Murmuring Madness

Knit who?

2006-04-25T23:42:00.000-04:00

Knitting? What knitting? Who's knitting? Not me, that's for sure. Man, that's lame. But it's true. I haven't knitted in months. I'm ashamed. But the truth is, I don't see me picking up an unfinished project OR starting a new one for another month or so. I've been busy. Ridiculously busy, both at work and at home. And when I do get a free moment, it ends up being spent either on the pc, doing homework, or on the pc, making wedding and shower plans for a good friend. And on those rare occasions when I'm doing neither? I'm sitting my ass on the couch, watching ridiculously bad tv. My class is over in June. The wedding is in July. I'll be back.

C'mon get happy

2006-03-30T19:57:00.000-05:00

So last we spoke, it was January. And I was yammering on about this and that and how I was going to get in shape and eat better and blog more. Well, the eating thing is no problem. I love to eat. I love to cook. I love my salads. The getting in shape...well, let's just say that I spend more evenings at the gym now than at home. My workout schedule looks something like this...

Sat: 1 hour pilates
Sun: 45 minutes weight training, 1 hour cardio
Mon: 1 hour yoga
Tues: 1 hour weight training, 1 hour cardio
Wed: 1 hour pilates, 30 minutes cardio
Thurs: 1 hour yoga, or a 3 mile run, or nothing if I'm feeling lazy
Fri: Happy Hour

Obviously things happen and schedules need to be flexible, so this is all negotiable.

Except for the happy hour.

And a three hour bottomless glass of wine...that truly is happy.

The Anti-Resolution

2006-01-18T22:36:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

Yes, I know...I'm over a month late. But see, the holidays were hectic and now...well, now I'm catching up on a season of L Word episodes on DVR. That and trying to get healthy again. You understand.

So, as I said...Happy New Year. I'm not much of a resolution type girl. The last new years resolution I made was to stop biting my nails when I was 13. I did...stop, that is...for about a year. Then I bit them all off in a mad rage. But it made me happy to know that I could stop if I wanted to. At least temporarily. So even now I alternate between being a nail biter and not.

But back to the here and now. And me not being a resolution maker. I hate resolutions. Really I do. They're a drag. They're an excuse to fail. Or more to the point, they're an excuse to do whatever the hell you want all year long, so that you can "resolve" to show some constraint come January 1st. In January, you notice everyone eating better, drinking more water, excercising, turning off lights to conserve energy. Then around the end of February, you start smelling Big Macs in the office and you can finally get a treadmill at the gym again.

Thing is, as much as I hate the NEW YEARS RESOLUTION, I think I need to...ummm...resolve. This has been a tough year for me. I went from being active, healthy and energetic to being a complete slug. I've been sick more times this year than my usual three year average. I've gained weight, I have no energy, I barely sleep. I wouldn't say I'm depressed, but there have definitely been a couple months where I wasn't exactly happy. So after a period of wallowing in self-pity and boredom, I think I'm finally ready to stop being such a dick.

For starters, I need to get myself healthy again. That means working out and eating right. I love working out. But for some reason I nearly completely stopped going to the gym this year. It feels horrible. And food? I love food. I love good food...healthy food. Oddly enough, salad is my favorite food. It's my staple. (I blame my dad for this) So why have I switched my diet from salad to grilled cheese? It's time for an overhaul. My refrigerator crisper bin is now chock full of green leafies. And the gym...? We're friends again. I'm back to weight training and pilates. And It's already February, so I didn't even have to fight off the "New Years Resolution" crowd this year. Plus, it was even warm enough last week to take a couple three mile outdoor runs. It feels good. I feel healthier already, physically and mentally. I'm counting on my energy coming back, any day now.

And getting healthy is just the beginning. I also need to do the things I always say I'm going to do. Write more, knit more (well, I knit a lot, but finishing projects has been a struggle lately), save more money. So, if all goes as planned, I'll be back to posting regularly. If not, well...then maybe I'll be forced to make some New Years resolutions next January.

Bad blogging

2005-12-08T21:15:00.000-05:00

See...now this is exactly what I didn't want. To have a blog that takes up stagnant space. I want to blog. Really I do. But I can't bring myself to type the words, post the photos...hell, I haven't even TAKEN any photos. I'm a bad blogger.

This is partially happening because I'm busy. Work keeps me hopping. Plus the holidays are upon us. We just hosted a huge Thanksgiving dinner at our house. Days of preparation and then days of recovery. And now Christmas. I have a big family. That means lots of shopping. Lots of planning. There will be appetizers to make, cookies to bake. Oh, and, I'm taking a French class. Which is sort of a joke, but since I started it, I need to finish it, even if I'm learning nothing. A failure is a failure.

So yes, I'm busy. But being busy isn't really an excuse not to blog. If anything, being busy gives you blog fodder. I actually have things to write about. If I'd only sit down and write.

So to anyone who cares, I apologize for my lack of blogging. As soon as I feel any sort of spark to do so...I'll sit my butt down and write about my French class, or my holiday shopping, or my knitting progress or my new haircut. Oh...or spinning. I just ordered myself a spindle and I'm going to attempt spinning some straw into gold. Or wool into yarn. whichever.

Too Much Jam in that Band

2005-11-14T14:34:00.000-05:00

Either you love a good jam band, or you don't. Me...I don't. Last night we went with some friends to see a show. I think the night pretty much rounded out and put the cap on my experimenting with jam bands. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the band was good. And I can appreciate a few good jams during a show. But the singer was phenomenal and I felt gypped that he sat out for so much of the show. When I’m sitting through a 2.5 hour set, I’d like to hear more than 5 songs. And lyrics. I like lyrics. They don’t even have to rhyme.

Shameless

2005-11-05T17:16:00.000-05:00

I should be embarrassed...

Yes, that IS a whole dresser filled with yarn. My husband brought the dresser home to contain my stash back when it was only overflowing three baskets. And contain it did. With room to spare. Room to...grow.

