Long Overdue Post

I'm finally sitting down and posting about a recent FO, a UFO that has become the bane of my existence, and my stash enrichment experience at the MA Sheep and Wool Festival.

What first? Let's go in respective order.

Recent FO -- Fuzzy Feet from Knitty!

Also known as Stashbusters, Part 1

These were a really fun, fast knit. The first slipper took about two days to knit, the second a bit longer because a little thing called work got in the way. I used some Icelandic yarn that one of ZMrK's co-workers kindly donated to my stash. I did a kinda/sorta fair isle on the top -- I would stitch with one color for four stitches, then switch to the second, so it would have a bit of a checkerboard effect.

This is how they looked, pre-felting.

Hilariously huge, right? I thought so too. They're also quite floppy.

BTW, this yarn sheds like MAD and I kept finding little bits of straw in it. The date on the price tag was 1/87, so I guess I'm knitting "retro".

Okay, four washes later, here they are in their fuzzy, felted glory:

They are still a bit big, so I may throw them in one more time when I'm felting something else. I had to take them out, though, because the cuffs were felting to a point where they were becoming too narrow to put my feet into, and I had to go inside and cut the carried-along strands from my kinda/sorta fair isle.

At the right is how they compare to a pair of perfectly fitting shoes of mine. You can see they aren't THAT much bigger, just a bit wider and a LOT fuzzier.

I'm not in a hurry to wear them. It's supposed to be near 90 tomorrow, and near 90 automatically excludes anything wool from my wardrobe. I'm hoping that I don't have to wear them until Christmas, but I'll probably be wearing them before Halloween.

Oh, and before I felted these, I made myself a 7 x 7 swatch to see how the yarn I planned on making my Kitty Pi out of would felt up. I'm very glad I did.

Okay, so blogger is being a motherfucker and won't let me upload my motherfucking picture. Imagine a picture here.

This is what it looked like, pre- and post-felting. To be fair, it is a little bit fuzzier post-felting. But no smaller, and not felted at all. It looks as though I have a new dishcloth, and I have a pile of pink and blue wool that just may be superwash. I'm not sure what Stashbuster project I will make with it. Maybe I'll crochet something with it.

Bane of My Existence!

Or, one reason Knitters may hate Sewing.

[link to the picture here]

See this? This is a top I am going to make. The fabric to the left is the bodice, and those little squiggly ferret-shit looking things on the right are to be the spaghetti straps.

Do you know how spaghetti straps are made, according to this pattern? You folder the piece of fabric, stitch it close to the edge, attached a needle and some strong thread to one end, and pass the needle and thread through it, turning it inside out.

When that works, it works well. But it doesn't work on anything longer than 5 inches.

I spent a couple of nights off-and-on trying to turns these things inside out. Last night, I said very calmly to ZantiMisterKnit, "See these things? Do you know what I would do to these if they were people? I would rip off their heads and shit down their necks." Shortly after that, he ordered that I stop working on them.

I tried again tonight, with forceps and with a safety pin. ZMrK tried with a fork. These spaghetti straps are EVIL. EVIL, EVIL, EVIL!

So, tomorrow, I am going to Winsor Button to purchase a couple of yards of black ribbon and the plastic loops that are used in bra construction. Fuck you, New Look and your spagehtti straps.

MA Sheep and Wool Loot

I did not have a yarngasm this time. It happens to everyone once in a while.

I did buy ALL THIS.

[you can now link to the picture here of four skeins of Cascade 220, a skein of purple wool ease, two skeins of luscious mohair, one in hot pink and one in acid green, a catnip toy, a bar of lemongrass mint soap, and a foam block for needle felting]

I think these are the ones people will be the most excited about.

Yarn Porn
[link to the picture here the pink and green mohair touching each other]

I'm not sure what I will do with these. I was thinking nice, long lacy scarves. There's 250 yards in each skein. I know, I should have bought more to make shawls -- what was I thinking?

The jade Cascade 220 will be for felting. It was really cheap ($2.50/skein).

The purple Wool-Ease is for a new hat for ZMrK. He bought it himself. :-)

The soap is for ME. I love handmade soap!

The catnip toy is, duh, for the cats. ZMrK bought that. He spoils our girls.

