Concateknit

Jumping Ship

2005-05-15T10:04:00.000-04:00

Hi All -

I've been having nothing but trouble with blogger these days, and I think that's contributed to some of my blogging ennui. In order to mix things up a bit, and (hopefully) to make myself a little less frustrated, I've jumped onto the typepad bandwagon.

Please stop by and visit me at:
http://concateknit.typepad.com/concateknit/

I hope to see you over at my new digs soon!

2005-05-14T11:48:00.000-04:00

Picture Post

2005-05-13T20:14:00.000-04:00

I mentioned I went to Portland - but I forgot to mention which Portland I was in. I guess I assumed you would know which Portland I meant.

Okay, I assume that you assume too much. I know this.

Here - let me help you guess which Portland I was in:

Powell's, the most awesome bookstore EVER.

Ah, now you know - I was in Oregon! Remember, I did grow up in California, so I kind of always assume Oregon when I hear the city of Portland mentioned.

While I was there, I also saw these cutie patooties:

These little elephanty guys were so cute that I had to wave at them when I saw them. Does that ever happen to you? You see something really cute, and no matter that it's an inanimate object, you still feel the *need* to wave at it? No? You say it's just me. Huh - who knew?

By the way - Portland was a lot of fun. They've got some great beer there, a Nordstrom Rack, and people are friendly. Now, I'm not saying anything about people in Boston, but, well, the people of Portland were just *really* friendly.

So, last night I had some muffins to make. (No, we're not big on segues here at Chez Concateknit. Thanks for asking.) I mean, you know, I went to MD, and I bought a little yarn (and really, it was only a little yarn, in comparison to what some people left the festival with).

Do you want to see my pre-muffiny fiber pile?

I fortified myself with this:

Ha! I know you think I was going to show you a picture of beer or wine or gin, but I fooled you! It's tea! I have TEA when I make muffins! Ha!

The mug is from one of my favorite places to visit in the whole wide world: Oakdale Cheese & Specialities. Now, for you Wallace & Gromit fans out there, you'll understand that this word, specialities, should really have 5 syllables. Y'know - spesh-ee-al-i-tees. Yay!

I drank my tea, and made my muffins:

Yummy.

Lolly-pants and I each bought a skein of the blue and brown wool/mohair yarn that you see in the bottom left corner of the picture above. We're each going to make a felted bag with the yarn. We don't have a pattern in mind - the idea is that we'll each make a bag using the same yarn and just kind of see what happens. Nifty, huh? I get a little giddy each time I think about it.

I'd like to end this post with something almost unheard of at Concateknit these days: knitting content.

Here we see my Lara the way she usually looks when I work on her:

Imagine my surprise when I realized that I was actually knitting this:

Again, I say - who knew?

While my girls (and I know they're not really MY girls - they're EVERYONE's girls) are heading to NH tomorrow, I'll be here in Boston, dreaming of my dearest Mr. and Mrs. Lolly's visit (soon, dearies, soon, please), knitting on Lara, and buying some rollerblades. You want some fun? Watch me rollerblade. I guarantee it'll be a laugh a minute.

Hey - maybe someday I can be the rollerblading knitter.

Stop laughing.

Adventures of The Girl*

2005-05-09T21:08:00.000-04:00

There's been a little, ahem, concern about my lack of posting.

Um, yeah, I really haven't been posting at all, have I?

Sigh.

It's been a rough couple of months, and without wanting to complain, let me just say that by the time I get home from work these days, I can barely even stand to turn on my computer, let alone put together any kind of a coherent post.

To be honest, I haven't even been knitting really.

I've been *looks both ways, makes sure no one can overhear me* reading. And not Bookish Girl style, where I knit, and converse, and read all at the same time. No. I've just been Nose in the Book, Don't Talk to Me, Yes This Book IS an Impenetrable Wall of Silence reading.

I really don't want things to go on this way, though. I have been sorely out of balance, and I used this past weekend as a way to begin regaining my equilibrium.

How, you ask?

I went to Maryland:

I took this one picture on my way from my car to the fairgrounds:

I had dinner with these fabulous and amazing and wonderful and witty and lovely and terrific women on Saturday night:

I haven't linked to everyone yet, but I will update with the rest of the blog links as I have them. Needless to say - all of these women were great and you would never have guessed that many of us were meeting each other for the first time. Did we talk about knitting? You bet. Would we still have had things to talk about if the subject of knitting had been banned? Absolutely.

Okay, that's not entirely true. We all spent a goodly amount of time feeling up Donna (she's the hottie in the gorgeous blue hooded cardigan sitting between awesome Rebecca and elegant Eilene) in her finished Mariah. Freakin' unbelievably gorgeous.

I bought a little bit of yarn:

And I had a hell of a weekend.

I know that in the greater scheme of things I didn't take a lot of pictures, and I'll tell you why - even though I went to the festival primarily to "meet" bloggers I've only met through the knitblogging community, it felt like an offline vacation. Michelle and Lauren both opened up their homes to me, a stranger, and yet I never felt like I was going to meet people, I felt that I was going to visit with friends that I don't get a chance to see often and because of that, I didn't really feel the need to take lots of pictures or think about feeding the blog while I was there. I've been so blessed to meet the people I've met via blogging - Wendy, Jackie, Melanie, Debbie, and Maryse to name only a few - and they are people that have really become friends rather than knitting friends. This means that I see them more often than I blog about seeing them, and I think about them even more often than that.

Going to meet my Maryland girls felt the same, and it felt pretty personal.

So, what I'd like to tell you is this:

Michelle and her wonderful family Mike, Marah, and Gabe hosted me from Thursday to Saturday, and Lauren and her incredibly generous husband Kris (plus their lovely family - Jen, Bella, Rusty, and Quincy) hosted me from Saturday to Sunday afternoon. I had a wonderful time the whole time I was on vacation, and I have some particularly favorite memories that I know will be special to me for years to come.

*Michelle's son Gabe spent the majority of my visit calling me The Girl, but in the most adorably charming way. Hee hee.

Happy knitting all.

Hi, I Didn't Run Away

2005-04-27T11:58:00.000-04:00

I just went to Portland for a business trip.

Be back soon.

Love,
Elisa

Bling Bling

2005-04-12T14:55:00.000-04:00

I took the day off work today to get some new bling:

That's right - your very own Ms. Concateknit is a 30-year old freak with braces.

No, it doesn't bother me much.

Not really.

Not really.

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Luckily, braces don't effect my ability to knit:

Yarn: Knit Picks Sock Garden (awesome yarn, btw)

This is my first sock knit on two circular needles, and I think I'd really love it if I wasn't using stupid Inox circs. Has anyone else had trouble with their Inox joins being really rough? I feel like I'm scratching the hell out of my yarn.

The solution? I stopped by the Snow Goose and bought myself two pair of US 3 Addi Turbo circs.

I think I deserved a little knit-therapy today.

I May Not Be Safe Here Much Longer

2005-04-05T21:18:00.000-04:00

Not if Stitchy has anything to do with it.

Now, no matter what she says, you have to believe that I'm not nearly as insane as that photo of me would lead you to believe. Ahem - you believe me, right?

I was thinking today (no jokes now, you funny-pants) and I hope you don't think I do nothing but hoard yarn. I knit. I even finish things I knit. Evidence:

One finished flower washcloth, thank you very much.

So, with Stitchy out there gunning for me (or pawing for me, as the case may be), what I want to know is this: If I have to make a quit getaway, can I hide out in your town?

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Oh - Jay asked how I managed to finagle such cool gifts from Nancy. The answer? I honestly have no idea. Nancy just rules.

What Would Ben Do?*

2005-04-03T21:02:00.000-04:00

Or, Stuff You Learn Hanging Out With Crazy Ass Knitters.

Maryse said she didn't call us that, but she did.

After yesterday, I'd have to agree.

A bunch of us crazy ass knitters wandered a little north of Boston yesterday and found ourselves at Stitchy McYarnpants' house yesterday for food, fun, knitting, laughing, and one sweet yarn swap.

We all toodled down from Stitchy's gorgeous condo to her awesome rumpus room before Maryse arrived, but never fear - a note was left for Maryse that pretty accurately summed up, well, everything:

Are you starting to get the picture?

We had a great yarn swap, which we did up Yankee Swap style, and no matter what Debbie might say (she hasn't said anything yet, but she will, she will), it was perfectly legit for me to take the yarn she had chosen, which just happened to be six skeins of Classic Elite's Inca Alpaca:

Now, all the swap yarn was gorgeous, but when I felt this stuff I just wanted to roll around in it, so I decided that the gorgeous alpaca yarn had to come live at my house.

So there was about five hours of hilarity before the picture taking began, but when it began, we had pretty terrific subject matter. Namely - Wendy and her Tips For Meeting Bloggers.

Maryse brought the Sharpies, Wendy supplied her belly, blog-feeding ensued:

Melanoma Uberalis:

Bag n' Trash:

Um, me:

Stitchy McYarnpants (Scary ghost style):

And finally, the picture that made me fall down laughing:

Good times, ladies. Good times. Thanks for your fabulous hostessing, Debbie - I hope we do it again soon.

*I don't know if you've had the good fortune to meet Benedetta, the author of Sgomitolando, but I finally had the pleasure of meeting her yesterday. More than once during the course of the afternoon, Ben came to the knitting rescue, and I thought I'd like it if we had colored plastic bracelets that said "WWBD?" because well, Ben's just rad.

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Speaking of rad people, there's another supremely rad person that I need to thank. Nancy, author of Got Ewe in Stitches (you *do* read her blog, right? She's freaking hilarious, and cute as a button, to boot), sent me a really wonderful RAOK:

I should tell you first of all that what isn't in the picture is the pen she sent me (from the college I graduated from - how cool!) and the 2nd Bordeaux that well, hardly made it all the way out of the box before I snarfed it up.

Nancy sent me a Peep pen, an "E" bookmark, a very funny notepad, two See's Bordeaux, a small lunchbox shaped tin filled with Atomic Fireballs, and a really lovely card.

Thanks, Nancy - you made my week.

Okay folks, have a terrific week, and happy knitting!

I Did Something Cool Today

2005-03-31T16:51:00.000-05:00

Um, no, it's not knitting related.

I'm sure you're just shocked!

When I changed my blog name from "Tongue-Tied Muse" to "Concateknit" I posted a poem of mine. I mentioned that I've been writing poetry for a long time, and when I posted the poem, I thought long and hard about posting one of my poems as a regular feature. But see, this isn't a poetry blog, and I really don't want it to be, so I just posted that one poem and went along my bloggy way.

Well, I've gone and done something cool, and I just want to share it with you.

But first - some shout outs.

To K, for bringing the cool thing to my attention and suggesting I submit to it.
To Mike, for telling me that he thinks I have an impressive body of work (um, no, no double entendre intended)
To The Girls (which also includes Ms. Melanie even though she isn't in this picture), for not laughing at me at dinner this month when I told them my plans, and
To Wendy, for reading my cover letter this morning and being tremendously supportive and helpful.

Okay - here's what I did - I submitted, gulp, a manuscript of my poetry to Grub Street's Poetry Revision Fellowship 2005.

Oh yeah, baby. I'm *totally* freaked out.

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Thank you SO much to everyone who commented and emailed me about my near-smooshing. I have this fantastic image of irate knitters chasing down the stupid smoosher with needles flying. Dude. Sweet.

Hi, I Almost Got Run Over Today

2005-03-29T19:43:00.000-05:00

No shit.

Those of you who know me may know that I am a fairly aggressive pedestrian. I DO live in Boston, though, and living in Boston means that should you EVER want to cross a street, ANY street, in fact, EVER, you have to be at least a little aggressive.

But I should back up a bit. I know I've mentioned my commute home before - the last leg of my commute involves either a bus or a trolley. If I manage to catch the bus then I end up crossing just one intersection, and it has a stoplight (and I always wait for Walky Guy), and once I'm across I'm home in no time. If I have to take the trolley, I end up about half a mile from my house and I have to cross one intersection that on a good day is only mildly terrifying. In order to cross that intersection, I have to take advantage of lulls in the traffic and wade out about halfway across the street and wait for the cars coming the other direction to stop and let me cross the rest of the way.

Tonight? Tonight was actually looking pretty good for crossing the intersection, so there I was standing in the middle of the intersection, plainly visible to the car coming from the opposite direction, and you know what he did? He almost hit me. In fact, he came so close to hitting me that a car that had just turned the corner at the intersection I was trying to cross actually stopped because well, I can only guess because he was expecting the guy to hit me, and he wanted to be there just in case. Okay, seriously - when a Boston driver pulls over like that? You know that what just happened was exactly as terrifying as you thought it was. Me - I just screamed "YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" as loud as I could, and I'll tell you guys honestly, if that guy had stopped or tried to give me any shit about crossing the street, I would have punched his lights out.

Immediately after the car nearly smooshed me and I yelled my ass off at the Smoosher, I immediately felt like bursting into tears. Luckily I was only about a block from my house, so I was able to get a big hug from Mike before I went and laid on the bed in a fetal position, waiting for the shaking to stop and my heart to slow down.

And you know what else? I keep making these lovely plans for my evenings that seem to be nothing more than pipe dreams. Last night I had every intention of coming home from work, eating a little dinner, chatting with Mike, reading a little from "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell", and maybe, oh I don't know, knitting a little, but you know what happened instead?

I spent 3 hours working on database design for my new job.

I love my new job, but what the fuck is wrong with my head?

In all honesty, I might be making more time for knitting if I wasn't so damn bored with the Ribby Cardi.

La Ribby:

Ho Hum

I did take a mini-break and start working on this:

That's 4 out of 5 petals for the chenile washcloth from Weekend Knitting. Um, yeah, I know you guys are all just freaking out because of my mad knitting output. Pfft.

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Big Fun, Part III

When I last left you, Kim, Mike and I had just left Jordan's and were heading off for Big Fun, Part III.

Um, yeah - we all went out to dinner.

Of course, we went to dinner in the North End, and we went to my favorite little restaurant, Tratoria il Panino (no, NOT the one in Fanueil Hall), and had a really wonderful little meal. Kim forgot to bring Wavy with her that night (the coldest part of her visit, of course), but just so you know that I really did finish Wavy on time, here's a picture:

Hey - did I tell you I almost got run over today???

Big Fun, Part II

2005-03-24T19:34:00.000-05:00

Or, To Portsmouth and Back Again
A Short Girl's Tale

Before we begin, I have one picture from Big Fun, Part I, that I'd like to share with you:

Why am I sharing this particular picture with you? Two reasons: Shannon kept saying she wasn't sleeping, and I kept insisting I was sober. Need I say more? I didn't think so.

Saturday morning Kim, Mike and I drove up to Portsmouth and meandered toward the Friendly Toast for lunch. We pretty much ate our way through the weekend, but the fact that we walked about 8,000 miles helps me justify all the great meals we had.

We got ourselves situated at the Friendly Toast and busted out the cameras:

Mike took a picture of his favorite piece of "art":

I wish my feet were half as happy as Happy Foot.

We went our separate ways after lunch, Mike heading for a marathon shopping trip at Bull Moose Music and Kim and I heading up Islington Street to do a little browsing (and some buying) at some of the wonderful Portsmouth shops.

On our way back to the car, I snapped this photo:

I have told you about Kim's wonderful and amazing hair, right? *sigh*

On our way to Big Fun, Part III we made a stop at Jordan's Furniture. See, you have to understand that there is NOTHING like Jordan's in California, and everyone who visits me is likely to get dragged to one should we get outside the city during their visit. This particular Jordan's that we went to has a trapeze school INSIDE of it, a Bose store, and a replica of most major Boston landmarks made entirely out of jelly beans. You tell me how you're supposed to skip seeing something like that. I mean, come on now.

In real time news, there's exciting things and sad things afoot here at Chez Concateknit. Sadly, our friend Aki is leaving to move home to Japan tomorrow. As much as Mike and I know that Aki has a tremendous opportunity to look forward to in Japan, we will really miss his smile, kindness, and enthusiasm. We'll also miss Aki's uncanny ability to get us both REALLY, REALLY drunk (remind me to tell you the story of The First Time We Went to the White House sometime, 'kay?) beyond all reasonableness. Aki has made me promise that Mike and I will visit him in Japan (well, I think he's really more interested in Mike going, but I get to go too, so it's all good) and he's really gunning for Mike and I to get married so he has a good excuse to come back to the USA. The fact that Aki is really serious about us getting married so he can come to the wedding necessarily endears him to me. Remember - it's good to get other people to do things that you can't or won't do yourself. As Aki is already married, we're the next best thing, I guess. I just hope that Aki knows that he's been a terrific friend to me and Mike, and we will always cherish all the memories that we have with him. Good luck, Aki - you don't need it, but you deserve it.

Now, from the bittersweet to the jump up and down and pinch yourself because you're so happy - my dearest Mike has a new job! He'll be working for an organization that my organization is affiliated with, and he'll get to take all the wonderful skills he has to a new position where I'm sure his potential is limitless. I'm so thrilled for him and the opportunities that are coming his way. Go Honey-Pants! I did offer to put The Contingent (all the peeps that we're friends with that work with me) onto a shuttle out to his new workplace to celebrate on his first day of work, but he seemed to think that might be a little, well, dangerous. Granted, The Contingent can drink, but, um, okay, so maybe it isn't the best idea for his first day of work, especially as it's a Monday and all...

Alright lovelies - I'm going to sign off for now, do a little work (le sigh), and then maybe, oh, I don't know, KNIT for a while. I wish you all a lovely evening and good times with your sweetie-pantses. ;)

BTW - if you haven't heard Jackie's latest good news, go say congrats!

Big Fun, Part I

2005-03-22T22:33:00.000-05:00

Oh, my. I'm tired. I think I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.

Here's the short (you know I'm lying, right?) version:

I picked Kim up from the airport. I gave her the Wavy scarf (of course, it was like 45 degrees, hardly scarf worthy) and then we headed off for Big Fun at my house with Mr. and Mrs. Bookish, Keiko, and Shannon of the Very Bad Sweater. Keiko brought A TON of amazing food (this is not to lessen the amazing fantasticality of Mr. and Mrs. Bookish or Shannon, but if you were there then you just KNOW how amazed we all were when Keiko showed up with her George Foreman Grill), we (by we, I mean the girls) drank 4 bottles of wine, at some point it was 2am and everyone either went home or to sleep, I spent some time with the porcelain god, and when Kim, Mike and I woke up the next morning, we fortified ourselves with coffee and bagels and headed off for Big Fun, Part II.

Alright, considering how long it took me to cobble together Part I, I think I'll have to bring you parts II, III, and IV later in the week. I hope you'll stay tuned for the continuing Big Fun Chronicles. Just know that although I'm tired, and although there's been relative blog-silence here at Chez Concateknit, I hope to be back to my regular bloggy self soon. Very, very soon.

Oh - did I mention I had lunch with some fabulous and amazing bloggers today? In my own little caf no less.

Oh yeah, life's pretty good.

*yawn*

K Minus 4*

2005-03-14T21:16:00.000-05:00

Or, That Scarf Won't Knit Itself

It's been a busy few weeks here at Chez Concateknit, and although I've been thinking about you all quite a lot, I haven't had the energy to do much more than think. The actual blogging? Not so much.

Last time I blogged, I told you about my knitting schedule, and I must admit, I felt pretty smug about it. Yeah, well, best laid plans, blah, blah, blah. The scarf WILL be done by Friday, but it requires a much more agressive (and much less cocky) knitting schedule. Every minute I spend typing is one less minute I can dedicate to The Scarf.

So today you're getting a post in pictures.

Friday:

This

Plus this

Equals this

That's one happy, blurry girl

Saturday:

To our left

Across the street

To our right

Kim - are you sure you still want to come?

I'm just kidding. If you change your mind, I'll get on a plane, come get you and bring you back. We will have Fun while you're here. We're going to be like the Post Office (but not the scary one): neither rain, not sleet, nor hail, nor a little bitty bit of snow, will keep us from having Fun.

*Kim will be here in 4 days - woo hoo!!!

All Hands on Deck!

2005-03-07T20:31:00.000-05:00

Or, Kim will be here next Friday and she doesn't own a scarf.

Obviously, that is a situation that can not stand. I was trying to explain what The Teens feel like, but it's hard to wrap your mind around that kind of cold when you've grown up in Northern California. Believe me, I know.

Naturally, I felt that the best way to prepare for Kim's upcoming visit to the Land of Cold was to knit her a scarf. She requested blue and I got to work:

That's about a third of a Wavy scarf, and right on schedule. Weekend days require completion of one full repeat, but I'm easier on myself during the week, and only have to complete a quarter of a repeat. This scarf will be ready and waiting for my dearest Kim when she arrives.

psst...did you notice the pillow sham in the background of the scarf picture? yeah - well, that sham, plus the matching duvet, a down comforter and a 600 thread count sheet set came to live at my house yesterday. needless to say, it was hard to get out of bed this morning.

Mike and I also bought something Very Grown Up this weekend. We bought a vacuum cleaner:

My grown up response to my grown up purchase? I said to Mike: If I were a household appliance, I'd marry that vacuum cleaner.

So in the midst of all my February madness, y'know, having to think a lot of stuff, I forgot to tell you something pretty cool-

I'm going to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. It's official. I've bought the tickets and reserved my rental car.

It's cool that I'm going to the festival for many reasons, but the coolest reason is that I'm staying with two of the Coolest.Bloggers.Ever. Do you know that the fact that I've never actually met either of these two people doesn't seem strange to me at all? I've always been one to trust my intuition, and this situation is no exception. Both Michelle and Lauren are simply terrific people (you've read their blogs - there's no doubting their terrificality) and I just feel LUCKY to have the opportunity to spend some quality time with each of them. Yay!

Speaking of terrific people who happen to be bloggers, one of them celebrated her birthday last week. And I mean, celebrated it ALL of last week. I was lucky enough to get in on some of the birthday fun, which meant spending another terrific evening with Mr. and Mrs. Bookish, Ms. (soon to be Mrs, tee hee) Project, Mrs. Melanoma, and Mrs. Yarnpants. Fuckin' A. You can imagine how much fun that was. Okay, well you can try to imagine how much fun it was, and then triple it.

You bloggers are just too cool.

National Elisa Thinks You Should Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say Day

2005-02-28T20:51:00.000-05:00

I'm lying to you already.

Oh, I'm not saying that it isn't important to speak succinctly and accurately, of course it is. I'm just saying that I have a tendency towards inventiveness (read laziness) in my speech. I have a tendency to use words that, although they do have inherent meaning, have a different meaning when I use them.

Tonight, we'll have a lesson in Elisa-Speak. Enjoy the ride.

Item. n. Can be used to describe any "thing".

Bucket. n. Anything that holds something else.

In use, you might hear these words in conversation like this:
Friend: "Elisa, do you need anything from the cafeteria?"
Elisa: "Yeah. Can you get me a bucket and some items?"

Translation: "Yes. Will you please get me a paper salad bowl and some utensils?"

Just so you know, the above was a fairly typical bit of conversation I had with various co-workers, and they usually understood what I meant.

Upon seeing something shiny and pink:
Elisa: "I need to have that item." Alternately, "That item should live at my house".

Translation: "I would like to own that shiny, pink thing."

Pants. interj. Means that something or someone is bad.

Usage: "You're pants!"

-pants. suff. Means that something is very cute.

Usage: "Look at that puppypants!"

Put pants and -pants together and you'll really make some heads spin. I'd like it if you did. So go ahead. Then report back. Thanks.

I should also tell you that the fact that I am so comfortable with pants being both a good and a bad thing is considered flogic* by Michael.

He's not always right.

-ado. suff. Reduces the impact of the word it is attached to.

Usage: "Fuckado".

During the first Thanksgiving I spent with Mike and his family, we watched some football with some of his cousins. At one point, something bad happened and I said fuckado without even thinking about it. Mike leaned over and said "Did you just say fuckado in front of my 12 year old cousin?" and I think I responded to him with "Fuckadoodledo". Mike later remarked that at least I hadn't just said fuck.

four. n. Indicates a small number, but not necessarily the real number four.

Usage:
Friend: "So, how do you think you did on the SATs?"
Elisa: "I think I got about four answers right, including my name."

8,000. n. Indicates a large number, but not necessarily the real number 8,000.

Usage: "I've got 8,000 mosquito bites."

In context, it really isn't difficult to figure out what the hell I'm talking about (at least I think so, I can't really speak for anyone else who tries to converse with me on a regular basis), but when forced to, I can be as, um, whaddyacallit, er, precise, as the next person.

Right.

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Well, it's been a hell of a month, but this is the last official post of the first "National Elisa Thinks Stuff" Month. I may make this a semi-regular feature, or I may just do it again next year, but either way, this probably won't be the last time you find out just what I think.

I am planning to do a recap of some of the best comments I received over the past month, and let me tell you, you gals are WAY funnier than I. WAY funnier.

*Flogic is not included in the Elisa-Speak dictionary because more than one person worried about what might happen should flogic become known to Significant Others.

National Elisa Thinks It's Keeping It Real Day

2005-02-27T19:13:00.000-05:00

Or, Elisa's in a mood.

So, you guys know me right? You know that I feel rather, ahem, strongly, about orderliness. You know, I have that whole "I want you to be able to open any drawer in my house" thing. Well, today I faced up to the fact that there was a big part of my life where I wasn't keeping up to my own standards, and I felt, well, strongly, that I needed to take myself to task and get all my shit sorted out.

We're calling this Keeping It Real Day at Chez Concateknit.

I began by taking stock of the living room:

The tote is home to a baby blanket that I'm knitting for Mike's sister and BIL who are expecting their third boy in a few months.

The coffee table:

And under the coffee table:

Here's where it starts to go wrong:

This was (some of) my stash in the spare bedroom. That is a BAD picture. While the sight of all that yarn makes my heart warm, the site of all those muffins and boxes and bags scattered around on the floor make me feel ANXIOUS.

It gets worse:

This is a bag that's hiding in the guest room between the bed and the nightstand (Kim, I swear this will be gone before you get here).

And hanging from the back of the guest room closet:

That's an afghan I keep making myself forget about. I manage not to see that bag every morning. I know it's there, but I erase it from my consciousness. No, the afghan doesn't usually erupt from the bag the way it looks in the photo.

The other thing that usually lives in that bag is this:

The lap blanket I am making for my G'pa's girlfriend, Deborah. I was making it for him, but when he passed away, I decided to finish it and give it to Deborah instead. I really do feel a sense of urgency about finishing this and it isn't awful to work on, it's just, well, let's just say I don't wanna.

