Knitters: Common Threads

I'm a blog slut. I love rubber necking people's thoughts online. You know that "next blog" button at the top of most blogger sites? Yeah, I'm the lady that uses that, and loses like dog years in productivity.

 

I find blogs so much more intimate than things like Facebook (which I've wavered between haterade and bewitched). The lurking and the sharing on Facebook feels so much more suspicious to me than just blogs. I wish I could explain it better with a thoughtful analysis, but I'd be bullsh*tting you if I said I had that in me just yet. Everytime I try, phew, I'm exhausted, and I've got some other crap I really should be focusing on.

 

Anyways back to my blog appreciation. I have my favorites, and believe it or not, they are all not knitters. But the majority of the blogs I return to are Knitters, with a Knit-centric perspective of life. Yet I find the topics and themes that I appreciate transcend the knitting. For example:

• Cooking/Baking
• Obsessive desires to organize
• Home Improvement -- basically ANYTHING DIY
• Fiction Reading
• Mysteries/Cop t.v. shows
• Animals/Cats in particular
• Photography
• Gadgets and links to cool impulse buys
• Rants on misplaced items, bad shopping manners and bad oublic displays of behavior.

I know there are other things, but those are my fun favorites.
Knitting blog turn-offs. Taste my jealousy.(Obviously positive and negative tastes are all personal, and reflect my issues.)

• Sock knitting, multiple pictures of sock knitting in progress -- I know this doesn't make sense since I like knitting blogs like the Yarn Harlot and Crazy Aunt Purl, but it's true. Those are the post that not only does my mouse gloss over, so do my eyeballs.
• Healthy eating - OMG just, no, I don't care how fantastic your photo skills are, you can't make your Quinoa and roasted squash with balsamic woo me. NON! I'm still cow chewing just thinking about it!
• Angelic children. Bah boringo! Give your weirdos, your goofballs, your nose-picking, butt scratching, crayon wall tatooing artists. The ones that have learned sarcasm and the side-eye by pre-school. And please enjoy knitting for them as toddlers, because they won't wear it much longer, what YOU want I mean.I don't prefer demon spawn or rebels, but no need for stepford children that look like they walked out of a east coast children's catalog (I'm lookin' at YOU J.Crew. eww I mean ... crewcuts. ick. nast) But this all stems from my firm suspicion of angelic children. My kid is a good kid, but he is NO angel, and as documented here, I get plenty of appropriate side-eye.
• People with photos of their neat organized homes that look like show rooms. I swear the complex they give me is hideous. I see the "new" items they've used to improve things and I feel a hives outbreak coming on. so jealous

Best thing about blogs is seeing people improve their lives and I think, I want to try that! I want to make an effort! I want to Knit!

Knittin' Weather

Yes, yes, I know we talk about Knittin' Weather all the time. But I mean it I really do! The air is fuzzy gray with drizzle and it smells colder and fresher like fall. I feel like I should make something homemade and do old timey activities, play board games and sip tea.

I frogged part of a handwarmer last night, b/c I had a case of the dry drunk stitch count. wtf. Anyways, I didn't have to frog the entire thing, so that is good. I'll take another stab this weekend and if I yuck it up again I will just put it away and do something else ... enjoyable, like cream coloured self-striping yarn. ahhhh.

The weather is supposed to remain gray and wet for the weekend. I'd love to do nothing but watch movies and knit, and walk in the drizzle with The Kid. However there are chores, and nephews to attend to, which will bring it's own homey fall feeling with a little voice in a big head in the house and the smell of clean.

Baby big head's visit usually means I can persuade The Kid to relive some Disney glory days ... which will give me some knitting time while their innocence basks in the corrupting glow of the t.v. light.

:) Giant's games cause me too much grief, I don't even bother trying to pick up the needles half the time. I realize I use my "Mom" voice on the t.v. If only those boys would live up to their EVERYDAY potential ... I wouldn't have to nag and I wouldn't have an ulcer.

Bronze Medal: The Traditional 8th Anniversary Gift

I love it. It's like an A for effort. You got past the itch, not just suck it up for a few more years till you hit double digits. You can brag then. For now, here's something heavy, kinda dirty looking that really is not so decorative as much an excellent potential bludgeoning tool.

We used to try to find each other something small, tokenish made from the suggested Traditional "Hallmark" anniversary item. (Modern gift would be pottery, alternative to both Traditional and Modern I think is Linen. zzzzzzz) No wonder we don't really bother trying anymore.

