After a truly awful day at work, I take a moment to breathe and in lieu of doing ritual to honor the day, welcome the dark season with a sigh of relief. The veil is thin, those who have gone before are close tonight, and I’m hoping they’ll share whatever wisdom they feel can help me regain my balance and direction.
Wednesday, 31 October, 2007
Monday, 29 October, 2007
Disappointment
How do you all deal with disappointment? I try to be graceful about it, but often times not only fall short of the mark, but miss it completely. Granted, this could be because I continue to work 60 hours a week and just didn’t have time to check the Ravelry inbox, but I missed out on Alice Starmore’s Tudor Roses by many hours today, even if I was the first to respond to the post.
This sent me into a very embarassing crying jag on the damn phone while talking to a coworker, who was understandably confused when I tried to explain. “A knitting book? And this is a big deal why?” He’s a good guy who has his own obsessions, so I phrased it in a way he understood and he got it. He’s also new and exhausted and has coped with some of the stuff at work his own way lately, so we just dealt with me snotting and blubbering all over the phone and moved on.
But stilll. I’ve wanted that book for a long time now, and to miss out on it by a few hours when I finally have the money to get it makes me sick. Having the flu isn’t helping, and I “left” work after ten hours today because I just need to go to bed early and maybe have one of those therapeutic sobbing sessions that lets you back off from the edge a bit and get a grip on reality.
I just wish La Starmore hadn’t been the one to push me over the edge.
Days like this I can see the advantage in having a hand knitted shawl. It’s like a hug when you can’t find someone to give you one in person.
*deep breaths*
Sunday, 28 October, 2007
Also
YAY GO RED SOX! 2007 WORLD CHAMPS! I LOVE JACOBY AND MIKE LOWELL IS A SEXY BITCH!!!
*does the Papelbon with Beckett, Pedroia, Manny and Big Papi baby!*
LOVE YOU BOSTON!
PSA
For those who find the Snap previews as fucking annoying as I do, please to be looking over here for a way to block that crap from your intarwebs viewing experience.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled internet experience. [/psa]
Sunday, 21 October, 2007
1.90 FO’s!
I finished the first pair of Dashing that I am doing for a friend. Done in Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca, they are squishy and warm and, well, really long. Like, gauntlet long. Ah well. The giftee is in St. Louis, and I hear the wind coming off the river is wicked cold. Perhaps it works out better that way anyway!
I will be casting on for the second of the two pair possibly tonight, but definitely this week. First I want to get a couple of sleeves for a baby kimono out of the way. Then I can go back to doing this lovely and easy pattern.
The other so-close-to-being-FO is a wee newborn hat out of Mirasol’s Miski, which is a baby llama yarn. I have to clarify that it’s the YARN and not actually baby llama, after a friend asked me what I did with the hooves. I knit this during the ALCS Game 6 between the Sox and the Indians last night, and wasn’t really paying attention to the end of my rows. As a result, this kind of looks like ass when I try to seam the hat. I hope I can find someone who can help me w/out having to rip and re-do the whole hat. My bad!
The yarn itself is like petting a kitten. Definitely won’t be up for a whole lot of wear, but it will be a great addition for as long as it fits. And then maybe it’ll just be, well, sort of a stuffed animal. Worst case scenerio will be stuffing it, sewing up the bottom and adding some yarn eyes and maybe whiskers, and have it be a Tribble-ish thing in it’s second life.
No photos as the camera is with my sister, but I will get some before all of these go off to their recipients.
Yay for Finished Objects!
Tuesday, 16 October, 2007
Saturday, 13 October, 2007
It’s all Nordic
All the time in Seattle knitting land right now. :D I’m not saying that’s a bad thing! In fact, I think it’s fantastic with a side of awesomesauce, because I love the knitting of the northern lands.
Last month’s guild guest was Terri Shea. This month, Anemor Sundbo was the featured speaker. She was in town thanks to the Nordic Knitting Conference (which I didn’t get to go to, but it’s not like I’m BITTER or anything), and I really enjoyed her talk.
I truly do find it fascinating that knitting transcends language. I did find it somewhat amusing that so many people were surprised that people knit messages into the garments using symbols instead of letters. Maybe it’s that I’ve been studying various topics that are ALL symbols (tarot, astrology, some aspects of paganism) for a little while, but it didn’t seem at all out of the ordinary to me.
Ms. Sundbo was a charming speaker, and she had a lot of wonderful info to share. I love the fact that she took a proactive stance on saving bits and pieces of her country’s knitting heritage from her ragpile. The fastest way to get me to buy a book (which really isn’t at all hard…I’m kind of easy that way) is to say, “going out of print”. I bought a copy of all three of her books, which cost a bit, but I think it was worth it.
I’m really looking forward to reading the books, and I thoroughly enjoyed the meeting (aside from nearly roasting to death in that room). The best part, though, was going to the Black Pearl again with PinkPurlGrrl and her fairly new co-worker, who is a knitter. PPG had some amazing FO’s, as did her friend J, and I was so glad I had a chance to have a wonderful meal with some fantastic friends to begin the evening.
If this entry doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, it’s because I’m watching the Red Sox totally implode at the top of the 11th. OMG what are they DOING?!
Anyway. Summary = PPG awesome. Guild = cool. Books = YAY! Knitting? Need to do that a little more often.
PS – I think the Nordic Heritage Museum has copies of the conference pattern book for sale for $10. I think it’s totally worth it, but that’s me.