern by Evelyn Clark/Fibertrends
Koigu, color #1110
Done on two circs - Addi size #1s
Actually, my knitting was a little overzealous. I finished the second sock, well, all but the grafting, in bed last night and this morning I woke up and grafted. When I compared it to the first one, I realized I had gone too far on the foot - you were supposed to stop at either row 9 of the lace repeat or finish the repeat and stop at row 1 of the next repeat - I should've stopped at 9. So I ripped and finished the sock while watching Meet the Fockers - which was pretty funny. I thought Dustin and Babs did a great job.
I really like these socks and the pattern is terrific. They're a little tight around the cuff - should've done it on size twos probably, but I think they'll fit my sock pal fine. She's about the same size as me, if not a little bit smaller, so I say they're good to go. Now, a question. What about blocking? I washed my first pair, but didn't block it. How do you block socks (if you don't have a sock blocker tool.) Do you need to block socks? Can I just wash them and leave them to dry or do they need to be blocked? Thanks!
I'm planning on casting on a lot this weekend. Progress picks on Monday, hopefully. Have a great weekend!
Posted by Cara at 02:46 PM | Comments (25)
July 18, 2005
What I Did on My Summer Vacation...
by Cara.
Super long. Proceed at own risk.
First off, I got a lot of knitting done. Everday we were awakened (early - NY time!) by G's office with one crisis after another. It wasn't fun for either of us, but I did get a lot accomplished:
One sock pal sock down (although I need to fix the toe close) and one almost done. I was hoping for two repeats on the plane home last night - I managed to finish all four. Now I only have nine rows of the lace before I do the heel. I should be finished with it in a day or two. I LOVE these socks. Sorry, sock pal, but I've been trying them on left and right. (I even tried them on for the flight attendant last night when she asked what I was knitting.)
I'm not usually a big fan of lace socks, but these are different. As G said, there's just a hint of skin peeking through - and the color of this Koigu is just beautiful. I'm in love. It's going to be VERY hard to give them up. (That's okay - I'll just make myself a pair!)
The pattern is very well written (thank you Evelyn Clark) and it goes so fast, really. I have nothing to complain about at all. (And all that ripping I've done - completely my own fault.)
Oh and thanks for all your comments the other day - and thanks Alison for the update!
Here's a close-up of the lace:
On to the trip details...
Los Angeles
* A quick note. I bought a new camera for the trip - something portable we could take to the castle since I wasn't lugging my 50 lb. bag in my dress and heels. I'm not really thrilled with the camera - I didn't heed my own best advice - I never finished the manual. I was reading it instead of packing on Sunday night and G said - why don't you save that for the plane and then I knit the whole time on the plane and never read the damn thing. This camera is really for G - the lack of control I had killed me. So anyway, the pictures aren't up to snuff as far as I'm concerned. It really bothers me, but it is what it is. Oh and all the yarn pictures are taken with the GOOD camera at home.
We arrived in LA on Monday noonish (after missing our flight at JFK. LONG story. Suffice it to say we were on the 10AM instead of the 8AM.) and headed straight to our favorite LA spot - the IN-N-OUT right by the airport. Not only is it IN-N-OUT, but you get to watch super huge jet airliners fly right over your head as they land. One of the highlights of the trip was flying OVER the spot we had stood five days earlier as we flew in from SLO to our connection in LA. We're weird, okay?
Then we headed out to our hotel, The Chamberlain, in West Hollywood. Got to say, very nice boutique hotel. They had just finished a refurb and everything looked very nice. It's a sister to The Viceroy in Santa Monica where we stayed last year, but I prefer this one. Much quieter, not as funky. The room was great.
We decided to take a little walk. YES, CALIFORNIANS, I SAID WALK! People literally looked at us like we were crazy as we made our way down La Cienega from Santa Monica to Melrose. I wanted to check out Julia's home away from home (although her home again!) Knit Cafe. What a bright, cozy, inviting place! Suzan, the owner was there and she was very solicitous. Her store is beautiful, and as we were there near close, it was empty but for one lone knitter. I walked around three times trying so hard to find something to buy. I've decided that on these trips of mine, I'm only going to buy yarn that is different than what I can get at home. And since I live in a large Metropolitan Area, there's not much I CAN'T get at home. I was about to buy a t-shirt and then there was some Lorna's Laces, but she only had one skein of the color I liked, so I passed. But a great shop if you're in the neighborhood! I would definitely go again. Thanks Julia for the recommendation! Suzan and I talked about what a great help you've been to her - I'm sure she's so thrilled you're coming home.
On our walk home, I passed a storefront with these casts in the window. It was very spooky.
The neighborhood had mostly antique/furniture/rug stores, but this one didn't even have a name. Just these faces in the window.
Once back at the hotel, we had some time to kill before meeting up with my brother for dinner. What to do, what to do? How about a swim?
The pool was on the roof - overlooking LA (the Hollywood Hills were behind me when I took the picture) and there was no one there but us! What a lovely romantic swim! The water was nice and WARM too. (Everywhere we went people took immense pleasure in telling us the temperature of the pool. Our pool is set to 86 degrees. Our pool is comfortable 80 degrees.)
Wildfiber
MJ and I had finally connected via email and it was my plan to meet her at Wildfiber before we left LA for Santa Barbara. I thought we might miss her because the plan changed and we were going to leave early, but the office called and we didn't get to see MJ until after noon! And I'm so glad we did! This was one of the highlights of the trip! MJ is wonderful in person - so sweet and I really, really enjoyed meeting her - even if it was really quick. And Wildfibers? Oh my god - all I have to say is MJ is one lucky, lucky girl that this place is her LYS.
Here we are in front of the Koigu wall. Can you think of a better place for a photograph?
I bought some of the most beautiful yarn I've ever seen there - MJ helped me pick it out and man was it expensive, but WORTH EVERY PENNY!
Tanglewood Fiber Creations, 100% Superwash Merino, hand dyed, hand spun - softer than soft. Now I have a question for all you spinners out there (not that I'm interested. Okay? OKAY?) - what is it called that gives you the ply where all the different colors are combined - do you know what I'm talking about? Where in one strand you've got lights and dark and I'm thinking this is the twist or something, right? Anyway, it's gorgeous. This is the kind of handspun I really, really love. I wish I had the money to buy more. But it was ALOT. I did get 404 yards, but still. A LOT.