This year I will create for him, his own bronze medal. He's kind of an Olympian for enduring me through the years eh?

Bronze ... really? I mean who really needs another Degas ballerina right? There's enough to dust!

Damn you Canon!

So yes, everyone knows I have been coveting the Canon S90 for a year. Everyone knows that I have not purchased it because there are other more responsible things to purchase when I am not some photo-good-interested person. I will never learn or use half the features I suppose that are in built in there.

Oooo but they are there.

Oooo. I keep it in my Amazon "save it for later" cart and watch the price. Hoping ... it would squeak below $350. It hasn't.

Guess what? Canon came out with the sister Canon S95. And guess the F what? I like her too. Honestly I don't need the HD video stuff -- esp. since I spent money on an HD flip we never use ... (argh) But I like some of the other overcompensating feature for shakey camera family.

See pretty sister here: Canon S90

October is closing shortly ...

I'm dragging like a 2 yr old without crackers or a nap.

Someone send in the clowns. Never mind, they are scary. Send in the Clouds.

The weather has changed quickly, the days are growing darker at the beginning and end of the day much faster. There is a haste that feels required, and inevitably I am beginning to feel that I will never keep up, or catch up.

I'm prone to crank-up the old "woe is me" machine. I will endeavor to stay positive and stay on track for the sake of the family, the job and yeah, the sanity.

The knitting seems to be the thing that is progressing. I am hoping to do some good organizing this weekend. I managed to get part of the Kid's costume going and measure the cabinets for curtains and the Man-friend replaced the shower curtains ... so we are chipping away.

One of the doors broke on our little kitchen cart. I will have to replace the whole old thing. I found a replacement online, so that is good. The truth is, it's not the piece of "furniture" cheap or not that I want to be focusing on.

Our Anniversary is around the corner. Usually I don't fuss too much, but I do like to celebrate it. However The Man-friend is usually slow on committing to an idea. He's so laid back, everything is like, hmm ... sure.

Which doesn't feel like celebrating does it? Does that sparkle with the glow of a unicorn or a rainbow? Does that smell like strawberry shortcake or lemon meringue? ha. I think not.

So I got pouty and decided it wasn't worth me doing a bunch of planning to make something specialesque, if it was just "sure" to everyone else involved. (Yes I was wearing my martyr pantyhose ... tight fit, but supportive).

Now I will try for something not special, but acknowledged and some-what celebratory for us.

The holidays glare around the corner. I can see the sparkle shiny things, feel the heat of the overused oven, and hear the sound of crinkling wrapping paper and doorbells. It is a busy time of year, and friends and family alike tell each other, "We should really try to do that before the holidays."

I hope so.

Shh. They're Listening ... in the stalls

I got busted for "thinking outloud" in the Women's room at the office. I thought outloud, "Oh god, I'm insane."

I suppose that's not so unusual, but I do aim for a sense of decorum at work, kinda, since you know, they pay me and stuff.

Freakin' Weekend ...

So here we are Friday. I am not as jazzed as I'd like to be. I'll blame Man-friend that correctly pointed out that even if it was Saturday I'd have to wake up butt early for a Sunset District soccer match.

DRAT.

But since I've been piss and vinegar this week, I think I need to focus on a quick list of HAPPY that without a doubt fits in a weekend.

* Ate a chicken cheesesteak for lunch.
* Gonna knit like a mo-fo this weekend.
* True belief in kitchen cupboard curtains.
* Impulse buying an Etsy Kitchen Conversion Chart Poster. Lovely No?
* I get to cheer loudly at soccer this week. No more "Silent Saturday" game yay!
* I get to see my Niece Ms.M. aka Madame Purple.
* I get to see old friends from out of State.
* I get a chance to clean my house a little.
* Making BIG LISTS of more to do ...
* I feel completion around the corner. I SWEAR it!

Can't Talk Must Knit ...

Somewhere again I have found the zone. I have found the progress last night for a few hours of counting, and double-checking on a golden shawl of shame, and shushing my Man-Friend.

I managed to not carry my yarn in my bag all day, so when I came home last night from dinner w/the Kid (who was a very bad date and ignored me for his reading material, so I had to listen to an annoying snobby high maintenance lady whittle down her dining friend's patience) I was ready to knit.

When I put my purse down this morning and prepped for a day of documentation. Ack. I saw my In progress work project and feel ready to knit.

I looked at the lack of pictures in my ravelry.com list and feel ready to knit. In between fits of writer's block I visited some wonderful knitting sites/blogs from what sound like nice and intelligent people and feel ready to knit.

