Sheep and Wool, Sheep and Wool (YAY!)

I'm just waiting for Jess so we can head to DC for the Sheep and Wool weekend! Jess was supposed to meet up with her PG friend Caitlin, but she just told me she had her baby last night so it's all about the yarn (and the guru) now! While I'm waiting, here's my list:

1. Family Tunic - not sure if I'll make it for me or a baby, but there are lots of them coming in the next few months (Amy's, Kerry's, Cherisse's, Lee Ann's, I know there are more but I'm blanking now...)
2. Rogue Hoodie or Hooded Tunic, not sure which but I'm in the mood for a hoodie!
3. Baby Bolero (although I might end up doing this in cotton, which I don't think will be readily available at the S&W Fest)
4. Sock yarn for Dave's alpaca socks that I will make before winter in SB lands on us like a mighty blow from the Santa's sleigh
5. Maybe something for a halter top, although cotton might be best for that

Like Jess, I'm having no holds barred for sock yarn. Even though I haven't even finished my first one, and I have to undo a few rows at the heel b/c I didn't something (math) wrong...

Socksual Healing

During our trip to visit Dave's grandparents, who live outside of Tampa, this weekend, I finished the clapotis. Dave refused to wear it for the blog pic, but did agree to hold it up. I hope its recipient likes it! Dave's grandmother thought it would make a lovely lap blanket but would be so much better without the holes in it. I told her those are a design feature and she just shrugged. She already thinks I'm weird for being a vegetarian, and this weeked I went ahead and revealed to her that I had kept my last name after I got married. I wasn't going to tell her, didn't want to shock her too much, but then she went and showed us this address book where she just recently re-copied all her friends' and families' addresses, date of birth and date of DEATH!!! And most of those were BLANK, but she had copied over her brother-in-law's address and phone number -- and he died in 1983. Who answers when she calls there? We made fun of her, of course, and I was relieved to see that Michelle Lipar had an entry, and since that's not me my final departure from this earth isn't a fill in the blank in her book yet. Anyway, we had a good time seeing and teasing Grandma and Grandpa, and even saw this amazingly huge lemon that their neighbor gave them.

We also went diving in the Rainbow River and at one point were surrounded by a school of 50 or 60 alligator gar -- really cool. Some were 3 ft. long. The operation we went with (S.T.A.D.T. Aquatic Adventures) was an wonderful family-run establishment, and our dive guide Dave was incredibly patient and helpful, especially for my Dave who has no ass or hips to hold up his weight belt. We should all be so lucky.

After finishing the clapotis, I started my first sock with some handpainted Shelridge Farm wool that I bought at Rhinebeck last year. It's going quite well, easier than I thought, although I have just been working on the leg (easy) so far, starting the heel this morning. I found a great easy sock pattern and tutorial at Royea.

I cannot wait until this weekend! It's the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. Hip hip, hooray! Guru, here we come! I've got to make a list of what I "need" to buy yarn for.

Unhappily Unravelling

Last week, I was happily wearing my newly minted Hourglass Sweater when I looked over my right shoulder and saw this (well, that's not actually the view over my shoulder, but you get the "picture"):

What the heck? How is just that section of the neckline hem coming up? I know I didn't miss any stitches when binding off. There is no hanging yarn where and end might have come loose and unwoven. I can't figure it out for the life of me! I mean, I'll just fix it with some spare yarn but still, this is a mystery.

In other news, I'm sorry it's been such a long time since I've updated. Blogger was giving me major problems since Friday. I kept trying to post and pictures couldn't go up. P.I.T.A.!!!

On Thursday night, Sam's parents for some reason entrusted their little darling to me for the night and next day as they celebrated Kerry's birthday at the casino. I still think Sam's the best baby ever, but she is a handful! If you do not pay attention to her every single minute she is awake, any object not nailed down will end up in her mouth. And I'm talking about objects that normal humans wouldn't think about putting into their mouths -- bits of mud, dog food, pieces of fuzz, cell phones, shoes... The one thing this is hard to get into her mouth, however, is people food. Unless, of course, it has first been ground into the carpet by the dog and/or aunt. Here she is, reaching for a thus mistreated Cheerio.

Handful though she is, I love her so much. Look how cute she is with her grandpa!