What's that you say? A dresser full of yarn isn't so bad?

Yeah, umm...

Need a closer look?

You may still be thinking that's not so bad. At least it's all contained. At least it's not strewn about...

Truth is, it's everywhere. In bags, in baskets, in boxes...in the spare room, the living room, the bedroom...and that's not even counting what's on the needles. THAT's all on the coffee table. It's out of hand, undoubtedly. When it was time to time to switch skeins on Clapotis, it took me three hours to find the box of merlot merino. Nobody needs this much yarn. By rights, I should be planning about 50 projects, which might put a dent in some of this yarn. I could knit for the next two years and not run out of yarn. But that's not my style. Instead, I ordered 20 new skeins. I'm sure I'll find something to do with it.

I got word from Columbus...

2005-10-21T16:42:00.000-04:00

it's not been "pumpkin weather."

Grand plans

2005-10-19T22:28:00.000-04:00

OK, I'm a wee bit overwhelmed. There are no less than four projects I want to complete by Christmas. One of them is presently on the needles. The other three are still residing on my "to do" list. This doesn't include the various projects I've started (or plan on starting) for myself. Umm...Christmas is about 2 months away. I either need to shorten my list or buy some yarn, pronto.

Pumpkins never lie

2005-10-18T18:24:00.000-04:00

So I spent Columbus Day weekend in Columbus, Ohio, visiting my best friend and his boyfriend. In addition to spending 48 hours completely intoxicated, we carved pumpkins. Can you tell which pumpkins are gay and which belongs to the bitter woman?

What you don't want to hear...

2005-10-11T11:55:00.000-04:00

when you begin to taxi to the runway at 11:15 pm and all you want to do is get home to sleep in your own bed...
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've encountered a computer error and we're heading back to the terminal to have it cleared by a mechanic."

It was cleared, by the way. But not before five mechanics spent twenty minutes getting on and off the plane, looking confused.

Could it be?

2005-09-30T17:32:00.000-04:00

Holy crap! It is! An actual knitting update!

Hoodwinked is finished. It's been almost finished for a while. Just needed some tweaking. Well, it's tweaked. And it's been presented to the kid who will wear it well...

To wine or not

2005-09-21T17:12:00.000-04:00

So I'm sitting here trying to decide whether to stay home or go out to knit at the wine bar. I do love knitting, and I do love the wine bar. And as an added benefit, I get to see the other knitting girls after a long hiatus. But staying home means, well...staying home. I'll change into comfortable clothes, make myself a healthy dinner, I'll still get some knitting done, and probably even a couple loads of laundry. The bonus there is twofold (three if you count clean clothes for tomorrow)...I'll actually have time to work out, and the dog will be happier. The only thing he hates more than being alone all day, is being alone all night after being alone all day. So there's the day's dilemma. I have to go think about it.

Computer Stuff

2005-09-21T14:35:00.000-04:00

When people ask what I do for a living, I say "computer stuff." I say this because everyone knows what a computer is. "Computer stuff" ends the conversation right there, whereas "data communications" brings a blank stare and more questions. And let's face it - nobody really cares. No matter how many questions you ask about what I do, nobody really wants to have a conversation at a party about routers, firewalls, and EPorts. Least of all me. I mean, the job's fine, I just don't bring it home with me. So when people ask "What do you do?" I answer, "Oh, you know, computer stuff." They nod, we change the subject. Problem is, everyone thinks "computer stuff" means "pc stuff," which couldn't be further from the truth. But people get really excited when they think they just met someone who can solve their pc problems. Truth is, I can barely solve my own pc problems.

My home pc crashed a couple weeks ago. This was right after hearing that John's mom was in the hospital, then finding out that our sewer line broke. The pc crashing was strike three. My mother-in-law is home and feeling pretty good, and John and some friends dug up the sewer line and fixed the break, which saved us thousands in excavation costs. The problem is still the pc. That one is my responsibility. Because I'm a "computer person." I reloaded the operating system and got us to a point where we at least have internet and email, but it took me days to get there. And things still aren't working as we like, so to make a long story short, it needs to be dumped and reloaded again. Obviously I'm not loading the rest of our software until it's done. So temporarily I don't have the ability to, among other things, download or edit photos.

This is the long way around saying my knitting updates and vacation posts are on hold until I can show something. Telling you about my daunting lace project makes so much more sense when I can illustrate it with photos. So as soon as I have the nerve and the energy to do so, I'll start down the road of pc repair. Which right now is more daunting than lace.

Doggie detox

2005-09-17T00:41:00.000-04:00

Mometamax...it causes loss of hearing. In dogs. And I know this because I looked it up. It says If loss of hearing occurs, discontinue use. And why did I look it up? Because for three nights in a row now, when it's time for the nightly walk, John and I yell up the stairs about fifteen times each without even slightly rousing the dog (the one on Mometamax, obviously) from a not so deep sleep. After yelling, "What are you, deaf," a number of times, we started catching on. Today I stood behind him and used the word "cookie" repeatedly. "Want a cookie?" "All Keeshonds get cookies!" "Cookie?" "Cookies!" Normally the word "cookie" sends off a dog alarm and I nearly get drop-kicked in the frenzy. Today he just kept licking his crotch. This is a dog who swears on his mother's grave to never lick his crotch again if only I could find it in my heart to part with just one cookie. So after a little more research I found that deafness as a side effect is very rare...like 1 in 200 maybe. Of course my dog's the freak. But the good news - it seems to reverse itself once treatment is stopped. So at least we didn't scar him for life. As of tomorrow we're taking him off the juice.

Buying time...

2005-09-17T00:38:00.000-04:00

Whew! Just finished unknitting another row of Isis.

Way more interesting content to come, I promise.

