I'm so terrible at this blogging thing

t seems that if you want to have things to write about in a blog, you have to be doing things. Actually, I'm pretty much constantly doing knitting things, but I never take pics. Here's a pic of the Every Way Wrap I knit for my mom for her bday last month:

Nothing Much to Say, I'm Afraid

So here are like, two pics from WWKIP Day:














At Panera in Chapel Hill, on Franklin...

















...at Lake Crabtree in Morrisville...














...and at Great Yarns. They were super nice that day. I'll say nothing more about that.

I realized only just that I don't have pics of any of my recent (nearly) FOs. Gotta work on that.

We went to Duke Gardens. Friday it was raining and my hair was a mess, but Saturday was beautiful

Catch Up

I'm so bad at communicating. I can't even say I'll get better cuz I don't even believe that...

Anyway, current projects on the needles (and fresh off...)

I've been working on a laptop case for Stephanie. Patons Classic Merino (it's cheap and Michaels is still open when I get off work). Cream with pink and green embellishments. Pics to come eventually.

Cast off Stephanie's bday sweater aboout two weeks ago. It just needs buttons and a good blocking now. It's a little odd, but I think it'll block out normally. I increased a little too much under the arm, so there are little pouches under there, but stretching makes them disappear so I don't think it should be a big problem. Rowan 4ply. I was nervous about so fine a weight for a whole sweater, but it only took about a month. It might have been faster if I had worked more, but I had it out a lot, so I think I made ok time.

I'd like to finish her blanket before the end of the month, but it might be nice to have something to mail to her while she's in Spain.

I have an idea for a really gorgeous, semi-sparkly club shirt. I intend to make it about triangle shaped, a close-fitting halter that ties at the top and the bottom, open back. I think it should be flattering on my pencil-shaped body. Probably red. I've got one skein of red berocco seduce for embellishments, to add the 'sparkly'. I'm not sure what fiber goes with... um, seduce... but maybe a bamboo so it's cool and not gross when i sweat. Actually, now that i think about it, maybe i'll do two overlapping triangles. i'll sketch it and see how it goes.

A Knitting Day

~written 07/29

So, today is an update day at work, so we're in conference all day. I suppose most people dread these days, but I love them, because it means I can sit in the back of the room, listening to these people blabber on about our marketing and sales (about which I could not possibly care less) while I work on my cardigan.

This cardigan is one of my newest projects. I originally intended for it to be for Stephanie's birthday. I was working on my previous cardigan -- an off-white "leftover" cardi. I was using the Soft Sea Wool that I intended to use for a shawl. Unfortunately, I don' see myself making another shawl real soon unless I can make the pattern up. I just don't have the patience for patterns these days. I figure if I'm gonna have to do math on a pattern that someone else created anyway and it's still not gonna be quite what I want, why not make my own.

Anyway, when I was about finished with 'Leftover,' (Top down, raglan cardi, knit in one piece flat, stockinette, garter stitch borders, button band knit in - not on), Stephanie decided that she liked it and that I never finish anything that's for her so I decided to make her one for her birthday. It was Monday and her birthday was the following Wednesday - 9 days away. I thought I would go out and get the same weight wool, but a different color and definitely not Soft Sea Wool again... There was so much junk in that yarn...

Anyway, I went to the yarn store and couldn't find any DK weight that wasn't ridiculously expensive for an entire sweater... Really, I was thinking more of a sock weight but what I ended up with was fingering weight wool. Rowan 4-ply soft in a dusty blue. I love the color and the weight isn't so bad because it's knitting up pretty quickly on my Addi Turbos (yay!), but it's already been a week and i'm only halfway down the torso. Oh, btw, it's another top-down raglan, one piece, knit flat. Mostly stockinette, but there's a little interest (lol reverse stockinette, terribly interesting, I know) above the bust and drop stitch below it. About the knitting flat, I thought I would prefer knitting in the round, but I'm still super afraid of steeking and I REFUSE to learn on a 4-ply. It's just not gonna happen. But now that I've been knitting flat, It's a lot more interesting knitting. I would just die if I had to do the freaking knit stitch exclusively. The knitting is going super fast, so I'm thinking I'll at least be complete with the body by next Monday and the sleeves by the following Monday. (ETA: I finished the body last night, Friday Aug 7 and I LOVE it) That's including some expected break time for another project. What is that project, you ask? I'm knitting a Domo for my cousin because he asked for it. I'm using Patons Classic Wool Merino which might be stupid if he intends to get the damn thing dirty cuz i'm sure he's not gonna remember not to wash it in hot water. Oh well. I knit the body bottom up with the magic cast on so the 3-needle bind-off is at the top. Dumb. I'm thinking about doing it over, but I already stuffed the thing. We'll see how it goes.

