work

This is a lot of work. Updating here counts on me to really write things, which I'm not that comfortable with...Well...I mean, I'll WRITE IT...But will anyone enjoy reading it? Who knows. Meet me over here at Tumbler, where I'm having better luck posting photos, videos, and have an easier-to-read feed of my Tweets. See you there!

Happy I SURVIVED FRIDAY THE 13TH Day

I made it home last night from San Jose after getting on an earlier flight(yay), having my gate changed, having my new flight delayed, running to the new gate, and getting shoved onto an earlier flight that was delayed two hours for the poor people who were originally on it. Took off at exact time that the "earlier" flight would have, only without my bag. But in Burbank, there's a solution: Unwind. Get your car out of hock, go to the yarn store, wander around for half an hour, buy a little yarn, and then return to the airport where your bag is waiting for you. Excellent.

Not contributing to this blog in over a month has made me wonder why I even bother. If it is supposed to keep friends and family posted on what I'm up to, I've failed pretty miserably. I've been thinking a lot about what I'd like for this space to be as obviously if if was something I could really get behind, I'd add more. Lately the books have been piling up so I think it is a good time to add some more book "reviews" and particuarly some of the knitting-related titles that came to live with me over the last two weeks...I've gotten a lot of surprises in the mail all at once and I am really excited about looking at these new titles; some are books of patterns but others are memoirs about living a life of craft/self-sustainability which is always of interest to me.

I also have a Flip video now, so it will be interesting to see if I can figure out a way to post the videos here. Chicken video coming soon.

I'm Supposed to Be...

..., originally uploaded by losethemittens.

...Doing a million other things but I realized I hadn't really said anything about my recent trip to Kansas City. I had such a great time. It really doesn't mean anything when I keep saying that over and over, except maybe that I should move there. Anyway, I'm not moving there this week or next week. But LAST week when I was there I met Alicia Girardeau who was a very active Kansas City member of the Obama campaign. Her family was selected to have PCBO come and visit the first night of the DNC, when his family looked at him on the big telescreen on stage. From there, the Girardeaus ended up riding on the train with PEBO and family to the inauguration in DC where PEBO became POTUS! Yay! And then they got to go to balls and stuff. You can read about it on their blog.

1/20/09

UFO's

I'm sure many of you think I am strange, but I don't believe in UFO's, particularly. I do believe that UnFinished Objects have a special place in my home, however, and it is my job in 2009 to complete them and send them off to live somewhere else, on someone's feet or in their sweater drawer. Kathy on the WEBS blog recently told her story of UFO's and today I am coming clean about my own.

First, there's this great sweater vest. The pattern is from THE KNITTER'S BOOK OF YARN and it is made of Malabrigo worsted which we all know and love. One of the problems with Malabrigo(and a problem that has been somewhat relieved by purchasing their recent book of patterns) is that it feels like a yarn that is designed for accessories only. It cables beautifully and cooperates in the round like nobody's business, but it doesn't seem that comfortable in the long stretch across the width of a sweater, and, what's worse, I hear it pills. So this vest is a real experiment, as it is a substitute for the yarn in the pattern, and was purchased primarily because of the color, which is not only beautiful, but perhaps a bit rare...Not every store that carries Malabrigo seems to carry this color pink. So what's wrong? I don't know. A pink vest? Is that really very smart? I don't think I'll have an answer for you until it is finished and I am actually wearing it. The pattern is great; a little futzy at the top where the cable goes around the neck, but I can do it. Let's see what you think.

These aren't great photos. The don't give you a sense of how much I have finished, which is the entire back, and the front pretty much up to the neck. Almost done. Really.

I think I can focus on this when I am done with the two holiday projects that have expanded into non-holiday knitting time. It shouldn't take more than a couple of days to get this worked out.

Next time I'll fill you in on some orphaned sock projects.

More Good Mail

So the strange Long-Distance Book Club that I participated in had some unexpected results. The first book I received was from another publishing person and was a copy of THE KITCHEN GOD'S WIFE, which, terrifically, I'd never read. A long time passed between mailings, and then, today, I got this pink thing in the mail from Atlanta: GOODBYE, COLUMBUS. What's not to love about Philip Roth? He's weird, but always entertaining. Thank you very much, book club participants. There haven't been many of you, but think about how nice it is to de-clutter your bookshelves and to send me something that I really should read! While we're thanking people, I wanted to mention that I've received a couple of comments on my post about the Noro Striped Scarf and I'd like to thank the commenters. I don't think of myself as a pattern writer but it is nice to be a sort of pattern facilitator and to see other knitters encouraged to try something new.

Good Mail, Bad Mail

So today in the mailbox I received something useful, and something use-less. The useless item was a letter "from" President-Elect Barack Obama, inviting me to the Inauguration. You know, to all of the public events. That everyone is welcome to attend. If they can get to Washington, find a place to stay, get into town by car or other transport, and not get crushed to death by three million other people. Thanks but no thanks. For that Invite to Nowhere!
Then I got something else...A package from Duchess Fibers, announcing Punta Yarns' delicious cashmere blend yarn. I think I got it because I am on the TNNA mailing list. I am delighted with it and think it is a great marketing tool. It is possible that there's enough in this skein to knit a baby hat with it, which is exactly what I am going to do.