Love...hate

2005-09-14T22:23:00.000-04:00

So here's the thing...I haven't finished a project in a while. Hoodwinked is oh so close to being done. I removed the wrong zipper and sewed on half of the new separating zipper. Now it's just waiting for the second half. One lousy half of a zipper and still it sits. And my honeymoon cami...I'm approximately halfway up from the bottom. I should just finish it. I can't see it taking me more than a few nights. A week tops. But I think my problem there is that I'm not thrilled with the results using the yarn I chose for it. And then, while I was on vacation I started another...Isis from a few Interweaves back. My first lace project. So far I love it...when I'm not hating it. The pattern, the color, the yarn...all perfect. But I've screwed it up a million times already. I ripped out and restarted twice. Then I found one stupid mistake 2 rows back that, of course, messed up the rest, so I unknitted the two rows. And then just last night I found another problem. One whole wrong row. But it's easily 5 or 6 rows back. I unknitted two last night and I'm taking tonight off. But I still have 3 or 4 more rows to unknit. If there's an easier way, please, someone let me know. I can't just rip a couple rows, because again, it's lace, so there are lots of yarnovers, lots of slipping, knitting together...I think ripping it will lose some of my stitches. Oh, but what do I know. So anyway, my lack of knitting content lately is mostly due to frustration. I'll get back on track one of these days. Photos of works in progress, a finished item or two...it will happen.

Stuff

2005-09-12T17:46:00.000-04:00

I am embarrassed that I haven't posted in nearly two weeks. Especially since I actually have a couple readers who may actually be interested in something I write. Ha...crazy! And it just so happens that lots has been happening around me, so i actually have some stuff to write about. Of course, stuff happening is exactly why I haven't found the time to post. But I will. I promise. This week I will have a couple posts, including knitting posts, that will most likely include some photos. Of course the photos depend on stuff.

SP5 Reveal!!

2005-08-31T23:41:00.000-04:00

I received my final package in the mail from Brynne, who obviously put a lot of thought and effort into making it so special!

It was really a perfect gift - right down to the handmade card. And the Swedish fish aren't just ORDINARY Swedish fish...

Swedish Sea Creatures! They are so cool! And I got them the day i got home from the ocean!

But the best part of the gift...well, it could be the yarn or the really cool tape measure because i love them both, but I think I have to go with this truly beautiful Koigu lace scarf that she made for me...

Beautiful, eh? I feel so special! Thank you so much Brynne!

I had an excellent experience with SP5 and will most likely do another at another time. Probably next winter, as summer gets sort of hectic and I kept forgetting to mail Lynn's package. But all in all it was fun, rewarding, and she did receive her goods! And now I have two more blogs to read!

A year to remember

2005-08-28T18:08:00.000-04:00

On August 28th, 2004, John and I got married. I'm honor of our first anniversary, I want to take a moment to reflect on the best wedding we've ever been to...our own. We didn't have a very formal wedding. We got married in a birch grove, near a lake. I walked down the aisle to a flamenco guitarist. I wore chartreuse shoes. Our reception included a huge Mediterranean feast, lots of champagne, dancing to a swing band, and swimming in the lake.

It's been a great year. Being married hasn't really been much different than living in sin, except that at some point during the year, I had to remember to sign a new name and John had to remember to put his ring on each morning. It took us both a few months. But after a year, all I can think is how glad I am that I married him.

Zip it!

2005-08-21T19:06:00.000-04:00

i haven't written an update on Hoodwinked lately. i finished it...sort of. i woke up one morning, knowing that i wanted to finish it. i hemmed the sleeves and bottom, made the pom poms...and then started the dreaded zipper. and funny thing - the zipper turned out great! all that worrying for nothing. i assembled it with the zipper closed, so i knew it would line up, and when i looked at it, it sure was lined up. so then i had to make sure it laid correctly when unzipped. so i unzipped it. and the zipper worked! it unzipped smoothly...all the way to the bottom of the zipper. where it promptly stopped. and wouldn't separate. because i used a non-separating zipper. on a cardigan. not my smartest move. BUT, not a complete disaster, since it can easily be snipped out and replaced. the new zipper...the correct zipper...is on order. the good news is that i tried it on the monkey and it fits loosely, which is what i intended. room to grow. i will post photos when it all comes together.

in the meantime, while i await the arrival of my peacock blue zipper, i'm starting the Honeymoon cami from Knitty. i think i may be making it a size too big, so it may also be a gift, but the mistakes are minimal and it looks nice. photos of that to come too, when there's something interesting to show.

358 days and counting

2005-08-19T20:29:00.000-04:00

I'm counting down. Next week...in approximately 3 days...we leave for vacation. This is great because I really need a vacation. AND...I really need a vacation. I took a week off from work a little earlier in the summer with the intention of going to Florida. For various reasons, I decided against Florida and instead stayed home and painted my living room. Not exactly an exciting week off from work. But next week is our anniversary week. We will have been married a year, and to celebrate not killing each other, we are taking 5 days in Cape Cod. I'm not sure if I'm more excited about still being married or about going on vacation.

I mean, don't get me wrong...my marriage is great. But vacation...I haven't had one of those in over a year!

Basically it boils down to this - from September to May, I see John rarely if at all. His work hours are ridiculous; mostly I'm sleeping when he comes home, he's sleeping when I leave for work. I spend a lot of time being bitter about his career and missing him like crazy. But come May, he's home. EVERY...FUCKING...DAY. I walk in the door and he's there. No matter what time. At first it's great that I never get a chance to unwind and i never have 15 minutes alone in the house. But by August, I miss missing him.

And it's almost September, so it continues. Our anniversary marks the last day of his summer. And then I'll have a great three weeks before I start missing my husband again. So this vacation is more than just a vacation. And it's more than just an anniversary. It's 5 days where we totally escape from our vicious cycle. Where we can spend our last few days truly enjoying each other, before we roll into a long autumn and winter of missing each other.

Gratuitous dog shots

2005-08-16T12:26:00.000-04:00

Because they're so freaking cute...