I also bought some Socks that Rock! I've been wanting to try this and I even bought a colorway that closely matches the Lorna's I had wanted over at Knit Cafe. The colorway is Cobalt Bloom.
Wildfiber had a special guest, Prudence Mapstone, and I have to tell you, her work was some of the most beautiful, most inspiring ART (in any medium) I have ever seen. I want to dedicate a whole post to her - hopefully tomorrow.
We said goodbye to LA and MJ and headed out to SB....
Santa Barbara
It took us no time to drive up the coast to SB and after we checked into our hotel, we found a tux for G, had a taco snack and finally headed off to State Street for dinner. The next day was really fun - BB's Knits in the morning. Great store - and they were expecting me! (Thanks Kathie!) I wandered around - what a packed store for a little space and ended up with some Interlacements Toasty Toes (in the Tanglewood Colorway - LOL) and Koigu. Once again, I'm hitting the same color palate.
By sheer coincidence, I ended up a block from In Stitches, which was, to be honest, quite a disappointment. It was nearly empty - of yarn. About night and day from BB's.
Then it was off to the beach - and sock time!
SB was a very nice community - interesting mix of people, stores - it was so much bigger than we expected. We liked our motel/inn - you really could see the beach from our room, surprisingly enough. Overall, a very pleasant stay.
Pismo Beach, San Simeon, Cambria
We made our way to Pismo Beach on Thursday morning - again the office caused delays! We needed to get there with enough time to get ready for dinner that night - the buses were leaving the hotel at 4PM. We got there with time to spare - a quick trip to check out the beach and take a rest by the pool (a balmy 85 degrees, thank you very much!)
Getting on the bus to go to the Castle was pretty funny. Here are all these women and men - dressed to the nines - dripping in jewels (literally - there was one woman who was OOZING diamonds) getting on buses. The trip took about an hour to San Simeon, and then we got off that bus and walked through the tourist center (even funnier - the looks we got) to get on yet another bus to take us to the top - and the castle.
What a ride! The whole time, you can see the castle in your sights, you can't help but think - how the hell did he get all that crap UP THERE!?! It's a twisty, single lane road with lots of drop offs and this is 2005! Imagine it in the 20s, 30s and 40s when they were building it. Incredible, really. There's no other way to describe it.
Once off the bus, we were given the option of a tour. Needless to say, we took it!
La Casa Grande - the main house.
Designed to look like a Spanish Cathedral - with all the trimmings!
A stairway among the elaborate gardens.
(God I wish I had the good camera!)
Outside of a guest house.
The view - the ocean is in the distance.
Can you see the moon peeking out between the trees?
The amazing pool - set at a wonderful 79 degrees!
There was a photographer by the pool taking "prom" pictures. I'm not kidding - G and I had one taken and I'm sure it's the goofiest thing ever - considering how I look in this picture:
Can you say FRUMPY?
That's it - no more pictures of me. I am NOT happy with my body these days. Maybe Jen can take a nice picture of me with the shawl - we'll see. Just know it was perfect and I still love it.
They served hors d'oeuvres along the pool and it got pretty hot up there. We found a shady spot and watched the sun get lower and lower until it was time for dinner. This was what awaited us!
NINE wine glasses per person!
It was craziness! The first course was a foie gras and some other stuff and they served a VERY sweet white. Next was the fish course - DELICIOUS! - lobster in a creamed corn. Yummy. Two whites. The Fowl course was duck - also very nice - two reds - one of my favorites of the night - a Hitching Post 2003 Highliner Pinot Noir. Meat Course was Dry Aged Beef - two reds. The Cheese course - two reds. I was pretty surprised there was no wine with dessert.
Every time a course was served, two sommeliers would come around and pour wine. They never filled the glass, just a taste (a generous taste!) and if you liked it and wanted more, all you had to do was ask. Georgie and I agreed on the wines all night - and it was the left hand side for us every course! (The wine glasses stood side to side and you identified the ones you liked by whether it was on the left or right.)
Here's what the table looked like at the Fowl Course:
And the Cheese course:
And here's the view when I turned to my right while sitting at the table:
All in all it was a tremendous evening! I had way more fun than I thought I would. I'm so glad we got to have the experience!
The next day G had some business meetings in the morning, so I ordered in a nice big breakfast and tried to surf the Internet. We had such poor connections the whole trip - it was weird. Well, LA was good, but other than that - very, very slow. And since G had a lot of work, I had barely any time online. Which was good too. I had a nice break - but, I did miss my blog (and all of you!)
After breakfast, we decided to make the drive up to Cambria to go to Ball & Skein. We also thought we might be able to hit the IN-N-OUT in Atascadero on the drive back - since it would most definitely be our last chance to get there. The shop was very nice - I bought some gifty type items that I won't show here - not yarn - think tools. And while they had a SHITLOAD of yarn, falling off the shelves, to be honest, I didn't buy anything. Sticking to my rule (and honestly totally going overboard at Wildfiber), I was a good girl. I was thisclose to buying some Noro Blossom for Vicki, but luckily she already found some! Cambria was a very pretty town and it would've been nice, if we had more time, to hang out there. But we wanted to go to the beach - always a top priority - and find that IN-N-OUT!
The ride to Atascadero was exciting to say the least - we started out on Route 1 and crossed about 26 miles of Route 46 to get to Route 101. It was NOTHINGness - unless you count rolling hills, sheer drops and cows. I swear I had a panic attack. I was convinced we'd get stuck like Margene! Georgie was sitting in the passenger seat oohing and ahhing and video-ing the NOTHINGness and I could barely breathe OR keep my hands on the wheel. In the end it was worth it - we found the illustrious IN-N-OUT!
We had a nice dinner that evening at Pelican Point in Pismo - with enough Sideways moments (not us - the table next to us - actually it was The Big Chill meets Sideways. Amusing to say the least....) to last about ten years. Seriously. Is it necessary to stick your whole freaking face INTO the wine glass? Maybe if you just drank it.... Who am I? I know nothing about wines. (Athough I do know what tastes good!)