In order to embrace and confront my shame, I brought everything out to the living room:

I sorted and organized:
The sock yarn

The wools and silks

The bucket of Cotton Fleece

The other stuff: some Debbie Bliss, some lovely ribbon yarn, some DK weight yarn I bought to make finger puppets, that kind of thing.

I also put all the yarn destined to be sweaters into one bucket which made me ridiculously happy. Did you know that I have four sweaters planned for myself? Jesus, I knit one sweater successfully and now I've gone crazy with the sweater yarn purchases.

I also made an FO bucket. It's contents are few:

A scarf on the left and two Booga Bags on the right

So, those Booga bags? I don't want them. I knit them, felted them and promptly fell out of love with them. I really feel like they need some kind of bottom insert to help stabilize them, and I'm just not going to get around to making those inserts.

Do you want them? I swear to god, if you do, just leave me a comment that includes your email address and I'll email you for your snail mail address. There's nothing wrong with the Boogas except I don't want them, which means that They.Must.Get.Out.Of.My.House.

Also, do you remember this? Yeah, well, now it's this:

I told you, I'm in a mood and I mean business.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
In case you were wondering how I'd be spending the evening of the Oscars (and really, I can't imagine that you would), I'll be watching my newest, shiniest, most brand spanking new guilty pleasure: Dog the Bounty Hunter. I become giddy EVERY TIME I think about this show. You might be interested in knowing that Mike is trying to convince me that the Dog marathon has been canceled, but he's just a dirty rotten liar.

National Flogic Day, Part IV

2005-02-26T19:43:00.000-05:00

Or, Why Elisa Isn't Allowed to Hang Things Anymore

I've always believed that a house isn't a home until there are pictures on the walls. That means that almost before I do anything else, I start deciding where pictures will be hung on the wall.

A year ago, when Mike and I moved into our apartment, I took a day off of work so that I could do some speed unpacking to help us get settled in as quickly as possible. Our first apartment had been awful and so I was even more anxious and excited than usual to get our boxes unpacked and our pictures hung.

Actually, the only important statement in the previous paragraph is that I said that I took a day off. Yes, I was home by myself.

Of course, I was 29 years old and perfectly capable of being left alone to unpack a house and hang pictures. Or so we thought.

I got a lot accomplished that day: I unpacked our entire kitchen and pantry, unpacked and shelved 12 boxes of books, unpacked over a thousand cds, hundreds of albums, two wardrobes, and of course, hung a ton of pictures.

It's the pictures I'm not allowed to go near anymore.

Why?

Well, ahem, I'll show you:

These holes live in the foyer underneath a picture of Mike's daughter. You see, I thought the stud thingy ran horizontally, so I kept trying to get a nail in the wall just above or below the area where my nail kept getting stuck.

A widescreen view. Notice the holes underneath the other two photos? Here's when I started to get a little confused. I mean, if I could hang the original three pictures, why couldn't I get a nail in the wall 12" below the first nail? Remember, I was convinced that the stud thingy ran horizontally.

One of my bedroom walls. This is where I finally gave up.

When Mike came home, well, there was a lot of laughter at my expense. Now when he sees me with a hammer in hand, he'll just point to the holes in the wall.

But mostly he just laughs.

Needless to say, not a single picture has been hung in my house for almost a year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In retail therapy news:

Those boots are going to help me grieve for the broken boots, may they rest in peace.

And in case you couldn't tell, yes, those most certainly are pink high heels.

After I bought the pumps, my car seemed to go on auto pilot and I ended up at A Good Yarn:

That's six skeins of Lamb's Pride Worsted (hate the new label, btw) in Blue Magic, and two skeins of Koigu KPPPM.

And just so you don't start thinking that I all I do is make holes in the wall and buy yarn:

I've finished the back and left front of my Ribby Cardi, and have cast on for the right front. It's a fairly straightforward knit and even though the Peruvian Highland Wool is no KPPPM, it's still quite nice.

I do have an FO to share with you, but since the FO is a birthday gift, I'm going to wait and post the photos after I know the recipient has received and opened the gift. Tee hee.

Thank you for all your kind get well wishes yesterday! I'm feeling much better now thanks to a day of rest, a boyfriend returned safely home, and some damn successful retail therapy.

I hope everyone has a terrific weekend and stay tuned for the final two "National Elisa Thinks...Day" posts.

Now I've got to get back to my program: Cops - Bad Girls 4.

National Elisa Thinks February Kicked My Ass Day

2005-02-24T23:23:00.000-05:00

That's right folks, I'm down for the count. It's the big KO. February finally kicked my ass.

I admit, I was pretty cocky. I thought I could just fly in the face of the February doldrums. I thought I could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee all the way around February, and that I'd be safely into March before February realized what a fool I'd made of it.

Ahem, not so. Best laid plans and all that.

So, here I am with no Flogic post for you (you'll get it tomorrow or Saturday at the very latest), wearing my sweats, and I've got tissue, the new Linda Barnes book, a very tall glass of water, a very drippy and sniffly nose, I've just started to watch Money Train on On Demand. It's one of their free movies - surprising, I know.

Oh, and today I'm the Queen of Sneezy Town. Wendy said I could be Queen of Funky Town, too if I wanted. That's cool with me. I'll take what I can get.

The bottom line is that I'm paying for my high-falutin' February Can't Get Me Down Hubris with a righteous February cold. Pfft.

On a positive note, Mike returns from a long(ish) business trip tomorrow evening and I am really looking forward to having him home. I've been lucky enough to have friends who don't mind coming over in the middle of the week to knit, eat, chat and share my ">chocolate, but it will be good to Have.Mike.Home.

No, I'm not a complete baby-pants when he's away - I took out the trash and killed a spider that wouldn't listen to reason.

Hey, you know what? I've seen Money Train before.

Sweet.

National Elisa Thinks It's the Little Shit That'll Send You to the Nuthouse Day

2005-02-22T23:17:00.000-05:00

I'm known to remain quite calm during a disaster. Like the time my neighbor, S, came over to my apartment with a badly cut finger wrapped in paper towels 30 minutes before his parents were to land at San Jose International Airport, did I freak out? Not I. Hastily I made a sign with my neighbor's parent's last name on it, gave it to my ex-husband along with instructions to meet S's parents at their gate and I took S to the emergency room where I never even flinched while S received 13 stitches and a tetanus shot. I made sure he had his insurance card. I filled out all the insurance/emergency room paperwork. I was cool as a cucumber the entire time, and more than once, S marveled at my calm.

However, a paper cut and a missed train in the same day can make me completely lose my shit.

Isn't that always the way, though? When Some Really Major Shit happens, I slide into the Zone, that place where I focus absolutely on the task at hand, and all the things that need to be done just seem to slide into place. The more freaked out the people around me get, the calmer I become.

Unfortunately, I seem to be out of the Zone a lot.

An example:

When my ex-husband and I were getting married, within two weeks of getting engaged I had arranged for the flowers, my dress, our rings, the location, the caterer, the photographer and the DJ. One night, maybe a month into the wedding planning, my ex and I decided to go through a drive through at a fast food restaurant for dinner and when he asked me what I wanted, I burst into tears and cried "Why can't anything be easy?" and "I can't make even one more decision, I just can't". I may have also said "And you can't make me".

Yeah, that's me being out of the Zone.

Should you be standing next to me someday when something (I'd find) irritating happens and I start to laugh, and it sounds kind of like "huh huh, huh huh", you probably want to duck. Or distract me. That's the "huh huh" of a woman on the edge, a woman who's about 3 seconds from losing her shit (one of my favorite sayings, thanks, feel free to use it if you like).

Are you wondering what those things are that I'd find irritating? A short list would include the above mentioned paper cuts and missed trains, but would also include palm trees (I HATE palm trees), smelly people, bad manners, over air-conditioned rooms, stripes with plaids, big hair, ginormous fake boobs, coughing, bad service, and oh, did I mention, PALM TREES.

Seriously - I f*cking hate palm trees.

Huh huh, huh huh...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a much different note, I received two lovely RAOKs today. One, a sweet little note and funny card from Lisa, and two, some terrific lemon-bergamot lip balm and a tube of cuticle cream with a lovely little note from Margene. What wonderful mail to come home to! Thank you so much, ladies, for taking the time to think of me. I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness!

And of course, in a moment of pure flogicality, I told Mike to take the digital camera with him on his business trip to Missouri this week. This means that I have no pictures of the lovely RAOKs, tomorrow's knit knite will be pictureless, and Thursday's (last) flogic post will have to wait until Friday because that post requires pictures, folks. Mike actually tried to convince me that he didn't need to bring the camera with him, but get this - I insisted.

I'll be here all week, folks.

National Elisa Thinks It's Guilty Pleasure Day

2005-02-21T21:36:00.000-05:00

We all have them. You can say that you’re too cool for reality TV or that you’d never stoop so low as to buy a Christina Aguilera CD, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something that you adore that someone else wouldn’t raise their eyebrows at you for.

You KNOW what I’m talking about.

As for myself, I’ve got so many guilty pleasures that sometimes I think I may have to start questioning my own taste. I’ve decided to give you a list of my guilty pleasures organized by category because the list would be too unwieldy otherwise. That being said – it’s still only a partial list.

Movies:
Dude, Where's My Car? – I won’t even lie. I giggle every time I watch this movie.

Foul Play – I love the 70’s Goldie Hawn/Chevy Chase movies. Foul Play is my favorite of the bunch, and I always watch it when I’m home sick.

Con Air – I said, “Put the bunny down”.

Karate Kid, Parts I and II – I REALLY wanted to be Elisabeth Shue in Part I, and I thought the Tea Ceremony in Part II was the most romantic thing I had ever seen.

TV:
Reality TV – American Idol (I know, I know. I started watching for the bad auditions and ended up hooked.), The Swan (which I won’t even try to justify), The Biggest Loser, Cops, Wildest Police Videos, these are just a few of the reality TV shows I’ve gotten hooked on. I watched one season of Survivor and that was enough. I tend to watch the really bad reality TV shows, which means that if it’s on Fox, I’ll probably give it a go. It’s just a little something about me that’s a bit twisted, I realize that.

Fear Factor – Sure, this is reality TV, but it gets its own category. I just like watching artificially enhanced girls and over-muscled guys eat entrails.

Music:

I know too much about 80’s country music, and my collection of 80’s country music is large. I own at least one CD by each of the following artists:

Billy Joe Royal
John Anderson - "Down In Tennessee" still gets me every time I hear it.
Conway Twitty (80’s style) "Hello, Darlin'" is a fine country song, and Jason Molina covered it, so there.
Alabama - "She and I" makes me weepy just thinking about it.
Ronnie Milsap - I've been known to belt out "There's A Stranger in my House" before. I won't lie.
Merle Haggard (again, 80’s style) "If We Make it Through December" reminds me very much of growing up, and even more recently, I found myself identifying with it when Mike and I were going through a particularly rough patch.

Other guilty pleasure bands I like include Air Supply and Bread. Go me! Actually, I’d argue Bread’s legitimacy as a non-guilty pleasure any day.

Books:

The Cat Who Series by Lilian Jackson Braun. These books are a guilty pleasure for obvious reasons: intuitive cats, tingling mustaches, men who inherit millions of dollars, restore apple barns and found colleges, and, do I need to continue?

My Sneaky Pie books. This is what I call the series written by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown (why yes, that is her cat). These books are definitely guilty pleasures, but when I first started reading the series, I found myself dreaming that I was a character in Crozet, WV, and that Ms. Brown could create that compelling an atmosphere keeps me reading.

The Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich. I know that Ms. Evanovich has a huge following, but we all know that a huge following doesn’t denote Great Literature. Although I find myself less and less pleased with her books as the series wears on, I know that I’ll keep buying and reading her new titles, which means that this series definitely qualifies as a guilty pleasure.

Foodstuffs:

Diet Coke with Lime. Seriously, I think this tastes like Endust smells, but I still drink it. These days I seem to choose Diet Coke with Lime whenever I get the chance. I know, it doesn’t make any sense to me, either.

Bugles filled with Cheez Whiz. Stop laughing.

Peanut Butter w/Chocolate Chips. What makes this a guilty pleasure is that I like getting a big spoonful of peanut butter and then mashing as many chocolate chips onto it as I possibly can.

Coffee and Crackers. This is an old school family recipe that you really have to be brought up with to appreciate. It goes like this:

Make a cup of coffee with coffee and milk
Crumble saltines into a cereal bowl
Pour coffee over saltines
Add sugar
Enjoy.

Okay – I’m sure you’re thinking that you could probably handle everything but the “enjoy” part, but I promise you, if you grew up in my family, you’d find yourself at the grocery store, eyeing the Saltines, whenever you felt a little homesick.

Flavored Coffee. Please understand that I was a committed coffee snob for a number of years. I would never have thought about purchasing a cup of flavored coffee. I would have SCOFFED at you should you have suggested that one day I would get a cup of flavored coffee each morning before work. It happened like this: The day after 9/11 I found myself in my cafeteria, buying a cup of coffee per usual, and without questioning why, I bought a cup of the daily flavored coffee rather than the usual stuff I always bought. I did this for about four days in a row before I started to question why I was doing it. The reason why? Because there is a short period of time in my history where my relationship with my mom was very good, and what I remember about that time is her making flavored coffees and sharing them with me. We’d go the mall and get a mocha from Gloria Jean’s or she’d make some at home in the evening and we’d drink them together. Those memories are very comforting, and post 9/11, comfort was what I craved most. So, no matter what kind of hard-assed things I may say about my mom, I’m still doing something every day that reminds me of more pleasant times with her.

So, what are your guilty pleasures, and what makes them guilty for you? I can’t wait to find out!

If you have today off, enjoy. If you’re at work, well, it’ll be over soon. As for me, I have to get ready for the Cops marathon that starts at 3pm.

National Elisa Thinks Knitting Helps Her Feel Less Lazy Than She Really Is Day

2005-02-21T00:05:00.000-05:00

Sundays are traditionally lazy days here at Chez Concateknit. Especially during football season, when I require little if any focused energy from Mike, Sundays are low-key. In fact, I am a big fan of showering on Sundays only to don a clean pair of sweats. It doesn't require a lot of prodding to convince me that whatever I think needs to get done can actually be done at Some Other Time.

Witness a conversation from today:

Me: Do you need to go to B*st Buy today?
Mike: No. Oh - to buy the vacuum cleaner?
Me: Yeah.
Mike: Well, sure, if they carry the one we're looking for.
Me: Okay, well, I'm going to take a shower, so why don't you find out if they carry the vacuum we want. Whether or not they do will determine whether I put on pants after I take my shower, or whether I put on sweats.
Mike: Oh. Okay.

(a few minutes later - I'm still in the shower)
Mike: Hey, babe?
Me: Yeah?
Mike: They carry it.
Me: Okay. Did you want to go out there and pick it up then?
Mike: Well, we could, but we don't need to rush, do we?
Me: What do you mean?
Mike: I mean, we don't have to go buy it today, right?
Me: Um, sure. I do have to go to the grocery store, though.
Mike: Oh. Do you need me to go with you?

We did go to the grocery store, and for that I am thankful because we're supposed to get another storm tomorrow and the last thing I want to worry about is whether or not I have enough coffee for Tuesday morning.

Aside from rambling conversations with Mike, pretty much all I did today was knit. I finished the first of the birthday socks (photos to come when I'm not too lazy to get up, get the camera, take pictures, blah blah blah) and cast on for the second sock. I keep thinking that the birthday socks will be done in time to be wrapped and shipped to California in time for Kim's birthday (she knows these are coming, so I'm not ruining a surprise) until I remember that this is a short month, which means that I don't have my regular allotment of Oh Shit days at the end of the month to use to prepare for whatever deadline is inevitably looming for the first of the month.

But the amount of knitting I did successfully kept me from thinking about all the other things I wasn't doing. For instance, I wasn't doing laundry (although Mike and I did talk about laundry), I wasn't going to the gym, I wasn't writing thank you notes, I wasn't balancing my checkbook, I wasn't paying bills. I was knitting. I was looking at yarn on eBay. I was watching discs 4-6 of Season 4 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Under normal (read: before I knit) circumstances, I would have felt guilty about all the things I didn't do today, but because I was knitting, I felt like I was doing something constructive, and if I am really truthful, I think I have arrived at a place where knitting feels like a perfectly legitimate reason for not doing all the other stuff I should be doing.

Thank god for knitting. Otherwise I might feel like I needed to dust.

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Program

2005-02-19T20:55:00.000-05:00

To bring you three Very Important Updates:

One: Good Hair

The side view:

I have rectified the Bad Hair Situation by replacing the Bad with Good. I went to Portsmouth, NH today and had a wonderful stylist named Jill fix the badness that has been living on top of my head, causing me great trauma, making me feel like an unpretty kitty.

Believe me ladies, this is Big News at Chez Concateknit.

Two: Stash

The yarn? 50% off. I'll be making Lara from the Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk book for $40. Yesterday, I bought the 10 balls of yarn that were available, and in a purely flogical moment, I thought "10 balls is enough to make this sweater. I can definitely make a sweater for 10 balls of yarn". Um - sure. You know why that was flogical, right? It's flogical because I really just thought 10 balls = enough to make a sweater, without any thought at all to how many yards were in each ball. Luckily I was right - but it was dumb luck. Oh, the yarn is Sable, which is a 70% merino, 30% angora blend. Sweet, no?

Bearfoot by Mountain Colors. Sweet merciful Mary, there was no way I was getting out of the LYS without this. It makes me Very Happy. It all comes back to sock yarn, baby. It really does.

Three: Well-Behaved Muffins Make Beautiful Socks

I really love working with the Koigu KPPPM. It's feels great, and it works up into the most beautiful fabric ever. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if I was yarn, I'd marry some Koigu KPPPM.

Tomorrow I'll starting thinking things again. Promise.

National Flogic Day, Part III

2005-02-17T20:31:00.000-05:00

I had to enlist Mike’s help with this. I was coming up with a complete blank for our third installment of National Flogic Day at Chez Concateknit.

I’m still a little disturbed by the gleam that crept into Mike’s eyes when I said “What else have I done that you would classify as flogic?” I told him I needed two more entries for the month, but only one for tonight, but he was really ready to give me Many More Than Two examples of Elisa being flogical. On the plus side, I’ve got this week’s and next week’s posts in the bag. The downside is that gleam I just mentioned.

Note to self: Mike has more than a few things to say about Elisa and flogic.

Second Note to self: Stop asking him questions about Elisa and flogic.

Ahem. Bruised ego aside (he says “Most of the flogical things you’ve done seem to do with food), I do have a part III in our Thursdays Are For Flogic series. Let’s begin.

I’m a vegetarian, albeit a fallen one (he says “Most of the time, I think you have a pretty good head on your shoulders. Have you told them about your thing with corn?”) but I really hate when Mike wants to tell people that I’m a vegetarian before we go to a function because I worry that the host will have to go out of their way to accomodate me.

I truly hate to have things prepared especially for me. It makes me feel really uncomfortable, and it makes me feel different - in a bad way. Almost without exception, things work out just fine for me when I go to a function like a potluck or a BBQ. It so rarely happens that there’s nothing vegetarian at one of those kinds of functions that I hardly even think about it anymore.

But Mike does (“Hey, did you tell them that you think bananas make you stupid just because they smell bad?”). Mike thinks about it so much that it makes me anxious. In a BBQ or potluck situation, I really do assume that there will be at least a salad with a salad dressing that probably doesn’t contain meat. I’m almost never wrong about this, people.

I am ALMOST never wrong.

Except for one time: Mike and I went to a BBQ at the home of one of his co-workers (he says “Um, his Supervisor!”), and as usual, I told Mike not to worry about what I would eat. I said what I always say, which is “Don’t worry. I never starve.” For whatever reason, we didn’t bring a dish with us, which is how I usually prevent myself from starving, but I still felt Cool and the Gang about it. Beer in hand, I wandered from table to table looking for a little something to nosh on, and I kept coming up empty-plated. The salad? It had meat in it, and not easily removable pieces of meat, but little bits of tuna or chicken salad that had thoroughly coated everything. The potato salad? I swear, there was Spam in there. Finally, feeling a little Zen about the whole experience (I find hunger really helps me with the whole Zen thing) I found a bowl of salsa. Excitedly, and much less Zen (because I was gonna eat finally), I picked up a tortilla chip (no, corn tortilla chips don’t count toward the whole corn thing) and scooped up some salsa, only to find that there was chicken in it.

Okay, really – who could blame me for thinking at least the freaking salsa would be meatless?

At that point, Mike had had it (he says “You know, the whole fried zucchini thing was really crazy.”) and he told the hostess casually that I was vegetarian, which sent her into a tizzy and meant that I then had to endure having her run back into the house and make me a cheese quesadilla. A HUGE quesadilla, which she announced was for me and for me only, to everyone within earshot. Well, I was mortified, and beyond that, I felt responsible for eating the entire quesadilla.

And Mike says “And none of this would have happened if you just would have let me tell her you’re a fucking vegetarian!”
Then he says “Grumble, grumble, drive me nuts, grumble.”
And then he says “So, did you tell them the REAL reason you don’t like corn?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Knitting Meme – I’ve been tagged.

Thanks Lauren!

Do you knit using the English or Continental Method?
Continental. I fancy that someday I’ll be able to do both at the same time and really impress the hell out of people, but for right now, well, I’m just happy not to stab myself with my needles, or strangle myself with my yarn.

How long ago did you learn to knit?
Most recently – about 9 months ago. I was taught the knit stitch by my dad’s second wife’s mom, but not knowing how to cast off, the scarf (of course) went nowhere.

Who taught you how?
Most recently – the internet.
The first time – see above

What was your first FO?
Wee doggies – an orange Homespun scarf that’s pretty damn wonky.

Favorite yarn?
Should this yarn lie to me like the last yarn lied to me, I want you to remember that I said this: I love Koigu KPPPM. Love it. If I were yarn, I’d marry it.

Favorite pattern you’ve knit so far?
Well, since I’ve knit it four times – I’d have to say Julie Anderson’s Sophie bag pattern.

Favorite pattern source?
IK and knitty. I’ll have to say ditto here.

Favorite needles?
Circulars. Clovers and Addi Turbos .

Nicest thing you’ve ever knit
The Cowl Sweater from Stitch n’ Bitch (otherwise known as the Very Bad Sweater). I gave it to my friend Shannon last night and she loved it. The girl sitting next to me said she had paid a lot of money for a similar sweater and she liked mine better.

Most hated project
The Very Bad Sweater.

Let’s see – who will I pass this on to…

Well, Wendy of course (sorry, darlin’), Melanie, and Emily.

TAG!

National Elisa Thinks Sometimes the Cosmos Shits In Your Lap And Tells You to Call it A Kitten Day

2005-02-16T23:01:00.000-05:00

No, it wasn't a good day.

It wasn't a bad day in a Terribly Traumatic kind of way. It was the kind of day that beats you down by inches. The kind of day where you start to think that maybe you've done some bad cosmic shit and now it's all coming back to you.

I had a friend once who told me he thought I must have been a very bad cat in a former life to be reincarnated as a human in this life. It's days like this when I start to believe him.

Need proof?

You know where this happened? Not close to my house. Not by a long shot. This happened as I was just starting the second of my three (sometimes four) leg journey home. I stepped off the shuttle and noticed immediately that one of my legs was no longer (har har) as long as the other. I hobbled across four intersections, into the T station, down the stairs, through the station, down more stairs, down the platform to a bench where I sat down and the genius sitting next to me said "Did your shoe break?". As I held the heel in one hand and looked at him, I replied, "Um, yeah.".

And then he laughed.

I hobbled the rest of the way home (read: I ran/hobbled off the T and literally threw myself in front of the bus that would take me closest to my house) walked up the up the front porch and was greeted by two packages:

The thing about these packages? I only ordered the two books on the right. I didn't order the package on the left. And the books I did order? I ordered them FIVE MONTHS AGO. I swear to you, there is a postal conspiracy out there, and it's gunning for me. I received a postcard in the mail last week urging me to get a PO Box. I laughed in the face of the postcard. I threw it away, scoffing at the nerve of the Post Office to ask me to get a PO Box so that I would have to go to the scary Post Office more often than I have to go now.

And then they deliver a package that I swear they've had for FIVE MONTHS.

WHO KNOWS what else they're holding of mine.

I expect to start receiving ransom notes any day now.

The last thing that happened to me is maybe the worst.

My sock lied to me.

You know what happens to liars at Chez Concateknit? I turn them back into muffins:

Blurry muffins.

That's right. You've been warned.

National Elisa Thinks The Telephone Is An Instrument of The Devil Day

2005-02-15T14:43:00.000-05:00

Alternate title: National Elisa Just Realized She’s Outing Herself About One of Her Many Crazy Behaviors Day

Because really, who needs the telephone these days? I’m just as easily accessible via email, or IM, or hell, even by blog, so why call?

For four years, I worked for a telemarketing company. Yes, I started out as a telemarketer, but then I moved my way up the food chain to assistant manager. I lived in a world where a minimum of 60 phones were ringing AT ALL TIMES. When one of our telemarketers had an order that needed verifying they would snap to get my attention, so in addition to the Ringing, there was the Snapping. For YEARS, I could blissfully ignore the sound of a telephone, but turn on a dime in a department store if someone snapped their fingers from three departments over. Admittedly, this has left me a little warped. I no longer pounce on or glare at innocent snappers, but I have a pretty well developed neurosis concerning the telephone. I hate it. If you call me, I probably won’t answer. If you leave me a message, I will probably delete it without listening to the whole thing. When I do check my messages, I listen only long enough to hear who the message is from and then I delete it immediately. Don’t tell me anything important in a voicemail message because I will willfully not listen to it. I will find out you called, delete your message, and then call you back. At some point. Of course, I will have no idea why you called, so you’ll need to tell me.

Part of my neurosis stems from the belief that no good news comes from the telephone. You know who calls me on the telephone? My Other Aunt. When it’s 7am and my phone rings? That means MOA has been up all night and has decided that at 7am ET, I’m probably awake and ready to talk to her. Oh, and she’s not up all night because she’s an insomniac.

You know who else calls on the telephone? Bill collectors. Admittedly, I haven’t received a call from a bill collector in a while, but when the phone rings, I assume it’s one of my creditors calling to harass me, especially if the call comes at dinnertime.