One of them

2005-08-09T22:34:00.000-04:00

I’m not one of the cool kids, one of the “cell phone set”. You know the ones I’m talking about – you can reach them any day, any time…they look like they’re in a perpetual state of “making a deal”. They sleep with their cell next to their pillow. They don’t even have home phones. Yes, I have a cell phone, but I’m known for not answering it when it rings. Most of my voicemails start with “Do you ever answer your cell?” I rarely keep the ringer on, and on the off chance I DO hear it ring, it’s usually buried so far in my purse that I don’t find it in time anyway.

Last week we spent a day on my dad’s boat. My phone rang a lot. And I even answered it a few times. At one point, as I was picking it up I smirked at John and said “I’m becoming such a “phone person.” He rolled his eyes. Possibly in disbelief (it was only accessible because I was walking a friend’s dogs that night and the afternoon walker was supposed to tell me when they walked last) or possibly in disgust (John hates cell phones. He’s used exactly 11 minutes in the six months he’s had his phone).

On our way home that night, we were meeting my dad at some out the way, hard to find restaurant. After taking a wrong turn, we finally made it. As we were getting out of the car, my dad said he had tried to call my cell but nobody answered. (of course not – it was stuffed in the bottom of my backpack) John shook his head and said, “She tries to be a cell phone person, but she just can’t pull it off.”

Picking

2005-08-01T17:22:00.000-04:00

So, I had a slight slowdown on Hoodwinked. But my excuse is we had a few REALLY hot nights and knitting didn't sound appealing. But now the sleeves are knitted, and one is attached. At this point I won't bother showing the whole piece until it's a finished product. I have another sleeve to attach, and a zipper to sew on. The zipper scares me. It shouldn't, I know...but it does. It will be my first attempt at attaching a zipper to a knitted piece. But this piece was full of first attempts. It was my first three needle bind off, my first time following a color pattern chart, and I'm not sure how this is possible, but this was my first piece that needed picked up stitches. That was the most intimidating for me. I had to pick up in two places. First, where the hood meets the shoulder. Unfortunately, I decide to wing it instead of getting instructions, so this is what happened...

Nothing so horrible that a stitch or two won't make it look just fine, but slipshod work all the same.

But then I had to pick up a series of stitches around the whole edge - from bottom corner to bottom corner, including the hood - very high profile. Front and center. So I looked up the correct process and voila! I am now a pick up stitch master!

If I can learn this in a matter of minutes, how can I be afraid of a little zipper?

Cleanliness is next to Dogliness

2005-07-23T18:23:00.000-04:00

Today was bath day.

One clean, wet, unhappy looking dog (don't let him fool you, he loves being wet. he's a water dog)...

One clean, wet dog, setting things right...

Truckin'

2005-07-20T22:13:00.000-04:00

On Saturday we took a road trip. We loaded eight adults into a van and drove three hours to see Varekai. We stopped to eat, saw the show, then drove home. That's a lot of driving for a two hour show. But it was a special occasion. It was a birthday gift for my mom and both of his parents, all of whom share a birthday week.

Actually, I've always been a fan of the road trip. My ex-boyfriend and I would load two or three friends into my Mustang and just drive. For an hour or six, it didn't matter. We'd end up in the mountains, or by the seashore, or in Canada after a Ramones show*. Sometimes we'd go for a few days, but we thought nothing of driving for 8 hours round trip to spend a few hours in a museum.

Even after that boyfriend, I was a road-tripper. The more spontaneous the better. If a friend mentioned New York City one night while we were drunk, we were driving there by 10 am the next morning. I hadn't planned on going to Woodstock '94, but that Friday I was at a party and before I knew it, seven of us were waking up early on Saturday to make the drive. My sister and I made a hasty retreat from Brooklyn one night after being attacked by her ex-boyfriend's sister, and drove to Philly at 2am.

John and I still take our share of road trips - to the lake, for a hike, to see an art exhibit...so driving out to New Jersey to see Cirque du Soleil was no big deal. And the show was excellent. Worth the drive. But I don't think either of us ever thought, in a million years, that we'd be spending a day cooped up with our parents in a van...on purpose!

*We actually missed the Ramones that night. For some reason, even though we had seen the Ramones many many times in NY and NJ,we drove to Burlington for the Escape From NY Tour. But we took a wrong turn and got there as the concert was letting out, so we actually drove to Burlington only for a slice of pizza. On the way home, a cop gave us a shortcut back to Albany - through Canada. We drove over 13 hours round trip for that pizza.

Please refrain

2005-07-19T15:34:00.000-04:00

Please...if I find you repulsive, do not use the phrase, "shot my wad" around me. Even if you're using it to describe how you lost all your money in one bet.

Hoodwinked...

2005-07-17T16:36:00.000-04:00

...is actually the name of the Monkeysuit I've been knitting. I love it more every day. Remember last update I was pissy about having to start the sleeves? Yeah, well...I tricked myself. I started the hood instead. Of course, the hood was actually FUN to knit, so it flew by. Then I really did have to start the sleeves. So I did. But for some reason, they aren't as bad when completing them means completeing the sweater. Well, minus the zipper and tassels. Plus, I'm already 5 inches into the sleeves and that means half done. Heehee...I love short arms. So, here it is with the hood. Hopefully I'll have some sleeves to show by week's end.

Special Delivery!

2005-07-17T16:25:00.000-04:00

I got my first SP5 package yesterday. And what a package it was! Candles, yummy grapefruit shower gel, and Loop-d-Loop! I am completely taken with the Loop-d-Loop book! I've already found at least 6 projects in it that I want to start immediately. Of course, i still have a few to finish first. OK, if I finish ONE, I can start a new one...it's how I stay motivated. Anyway, if you are the incredibly generous knitter who sent me this fantastic gift...THANK YOU! I absolutely love it!

London

2005-07-07T23:07:00.000-04:00

Nothing I can say hasn't been said. My heart goes out to the people of London. I'm so sorry for your losses. Sorry for the fear, the rage, the helplessness you're feeling. I wish you peace.