I leave you now with a couple pictures of the Sheep of the Knights Templar.
[imagine sheep in a hood here and here]

It's got something to do with shearing, but I don't know what!

Weep and Shool Festival

We just got back about 45 minutes ago from a looooong day --- left here around 8:30, got to the MA Sheep and Wool Fest around 11 (we made a couple of pit stops, as we never met a yard sale we didn't like), stayed there a couple of hours, went and got ice cream, and went to the Windsor State Park and did several hours of hiking, had a small snack and took a couple of hours to drive home.

I'll post pics of the loot later. It's not the yarngasm that the NH Sheep and Wool was, but I got some really (!) bright (!) mohair in hot pink and lime green (one skein each). These will probably become lacy scarves. I got four skeins of Cascade 220 in Jade for $2.50 (could! not! resist!), my gorgeous hubby bought a skein of purple Wool-Ease for a buck (he wants a purple hat!), a catnip toy for the girls, a square of foam for needle felting, and we split the cost on a bar of Lemongrass Mint goat's milk soap (I'm a big sucker for homemade soaps). Like I said, pics later.

The hiking yielded lots of herps: three toads, more red-backed salamanders than we could count, two efts (a first for me! They are sooooo cute!), some kind of tree frog/peeper (we think), possibly a Jefferson's salamader, and a really pissed off garter snake (but surprisingly s/he didn't bite or musk us. S/he was really angry, however). No turtles, but we kept a look out. No bears either, but we may have found some wild bear shit in the woods. No kidding.

I am going to have some dinner now, at which point I will probably pass out on my plate. Reminds me, I should have some beer or wine with it.

Oh yeah, it was actually HOT today. Glory be!

xoxo. . . A

Wardrobe Refashion Pledge!!!

Yes! I took the pledge!

The Wardrobe Refashion Pledge

I, Andrea H.,

Pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 months (June 1 - July 31, 2006).

I Pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle pre-loved itemsfor myself for the term of my contract.

I Pledge that I shall create and craft items of clothing for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract.

I Pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of myrefashioned, renovoated, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftyness brings!

from http://wardroberefashion.blogspot.com/

My Sentiments Precisely

Thank you, smart woman, wherever and whoever you are!!!!

Knitting Pattern-a-Day Week 21 Review

Here's the Week 21 Review of the Knitting Pattern-a-Day Calendar patterns. Overall, it's a bit of a meh week in my opinion -- no "must-makes" for me!

Monday, May 22 -- Striped Baby to Toddler Pullover. Cute, but not something I would make. Any future births in my family will probably get a nice baby blanket or something cute they can save in a hope chest (I hope!), but I probably won't spend lots of time knitting stuff that the kids will outgrow.

Tuesday, May 23 -- Hackey Sack. I find this kind of cute, even though I never got the hang of Hackey Sack. I'd probably make cat toys from this pattern, if I were to make it. On the other hand, I'm not sure if I want to get my cats used to the idea of playing with knitted objects -- even though they do have a knitted and felted cat toy.

Wednesday, May 24 -- Royal Quilting Vest. I've realize that I kind of like vests (I used to not). This one is pretty cute, but looks as though the loops would be hung up on everything. It also could benefit from a wee bit of shaping. I love the color blue they use (for the record, it's Tahki Cotton Classic in Periwinkle).

Thursday, May 25 -- Summer Cloche. I'm a little torn on this one. I like the head-hugging shape of it, but think it looks a little like a mess. The combination of the colors and the novelty yarn make it look a little barfy.

Friday, May 26, Saturday/Sunday, May 27 & 28 -- Young Touch Cotton Shirt. Pretty cute polo-style shirt for (I'm assuming) young teens. I don't know if I would ever have an opportunity to make this.

In other news, I do believe we have decided on Sunday for the MA Sheep and Wool Festival. Saturday there may be off-and-on showers, but Sunday is supposed to be gorgeous. We're going to go to a nearby state park to do some hiking as well, and see what kind of wildlife we can see in the western part of our state. I hear there are black bears out that way, and I have never seen bears in the wild, so that's kind of exciting! Even though I should do some research and see if the stories about bears attacking menstruating women only apply to grizzy bears, and if there is any truth to the stories at all. . .