You know who else calls on the telephone? Telemarketers. Of course I realize the irony here. Doesn’t mean I want to talk to any telemarketers. In fact, I’m probably even more hostile than most people when it comes to telemarketers, because I know EXACTLY the type of people I used to hire.

You know who else calls on the telephone? The random family member from my dad’s side of the family who wants to tell me all about the stupid things my father has done recently. Well, you know what? He’s my dad…I already know he does stupid things. It really isn’t a news flash, although it’s great for getting my blood pressure up, thanks.

I know that you’re thinking to yourself that The Person On The Other Side of The Ringing Phone isn’t always one of Those People. But you know what? Not so much. Pretty much all my friends know about my phone phobia at this point. The messages that they leave for me are usually straight to the point, include very few details, but even more often, they don’t call, they send me an email. I relish email. Email makes me Happy. I see a friend’s name pop up as the sender of an email, and I can’t wait to open the email and find out what’s going on with them. The same person’s name pops up on my Called ID and I break out into a cold sweat.

And if the Caller ID shows the number as Restricted, well, you can bet your sweet bippy that call is going to voicemail.

It takes almost every once of willpower I have not to answer the phone “What’s wrong?” instead of “Hello?”

It takes the rest of my willpower not to bury the phone in my t-shirt drawer just so I can pretend I don’t own a phone at all.

Oh, and if I tell you I didn’t get your message because my battery was dead and I didn’t check my messages? I’m lying to you. I compulsively keep the phone on and charged. I just don’t answer it.

National Elisa Thinks "Ain't Love Grand?" Day

2005-02-14T20:38:00.000-05:00

Mike left work early so that I could come home to this:

When I opened up the box of Richart chocolate, inside were these little specimens of chocolatey perfection:

I'd say that gets a "Hell Yeah".

Now, I got a few lovely little things for Mike for Valentine's Day, but that's really beside the point. Because I want to tell you why today is National Elisa Thinks "Ain't Love Grand?" Day.

I'll be the first to admit that Valentine's Day is primarily about consumerism and the greeting card and flower industries making a buck (or many more bucks than A Buck, duh) but I don't see how that differs from many of the other gift giving holidays I celebrate, and personally, I'm in favor of any occasion where I get to buy gifts for people.

I know people say this all the time, but it really is the thought that counts when it comes to gift giving. Some of the best gifts I've ever gotten have not been the most expensive gifts, but they've always been the most thoughtful.

What makes the gifts that Mike gave me this year so special are the facts that 1) Mike arranged those roses himself and 2) He was so excited when I got home that he couldn't wait for me to open the card and the chocolates. Mike gives gifts in the best possible way - without thought to what he himself would like or want. For example, for about three years I asked EVERYONE I KNEW for "The Karate Kid" on DVD, but no one would get it for me.. The first Christmas that Mike and I were dating, what did he give me? You got it - "The Karate Kid". He doesn't like the movie (I know, it's hard to believe, he's so perfect otherwise) but he got it for me because he knew how much I wanted the movie.

Seems like a small thing, doesn't it? I suppose it is, but it gets at a real spirit of giving that never fails to move me. The same way that him buying, trimming, and arranging roses for me moves me, his desire to do something that will make me happy is the reason that I continue to celebrate silly commercial holidays. He reminds me that the true test of love is not in being able or willing to pay an exorbinant price for a dozen roses, but in paying the kind of attention to someone else that always leads him to pick That Thing that will always be absolutely perfect.

Ain't Love Grand?

National Elisa Thinks You're Taking Up Too Much Space And Going Too Slow Day

2005-02-12T00:07:00.000-05:00

Well, not YOU - just everyone who commutes in and out of Boston each day. Of course, this most certainly does not include you, you, you, or you!

My question for you dear readers, is this: why doesn't anyone else seem to realize this? And even more to the point, why do the people standing near me seem especially ignorant of the fact that maybe, just maybe, I'm really not interested in having their ass or bag in my face*?

I commute with a relatively large bag and my lunch tote virtually every day, but that doesn't mean that I feel entitled to all the damn space in the world, on the train, in the station, on the bench, or in the stairwell. I make a concious effort to keep my bags very close to me at all times, and not just because I'm worried about getting my wallet lifted (I'm actually NOT worried about that, although I probably should be). I pay attention to how much space my bags take up because I realize that I'M NOT THE ONLY F*CKING PERSON ON THE TRAIN. I never walk down stairs in the middle of the stairwell if I can get further to the right side (because you should always walk as if you were driving, and that means get over to the goddamn RIGHT SIDE. Grr...) and I always allow people to get off the train before I push ahead like a bull. And if I'm the person trying to exit the train and someone is bulldozing their way on without letting me off? Well, get out of my way because I'm going to square my little shoulders, walk right into you and never even say excuse me because you deserved it.

I wonder what it is that causes people who have been standing nose to armpit in a crowded train to get out at the last stop along with many other people and just stand right outside the door as if all the shoving they did to get ON the train, and all the jostling they did to get the EXACT spot that they wanted was with the sole purpose of standing on the platform at the train station just keeping everyone else from getting off.

You know what I say to those people? F*cking move. No really, that's what I say. Sometimes I only say it in my head, but you can bet your sweet bippy I think it really loud.

I've also developed a New Englander's sense of what I feel is reasonable weather to wait outside in. I take a shuttle from the T station to my work, and every morning, especially during the winter, unless a shuttle is already waiting curbside, there is always a gaggle of folks waiting right inside the station entrance for the shuttle to show up. Not me. I march right past all those silly waiting folks and stand outside regardless of the weather, and yeah, I'll admit it, it makes me feel a little superior. I think things like "Where did they grow up? California?" and then I scoff at them. And no, a little frostbite never hurt anyone.

Selective hearing seems to be another handicap that afflicts the Boston commuter. I swear that people can hear the train from miles away, but they can't hear me when I say "excuse me". All I want is to manage my commute without getting into a brawl. All I want is a little bit of kindness, or at least a grudging shuffle out of my way. Is it too much to ask of you, especially as you've had your crotch in my face for 25 minutes?

But here's just one small piece of advice for you before I go. If you've ever ridden the T, or really any subway at all, ever, then you realize that in order to get from point A to point B, the train must move. So hold on to something, okay? Because your balance isn't as good as you think it is, and each time the train stops, the possibility that it will start moving again is Very High. All you do when you let go of the railing or the bar or whatever is piss me off because now not only do I have to keep myself from falling on whomever is standing or sitting around me, but I've also got to prepare myself to catch you when you lurch off balance and fall, limbs all akimbo, into my arms, as if the concept of a suddenly moving train never occurred to you.

*Although, if I am forced to choose between the two, I'll take the bag any day.

National Flogic Day, Part II

2005-02-10T20:31:00.000-05:00

I'm not a slave to fashion. I don’t need to wear the latest designs, or buy new makeup for each season. To be honest, I don’t really care much for fashion at all. Style, however, is important to me, and I have a whole litany of rules and regulations that I subject myself to each day as I get ready to leave my house.

When I was still living in downtown San Jose, I would ride my bike all over town while wearing my four inch slides or my faux leopard-print boots, thinking nothing of practicality.

Practicality has never been an item on my list of style rules.

Exchanging cute shoes for Comfort never even crossed my mind a remote possibility.

The year after I moved to Boston, a bunch of my co-workers and I decided to do a 13.1 mile charity walk, and I was never worried about whether or not I’d be able to complete the walk.

I did have other concerns, though. One morning, I walked into a my friend K’s office and said, “What shoes are you going to wear for the walk?” She just stared at me until she realized I was serious and then she replied, “Um, Sneakers?” I said, “But sneakers make me look like an asshole.” and then I walked out of her office. When she stopped laughing, she asked me what I was planning to wear for the walk. I said I thought I’d wear my Sketchers because they were sneakerish but still cute.

So I did. And I finished the walk. But not without injuring one of my big toes and ending up with some really freaky shit happening to that toenail. In fact, I ended up convinced I had an ingrown toenail and going to the doctor about it not once, but twice.

To this day, whenever the weather turns inclement, my friend will call or email to find out what shoes I’m wearing, and usually I’m wearing something not terribly practical.

Mike thinks that my unwillingness to wear sneakers for the walk is a primo example of flogic, and I suppose if I use his standards, he’s right. But had I wore sneakers that day, I wouldn’t have ended up at the doctor’s office one Friday night for my perceived ingrown toenail, and in my terrified state (oh yeah – I HATE going to the doctor. Usually they need to make me lie down and do deep breathing exercises before they can take my blood pressure.) I may not have felt the need to just drive around looking at stuff instead of going home, and I might not have wandered into the café where I met Mike.

Um, the point?

Well, I guess it going something like this:

1 - Fashion is Lame.
2 - Style is Good.
3 - Cute shoes are Great.
4 - Cute shoes and sneakers are not equal.
5- Wearing cute shoes to go on long walks and injuring yourself can lead you to cute boys who will later make Big Fun of you for spending A LOT of time thinking about #’s 1-4.

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Before I go, I’d like to show you a little something:

Last night, I went met Wendy, Keiko, Jackie, and Wendy’s lovely friend Erin, for dinner at Clery’s in the South End. We ate, we drank, we knit, and we spent a lot of time talking about Jackie’s engagement. She’s just radiant and full of joy, and I know that she and Eric are going to spend a lifetime full of love together.

Yay for love.

National Elisa Thinks You Should Embrace the Thong and For God’s Sake, Pull Up Your Pants Day

2005-02-09T22:38:00.000-05:00

Okay, this may not relate to you. Maybe you own a mirror, and maybe you use it on a daily basis. Maybe, before you leave your house in the morning before school or work, or in the evening before you go out, you take one last look at your ass before you walk out the door to make sure that:

1) You can not see your panties, or any panty lines through your pants,
2) You can not see the top of your panties when you bend down, and
3) You most certainly can not see the top of your panties when you’re standing up

If you answer “Yes, I make certain of those things”, then you may as well just skip ahead to the next blog, because you’ve already got this shit figured out. But if you’re thinking to yourself, “What are panty lines?” then keep on reading, darlin’, because this is for you.

First of all, there’s no reason for you to own any non-thong panties. Don’t argue with me. You’ll get used to the feeling of the thong, and let me just tell you that whatever you think it’ll be like, it’s not nearly as uncomfortable as the feeling of having all that granny panty fabric all bunched up. Let me repeat: there is no reason for you to own any panties that are not thongs - Not for “that time of month”, not for working out, not for riding your bike, never. They are cute, they are comfortable, and if you don’t own any, then you should.

If you insist that thongs will be uncomfortable and that you don’t want that piece of string up your butt, okay fine. You’re wrong, but whatever. At least observe a few simple, rules, ahem, suggestions:

1) If you plan on wearing white pants, check the thickness of the pants before you put on your red panties. If you have to ask why, then this rule is doubly important.
2) If you are going to wear thin pants, it is important that your panties also be relatively thin, otherwise you will be a victim (or perpetrator) of PTL. Panty Lines. Panty lines aren’t pretty – panty lines suggest a lack of attention to detail. And you know what else? Just because you can’t see it (because you can’t see your ass unless it’s on purpose) doesn’t mean that it’s not there. And it sure as hell doesn’t mean that I want to see it.

Second, before you leave your house in the morning, just bend down or bend over and feel above the back of your pants. Feel anything sticking up out of your pants? This applies to both #2 and #3 at the beginning of this post because it’s either your panties or your ass crack, and I don’t want to see either. If it’s your panties, go put on your low-rise panties (or better yet, your low-rise thong). If it’s your ass crack you feel, go put on different pants. I don’t care how young you are, or how young you feel, ass crack is not the new cleavage. It isn’t cute, it isn’t sexy, it does nothing except hide the place that makes poop, and I can assure you, there is NOTHING sexy about that thought. So change your pants. And then burn them.

Having trouble remembering all these rules, er, suggestions? Then just remember this: Crack Is Bad.

Keep your thongs low, your pants up, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

National Elisa Thinks Nothing Good Can Come From Bananas Day

2005-02-08T20:38:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe banana bread, but that's a big maybe.

I have a friend who hates bananas as much as I do, but she eats them every day because they are "good for you". I saw Screw That.

If I happen to like something that is good for me, well, fine. If I happen to think that something tastes terrible, well, then I don't care if it is good for me or not, I'm not having it.

Maybe that's the best thing about being a grown up: not having to eat something just because it's good for me.

My dad's second wife had this whole "no thank you helping" thing that really made me crazy. No matter what she was serving, you had to eat at least a small helping of it or you wouldn't be excused from the table. I spent a few formative years eating at least one thing I didn't like that was supposedly good for me at each meal, and when I was finally old enough to make my own choices about what I would and wouldn't eat, I decided categorically that I would never eat a banana again. I can't stand the smell, I can't stand the taste, I can't stand the way that they get brown and mushy. I can't stand anything banana flavored, and if I get the banana flavored jelly bean, I'll spit it out and say (or squawk, more likely) Blech! Ack! Ick!

I'll throw down for the hot buttered popcorn flavored jelly bean, but the banana is all yours.

If you like bananas (and I'm sure you don't, especially as today is all about how Stupid and Bad bananas are), rest assured that I will never fight you for one. Yuck.

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I spent a little time getting to know the outlet shops in North Conway and Tilton, NH this weekend, and this is a sampling of some of the items that followed me home:

That there haul includes a $4.00 skirt and a $10.00 pair of purple wool pants from The Gap. No shit.

And now I'm rockin' it Lolly style, because, well, who doesn't love Lolly Lauren?

Two little fabric flower pins that now live at my house.

But I've saved the best for last. We all know that I'm not terribly practical when it comes to choosing the right footwear for the right occasion.* Mike has been trying to get me to buy "practical" winter boots now for quite a while (read: since he's known me). I caved when I was at the outlets. I went for "practical". But I went practical in true Concateknit style:

Why yes, those are knee high plaid rain boots. And yes, I am wearing them with my sweat pants shoved into them. Is that my ceiling you see in the background? Well, duh. I mean, how would you take a picture of your new knee high plaid rain boots?

If you haven't heard the good news already, go here. Then come back. I'll wait.

Isn't that just the greatest news? I haven't known her for very long, but I can tell you that she's an absolute doll, and she deserves all the happiness that a long life filled with lots of love and joy can bring her. The wheels are in motion for The Plan.

I also wanted to take a minute to say thanks for the great comments you left about Kim Day. If you haven't checked out the comments for yesterday's post, you have a couple of minutes, and you're interested in learning a few little known facts about yours truly, well, Kim's here to help you out. I can attest to the truthfulness of all the anecdotes.

*Actually, you may not know this about me yet, but you will on Thursday.

National Kim Day

2005-02-07T20:26:00.000-05:00

I know I've talked about my best friend Kim a lot since I've started this blog, and in the spirit of getting to make all the rules this month, I've decided that today is Kim's day.

Here's why (In no particular order):

1. Kim has the most beautiful curly hair ever. The kind that women pay hundreds of dollars to try and replicate artificially.

2. In addition to the hair, she's got beautiful big blue eyes and long eyelashes.

3. She was a dancer for many years, and one of my favorite pictures is of her wearing a ballet costume when she was in 8th grade.

4. Her first car was a yellow VW Beetle.

5. My cat Bubba recognized the sound of her engine pulling into our driveway and would always run up to greet her, and sometimes, if she wasn't fast enough, he'd jump into her car.

6. When we were in high school, if I was sick and needed to go to the doctor, she'd pick me up from my house, make sure I was wearing a sweater or coat, and drive me to my appointment. Of course, her car would be nice and warm when I got into it because she would worry about me catching a chill.

7. Kim's grandma made her a beautiful Columbia costume when we were in Rocky Horror Picture Show.

8. Kim knows pretty much every bad or stupid thing I've ever done, and she still loves me.

9. Kim knows the bad and stupid things that many people have done, and she still loves them, too.

10. Our senior year of high school, I lived down the street, around the corner, down the street, around the corner, down the street and on the corner from Kim.

11. The first gift I received from Tiffanys was a heart necklace that Kim gave to me for my 30th birthday.

12. Kim was the first person to ever send me flowers at work, and that was for my 29th birthday.

13. Kim is unfailingly honest.

14. Kim is a wonderful mom.

15. Kim has 3 beautiful children - One daughter and twin boys.

16. When Kim's daughter was just starting to talk, she had a way of saying "honey bee" that was so cute that sometimes Mike and I will look at each other, say "honey bee" and start laughing.

17. Kim's laugh is infectious.

18. When I was in a car accident and didn't feel I could call either of my parents to come and get me, I called Kim, and she drove 20 miles to get me in the middle of a terrible storm, and then drove 40 miles to drop off the boy I was dating, and then 20 miles back to drop me off at my house before she got to go back to bed. Oh, did I forget to mention that I called her at like midnight?

19. One morning, after Kim had spent the night at my house, she woke up with about 8 cats (my mom had lots of them at the time) on the bed around her, and she always tells people she felt like Cat Woman.

20. Kim likes chicken.

21. I spent New Year's Eve '99/'00 with Kim and her husband, and on January 1st, we went and saw "Galaxy Quest" together. Periodically, Kim asks me if I've ever seen "Galaxy Quest" and then professes having NO RECOLLECTION of seeing it with me.

22. Kim taught me how to use a potato peeler.

23. Kim also taught me that cabbage and lettuce are not the same thing.

24. Kim makes a mean crudite.

25. Without fail, Kim will pick out the one gift that you would choose for yourself.

26. I don't feel like anything is "really real" until I've had a chance to talk to Kim about it.

27. Kim sent me and Mike a tin full of homemade goodies at Christmas time, and we fought over every last one of them.

28. Kim has the best in-laws ever. I covet her mother-in-law. :)

29. Even though Kim drives a minivan, I still think she's cool.

30. Whenever I go to California, Kim makes sure to feed me Mexican food. Stat.

31. When Kim came to visit me and Mike in 2003, I told her to bring good walking shoes. She brought her version of good walking shoes, which resulted in her having wicked bad blisters on her feet. I kept asking if she was okay, and she would say "I'm fine. I just need to pick up some more band-aids."

32. Kim is a certified EMT.

33. Kim also went to beauty school.

34. Kim is a genuinely kind person. I think true kindness in people is rare.

35. Kim and I once went to Berkeley and got hair wraps. We also had our palms read.

36. At a cast party for Rocky Horror, Kim stopped everyone who walked by, saying "Did you know that Elisa is my best friend in the whole world?". She'd follow that up by telling them that she was exactly 7 months older than me.

37. When I think about my family, I automatically include Kim.

38. When my G'pa died, Kim drove about 6 hours round trip to spend a total of about 4 hours with me.

39. When I went back to school after dropping out, Kim told me that even if she had to drive to my house every day and drag me naked to school, I was going to graduate on time. She was the only person who believed I would graduate on time, and I did.

40. Kim and I used to skip class in college and play chess in the student union instead.

41. If I drove by Kim in our college parking lot and said "I forgot my parking pass and I don't have any change, so I can't park. Do you want to go to Taco Bell?" she'd just hop in the car and off we'd go. Rarely did we make it back for class.

42. When I worked at a shoe store, Kim would come and buy things from me to help make sure I met my sales quotas.

43. Every job that Kim had always seemed like a cool job to me. It didn't matter what it was, it was just that Kim was doing it.

44. Kim has asked me for something, anything, handknit for her birthday.

45. Kim has very good taste in music.

46. Kim is plotting against me with Mike to get rid of my "bad" movies. The fact that she doesn't love "Dude, Where's My Car?" is maybe one of the only bad things I can say about her.

47. She always knows just what to say.

48. She doesn't think so, but she is quite eloquent and well-spoken.

49. She and her husband own a beautiful house and some acreage in the mountains of California and it is one of the most peaceful places I've ever been.

50. She's the best friend anyone could ever have, and I'm just glad she's mine.

I'm sure there's someone in your life that you feel the same way about that I feel for Kim, so if you haven't talked to that person today, why not give them a call, or send them an email, and let them know that they deserve their own day, too.

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Lauren - I promise I'll tell you what else was in the trunk. Tomorrow. ;)

National Elisa Thinks Today is Patriots Day

2005-02-06T17:41:00.000-05:00

You WILL be watching the Super Bowl this evening, right?

I just want to say that, no matter what happens, I think the New England Patriots are an amazing team. They run onto the field together, they don't talk smack about opposing teams, they are humble when others talk about the Patriots being a dynasty, and oh, they've won two Super Bowls in the past three years and they finished the season 14-2.

The fact that Tom Brady is a native Northern California boy doesn't hurt, either.

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In Other News:

You know that I have a new job. You know that it's a Big Girl Job. Well, it's a new Big Girl Job that I L.O.V.E. It isn't an easy job, in fact, it's a very hard job and it is going to keep me very busy. I'll probably have to bring work home from time to time, and for that, I need some kind of item that will transport work from my office to my house. No, now is not the time to remind me that I have a closet full of the kinds of items I am talking about because I will laugh in your face. I will categorically deny that any such appropriate item actually lives at my house.

Or at least, I would have said that until I brought this choice little baby home:

Can you hear me giggling?

I know that I seem to be pretty happy, but you see, as a result of having a new job that I love, I'm having nightmares that involve being made to go back to my old job. Let's just say that my new little Coach item helps me close the door on the old job. I mean, the old job was so un-Coach-worthy. ;)

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In knitting news, let me show you my back:

The back of my Ribby Cardi, that is.

I finished the back while Mike and I were in New Hampshire this weekend, and am about 4" into the left front of the cardigan. I still enjoy knitting this as much as I did when I first CO for it, and I am much less nervous about the seaming and finishing since I was able to conquer, ahem, subjugate, ehm, finish the Very Bad Sweater.

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In Blogging News:

I'd like to apologize for the posting fiasco that was Friday. Our internet connectivity has been terrible and we had a repairman out Friday afternoon to unbreak the Internet for us. He was successful, but as soon as the Internet stopped being stupid and broken, Blogger went wonky and would not let me post. Finally, after some hair pulling, swear-word inducing, anxiety raising minutes, Blogger showed that I had posted successfully and I shut down my computer and ran out the door (just so I could sit in traffic, of course).

This afternoon, when I got home and pulled up my blog, I saw that I had successfully posted not once, but five times on Friday. Sigh.

Go Pats!

National Commuting Makes Elisa Anxious Day

2005-02-04T16:11:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I realize that I am, and always will be, a California girl. To be more specific, a California girl, who despite her earth friendly tendencies, would really be more happy driving her own car everywhere she has to go. Especially to work.

I spent 3 hours commuting today. One and a half hours to work, one and a half hours home, and you know how many miles I travelled? Twelve. Total. Not each way, nope. Round trip.

I miss having my own goddamn car*.

Rationally, I understand that a car would not really alleviate my commuting anxiety, it would only channel it elsewhere, but when I am on a bus for forty minutes, going four miles, and I spend that entire time with a stranger's crotch, ass, or armpit in my face**, well, let's just say being at a standstill in traffic in my own car sounds like heaven.

So, now I am home, and ridiculously anxious because I have to get in our car and drive through the city on my way to a weekend out of town. I should be focused on the relaxing that will be happening in a few short hours, I should be focused on the fact that I am spending a weekend out of town with some really cool people in a really beautiful setting. I know I should be focused on those things. But you know what I'm really thinking about, right?

I'm thinking about driving through Boston at 4pm on a Friday.

Oh Jesus, I gotta go.
ll
PS - because commuting ate all my free time today, I won't be able to post tomorrow, and for that, I humbly apologize. I had a plan that was thwarted by the MBTA**.

*I have half a car. Mike NEEDS to drive to work every day, and helps me out with my commute as often and as much as he can. Today was something of an aberration.

**These items get their very own special day, mwah ha ha...

PPS - I think Melanie called me an adorable bunch of neuroses, and to that I say um, thanks? ;) Just kidding, Melanie, I got a huge laugh out of that comment. And Mandy asked me if I was a perverted cucumber lover, to which I have to say, well, duh, of course! Oh, and Wendy - why are you farting in my comments? I really thought you were more refined than that. heh heh heh. ;)

*mwah* eveyone, have a great weekend. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled neuroses on Sunday.

National Flogic Day, Part I

2005-02-03T22:45:00.000-05:00

Since I get to make up the rules this month, I’ve decided that today is National Flogic Day. In fact, today is National Flogic Day, Part I, because I’ve decided that here at Casa Concateknit we’ll be celebrating Thursdays are for National Flogic Day all month.

That being said, you probably want to know what the hell “flogic” is…

Some Background:

Back when I was a vegetarian in good standing (I’ve had a hot dog and pepperoni since, so I’ve fallen hard and fast) I would get meat guilt. Meat guilt is the guilt I feel when I ask a friend of mine what she plans to make for dinner, and she responds with something like “Oh, I could defrost some steaks, or there’s some chicken in the refrigerator” and I start feeling like a complete loser because there are no steaks in my freezer to be defrosted to feed to my family. I end up feeling very guilty about being a vegetarian and have to stop myself from running out to the grocery store and buying a bunch of meat I know nothing about and have no idea how to prepare.

A Story:

My meat guilt drives me to demand periodically that Mike and I go to restaurants that serve virtually no vegetables, and one day, I insisted that we go to Woodman’s the following weekend so that Mike could have chowder, fried clams, and whatever other kind of fried seafood he was interested in that would help assuage my meat guilt. Mike, being the concerned boyfriend that he is, asked me what I would have to eat. I never even hesitated when I said I’d eat fried zucchini. Remember Mike’s “What Are You Doing?” face? That was the look that he gave me as he asked why I would possibly think that Woodman’s would have fried zucchini. I said “It just makes sense” and he said “To Whom?” At work the next day, I asked my friend Jess what kind of vegetarian items Woodman’s had (I realize that even the fried zucchini isn’t really vegetarian) and she responded, just as quickly as I did “fried zucchini”. You can imagine how excited I was to tell Mike.

We went to Woodman’s the following weekend, and I, feeling vindicated, marched up to the counter to order only to find…no fried zucchini.

The Point:

Mike christened the logic that brought me to the conclusion that Woodman’s would have fried zucchini “flogic”, which means “female logic” and don’t ever let him tell you it means anything else (he told a female co-worker that it meant “flawed logic” because he didn’t want to get in trouble). The most integral factor in determining whether or not something is flogic is a certainty that you are absolutely right, even when common sense tells everyone else around you that well, you aren’t.

So – when’s the last time you used flogic?

I have to thank you guys for your hilarious comments today and always. You guys rock!

In other news:

I got tagged!

Michelle, of The Orange Yarn, Please, and Maryse, of bag 'n' trash, tagged me to do the neat music meme that has been making its way around the blog scene (I feel v. cool, I tell ya’).