We left the next morning. Whew! What a trip! Glad to be home. Lots of laundry and work to do. G will be out most of the week with work stuff, so I'll miss him even more than I usually do after spending the week 24/7 together. But you'll keep me company right?
Thanks for reading!
L, C
Posted by Cara at 12:07 AM | Comments (29)
July 09, 2005
A 3 for 1 Deal
My sock pal socks - Koigu and Evelyn Clark. Doesn't get any better than this. Very easy knit so far - it's going so fast. Right there is two repeats and I could easily get through a third tonight. I have to pace myself for the plane, I think.
I got a dress this morning - tried to find a picture on the web but couldn't. Still need shoes, but I'm not so worried about that. I probably won't post again until after we're in Cali.
Calling All California Knitters
We've got one night in Hel-LA, two nights in Santa Barbara and two nights in San Luis Obispo. Where should I go? I'm going to try to hit Wildfiber in Santa Monica on our one day/night in LA. And then I found a couple of places in Santa Barbara - In Stitches looks interesting. Pipe up if you've got a place in LA (our hotel is in Hollyweird and my bro lives in Santa Monica), Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo. Thanks!
I thought it was pretty funny - I was typing in Santa Barbara knitting into google and you know how it brings up previous search strings? Well I got Santa Barbara clay tennis courts. Guess someone was there before me. My Georgie is such a honey.
Anyway - I'll try to post from California - but if not, be prepared for pictures from San Simeon - and I promise to get a couple of me in my dress and shawl. Thanks!
Posted by Cara at 08:46 PM | Comments (22)
June 28, 2005
A Tisket A Tasket...
A candy apple basket...
I have three more rows to go on the 11th repeat, which will give me twelve baskets on either side of the divide. My goal is sixteen or seventeen. The pattern is very easy, so easy I keep fucking it up - especially on the first two right side rows of the repeat. Something about the k2togs and ssks is freaking out my brain because once I get past those, I'm fine. And now of course it's taking a MUCH longer time to get through a row. Those purl rows are killers. I realized why too. You have like twice as many stitches to knit. On the right side you're always knitting some together and creating yos - on the back you have to purl EVERY SINGLE STITCH. But I'm plugging away. I can see the end and it seems so close.
I've also been slowly knitting on my retro rib socks:
I have to admit, these socks aren't half as fun as my stripey ones. I'm beginning to think I'm a stockinette sock girl - as long as there are funny stripes. But I have been getting loads of compliments on them when I knit in public. People keep thinking it's a sleeve for a kid's knit. When I tell them it's a sock, for me, they look at me like I'm crazy.
Speaking of which, time for more forward progress on my brain. I'm finally admitting to myself I have a touch of OCD - but, of course, without the compulsions that get you a clean, organized house. Just the crazy, wacked out obsessional thoughts! Who knew I could be so lucky!?! Shrink day today, so maybe a meds adjustment is in the works. Although I don't do too well with medications - of any kind. I'm very sensitive. ;-) Oh and Tom Cruise - FUCK YOU.
I got a new toy this weekend. A new phone! I've had my old one for a LONG time. Longer than these things are supposed to last - especially when three babies have chewed through them. But a new toy I have and I've discovered the wonders of RINGTONES!
When Georgie calls from his cell phone: DETROIT ROCK CITY!
When he calls from work: UNDER PRESSURE!
When he calls from home: OUR HOUSE!
When my sister calls: BLISTER IN THE SUN! (or maybe the theme from Days of Our Lives. Hers may change.)
When my bro calls: CALIFORNIA LOVE!
When Joe Random calls: 1 THING!
Georgie wants me to work in Tubular Bells. You know - the theme from The Exorcist? I can't even hear that shit without getting creeped out. Let him put it on his own phone!
I'm having a fantastic time - Georgie and I spent hours (literally - we were at his office) going through ringtones. I'd try to stump him with a polyphonic greatest hits of our lives. No good Bruce tones though. Bummer. Tell me what your favorites are!
Off to do stuff. Thanks for hanging out with me!
Posted by Cara at 10:01 AM | Comments (16)
June 27, 2005
Cheeseheads and Sharpies
I’ve been avoiding blogging about the last few days, not because it was awful or disappointing – but because it was so good, so lovely, so RIGHT, I’m at a loss for words.
Admittedly, Thursday was a bit stressful. I had been designated cruise director, a job I’m not often given, and since I’ve got that debilitating perfectionism problem, well, you guessed it. I wanted everything to be perfect. Doesn’t really leave you a lot of time to enjoy yourself. But I managed. ;-)
Jen and I headed into the big city around 9:30 and met up with Vicki at her hotel. Lauren met us there and when we could pry Vicki off her bed with seventeen thousand pillows, we headed up to Tender Buttons. I think Vicki got a good picture of the place. It’s basically nirvana for buttons. Button Heaven if you will. VERY overwhelming. But somehow Vicki, Jen and I all managed to find the PERFECT buttons for our projects. (Lauren didn’t need any – but she was essential in the choosing.) Here’s what I found for Bohemia:
Lest the picture isn’t revealing enough – these babies are LEATHER. Aren’t they super perfect for the aran delight this sweater will (hopefully) one day become? As perfect as my buttons are, Vicki’s are better. I hope she shows a picture.
After TB, I took Vicki on her first ever subway ride to meet up with the rest of the gals at School Products. Ann, Nancy (go wish her a happy birthday today!), and Cassie joined the rest of us – I didn’t get anything, but a few of us walked away with goodies. Sadly, Jen had to leave us after School Products (hope you’re having a good time basking in the Caribbean Sun Jen!) but the rest of the troops made our way to Habu. Again, I’ll let others tell you about this place, since I’ve already given you my first impression.
With the tantalizing deliciacies of Habu under our belt, (that’s two yarn stores down, no yarn for Cara) we headed off to the Shake Shack for lunch. Vicki’s husband met us there and we stood in line for supposedly THE BEST BURGER in New York. (I’m sticking with the Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien, but it was very good.) Some guy asked me if they were like In-N-Out. No. They aren’t like In-N-Out. Nothing’s like In-N-Out – but that’s a whole other post.