ETA:
A quick Google search brought up this page that includes this text:

Rogers et al. (1991) recorded the responses of 26 free-ranging black bears (Ursus americanus) to used tampons from 26 women and the responses of 20 free ranging black bears to four menstruating women at different days of their flow. Menstrual odors were essentially ignored by black bears of all sex and age classes. In an extensive review of black bear attacks across North America, no instances of black bears attacking or being attracted to menstruating women was found (Cramond 1981, Herrero 1985, Rogers et al. 1991).

That makes me feel a bit better, however, the 'pon is getting changed before we go into the park!!!!

Nucking Futs . . .

that's what I've got to be.

I'm addicted to blogs. And webrings. I've joined two this week. But how could I resist one for Knitting Crazy Cat Ladies???

Vinnie is here.

Vinnie is our code for Aunt Flo, due to the Vinnie's Tampon Case I purchased a few years ago. I'm so glad we are not camping this weekend for MA Sheep and Wool, because Vinnie + Camping do not mix.

I know this is all TMI, y'all, but I just feel a little. . . gaaaaaah.

I comforted myself with a bag of Baked Lay's and a chocolate strawberry truffle. I cannot resist the lure of free food. Okay, I'm trying to break the habit of eating real obvious leftovers from meetings, 'cuz that's just gross. Someone might have touched it after wiping their nose or sneezed on it. Or, really, I am worthy of much more than leftovers. But a sealed bag of Baked Lay's is safe, right? It's only 130 calories, too! And the truffle. . . well, an attorney gave a box of truffles to one of the secretaries, and that secretary likes to share.

Listen to me. . . trying to justify what I ate.

I AM ON THE RAG AND DECIDED TO EAT SOME BAKED POTATO CHIPS AND A LITTLE PIECE OF CHOCOLATE!!! So, just SHUT UP, little voice inside me that tries to tell me that's wrong!

I can't believe I am talking to myself on my blog. Where are the men in the white coats?

xoxo.

Happy Birthday ZantiMisterKnit!!!!

Today is my honey's birthday!

I got him a ton of DVDs and a book on Lucha Libre. He's got another surprise, but we've got to wait for my stepdaughter to come over to give it to him.

We went to the South End Open Market yesterday. It was opening weekend, but after this it will be every Sunday until October. It was really windy, and some of the vendors' booths were falling over. No yarn, but I bought some fabulous shea butter cream to help smooth out the icky dry spots I get on my heels (TMI). There were also some familiar faces there; I met a Craftster from Concord, NH, whose name I will post later (I keep trying to type it out but it looks wrong!). There were also some Etsy sellers there, who encouraged me to make some of my Tokay Purses to sell on Etsy (yes I was a total self-marketing whore and had it with me. . . if you don't market yourself, who's gonna market you?).

It was fun, and I look forward to going several times this summer. It's a nice walk from Back Bay Station, and there are more than a few good places to catch lunch around there (and they do serve food there too!).

I'm going to log off now. . . I need to go and get dressed so we can go out and enjoy this beautiful day!!!!

XOXO, ZantiMisterKnit! I love you more than everything!

Finished Sock, WIP Pattern-A-Day Review and Bonus FOs!!

I finished one of ZantiMisterKnit's socks!!! Wooooowheeeee!!!!!

But I goofed. I put the decreases on the top and bottom instead of on the sides, resulting in a stripe down the center of the toes instead of on the outside of the toes.

As long as it is not annoying for him to wear, I am going to call it my own design detail.

I also forgot to reinforce the toe with thread. I was going to buy gold thread (so they would be gold toe socks, natch), but forgot to even buy the thread. So, if the socks start to wear out at the toe, I will have to learn how to mend them.

Yes, of course, I am going to cast on the second sock this weekend. I needed another WIP to switch to once in a while, something on needles as big as drumsticks.

The needles aren't as big as drumsticks (they are a 10.5), but last night I cast on for Fuzzy Feet from the Winter 2002 Knitty. Here's my progress as of 3 hours ago:

I have since finished the gusset decreases.