1) Total amount of music files on your computer:
A lot. Add a zero to however many GBs you think is reasonable.

2) The last CD you bought:
Damien Rice, “O”

3) What is the last song you listened to before reading this message?
Black is the color of my true love’s hair – Nina Simone

4) Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you:

I See A Darkness – Bonnie Prince Billy. I was introduced to Will Oldham with this song by someone that I was very close to for a too-short period of time.

In the Dark – Nina Simone. Just listen to it. You’ll understand.

Goodnight Lover – Songs:Ohia. It reminds me of the end of my marriage

Love and Work – Songs:Ohia. It reminds me of the beginning of my relationship with Mike.

Hey Jupiter – Tori Amos. Tori Amos reminds me of my friend Amanda, and I’ve always really identified with this song.

5) What 3 people are you going to pass the baton to and why?
Wendy, because I know she’ll surprise me.
Jackie, because she makes really good mix cds.
Nancy, because she’s just cool like that.

A Long Time Coming

2005-02-02T13:24:00.001-05:00

It’s been a long, arduous journey. At times, I didn’t think we’d make it. We went long periods without speaking to each other, and when we were speaking, well, sometimes it got ugly. I hung in there for the sake of our friends, and in the end, it was our friends that helped me to stay the course.

I was determined to work through all our remaining issues. We decided to get together on Sunday:

I required some fortification:

And a few hours later, with no little amount of swearing on each of our parts, we had reached a satisfactory resolution:

You’ve decided to move out and move on. I respect that. I’d say it’s about time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other news, welcome to:

National Elisa Thinks Getting Other People to do Stuff You Don’t Want to do is A Good Idea Day

There is a lot of stuff out there that seems interesting or just plain crazy, which you should try to get other people to do (or try) for you.

For example:

Ear Candling
Decorating one’s home with lots of “Helping Hands at Home” kinds of crafts (think macramé or ceramic ducks)
Eating strange parts of animals (sweet breads, anyone?)

This is of course only a very short list of the kinds of things you should try and get other people to do for you Why would you want someone else to try sweet breads, you ask? Well, because there is no way you’d eat them, right? I mean, EWW!

The point is not to embarrass or make fun of people, it is really just to get them to do things you don’t, or won’t, do yourself.

So, today, go out there and get other people to do stuff you don’t want to do. Try and convince them that it’ll be Fun if they write that report you don’t want to write. Convince someone that it’s in their Best Interest to have no fewer that 20 items with American flags decorating their homes*. Explain to someone why they should have 4 children so that you can be a Good Auntie. Tell your boyfriend that he should answer to the name Lashundra because it’s a nice name and you like it. Really, it’ll be Good For You.

*I’ve been trying to convince Caroline of this for years. Since she doesn’t seem to be rushing out to satisfy my needs, I’ve been helping her along, and have been able to purchase for her choice items like a ceramic cow, painted like an American flag but wearing a teeny tiny crown. This is Big Fun.

Welcome to "National Elisa Thinks Stuff Month"

2005-02-01T22:37:00.000-05:00

Every organization or cause seems to get its own day or month, and I really don't see why I should be any different. So, starting today and continuing through the month of February, I plan on making every day "National Elisa Thinks X Day".

So, for February 1st, I bring you:

National Elisa Thinks Corn Sucks Day

No, really, I hate corn. And you should, too.

Seriously, anything that comes out the way it went in is well, just wrong. I'm not offended by corn chips, corn tortillas, or even polenta, but corn on the cob, creamed corn, canned corn or any kind of kernal-y corn item just seems wrong and I won't eat it.

When I was a child, the only way I could finish eating an ear of corn was to play typewriter: I'd make typing noises while I ate and then at the end of a "row", I'd say "Ding!" and move to the next row.

I suppose the butter and salt helped, but really, it was mostly about the dinging.

Corn is an insidious vegetable and I've become quite paranoid about checking my salsa for corn on the ingredient list. The fact that I even have to think about whether or not there will be corn in my salsa seems crazy to me, and not for the reason that you're thinking.

So when you grow that corn next year, put it in your compost heap, pound it into flour, but don't, don't, don't put it in salsa.

If You Think This Makes Me Happy

2005-01-29T21:04:00.000-05:00

Well, you'd be right.

Early this afternoon, my v. nice postal delivery person (I'm trying to build up good postal delivery karma so that I don't have to go to the Bad Place again) brought this box of yarn to my door. Inside the box were 11 skeins of Knitpicks crazy cheap (and Soft! and Lovely! and Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!) Wool of the Andes in cranberry, plus two skeins of the Knitpicks Merino Style wool (also lovely and cheap and really soft) in strawberry and rhubarb. The Peruvian yarn is destined to be Rogue, and the merino will be a pink/red striped hat.

Um, and these may have also jumped into the box:

Knitpicks Sock Garden sock yarn in the Geranium colorway. Seriously? This yarn, which is 100% merino wool, is so gorgeous and soft that it's taking all my willpower (which admittedly, even at the best of times, isn't much) not to kick my Ribby Cardi to the curb in order to give all my knit-love to the sock yarn.

Actually, that's not really true. I'm perfectly content with the Ribby Cardi. In fact, it's a great project, and I am very pleased with the color.

I'm sure that many of you read Margene's post from a few days ago, asking the question "What Makes YOU Do This?" and prompting many bloggers to really think and reflect on that thing that drives us to knit (and in many cases, to blog, too). I commented on Margene's post, and I'll tell you what I said: I started to knit because I wanted to give gifts that were imprinted with my love for the recipients. I lost some people very dear to me in 2004, and I don't know what I would have done without knitting.

Let me share a few little things with you:

I went to California in May of 2004 when my G'pa was moved to the nursing home, my best friend K's mom passed away, and K gave birth to twin baby boys, all these things happening within days of each other.

The first two baby hats and the first two baby blankets I knit were for those two little boys. As I knit for them, I thought about K's mom, and K, and her little boys who would never know their maternal grandma.

Of course, I hadn't planned for that trip, and so the expense of the trip meant that I wouldn't be able to stay in a hotel close to G'pa in order to be able to see him over the course of two days. I planned to drive the 2 1/2 hours to see him and the 2 1/2 hours home in the same day so that I could at least spend one full day with him. I told my plan to one of my good friends, and in the time it took me to walk back from her office to mine, she had booked me a hotel room in the same town my G'pa lived in, and told me to consider the hotel room her early birthday present to me.

This is the friend who will receive the first sweater that I ever knit. Yes, that sweater - The Very Bad Sweater.

While I was in California on that trip, Caroline (of the socks) wanted to make sure I had some fun while I was home, and we spent a ridiculously fun evening in Old Town Sacramento and then she and her (absolutely darling) husband took me to see a Giants game.

Care has received a Zeeby's bag, a scarf, and my Freakin' Market Bag.

I wouldn't have been able to go on that trip to California at all had my Aunt Cheri not asked me to stay with her, and while I was there, she was my rock. She gave me shelter, she fed me, and she always knew exactly what I needed.

I knit a poncho and a skinny ribbon scarf for her.

For me, when there's just too much to say and too many emotions to adequately articulate, a handknit gift well-planned and lovingly executed seems to say everything I can't.

As if I needed anything else to make me feel content on this chilly night, let me leave you with this:

That's my Franklin Covey planner with fresh refills, 5 gel roller pens (sparkly, of course), the back of my Ribby Cardi, and a nice glass of wine. And yes, that is Mike's "What Are You Doing?" picture set as my desktop wallpaper. If you know us, it's fitting.

Happy Weekend, All.

Edited to add: I've just re-installed AIM onto my laptop and am ready to chat! If you have an AIM screen name, please leave it for me in the comments, or send me an IM at extrafancydg.

Ho shiver Hum shiver

2005-01-27T21:03:00.000-05:00

I've started every day this week with what seems like boundless energy. I putter around my house wishing I had the day off to clean and organize, certain that when I get home from work I am going to accomplish everything on my various to-do lists.

Then I end up standing outside for 30 minutes waiting for my shuttle, and by the time it arrives* and I start to thaw out, the only thing I can wrap my mind around is putting on my sweats and burrowing into my couch.

Because, you know, it's f*cking cold in Boston. I'm not even playing. I know I'm from California, and that's supposed to make me something of a weather weenie, but let me tell you, EVERYONE is complaining about how cold it is.

To celebrate how cold and bitter I'm feeling, I've decided to show you some progress pictures, which really illustrate how s.l.o.w. I'm moving this week.

My Irish Hiking Scarf. You'd think with how cold it is, I'd feel some sense of urgency to get this thing, maybe, like, done, but you'd be wrong. I haven't touched this scarf in days. I grunt and grimace every time I put on my muppet pelt but I still can't bring myself to work on the Irish Hiking Scarf.

This is the progress I've made on my Ribby Cardi. I really enjoy knitting this. I had some quality car knitting time yesterday morning when it took us 1h and 20m to go 6, seis, sei, six, yep SIX, miles. But I was knitting, not driving, so you won't hear me complain. Nope.

And just so you don't think it's completely slipped off my radar again (or alternately, just so you don't think it's being punished again) I give you the OTHER sleeve of the VBS. It should be moving out of my house and into its new owner's house sometime next month. Yay for the sweater. Yay for blocking.

I was really glad to learn that I'm not the only pen wh*re out there, and for those of you who asked - I become positively giddy when I get to buy office supplies. One of the things I'm hugely excited about with my new job is that I will get to devise my own filing system, which will certainly include color coding and hole punching and lots of file folders.

Happy (more productive than me) knitting, all. :)

*Oh yeah - when I get on the shuttle, I still have one train and one bus left to ride before I end up near my house. Ha-rumph.

*Edited to Add: In the comments, Jennifer asked what "parking ban" means. I'm happy to explain: a parking ban goes into effect when a snow emergency is declared. You are required to move your car off of main roads in order to allow snow plows to clear the snow off of busy streets. I happen to live on one of those main roads, which means that if there is a parking ban, I can't park on my street without risking getting tickets and/or towed. For more information, you can go here.

Sometimes the Cosmos Gives You a Pen

2005-01-24T21:03:00.000-05:00

Or, Why the hell did I move here?

Let me explain. I moved to Boston in July of 2000 and had very romantic ideas about Winter. I wanted snow. I wanted snowmen. I wanted cold, clear days and sparkling icicles on trees.

I thought those things would be nice if they happened through about January 2nd, and then I was pretty confident that it would be Spring. I also had crazy notions about spring in New England, but I can't handle thinking about Stupid Spring yet.

Winter certainly has undeniably lovely aspects. The icicles, the cold clear days, those things all happen each year. But the seamy underbelly of winter...that's what I'm talking about. You know what I mean: yellow snow. Gross! Dirty snow. Ick. Stupid icy sidewalks. Like I need any help falling down. But even darker and dirtier is what I am about to admit to you here - I am now part of the Shoveled Out Parking Space Mafia. I spent a couple of hours digging out a parking spot that I'm not even able to park in today (stupid parking ban. stupid UNDERSTANDABLE parking ban, but still) and it made me pretty uncharitable toward my fellow man. Every car that drove by was a potential parking space thief. I had already decided that should someone take my hard earned spot, I would leave a nasty note on their car, asking them if they had shoveled out the spot and therefore felt entitled to park there. I thought about bringing out some strange piece of furniture to mark my spot. Yes, I thought about doing this even though I knew that I couldn't park there because of the parking ban. My suspicious nature and my own sense of entitlement apparently know no bounds.

After trudging to work today, my sunny California soul desperately unprepared for the mountains of snow, and the ice and the, well, cold, I realized that I was in fact being much less polite than I strive to be in my daily life. So, later this morning, while shlepping out to an off-site office, I held the door open for a girl who was doing the Find Your Keys, Find Your Badge, Don't Drop Your Mittens Shuffle, in an effort to regain some of my customary politeness (I always did get an E for Excellent in Citizenship, thanks). A few seconds later I found a pen on the floor. Now, that might not be too exciting for most of you, but for me, well, it's a Pen! I love Pens! I am a Pen Wh*re! If you have a nice pen, visit with me, and then suddenly you can't find your pen, well, I'm not confessing, but it wouldn't be beyond reason to think that somehow I coerced your nice pen into going home with me. Pen Wh*re, I tell ya'.

Do you know what I thought when I saw the pen on the floor?

I thought: You hold the door open for someone, and the cosmos gives you a pen.

Then I giggled.

It turned out to be a crappy pen that makes my handwriting look wonky, and I hate it when my handwriting looks wonky.

So, maybe I haven't totally readjusted my karma yet, after all.

Sunday Morning, All Snowed In

2005-01-23T11:30:00.000-05:00

This:

Plus This:

Equal This:

That's the view from my front porch this morning, my super-duper bed head (the perils of short hair) and the scene from my couch right now: a cup of coffee, a lit candle, my favorite blogs, and the Godfather Trilogy. I'll be watching the trilogy until the Playoff Games start a little later today, and then it might get a little rowdy.

Not bad, eh? Not bad at all.

Hi, How Have You Been?

2005-01-19T20:54:00.000-05:00

I've been a little busy.

I'm trying to wrap things up in my current job and get prepared for my new job, and all in all, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I'm going to work part-time for my current department for some period of time(does that "some period" make you as nervous as it makes me?) so I don't have to have everything finished by Friday, but part of me would prefer a clean break, rather than this unspecified period of transition time.

On the plus side, Mrs. Bookish and I had lunch together yesterday, and I saw her Very Cute Self no less than four times today, and that was very, very cool.

To keep myself sane, I've been knitting a lot, and thinking about knitting a lot, and planning upcoming knitting projects. A lot. I did finish Mike's Irish Hiking Scarf:

I'm really pleased with my first cabled item, and Mike really likes it, too. He wore the scarf all day yesterday, and, I'm totally serious here, I think he likes it better than the cashmere (blend, but still) scarf I made him in November.

Note to self: Boys don't always make sense.

Although there were moments when I thought about stabbing myself in the ear with my cable needle to relieve the boredom of knitting Mike's scarf, I've decided I need to have one, too.

Don't ask why. I'm stressed. Maybe I just can't put one more new thing in my brain until I can let go of some of the useless stuff currently taking up real estate in there. Who knows.

It is just about the most gorgeous merino wool you ever saw, though.

I never told you that I had to go to the scary post office last week to pick up a package of yarn. The package was from elann, and the yarn was this:

10 skeins of Peruvian Highland Wool in color 4144, a rich teal blue. I felt completely incapable of picking out two colors for my ribby cardi, so I've decided to do the entire thing in blue.

Don't let all this talk of cluttered brains and ribby cardis make you think I've forgotten about socks, though.

Far from it:

This is my *very* modest sock yarn collection. Today's enhancement includes two skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, the Tuscany colorway, and two skeins of KPPPM in a great mixture of pinks, blues, greens and oranges.

Thanks for all your great comments about the finished socks. I look at them and have a hard time believing I actually knit them with my own hands. I had a moments of perfect happiness while knitting each sock. I'd reach the heel flap and think "oh yeah, baby, this is what it's all about".

It's a busy life, but it's a good one.

Baby, It's Cold Outside - Part II

2005-01-17T23:23:00.000-05:00

But it's warm in here.

Stay toasty, everyone.

Something Different, Something Explained, Something Shared

2005-01-13T19:35:00.000-05:00

I made the decision to start blogging on the fly, and though I knew the blog would be primarily knitting-related, I felt a little funny about having a knitting blog. I mean, I read and loved many knitting blogs, but it felt different when it was ME doing it. So, I named my blog “Tongue Tied Muse”, which is the name I always planned to give my first book of poetry (should there ever be a first book of poetry, of course), thus feeling like I was leaving myself open to have a blog that was not solely knitting related, should I choose.

Over the past months, though, I’ve realized that 1) most knitting blogs are much more than knitting blogs, and 2) I’ve started to think of “Concateknit” as the real name for my blog. So, hi - welcome to “Concateknit”.

Although I don’t talk about it much, poetry is a very important part of my life, both what I read and what I write. The word concatenate became important to me when Mike and I first started to date and spoke to each other through the songs and poems we wrote. About two years ago I wrote the following poem “Confluence”:

Confluence

Confluence: n. a flowing together of two or more streams.
I sat by a riverbank with you,
Toes in the water,
And we tried to explain the nature of the moon.
You said, “The moon is a word mother”
I said, “The moon is where the unborn babies live.”
Then I wiggled my toes and was quiet.

Synergy: n. the interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
Your fingers beat a small tattoo upon my back
As I stood next to you.
As I turned to face you,
Stood on tiptoe to whisper in your ear,
I laid a balancing hand over your heart,
And my breath against your cheek was an aria,
Composed of heart rhythms,
And vertebra vibrations.

Collaborate: n. to work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort.
I gave to you three birds:
A sparrow, a hummingbird, and a woodpecker,
You returned to me a phoenix.

Concatenate: v. to connect or link in a series
Driving through the rain we stopped at a red light.
You glanced at me,
And when the light changed to green,
You sped through the intersection
Only to pull over to the side of the road,
Jump out of the car,
Run to the passenger door, pull me into the downpour,
And kiss me—laughing.
Later, when I asked what caused you to do that you said:
“I wanted to know what it would be like to kiss you in the rain.”

Intertwine: v. to join or become joined by twining together.
My verbs are seduced by your rhythms,
And love is a language
Wrapped around your body and
Pinioned to the sky.

Alchemy: n. A medieval chemical philosophy concerned primarily with the transmutation of base metals into gold.
You entered the mausoleum of my body,
And with one hand on my face, and one hand over my heart,
The stone encasing my limbs fell to dust around me,
And left in its wake a new skin,
Which you rebuilt as a temple.

Yes, I do realize the irony of posting one of my poems for the first time on the day I really commit to a more knit-centric title for my blog. Actually, I think I’m just finally getting what my blog is really about.

Anyway, for those of you crazy, uh, brilliant, ahem, kind enough to link to me one way or another, I’m sorry that you’ll have to update my title, but I thank you in advance for taking the time to stop by and read me, and for being such an integral part of this adventure with me.

Next up - Sock II and S.E.X.

Uh-oh, We're In Trouble

2005-01-10T20:40:00.000-05:00

See?

Can you see my toes peeking through the fabric of these, some of my most favorite socks? I received these socks from my friend Caroline on my 26th birthday, the first birthday I celebrated in Boston. Every time I wear these socks, I think of Caroline.

Obviously, I think of Caroline a lot.

What's a girl to do who is about to lose one of her favorite pairs of socks, especially as it's winter, and her feet are always cold, and she hates, absolutely hates, boring socks?

I know...She should knit socks!

Above we see our (and by our I mean me and my feet) little FO, Socksy 1, leaping out of the sock drawer, ready to keep my tootsies toasty through these long winter days and nights.

No sooner had our little FO leapt from the sock drawer than he rushed to work:

With one foot still in danger in frost bite, Socksy I has advised me that I should stop blogging and trying to be clever and start knitting Socksy II.

Tune in next week (or maybe tomorrow, I've been a little, ahem, obsessed) to see if our naked foot gets clothed or if I have to wear raggedy socks forever...

Are You Worried About Your Feminine Hygiene?

2005-01-09T11:22:00.000-05:00

If you are, please visit here and here to learn how to stay nice and fresh so that your DH won't stop loving you. Go ahead, take a look. I'll wait.

Freaked out yet? Yeah, me too. The links to these two ads were posted by someone on a list I belong to, and I thought they were worth sharing with you. I find the ads hilarious in a What The Fuck?!? kind of way. It also makes me glad I was raised by my dad, because there was no way he would ever have been able to have a conversation with me about my "freshness".

Seriously, though, I'd love to find one of these in print so I could frame it and hang it in my bathroom.

I am finding it hard to segue from vaginal douching to knitting, so I'll just start with a picture:

It's a sock, just in case you were wondering.

My first sock to be precise. I've been recently inspired by some great knitbloggers to pull out the sock yarn and teensy weensy dpns and get started. The picture above is what I had accomplished by about noon yesterday. I am using Plymouth Sockotta and US Size 3 dpns (which really aren't that small, I know) and following the Basic Sock pattern in the "Knit A Dozen Socks" booklet. So far I have been able to follow the pattern easily, but I haven't reached the heel flap yet, so if you hear some heel flap centered cursing coming from somewhere a little south of Boston, then you're probably close to my house.

My little sweet socky, which is in no way related to vaginal douching, is sitting on top of the book I'm re-reading, "Nice Girls Finish Last" by Sparkle Hayter. Sparkle Hayter is an author who is part of a genre of mystery writing called Tart Noir. If you like mystery novels with smart and funny heroines, check out Tart City for an introduction to some great female mystery writers (and a rockin' good time, too).

Speaking of rockin' good times - I've had plenty this weekend (how's that for a segue, hmm?). Although Friday night did not begin auspiciously (read, "I took the wrong train and ended up in North Quincy"), I ended up spending a lovely evening with Keiko, Jackie, Wendy, and two very nice friends of Jackie (friends that she has recently recruited to the fiber side). We enjoyed Jackie's lovely home and hospitality, and a fine time was had by all. All those bloggers in one room and you'd think someone who have a photo essay documenting Mrs. Bookish "investigating" the wine, but no...You'll just have to take my word for it that it was Funny.

We continued the revelry last night by having dinner at the Milky Way with Jackie and her SO Eric, Wendy and Rob, and then we bowled! There was a lot of good luck butt wiggling, some beer, some knitting, and a very good time indeed.

Today I will try and finish my first sock while watching the NFC playoff games.

Tomorrow I'll try to take the right train home from work.

It's a good life.

PS-The "What Are You Doing?" photo of Mike has become my desktop wallpaper. Hee hee hee...

I Think I Owe You Something

2005-01-06T20:09:00.000-05:00

Part I: Randomness

I've made big with the talk about my crazy organized drawers and closets. I've been promising you pictures for a while now and in lieu of any interesting knitting content, I decided to finally put my camera where my linens are.

So, I opened some drawers and doors and here's what I have for you:

I started with one of the sideboard drawers in the dining room. Napkins, coasters, and cocktail accoutrement live in this drawer. My friends know that I ahem, enjoy martinis (Stoli dirty martinis, extra dirty, thanks), and so I've been given a few pretty stirrers over the years.

Then I moved to the kitchen:

Yes, they're alphabetized. No, I don't have a problem with that.

I made a little stop at the linen closet (are you excited yet?):

And then I thought it was time for a little trip to the t-shirt drawer in my dresser:

I have quite a few t-shirts with kitties on them. One says "Fierce" and the other says "French Kitty". No, I don't think it's strange to have my t-shirts organized by color and weight. I think it's quite practical, in fact.

At this point, Mike started looking for me, asking:

"What are you doing?"

Last, but not least, my handbags:

Part II: The rest of my clothes closet
Part III: The stash
Part IV: Who knows - maybe the pantry, maybe the storage unit...

Happy Weekend All!

Life Is Good

2005-01-03T20:07:00.000-05:00

No really, it is.

I mentioned that I will start a new job soon and I couldn't be more excited. I will continue to work for the same non-profit organization, but I will be doing more hands-on grant-related work and working with a group of terrific people. This just feels right. I feel lighter than I've felt in ages, and I just can't wait to start this new phase in my career. Wow, it really is starting to feel like a career. How crazy is that? I won't be working down the hall from The Bookish Girl, but I'll only be an elevator ride away. :)

Obviously the new job is a good thing, but it isn't the only one. Mike and I spent a wonderful New Year's Eve with Keiko and Tim and many other new and not-so-new friends. I called my aunt at midnight and told her how thankful I was that she is the matriarch of our family and what a beautiful example she sets of the true meaning of family. I welcomed the new year with a kiss, some champagne, and the feeling that the world held untold possibilities.

The good stuff just keeps coming, too. I had two wonderful packages waiting for me when I got home from work today. The first package included a CD that my cousin Stephanie made from a reel-to-reel tape of one of my G'pa's barbershop quartet performances. This is special for so many reasons, not least of which is that my G'pa had his vocal cords and voicebox removed when I was about twelve years old (stop smoking now, okay?) so when I listened to the CD tonight, it was the first time I had heard his voice in almost 20 years. Mike is going to make one of the tracks into an MP3 so that I can upload it here for you to listen to if you like.

The second package had this inside:

It is a beginner's needle felting kit from Fiber Trends, and a lovely gifty from my Knitter's Review Secret Pal II. The crazy thing is that she had this sent to me in November and I've only received it now. Oh, and did you know that my KR SPII designed this, this, and last but not least, this? Yep - my KR SPII was the fabulous MK Carroll. If you aren't familiar with her designs yet, I have a feeling you soon will be. I swear I may learn to crochet just so I can make that swankarific sushi TP holder.

In the midst of all the holiday craziness, I never showed you my last FOs of 2004:

The Heart Scarf from the Knitty Fall Surprise. The Bookish Girl knit one of these scarves for her grandma and I thought it was really sweet. I knit mine using Patons Divine rather than Reynolds Blizzard, but it's soft and squooshy just the same.

Sophie 4. I think I'm done with Sophie for a while. No, seriously, I really mean it. Well, I want to mean it, but you know how it goes...

My Irish Hiking Scarf is coming along very slowly, and I felt like I wanted to have a little something else going on to keep from stabbing myself in the eye with my cable needle, so I started this:

It's the boatneck sweater from Debbie Bliss' "Baby Knits for Beginner's" using Brown Sheep Company's Cotton Fleece. Mike's sister and BIL are expecting their third son, so I think this will be a sweater for him. I've read that Debbie Bliss' sizing can be a little on the large side, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

Well, lovies, it's been a pretty good week so far, and it only promises to get better.

Welcome 2005 - I'm very glad you're here.

Happy New Year!

2004-12-31T17:31:00.000-05:00

And a bunch of other stuff.

I have lots to tell you, but as I am sure you are getting ready for your wonderful and exciting New Year's festivities, I'll try and keep this brief.

I found this in my mailbox last night:

My best friend's in-laws, Sue and Randy, own the Raymond General Store in Raymond, California, and Sue was going through some old filing cabinets and found this Jack Frost pattern book. Sue is both a knitter and a lover of handbags, and since she knows that I am too, she very generously sent this to me.

An inside shot:

Seriously, how cool are those bags? And how cool is Sue for sending it to me?

As one of our Christmas gifts, Mike's dad and step-mother took us to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra last night at the Fleet Center. Seeing this show is something of a family tradition, and last night's performance was the first that Mike and I have attended, so it was really quite the experience for us.