We ate, we knit, we relaxed on what had to be one of the top ten weather days OF ALL TIME. Seriously. Vicki got really lucky considering the gross, disgusting weather we’ve been having. I’m sure she had a taste of it on Saturday, which I think was one of the hottest days in the city. But on Thursday it was clear, no humidity, blue sky beautiful.
Satiated by our burgers, we took the subway down to Seaport, leaving Nancy to go back to work at my old stomping grounds. I knew I recognized her from somewhere! Great to meet you Nancy. Seaport Yarns is crazy. It used to be a consulting firm, but post-9/11, the proprietress decided to follow her heart and open a yarn store – right in the middle of the consulting firm – at least that’s the story I’ve been told. I welcome a correction. (One thing to note is that of the four yarn stores we went to that day, NONE of them were storefronts. Meaning, three were in office buildings and one was in a residential building on the second floor. Gotta love NYC!) Seaport pretty much has everything and anything and I did come away with a purchase, even though I was made fun of mercilessly. (So what if I’ve only finished ONE pair of socks?!? Can you EVER have enough sock yarn?)
While Seaport has A LOT of yarn, I’d have to say their book/pattern selection is second to none. They have everything.
Cassie had to go after Seaport, so Lauren, Ann, Vicki and I headed uptown to the Yarn Connection to meet up with Kathleen, who was joining us for dinner. By that time, we were pretty much spent. The day started at 10:30 (9:30 for me) and I think we were yarn crawled out. The Yarn Connection provided a lovely table, some punchy conversation and a couple balls of yarn for me.
I’m thinking this will be trim for a long sleeve v-neck sweater (Nothin’ But a T-Shirt? The Vogue Tennis Sweater?) I have a bunch of chocolate brown Calmer, so these two balls will be the accent. What do you think?
After YC, we walked around aimlessly because by that time all my planning skills had pooled in my feet with about ten pounds of water weight (can you say swollen tootsies?) We ended up at some tables off to the side of THE New York Public Library building. Yes, the one with Patience and Fortitude. (How apt!?! We knitters should adopt them as our mascots. Anyone ever try to knit lion mane?)
Soon after, Lauren had to catch a train and the remaining four needed something for dinner. I seriously couldn’t think at that point. What should we feed Vicki? Something New York. Something she can’t really get in Wisconsin. Of course! Pizza! And not just any pizza, but John’s Pizza. My fave. (Okay, they have cheese in Wisconsin, but mozzarella? Please!) So Ann, Kathleen, Vicki and I had pizza. And beer. And laughed and teased and laughed. I had a great time all day, but this was the highlight for me. These girls are irreverent and bitchy (in the BEST sense of the word) and funny and loving and just a BLAST! I’m so glad I got to meet ALL of you. Thanks for giving as good as you got.
Suffice it to say, I didn’t get home until after midnight. Apparently Kathleen and Ann got home much later – but hey – that’s what happens when you live on LonGUYland! ;-)
Want to hear about Friday? Read on…
Friday I gave Vicki (and myself) some time to recover. I felt bad that we didn’t get a chance to see any of the prettier yarn stores in the city, so I went in around 2:30 and we headed down to Purl. (I knew Friday was going to be a great day because I immediately found street parking everywhere we went. I parked a total of FOUR times on Friday and never needed a parking lot. I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but in New York City? That’s a parking day from the gods. And Vicki even got to witness an awesome parallel park job by moi.)
I really only had a couple of things on my shopping list – and number one was sock yarn and a pattern for my Socka-Pal-2-Za. I hit paydirt at Purl: some beautiful tomato red Koigu and a lovely lace pattern from Evelyn Clark. That woman can do no wrong in my book. I also picked up the Koigu colorway I liked and didn’t get the last time I was at Purl.
What’s even better is these new socks will fit in the Knit Red AND Summer of Lace AND Socka-pal-2-za KALS. I’m such a sheep.
While at Purl, we ran into a bunch of the Drafty Ladies and another out of town blogger. It was nice to meet you Alison! Hope you had a great visit! Cassie so kindly pointed Vicki and I in the direction of The Point, where we were supposed to meet Colleen for some knitting time. Colleen was lovely, as always and I’m so glad we got the chance to meet up with her. Cassie and Anne were fabulous knitting companions as well and I even got to see my potty partner Joy again! Best of all, Vicki found the super special yarn she had been wanting – but I’ll let her tell you about it.
After The Point, I got to take Vicki to an exhibit – and not just any exhibit, but the reason Vicki got to come to New York! Seems she really is Royalty! Her husband has developed his own country – with gorgeous maps and money and a compelling history and brilliant paintings. The exhibit was intensely fascinating, as the idea of micro-nations is something I never knew existed. The amount of detail invested in these “nations” is just amazing. Really, truly amazing. I was honored to be their guest. (And the ULTRA UBER COOLNESS that was there was crazy. I mean, all of nerdy super cool NYC seemed to come out for this exhibit. I was impressed!)
Anyway, it was time to say goodbye to my friends. Vicki – I can’t tell you how happy I was to meet you! Completely genuine in all respects, I’m proud to call you my friend. I’m glad I could make your visit a little easier.
Sappy moment over. I’ve got lots of work to do this week. Two jobs in the hopper, the kids are coming for July 4th weekend, I’m still exorcising demons and Georgie needs a ride to the train. Have a great Monday!
Posted by Cara at 08:41 AM | Comments (16)
June 21, 2005
SOCKASTRIPENANZA!
Admittedly, I've gone a bit crazy the past week or so. In more ways than one. My anxiety has reared its ugly head and I've let myself give in to it - something I've been working on for a long, long time. My shrink always says that my being smart and having an excellent imagination are recipes for torture - and torture myself I do! I'm exceedingly good at making myself feel awful! YEEHAW! (See, Margene, I'm working the yeehaws in every where I can.)
Don't feel sorry for me or extend sympathy - unless of course you yourself make yourself crazy - because then I'd like to hear I'm not the only one. (LOL - I'm only half serious.)
Anyway - the craziness has extended into SOCKS! I know. I've made one pair. And it's not like I haven't been collecting sock yarn for a awhile. But the STRIPES made me NUTS!