Guess what I'm doing at lunch? Not fixing my grammar. HA!

The Yarn Harlot Has My Envy Again

Seriously, I like that she has a sense of humour and loves green. I like how in her most recent post she picked out a blue fibre to spin, for a hat, for a daughter, because the color looked like cold frost. I like her even though it is obvious she has an unhealthy sock obsession.

So it is really no surprise that I practically swooned when I saw her "after" picture of a small "stash" room organized and transformed into this

Now I AM so green. Really I must start getting things done.

Knit it up Knitty

Okay I just need to blow off some more knitting steam. sorry for the 2 of yous that read this.

1) What up with Knitty.com's fugalicious patterns? It's so Hippie Heavy.

2) Why are all the needles in my life abandoning me? I feel ... lonely. Like a girl with all kinds of 10, 10.5 and size 7 needles, but not a 4 or 5 in sight!
US 8 Mr. & Mrs. Tapestry where did you go?

3) Damnit all these fancy knitter bloggers are like, "Ohhhh, fall is a comin' I must cast on a new sweater! Oooooo! Look at all these gorgeous colored yarns." Jerks. I might have to bribe the quiet DA to cast on a sweater for me, and then I'll be seen with it. Give it back to her and she can make progress and I'll tote it around again, and repeat pattern until I "make" my hand-knit sweater. ha! hmmmmm...

The Quiet DA recommended I stick to simple sweater patterns. However I can't stop eyeing this. I think my sausage rolls might actually be able to wear it. Madelinetosh. mmm. delish.

4) I keep meaning to bring in some mini-fig yarn for Snoopy, but it just sits in it's ziplock in my room. I wonder if I'll ever get around to making one. I feel so knitting intimidated now.

5) Which leads me to... Originally I wanted to make Henry a Harry Potter "H" Sweater for Christmas this year. Am I crazy? (Technically it should be a Mrs. Weasley sweater)

It needs to cool down a bit here in SF. It's actually too hot to knit before bedtime. On the other hand I'm actually getting around to walking during the lunch hr.

Unfinished Knitting Business

I refuse to describe them as objects, because it sounds so souless, and honestly even if I am on auto-pilot on the same damn projects, I need to find my fake love.

I was feeling a little forlorn yesterday. I couldn't find my tapestry needles, I had to back out the golden shawl again. (Why is it so hard for me to stop knitting that thing when I'm tired? Why? for the love of yarn WHY?)I'm still backing out the shawl. I hope to get back to a good place tonight.

My pretty yarn called to me last night. But I left it in the bin to multi-task iTunes and knitting ... hmm maybe that's where things went wrong.

However this morning The Man-Friend got The Kid to school and I REALLY should've utilized that time to get to work early and catch up on the firestorm of backlogged work I've acquired while in training ... but ... I decided to visit my yarn. I saw this fun brown novelty yarn that would make a FUN winter scarf. I will allow myself to swatch it. I shoved everything back in the bin with a healthy dose of longing and regret.

No fears, yarn my love, I bought lotto tickets, one day, some day we will roll around in the smell of wool and silk together, laughing at our prior days of estrangement.

Crap I am so over "have to" work right now. I have to dangle the knitting carrot over my head. Do your chores and then you can knit ... CRAP. boringo eh?

I have so much to do! My friend K-Step and I decided to pick our charity for this year: http://www.knit-a-square.com/ It's a good cause, something realistic to do during the holiday season and it's a good stash buster. I think Martha Mese will throw down a few squares as well.

I ran into Sweater Guru, "The Quiet DA" yesterday. I barely got a chance to give her a hug and ask her how she has been doing after a bit of a hiatus, and she was whipping out all kinds of Brooklyn Tweed patterns and telling me what yarn she was going to match. Lady has an eye for a pattern if I might say.

Mlouis has been shopping for a new scarf pattern ... and I was thinking I really want to do cables, and I miss chunky yarn ...

Eye on the prize ... eye on the prize.

Why technology plagues me ...

1) Not only one must take the time to plug into the computer all the right parts but to download things responsiblity one must:
* update appropriate software
* organize appropriate directories
* upload to a responsible and secure system
* back-up above data.

2) Computer functions such as installations (that often require restarts on cranky computers) and backups take ... TIME.

3) Any functions that could be considered errors, take time to back out.

4) Resizing ANY images.

5) I'm lazy.

6) I could be knitting.

7) I'm lazy, AND ... I hate waiting.