I had the day off today and I have spent it happily puttering around the house, watching some of my favorite good and bad movies, Ghostbusters, Demolition Man, and The Big Lebowski (you guess which I think is which, heh heh heh), cleaning and organizing things (Mike's armoire has never been more orderly), and generally having a very relaxing day. In a few minutes I'll hop in the shower (yes, I do know what time it is) and tonight Mike and I will spend New Year's Eve with Keiko and her husband Tim at our friend's housewarming/New Year's Eve party. It should be a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to spending my New Year's with Mike and with good friends.

I said I'd keep this brief, but as usual I fibbed, so I will wrap this up by wishing you a safe and happy New Year. I hope you spend the evening with people you love and I wish you and your families peace, happiness, and health for 2005.

Oh, and I start a new job in three weeks. :)

Happy New Year!

Shocked

2004-12-29T21:03:00.000-05:00

I'm still in shock. I was living in California during the quake of '89, and although it was frightening, we never lost power, never lost cable, never lost our telephone service. I remember going to the movies that night. I remember being amused that a photo booth full of film fell on my then-boyfriend's head during the quake. I remember going to school the next day and being shocked to find out that school was closed for the day in order to check for earthquake damage. Perhaps I wasn't effected by the earthquake as much as I should have been because I was only 15 at the time, and I still believed I was invincible. Now that I am twice as old as I was then, now that I know that none of us are invincible, I am stunned and shocked by the devastation caused by the earthquake and tidal waves in Asia. I hardly know how to wrap my mind around it.

Here is a list of some organizations accepting donations to help those devastated by the earthquake and tidal waves. I'm not sure which of these organizations to give to, so if you have a personal favorite, or if there are organizations that you would recommend, let me know and I will add those links.

The Bookish Girl outed me today. You may know that she recently got a new job, and today she posted the story of how she got new job. I was peripherally involved, but don't let her fool you - I passed along her resume, her obvious intelligence and qualifications did the rest. I'm sure she will be tremendously successful, and I'm just glad I was in the right place at the right time and able to offer a little assistance.

Of course, it could just be that I want lunchtime knitting buddies. ;)

I've been knitting, albeit slowly, on this:

Irish Hiking Scarf

Cable detail

On a very positive note, Mandy's blog, Yarnageddon, is up and running again, and you should stop by and say hello if you haven't already. She's been sorely missed in blogland, and I am thrilled to have her back.

Merry Christmas!

2004-12-25T11:32:00.000-05:00

Mike and I opened our presents this morning, and it went something like this:

This

Plus this

Equaled this

And then this

Mike and I were supposed to be in Georgia today spending Christmas with his kids, but when we arrived at Logan last night, our flight had been canceled due to bad weather and the airline said they wouldn't be able to get us to Georgia until Sunday. Considering that we wouldn't have arrived until after the time we were due to leave, we decided to stay home and plan a trip for a long weekend either in January or February. As heartbroken as we both are not to spend Christmas with Mike's kids, we're both glad that we were able to be together for Christmas and that we have family to spend the holidays with.

I have another little lovely gift to share with you:

These three skeins of beautiful ribbon yarn are a very lovely gift from Michelle. Have you read her blog? If you have then you'll know that she's a funny, kind, smart and talented woman (with the most fabulous hair. Ever.). I've been privileged to have the opportunity to get to know Michelle both online and offline over the past few months and she is as kind and generous as you would imagine.

Although Christmas isn't a religious celebration for me, I welcome any opportunity to spend time with my friends and family and to reflect on their importance in my life. I want to say thank you to all of you who have left comments for me, encouraged me, laughed with me (or at me, as the case may be), and have generally made my world a brighter place. So Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays and best wishes from me to you.

When I Wax Philosophically About Not Getting Stressed Out

2004-12-22T09:36:00.000-05:00

You should probably duck as your chances of being hit in the head by a flying roll of wrapping paper are high.

I became very Zen about not finishing all my Christmas knitting in time for all of the recipients to receive their presents by Christmas. Really, I did.

On Tuesday I took stock everything that was done and prepared to wrap the gifts.

Snug (sweats on and heat turned up) and smug (see final point from Sunday's post) and Zen, I pulled out my wrapping paper box and got my supplies ready, including my fancy new electric scissors.

I couldn't find any gift tags.

So I put my clothes back on and bundled up to go OUTSIDE. At 9pm. When the temperature, without factoring in the windchill, was 8 degrees Farenheit. I went to the drug store. I bought gift tags, more wrapping paper and gift bags.

I went back home, put my sweats back on, and feeling noticeably less snug, smug, and Zen, began The Wrapping of 2004. At midnight, when my back couldn't take any more of the hardwood floor, I went to bed.

I had some Grand Minor Plans for yesterday. I was going to finish The Wrapping of 2004, bake cookies, block the rest of the Bad, Bad Sweater, box all the gifts that needed to be shipped today, take pictures of my WIPs, felt Sophie 4, blog, and start packing for our trip to Georgia on Friday. An added bonus, yesterday was the day when Mike's company gives each employee either a vegetable lasagna, a ham or a turkey, and I was really looking forward to eating the vegetable lasagna for dinner.

What actually happened yesterday was this:

I blocked nothing,
I felted nothing,
I took pictures of nothing,
I blogged about nothing,
I started packing nothing,
I baked cookies,
I wore my underwear sideways for most of the day before I noticed,
I wandered around my apartment looking for The Pen that I felt I needed in order to fill out the gift tags. It was The Pen. It was Perfect. It was Lost. I was Bereft and it took a long time to Let Go.

It took Mike almost two hours to get home from work (curses on the Pike) and the lasagna took another two hours to bake. I ate dinner at 10pm and I was grateful, damnit.

At 11pm, I believed I was done with The Wrapping of 2004. I stood up to unkink my back and saw one more gift that needed to be wrapped.

And then I found the gift tags I thought were missing initially.

That's when the wrapping paper started to fly.

The Problem With Blogging Only Once A Week

2004-12-19T22:26:00.000-05:00

Is that when I do finally blog, I have too much to say.

So, I'll just keep this short and get to the point(s):

Point 1: FOs

My sister's poncho, and yes, the first sleeve of the Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad Sweater, blocking on the guest room floor. Once I've wrapped the poncho, I'll block the rest of the sweater, and with any luck, it will be ready for its intended recipient by Thursday. Oh shit. Maybe not. I conveniently forgot that it still needs to be seamed. And that it still needs a neck. Harumph. Shit.

Point 2: WIPs

Sophie 3 and Sophie 4, pre-felt. Yes, I know I have a problem. Be quiet.

Point 3: Sundays with Mr. and Mrs. Bookish

I highly recommend spending your Sundays this way. I realize you can't all spend your Sundays with Wendy and Rob, but the underlying philosophy is sound: spend time with amazingly warm, funny, and smart people, share laughter, stories, good food and drinks, and end your weekend with a warm fuzzy glow that will make you not care that you have to get up and go to work the next day.

Point 4: Christmas will be over by this time next week

And having said that, I've decided to relax about the whole thing. The important thing is being able to spend time with Mike and our families and friends. Little else really matters, so if I don't get everything done that I'd like to? Eh. No big deal. I don't think most people would mind having a gift to open in January.

Amie and Lauren? I promise that the next time Mike has a business trip to Maryland, I'll try to go, too. Don't forget that you are always welcome here.

Houston, We Have a Cold

2004-12-15T14:52:00.000-05:00

Oh boy, do we ever.

I should have known something was amiss when I spent all of Monday feeling tired. I got a decent amount of sleep, I spent a wonderfully relaxing Sunday at Chez Bookish, and yet on Monday, I was just tired.

Mike left for a business trip on Monday afternoon, so when I got home from work I puttered around the house, putting things away and taking stock of where I stand with all things Christmas. I knit some on the sister poncho and just generally felt tired and missed Mike*.

By yesteray morning, though, I was feeling funky. I kept wandering around my house, picking things up and putting them down in random places. As I was trying to leave to catch the bus, I had to go back into the house at least three times to grab things I needed (Gloves? Check. Lunch? Check. Christmas cards? Check.), or do last minute things I had forgotten to do (Coffee pot off? Check. Heat turned down to 58 degrees? Check.). Miraculously, I made it to the bus on time.

My commute when Mike is on business trips differs from my commute when Mike is home. When Mike is home, he drives me to the Ashmont T station, where I proceed to take two buses to work, or to the Forest Hills T station, where I take the T and then a shuttle to work. When Mike is on a business trip, I can walk to the Mattapan trolley that takes me to Ashmont where I can then take the previously mentioned two buses, or I can drive to Forest Hills and take the T and then the shuttle, or I can catch the 215 bus that takes me to Ashmont, and well, I'm sure you get the point.

Yesterday I caught the 215 and managed to get to Ashmont intact. On the second leg of my trip to work, I lost my gloves. On the third leg of my trip, I lost my T pass.

Seriously? I should have gone back home then, because I spent all stupid day feeling like I had medicine head without benefit of any medicine. *Sigh*

So, I stayed home today and slept until 10am. I've been knitting and drinking coffee and orange juice all day. I just finished watching "Airport 75" and now "Airport 77" is on.

The big question is - should I go to the Southie SnB tonight? I really want to, but I have this whole Grandma guilt thing going...you know, it goes something like, "If you are too sick to go to work, you are too sick to go to the SnB". I will probably just stay home, wrap presents, and start to put together the boxes that need to be shipped to family and friends around the country. Jackie, I hope you have a great time tonight!

In knitting news, the sister poncho is finished and just needs blocking and I have started an Irish Hiking Scarf which has no chance of being finished by Christmas. No, I can't tell you why I started it yesterday except that I really wanted to practice my new cabling skill. Actually, that's exactly the reason I started it...

In other news, the party on Friday night was a lot of fun:

Mike (cute as a button) and Elisa (thankful she still has collarbones to offset those chipmunky cheeks)

Keiko and Tim (both adorable)

Thank you all for your kind comments about The Unpleasantness. You all rock.

*By the way, he's in Maryland. If you happen to be in Elkton and you see him, tell him we need coffee, okay?

If You're Looking for Me

2004-12-10T09:25:00.000-05:00

I'll be the one in the corner mumbling about looking like a sausage.

I had this whole idea that I'd be at my goal weight by my 30th birthday. Um, right. That hasn't exactly happened. I've been able to ignore this "where'd my feet go?" weight gain for the most part. Since it is sweater and coat season, I haven't had to really confront my, er, largesse.

Until I needed to start planning my outfit for my company's holiday party.

Now, you know me, right? A little OCD. A little, shall we say, organized? If you've been to my house, you know that you could probably open any drawer (one of my drawers, we're not talking about any of Mike's drawers, of course) in my house and find nice little stacks or rows of whatever it is lives in that particular drawer.

This is what my spare bedroom, where my clothes closet is, looked like after the What Am I Going to Wear to the Holiday Party and Did These Pants Always Make Me Look Like a Sausage Unpleasantness:

Thank god for shoes and handbags. No matter what I weigh, they never make me look like a sausage.

I took the day off today and will head into Boston later to get my hair cut (at least I'll have good hair, sexy shoes, and a great handbag, right?) and then I'll do a little Christmas shopping before I head to the hotel to get ready for the party.

The UPS man came to see me today. He brought me a box of See's from my dear friend Caroline. Want to guess what one of my New Year's resolutions will be?

Knitting blog? What? Oh, sure. I cast on for Sophie 4 yesterday and am making excellent progress on the sister poncho. I should get some quality knitting time in this weekend, as I'll be spending another lovely Sunday at Chez Bookish.

Dude, I totally forgot to mention that Wendy taught me how to cable last weekend! I've carried my little cable swatch with me all week. Thanks, Wendy!

Also, I mentioned in my last post that I was approved for membership in the FiberRAOK ring and I've alredy received a wonderful RAOK - a gift certificate to Adagio Teas from Lisa. Thank you so much, Lisa! I've already decided what I want to order, and I'll think of you when I have my first cup of tea! Thank you, Nancy, for welcoming me to the ring. I know I'll enjoy the rest of the lovelies on the ring if you're any indication of the type of people involved. :)

Happy knitting everyone.

You Know I'm a Vegetarian, and I Know I'm a Vegetarian

2004-12-08T22:20:00.000-05:00

But the people at the Pit Stop BBQ in Dorchester don't need to know.

Actually, this is Mike's dinner from the Pit Stop: Ribs, baked beans, and potato salad. As for me, well, I had the best macaroni and cheese anyone has ever had. Somehow, during its preparation, the mac and cheese probably comes into contact with something meaty, and I'm sure that's why it is so damn good.

Last weekend started out with BBQ and it just got better. Seriously.

Saturday evening I met Melanie from melanoma uberalis for coffee and a quick button tutorial. Really, all I did was help her sign up for photobucket. She took it from there, and have you seen the amazing button and banner she created along with all the great buttons she has uploaded to her site? Fabulous. I really hope that we'll be able to get together again soon, and maybe do some actual knitting. Or not. She's just a lot of fun. :)

After I left Melanie to the Knitsmiths, Mike and I headed out to get our first Christmas tree:

I really love Christmas. I start planning my Christmas gifts in May and singing Christmas songs in June. I don't let myself decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but by December 1st, I am really itching to break out the snowman made out of a sweat sock (you'll see him later, be patient) and all the ornaments I have collected over the years plus the newer ornaments that Mike and I have collected together. I love walking into my house after a long and ridiculous commute to the smell of pine. I love the hustle and bustle of the shoppers and the parties and the silly twinkling lights. I'm sorry, I'm done, you can stop gagging now.

Mike and I went to Chez Bookish on Sunday and spent a delightful afternoon and evening with Mr. and Mrs. Bookishness and Ms. Projectness and her charming SO, Eric. We had drinking. We had football. We had knitting. Most of all, we had wonderful company and conversation. So much wonderful company in fact, Mike and I are going back again this Sunday.

After Sunday, the rest of the week is kind of a blur. Tonight I met up with the new Southie SnB at Cafe Arpeggio and got a good bit done on my sister's poncho:

(Why yes, that is a snowman made out of a sweat sock, how funny you should notice.)

This was the second meeting of this incarnation of the Southie SnB and it was a lot of fun. Jackie was there working on Caili's hat, Keiko was working on (surprise) a blue scarf, Amy was working on a lovely skinny scarf for a friend of hers who is moving to California (and so has no need for a big wooly affair), and Nicole was working on a chemo hat that she started and probably finished tonight. Thanks, ladies, for lots of laughter and great conversation. I look forward to seeing you all next week!

I got some very good news today - I've been approved to the FiberRAOK ring! I've been in the queue for a couple of months and got word this afternoon that I'm in. Woohoo! Now I need to spend some time surfing the ring and getting ideas for little things to send out. What fun.

I'll leave you with a final shot of my Christmas tree. Please forgive the not-so-fabulous tree topper.

Oh, and Sue? The linen closet photos are coming...

I Feel Like It's Christmas Already

2004-12-04T13:22:00.000-05:00

Because I've gotten lots of gifties already.

1. Thank you to everyone who left me a comment or sent me an email about my List. I was pretty freaking overwhelmed by how kind and generous everyone was. I really don't think of myself as someone who has had to overcome a lot, I just think that shit happens, and as Jackie says, it isn't what happens to you, it's how you deal with it. I am once again humbled by the kindness of others.

2. Mike gave me an early Christmas present yesterday: "In Their Own Voices: A Century of Recorded Poetry". I heard Walt Whitman's voice last night. Need I say more?

3. I am meeting Melanie today for the first time in real life. Again, need I say more?

4. My company's holiday party is next Friday, and thanks to my fabulous Aunt (who works for the Fairmont), Mike and I are staying here for a very reasonable rate.

5. Tomorrow I am going to see Her Bookishness and Her Projectness plus meet their significant others. And we're going to knit. And watch football. And drink beer.

6. I found out who my Secret Pal III is. It's Freecia! She was such a generous and fun Secret Pal. For the reveal, she sent me a gift certificate to Amazon and reminded me that The Yarn Harlot's bookbookbook will be available for pre-order in a few weeks. What a super-smart Secret Pal Freecia is!

7. I am going to have an Anna's quesadilla for dinner.

8. I am going to Lambert's Rainbow Fruit, a wonderful grocery store in Dorchester with the best fruits and vegetables, to get a Christmas tree today.

9. Yesterday my friend Jessica asked me to teach her how to knit.

10. My best friend Kim emailed me yesterday to tell me that her MIL, S., who is easily one of the coolest ladies I have ever met (and who also knits) reads my blog! S. also asked Kim if she had ever seen my famous linen closet, and Kim said no, and then suggested it was time for me to post some photos.

I'm thinking about it.

So, I was reading Princess Papaya this morning, and she mentioned the 2005 Maryland Sheep and Wool festival, and when I looked at the comments, I saw that Michelle said she was really looking forward to the festival. This suggests to me that she'll actually BE there.

Which means that, as of this morning, I've decided so will I. Who else is going?

I'm A Blog-Alonger, Yes I Am

2004-12-01T23:08:00.000-05:00

My Hundred Things:

1. Since everyone and everything seems to get their own month, I would like there to be a month called “National Things Elisa Hates Month” because I really hate many, many things. Certainly enough to fill up a month with one thing per day.
2. Like palm trees.
3. And paper cuts.
4. And bad manners.
5. And people who take up too much space when they walk. Oh yeah, I could have a whole month.
6. I was an only child until I was 14 years old when my sister was born to my dad and his second wife (who was only 10 years older than me).
7. My dad has been married 3 times.
8. My mom has been married 4.
9. My G’pa was married once and I didn’t find out about it until they had been divorced for more than ten years. He was married three times total, twice to my Grandma.
10. I was married at age 23 and divorced at 27.
11. I truly meant to be married once and forever.
12. Luckily I am older now and I have forgiven myself for getting divorced.
13. On my 29th birthday, my mom was in jail, I had just found out that my G’pa had terminal lung cancer, and Mike was out of town on a business trip.
14. Thankfully, I have great friends who took me to dinner and laughed with me about my life being like a bad country song.
15. My life has often been like a bad country song.
16. My father got sole custody of me in 1974 and raised me as best he could.
17. I will always be grateful to him for that.
18. When I was little, my dad would drop me off at my maternal grandma’s house each morning on his way to work.
19. My grandma would get me up, make me breakfast and send me to school.
20. Whenever it rained, I would splash in as many puddles as I could because I knew that when I got home, my grandma would let me change into my pajamas, and she’d warm a clean pair of socks in the dryer and then would let me cuddle on her lap while she sang to me.
21. My dad is an alcoholic.
22. Recently I was talking to my cousin Stephanie about why I seem to be so much more forgiving of my dad than my mom, when they were both essentially, well, not the best parents.
23. She said “Because your dad always wanted to be your dad”, and that was one of those moments where you feel something shift inside of you, and you understand that you now Know something important.
24. My cousin Stephanie rocks.
25. My friends have always been as important to me as my family.
26. My best friend Kim has taught me about grace, courage, friendship, unconditional love, and punctuality.
27. Kim is the first person to ever send me flowers at work (for my 29th birthday).
28. Kim is the first person to ever get me something from Tiffany’s (for my 30th birthday).
29. Kim has never, ever, not once, let me down.
30. I grew up in Northern California and moved to Boston in 2000.
31. I have been writing poetry since I was 12.
32. The poetry I wrote at 12 is occasionally clever and always rhymes.
33. When my heart was broken for the first time at age 15 I stopped writing rhymed verse.
34. I have been a featured performer at various open mics in Boston.
35. I tend to avoid the poetry open mics and go to open mics where the performers are typically singer/songwriters, but are welcoming to poets.
36. I decided to make different choices than my parents made.
37. I didn’t drink until I was 21 and I didn’t experiment with drugs.
38. I believed that as a child of parents with alcohol and substance abuse problems, I had to make a conscious decision to make different choices than they had.
39. I realized in my mid 20s that no matter how good or bad your parents were, at some point, you make choices about whether or not you will be like them.
40. I think it is okay to make a mistake as long as you take responsibility for it.
41. People who avoid personal responsibility would get their very own day in my national month.
42. I was raised United Methodist and wanted to be a minister for a long time.
43. Then I realized that I didn’t believe in Jesus Christ.
44. I have an uncle who is a minister and a teacher and is the least hypocritical person I know.
45. I respect people who live their beliefs every day, and my uncle is that type of person.
46. I wasted too much being unhappy, and I’ll admit that I have become less tolerant of people who complain then do nothing to change their situations.
47. I do not expect anyone to give me anything. Ever.
48. I know that I am not owed happiness. Not by my parents, my friends, my boyfriend, or anyone.
49. I am responsible for creating my own happiness.
50. I love to sing in public.
51. The first song I ever sang in public was “How Much Is That Doggy In The Window?” at a pizza parlor called The Captain’s Galley in Santa Clara, California. I was 3 years old and it was 1977.
52. I taught myself to knit in May when I learned that my G’pa’s cancer had spread and I lost someone very special to me.
53. I can be really cranky.
54. You probably shouldn’t talk to me before I’ve had coffee.
55. No, seriously. You shouldn’t.
56. I am short and I have a huge butt.
57. No, seriously. It’s huge.
58. I’ve been to California twice this year, and both times I attended funerals.
59. I freak out when the phone rings at home, convinced that something bad has happened.
60. As a result, I almost never listen to my voice messages.
61. I find out who called, delete the message, and call them back.
62. I didn’t realize the importance of family until my late 20s.
63. My aunt, who is now the matriarch of our family, is the best role model I could possibly have.
64. I am in love with a wonderful man, Mike.
65. We live together in a beautiful apartment.
66. The first year we lived together was very difficult, between having mice, no parking, a burglar (while we were home), and some family tragedies, and I am thankful that we worked through everything as a team.
67. Mike is a very practical man, and so when we got in our rental car on the morning of my 30th birthday and he started to play a CD mix that he had made with songs that all had to do with birthdays, or cake, or parties, or were just by my favorite artists, I got very weepy.
68. I realized, for the millionth time, just how lucky I am.
69. Mike is the most amazing human being I have ever met.
70. I try not to take anyone or anything for granted.
71. I don’t need everyone to like me.
72. I don’t need everyone to be my friend.
73. I hate small talk.
74. I don’t call just anyone my friend, but when I say it, I mean it.
75. I tell my friends all the time that I love them, because I do, and I want them to know.
76. To this day the song “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” reminds me of one Christmas when my mom was supposed to take me for the holiday, but left me at my Grandma’s house and wouldn’t let me go home to my dad. That song was on a tape of Christmas music that I played over and over again as I cried myself to sleep.
77. That memory is a hard one for me.
78. I believe my mom loved me as much as she was able.
79. I think people have different capacities for love, and if someone loves you as much as they are able to, then you can’t ask them for more.
80. That doesn’t mean, however, that it will be enough for you.
81. But that will be your decision alone.
82. I grew up trying to make everyone happy and avoided confrontation at all costs.
83. I have learned that it is okay to argue, but I have pretty rigid rules of engagement. Disrespect is never okay.
84. For the last ten years I have tried to make all of my Christmas gifts,
85. Not to save money but because handmade gifts are all about the love and thoughtfulness that goes into them.
86. Before I began knitting, I read all the time.
87. I designed a database to track my reading.
88. I majored in English in college.
89. Hemingway is my dead boyfriend.
90. Ralph Wiggum is my cartoon boyfriend.
91. I’m a little OCD. You should see my linen closet.
92. Or my closet, which is organized by garment type, color, and weight. Seriously.
93. Now I have a database to track my knitting needle inventory and my stash.
94. I like to get people to do things I would never do myself. I especially like to get people to eat meat that I think is strange.
95. I don’t have a great sense of humor, but I love to make people laugh.
96. Especially my dear friend Caroline, as I love to hear her laugh.
97. I have been a vegetarian for 15 years, but am in danger of losing my membership and having to return my toaster.
98. I ate a hotdog on Labor Day. It was fan-freaking-tastic.
99. I really wanted this to be a lighthearted list, but I am not really a lighthearted person, and I’d rather tell you things that are meaningful than things that are funny.
100. Which leads me back to #95, of course.

My Weekend

2004-11-30T21:20:00.000-05:00

The (not so, so I guess this means un-) abridged version.

The third best reason I have for moving to the East Coast is finding out about rice pilaf. Rice pilaf makes every one of Mike's family gatherings fantastic. I can always count on someone making pilaf, and they always leave some for me, because, as a vegetarian, what else am I going to eat? (If you say salad, I'll shove a carrot down your throat.)

I'm telling you about pilaf because that's where this story begins: with Thanksgiving. I had pilaf. Mike's brother M and SIL C brought the really good wine so I had both pilaf and really good wine. /Thanksgiving.

Next stop - a trip to shout out land. A big thank you shout out to Michelle, who actually responded to an SOS from me on Thanksgiving and is responsible for the non-wonky background image. Thank you, Michelle. I am so glad you're my blog-friend.

Moving on to Friday, here's what I did:

Which turned into this:

Bath time!

And then I added the clean yarn to this:

(Ignore the wood paneling, okay? Thanks.)

And ended up with this (with apologies to Keiko for not including her in the festivities, but she was in New Jersey and I needed instant gratification.):

Repeat 3 times and that takes care of Friday.

Mike and I ran some errands and did a little shopping on Saturday but it isn't terribly blogworthy, sorry.

Early Sunday morning Mike left for a business trip to Chicago and I did a bunch of stuff which resulted in this:

And finally, this:

Wendy and Keiko came over for dinner and we had a fabulous time. The lovely Jackie was conspicuously absent, so I won't talk too much about how much fun it was doing knit math with Wendy and listening to Keiko and Wendy discuss the merits of metric knitting patterns. No. I won't talk about those things. Or the fact that Wendy's Heart Scarf (from the Knitty Fall Surprise) was so beautiful that I had to buy some yarn tonight do start one of my own, though this yarn purchase may have *something* to do with needing some retail therapy, and the best therapy I could think of involved petting beautiful yarn. I also won't talk about learning how to do a three needle BO and getting the encouragement I needed to actually block and, ahem, finish, the Very, Very, Very, Bad, Bad, Sweater. Thanks again for coming over girls. It was a fine time.

I want to take a minute to thank everyone who responded to my Thanksgiving post. The thoughtful comments you left meant a great deal to me and reinforce the reasons why I am so thankful for all my blog-friends (and those blog friends who have become RL friends, and those RL friends who now have blogs, oh boy, am I thankful).

Now I only have one question for you: Is it Friday yet?

Happy Knitting all.

