Monday madness

Not much knitting to report - my wrists have been giving me problems. I noticed when I got a massage a couple of weeks ago that when my forearms were worked on my hands started tingling. So I gave in and have put down the needles for awhile. It's driving me crazy :) I'm starting to think it may be more related to how I type on my laptop at home or on my computer at work though, since my wrists still ache some.


So instead of knitting I've been hiking and watching TV (or, more accurately, football. And some TV on DVD). I happened to catch Murder She Wrote on the other week and realized how much I'd liked that show as a kid. I had no idea there were so many seasons of it! I also rented Heroes from Netflix and watched the first two episodes last night. I'm not sure if I would have gotten into it had I watched in season. I'll admit I want to know what happens, but the 2nd episode was a little gruesome (and somehow fake) for me. I am however getting sucked back into Top Chef (I even started a group on Ravelry for it) - it's not like the other seasons. For me there's no clear winner or favorite. There's also not as much animosity, which is great.


This weekend's hike was Solstice Canyon. In many ways it's like the rest of the hikes in the mountains - except for the ruins. Well, the remains of a rather large house that burned down in the 1980's. There's something eerie about hiking in the woods and finding the foundation and remaining walls of a house next to the trail. We had great fun wandering around the remains climbing up to the waterfall. I'm slowly but surely working my way through all the parks in the area, much to my knee's dismay. I'm not sure if it's a lingering problem from the surgery, but I seem to be having knee pain more than I used to. M thinks it's a cartilage problem - I'm hoping not!


Time to get back to work - happy Monday all!

FO, WIPs, and moving on

The manly socks are finally done and have been gifted to their owner. A few months late of his birthday, but he seems pleased with them. And decided not to take them on his latest camping trip, because he didn't want to "get them dirty." I wonder how much use they'll see with that philosophy!

I'm dividing my time now between some gloves and socks. With a little work on the Hourglass Sweater to give my hands/wrists a break. I've been noticing some tingling in my arms and some back pain, so I'm trying to take it easy. Of course, this rules out making stitch markers as well, so I really don't know what to do with myself! The testing is going well, as far as getting feedback on how the first set of markers work out. After some initial results, I'm thinking the method Teresa taught me may be more knitter-friendly and that the method I use is probably better suited to earrings and the like.

This past weekend was full of football and movies (and eating!) I watched way more college football than I intended, but really enjoyed the Cal game (I may have to organize a viewing at some sports bar for the next one!) M and I went to see the Bourne Ultimatum on Sunday, which I liked quite a bit. I wasn't as much of a fan of the second in the series, but the third was right up there with the first. If you like action and twists, I'd recommend checking it out while it's still in theater (unless you have a big screen TV and surround sound. In which case, invite me over some time)

My parents seem to be doing well after the letter was published. The Napa paper has a censoring policy on all comments submitted to their site (which the other papers don't seem to be as strict with, given some of the responses to my dad's letter earlier this year) and all the comments I've seen are positive and reaffirm the fact that not much is known about the possible side effects. I'm still trying to deal - feeling somewhat deserted, though I realize no one really knows what to say to me. I'm told this is the awkward point in the timeline - where it's been long enough that other people have moved on and you're just starting to deal with it. Or where people are still giving you distance when you're finally ready to talk. It's been frustrating to an extent - the times I do mention it, no one knows what to say and the atmosphere gets awkward. Society has a hard time acknowledging death and its aftermath in general, at least in a way that doesn't leave the survivors feeling like they should be keeping quiet about how they're feeling.

So I've removed the chip from my shoulder and have been harassing people to hang out with me until they feel comfortable enough to do it on their own :)

And in the interim, I'm getting caught up on my Netflix subscription....I'm still coming up to movies I queued back in grad school!

Letter to the Editor

It's been a little over 3 months since my brother died. As little as I talk about it here or elsewhere, it's always on my mind. My mom has posted a letter to the editor in the local paper, fully disclosing the details of his death. And while I know them all, it makes it hard to see. Not so much because I've been reliving his death this week, but because it makes me sad that this has become my parents' new crusade - a crusade against suicide.

Sigh.

Good thoughts

I've posted about Evan before - but keep him and his family in your thoughts today. Evan went in for surgery this morning - you can read more about him on Allison's blog.

Stitch markers?

I've been making alot of stitch makers lately - you can see pictures of them here. I've been toying around with the idea of opening an etsy store, but since I'm so new to making them I'd like to test them out some. Anyone interested in being a test knitter? You'd get a set to knit with and would only have to provide me feedback on what you think. Drop me an email if you're interested!