Hippity Hop

Just wanted to share a few really cute shots from Easter yesterday. We got together with my whole family and with Kerry's parents, too, for a really nice and sunny day. Sam was gorgeous as usual, and I know you all wanted to see this shot of her with sweet potatoes all over her face. I get to babysit on Thursday!

Sorry, no knitting-related news today. I just did a little more work on the Clapotis this weekend, in fornt of its intended recipient. Sorry, mom!

Springtime!

What a gorgeous Saturday! The temperature was in the high 70's, the sun was shining and a bunch of our friends were back in CT for the Easter Weekend. We took Jesse (my brother's dog) and Rebecca (our friends' baby) for a walk on the bike path in Hamden, and then went for some homemade ice cream at Wentworth's -- they even had K-9 ice cream for Jesse! Following this up with some grilled food and beers on our back porch in Seymour ended the day perfectly. I even got to work on my Clapotis a bit!

Swiftly Tilting Lifestyle

The Hourglass Sweater is 100% knitted, woven in, blocked...finished! Sorry I'm not wearing it today for SnB, maybe next time -- the sleeves are a little long and I had to go to some meetings today so I decided to skip it because I might get annoyed at them and I didn't want any negative feelings towards my first adult-sized sweater. I really like it, though -- I think it turned out great!

With Dave being in South Bend for orientation this weekend, I spent a lot of time with my family. Friday night my mom & I went up to Mohegan Sun Casino (yes, I do have other vices than alcohol and knitting!) and I won some cash -- definitely enough to buy a swift and ball winder, so I don't have to use the back of my office chair any more. And we'll have room for these 2 things in South Bend! I'm winding the Brook's Farm Kit Mohair for a Clapotis (MOM, don't look) here. I know that is so last year, but I didn't ever get to do it so now I am. It's fun to drop those stitches!

Time to run to a meeting, but I'm excited to be back in the city for SnB tonight. See you all later! Here's a shot of our circa-1950's sink for your enjoyment...

It Fits!

I'm done knitting my first adult-sized sweater! And for some unknown and lucky reason, despite my gauge errors, it seems to fit me just fine. See? I just have to seal up the armpits and weave in the multitude of ends. The collar seems a bit funky -- it sticks up a lot -- but Jess told me hers did that, too, and it settled down with blocking. Even Dave liked it, except for the collar part. But if I ever want a nice compliment, I just have to go upstairs to see Gram who always tells me how beautiful I look and how nice my blouse or sweater is. Without fail. Grandparents are great!

I just saw a wild turkey by the road -- we're not in the Big Apple anymore...

Suburbs!

So, we've moved -- we're officially surburbanites, residents of the Naugatuck Valley for the next 7 weeks. Our pad is set in a bit more rustic locale than the Pink Pleasure Palace -- and with no internet or cable, it's been an interesting few days. We thought we could do without those luxuries until we got to South Bend, but that just won't cut it. We're watching a lot of movies and I'm knitting a lot. But not cooking -- the gas isn't hooked up yet! Something I took for granted in our NYC apartments, where the places just kind of roll over from one tenant to the next without a whole lot of household re-connections necessary. I am just about finished with the Hourglass Sweater -- I purled a row for the neckline and now just have to finish that up, sew up the armholes and weave in the ends. Pics to come!

Benefits of our new living arrangments are CRAZY MAD SPACE! Also, getting to see my grandparents, parents, and SAM a lot. I'll put up some pics of the inside of our apartment soon. These are just some outside shots, from when we took a walk up the hill to the woods behind the house yesterday.

Party hat!

Quick post -- the hourglass sweater now has 2 complete sleeves! It's all in one piece, which makes me feel like I'm almost done. But the downside to that is that this is now a much heavier project to tote around. But I'll manage to drag it to SnB tonight. I've just got to hand-wind a skein of off white before I go.

Does anyone know who belongs to this hat? I found it sleeping in my apartment after the party 2 weekends ago. It doesn't eat much, and it's really soft, so I don't mind adopting it, but I think it wants to go back home with its original owner because it's not really my style and it will get neglected in my closet. Anyone?