I Like Lists, Too

2004-11-24T21:03:00.000-05:00

1. Ha ha ha, you gals are very funny. No, the mystery WIP had nothing to do with baby items *gasp*: it was, predictably, Sophie 3:

2. Yes, that was my finished Freakin' Market Bag in the last photo. Would you like another?

I am seriously considering keeping this bag for myself.

3. The Christmas Knitting List, she is horrifying. I opened up my handy Christmas Knitting List spreadsheet (my Snow Goose Girlies aren't the only ones who have Fun With Spreadsheets), had a little moment, took a little moment, and let the list go. Okay, I'm lying. I didn't let the list go. I revised the list. I made it more, ahem, realistic. I decided that I probably wouldn't be able to knit two afghans that would need to be shipped to other coasts in time for Christmas. So this seemed the logical time to knit something for myself:

This skein of Rowan Kidsilk Haze practically begged to live at my house. It didn't feel it was getting the attention it deserved at the yarn shop. It felt it would only get the proper reverence at my house. I agreed.

4. Last week I dripped jelly on my keyboard at work. I am 30 years old and my keyboard is sticky with jelly. When I try to use the right arrow key, bad sticky jelly things happen.

5. The girls (see link above to the Snow Goose Girlies) are coming over for dinner on Monday night. That's just so freakin' cool I can hardly stand it.

6. Today I got to reveal my identity to the lovely lady I've been spoiling through the Knitter's Review Secret Pal program. Gracie, it's been a pleasure to pick out little gifties for you, and I hope you've had half as much fun as I have. You should check out Gracie's blog as she made a gorgeous stocking for her husband.

7. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and although it has been a difficult year for me and many of those I love, I still know that I have much to be thankful for. I could focus on the negative but it wouldn't change anything and it wouldn't get me anything. This year, I choose happiness because I am immensely grateful for the life I live and the opportunities I have. I have my health, a wonderful boyfriend, a stable job with an organization I am proud to work for, a family that, while dysfunctional, still loves each other and still knows how to be there for each other for the important things, friends that have taught me what friendship means through their stellar examples and unconditional love, a hobby that has introduced me, literally to amazing, intelligent women and virtually to other amazing, intelligent women. I feel blessed.

8. I am humbled, every day, by the small kindnesses I see happening around me.

9. I believe that happiness is a choice, and often it must be learned. Do we teach our children how to be happy, or do we teach them that they are owed happiness? The difference, as I see it, is that the former acknowledges that we must attain happiness for ourselves while the latter implies that others are responsible for making us happy. Perhaps if we felt we were owed less and responsible for more we would be more thankful for and content with what we have now.

I wish you a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving. I think we've all earned it.

Yesterday Was...

2004-11-21T13:23:00.000-05:00

Perfect.

Let me show you:

Jackie of The JKC Project and Wendy of The Bookish Girl at Snow Goose Yarns in E. Milton, Ma.

Keiko, in front of the Colinette/Noro wall, fondling some blue (surprising, no?) yarn

The four of us, examining some lovely scarves and ever-so-slowly inching towards the drawers filled with Rowan's Kidsilk Haze

This is what I brought home with me:

Which turned into this when spread out on my dining room table:

I have almost too much to say about yesterday morning and afternoon. I picked up Jackie from the train station yesterday morning at 10:15 and we went to A Lighter Fare in E. Milton. We had just gotten our coffee when Wendy arrived and Keiko arrived just a few minutes later. You might expect that a group of people who have either never met each other, or have only met once might experience some awkward pauses, but you know what? It never happened. We chatted all morning and afternoon as if we had known each other for years. All three women are smart, funny, and lovely and I was glad to be in their company.

After we had brunch (I LOVE brunch) we went across the hall to Snow Goose Yarns and I think we may all have gone a little crazy. It was great to be in a yarn shop with people who completely understood why I walked around the store cradling a skein of Noro Kochoron like a kitten, petting it and rubbing it against my neck.

Once the yarn frenzy was complete, we walked across the street to a Bruegger's Bagels, got some beverages and noshables and set to knitting. Two more hours passed in a blink of an eye and at 3:20pm we had to go our separate ways because Jackie was expected at Real Thanksgiving at 4:00pm.

The four of us spent five hours together and it felt like a minute. I can't wait to do it again.

When I got home yesterday, I was so excited and couldn't wait to tell Mike about the amazing time I had had. I burst in the door, and found a package from my SPIII Secret Pal waiting for me. Can you believe it? I spend a fabulous morning with three terrifically interesting people and I come home to presents?

That's three pieces of beautiful silk that my Secret Pal thought would be perfect for lining knit bags (I think she's spot on about that) and a bag of Dove chocolates. Um, why yes, the bag is open...I have no idea how that happened. Ahem.

Here's a close up of one of the pieces of fabric:

Stunning

Last night Mike and I went on a date to see The Incredibles. I don't go to movies often because I get pretty cranky, but nothing was going to spoil either the movie or my date. Not the kids behind me who were definitely NOT using their indoor voices, or the teenage girls in front of me who kept answering their cell phones and walking in and out of the theatre. Nope. None of that bothered me. I was on a brunch eating, yarn shopping, new friend making, stash enhancing, present receiving, date having high, and NOTHING was going to ruin it.

And nothing did. It was a perfect day.

In the midst of all the love, I got a few knitty things accomplished:

Freakin' Market Bag blocking

Sophie 2 finished, but not yet felted

My next project - any guesses? :)

Today Mike and I are going up to New Hampshire to have an early Thanksgiving dinner with Mike's dad and step-mom, Mike's brother and sister and their spouses and kids. That's a good two hours of car knitting time to look forward to, so I should be picking up stitches on my newest project by the time we get home. Do you know what the project is yet*?

*Edited to add: No Jennifer, it's not a sock. Thanks for the guess!

Oh, It's Friday Already?

2004-11-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Or, It's About Freakin' Time

It hasn't been a bad week here at Tongue Tied Muse, really. In fact, aside from Mike having the nastiness this week, it's been a pretty good week. But you see I'm like a little kid and when I have something exciting to look forward to - I can be a *little* impatient. Shut up. I said little and I meant it. Why am I impatient? Well, because tomorrow I get to do something excellent: I'm meeting Jackie of The JKC Project for the first time in RL, and we're then meeting up with Her Bookishness and Keiko for brunch (get this, at a restaurant across the hall from a yarn shop) and then shopping at said yarn shop, and then a Kitchener Stitch demonstration by moi and hopefully a cable demonstration by Wendy, and then some knitting and, I'm certain, lots of great conversation. You understand now why I'm a little impatient?

Okay, first things second. I got a terrific gift from my KRII Secret Pal. I still haven't figured out how she got all the yarn she sent me into such a small box (I think maybe she's magic) but who boy, what a generous secret pal:

That's 3 balls of a gorgeous Himalayan recycled silk, one skein of Berocco Zen in a gorgeous white, a skein of yarn that *she recycled herself* from a silk thrift store sweater score, also white, also gorgeous, and then a skein of the most fascinating ribbon yarn by Gedifra called Clou. Also in the box (not pictured, sorry) was a copy of Annie Modesitt's "Confessions of a Knitting Heretic". Thank you Secret Pal, you really blew me away - it was a gorgeous little package full of lovely things.

I've got two FOs for this week, but um, I only took a picture of one because I completely forgot about the other until just now. I'll post a picture of the second FO later this weekend, but for now I give you:

Harlot Poncho for my Aunt. No, there will be no fringe. She is not a fringe kind of gal. The specs - the Harlot's poncho pattern, plus 5 skeins of Mission Falls 1824 wool in 027 Macaw. I really loved that stuff and can't wait to use it for something else. This picture was a real pain in the ass to take, and I still don't think I came close to capturing the depth and richness of the green, so maybe I'll take an action shot ala Froggy later and see if that helps. If nothing else, it'll be more interesting than a picture of my green poncho/brown towel/green carpet, no?

I also cast on for another Sophie bag. No, I don't have a problem. I can stop making felted bags any time. Just back off.

Stupid Blogger Ate My Post

2004-11-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Now, I'm not going to lie and say it was a brilliant post, because it wasn't, but it was a good post. It was full of "I'm feeling much, much better" energy and excitement. You never know how much you take feeling fine for granted until you get knocked on your a** for a week, y'know?

The gist of yesterday's post, was something like "Looky what I did!" and it included tales of clean laundry, full frigerators, sparkling (okay, that's probably a stretch) bathrooms, and these:

Booga 2 blocking. I felted this for a few minutes longer than my first Booga, so it is a little shorter and in dire need of a shave.

Sophie blocking. You may notice that Sophie is filled with notecards, yes, well, that's because I didn't have any other appropriately sized blocking materials for Sophie. I looked at her this morning, though, and she's no worse for the experience.

My Freakin' Market Bag, pre-washing machine love. You know this bag made me nuts, right? Yeah, well, thank goodness for the Kitchener stitch. I don't know why I like that stitch so much, but who boy, it's loads of fun. Once I got to the Kitchener stitch part of the program, I was in love with FMB again. Good times.

I wanted to share one more photo of the winter wonderland outside my house, so here you go:

It's lovely, but it's cold!

Happy Monday everyone, and happy knitting!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2004-11-13T10:55:00.000-05:00

View from my front porch

It is quite lovely, really.

What a wonderful weekend for hot chocolate (creme de menthe, anyone?) and snuggling with your sweetie.

Enjoy!

Recovery Through Retail Therapy

2004-11-12T17:09:00.000-05:00

Oh, did I mention that I received two lovely packages this week? Or that I did a *little* shopping? Hmm, I'm really surprised I forgot to tell you about that.

Do you remember that I won a certain contest hosted by the fabulous Amy Boogie? Well, when I arrived at work yesterday, my yarn and sheepy mug were waiting for me, along with a lovely little note from Ms. Boogie herself.

The picture below shows you both yarn (I could never describe how gorgeous this yarn is, but trust me, it's amazing, fabulous stuff) and mug (my own sheepy mug, I am the coolest girl in my house). Sharing the picture are my other purchases, the new Interweave Knits and "Stitch 'N Bitch Nation" - an under the weather girl requires ample reading material, no?

Doesn't that yarn remind you of summer?

Okay, it's a staged photo, but in real life, I carry that skein of yarn around, and in one day I've used my sheepy mug for two cups of coffee and two mugs of tea (interesting how a mug becomes a cup becomes a mug again, hmm?).

My other package was my spinning kit from Inspiration Yarns. This was my first online fiber purchase, and it was a great experience. In addition to offering this lovely beginner's spinning kit for a great price, she's got beautiful yarns in lovely colorways. If you'd like to support an independent businesswoman, or if you just want great customer service and great products, then you should really check her out.

I want to thank you for the comments to the FMB Upset. Ann suggested a new name for the French Market Bag - the Friggin' Market Bag. I LMAO when I read that and immediately rechristened the bag. Ann also wondered exactly how many stitches you have to have on the needles before it's officially frogging, LOL. Of course, now that I have The Yarn from Amy, I want to punish the FMB by ignoring it completely and making myself a rockin' pair of mittens or a hat or both.

And even though my lovely commenters hadn't been humiliated by their knitting, they were supportive and said that it could happen.

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and happy knitting!

Cast On, Frog, Cast On Again, Hide Yarn, Blame Beer

2004-11-10T16:34:00.000-05:00

Or, Fun With the French Market Bag

I have been in love with the French Market Bag for months now, but felt that I needed to get a few techniques under my needles before I tried it. I took stock a few weeks ago and realized I was comfy with the techniques needed: Knitting in the round? Check. Knitting on DPNs? Check. M1? Check. Kitchener Stitch? Check. Feeling quite confident, I purchased the yarn, Brown Sheep Co.'s Nature Spun in Victorian Rose, and Lamb's Pride Worsted in Deep Charcoal. You read that last sentence, right? Quite confident? Um, yes, well...

When I went to California two weeks ago, I took the FMB pattern and yarn with me, and while I was there, I bought a set (my first) of Crystal Palace bamboo DPNs. I felt pretty good (read smug) about this purchase and planned to start working on the FMB on the plane ride home to Boston.

I spent a couple of hours at SFO before my plane boarded, and I had two beers while I waited.

Once on board the plane, I pulled out my Crystal Palace DPNs, the pattern, the gorgeous pink yarn, and got ready to astound everyone on board the plane with both my style and mad knitting skills. Did I mention I had had two beers?

Two beers = Marked increase in knitting hubris.

I CO 8 stitches onto 1 DPN and then divided them onto 4 needles. Then I couldn't figure out where to start, or how to hold the needles. I understood why people hate DPNs. Those Crystal Palace needles are the slipperiest stupid things ever.

I frogged the whole thing. Um, yeah, that's right. All 8 stitches. But I tried again. I CO 8 stitches, divided, and then 2 needles slipped out and one of the flight attendants had to help me find a needle that had fallen onto the floor. I was starting to get a little embarrassed. And I was starting to doubt myself.

Let's just say that I frogged again, CO again, and then finally stuffed everything into my bag when I realized that the yarn was starting to fray and I was getting a little red in the face. I vowed not to talk about the FMB again.

Fast forward to last Sunday. I decide to give the FMB another go. In fact, I become convinced that it was a combination of beer, bad lighting, and small turbulent airplanes that caused my FMB upset. I pulled out the yarn, the needles, and got set to try again.

And had the exact same results: CO. Frog. CO. Frog. Get mad. Slap forehead. CO. Swear. Frog. Get red in the face. Shove everything in red plastic tote.

Then I start to think (yes, I said start). I realize that these Crystal Palace needles are pretty to look at, but way too slippery for me or this yarn or both. I need to let go of those needles. So, I start thinking about knitting the bottom of the bag in the same way that the bottom of the Booga and Sophie bags are knit. CO x stitches, knit y rows, pick up z stitches around the perimeter, begin knitting in the round. This is the point where I start to get really scared because figuring this out means doing knit math, and, well, jeez, wouldn't you be getting scared, too? No, Wendy, you don't count. I know you wouldn't be scared. I know you'd enjoy it.

The next logical step? Go back to the pattern, and start the knit math. Get a little pencil, make little notations on it, pretend you can figure it out. Put off doing all that by looking through the pattern one more time. And see, very clearly, that the instructions for the alternate knit the bag base flat version is on page 3 of the pattern. Next next step? Giggle maniacally, slap self, wish for beer, get circular needles, work on the following for three days, take picture and post this:

My (probably) 8th attempt at the FMB

The knit flat instructions were exactly what I was contemplating. CO 50 stitches, St st until piece is 12.5", pick up 50 stitches along each side, and there you go.

I will love this bag very, very much.

I've been home sick all week, and today I really started to get stir crazy. This means I am on the mend, and it also means that I started to feel guilty about not doing anything. So I made these:

Stitch markers!

The carpet in my spare bedroom where I took this picture is not really that strange blue color, I swear.

Well, my knitterly friends, I hope your week is going well. I am going to try and clean something and make dinner before Mike gets home. Stir crazy, I tell ya.

For Keiko

2004-11-08T14:18:00.000-05:00

Keiko - these are just for you:

My dear friend Keiko reads my blog, but never comments. Today she commented for the first time and very kindly asked me to use a better photo of her than the one I linked to in the post below. As I like to keep my friends happy, I'm posting two photos from her wedding this past Spring. She was a gorgeous bride, and she's a beautiful person.

Daytime TV Is Strange

2004-11-08T11:53:00.000-05:00

Or, yes, I am home sick today.

By yesterday, I was unable to deny that I had "something", so I stayed in my pajamas, knit and watched football all day. How, you ask, is that any different from any other Sunday is Pajama Day? In truth, it wasn't very different, except there was no beer involved, quite a lot of tissue, and lots of general ooginess.

Although I didn't have the cognitive powers to blog yesterday, I was a productive member of the knitting society.

Please say hello to Sophie (pre-felted, as I didn't have the energy to run up and down the stairs to our washing machine, either):

I found the Sophie pattern quite easy to follow and used the Kitchener stitch for the first time. I used the skein of Cascade 220 that my SP III Secret Pal sent me (thanks again, Secret Pal!).

And the little guy peaking out above Sophie? Well, that's the teddy bear finger puppet I mentioned on Thursday. Here he is again:
It isn't the best embroidery you'll ever see, but I think he's pretty cute.

I did go to the Circles Anniversary Potluck on Saturday, and it was great fun. When I arrived, my friends Keiko and Nao were there, and then a little later, Wendy, The Bookish Girl, arrived. This was the first time I had actually "met" Wendy, and she was just as charming and witty in person as you would expect*, and I was thrilled to meet her. I had to leave rather early, but I thoroughly enjoyed knitting and chatting with Wendy and the other women who were at the potluck. I can't wait until Circles turns two!

In addition to finishing Sophie and the Mr. Finger Puppet, I finished the I-cord for Booga 2, wove in the ends of the green drop-stitch scarf, and cast on for my French Market Bag. My list of Christmas gifts to knit is slowly getting shorter...

Okay, lovely folks, I am running out of steam, so I am going to sign off and go a-searching for something to watch on TV, although I may just end up watching one of my standard sick-girl favorites: Foul Play, The Fifth Element, The Big Lebowski, or Fight Club.

Do you have movies you like to watch when you are sick?

Have a great week, all, and happy knitting!

*And her real head is even cuter than the Curious George head in her blogger profile pic. ;)

Catching Up

2004-11-04T21:01:00.000-05:00

I didn't post on Tuesday because as I started to see the election results trickle in, the hopefulness I had that Kerry would be elected was extinguished, and I knew that whatever I said wouldn't be thoughtful, it would just be bitter.

I didn't post yesterday because I didn't really know what to say.

Today I will just say this: I am very thankful for the 22nd Amendment.

I've done some fidgety knitting over the past few days. I made a teddy bear finger puppet (I'll post a pic once I get some black embroidery thread and finish the nose and mouth) and this morning I cast on for a Sophie bag. As I have always been a firm believer in the power of retail therapy, I went both Tuesday and today to A Good Yarn in Brookline Village and bought various DK weight yarns to make more finger puppets, plus a skein of Cascade 220 in a beautiful deep blue (psst Amie, no green!) to make a second Sophie bag.

Speaking of retail therapy - do you want to see what I bought today? See if you can resist.

There is some good election news: I won the grand prize in The Boogie Knits election! I get one of Amy's beautiful sheepy mugs *giggles* and Amy gave me a choice between some of her gorgeous handspun or her beautiful roving...I chose her handspun, because I am afraid I'd never do the roving justice. I'm already looking around my house trying to find the perfect place to put the handspun when it arrives...rest assured, it will be a place of honor. :) Amy's contest was brilliant, and I loved every single minute of it.

I must tell you that I am quite excited for the weekend. On Saturday, I am going with my friends Keiko and Nao to the one year anniversary celebration of Circles, one of my favorite LYS, and with any luck, I'll get to meet The Bookish Girl. How cool is that?

Okay - one more thing. If you read no other post-election blog entry, I'd ask that you read this one. I'm waiting for the America Show, too.

The WIPing Couch

2004-11-01T20:46:00.000-05:00

At some point yesterday, I looked at the loveseat in my living room, and realized that it ha become home to all my WIPs. I don't know when I gave up on putting each WIP in its own little bag, but my organizing muscles have obviously atrophied.

See what I mean?

What you see is a drop stitch scarf I finished during The Spanking, a rose colored hat I CO today, a skein of fluffy green loveliness sent to me by my SPIII Secret Pal, a skein of cashmere blend yarn that will become a scarf for Mike (to replace the one he lost in Colorado last week), the remnants of the yarn for the drop stitch scarf, a skein of sock yarn (fyi - do not CO for your first sock, especially a child's size sock, when you've been enjoying Old Speckled Hen with your football games, it can only end in tragedy), and my aunt's Harlot poncho, for which I have run out of yarn. Sigh.

Maybe I should call it The Shame Couch.

I am really itching to begin work on some more difficult projects, but right now I am in serious Christmas gift knitting mode. This means that I have too many people to knit for and not enough time to make sweaters for me. So, there will be Booga Bags, hats, mittens, scarves, and maybe a French Market Bag or two, but no sweaters until after the new year.

I should show you the FO pic now so you will know that I do actually finish projects:

I apologize for the glare, and the yarn is really much greener than the picture shows. I am a fan of the drop stitch pattern.

Thank you for your wonderful comments about my G'pa story and my new hairdo. I've had a lot of G'pa stories on my mind lately, and I hope to share one with you now and then.

Have you read some of the great Halloween stories chronicled by our fellow knitbloggers? Here are a few of my favorite:

Amie, of RosebyAny, didn't get trick-or-treaters, but did confront her stash,

The Bookish Girl had a smashing Halloween/Housewarming party,

Amy, of The Boogie Knits, made two fabulous costumes,

but the scariest entry of all: Kay's entry on Mason-Dixon Knitting. I was sweating the whole time I read it.

I hope your Halloween was fun, and Happy November!

A Story About G'pa, Some Knitting, and Good Hair

2004-10-30T16:33:00.000-04:00

Christmas 1995:

I was sitting next to my G'pa and he asked me "Are you wired yet?" By 1995, G'pa had email and was building his own computers. Needless to say, I didn't have my own computer and I certainly didn't have email, but G'pa said that we'd be able to communicate more if I did. I signed up for an email account and began an email correspondence with G'pa that lasted right up until he went into the nursing home a few months ago. I'm sure I would have eventually caught up with the digital age, but it would have taken a lot longer without G'pa.

I do have knitting progress to report. I have started on a Very Harlot Poncho for my aunt, and I've got to knit another scarf for Mike because he lost the first one during last week while he was in Colorado for business. I've got a number of Christmas presents I need to get started, and I seem to buy nothing but green yarn. I'm not sure why.

Body of the 2nd Booga Bag

Beginning of my aunt's Harlot Poncho

I've been guilty of something for a while, and I didn't want to share it out of shame.

I've had Bad Hair. Poofy, mushroomy, strangely shaped hair that did nothing but cause me shame. But no more!

Good Hair!

Thank you again for your wonderful and kind comments. I'm so thankful to be part of such a generous blogging community.

Happy Weekend All!

Oh, and Michelle? That sure was spam. :)

Home

2004-10-28T22:21:00.000-04:00

It's good to be home. I got to my G'pa's nursing home in the early afternoon on Saturday and joined the vigil at his bedside with my aunt and my cousin. My mom came on Sunday, and I was glad, for my G'pa, that she came. Monday morning, at about 6:30am, my G'pa died. I'll tell you that as glad as I was that he wasn't suffering any longer, I wasn't ready for it. I thought it just sucked. I needed about another 20 years or so.

The thing I will always be grateful for is having been at his side with my aunt and my cousin when he died. We had the memorial service on Tuesday so I was able to be there for that as well. My G'pa's entire bowling team showed up for the service. A cuter group of little old men and women you've never seen.

It was a sad, exhausting, draining trip, but I am glad I was there. I would have regretted it forever otherwise.

I want to take a minute to thank you for the wonderful comments you left for me. It meant a lot to come home to all of your thoughtfulness and kindness.

There was a lot of hospital knitting done - I am almost finished with the I-cord for the second Booga bag, and I made a beautiful drop stitch scarf for my aunt using a skein of the gorgeous bluey purple yarn my SP III Secret Pal sent to me.

I'm so glad to be home.

Away For A Few Days

2004-10-22T21:37:00.000-04:00

I received the call from my cousin Stephanie last night that my G'pa is failing and his doctors expect he'll only live for another few days, so I am leaving for California in the morning.

My aunt and my cousin have been telling my G'pa that it is okay for him to let go, but he's a fighter and he isn't ready to leave yet. I'm hoping he hangs on so that I can be with him a while, but if he doesn't, I'll be able to be there with my family, and that's very important, too.

I'm taking a lot of small, rather mindless projects with me to work on while I'm there because I will have a lot of time on the plane and at the hospital and I know I'll want to keep my hands busy but be able to have conversations. I'm taking the second Booga bag, yarn for a child's poncho, and maybe the yarn for a French Market Bag, I'm not sure yet.

Because music is so important to Mike, he is making a cd for me to bring with me as a small way for us to feel close to each other.

I'll be back on Wednesday evening and hopefully I will post on Thursday. I already miss my online friends.

Please send kind thoughts to my G'pa.

Booga Booga Boo!

2004-10-20T21:43:00.000-04:00

It'll be a quick post tonight, but I wanted to share a couple of FO pics before I return my full attention to something that is on tv right now. Enough said?

So, without further ado (and because there's a commercial break on right now):

Booga!

Booga Redux!

Thank you for the kind words about Booga. The second one is coming along nicely, too. ;)

I also want to mention that my KRII Secret Pal was injured while embroidering my ubercute denim bag - apparently embroidering while trying to watch Law & Order isn't such a good idea. Thanks again, Secret Pal!

Now back to our regular scheduled programming.

Mail? For Me?

2004-10-18T19:59:00.000-04:00

Or, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night.

I'm not sure what the two have in common either, except I'm feeling a little loopy due to sleep deprivation and the emotional drain that comes with being a Red Sox fan. I can't say anything else about the Red Sox. In fact, I should probably stop even thinking about them.

But I was talking about mail. Or I wasn't, but I meant to. I came home to a wonderful gift from my Knitter's Review II Secret Pal.

Cutest Denim Bag Ever. Can you see the brown polka dot lining and the yarn embroidery?

And inside:

A close up of the cutest sushi stitch markers you EVER did see:

What a great gift to come home to, aside from Mike, of course. :) Thank you very much, Secret Pal, for the very thoughtful gift. The embroidery is so wonderful - am I correct in assuming you did it yourself? Just adorable. I'm a very lucky girl, erm, woman, ahem, lady, gak, girl.

I also want to say thank you to Kaitlin, Wendy, and my Secret Pal, for the links and general help regarding recycling yarn. After I finish this post, I will be off to do some research.

I credit Lolly for the yarn recycling idea. She has recycled some great sweaters, and she's also dyed the wool afterwards! She's just cool like that.

The Booga is almost finished blocking, and I can't wait for it to be completely dry:

Michelle mentioned that she is really enjoying knitting her Booga, and I completely understand. If you're a girl, and a friend of mine, it is quite possible that you will receive a Booga from me for Christmas. I hope you like them. I certainly like knitting them.

So, before I head off to watch the rest of The Baseball Game That Must Not Be Mentioned, I just want to say thank you again to my KR II Secret Pal and to the lovely ladies of the comments. You have all helped to make a lovely day even lovelier.

Happy Knitting!