I'm using yarn from my stash! And it was free! One of ZMrK's co-workers learned I knit and brought in a bag of yarn for me (the price tag on this yarn has a date of 1/87. I was halfway through my senior year of high school then). I tried to do a checkboard pattern on the cuff with the dark grey and the light grey, but it was going to be an uneven count if I did the checks big, so they are small. I'm also hoping like hell this light grey yarn felts. It looks like it may be "natural", and not bleached, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Yes, I realize the time of year. I'm trying to knit by the "Use What You Have" motto, and am thinking of putting myself on a yarn diet, with the exception being Sheep and Wool Festivals (they'll be over soon!!!!). Before last weekend, I hadn't bought yarn since March.

I'm also going to try a test swatch with one strand of pink yarn and one strand of blue yarn and felt it, because that's what I'm thinking of doing for the Kitty Pi bed on WendyKnits' blog. That yarn is also from my stash; last year I bought an air conditioner box full of yarn off someone on Craigslist, and I have not used ANY of it yet.

Here's the Week 20 Review of the Knitting Pattern-a-Day Calendar patterns.

Monday, May 15 - Stuff Diagonal V-Neck Shell. Rainbow Brite! It seems as if lots of young 'uns are obsessed with 80s stuff (if you're not convinced, take a walk through your local H&M and you'll see). I know it is a case of "those who can't remember the past are condemned to repeat it" because, well, I've been obsessed with 60s stuff most of my life, and I certainly can't remember the 10 months I was alive in the 60s. I can't wait to bring this home for ZantiMisterKnit to feast his eyes on, he who hates almost everything 80s.

Tuesday, May 16 - Ribbon Wave Scarf. I'll come clean and admit that I do NOT like the looks of dropped-stitch ribbon yarn stuff. I think it's pretty ugly. Last year I attempted to start a tank top pattern with some ribbon yarn, and really hated to work with it. I'm not sure if I'm going to try again, or just put the stuff on eBay and see if I can make some money off of it. The colors are really cool, but that shit gets all twisted and annoys the hell out of me.

Wednesday, May 17 -- Laurel Baby Set. This is a blanket and sweater using a 100% pima cotton yarn that gives it a tie-dyed look. If you know any hippies having a baby, this would be the perfect gift for them! I'm not a hippie in the stereotypical sense of the word (I just used the stereotype of tie-dye=hippies), but I'm kind of a tree-hugger and think this yarn is cool looking.

Thursday, May 17 and Friday, May 18 -- Rosa d'Amore. Pretty! And I like things that can be made with smaller amounts of yarn. The instructions are really long, and will require lots of attention, but perhaps I will make one or two of these in my lifetime.

Saturday/Sunday, May 20 & 21 -- Glam Poncho. You know what I'm going to say, so I just won't say it.

Are ya still with me?

Last night, ZantiMisterKnit and I took a night out on the town. We went to see our favorite local band, Muck and the Mires (you may recall me mentioning them before). They were playing with the fantabulous Atlanta powerhouse band The Woggles, a band I think really has to be seen to be believed. Seriously, they are awesome and can work a crowd like no other. People in Boston generally don't dance, but the Woggles get them dancing. (I'm not talking about YOU, of course, Lisa, if you come across my blog again looking for gossip about you and Malibu Lou and see this. Oh, and drop me a line if you do come across this.)

Now where was I?

Oh yeah, I was talking about bands I like, and other people, forgetting the whole point of my blog is that it is about me, and it is, in all honesty, rare for me to talk so much about myself. I've known people who constantly talk about themselves and every sentence begins with "I", and it can really get boring. I'm always afraid that I sound terribly self-absorbed, but that's the whole point of blogs, isn't it? To go online and rattle on about oneself and one's opinion and see how many people continue to read it. Because I am not a terribly open person; I can be a bit on the stoic side, or so I am told.

I'm sure you are all sitting here reading this and saying, "Fuckin' Zanti! You said there were bonus FOs! Give 'em up, beeatch!" So, here they are:

The shirt is a recon of a red t-shirt and a leopard-and-cherry-print, slip-like skirt. It's hard to tell in the pic, but the bottom is trimmed in lace (it was already on the hem of the skirt!). The pencil skirt is made with some slightly stretchy cotton with a black-on-black leopard pattern. The leopard spots are velvet-y.

I did not use a pattern for either of these. I did lots of cutting up and pinning onto my dress form for the shirt. I traced a store-bought pencil skirt onto the black fabric to make the skirt. I would zoom in on the individual pieces, but my computer is being a fothermucker right now.