Columns left to right:
| Opal Petticoat | Regia Cotton Surf #5413 | Trekking Crazy Stripes #48 |
| Regia Mini Ringel #5217 | Regia Cotton Surf #5411 | Trekking Crazy Stripes #39 |
| Regia Crazy Color #5402 | Regia Cotton Surf #5414 | Trekking Crazy Stripes #35 |
| Mountain Colors Wild Rasberry | Regia Cotton Surf #5412 | Trekking Crazy Stripes #38 |
In my defence, It looks like the Cotton Surf and the Trekking Crazy Stripes are being discontinued. Or, if they're not, they were on sale. Seriously, I don't know which ones I want to knit up first! The Cotton Surf #5411 (The Reds) might be for my Sockapalooza 2 Pal. She likes red, stripes and cotton - perfect, no? But she also likes lace. So I might try to find a nice cotton solid (anyone know of any cotton solid sock yarns?) and make the Go With the Flow socks from IK - or I may just go with some nice Koigu instead of Cotton. But I think Go With the Flow is the pattern. Maybe I'll make the exact socks in the magazine. Can I make my sock pal two pairs?
Knitting saved me this weekend. I don't know how many repeats I've completed on FBS, but I've completed 8 baskets on each side of the divide and am two rows into the nines. Experienced FBSers: Does that mean I've done seven repeats? I don't know how to count this.
The pattern is great. I look at the chart at the beginning of the row and I'm gone. I've had some to rip back a row or two, but for the most part it's going well. I like it - the yarn is good, the color is good, the pattern is good. It rescued me from a panic attack the other day on the train - although it is hard to knit when your hands are shaking. But it was a blessing because I HAD to concentrate. You know, get out of my head and all.
I'm home and feeling a bit better. Georgie calms me down. No matter how crazy and evil my thoughts - he can always do me one better! Gotta love him. I'm off to get my hair done today so I can look pretty for Vicki on Thursday. I'm thinking a yarn crawl that day - so anyone in the NYC area interested, send me an email and we'll map out a plan. We've got the whole ISLAND to cover and a contest prize to buy! (Thanks Jackie for the link!)
Oh and this is for Norma:
Posted by Cara at 10:08 AM | Comments (25)
June 13, 2005
Lemmings and Lace
Well, my experience in the city yesterday was decidedly UN-Seinfeldian. (By the way, the Puerto Rican Day parade episode has never been shown on TV after the first airing - it's not even part of the syndication package. Guess it ruffled a few feathers.) Seriously - the whole day couldn't have gone better: super cute kids, great party entertainment (the kids were laughing the whole time), nice employers. The traffic was fine - if I had a job in the city on a Tuesday morning I would've hit more traffic. Thanks for the good lucks. I think they worked.
Without further ado, I offer you boring progress pictures, just like I promised on Friday:
The short row sleeve is coming along nicely. I finished the increases and am about to start the decreases. I love how they say do the increases and knit until you reach 191/2 inches. Guess what? On my last row of increases I'm going to be about 201/2 inches. I realized my row gauge is about two rows over. No biggie, I'm thinking. I like my sleeves a little long anyway. So onto the decreases. Have I woven in any ends? NO! Damn they're killing me!
Not much progress on the sock - although I did rip it a few more times before I was satisfied. I'm still a little hesitant about the purls at the joins - I moved some stitches around on the needles because the ktbls were looking REALLY bad at the joins - but I've tried it on and I can live with it. I'm not sure how to fix it though since I'm pulling the yarn as hard as I can. I swear my hands are completely cramped after only a few pattern repeats. I'm doing the Retro Rib from IK Winter 2004 in Koigu Color #2151. The yarn is definitely more green - think retro aqua Cuban colors. I'm not loving this like I was loving the Purple Socks, but I'm persevering.
Because I have no mind of my own and you can't turn from one blog to another without seeing LACE, I conveniently became obsessed with The Flower Basket Shawl pattern from IK Fall 04. I've never knit lace before, so I immediately turned to the Great Enabler and lace knitter extraordinaire. She, in turn, sent me over here, and she, then, pawned me off over here! (That's Cassie, Margene and Teresa - in case you were wondering! Damn you girls are good at the enabling!) Anyway, once I saw Teresa's Flower Basket Shawl (make sure you look at ALL the pictures!) I was a goner.
Suffice it to say, by Sunday I had ordered two balls of Zephyr Wool Cotton SILK (tussah silk to be specific!) from The Knitter in Iris (and about five different kinds of sock yarn. I went a little crazy with the sock yarn this weekend. I'm a little nuts over the whole striping thing.)
Teresa was so kind - emailing me different yarn amounts and advice. I can only hope my finished project looks half as wonderful as hers.
Oh and I can't discount the help I've received from two other sites! There's an FBS Redux knitalong going on, and through them I found Becky's gorgeous FBSes. She's got three so far, I think. They're amazing. And she took the time to write up this tutorial for lace-impaired people like me! With all that support, how could I not succeed!?! Thank you ladies! I'm eagerly awaiting my yarn. (I even joined this! Craziness, I know!)
I saw two movies this weekend - both made me cry hysterically (think it's time to up the meds?) - but were about as different as different can be. First, on Saturday, I watched Hotel Rwanda. I'm finding it really difficult to say I enjoyed this movie, but I really did. It was incredibly well done. One of the best movies I've seen in a while. The story was extremely well played out and Don Cheadle was amazing. Absolutely HEARTBREAKING. But it made me want to learn more about the region and what happened there. It utterly amazes me - the destruction human beings can carry out.
Then, on Sunday, I watched 50 First Dates. I know, I know, it's like feast or famine (culturally) around here, but I had seen bits and pieces of the movie at my sister's and couldn't understand the end, given Lucy's situation. So it was on cable, I caught it about five minutes in and knit. Man did I cry! How sad is this movie? I guess hopeful too, but I don't know it seemed so sad to me. In the end it's a complete rip off of the existential classic Groundhog Day, but I guess you could say I enjoyed it. Maybe I just needed to cry some more. (Hey Jen - have you seen Groundhog Day? Add it to the list!)
I'm going to leave you with two pictures - one of which is explained in the extended entry.
First, a rose:
If you haven't already, check out the roses Laurie posted today. Gorgeous!