Sundays Are Pajama Days at My House

2004-10-17T19:44:00.000-04:00

During football season especially, I don't find many reasons to leave the house on Sundays, so I am declaring Sundays official Pajama Day. Don't get me wrong, Pajama Day still involves taking a shower, brushing my teeth, and all that good stuff, it's just that instead of putting on jeans and blowdrying my hair, I put on a new lounging outfit (read sweatpants) and spritz in a leave-in conditioner. Let me tell you, it isn't a bad way to spend a day.

Yesterday I went to my local Goodwill store and picked up four sweaters and two books. One of the sweaters is a 100% silk black Ann Taylor cardigan (huge score), and these are the others:

The top two sweaters are both mohair/angora blends, and the bottom is 100% wool. Now I just need to find a good article on recycling the yarn.

I felted my Booga Bag tonight, and it is drying as I type. I've already CO for the bottom of a second Booga because they are very easy and very fun to knit.

The posts and pictures from Rhinebeck attendees are already cropping up and boy, it looks like it was as good as I thought it would be. I am looking forward to reading everyone's accounts of the weekend. No really, I am.

Okay, I can't put it off any longer. I have to go watch the Yankees/Red Sox game now.

Happy knitting everyone!

Everyone's Going to Rhinebeck But Me

2004-10-14T22:05:00.000-04:00

Okay, I know that's not really true, but lots of people are going, and more than that, lots of really cool people are going. I feel like the kid who forgot to get her permission slip signed. Now all I get to do is stay in stupid Boston with all the stupid foliage and stupid yarn stores, and...alright, it really isn't so bad, is it? ;)

If you are wondering what I've been doing over the past few days, and you probably aren't, but just in case, here's a progress shot of my Booga Bag:

Uh, yes, that is wine with my Booga...Keiko came over yesterday and we took a field trip to Circles before we went to Anna's Taqueria and then we brought yarn and burritos back to my house, ate our yummy Mexican food (Anna's is the best taqueria I have found in Boston, btw), had a SnB group of two, and opened a bottle of wine that Keiko donated to the cause. No, I don't know what cause, but it was edifying just the same. It was an excellent evening, and I was able to get a lot done on Booga. I was able to do the BO on the train this morning and I've got a good 3 1/2' on the I-cord done. I'm hoping to finish the I-cord and the weaving in of ends during my commute and lunch tomorrow, and hopefully felting will happen tomorrow night. You see, I'll be home, able to felt because I won't be at Rhinebeck with you and all the other cool kids. No, I'm not bitter. Much. Well, not very much, I guess.

Thank you for the kind dentist visit commiseration comments - lucky for me I don't have to go back until March for my regularly scheduled cleaning.

A little shout out to my SP III Secret Pal: even though I don't get to go to Rhinebeck, I still feel like a cool kid with my snazzy red tote and my neat-o purple notions bag. I swear I think everyone is looking at my red tote and thinking "I could NEVER be as cool as that girl". Thanks again! Also, last night I made Keiko fondle the yarn you sent. ;)

If you haven't visited Knittens yet today, you should read her post for 10/14. I like it when neat things happen to neat people. And if you haven't visited Got Ewe In Stitches recently, Nancy's having a long week. If you have a moment, go to her blog and tell her a funny story. She's always sharing her great stories, so leave her a little comment and send a little of the ha-ha her way. It's the least you can do before you desert us (read me) to go to Rhinebeck.

Have a great time at Rhinebeck, please take photos, and try and look miserable in them.

Of course I'm kidding, silly - I want you to have a great time at Rhinebeck! Have a great weekend all!

And You Shall Know Me By The Shape of My Red Plastic Tote

2004-10-12T11:59:00.000-04:00

And you'll know my SP III Secret Pal, too, because she has one just like it.

So, my post office isn't in the best neighborhood, but I went there this morning, braved the police action at the McDonalds across the street from the PO, said a polite "thank you" to the marginally scary man who told me how nice I looked, and didn't punch the guy who made noises at me like I was some tasty meal, all in order to bring this wonderful package back to my cozy apartment:

And because my SP is nothing if not considerate, this little message was on the address slip:

One of the lovely notes inside the package said she had adopted the twin of the fabulous red tote she sent me, and said she hoped I'd agree that good things come to those who wait. I'll add good things come to those who brave certain Boston post offices, and agree with her entirely.

This photo was taken after I had taken the paper off of the box of Sees Candies. I have priorities, people.

My Secret Pal, who is the bestest Secret Pal, sent me a box of Sees Bordeaux (my absolute favorite), a bar of Scharffen Berger dark chocolate (oh lord, thank you for sending me this wonderful Secret Pal), and A LOT of Ghirardelli chocolate. Yum.

Of course, she also sent me some really wonderful yarn: a skein of Cascade 220, which is a beautiful purple, a skein of Berroco Quest, which is a terrific furry ribbon yarn in a deep green, and a skein of Gedifra Azzurro in a lovely medium blue. The Quest and the Azzurro will both make gorgeous scarves, and I can't wait to start playing with them. I'm hoping to start an Irish Hiking Scarf with the Cascade 220.

My Secret Pal also included an adorable birthday card, a tape measure, and an awesome purple bag which is perfect for the knitting notions I take with me whenever I've got a portable project (which is always).

As you can see, my newest WIP, a Booga Bag, has already jumped into the fabulous red tote. It is currently nestled in the bag, along with its sister skeins of Noro Kureyon, happily awaiting a trip out-of-doors. I'm definitely the coolest kid on the block with this bag. ;)

Secret Pal, thank you so much for your kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity. I'll brave any PO for you. :) Knowing that I was going to pick up my presents from you today gave me something wonderful to look forward to as I was getting a cavity filled this morning!

Thanks again, Secret Pal, you rock!

New Hampshire, Stash, and Three FOs

2004-10-11T16:11:00.000-04:00

Mike and I drove to Portsmouth yesterday, and we had a terrific day. As much as I love Boston, I love Portsmouth more. We got into town around 1:30pm and went our separate ways. Mike went to Bull Moose and I toodled off to The Yarn Basket, which worked out perfectly, as neither of us felt like we had to hurry while the other person waited. I left with this:

Don't you think all yarn shops should have a little flag like that outside? It was a wonderful store, incredibly well organized with a terrific selection of books and yarn and a wonderful woman helping the many customers crowding the cozy shop.

Inside the very cute bag was this:

That is 5 skeins of Cascade 220 in a forest green and a deep blue. The green will be a throw for a Christmas gift, and the blue will be a poncho for my sister, who will be 16 on December 26th.

I should mention that I finished with the shop, wandered to Bull Moose, wandered up and down Islington Street, finally over to Market Street, and had just finished picking up a couple of items for my secret pals when Mike finally called and said he was finishing at Bull Moose. ;)

Michelle asked about the fall foliage in New Hampshire, and yes, it was really gorgeous. Mike and I drove from Portsmouth to Laconia, where Mike lived for a number of years, and it was a beautiful drive up Route 11. I'd like to tell you I took some pictures of the gorgeous views of Lake Winnipesaukee, or of the foliage, but I'd be lying to you. We did get a picture of this, though:

I also got a picture of the lamp on the table behind us at The Friendly Toast in Portsmouth, where we had a late lunch:

I guess you'll just have to imagine the foliage for yourself. It was beautiful, though.

Mike and I got to Laconia at about 7:30pm, and if you've ever been to that area, you know there was only one place that we HAD to go. Yep, you guessed it: Fun Spot. When you come to Boston, we'll go there. I'll take you to school if we play Pac Man, air hockey, Tetris, Galaga, or Frogger, but you probably don't want to play any kind of pinball game with me because it'll be a complete waste of time and tokens. I suck royally at pinball. I don't think there's ever been a worse pinball player than me. I'm not terribly uncoordinated in real life, but put me in front of a pinball machine and in charge of a couple set of flippers and I become a complete floppy twitchy nightmare. Really, it's embarrassing. You won't want to be seen with me - just remember, I warned you.

I mentioned that my package from my secret pal didn't get to me on Saturday, and it looks like it should have, so I'm hoping I'll be able to pick it up from the post office tomorrow. To console myself on Saturday, however, I stopped at Snow Goose Yarns, and picked up these:

That's 4 skeins of Mission Falls 1824 Wool in a lovely teal, and 3 skeins of Noro Kureyon. No, I don't have a problem. I can stop buying Noro anytime I want. I mean, I'll run out of money eventually, right?

I'll leave you with proof that I haven't been buying yarn and playing video games exclusively over the last three days (although that wouldn't be a bad thing). I seamed the first baby hat, made a second baby hat, which I also seamed, and knit a simple drop-stitch scarf for a friend's birthday, using the last ball of the Rowan Kid Classic that I used for my poncho:

The hats:

The scarf:

The scarf was really simple, and, if you are interested, went like this:

Materials: 1 skein Rowan Kid Classic, US 8 needles
CO 22
Rows 1-4: Knit
Row 5: *K1, YO* to last stitch, K1
Row 6: K all K stitches, dropping YO off needle
Repeat rows 1-6 until desired length, BO, add fringe if you want

Very easy, but quite pretty, especially with the Rowan.

I wanted to mention that I've been inspired by FroggyKnits to take a couple of items to the frog pond. Over at Jenla (I love that blog, btw) La said she doesn't do ugly knitting, and this too, has inspired me. I'm just not going to use yarn I hate, and I'm not going to finish things that I know I'll never wear, never like, never want to show anyone. So, if you've got a knitting bag, or corner, or dungeon, holding your unmentionables, just let them go, and frog-a-long with me. Why should we ever knit something we don't love? Like the bad boys you dated before you realized bad boys would always be bad boys and really weren't worth your time - let those bad knits go.

Have a terrific week everyone.

Just A Little Post

2004-10-10T11:42:00.000-04:00

Mike and I are off to Portsmouth, NH in a few minutes, which is one of our favorite towns to visit. I'm hoping to visit The Yarn Basket while we're there, and we'll certainly visit Bull Moose Music.

Sadly, there was no package from my SP III Secret Pal yesterday - despite my strong desire to receive said package. :( Ah well, it gives me something to look forward to on Tuesday.

I love long weekends...

I Think You Should Come to Boston

2004-10-07T18:55:00.000-04:00

No, really, I think you should. It's a fun little town, and there are some terrific yarn stores. So, you just come visit, we'll eat some great food, and play with yarn. Just let me know when you're coming, okay?

Thanks for the great comments - no, I didn't try the scrapple, but I was very glad to have Mike try it. I like having other people do things I won't do...which includes things like eating scrapple. When you come visit, I'll probably try and get you to do things I don't want to do. But you'll like it - it'll be lots of fun.

I still have a rosy glow from my lovely weekend in Maryland, and when I look at these items, it just increases the warm, rosy glowiness:

On the left we have four skeins of Noro Kureyon, purchased at Ye Olde Knit Shoppe in Havre de Grace. Their prices weren't terrific compared to what I've been able to find in Boston, and they didn't have any yarns I haven't seen before, but the Kureyon was a good price, and I got an additional 10% off because it was my birthday. Score for me!

On the right we have two skeins of a wool/mohair/silk blend was $8.50/skein for about 250 yards. I purchased that green loveliness at Vulcan's Rest Fibers in Chesapeake City and the store was really wonderful. The prices were excellent, they had lots of books and things I'd never seen before, and I only wish I would have had more time there. With any luck, though, I'll be able to visit there again soon.

This is what I've been working on for the last couple of evenings:

It's the rolled brim hat from the Debbie Bliss "Baby Knits for Beginners" book. It was simple, if a little boring, to knit, but I'm really happy with the finished product. I've read that her sizing can be kind of wonky, but the hat, at least, is great.

I got a beautiful postcard from my Knitter's Review Secret Pal that is on my fridge for me to look at all the time, and I got an email from my SPIII Secret Pal that there's a package on the way for me! Just thinking about it makes me want to giggle - I am SOOO excited. I just know that whatever she sends will be awesome. I have rad secret pals (hey, you know I grew up in California).

So, what are your plans for the long weekend? Are you coming to Boston? Just let me know, okay?

Back With an FO

2004-10-04T19:44:00.000-04:00

First off - thank you for the wonderful birthday wishes. I had an awesome weekend, and I got home to your great comments, and well, since 3 out of 5 of you are in Maryland, I wish I could have gone right back to visit with each of you.

Mike and I got up at 3am sharp, and I knit in the car, in the airport, on the airplane, and at the bed and breakfast. There was a lot of frenzied knitting going on. To give Mike credit, he never, not once, looked at me strangely for knitting anywhere I could grab a second. In fact, more than once he said "Do you want me to take a picture?". If I had the time, I would have kissed him. ;)

Our dinner reservations were for 7pm in Baltimore at Corks. Having said that:

Do you see the time on the clock?

We made it to the restaurant on time, but what about the poncho???

It may be a ponchoette, which may make me a harlotette, but with some blocking, I think it'll work out just fine.

You may have noticed the flowers on table...oh, you didn't? Well, take a look at the picture above and you'll see that Mike had a gorgeous bouquet of flowers delivered to the restaurant for my birthday.

This is how they looked in our room the next morning (with the Susquehanna in the background, no less):

We stopped at a diner for breakfast yesterday:

I really love diners.

And I love Mike. For many, many reasons. One of the reasons I love him is that he'll try anything once. Mike's breakfast at The New Ideal Diner included scrapple:

It's creamier than meatloaf apparently. ;)

I managed to go to two LYS' while I was in Maryland, and I will post pictures from my LYS adventures tomorrow.

It was a tremendous weekend, and although I am glad to be home, I am looking forward to another trip to Maryland soon.

Have a wonderful, wonderful week.

Hi Maryland

2004-09-30T21:22:00.000-04:00

I didn't end up buying more Silk Garden to make the Very Harlot Poncho. I put 5 skeins of Kureyon into my basket at A Good Yarn in Brookline Village (I discovered that I can go there on my lunch hour, I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing) but decided to go with Rowan Kid Classic. It's wonderfully soft and is working up beautifully. I'm into my second skein right now, and with any luck there will be significant car, airport, airplane, and car knitting done tomorrow. Yes, I still plan to wear this baby on Saturday night. No, I do not have a back-up plan. Yes, you may place your bets now.

Here is the progress on the poncho:

The color is a pale dusty rose and I just love it.

Tomorrow, Mike and I will go to Maryland for the weekend. We live outside of Boston. Our flight leaves from TF Green airport outside of Providence, RI, at 6am. I have our alarm set to go off tomorrow morning at 3am. Yep, that's right, 3am. Have you wrapped your mind around that yet? 3am? I'm also setting the alarm on my cell phone because it is quite possible that our regular alarm will go off at 3am (ungodly) and I will, in my sleepy state, think, "well, that's not right" and turn off the alarm. If you're wondering, I don't know why I'm still awake either.

I'm having a really hard time writing this entry tonight. My birthdays have been pretty rough for the past couple of years, and so maybe I'm a little worried. This morning, an email from my aunt in California informed the family that her dad, my G'pa, is failing, and will probably not be with us much longer. It was really hard for me to read that and feel so helpless. I put a little card into the mail to him today, and I am hoping it wings its way to him quickly. So, while I am excited about our trip to Maryland, I'm also sad.

There were bright spots to my day, though, and the brightest one came when I opened my birthday gift from my best friend. The gift was a silver necklace from Tiffany & Co. This is my first ever Tiffany & Co. item, and I love it. I put it on, and I am wearing it now, and I just freaking love it. The thing is - sure, it is Tiffany, and it is gorgeous, but getting this gift of a tiny perfect heart that I can wear every day means more than I can begin to articulate. I am a lucky, lucky girl. I am lucky enough to have had Kim as my best friend since I was 14 years old. I can honestly say she is the one human being who has never let me down. Not ever, not once. And her timing is always impeccable.

I'll leave you with one final image from today:

Hmmm...a mystery...

Have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by. I'm going to bed now. :)

If I Were Yarn, I'd Marry Some Noro Silk Garden

2004-09-27T22:37:00.000-04:00

May I introduce you to The First Cap For Kids Hat That Makes Me Happy FO?

ROTFL like a big nosed, Noro crazed idiot...

It's really a pretty hat, and I'm very happy with it. I'll take it to work tomorrow and drop off my FIRST donation to the Caps for Kids program.

Sigh...I'm feeling the rush of satisfaction that comes with tackling and finishing smaller projects, as opposed to the sense of inadequacy that comes with trying to seam stupid sleeves into stupid armholes and knowing that there is JUST NO WAY they are going to fit. No, I'm not bitter. I am in a transcendent state of Noro bliss.

I have two, no three, goals for this week:

Buy some Noro Silk Garden to make the Very Harlot Poncho,
Make the Very Harlot Poncho by Saturday, when Mike takes me to Corks in Baltimore for my 30th birthday dinner.

Didn't I just say I liked small projects? Oh well, we all knew it wouldn't last.

Thank you very much for supporting me in embracing the mitten's semi-wonkiness. I hope you all have a terrific week!

Oh, and Amie? I'm on my way to kick AC's butt. ;)

I Am Not Cocky. Stop Looking At Me That Way...

2004-09-26T19:01:00.000-04:00

Okay, really, I'm not cocky, but at times today, I felt really stupid, and cockiness at least feels more intentional. Why did I feel stupid today? I felt stupid because whenever I knit two of something, I think I can just eyeball the second knitted item and it will end up the identical twin of the first knitted item. I am sure that there are knitters out there that eyeball things and end up with identical knitted twins. I end up with fraternal knitted twins - they may look related, but you'd never have trouble telling them apart.

What I'm really trying to say is that the second mitten ended up about 1 1/2" shorter than the first one, and I realy believed that I was on track to identical twins*. I ended up frogging (or as Knittens' DH would say "Rabbiting") about 2 1/2", back to the initial set of decreases and from measuring often (read compulsively) from that point on.

The result?

Mike's Mostly Identical Twin Mittens

They're pretty fancy, and they worked hard to get that way, so they wanted their picture taken with the martini glasses. Who can blame them?

Lauren and my Secret Pal both asked what, if any, pattern I used for the mittens. I found this great pattern on Alison's blog, and really enjoyed it. If you are looking for a quick and easy mitten pattern, this is a good one.

You may remember that I started knitting for a Caps for Kids program a few weeks ago. I ended up getting rid of some really bad yarn that was depressing me, and buying some really stupid Muppet yarn (is it just me, or does most novelty yarn have something in common with Muppets?) that depressed me, and I started to get really depressed about not having anything to donate to Caps for Kids yet. This afternoon, after I finished weaving in the ends of the second mitten, I started on the First Cap for Kids Hat That Makes Me Happy:

Not wanting to be left out, the hat had its picture taken with the silver wine goblets.

What I've learned is that there is no more Muppet yarn in my future, and Noro makes me, and hopefully a local Boston kid, very happy...

Have a terrific week all - and happy knitting!

*There are many other things that went wonky with these mittens, but they look really nice, Mike likes them, and the same wonkiness exists on both mittens, so we're just going to pretend it was all intentional from the start. I am not cocky. ;)

This Good Mood Sponsored by...

2004-09-25T18:41:00.000-04:00

Lovely weather,
Star Wars movies on DVD,
Shopping for my Secret Pals,
My very OWN Secret Pal gift,
My lovely boyfriend,
And One Finished Mitten!

If those things above aren't enough to be happy about, then I don't know what is. My Secret Pal left me a comment telling me to expect something in the mail on or around Saturday. Well, I checked the mail three times before 11am, and no dice. Finally, remembering the old watched pot saying, I decided I'd go do a little shopping for my secret pals and get outside and enjoy the great weather.

Off I went, hither and yon, and when I came back, there was a little surprise waiting for me in the mailbox!

See, I don't know what my SP looks like, but I'll bet she's really cute. Only someone really cute would wrap a gift in a pattern! I could hardly stand to open it, but once I did, I was greeted by this:

Some terrific Ghirardelli chocolate (some of my favorite) and a chocolate ERASER! So very, very cute...In addition to the chocolately cuteness, there was a great little note. So, thank you Secret Pal...You're the best!

About 15 minutes ago, I finished weaving the ends of Mike's first mitten. I present to you:

Mike's First Mitten!

I'm really pleased by the way the mitten turned out. I learned new things in the process of knitting this mitten, like using dpns, picking up stitches, and the casting on using the backwards loop methods. I'm looking forward to Mike's Second Mitten, because I'm sure that things will go even smoother.

While I was out and about today, I went to Staples to pick up a binder, dividers, sheet protectors, and stickers. Who can guess what I'm planning?

Go on, I'm waiting...

If you guessed that I'm planning a knitting pattern binder, you'd be right. I have loose bits of paper all over the place, and I want to start keeping better track of them...I also think it will be a great place for me to go for ideas when I am in need of a new project. I'll post a pic once it is organized and has some content.

So, exactly one week from today, on October 2nd, I will turn 30. I'm thinking about it a lot, but I'm not really bothered by it. I think my 30s will be great, and why shouldn't they be? Thanks for the early birthday wishes, too - I LOVE me some birthdays.

In my last post, I said I'd tell you about Caroline and palm trees, so here goes:

I hate palm trees.

Where I grew up in Northern California, they were not indigenous, and yet they were everywhere. Considering that they are ridiculously expensive, the sight of palm trees started to make me a little crazy in the head. So, every time I see a palm tree, or something with palm trees on it, I mutter "F*cking palm trees". Enter Caroline. Care is one of my best friends, and she and I have spent A LOT of time shopping together. We shop like pros. When Care and her awesome husband John were visiting me in Boston about three years ago, we decided that the true test of how well you know your friend is not knowing what to buy for them that they would like (that really should be easy), but knowing what to buy for them that they would hate. We laughed so hard over that that we decided that from then on that whenever we sent gifts we'd always send at least one that the other person would hate. I've gotten a foil palm tree with a suction cup base, she's gotten a ceramic cow painted red, white, and blue wearing a little gold crown - you see where this is going?

Three days ago, Care called me to make sure she had my correct address, and laughingly told me that she was sending me one real gift, but she was also sending something that was much better than the palm tree. In short, whatever it is, talks. Oh boy.

Thank you, as always, for stopping by and spending a few minutes with me. I hope you have a great weekend.

Secret Pal - thank you SO much for the thoughtful note and chocolates, I already feel very lucky to have you as my Secret Pal!

This May Be The Start of Something

2004-09-22T22:52:00.000-04:00

Or, I like mittens!

I've been ridiculously inspired by my fellow knitbloggers, and I don't think I'm the only one. If you go to Lauren's blog today, aside from her usual fabulousness, you can check out links to a bunch of great FOs; if you go to Boogie's blog, aside from her usual fabulousness, you can link to a post from Norma which I think all knitbloggers, oh hell, all bloggers, should read.

That being said - have you met Stitchy McYarnpants? If you haven't, go. Now. I mean it. Please. Oh lord, I'm begging you...And, if you don't want to let me down so close to my birthday, you WILL click on the picture of dear old Santa.

Are you back? Don't you feel better? If you were already feeling good, don't you feel terrific now? Mmm...I thought so.

I was going to talk about my mittens, though. Okay, my mitten:

(Mike's mitten with my grandparents smooching in the background)

I'm using US 8 bamboo dpns for this, and...it's fun! Woot! The Rowan Plaid is really lovely to work with. I am glad I am using the bamboo for my first adventure in dpns, though. I think it is making the whole process much less slippery.

A girlfriend of mine, who was at the same wedding as me and Mike sent some digital pictures today, and I thought I'd share a couple with you...

The engagement picture of the newlyweds, framed by the best wishes of those who love them.

Your own extra fancy dirty girl, and her very cute boyfriend.

Happy Knitting!

Countdown to *30th* birthday: 10 days!!!

Um, remind me to tell you about Caroline and the palm trees, okay? It's relevant to my birthday, if not to anything else...

And I want to say that the daily inspiration I receive from my fellow knitbloggers is awesome. Not only are you tremendously talented people, but you are kind as well. The kindness and thoughtfulness that people show online inspires me to be kinder and more thoughtful both online and off. So...thank you.

Mmm...my kind of evening

2004-09-21T21:49:00.000-04:00

Or, trying to do five things at once.

What am I trying to do?

Eat a sandwich,
write a blog entry,
plan a stash organization,
plan a stash database,
and drink a beer.

And I have to tell you that I am VERY happy doing these things.

Do you know what happens when I pull out all my stash and my organizational tubbies and containers and sit in my sweat bottoms and pink Bonnie Prince Billy t-shirt while Mike is in Frederick, MD, on a business trip?

I sing.

I make up songs about stash and organization.

I look in the mirror, I think about the skein of Rowan Plaid I just bought to make Mike mittens, and I get a big, stupid grin on my face, wave my hands in the air, and exclaim "MITTENS!!!".

This morning I read Heather's blog, and she talked about her recent experience at AC Moore. So, this evening I went to my local AC Moore (I didn't know I had a local AC Moore), and I bought this:

Included in this wonderful haul were two pairs of circular needles, three pairs of dpns, and five skeins of this great cashmere/merino wool blend (ROTFL like a crazy, stash-addled lunatic).

If you thought my adventures ended there, well, you'd be a teensy-weensy bit premature...I started off my evening at Circles, A Knitting Salon in Jamaica Plain, Ma.

This is the sweet little bag that came home with me

This is what was IN the sweet little bag

But, do you think that's all I did today? Oh no. I bought a copy of Debbie Bliss' "Baby Knits for Beginners" and for my wonderful, lovely, terrific boyfriend, I bought the Star Wars Trilogy on DVD. And I'm talking about the good trilogy - not the crappy new movies.

If you are wondering what I am planning to do with my newly acquired little skeins of fabulousness, I am planning a few baby hats, a pair of mittens, the French Market Bag from Knitty, and a hat for Mike. Oh boy - I've got to get organizing so I can get swatching!

Countdown to 30th birthday: 11 days!

I hope you are having a terrific week!

Short and Sweet

2004-09-20T22:34:00.000-04:00

I feel like I had quite a busy weekend, unfortunately, I didn't have a lot of knitting time. Or, if I am being completely honest, I didn't make a lot of time for knitting.

I'm just not thrilled about any of the projects I have going on. I need to get working on my caps for kids, but I had to give up on the Spinnerin Wool. It was SO scratchy, it felt like knitting with cotton candy that has gotten warm and sticky. Not fun at all. I kept thinking that I would NEVER use that yarn for a gift for someone I knew, how could I possibly give it to a child knowing that it might be their ONLY hat??? The answer - I couldn't. So, I'll move on to the Noro, and hope that helps.