Life-Defining Labels

2005-07-06T20:42:00.000-04:00

My life is changed forever. I bought myself a label maker today. Just the small, $30, home-use kind. But oh boy, I already feel myself becoming a new person. I'm going to be "organized". I started by labelling my spice jars (actually, I started by making a "Hot Ass" label for my husband, which he refuses to wear) as soon as I got home...Basil, Parsley, Cardamom...no more guessing what that "secret spice" from the unlabelled jar is! Then I started on the shoes. No longer will I need to open 13 identical plastic shoeboxes just to find that pair of black patent leather pumps that are actually under my dresser and not in a shoebox at all, because they never got put away after their last outing. But now...NOW they'll have an assigned box. With a label. That says Black Patent Leather Pumps. Of course I'll know where they are from now on!

Another Monkeysuit Update

2005-07-04T20:02:00.000-04:00

Moving right along. The back and both sides of the front are complete and in place. It looks like a small vest right now. Next: the sleeves. I hate sleeves. It's what always slows me down. These are small sleeves. By rights I should be done with them in a week. At the most. But they're still sleeves and that still pisses me off.

Anyway, here it is as of right now...

And because I'm feeling nostalgic...

2005-06-30T21:21:00.000-04:00

I'm posting a few more photos from our honeymoon...

Ahhh...

Happy One Year Honeymoon Anniversary to me...

2005-06-29T20:18:00.000-04:00

As much as I'm not the kind of girl who likes to gush about her husband, my husband proves time and time again that he's worth gushing. Sometimes I wish he'd stop being wonderful and let me go about my bitter day. And sometimes he does. But today I'm reminded of why I love him and why I suckered him into marrying me.

First of all let me say that this time last year, we had just gotten back from our honeymoon. It doesn't matter that we didn't get married until August. We took our honeymoon in June. Yes, it's out of order. It's what we do. (We bought our house a year before the honeymoon.)

So as I was saying, we took our honeymoon last June. As far as honeymoons go, it rocked. We spent a week in Paris, and then a week in Antibes, on the French Riviera. We had each been to Paris before, but the south of France was a new experience for both of us. Swimming in the Mediterranean is different than swimming in the Atlantic.

We have good friends who go to the South every year in June and their raving is what made our decision. So we even got to meet up with them while we were there. It's truly a magical place and if you can swing it, you should go. One day we'd be lying on a sunny beach, swimming in the clear blue sea, and the next day we'd be hiking the snowy alps. The area is full of small, medievel towns with stone roads too narrow for even modern European cars.

One such town is Biot.
http://www.provenceweb.fr/e/alpmarit/biot/biot.htm

We made a new friend in Biot and got to dine on his rooftop patio with an amazing view...

But I digress. Biot is known for their glass. Biot glass is very expensive, hand-blown bubble glass. Since last year i've been kicking myself for not buying some Biot glass WHILE I WAS ACTUALLY IN BIOT!! But oh well, live and learn.

Now remember the part about how our good friends go to the Riviera every year? Well unfortunately we couldn't afford an extravagant vacation this year. But like clockwork, our friends (who also happen to be our NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS) hopped a plane for France the first week of June. And being the good friend and neighbor, I went next door every few days to water their plants and feed their fish. But not without grumbling to John every time about how WE should be in France too. (If it were up to me, we would have spent everything in savings and maybe even hocked some valuables to go back. John is much more logical and realistic and wouldn't let me spend our new-car-down-payment on airfare.)

So our friends just returned from "my honeymoon" with a big surprise...my really sweet, amazingly thoughtful husband found our leftover Euros (we're too lazy to actually cash them back in for US dollars) and gave them to our friends, telling them to pick me up a nice piece of Biot glass. They came back with two! A beautiful green bowl, and a pitcher. I'm touched. It's definitely not the same as going back, but it's a really nice consolation prize.

Monkeysuit Update

2005-06-29T19:37:00.000-04:00

Here's a photo of the WIP Monkeysuit cardigan...

Since the photo I actually finished the left front (which is still on the needles in this photo)and started the back. Moving right along. John tells me that I better finish it quickly. he says it's because she'll grow out of it soon, but deep down I think he just wants me to get back to his scarf.

My Hero

2005-06-25T18:56:00.000-04:00

My husband is the absolute coolest. We went to a wedding today. The wedding of two of his students. An outdoor wedding, in 96 degrees of humidity. The ceremony was at 1:00 pm in the glaring sun. We sat perfectly still, afraid that even breathing too heavy might cause heat stroke. We were already drenched with sweat by the time the bride made her way down the aisle.

The reception was, thankfully, under a tent, although the tent was set on freshly sealed blacktop. So as we cowered from the sun, we inhaled the dizzying fumes which were only intensified from the heat. We sat with a few of his co-workers and their spouses. The main topic of conversation was Batman Begins, and while I'll probably see the movie, I'll never spend an afternoon discussing it. I got excited for exactly 30 seconds when the bar opened, but quickly realized that while a few glasses of wine would most certainly make the conversation better, I didn't necessarily know ANYONE at the wedding well enough to mix wine and 96 degree heat on an empty stomach. I don't mind embarrassing myself in front of MY co-workers, but then my co-workers are a bunch of drunks.

After the toasts, but before the meal, my awesome, awesome, god I love him more every day, anti-social husband, stood up, said his goodbyes, and took me home. I saw the envy on the faces of our table-mates. Of course, that could have just been the headaches from the fumes.

Thank you John. Thank you for hating weddings. Thank you for hating discomfort. Thank you for being more irritable than me.

Sold out

2005-06-23T20:57:00.000-04:00

Well, the promotion I've been hoping for is officially mine. It was offered up today. I'm pretty excited. It's a decent sense of accomplishment. It also means more money. I fell blindly into the datacommunication field with an art degree and a just over minimum wage job in a photo lab. I don't love datacom. Hell, I barely like it. But I learn quickly and I retain some of what I learn, and IT work pays way more than, say...developing film in a mall. Eight years ago I could barely buy myself lunch, now I own a house.