And that, my dears, is my new haircut. It's pretty easy care, but the bedhead is pretty funny.

Speaking of bedhead. . . I think I am going to go and get some (I mean bedhead as in, "going to sleep", not what you dirty-minded little knitters are thinking!

Good night!

Svenska Flicka!

Your Inner European is Swedish!

Relaxed and peaceful. You like to kick back and enjoy life.

Who's" Your Inner European?

My heritage is at least 50% Swedish, so this makes sense (although I didn't think Swedish would be an option -- I guess Ikea and H&M have contributed to a fascination with all things Svenska!)

New Look and News!

(Please note: this post is mostly about my hair, my health, two of the four TV shows I watch, with some Obligatory Knitting Content at the very end, for those of you who only want to know how my knitting is going).

I got my hair cut last night!!!!! Short!!!

There were a few factors behind my decision to go shorter.

First, I love having short hair. I think I look great with it, and I feel more confident with short hair. I'm not sure why that is, but I always feel "on".

Second, I got a look at fellow blogger and SistahFriend K's haircut. Doesn't it look gorgeous??

Third, and the one that broke the camel's back (in a good way!), last week I had my hair styled back behind my ears, and my sweetheart of a co-worker Anthia said to me, "You have such a great face, and you always hide it!".

Zing! That was all the nudge I needed. Color my ego stroked.

No pics yet, because I haven't uploaded the ones I took last night in which I am makeupless and look like a ten-year-old boy. Tonight I will upload some.

Health News

I just got a call from the nurse practitioner at the Sleep Study Center. You may recall that I spent the night there so they could monitor my sleep, because I snore like a demon, have woken up gasping for air, and am often tired (even with 8 hours of so-called sleep). Turns out I have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the "mild to moderate category", meaning I wake up an average of 14 times an hour (if that is "mild to moderate", I would *hate* to know what severe is!). I need to go in for another sleep study in which I am fitted with a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) to see how much air is needed to keep my airway open. They will put me in touch with a "home care company" to get me set up with a sleep mask and machine so I can sleep with the CPAP at home every night. That will be so romantic for ZMrK and me. However, there may be a link between OSA and hypertension, heart disease, stroke and diabetes, so I think in the long run I may be better off with the scary machine.

Pop Culture Whore Time

The Cycle Finale of America's Next Top Model is tonight!!!! Who will win?? We'll just have to wait and see!

The biggest joke will be if stanky-ass Jade is crowned ANTM, cuz, seriously, I don't like that buttahface. Her "My Life as a CoverGirl" commercial spots would be hilarious though! She'd be twirling and forgetting her lines (and swearing when she does) and talking about her own fabulousnessness and how she is no longer the greatest undiscovred supermodel. One of my theories is that, if Tyra wants out of CG's sponsorship, she will make Jade ANTM just to piss them off.

Sure, Jade has her moments when she can look cute, and her looks would be striking if she didn't have such a PERIOD FACE (doesn't she always look like she has cramps and she's mad as hell at the world about it?). Also, they dyed her hair that awful piss blonde that makes her head look like a chickpea.

That being said, I hope Jade is eliminated first tonight.

My dream, and the thing that would make Tyra Banks earn my forever respect and love, would be if they do something complete "unprecedented" and crown BOTH Danielle and Joanie America's Next Top Model! Think about it: these two women doing CG spots together = genius! Plus, they are both bright, funny, and can play off each other well. There seems to be a buzz about Joanie winning; however, there was an early quote from someone on the show saying the winner is "runway ready", and I think that Danielle fits that bill more. And believe me, I did not like that girl pre-show, or the first couple of episodes. I thought she looked like Mike Tyson. Joanie really flew under the radar for a long time, but she won me over to her looks somewhere about here. That's when I started to realize how pretty she is.

I just wish TPTB would get off their asses and release the rest of the Top Model cycles on DVD.

LOST

Only two more episodes left this season (I think). I wonder if we will find out why Michael went bat-shit crazy and killed Ana Lucia and Libby? Is he an Other now? Is he thinking it's a trade-off to get Walt back? Is he the mysterious "him" that Henry Gale is so afraid of?

Will there be any answers, or just more crazy-assed questions?