Looking for a doula?

For anyone in the Los Angeles area, my friend Peggy has recently started a doula business. I met Peggy when I first moved to LA, and while I can't speak to her doula techniques, she's an amazingly compassionate and supportive person with a great sense of humor. Peggy is passionate about what she does - go check out her website here to read more about why she decided to become a doula and what her philosophy is.

Oh, and in case you needed more convincing - in addition to being a doula, Peggy's also a great knitter. :)

Little League Baseball

Thanks for all of your comments - in the end my friend Teresa is taking 4 of the skeins in a partial trade and I managed to resell the other 2 on the Destash blog. There's some discussion on the Ravelry board about the subs - some people were emailed asking their preferences, some had their order cancelled, others knew ahead of time and included options in their order. I did email the owner asking to return them and she said that was fine, which I was glad to hear.

Not much to report on the knitting front. I'm out of town this weekend, taking a mini-break from work (always a good plan when they announce layoffs I'm sure) and going to a friend's engagement party. I've actually never gotten to meet him in person (we were introduced via a mutual friend), so it's a little weird to be going to his engagement party :)

Oh, and apparently there's a world series in little league baseball....who knew? It's been on since we got here and is totally holding M's attention. At least I have my sock to work on :)

:(

Last week I ordered 5 colorways of Lorna's Laces through an online clearance sale. It came today, but not what I'd expected.....

Turns out after I placed my order, the homepage of the store noted that yarn is going fast and subsitutions will be made if the ordered colorway is out of stock.

And that's what happened to 3 of the 5 colors I ordered. I wasn't notified, and when I emailed the owner she replied that there's a note on the website saying substitutions will be made. And suggested I see if any of my friends would be interested in trading.

I understand that she's one woman running a store - and a store in the middle of a huge sale. But I'm frustrated she didn't email me or just exclude the yarn I ordered that she doesn't have. Instead she's using a statement later posted on the storefront to explain why I'm holding on to 6 skeins of yarn I don't want. I'm considering either trying to trade them or emailing her again and asking her to take them and refund me the money.

/rant

Shout outs

Gradschoolknitter is having a contest for her 100th post - check it out!

Allison (of Supercrafty.com), who I've blogged about before, has some somewhat good news - Evan's surgery for his brain tumor has been bumped up to 2 weeks from now. This change is unfortunately because Evan is showing some decline - so please send some good thoughts their way. And maybe even buy some yarn :)

I'm relieved it's Thursday - it's been a week of minimal sleep so far. And even though I went to bed early, I was woken up by an earthquake this morning. Bringing my grand total of earthquakes felt to 3 :)

Final answer

In this world of amazing conveniences, somehow it takes longer to do things. I received a new credit card last week, and called the 1-800 number to activate it. It used to be, and still is for some cards, that all you had to do was call the number and enter some information. But now they try and sign you up for all sorts of programs. My call was no exception - payment protection, credit monitoring, the works. And they never ask you if you want to sign up, they just tell you they're mailing you the information packet and you can cancel later.

I had to tell the woman signing me up I didn't want it. I knew I was going to get a lecture on how great it was. "But I'm an American consumer, and making uniformed ill-advised decisions is my right," was what I wanted to say. Instead, I settled on some Millionaire lingo "...and that's my final decision."

Somehow, she knew not to argue.

On a more serious note, kmkat posted a link to this blog with images from the bridge collapse. Absolutely amazing to see the extent of damage - it's hard to even imagine.

Weekend update

I've been somewhat remiss in updating lately, so here's a stash enhancement, WIP, and misc. update :)

• Stash enhancement

A gift from Molly, Sundara Yarn. Spunky Eclectic yarn, a prize from Claudia's MS Ride Raffle. STR Lagoon, a purchase off the new Destash blog. Yarns from Handpaintedyarn.com for hats. Bought from Lotus Yarns, who has great names for colorways :) Bought from Paradise Fibers (who were really great to deal with)

• WIP

Manly sock, still going strong. Swallowtail shawl, intended to be worn at a wedding that's already occured (oops!). Generic ribbed hat, can never have too many. Lady Eleanor stole, a prayer shawl of sorts started in May.

• Misc.

My newfound interest in making stitch markers


A new mixer, with which to make more pies (and other things too I'm sure)


Anyone want a one person tea set?

Have a good weekend all!!

We have a winner!

Or 3 :) Congratulations to for gradschoolknitter winning the teapot! Ellen and Nonnahs are the lucky winners of yarny goodness. I'll email you all to get your addresses and get your prizes in the mail some time next week.