Lost and Found

**some "back issues"
~July 12, 2009~


I tend to consider things that are lost because it interests me that objects can exist independent of a person. I usually think of lost things sitting some place hidden waiting to be found.

The phrase 'Lost & Found' though somehow seemed redundant. ''Of course it's found. Everything that's lost is found. "

I'm an organized person. I rarely lose things. I like to say that people with very organized brains don't have to be so organized in practice. They can remember what random peace they put their keys or that piece of paper. Me? If there aren’t a limited number of places for a thing, it will never be found when I need it.

I also have an organized idea of how to find things that works for me 100% of the time (when it works). First, you look in the obvious places, places it should be. Then, retrace your steps to the last time you had it. This is an absolutely fool-proof method save a couple really important qualifiers.

First, I lost the item in transition. That usually means I probably dropped the item in a parking lot. People almost never recover what they drop in a parking lot.

Second, I forget something. Mainly, I forget where I went, which is either where I lost the thing or when I put it wherever it is. The other part of that is I forget what I had on.

Perfidy

–noun, plural -dies.
1. deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery: perfidy that goes unpunished.
2. an act or instance of faithlessness or treachery.


So today I feel like life is conspiring against me. I'm in the Raleigh/Durham area of North Carolina. I work at A Southern Season and they had asked if I could work on the 9th, the day before mother's day. I said sure. The next day, my mom told me she wanted to spend Mother's Day weekend in GA visiting my sister at Fort Gordon (is that the right fort?). Anywho, she decided to push the trip to the following weekend. This coming weekend. That's all well and good.
Today, my calendar reminded me that the YarnHarlot, who hasn't ever really been near here, is gonna be in Atlanta on the 16th! That's the closest she's been in and will be for quite a while. That would have been some darn good luck if 1) Raleigh weren't 6.5hrs or so away from Fort Gordon, 2) Fort Gordon weren't in Augusta, 3) Augusta weren't another 2.5hrs away from Atlanta, 4) the YH is gonna be in Atlanta, 5) my mother didn't hate driving already, and 6) my mother didn't think I am unreasonably obsessed with knitting. None of those bode well for an impromptu trip nearly 3hrs out of the way. Never the less, I do intend to put it on the table.

Clicking around the interweb, I recalled that the Durham Bulls StitchNPitch game is coming up. I clicked over to the calendar. It's the 16th. Yes, the same day I'll be in Augusta, not seeing the YH in Atlanta and there isn't another one for a year.

Talk about your perfidy. I've lost faith in the randomness and/or justice of the universe.

A Series of (Un)Fortunate Events

I told a good story the other day and, as it's about knitting, I thought I'd write it down. Then I remembered that I sometimes write about knitting on this blog, so here it goes...

A few weeks ago, I wanted to start some socks. I really like bamboo needles generally and I had some leftover Shibui Knits Sock yarn (in Sky) so I bought some 0's, 1's, and 2's in bamboo. It was the first time I'd used smaller than 2's, so I struggled through more than half of the Absinthe foot chart before I realized that I was having a hard time because the yarn was sticking to the needles (I knit tightly) and they were too flexible. I decided to buy some metal dpn's. This is where the story really begins:

I went to Michael's in Cary (near where I work, about 30mi from home) to find some inexpensive metal dpn's (I'm on a super tight budget these days). I craft a lot, so it's really been my go-to craft store. They didn't have any sock needles. NONE. I left, disappointed. It suddently occurred to me that there was an AC Moore nearby and I thought I'd give it a shot. I got there and found a lovely set of 4 sets (of five, of course. Michael's didn't even have ONE set of five) Bates sock needles in a pack (not to mention a vastly superior collection of needles in general) for $10.99. I took them to the register and proceded to pay for them with my ATM/Debit card. They were having a bit of a sale and rung up a 25% off coupon for me. However, my card didn't work. They said that happened sometimes and I should try another time. Sure, I thought. I'll just head home after work (did I mention I should have been at work?) and go to the AC Moore in Chapel Hill and buy them. I stopped by Michael's in Chapel Hill first, thinking I might find something else there, but with no luck. Back to AC Moore I went and found the needles easily (again, vastly superior needle collection), went to the counter where the cashier used a 30% coupon, ran my card, then told me I couldn't use that card. I gave in (because I really wanted to finish the socks and could NOT knit with the bamboo another torturous minute) and got cash out of the ATM. When I got back, I picked up my needles, and the newest cashier rang me up with a 50% off coupon. I paid, left, and went directly home to knit. It was SO much better. You know what was the best though? An entire day of searching for needles, four stores, five times and I ended up paying FIFTY PERCENT of a price that I thought was crazy reasonable in the first place. What a fabulous day!