Obligatory Knitting Content

Dang, making socks for a man with size 11.5 feet on No. 2 needles takes a long-assed time. Hopefully I start shaping the toe on sock #1 by the weekend!

Hilarity Ensues

I stole this quiz from Emmie. The hilarity comes in the very last sentence, especially if you know what I do for a living.

Your Career Type: Artistic

You are expressive, original, and independent. Your talents lie in your artistic abilities: creative writing, drama, crafts, music, or art. You would make an excellent: Actor - Art Teacher - Book Editor Clothes Designer - Comedian - Composer Dancer - DJ - Graphic Designer Illustrator - Musician - Sculptor The worst career options for your are conventional careers, like bank teller or secretary.

What's Your Ideal Career?

Yarngasm!!!!!

Okay, so where do I begin????

Yesterday ZantiMisterKnit and I went to the NH Sheep and Wool Festival in Contoocook, New Hampshire. We were a few of the crazies who went up there, in the pouring rain, on a flooded fairground. Luckily it is for the most part indoors, or there would be lots of fiber floating around. Needless to say, the ride to there and back (90 minutes each way, give or take) was a bit hairy.

Was it worth it?? Oh, yeah!!!!!

Here's an overall picture of my loot. I tallied it up this a.m., and figured out that with the $5 admission, I spent about $72. The big green pile is 6 skeins of 100% wool yarn that I got for $13.50. I forget who the vendor was, or I would link to them. It was a good deal and it has a future in felting.

Let's look at the rest of my loot, shall we?

Thanks to Wendy at Wendy Knits, I was looking forward to this booth. I picked up two skeins of this gorgeous shades-of-blue sock yarn from Spirit Trail Fiberworks. There's about 200 yards in each skein. I can't wait to see how it knits up!

Take a look at Spirit Trail's sock gallery to see what her yarns look like knitted up! Better yet, buy some!

On to exhibit B. . .

Okay, it's not an exotic, hand-dyed, hand-spun. In fact, it's commercially produced, but -- those colors are AWESOME and so me! Plus it has some stretch to it. Wheee!

I got this from the Woolery in New Hampshire.

Exhibit C, anyone?

Unfortunately, I don't think this vendor has a website. The yanr is "Dyed by Ingrid" of Ward Brook Farm. I did find out she is on the Board of Directors for the Festivial. She'll probably be at the Maine Fiber Frolic in June. This yarn was really cheap! The blue-and-lavendar DK weight stuff will probably become something for my Mom (maybe another Odessa?), and I'm not sure what I'll do with the magenta-ish lace weight -- some sort of lacy scarf. I'm not certain of the yardage yet, just the weight. But those three skeins were $15.

On to Exhibit D. . .

I've never ever needle felted, but am always in awe of everyone's gorgeous projects on Craftster. I decided to get a needle felting kit, and what better to start with than Black Sheep Designs' Backyard Birds kit? Because I, um, need to learn another fiber-related hobby to obsess over. . .

Did I mention there were livestock there?

Llamas can be a little intimidating, especially where there is a list of "do's and don't's" that say things like, "DON'T look them in the eye!" "DON'T approach them from behind - they may kick!". Especially when you see their teeth and they give you an indignant look, like this guy on the right is.

Of course, some are cute and cuddly too. The guy above, left, is getting pats from my bud Lena, who was cool enough to come out even though she isn't a fiber-holic. (She did trudge around with us and eventually she bought a really warm hat!) I thought these little red lambs were cute.

Do you think this sheep's pen mates said, "Psst! Hey, Shirley, you got a little food on the side of your face!"?

In Other News. . .

Here's my progress on ZantiMisterKnit's sock.

I was so good and included the yarn label, and my copy of Sensational Knitted Socks, which is what I am working from.

I have about 4 rows to go before I start turning the heel. I started this on Monday, May 8, in the evening. Monday was the last time I saw the sun, as well. My excellent progress is the result of weather that is too shitty for me to go outside during lunch.

Just as an aside: Monday, in spite of the beautiful weather, I was in one m-f-ing foul mood. That seems to happen in between knitting projects. Does anyone else have that problem? I also think I was just not prepared to go to work on Monday.

I have no ETA for ZMrK's pair of socks, but I hope to have a finished sock by the end of this week. The forecast has clouds and rain as far as I could see, so I don't see myself going out a whole hell of a lot.