Amy's Bump

While she is definitely not as big as our friend Andrea was at the same point in her pregnancy, my dear friend Amy is unmistakably sporting a bump. That's so Hollywood of her. With 7 more weeks to go, I think she's going to really pop out soon. She lives outside of Boston, so I don't get to see her too often, but her baby shower was in CT this weekend so it was a great opportunity to hang out with her and my friend Andrea, who also lives in MA. Our bride-to-be friend Fredi was there as well as my NYC and beyond pal Katie. Here's a shot of Amy and her mom, and then one of Katie's and Andrea's moms, holding the lovely knitted gift I made for Amy's baby-to-come, Michelangelo.

Dave drove into CT yesterday as well, to take a van load of stuff to my grams. Now we are left with the basic necessities in our NYC pad...bed, TV and some clothes. The move next week should be easy, at least the physical part. Emotionally, I'm not sure how that's going to go...But here's Dave proudly piloting the big red beast we rented for the occasion.

Shuffle!

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jess! Hope you're celebrating well today!

I'm listening to my ipod on "shuffle" -- there are like 10K songs on there so I really have no idea what is going to play next. There was a song from the Simpson's followed by Frank Zappa...it's great! All this music I forgot we even had!

Here's a shot of my Hourglass Sweater progress, because thinking about my empty apartment is not as much fun as thinking about my knitting. I have 1 sleeve done and attached to the body, and I spent a few hours yesterday casting on and ripping out the 2nd sleeve. I was trying to do the provisional cast-on with a cable needle instead of waste yarn, like I did for the first sleeve, so I wouldn't have to cut all the stitches out and stick the needle through later, when I was doing up the hem. But for some reason it was just a big P.I.T.A. and I couldn't get it for the life of me. So waste yarn it is!

Oh joy, joy, here come the Dead, Me and My Uncle...and I left his dead ass there by the side of the road!

Gratuitous shot of Sam in the City.

Pack it up, pack it in

This is what my office looks like now that everything is disassembled and packed up. I don't have a lot of news except that we've been spending almost all of our free time packing. It's kind of sad in here now that most of the carpeting and furniture are gone, and after this weekend we'll pretty much be living in a big empty apartment with a bed, futon and TV (necessities only, see?) But that will free us up to enjoy our last week in Manhattan without worrying about the hassle of packing. And we know all about the hassle of packing...this is the 4th time we've moved in 6-1/2 years. And I'm about sick of it. I like living in a new place, but I hate the "rituals" that go with it changing homes.

I have done ZERO knitting since posing for Kara's portrait, but we did get to see Phantom on Broadway thanks to my very good friend NDR and her bro-in-law.

Lame post! I promise to be more exciting next time. I'll have some good pics this weekend after my friend Amy's shower -- she's due in just 7 weeks!!!

Um...err..."book sharing" party

Yesterday Jill hosted a perfect gathering -- I mean everything was just so right! Many knitters brought their books so we could share, and we knit, and talked, ate and ate and ate, and the food was great. I brought home some of her eggplant/pureed pea concoction and Dave literally licked the container clean (Jill, I need the recipe, please!!!) Five hours flew by so fast, I was shocked when I looked at the clock as I left. Times like this really make me sadder and sadder that I have to leave Manhattan in less than 2 weeks...I mean it. I met so many cool people this past year, and we really bonded, and I'm really getting to love these ladies and now...I have to go! It's not enough that I'm going to miss my childhood friends in NYC like Katie & Gregor, now I am so lucky to have multiplied my relationships here and, and, and...I'm going to get very very sad. I think I will be bawling when we finally drive away next Friday and I realize what I'm leaving behind. Don't get me wrong, I'm really excited for the upcoming adventures in South Bend, but I'm still allowed to be sad for the friends I'm going to miss.

Anyway, not to be all depressing here -- Sunday was truly fun. And here are some pics to prove it. Jenn is looking so cute just because, and Heather is dancing because her book is almost done (sorry about the camera strap in the corner, but the pic was too cute to exclude -- and the other one was too blurry). It was great to meet Lorie, a soldier who started a Baghdad SnB! And the SnB queen herself, Debbie Stoller, was also in attendance -- she was a treat to meet and hang out with ("It's not the size of the stick...")

Tonight I went to Kara's loft for a few hours, to sit and knit while she painted my portrait. Kara is one of those people who continues to amaze me. I mean, she really has no idea how cool, talented and fun she is (but I bet her husband Mike knows). I can't wait to see the painting, because I saw some of her other work and it was really good. Even if she doesn't think so, it is!