PS: Just a note, I could have easily found the needles at my LYS, Yarns, Etc., but they don't take my ATM card (I don't have one with a credit card logo on it and I don't use a credit card), I was really trying not to take out cash, and by the time I leave work each day, they're already closed.

Stymied

-noun a situation or problem presenting such difficulties as to discourage or defeat any attempt to deal with or resolve it.

I just want to start by saying that I almost never watch the news. By almost never, I mean I might watch ten minutes once a year. I hate watching the news. It's artificial and depressing. Instead, I prefer to get my news from public radio, where people have intelligent discussions about what's going on. Maybe I should be more diverse, but I'm not. I deal pretty well with that.

Anyway, today, I started watching the news because it came on HLN after Clark Howard. They did a quick pre-blurb on crocheted graffiti. Like, Knitta Please style. What stymied me? They said it's "... graffiti that even your grandmother could enjoy...." and "... this ain't your grandmother's crochet circle..." and it's a "...radical approach to an old-fashioned craft..." All in TWO blurbs, not more than thirty seconds, of talking about the craft, BEFORE the actual story. Now, don't get me wrong. I LOVE my grandmother. She did, in fact, crochet. As a matter of fact, I'm teaching her to knit. But why does the media make it sound like there's some reform going on to make the crappy-old crafts that our grandmothers did into something hip and glowing and new? Is it not worth talking about unless we make that point? I think the crocheting that my grandmother did was awesome and beautiful and useful and artistic, just like knitting and crocheting are now.

I just saw a commercial on tv that included fishing. Something that men stereotypically do. Older men, in fact. Perhaps our grandfathers. But nobody talks about what our grandfathers do in a demeaning way. I don't even think that most men who fish recreationally, eat those fish. It's certainly not necessary for most people to fish. Why no stigma?

The ladies are here, and I have to forgive the announcer because the ladies used the words "old" and "grandmotherly" in the interview.

I'm not upset that's it's called "grandmotherly," I'm more upset about how they make that sound: not warm, hardworking, nurturing, and artistic, but "cute" and "old-fashioned".

Castigate

verb. 1. To criticize or reprimand severely 2. To punish in order to correct
So, I watched Cat Bordhi's video on YouTube demonstrating a proper Magic Cast-On. You know, the one I've been ignoring (well, neglecting to learn, really) in all the sock patterns that I've looked at recently? Yea, that one. I have to say, I'm AMAZED! Especially since every non-knitter I've encountered, children and adults alike, ask me why there's a hold in the toe of my sock. Then, I have to explain that it gets closed up at the end and they may sort of understand once they see me close it, but today. TOSAY!?!?! Today, I ask myself the same durned question! Why, Danni!? WHY is there a hole in the toe of your sock!? WHY are you tortuting yourself with the sewing up, which you HATE to do, as little as it may be, and at the END when you KNOW you have no patience for it anyway and do a bad job!?!? WHY do you torment yourself so? Well. My only answer is that I knew not what I did. I didn't understand the implications of this kind of neglect (or procrastination, I guess I figured I'd learn it some time). Now I understand and I'm sooooooo sorry, self, for putting you through this for all the months (at least) that it's been since I first heard of the magic cast on. I will most certainly change my ways...