It sounds like everyone had a good time at the DC Knit Out - the weather was certainly gorgeous for it. I'm glad that you had terrific weather, and of course, fabulous company (I am linking to one Lauren's post from yesterday with a great group pic)!

Mike and I went to a wedding for a friend of ours on Saturday, and even though the rain kept the wedding indoors rather than in the rose garden where it was originally supposed to be, it was just a beautiful day. I told Jess she looked like an advertisement for EVERYTHING, she was so gorgeous. The groom wasn't half bad himself, of course...

Just a couple of pictures for you:

This picture was taken while Jess and Chris were exchanging their vows

This was taken right before their first dance.

The wedding and reception was at The Commons, in Topsfield, Ma., and it was absolutely stunning.

Thank you as always for your wonderful comments - I am always SO excited to hear from you!

Have a great week!

You Know You're Knit Obsessed When...

2004-09-15T22:42:00.000-04:00

You see a sign that says:

Postdocs: Improve Your World

and you really, really think it says:

Ponchos: Improve Your World

That said, I am glad that it is Wednesday. Keiko and her husband Tim are coming to our house for dinner tomorrow night, and then Mike and I are going to a wedding on Saturday. It'll be great.

I've been feeling like a bitter person the last week or so, and although I think I've mentioned that work is not terrific right now, I think I've also mentioned that I'll be 30 very soon. Mike and I are going to stay here for my birthday: The Crazy Swede. Initially we were going to stay in Washington DC (because I have never been there), but circumstances have made it a better idea to go stay in Maryland instead. This is a good thing, people, I promise, but I don't want to talk too much about it right now. There is an LYS in Havre de Grace, MD, though - and with any luck I'll get to go there. :)

Okay, to the knitting and the bitterness and how they relate...

I work for a cancer hospital, and last week, Keiko forwarded me an email about a program called "Caps for Kids". Last year, my hospital donated over 1,000 knit and crocheted caps to local elementary schools, day care centers, and homeless shelters. My hospital is participating again this year, and Keiko, Nao and I are going to knit caps. Yesterday, Keiko and I went to pick out some of the donated yarn, and I got this:

Yep, that's right...I'll be knitting my first Noro into a hat for a lucky Boston kid! I'm really excited about it.

I also picked up these items:

This is a cap I'm knitting from some Spinnerin wool. It's a little scratchy, and I hope it doesn't end up TOO scratchy:

Oh, that's right - I was talking about my bitterness. Well, it's hard to be bitter for very long when you work at a cancer hospital. I needed the reminder that there are other, much worse, much more devastating things than what I am currently dealing with, and when it comes right down to it, I am lucky that I only have the issues I have. Things could always be worse. I see parents who are my age with kids that have cancer, and I am always in awe of their (both the parents and the children's) strength and courage. I might have a bad day, but it doesn't begin to compare. I'm lucky. I'm very, very lucky. So, enough of the bitterness for me. I'll knit my caps, and be glad that I am able to do it.

Because my G'pa is such a role model for me, and because I'm thinking about how lucky we really are to have each and every day, I just wanted to leave you with a picture of us, taken in Columbia, Ca., at the City Hotel Restaurant. This is one of my all-time favorite restaurants (check out their wine list), and my G'pa is one of my favorite people.

Thanks for all of your terrific comments (I've responded in the comments section)and I hope you have a great week!

Sunday Evening Blues

2004-09-12T21:17:00.000-04:00

And one FO.

Well, it is Sunday evening once more, and I'll be honest, I'm really not looking forward to going to work tomorrow. There's a lot more that I could say about that, but since this is supposed to be my knitting blog, I'll restrain myself, and just say that I really wish tomorrow was Friday. Or at least Wednesday...

I did finish the wedding afghan, and thought I'd share a couple of pictures of it with you.

This is a fairly clear photo of the afghan:

This photo is a better representation of the colors (of the afghan, my couch, and my wall!):

I have to admit that somehow I managed to be surprised by this afghan when it was off the needles. I mean, it's really wide. Like crazy wide - but it is soft and pretty, and in the end, I just hope the bride and groom like it.

I joined the shoulder seams on the Cowl Sweater this morning, but now it must be blocked before anything else can be done. Without some serious blocking, there's just no way that the sleeves will fit in the armholes. I hope to get to this soon, but I've reached the point in my relationship with the sweater where being with it just makes me a little sad. I'm past blaming it, I've accepted my culpability for all of its boo-boos, I know it's me, not the sweater, but for right now, well, I'd just like to knit a pair of socks, okay?

I've watched a fair amount of football today (woot!) and drank a fair amount of beer (woot! woot!) and Mike and I made a great dinner - scallops, crab meat, artichoke hearts, freshly grated parmesan, and breadcrumbs, baked in a casserole dish and then put in tortillas with some lettuce, tomato, and red onion, so I have to say it's been a pretty good day. Minus the Cowl Sweater sadness. Plus the Wedding Afghan FO happiness.

It's all a balancing act, isn't it?

Have I mentioned I'll be 30 in less than 3 weeks? Do you think this could have anything to do with my general funk?

Thanks, as always, for the great comments - Christina, thanks for the compliment on my table - I LOVE it, and don't have nearly enough reasons to show it to people. If ever you're in Boston, you should come for dinner. :)

Lauren, I think you're right, a little time apart from the sweater is probably in order. ;)

And Hi Secret Pal *waves* - I didn't think you'd forgotten about me, but your comment really made me laugh. See's has an online store - but I think their physical stores are all West Coast. Mike and I have made some wonderful Japanese friends who have introduced us to about EVERY kind of Pocky there is. There's a TON in my fridge right now (thanks Nao!)

And no worries about misspelling my name. With a name like Elisa, I'll pretty much answer to anything at this point. I don't take it personally!

I hope you all have a terrific week - happy knitting all!

The Really, Really, Really Bad Sweater

2004-09-11T13:44:00.000-04:00

First of all, I should tell you that in fact I did not have cake for dinner on Thursday night. I had a bagel for dinner. And then I thought about the fact that I had not yet had dessert (presuming that dessert comes after dinner), so I had another piece of cake. Then I tossed the rest of the cake because my relationship with it was getting a little too intense.

That said - let me tell you about the Really, Really, Really Bad Sweater...

I knew I had done the BO of the front of the sweater wrong, especially considering that the back of the sweater was a good 1 1/2" longer than the front (wrong, wrong, wrong). So, I thought that I would redo the BO of the front and frog back a bit of the back. Easy enough? Except you remember that I really didn't want to work on the sweater. Then I realized that between leaving for work Thursday morning, and getting ready to work on the Bad Sweater Thursday night, I had lost my 90" measuring tape. How? you ask? Who knows. But I did. So, Thursday night, in the heat, I worked on the crazy wedding afghan.

Yesterday I bought myself a new tape measure, and last night I proceeded with the Bad Sweater Frog and Redo Plan (fortified with a skein of Plymouth Yarn Sockatta, and a set of US2 dpns from my LYS - The Snow Goose in East Milton, Ma.). I frogged back some of the back, frogged back some of the front, and started to redo the BO of the front. Ended up with the wrong number of stitches, a seriously wonky looking BO (again), and then *finally* realized what I was doing wrong. Which, of course, involved an additional 4 rows, and thus meant that the front of the sweater was going to end up being the same length as the original length of the back of the sweater. Are you laughing yet? I hope you are. It was at that point last night that I decided I should stop, and just look for sock patterns online.

This is what was on my dining room table this morning:

You know about my linen closet right? My fanatically, ruthlessly organized linen closet? I've mentioned (haven't I?) that I hang all of my clothes organized by type of garment, weight, and then color? That my purses are organized similarly (with a little extra category for "fancy" and "vintage" thrown in)? You know then, how frustrated I must have been last night.

Well, I began the Bad Sweater Frog and Redo Plan, v. 2, this morning, and halfway through, it looked like this:

Now it looks like this, and I feel a little less insane. I can now put the sweater down, and go back to the crazy wedding afghan.

hope you all have a terrific weekend!

I May Have Just Had Cake For Dinner

2004-09-09T18:22:00.000-04:00

But, I'll let you know. Maybe I haven't had dinner yet at all. Maybe cake was a late lunch. Maybe cake was not really eaten by yours truly at all. Maybe I ate carrot sticks instead. Um, right.

Thanks for the lovely comments about the afghan and the not-so-bad sweater. Nancy - it's probably a good thing I don't live in near proximity to a See's store anymore (well, the See's does open up a little center-of the mall kiosks at the Natick Mall between Thanksgiving and Christmas) because otherwise, the title of this post might be "I just ate a pound of bordeaux for dinner, and now I'm a rolly poly fatty pants". Sigh. Reason #2 why living in Boston is good.

You see, I'm feeling a little under the weather, I have to frog some of the front and back of the cowl sweater (you do notice that I am not cursing the sweater, right? Right?), and I really, really, really need to work on the wedding afghan. But, in case you don't know, it's terribly hot and humid in Boston, and my wedding dog, I mean, afghan, is really hot, and oh crap - Elisa, stop whining! Jeez. Sometimes I am such a baby-pants. Okay. I'm done. Everything is lovely, really.

I do need to do some frogging on the cowl sweater, and I will need your advice. When I figure out what questions I need to ask, I'll be back.

Happy Thursday all...

Oh, and dear Lauren - I feel mighty honored that someone who got such primo blog attention by the Yarn Harlot leaves comments for me here...I feel fabulous by association! :) Take lots of pictures of that yarn when you get it!

My Fancy Afghan and the Not So Bad Sweater

2004-09-07T22:16:00.000-04:00

Well, the afghan isn't really that fancy, but it is pretty neat. I'm further along that I thought I would be at this point, and the crazy idea I had that I could finish this afghan before September 18th (and my girlfriend's wedding) now seems like a not-so-crazy idea. Of course, you can imagine that I feel like I'm knitting up a big fluffy dog:

I also wanted to mention that I am no longer on bad terms with the cowl sweater. It seems that spending my time elsewhere has cowed the cowl sweater into behaving better. I present to you the first complete sleeve:

And the two sleeves, together, resting merrily on my quilt:

Interestingly enough, lowering the resolution of the photo quality seems to result in truer colors - you can actually tell that this is a RED sweater!

My Secret Pal asked me if I had a preference for chocolate - and just contemplating chocolate seriously was enough to get me thinking about a quick trip to the store...I would have to say that since I grew up in California, See's Candy is probably my favorite, but any chocolate, the darker the better, is just A-OK with me.

Lovely boyfriend and I had a great weekend. We had dinner with friends at their new house (beautiful) on Saturday and went to a cookout at lovely boyfriend's sister's house up in New Hampshire yesterday. I *might* have done a little shopping for my Secret Pal on Sunday, but maybe I didn't. Who knows. ;)

Terrific week to you all!

Secret Pal III Answers

2004-09-04T13:07:00.000-04:00

I got a great ecard from my Secret Pal today, and she asked me to answer the SP III questions, so here they are. I've got a wonky head this morning due to the vestiges of a nasty headache, so I apologize if my answers aren't as witty as I'd like. :)

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)?
Not really. I am obsessed with how things feel – so if it feels like it will be nice next to my skin, then I’ll use it.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I’m interested in both, but I haven’t done either. Crocheting patterns make me a little afraid.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Smoke bothers me, but I’m not allergic to anything else that I know of.

4. How long have you been knitting?
I’ve been knitting fanatically since May 2004, although I did start a scarf when I was 15. It was for my boyfriend, and my step-mom’s mother taught me how to cast on and do the knit stitch. Of course, she left before she could show me how to bind off…and so the scarf ended up a length that would have made Dr. Who proud. Finally, the boyfriend and I broke up, and I was able to give up the scarf.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I do – but it hasn’t been updated. I’ll put up a link to it when I get off my lazy butt and update it.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Right now I am obsessed with orange/citrusy fragrances. I wear Jo Malone’s Orange Blossom Cologne. Absolutely heavenly.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Give me the dark chocolate and no one gets hurt. No, I mean it - hand it over.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
Oh boy – I make picture frames, photo albums, I sew, do cross-stitch, make beaded jewelry (using silk cord and pearl knotting, plus I do a little bit of metal work), I paint glass (plates, wineglasses), and of course I KNIT!!!

Also, I write poetry, and I have had a few features in the area. I'd say my biggest influences are probably Leonard Cohen, ee cummings, TS Eliot, William Carlos Williams, and Erica Jong.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?
I love Will Oldham (in all his many endeavors), the Cure, Beth Orton, Modest Mouse, Elliott Smith, Jeff Buckley, Fleetwood Mac, Tori Amos, and yep – my computer and my car play MP3s.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
Black is probably my favorite color based upon the sheer amount of it in my wardrobe – but I LOVE color – pinks, reds, greens, browns. I'm a mad accessorizer!

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my lovely boyfriend. We don’t have any pets because he is terribly allergic to cats and we don’t have the space for a dog yet. There is a pug or Boston terrier in my future. His name will be Henry Augustus. Or her name will be Esther.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
To be happy and healthy. If I could get a book of poetry published, that’d be pretty awesome, too.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Anything that feels wonderful. I really do love the Brown Sheep Company Lamb’s Pride Worsted.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Whatever I wouldn’t like to have next to my skin.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Bags, bags, bags. I made the Zeebys Bag, and I can’t wait to do the French Market Bag.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Bags, bags, bags!

17. What are you knitting right now?
I am knitting a sweater for my girlfriend, a pinkerchief from the SnB book, two throws, and a dishcloth.

18. What do you think about ponchos?
I like the idea of a square rather than pointy poncho. I really want to do a shawl though.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Circs. Did you see my picture of my 20mm Addi Turbos! They are ginormous! LOL.

20. How did you learn to knit?
This last time? From the internet. Thank god for the internet!

21. How old is your oldest UFO?
Probably about 6 weeks. Not too bad, hmm?

Oh, and something else about me that is good to know - I am crazy for organization and anything that helps me organize. When I get stressed, I organize. My linen closet is a haven of serentiy, my closet organized by item, weight, and then color. :)

In knitting news - I decided to knit a throw for my girlfriend's wedding. This isn't a bad idea, it's just that the wedding is in two weeks. So, I'll post pictures of the WIP later today or tomorrow, but I will be captive to my insanity for the next couple of weeks, I think.

Happy Long Weekend Everyone!

Thanks again for the ecard, Secret Pal!!!

Pick A Title

2004-08-31T22:12:00.000-04:00

Let's see, we could try:

I worship at the spindle of the Yarn Harlot or,

What sweater? or,

STASH!

Yep, I got my own little stash enhancement groove on tonight. I didn't really mean for it to happen, but I went to Michael's while lovely boyfriend went to Best Buy (a win/win situation if ever there was one) and when I walked in, low and behold, Michael's had COMPLETELY RENOVATED THEIR YARN SECTION. Now, the last time I went in there, there was lots of Bernat, lots of Red Heart, and that's just fine. Except that I've started to use some really nice yarn, like Lamb's Pride, and I've gotten a little spoiled. So, my trip into Michael's went like this:

Elisa, wandering through the clearance section, finds two full skeins of Lions Brand Fisherman's Wool, giggles and puts them in the basket (please, no Silence of the Lambs impersonations here, people - we're adults...heh). Then she finds a book, "Vogue Knitting - Vests", and for $3, she puts that in the basket, too.

Feeling like she's probably found all she's going to find, and being happy with that, she wanders over to the yarn section, and stops - agog, because she sees this:

This is Paton's Divine, which is an acrylic/mohair blend, and is SO gorgeous and soft that she giggled. Out loud. Andquicklyputtheskeininthebasket.

In search of more of the Paton's loveliness, Elisa wanders further and finds lots more of the Divine. Which she buys. 6 skeins of. It's for a wedding gift, people, it's perfectly reasonable.

So, giddy, Elisa toddles up to the cashier, where she pays for all her purchases, rushes home, and before she can even show lovely boyfriend the new stash, she takes this picture (because this is blogworthy!!!):

Oh, she might have bought a pair of US 15 circs, too, but they might have just jumped in the bag.

In non-stashy news, the first sleeve of the cowl sweater, part 2, is almost complete. Sans mistakes.

I wish you all stashy goodness!

My Bad, Bad, Bad Sweater

2004-08-29T22:02:00.000-04:00

Do you remember, that earlier in the month, I posted a picture of the first sleeve of the cowl sweater? Well, here's a new picture of the same sleeve:

Sigh. That's right - today I got to the BO of the final 11 stitches, only to discover that I had 13 stitches still on the needles. I made the sleeve the size larger than I've made the front and back of the sweater. The beer in the photo should tell you everything ELSE you need to know about the whole process...Actually, it's not that bad - I made a mistake, and I won't make the same mistake again, but boy, the beer is good.

Lovely BF and I went to a cookout yesterday down in Plymouth, Ma., where this lovely dragonfly decided to spend some time with me:

We had a lovely afternoon today down in North Scituate, RI, with some new friends of ours, and got to enjoy their lovely hospitality and see their beautiful home and land.

Since it is still relatively early, I am going to spend a little time with the sleeve of the cowl sweater, and try and iron out any misunderstandings that it might be feeling by my calling it a bad, bad, bad sweater.

I wish you all a wonderful, speedy week! Any exciting Labor Day plans out there?

You Know You're Knit Obsessed When...

2004-08-28T23:06:00.000-04:00

You're driving down the highway to a cookout, and you see a license plate that says 1234 DK, and the first thing you think of is yarn...and then you wish you were knitting instead of heading to said cookout.

The coconut shrimp was excellent although I think I have officially jeopardized my status as a vegetarian.

And Minnie - yep, my knitting elves are FAST! And NASTY! :)

Happy Saturday Night to you all!

The bad, bad sweater

2004-08-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

So, my SnB was a lot of fun on Wednesday. We had two ladies come for the first time, which was great, and Keiko and Nao were also there. It was really fun. Really. I mean it. Well, except for maybe one thing. One tiny thing. My sweater hates me. No, seriously - it's playing with me. You see, I'm working on sleeve #1 right now, which is supposed to measure 18 1/2" at the point where you start shaping the cap. Okay, fine. So, when I got to my SnB, the sleeve was 18". No big deal. So, I knit a couple of rows and measured again. 18". Now, I know that isn't possible, but that's what it said, so I figured it must have been me mis-measuring the first time. So, I knit a couple more rows. 18". I'm thinking "Boy, I really am measuring tape challenged". So, I knit a couple more rows. 19". Do not pass go, do not collect $200. So, I rip back two rows. 19". I rip back two more rows. 19". I rip back 2 more rows - 18 1/2". You smart folks out there (of which I do not include myself) realize what that means. The stupid sleeve was 18 1/2" to begin with.

I accomplished nothing - oh, well, sure, I entertained my fellow SnBers. But, me? No, I was not entertained.

So, why don't I show you what Nao was able to accomplish last week. Yes - that's right, LAST WEEK.

Her 4th pair of socks - sorry, no pics of pair #3, but they were rad. She swears that this is the last pair.

And then there's the bag that she designed and knit for Keiko's sister Takako:

And then a shot of the inside, which she lined and is filling with dpns for Takako:

When I first started knitting, oh so long ago (in May), I thought that I would never tire of knitting scarves. Then about a month later I thought "Boy, I don't really want to knit another scarf for a while." So, I knit my Zeeby's bag, and I got bolder, and thought things like "I can do this cowl sweater" and "Nothing can stop me from doing this cowl sweater and it will be the best cowl sweater any friend of mine could ever ask for". Then I tried the cowl sweater and although I think I still love it, and I know I am committed to it, I know that if it were a man, it'd ride a Harley and be the kind of man my mother warned me about. Okay, maybe not my mother, but someone's mother...

Before I sign off, I just wanted to thank all the kind, funny, interesting (because I've read THEIR blogs, and they are FABULOUS) people who have stopped by to leave comments on my blog - I get so excited when I see that I have comments! I'd invite you all over to my house if you weren't so far away, I swear it!

Have a terrific weekend!

Let the Crazy People Get on First

2004-08-25T07:13:00.000-04:00

Or, Commuting in Boston.

See, if that really worked, I could wait patiently for all the nutty people to get on the bus in the morning before I did, and then I could choose a seat where I am least likely to experience unauthorized butt contact with someone who doesn't smell very nice (this happened on the Red Line and I was too much of a commuting newbie to move - I didn't want the smelly crazy guy to think that I thought he was a crazy smelly guy, so I just sat there all the way into Park Street), or in front of someone who doesn't smell very nice, looks like the famous picture of Rasputin and likes to imitate the sound of the bus's engine revving, or in front of the lady who sucks her teeth and slurps for no apparent reason, or next to the lady who hits me in the shoulder because the bus doesn't stop at her stop (like I have any control over the bus driver gods), and, well, you get the point.

But it doesn't work - because half the people I mentioned above were very normal looking people - probably going to fairly normal jobs. So, I choose to sit in front of the Slurper, and am taken completely by surprise when she starts sucking her teeth and leaning toward me as I start to imagine all kinds of horrible things going on in close proximity to the back of my head.

Technology doesn't help. I used to be able to see someone walking down the street, talking to themselves, waving their arms wildly, and assume some things. Now, I just assume they are talking on a hands-free cellphone (and what is hands free about having to hold the stupid microphone up to your mouth, or having to hunch over in order to have the person on the other end of the line be able to hear you even remotely, all while walking down a busy Boston street?).

Sigh - these are the reflections of a woman who has to go ride on two buses in about 5 minutes. I'm trying to figure it all out people, but I just have no idea who's crazy anymore.

Happy Hump Day - Tonight is SnB and I've been told I must bring the camera, as Nao has 1) new socks and 2) a new knitted bag that she designed. I can not wait.

WIP Pics

2004-08-23T20:48:00.000-04:00

It was a good, busy day at work, but I am very glad to be home now and relaxing next to my lovely BF. Unfortunately, it's almost 9pm and he's still working, but I admire his dedication, and I am trying very hard not to distract him. :) Yay me.

I've sent a few things to the frog pond because I just wasn't happy with how they were turning out - a blanket for Critter Knitters seemed like it would too easily snag little kitty claws, and a face cloth I was making was going to end up ginormous (think enormous but bigger, yes?). So, I thought, "Boy, you really don't have a whole lot going on (please remember that this statement applies only to knitting - I'd like to think I have A LOT going on, otherwise -heh heh heh) right now, which means it would be a good time to take a few pictures". Anyway, out came the camera, out came the bag with the WIPs and y'know what? Four projects. Not too shabby for the girl without it going on.

This is the first sleeve of the cowl sweater. I'm plugging along at it, but I think I've slowed down on this WIP because I really am afraid of re-doing the neckline and having it still be upsetting:

This is my first dishcloth made out of a little peppermint colored cotton. I think it's kind of sweet (yes, I know that was bad):

This is an updated picture of the pinkerchief. I really do like it. I just don't remember if I'm supposed to M1 on this row, or just K across. Hmmm...

And last, but not least, I present the crazy afghan on my BRAND NEW, JUST ARRIVED IN THE MAIL, 20 mm Addi Turbos. I feel like I am knitting with, oh, I don't know, candlesticks? pogo sticks? Please envision me looking around my house, frowning, scratching my head, trying to find something else as big as my new addi turbos, or just look around your own house, and insert the appropriate awkward sized items here _______:

I spent some quality time blog-hopping yesterday, and I was really glad to find Brainy Lady and sob sister (you can see I've already linked to them - woot!) to name but two, and I was amazed, over and over again, at how creative so many people are.

Here's to you, and wishing you a wonderful week!

Concateknit

Jumping Ship

Picture Post

Adventures of The Girl*

Hi, I Didn't Run Away

Bling Bling

I May Not Be Safe Here Much Longer

What Would Ben Do?*

I Did Something Cool Today

Hi, I Almost Got Run Over Today

Big Fun, Part II

Big Fun, Part I

K Minus 4*

All Hands on Deck!

National Elisa Thinks You Should Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say Day

National Elisa Thinks It's Keeping It Real Day

National Flogic Day, Part IV

National Elisa Thinks February Kicked My Ass Day

National Elisa Thinks It's the Little Shit That'll Send You to the Nuthouse Day

National Elisa Thinks It's Guilty Pleasure Day

National Elisa Thinks Knitting Helps Her Feel Less Lazy Than She Really Is Day

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Program

National Flogic Day, Part III

National Elisa Thinks Sometimes the Cosmos Shits In Your Lap And Tells You to Call it A Kitten Day

National Elisa Thinks The Telephone Is An Instrument of The Devil Day

National Elisa Thinks "Ain't Love Grand?" Day

National Elisa Thinks You're Taking Up Too Much Space And Going Too Slow Day

National Flogic Day, Part II

National Elisa Thinks You Should Embrace the Thong and For God’s Sake, Pull Up Your Pants Day

National Elisa Thinks Nothing Good Can Come From Bananas Day

National Kim Day

National Elisa Thinks Today is Patriots Day

National Commuting Makes Elisa Anxious Day

National Flogic Day, Part I

A Long Time Coming

Welcome to "National Elisa Thinks Stuff Month"

If You Think This Makes Me Happy

Ho *shiver* Hum *shiver*

Sometimes the Cosmos Gives You a Pen

Sunday Morning, All Snowed In

Hi, How Have You Been?

Baby, It's Cold Outside - Part II

Something Different, Something Explained, Something Shared

Uh-oh, We're In Trouble

Are You Worried About Your Feminine Hygiene?

I Think I Owe You Something

Life Is Good

Happy New Year!

Shocked

Merry Christmas!

When I Wax Philosophically About Not Getting Stressed Out

The Problem With Blogging Only Once A Week

Houston, We Have a Cold

If You're Looking for Me

You Know I'm a Vegetarian, and I Know I'm a Vegetarian

I Feel Like It's Christmas Already

I'm A Blog-Alonger, Yes I Am

My Weekend

I Like Lists, Too

Yesterday Was...

Oh, It's Friday Already?

Stupid Blogger Ate My Post

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Recovery Through Retail Therapy

Cast On, Frog, Cast On Again, Hide Yarn, Blame Beer

For Keiko

Daytime TV Is Strange

Catching Up

The WIPing Couch

A Story About G'pa, Some Knitting, and Good Hair

Home

Away For A Few Days

Booga Booga Boo!

Mail? For Me?

Sundays Are Pajama Days at My House

Everyone's Going to Rhinebeck But Me

And You Shall Know Me By The Shape of My Red Plastic Tote

New Hampshire, Stash, and Three FOs

Just A Little Post

I Think You Should Come to Boston

Ho shiver Hum shiver