Last, but not least, I was inspired by Lauren's post the other day about her amazing adventures in Israel. It's been five years since she was there. It got me thinking back to my OWN amazing adventures in Israel - and MY GOD! it's been fifteen years since I was there! How come it feels like just yesterday? I scanned a picture of me from the trip - one of my favorite pictures of me ever. I never looked as good as I did then -
Yes, that's me in an army uniform with my long flowing hair - if you'd like to learn more about it, read on....
Wow - you're still here? ;-)
Okay - let's harken back to the summer of 1990. A couple of months before I had broken up with my boyfriend and went home for the weekend. I cried a lot. My dad, unable to deal with my crying, asked if I wanted to take a trip - maybe I wanted to go to Israel with my mother this summer? I said ok through the tears and promptly went home to be with the love of my life. (Yes. Georgie and I have been together for fifteen years. I broke up with the other guy so I could be with him. I was a hussy back then....)
The summer before, my mother had gone to Israel (actually, it was either the first or second year, I can't remember) and volunteered in the Israeli Army as something of a replacement reservist. The organization that sponsors these trips is called Sar-El. Basically you get really cheap airfare in return for three weeks of service - and you can stay on after that as long as you want. When my mother had gone before, she worked in an army hospital near Tel Aviv - in sort of a candy stripper job. All in all, I think she made around five trips with Sar-El.
When we went, we boarded a bus in the dark and drove for a few hours to our new home - smack dab in the middle of the Negev Desert. We were stationed, if you will, on an ammunitions base right outside of Be'er Sheva. We lived on the top of a hill on the base, which was the home of soldiers who were in some kind of disciplinary trouble (read banished) and outside workers. My job consisted of waking up at 7am and heading down the hill to sort old landmines. I had to take them apart (they were all dead) and separate the parts for recycling. Sometimes I sorted through old bullets - again for recycling. My mother worked in the shop painting and occasionally welding. I think she liked the welding better.
We were all issued standard uniforms which we wore every day. We would work in the morning - like 7-12 and then have lunch in the mess hall. Then, sometimes we'd go back to work, but most days we'd go back up to the hill and put our bathing suits on and lay out. I had the best tan ever when I got home. Seriously. The desert winds were wonderful. We'd wash our clothes - even our thick towels - then hang them up and they would be dry in like five seconds. During the day the temperature would get up into the 100s - maybe 114 at the highest? At night, though, it was freezing. We'd wake up to frost. And always I had at least three dead bees in my bed. I never understood that. I never got stung - but they were always there.
The soldiers on the base were pretty funny. The boys were ridiculously gorgeous - I'm a sucker for dark skin and dark eyes - and most of the people on the base were Sephardim. One asked to sleep with me (he was sort of joking) and I told him he'd have to ask my mother. Of course, he was very upset to learn that my mother was standing with me the whole time. Our group leader laughed until he cried. The soldier never looked at me again. I became pretty friendly with the second in command on the base and we were pen pals for a long while. He lost a leg in a motorcycle accident many years later. I don't think I'll ever be able to get on a motorcycle now. We lost touch a a while back.
Sometimes we'd go into town at night - Be'er Sheva had a modern mall and some of the best ice cream I'd ever tasted. I can see the stand when I close my eyes. I wish I could taste the ice cream. One night we went to the movies at the mall - we saw Pretty Woman. Stadium Seating. With Hebrew subtitles. Pretty Funny! One thing that was difficult to get used to - the soldiers always carried their guns. Even when they weren't in uniform. So you'd see UZI toting semi-teenagers walking through the mall. It was surprisingly peaceful though.
On the weekends we were off and allowed to travel around. We usually went up to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem - those are some of my favorite memories. At the time I was in school - a Religious Studies major - and I dragged my nice Jewish mother around to every Church site possible! I was all about the historical Jesus. We even walked the Via Dolorosa. It was the time of the end of the first Intifada, so many of the markets in Arab section of East Jerusalem were closed. We had a soldier with us when we toured with the group.
I remember crying after visiting Yad Vashem. Yes, because of the tragedy, but also because of the guilt I felt loving a non-Jew the way I did. I pined for George the whole time I was there. (Of course, I broke up with him for a weekend when I got back, but that's another epic post - we broke up on Friday and got back together on Monday and have been together ever since. In fact our anniversary is that Monday - August 6.) I've made peace with it - my note in the Wall was about him and I think our union has been blessed - by many gods, for sure.
I remember swimming in Lake Tiberius - the only fresh water in the entire country. I remember the water actually tasted sweet. Floating in the Dead Sea was remarkable and a sure-fire way to stop mosquitoe bites from itching. Basically burned the sting right out! (WARNING: Don't shave your legs before you go into the Dead Sea - and don't let the water get in your eyes! Whatever you do - NOT your EYES!)
My mother and I basically tourned the whole country. We went from Safed to Eilat and everywhere in between. But it was in Be'er Sheva where my true love of the desert was born. We left on July 31, 2000. The next day Sadaam Hussein invaded Kuwait.
I was talking to my sister this morning, and she and I both don't believe my trip was fifteen years ago (which means it was seventeen years since she was in Israel!) I remember it very well - thanks for indulging me.
Have a great day!
Cara
Posted by Cara at 12:44 PM | Comments (0)
June 10, 2005
I Love Ewe!
DAMN that Margene's good! Sitemeter says I average around 200 visits a day to the blog. Yesterday, I had a whopping 473 visits! About 80% of them from Margene! Thanks grrl! And she works magic too. My feeds should be good to go now. I emailed Bloglines and they reset the feeds. Apparently that's all I needed to do. We'll see how fast this post comes up.
And thanks to all of your comments on the socks. I SO appreciate it! I've got the AC cranking so I can keep them on all day. Crazy, no? Who cares. I made SOCKS!
In other boring knitting news, I FINALLY cast on the sleeve for short rows. I know I've said this a million times, but god I love Rowan Wool Cotton. It's so soft and the stitches are so beautiful. Seriously, if I could only knit with this yarn I would be okay. Better than okay. This is my plan: everyday before I knit on the sleeve I will weave in ends on the short row back. So far I'm good all the way up one side. That leaves the other side and the short rows in the middle. This way, when I cast on for the front, the only ends I'll have are on that said front and I can weave them in while I'm knitting the second sleeve. I have some plans I might implement on the front, too, that should hopefully cut down on ends considerably.