Incommensurate

adj. Not commensurate; disproportionate; inadequate

It started last night. I had just started Chart 3 of the Adamas shawl. I feel like I started that shawl forever ago and I was so excited to be nearly finished so I worked on that instead of my homework. I set my alarm for 8am so I would have enough time to get dressed and do hw before class at 11.The alarm went off at 8 and I definitely hit snooze... Twice... Then I just went ahead and set it for 8:45am. At least I felt a little more rested when I got up finally.
Once out of bed, I started preparing my life. I had to get dressed, pick up a book I need for class from the office at my apartment, pick up the wireless keyboard I ordered for my pda and send my sister some stuff at the post office, get to campus, and finish hw before class. Since it was 9, I expected to have all of the errands done and be on campus by 10. I decided I even had enough time for a shower and since I was gonna take a shower, I'd wash my hair. That wouldn't take long. I took a shower and washed my hair super quickly and got out of the shower at 9:45. Ok, so it wasn't all that quick.
I got dressed and left. I picked up my package from the office from our maintenance guy who took his sweet time looking at all eight packages after I told him which one it was. I went to the post office and ended up at a teller who took her sweet time putting 5 items into a box because the last item was just too big but it fit once you cut the top off and do I want to buy any packaging products and do I need any stamps today and no wonder your sister needs arch supports for her boots while she's in PT...
I got to campus at 10:45 and prepared to park in my normal space when I realized I didn't have my parking permit and I wasn’t driving my normal car so I had to pay for parking. Paying for parking also meant I had to walk to north campus from south campus and I wore heeled boots because they're the only ones that don't get wet in the rain.
I got to my first class (the first one hw was due for) five minutes late, but had plenty of time to finish it up before we turned it in.
I had a test that I forgot to study for in my next class but which was essentially a review from the first test. I also had a homework due that I managed to finish in the last half of my previous class.
My third class was fine and we got out 5 minutes early which left me enough time to check out what the HW assignment was for my Spanish class. It was long enough to make me 15minutes late to that class, which was really fine, cuz I’m never late and I finished my hw.
I went back to my car to stop at home and eat before our THReaDC meeting and was paying for parking. The lady took my $10 and was about to give me change but noticed she made change for a $20 and couldn't figure out how to fix it and the machine wouldn't take it so she let me have my $10 back.
I think the day went ok. What do you think?

I was gonna blog today...

...but i just couldn't get my life to feel right so this came out instead. I apologize for how it came out, but this is what it might be. It is for interpreting. You know how the mind does. These things can't be helped. Here's my mindsplatter...

~~~

are you proud of me now?

when you breathe you're such these perfect shades of pretty pink and purple and sunset me well my breath has kind of a gritty tone i move i fidget i wiggle with my fingers of course like a child i want to make to make you proud of me but i get inside and drive away from you away from me because i haven't done or made or moved my imperfection bleeds out my mouth my eyes where your perfection lies please don't give me another chance i need to hurt for a while to console myself with cold bodies get pissed because you don't get it there can't be much more blood you rip out of me would that you find you're happy in the place where my happy left me so much alone isn't good for a body leaves too much space to watch a pink and purple and sunset disappear for just long enough to turn the world stupid grey so...

... are you proud of me now?

WIP Wednesday

A quick update on my WIPs...

I'm still working on the bolt blanket which, despite hours and hours of work, show no detectable signs of progress. A picture would be depressing.

I started a yellow bias scarf for Stephanie (that I forgot I didn't have a picture of until now). Hope says it'll be submitted in the FO pile for Friday... fingers crossed. Very simple pattern, (out of my head and stuff...) Lion Brand Cotton Ease in whatever that corn-looking color is.

More by Friday...

Social Experiment

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last posted. I've been thinking about what I'm gonna write so much that it feels like I've already done it! Yeesh!

Anywho, I'll be conducting a very simple social experiment in the next who-knows-how-long of my life. I'll be talking to people. Simply. I don't know when, but at some point in my life I became paralyzingly shy. I get anxious about meeting new people, especially. It's really a problem. So, I've decided to start talking to people, chancing the risk that if I begin a conversation, people may (or may not) want to continue it. Who knows? Maybe one of us will say something interesting....

I'm a little sick with the organizing sometimes and I really don't know why that is. I was trying to think of a theme for every day of the week for posting but it was getting crazy (like TossUp Tuesdays where I discuss anything I like that's in the news. I don't know why I'd need to designate a day for that. What if I wanna talk about the news on Thursday!?). In any case, I'd like to commit to posting at least three days a week so I've made it easy for myself with the following outline:

Monday - Weekly "news" Round up
Wednesday - WIPs
Friday - FOs

Fair enough. That way I won't feel like I have to post pics every day and so not post. I'm lazy. What can I say.