My first IT position was on a helpdesk. I took it only for the money. I was poor and stuck in a dead-end retail job. I figured it was going to suck, but I'd work it for a year or two and then jump back into creative waters. Well, my first paycheck was double my retail salary and that was 8 years ago. Since then I've gotten consistent raises and promotions, and on top of that, it turns out I'm pretty decent at what I do. Who knew. Add to that an excessive supply of days off, an excellent retirement, and a bitch of a shoe habit...yeah, I'm a slave to the man. I never thought I'd settle, but it would take me years to make a comparable salary elsewhere.

Sure, I could leave, take a pay cut to find a job I love, but for a self proclaimed shoe-whore, a pair a week habit is a tough one to kick. I know I sold out. I know I'm a disappointment to free-spirits everywhere. And somewhere in the back of my mind is a voice (very faint at this point, silent for 6.5 days a week) that tells me to go. Run. Do something fullfilling. but instead I graciously accept my promotion and celebrate with a pair of lavender stiletto mules.

Another day, Another project

2005-06-16T19:27:00.000-04:00

Because I'm not happy with just one, er, umm...three projects at one time, i added yet another. I bought a super soft merino mix to make a sweater for my friend's baby. I decided on a hooded cardigan from Monkeysuits and I'm very excited about it. It's knitting up quickly and the colors look great. I took a couple pictures the day I started it, so that's what I'll show, even though I'm much further along now.

Anyway, I'm knitting this little monkeysuit...

For this little monkey...

baby talk

2005-06-15T18:47:00.000-04:00

I was cornered into the most uncomfortable conversation at work. It was with a woman who's worked in my office for years, but by no means are we friends. Friendly, yes...but our discussions don't normally go past face lotion or work. I was walking into a door she had just come out of, and she made a point of calling me back as the door was almost closing behind me...

Her: Crystal...
Me: Yeah? (at this point I'm thinking she has a work question)
Her: Umm...I was just thinking of something and thought I'd share it with you. I hope you don't think it's rude of me to bring it up.
Me: Okayyy...
Her: I realize this is personal and different people feel differently about it, I mean some people choose not to have kids...
Me: uh huh (oh no)...
Her: Are you guys having kids?
Me: Umm...someday?
Her: Oh, good. Well, my husband and I tried for a while before I got pregnant, but my sister-in-law told me about these ovulation tests you can buy and they're very accurate. Works every time.
Me: Oh, oh Okay...thanks.

There was a little more that I edited out. Mostly because it was me stammering and saying stupid things, hoping this conversation would end quicker. But also because she went on for a few more minutes about ovulation and I still cringe every time I think of the whole conversation. I'm not a prude. Ovulation talk doesn't make me cringe. Hell, my friends can know how often I have sex if they want. But ovulation talk with people who shouldn't even be considering my menstrual cycle weirds me out a little. This was uncomfortable on so many levels. She's a devout Christian who believes married couples who don't have children are selfish. I don't believe being married, being a couple, or having children need to be related at all. We were in the hallway at work where anyone could be privy to this conversation. I'm hoping to be considered for an upcoming promotion. Promotions aren't exactly handed out freely to the woman who's already talking about taking half a year off. And frankly, ovulation tests aren't exactly a secret. They've been around for a while, right next to the pregnancy tests and the KY jelly in the drugstore. They also aren't a huge necessity for someone who knows her own body and can do basic math. And, oh yeah...I never asked for advice.

What makes someone feel justified in asking about my ovulation patterns? Is this just what happens when you're 34 and you recently (read:FINALLY) got married and you are as of yet, childless? Is this the equivalent of strangers touching a pregnant woman's belly? This woman was not the first to make inappropriate pregnancy comments to me. This was by far the strangest and most random, but I get "Why? Are you pregnant?" every time I go out and don't drink, every time my stomach feels off, every time I don't want sushi for lunch. And nine times out of ten, it's someone from work asking. Or my mother.

The truth is, getting pregnant wouldn't be horrible right now. We're financially secure, we own a house, I have months of sick time, and yes...I am 34. A baby could be a welcomed addition to the family. But I'm not frantic, I'm not rushing out to buy ovulation tests, and I'm sure as hell not discussing it with my co-workers.

New Beginnings

2005-06-05T18:39:00.000-04:00

I decided on a size and pattern to remake the Dr. Who scarf. The husband vetoed a good number of swatches before we landed on this. It's nothing outrageous. Just a basic K1 P1 rib, much less wide than the last. So for any interested parties...here's what the scarf looked like before I had my meltdown...

Notice the length.

Now here's where I am on the new design...

Notice the length.

Three years down the drain.

But I'm much happier with it. And I think I'll feel much better about hearing him say "my wife made it."

I did it for love...or guilt

2005-06-01T23:01:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know what I said - I was going to get to work on Aurora right after I signed off last night. Yeah, well...I WAS going to. But then I went downstairs and saw my husband. The husband who watches patiently as I knit. The husband who, instead of complaining about the balls of yarn EVERYWHERE, brought home a dresser for me to fill exclusively with yarn. The husband who doesn't give me much more than a raised eyebrow each time I start a new project, even though HIS project - the one I'm making for him, the only one he's ever asked for - sits unfinished after three years. It's a scarf. It's not even close to finished. It's barely halfway done.

You might be wondering now what kind of scarf has been in the works for three years. It's a Dr. Who scarf. It's 20 feet long with multi-colored stripes. (my husband is a bit of a freak) It's been hovering around the 8 foot mark for a while now. I do pull it out to work on it sometimes, but I can never seem to whip off more than three rows before I feel like I might pass out from the boredom. Now granted, i tend to get bored by the time I reach the end of any project that takes more than a week to complete, but this scarf is different. I really abhor working on it. I've been chalking it up to the fact that it's been lying around for over three years - I mean, who wouldn't be sick of it? But last night I realized there's more to the story.