I also cast on for a second pair of socks. Retro Ribs in Koigu. But I don't like how the pattern's looking at the joins so I might rip it (AGAIN) and move a few stitches around after a couple rows. We'll see.
Here's a super dooper boring picture:
I promise to spare you knitting pictures like that one. At least until Monday. ;-)
But, I do have something cute to show you! I'm sure you've all had moments like this. You know, you walk around your house every day and manage NOT to notice things that have been there forever, under your nose, calling out to you "Whohoo! You! Yes, you, over here! See me? I'm a really cute thing to blog about!"
When Jen was here the other day I suddenly turned to a spot in my office THAT I LOOK AT EVERY DAMN DAY and noticed this little guy:
You see, I never realized but my husband is prescient. He bought me this a million years ago - no, really, it has to be over ten, possibly even twelve years old. We were living in the old apartment and he bought it for me for Valentine's Day. It's actually a pin (why I have it pinned to a lamp shade is beyond me, but that's where it's been since the day I got it.) It came attached to a card that said I LOVE EWE! Did he know that one day I would become wool obsessed? When I reminded him of it yesterday, he was thrilled. More super hero powers for him to go along with his superfantastic dish washing. I'm so lucky!
Anyway, it's a monsoon outside. Dark, thunder, torrential rains and yet it's still unbearably hot. Imagine that. So I thought I'd leave you all with some beauty for the weekend - whatever your weather!
Have a good one!
Posted by Cara at 09:05 AM | Comments (0)
June 09, 2005
This little piggy
went to the market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went...
"Wee wee wee" all the way home...
TO JUMP IN HER NEW SOCKS!!!!!
Yarn: Regia Cotton Surf - color no. 5410
Needles: Addi #1s, 16" and 24"
Start to finish 11 days. A pair of socks. I'm so, so proud. I'd like to thank Meredith, because without seeing her superfantastic socks I wouldn't have gotten off my ass to figure out how to use two circulars. Seriously. I took one look at her purple pair and ordered the yarn straight up. I'd also like to thank the kind person who put together these pages: Socks on Two Circulars and Sock Tips. Oh and this video for figuring out kitchener stitch. And, of course, all you people out in blogland who kept talking about socks, socks, socks and I was all like yeah whatever. OH MY GOD! I love them!!!! (And G thinks I'm a genius once again!)
The two circular thing really saved me. Honestly. I tried to do socks on dpns - I got as far as turning the heel and starting the foot then promptly lost a dpn. I will now knit every sock on two circulars. I can't wait to start my next pair! I'm going to do the retro rib from IK in a super cool retro Koigu color. I started to cast on last night but got too tired. Today for sure.
And because I'm feeling so, so happy, I offer you a rose....
When I saw this yesterday, I immediately thought of Claudia.
I'm not sure if the majority of people will read this - Schmucklines hasn't updated my most popular feed since around noon on Tuesday and I've posted about 491 times since then. But I don't care - I MADE A PAIR OF SOCKS!
Posted by Cara at 09:30 AM | Comments (50)
June 06, 2005
I shaved my legs for THAT?!?
Warning - this one's long!
In the end, the afternoon was redeemed by not one but TWO knitbloggers, but seriously, there were some moments when I was like what the fuck?
Yesterday was the opening of the BBG show - I have two photographs in it. A little background - the organization is the Professional Women Photographers group in NYC - I only just joined. I have never been to a meeting. I know only one person who belongs (I joined on her recommendation). So I'm a nobody where this group is concerned. This show is really my one and only association with them.
That said, everyone else's photographs hung together and my two were hung on completely opposite sides of the room. I mean besides the fact that they were the ONLY TWO matted in black, there's no way you'd know they were by the same artist. Why? I'm guessing because they needed to fill a couple of spaces and had no idea who I was so they chose to split them up. Everyone else's work appeared together.
Okay. They didn't say anything about white mattes or colors. I've always matted my photographs in black. Apparently I didn't get the memo. (I guess they do stand out.) One picture was hung right by the exit. You know. The loser outpost. Fine. No biggie. Someone expressed great interest in it though - so we'll see how that pans out. It would be the best revenge honestly.
I was feeling really awful for a little bit. After killing myself to get there in time (I thought it started at 3 - it started at 1), leaving super early from Philly, rushing to get G from the airport, I was more than a little disappointed when I got there.
So I sent G out to get something to eat and some sun and I sat down and pulled out some knitting. A woman sitting nearby came over to talk to me. She pulled out her own knitting, a scarf on size 19 needles, and asked if I was making a sweater. I said no, a sock and pulled out it's finished mate (more on that later.) She asked if I usually made sweaters. I said yes, I've made a few. She said she hadn't tried one. I told her I liked to challenge myself with my knitting, but that sweaters weren't that hard. She asked me if I had ever knit with fun fur, because it was certainly a challenge.
Confession time. (Remember, I'm sitting there feeling pretty dejected about my skills as a photographer and whether I'm really an artist and feeling disrespected by the committee and such.) I have to tell you, I felt the most overwhelming sense of superiority. FUN FUR?! Challenging? Yeah. Keeping it from bursting into flames IS quite the challenge. It made me feel so GOOD! Isn't that so awful? I'm a terrible person. The woman meant well and I really should've thanked her for helping me out of my funk.
I'm pretty sure I politely said, "No. I've never knit with Fun Fur." I don't think I laughed, but she never said anything else to me.
The day was soon further rescued out of the depths of self-pity by Cassie and her family! Cassie was so sweet to walk the gallery with me and encouragingly nod her head every time I lambasted another photograph (you know that old trick, knock em down as a pick me up.) And her husband generously commented that he liked my black mattes! And her daughter was equally horrified by some out of focus "arty" photos. Thank you Too Much Wool Family!
Then Mrs. Pilkington appeared! I've been wanting to meet Mrs. P forever and she wasn't alone. Mr. P was there along with Cocoa Pebbles - who is in the running for cutest girl alive (she's got some stiff competition from my niece though.) Mrs. P did some much needed reconnaissance on some potential clients and admired my knitting and confirmed my feelings that I was in fact being dissed by the committee. We will definitely be getting together again!