Last Weekend

Last weekend, we were in NYC. I'm always in such awe when I am there; there is just SO MUCH to see. We did our normal parking in the Lower East Side, so that we could have lunch at one of our favorite places - Village Mingala! I should have taken pictures of the place, and our food, but I'll just say it is on E. 7th Street, between 2nd and 3rd. It's Burmese food, and is really great! Try the dumplings with shrimp and pork. I can't remember what they are called and I'm too lazy to go downstairs and get the menu, but the place is awesome. Afterwards, go a couple doors down to the Village Scandal and get a hat. I always buy hats there.

We also went to Veniero's Bakery:

If you've never been, make the effort when you are in the East Village. It's on E. 11th, between 1st and 2nd (I thik). It's a beautiful, old, family-owned, world-famous Italian bakery that has some of the most scrumptious goods on earth. I am a big fan of their Fresh Fruit Tart, but this time around the Sicilian Cheese Cake won out.


That is, of course, a Cafe Latte (mine, ZMrK had a Diet Coke). I made ZMrK wait to start eating until I took the picture -- I almost forgot to do so myself! And yes, that is the Sicilian Cheese Cake in the foreground, chock full of sweet ricotta, cherries, and rum-soaked cake. The brown triangle in the background? That's the Chocolate Mousse Cake that ZantiMisterKnit got -- chocolate cake + chocolate mousse. It was out the box, brah! (To quote my friend King Louie -- that means it's really good, man!).

Now I want to take a moment to show off my husband's craftiness. He did a couple of embroidery pieces, and I will get a good picture soon of the patch he put on his jacket (to cover up the Stussy logo). First, here is a hat with an embroidered Weird logo, which he presented to Dick Ayers, one of the artists for Eerie Publications back in the late 60s/70s.

Not a great picture of the embroidery, I know, but I am really friggin' proud of him for a couple of reasons:

(1) he did an awesome job; and
(2) for his first-ever embroidery project, he took on a lot! It's completely filled in (I did outline for my first-ever project, and haven't done another since).

He has mentioned on a couple of occasions that he "hated" doing it, but the next time he'll do something simpler. I have a few ambitious embroidery projects in mind, as well, but I don't want to have any sort of due date on them.

So, I am going to go back downstairs now and have some lunch, continue on the sock, watch a movie, and maybe clean myself up since I smell a little barn-y. Stay dry, kids!

Knitting Pattern-a-Day Week 19 Review

Here's the Week 19 Review of the Knitting Pattern-a-Day Calendar patterns. I can't believe I've kept this crap up for nineteen weeks, either. I hope I'm not boring y'all to tears; I promise pictures of cute handmade items really soon (finished or not)!

Monday, May 8 - Hemp Spa and Bath Duo continued . . . Nothing more to say here. Nice, practical stuff.

Tuesday, May 9 - Summer Net Chanel Jacket. I like the style of this jacket -- I like Chanel jackets -- but I would like it better without the novelty yarn trim. I have a ball of the novelty yarn used -- Fling -- at home, and I don't mind novelty yarns in small doses, but the colors they use in this picture don't match the jacket and look like hot pink and olive green puke running down the front. Okay, so I've gotten out the snarky comment of the week. I feel better.

Wednesday, May 10 -- Pyramids & Triangles Placemats. Looking casually at the picture, I thought this was an all-over stitch pattern to incorporate in whatever we wish. Now that I read it, I see it's for placemats. My mom uses placemats; I can't think of anyone else I know who does. I used to use them, I think, but somewhere around my 8th or 9th apartment I either lost them, or I dropped the habit. I dunno; if I run into a good amount of Sugar n Cream I may make these, but I'm not in a huge hurry to knit placemats.

Thursday, May 11 - Asymmetrical Lace Poncho. Nothing screams boredom to me like a poncho!!!! Next. . .

(Notice how I lied about getting the snark out. Oops! Okay, and another thing and I'll say no more about this pattern: all day yesterday, I would glance at the pattern [as I do, several times a day, every day] and kept mistaking "pins" in the name "Needles 'n Pins Yarn Shoppe" as "piss", as in "Needles 'n Piss Yarn Shoppe". Anyone else do this? Must be a trick of the italics)

Friday, May 12 -- The Pismo Hat. Wasn't Bugs Bunny often trying to get to Pismo Beach? And missing it because he should have taken a left turn at Albuquerque? Anyway . . . It's a hat made in 100% cotton that is supposed to be "light and comfortable, perfect for Southern California's weather". ZantiMisterKnit, please take note.