First of all, even after all this time, I still love the colors. I guess the whole idea is somewhat garish - a 20 foot striped scarf - but it's hand-dyed wool that i get from a local woman. The dyes are rich without being too dark or too bright. And the yarn is pretty easy to work with. I would say it's a decent worsted weight. It holds it's shape well. So I was looking at this monstrosity, dreading the fact that I would probably be working on it for another 3 years, when it hit me...this scarf was hideous. I was in the process of making a really horrible accessory...FOR MY HUSBAND!!! Again, the colors are great, the stitches are fine, even the ends I had already tied in looked well hidden. But as a whole, this scarf was unwearable.

First of all, I started it back when I was really getting into knitting. I'm not even sure I knew the purl stitch yet, so it's a garter stitch scarf. 20 feet of garter stitch wasn't proving to be the prettiest thing. Second, because it's so long, I tried to compensate by widening it a bit. Too wide. It was more like stole width. And third, and again - i started this before I knew much about gauge, I used size 8 needles with a pretty dense worsted wool. There's no give to it. It doesn't flex, it doesn't drape, you can't even fold it over to halve the width. It might make a nice bedspread, but as a scarf it sucks.

So after much thought, and realizing that I'd never be able to complete a project I hate, I started ripping. I felt a small lump in my throat as I watched three years of work unravel. More than that though, I felt a sense of liberation. I had been continuing this project grudgingly because I had spent so much time with it. But like a distant high school friend, we had grown apart. We no longer had anything in common; no longer enjoyed each other's company. We stayed in touch for purely nostalgic reasons. Ripping it out proved to me that I could move on. I've grown up, I've made new friends since high school, my knitting has progressed dramatically since I started.

I spent the rest of the night making swatches to test size, pattern and gauge. I easily knitted and ripped 8 swatches. And I enjoyed myself immensely.

SP5

2005-06-01T18:13:00.000-04:00

Here it is...the questionairre that one lucky reader has been waiting for...my SP5 answers!!!

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
i am a snob. i love luxe fibers. but i'm also fond of nice simple cottons and wools. i don't mind nylon or acrylic in a mix.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
no but my goal is to learn both. I just bought myself a crochet book.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Not sure if it’s a real allergy, but the smell of cigarette smoke makes me sneeze. Also, slightly bothered by really strong florals.

4. How long have you been knitting?
steadily for about 4 or 5 years i guess.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes – amazon, listed under my email address

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I love grapefruit and anise scents. Also most fruity scents and earthy, musky scents

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
yes. For Swedish fish, and canollis. I also loooove good chocolate.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I figured I’d list other interests, even non-crafty ones…gardening, cooking, photography, reading, remodeling my house, working out, scrapbooking, drinking wine, shoe shopping, playing with my dogs, bossing my husband around...

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
my musical tastes are all over the place. I love finding more obscure bands that aren’t on the radio constantly. Rock, punk, ska, blues, French lounge…you’ll find a little of everything in my extensive cd collection. Mp3’s are fine.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
i love purples and greens. i'm also drawn to muted, zen-y shades and deep, sexy reds and oranges. I’m not a fan of the primaries (especially yellow) or pastels.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
1 husband, 2 dogs, 1 cat

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
I love to travel. I hope to do lots more of it. I want to become fluent in a second language. (je parle un peu le francais)

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
alpaca, soft yarns that feel nice next to your skin

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Plain acrylics bore me. Novelty yarns have their place, but I rarely find good use for them.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Fingerless gloves.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Hats. They make me feel accomplished. My sisters get hats for every xmas now

17. What are you knitting right now?
A sweater, 2 scarves

18. What do you think about ponchos?
I’ve always been a fan of ponchos and have worn vintage ones consistently over the years. I’m a little bummed that they are EVERYWHERE now, but I still find them convenient and flattering. They will always have a place in my heart and my closet

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
I use both, just depends on the project

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
bamboo, followed by alum, then plastic in last place

21. Are you a sock knitter?
Not so much

22. How did you learn to knit?
my gram when i was little, then a friend gave me a refresher a few years back

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
over three years. i'm bored with it.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
I’m not sure how to answer this. I like fish and monkeys. But as far as animated characters…ummm…Melissa from Home Movies? That's sort of obscure. I'm a little bit obsessed with Blythe right now.

25. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween, Christmas

26. Is there anything that you collect?
vintage hats. I used to collect all sorts of vintage clothing. Now I only keep what I wear and I’ve scaled my collectibles down to hats. Now that I’m thinking of it, I have lots of hats, not just vintage.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Interweave, but I pick up vogue pretty regularly

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Loop d loop
Kim Hargreaves – winter blooms

Promises, Promises...

2005-05-31T19:58:00.000-04:00

Ok, I told myself...no, I PROMISED myself...I wouldn't start obsessing over new projects until I finished Aurora. And I have been working on Aurora. But she's coming along slowly. So last night i practiced a few patterns on some junk yarn (is there such a thing as junk yarn?). I have some ideas that i'm trying to work into a gift for my sister. I ended up ripping everything out, but I had so much fun starting something new (three times) that I got out the magazines. And then I went online. And this morning I ordered enough yarn to make 2
Honeymoon Camis (one for me, one for my sister), one Isis (from the Summer Interweave), and a hoodie for a friend's baby. I'm not sure if I hit the obsessing stage yet, but I most certainly will when i come home to find a box of yarn on my porch. Sadly, it's going to be a struggle to keep Aurora happening. Especially since Honeymoon seems like a quick knit, and Isis seems like an interesting knit, and the hoodie is for a baby that is growing fast. I guess i need to spend the next three days busting my butt to get at least my sleeves finished.

Weed it out

2005-05-29T18:23:00.000-04:00

Long weekends leave me feeling disappointed. I never accomplish what i want and I'm always pissed off that I even tried in the first place. We have so much to do around the house...inside, outside...our work is never done. But all work and no play makes Crystal a dull girl. So I make plans to do things outside the house. Fun things. Interesting things. Things with friends. But then my grand plans that involve gardening, or cleaning, or painting sit taunting me, reminding me that they'll be waiting.