Party People in the House!

I can't believe how many people fit into our apartment last night...I think there were at least 50 all total, not including the 1 uninvited party crasher. Mike & Kerry came in with our favorite party guest Sam (who didn't even have the courtesy to stay awake for the party!) Andy and Melissa came in with my brother, and we also had a special visit from Adam & Maria, who we hardly ever see in NYC because they are so busy being good parents in CT. The party was such a blast, and I can't tell you how much we appreciate everyone who came. It really made me feel all warm and fuzzy to see so many of our friends getting together at our place to party with us before we leave, including the out-of-towners. I had so much fun, and I think everyone else did too. Especially Jenn... Mikey partied like a college boy and performed the "2 scoop boobie dance" for his adoring fans -- mom & dad, you would be SO proud of your son. I'm sure there are some incriminating photos around with all the digital cameras that were there. Thanks to everyone for coming and bringing good drinks and more importantly, good company!

As you can see here, Mikey wasn't having such a good time in the morning, after waking up on the hard wood floor in Cathryn's hallway where he had "fallen asleep". Thanks for the use of your apartment, Cathryn!

The next day we toured around the city a bit with Adam & Marcia. We hit the Union Square Greenmarket and Soho, and I ended up with a really cool pair of non-leather shoes. It was great to spend some time with A&M in the city, but we'll get to see a lot more of them when we move back to CT and have "Idol Nights" together.

Now I'm just dreading the fact that it truly is time to pack and move...no more procrastinating.

Sam on St. Patty's Day!

Forgive the lack of content here, but my parents are away and they asked for some pics of Sam...so if you like Sam, you'll love this post of Sam in the City...

Kissing Cousins

This is for my mom & dad, who are now in Sunny Aruba! See, we're taking good care of Doc, and he's even getting along with his "cousins." Enjoy the sun, it's getting cold again here! I love you guys!

Isn't It Juicy, Bill?

Don't worry, the weekend wasn't that spicy -- Jen-nay was just talking about her brined turkey from last Thanksgiving. That's my very very very very (get the picture?) good friend Jen-nay, who flew in from Texas Friday with her equally good husband Sterbs. We had a GLORIOUS weekend for their visit! Friday was in the 70's, Saturday was sunny and in the 60's, and the sky cried rain when they left on Sunday. I can't believe how much we packed into 36 hours! And yes, that is Greta I'm sporting, and yes, that's Dave and Sterbs wearing short sleeves in Central Park in March!

We woke up late on Saturday and headed straight for Top of the Rock, where we had an incredible view of Manhattan. The view from this observation deck is great, because you can actually see the ESB instead of seeing from it. Plus, it's not nearly as popular as it's tall 34th Street cousin, so lines are minimal. Dave has been there 3 times in as many months, but it was my first time. After soaking in the view, we walked up to the Met through Central Park. I love Gauguin, especially the paintings he did in Tahiti. I always idealize and romanticize the South Pacific before air travel made it so easy to get to, and a journey there was only possible after months at sea in a creaking vessel...

After perusing the paintings, we went back to our pad to rest up for our Broadway appointment at the St. James Theater, where Sterbs had procured awesome seats for The Producers -- such a bizarre but truly entertaining and funny show! And did the night end there? No way! We headed on down to La Paella for tapas and wine (beau coup goat cheese for Jen-nay), then on to Veselka for dessert. We finally ended the night in our back yard, enjoying the weather and each others' company.

Jen-nay and Sterbs are awesome. They have 2 young kids but they are so laid back -- the kind of parent I want to be some day. It was such a good visit, but way way way too short. I can't wait to see them in the midwest when we all move there this summer!

And FYI, this is the view from your window when Rescue Me sets up its film crew right in front of your apartment. I felt too conspicuous to take a pic when all the people were sitting there, because they were literally right in front of our window, but when they broke for lunch I snapped a shot.

In the midst of all the weekend craziness, I still managed to get some knitting done, and I'm ready to start the sleeves on the Hourglass Sweater. But that's not nearly as exciting as the good weather we are having now, is it? It's still light out now and it's 6PM! Yay!!!