Saturday/Sunday, May 13 & 14 -- Houndstooth Key Chain Bag. Well . . .the houndstooth pattern isn't evident, BUT it is pretty cute, even if it is made in McDonald's colors (I always associate yellow and red with McD's . . . Mustard and ketchup is something I also call it). It's small and simple, though, and great for anyone who wants to carry their happy pills with their keys. Oooh, I said that out loud, didn't I?

As usual, give me your comments, even if you think I'm full of shit!

I'm Down With OPB!

I was just checking out the Wendy Knits blog, and got a gander at the Opal Rainforest Tiger Socks she made.

I! MUST! GET! THAT! YARN!

I did an eBay search on Opal Rainforest, and it could get ugly! Or at least. . . expensive!

So, here's my dilemma: do I bid on a bunch of the auctions that are ending tomorrow, or do I hold off and wait and see what kind of booty I get at the NH Sheep and Wool Fest?

Or should I just STFU and get to work?

NH Sheep and Wool

Is anyone else going to the NH Sheep and Wool festival this weekend?

http://www.yankeeshepherd.com/

It's Saturday and Sunday at the Hopkinton State Fairgrounds in Contoocook (or, 'tooky, as my bud Lena, who lives near there, calls it). IIRC from last year, it's a little ways past Concord. Hopefully it won't be nastily cold and damp like it was last year (but the weather forecast says otherwise, methinks).

If you're going and recognize me, speak up and say hello! I'll probably make it really easy by sporting my tokay purse (it's HUGE and therefore I should be able to fill it up with my yarn purchases).

What Famous Pin-Up Are You?

You are Betty Grable

The ulitmate girl next doorYou're the perfect girl for most guysPretty yet approachable. Beautiful yet real.

What Famous Pinup Are You?

Knitting Pattern-a-Day Week 18 Review

Here's the Week 18 Review of the Knitting Pattern-a-Day Calendar patterns. The reviews are pretty short this week; I've been pretty busy and feeling a little under the weather. I participated in a (doctor-ordered) sleep study last night at New England Medical Center to determine whether I have a sleep disorder. I got to sleep with all kinds of wires taped to me, wires in my nose, some weird clamp on my left index finger (and I still have the red mark on it, more than 2 hours after it was removed! Ouch!). I woke up at about 5:40 a.m., was out of the hospital by about 6. . . ZantiMisterKnit (yes, he slept on a cot in my room) and I went for breakfast at the Au Bon Pain downstairs, and went on our ways to work. I got to work a little after 7, and was able to put on my makeup, brush my teeth, and make certain all the electrode goo was washed out of my hair.

With that out of the way, here's the review. . .

Monday, May 1 - Simple Elegance. A very nice, lacy shawl made with SoySilk (which I'd love to use sometime). This looks like it would take YEARS to complete; at least it probably won't go out of style.

Tuesday, May 2 - Cabled Circular Seamless Baby Booties. Really really cute, but the description of the yarn requirement bugs me: "5-ply yarn which wraps around a rule 19 times to the inch/2.5cm. Really -- just recommend a darn yarn, already! (I'll probably try it sometime. . . )

Wednesday, May 3 - Book Sweater. Books don't need sweaters, do they? Okay, something to do with 50 yards of leftover yarn; I'm hoping to use leftover yarn for fair isle projects.

Thursday, May 4 and Friday, May 5 -- Lake Ontario Socks. Squeee!!!!! Socks with a little sailboat on the heel! I think that if I made these, I'd stare at the little sailboats all day, causing my boss to think I'm *really* strange. But they are really frickin' CUTE!!!

Saturday/Sunday, May 6 & 7 -- Hemp Spa and Bath Duo. Hemp yarn is another one of those earthy-crunchy yarns I want to try sometime. I think a scrubby bath mitt and soap pouch would be great. If I ever get around to making soaps, this would be a good gift idea. (My sisters may be reading this and saying, "YES!!!").