I got a box of bulbs last week. They need planting soon, otherwise there's no reason to plant them this year. My plan for this weekend was weeding on saturday, to make room for the bulbs, then planting on sunday. Easy, right? Except that my friend wanted to hit the farmer's market (she knows I'm a sucker for the market), and I wanted to work out, so we did both. And my mother is having a garage sale this weekend because she's selling her house, but her husband was out of town, so she was stuck holding this garage sale alone. So I went to keep her company for a little while. By the time I got home it was after 6pm and my husband had thought I was coming home right after the gym at 9am. By the time we finished dinner, it was too late to get any weeding done.

I started my weeding today. Got quite a bit done. But now I'm a day behind. And even though I have tomorrow off, we're going to a BBQ at a friend's place. So the planting waits til next saturday. Which means I'm really a week behind. And of course, before I get to plant, I'll have a week's worth of weeds to pull. This never ends.

On the bright side, I did get to knit a few rows on my Aurora sleeves last night. My goal is to be wearing the finished sweater by mid-july. Hopefully we'll have a few cool nights.

Neverending sleeves

2005-05-25T20:59:00.000-04:00

My knitting has taken a backseat to...say...watching tv. Truth is, I've been sick. And when I'm sick I don't want to knit, I don't want to clean, I don't want to read. When I'm sick, I watch tv and I sleep. Every now and then I'll eat something disgusting like cup a soup or ramen noodles, but mostly I watch tv and sleep.

Anyway, I can tell I'm finally feeling better because the dishes are done, I spent a few hours cooking real food today, and I finally picked up one of my unfinished knitting projects...the Aurora Pullover.

This is my first sweater. I love knitting accessories...hats, scarves...they're quick. But I've been knitting for a good few or five years now and I figured it's time to make something bigger than a breadbox. Unfortunately, my attention span has proven, once again, to be short. I whipped off the back in a couple of weeks. Then started the sleeves. Now it's been months. Many months. And the sleeves are still not done. I need to finish them. Then I need to start the front. Then I need to get over my fear of blocking.

Thing is, I love this sweater and I really want to wear it. So I've decided to post photos of the sweater-in-progress here so that I can compare progress over the course of however long it takes me to finish. So here they are, photos of the Aurora...

2005-05-25T20:58:00.000-04:00

Pattern closeup

2005-05-25T20:56:00.000-04:00

Aurora Sleeves

2005-05-25T20:48:00.000-04:00

Back of the Aurora sweater

The Life of Iris

2005-05-22T14:00:00.000-04:00

I was in the garden yesterday and noticed that my irises were getting ready to bloom. This makes me happy like you can't imagine. Irises aren't my favorite flower, nor are they the first flower to bloom in my yard. (In fact, right now I have a beautiful field of blue forget-me-nots) But to me, irises are somewhat of a symbol of our life in this house.

The woman who owned this house before we bought it was obviously quite fond of irises. They are everywhere, in every color, including burnt orange and deep purple. We have a huge variety of flowers, but the irises are definitely predominant. We moved in to this house two years ago, in June, so the irises were in bloom. Unfortunately, a lot of them didn't bloom. My mother-in-law knows a good deal about flower gardening in general and takes a special interest in irises, so she taught me how readily they multiply, how they need to be thinned almost yearly, how they should be planted just about at the soil line. Mine, of course, were terribly overcrowded and had sunk well below the soil. We have multiple flower beds on all sides of the house. They all need work. But the main iris bed is right outside the back door. It's a fairly compact bed with literally hundreds of stems. So she and I set about thinning the iris bed.

The first summer we made progress, but it wasn't as high a priority as say, painting the kitchen. We got it totally weeded, and partially thinned. By the end of the summer I had given away about 100 irises to family and friends. If anyone expressed the slightest interest in free irises, they received a bag of them the next day. Unfortunately, there were still at least that many still to go.

Let me say that I don't have a green thumb. I want to, but sadly, I kill most plants. Or worse, I'll keep something just alive enough to be not dead, but it will look scraggly and it won't bloom, and you can tell it's just hoping to die off. It's rare that I can keep something alive and thriving, through transplants and weeding. I either lose interest or I just screw it up. So for me, successfully weeding out the irises - seeing that my bed was looking better, plus the gifted flowers were thriving in other yards - was a huge accomplishment

Last spring my mother-in-law came up with a plan for the irises. Since I didn't have much gardening time, due to wedding planning, she thinned the rest of them out on her own (over 100 tubers), lovingly planted them and kept them alive at her house, then re-harvested them, wrapped them in plastic and ribbon, and set them out as give-aways at my wedding shower.

Late last summer, after the wedding, and also after some serious relaxing down-time, I finished the iris bed. I spaced out the ones that were left, replanting them correctly, added some compost to offset the thick clay soil. It took two years, but the first flower bed was finished. I'm expecting (hoping for) a full bed of blooms this year. I love my irises. They remind me of moving into our new house and of my first real gardening adventures here. I'm also happy that I got to share part of my garden with all the women in my life. And the best part is that now I'm a little less intimidated to move on to the next bed...the roses.

Groovin'

2005-05-20T19:09:00.000-04:00

I have a few favorite blogs. Some I read daily, some I read sporadically. Some have a specific theme, some are completely random. I've been considering what I like about other blogs as I've been trying to decide how to form mine. To begin anyway, this will be random. Maybe I'll find my groove.

The Madness Begins...

2005-05-20T07:12:00.000-04:00

My goal was not to have a blog. But I have a blog. I'm not sure why I have a blog or where this blog will go. I'm testing my blogginess. I'm a band-wagon blogger. If I become a pseudo-blogger, who has a blog but doesn't blog, I'll admit defeat and end this blog. If it turns out that I have something to say, something interesting to add to the blog world, then I'll not only keep the blog, but possibly upgrade to a custom-made, not canned blog. Time will tell.