Thank you both for coming. Georgie did offer to rough up the committee chair - but he was dead tired and wasn't in the mood for a fight - no matter what he said. You girls did the trick! Thank you!
Enough already. Are you still here? God you guys are the best.
[ETA: I should be honest - the show is really nice. There are many, many beautiful photographs and if you're in the neighborhood, totally stop by!]
The birthday party was great. My niece had THE MOST FUN EVER! She was smiley and happy and laughing and loved the food, loved her cake, loved her presents. She made it all worth it.
This is all I got, picture-wise. I was too busy helping with the party. I never even took pictures of the baby - who my brother dubbed Chubsicle - he's so fat - but in a good breast-fed chubby cheek healthy kind of way! And he loves to smile. Really he just grins away with his cute dimples and he even sort of laughs. Such a sweetie pie! And nephew #1 was sweet and crazy as ever. Did I tell you that the other day one of his teachers was wearing a sweater (my sister said it was kind of an open, webby type thing) and he asked her if she had knit it? She told him no and he asked, well who knit it for you? Gotta love that boy!
A huge thank you to all the comments on the birthday girl's post - my sister had a good time reading all the comments.
Even with all the party craziness, I managed to finish this:
Check out that TOE!
I immediately (we're talking 1AM) cast on for the second sock. And then ripped it the next day. Cast on, knit, rip, cast on, knit, rip. It's finally coming along.
Right now it looks like the stripes are matching up - we'll see how that goes.
Of course, I'm loving this sock thing. How come you never told me they were so much fun?! ;-) Cassie's got her own fabulous pair up today. Thank god I bought all that sock yarn!
Have a good one. I need to eat ate. A salad. And I totally agree with Carolyn. It's all about the dressing.
Posted by Cara at 01:59 PM | Comments (24)
June 01, 2005
Fits and Starts.
Rip, rinse, repeat.
But that's okay. Cause I'm in training. Practice, practice, practice.
The Great Enabler helped me get in touch with my adopted heritage with lunch. (Georgie was really jealous.) And did you think I could walk away empty handed?
DK Cashcotton and Koigu
It was weird - I felt like I hadn't bought yarn in forever. That stuff really IS crack. In Cassie's defense, she talked me out of the other Koigu, which, of course, I can't stop thinking about.
I'm crazy busy today - I have to frame two photographs and get them into the city by 2 - think I can do it? We're about to find out.
Posted by Cara at 09:04 AM | Comments (13)
May 31, 2005
My Lost [Knit] Weekend
My weekend was eh.
Don't get me wrong, it has some really good moments - mainly good food moments, but otherwise - not so good. You see, Summer is my LEAST favorite season. I've never liked it. Never. Goes back to being bored and waiting desperately for school. I also hate to be hot - at least in the buggy, muggy Mid-Atlantic kind of hot (drop me in a desert and I'm in heaven). Not that it was hot this weekend - but you know what I'm talking about. Also, I hate Summer because I become a Tennis/Pool widow. Some women lament football season. CursingMama competes with a bike. For me, it's tennis.
Part of me loves Summer in that G can be doing what he loves - he loves Tennis and he loves the sun. And because of the sad state of his body, he always has the feeling that this is the LAST SUMMER he'll be able to do what he loves. I would NEVER want to be the kind of person that keeps him from what he loves. NEVER.
But I get lonely. I'm by myself pretty much the entire week. In my little office working. Out taking pictures. Knitting. Don't get me wrong. I LIKE to be alone. But I can't wait for G to get home from work. Even just to have him in the house. And when Summer comes, it's like I'm alone all week, and then I'm alone all weekend.
So, what better to celebrate than to throw a little tantrum on the first official weekend of Summer? There were tears, there were recrimations, there were apologies. I was so pissed off at myself, really, that I scrubbed the stove top (it was disgusting), cleaned the microwave (not as disgusting as the stove top, but close), mopped and swept the kitchen floor (sticky AND disgusting), mopped and swept two of the three bathroom floors (more dusty than anything else.) Who says mental anguish can't be good for the soul? Or at least the house?
The rest of the day I spent in bed, mad that the TV in the living room was taping FUCKING TENNIS and watched seven consecutive hours of Band of Brothers. It was pretty good and I knit past two decrease sections on Clap-o-TEE. There was no way I wasn't going to finish it this weekend.
Georgie redeemed himself by making me the best lamb chops either of us have ever had. He was SO proud of himself all weekend! They were amazing really - all he did was marinate them in Balsamic Vinegar and some meat rub and throw them on the bbq. He grilled them to perfection.
Then we watched some 24 (we finished the season - more on that tomorrow) and I started dropping stitches on the Clap. GASP! Something went really wrong somewhere on one of the dropped stitches. Suffice it to say the next morning (I could barely sleep thinking about it) I was up at 7AM ripping out all that I had knit the day before (remember 7 hours in front of the TV!) and then some. Can you say broken heart? I got it all out and managed to knit it all back the same day. How come even though you're decreasing stitches, the end doesn't seem to go any faster than the any other part of the project? I finished it last night (well, I need to weave in the ends and drop a few more stitches) watching Empire Falls at around 2AM. It looks good - pictures later.
I also knit this:
Twice.
The first time, it was looking pretty good and I was getting to a really crucial part when I decided to check for size. Too small. There were also a couple areas that could've used some improvement, so I ripped it all out and started over. I'm happier with it now, so that's good, but my whole weekend started to feel like Groundhog Day. Destined to knit the same shit over and over.
I'm just glad it's over.
PS - Donna asked if I jumped in the 50 degree pool I posted a picture of on Friday. No, Donna, I don't do 50 degrees, but the pool was the highlight of the weekend. It was funny as shit to hear people jump in and immediately start screaming about the cold. I'm not kidding. And you know a pool is cold when the kids can't handle it. Georgie said it was crazy cold (and this is a guy that swims in the Atlantic Ocean in October without a wet suit). Even he was questioning his sanity.
Posted by Cara at 08:49 AM | Comments (13)