From it's humble beginnings as a mobile favorites bar, this blog has documented my knitting through all sorts of events. Going to my first SnB, learning to knit lace, the boyfriend sweater, the ensuing breakup and ACL surgery, learning to dye, the Knitting Olympics, nannying, leaving grad school, another breakup, a new relationship, moving, and most recently my brother's death.

More importantly than letting access my favorite links wherever I go, documenting my knitting, or recording the events of my life these last 3 years, this blog has served as a cheaper alternative to therapy.

No, just kidding! It's served as a place for me to meet people I may not otherwise have had the chance to meet (no matter how close they live to me) It's served as a place for me to share creativity and experiences and find support and ideas. Some of you I've known for years, some of you I've never met. Thanks for reading :)

A quick post

I'll be posting the contest winners in a few hours (go enter!), but this post from Kami made me laugh.

My favorite so far? "If we cannot fight two chickens to the death for entertainment purposes, the terrorists have already won?"

This one is pretty funny too: "I'm impressed by your bold stance in support of the gentleman sport of fetus fighting. If we are not permitted to strap knives onto the ankles of our unborn twins and fight them to the death, then what right will they take away from us next?"

Oh, this is my favorite: "Just a matter of time before they come for your dog and cat.These people have a agenda.This will be the start of the ending for animal lovers.Fight these nuts while you still can."

Happy Friday everyone :)

(There's a similar page here)

Pictures!

A finally finished gift for a friend
Yarny prizes for the contest
More yarny prizes
And a very tiring but very worthwhile hike.

Contests and knitting

Knittinggal is having a contest - go check it out! And don't forget the contest here! For those of you who don't want to be entered for the teapot but rather the yarny goodness let me know. I'm planning on uploading some pictures tonight, including pictures of the other prizes. In addition to whatever else may be lurking on my camera.....

I'm still slowly chugging away at the manly sock, in hopes of finishing it this summer. Seriously - what happened to my knitting? Looking at my everpresent stash is causing a slight panic. I went to SnB in Santa Monica for the first time in over 2 months last night. It feels strange to go back after so long - you worry that things will be awkward when you haven't been there, especially for the reasons I stopped going anywhere. But I needn't have worried. Though only a few of the people I know were there, the group was still the same :) Mirkins, birthing, and of course knitting conversation still abounds. Unfortunately I won't be able to go back until my class ends :(

Time to get to work so I can leave early and do laundry and read Harry Potter. I have my priorities :)

What a weekend

Life has been busy on the weekends these last few months! The weekend before, M and I flew out to Chicago for the wedding of a friend of his. We left Thursday evening, rushing to the airport as fast as you can through LA traffic and arrived in Chicago early Friday morning. We picked up the rental and headed out into the city to search for food. Your best bet for finding something open at 2 am is to find out where all the bars are, so we identified a promising location and parked. Only to find that the passenger side door was broken - attempting to open it from the inside resulted in the interior door coming away from the frame! Exchanging the car was added to the list of things to do before leaving for Wisconsin. Fed, we drove to M's cousin's place and crashed (with the help of some Sudafed and Tylenol PM for my flare of allergies on the flight in) Friday we got up, got brunch, and took a little tour of the Wrigleyville area before exchanging the car. My parents tell me I've been to Chicago, but I was too young to remember it.

This time I certainly will. Not half an hour after we exchanged the rental, a truck hit us as it tried to scrape past us in traffic. It took us an hour to sort that all out, but we finally made it on our way to Wisconsin to meet up with some of M's family at the lake. After living in CA for so long, I miss how much you can get in terms of real estate (or food!) in the Midwest. We continued on to Sheboygan (the locale of the wedding), where we had brats before the wedding (when in Rome....) and danced (drank) the night away. I had a great time meeting all of M's fraternity brothers (from MIT, nonetheless) - they're definitely a fun group of guys. Another whirlwind tour of the lake and Chicago and we headed back for CA.

This weekend was the camping/company picnic/hiking weekend. A night hike in Pt. Mugu State Park, company festival, and a day hike in Circle X Ranch area have made for one exhausting weekend. I used to be much more of a hiker in my college days, but I'm enjoying getting back into (when M isn't picking the routes. He seems to think an 8 mile roundtrip hike is totally feasible in 3 hours. Right.) In addition to running up mountains, I also finally got around to going to see Harry Potter and exploring the local restaurants.

What does this all have to do with knitting? It means I haven't gotten much done :) I'm still working on the 2nd manly sock and trying to be more project monogamous in order to start getting things done. It may be a good time to revise my summer knitting goals.....

Hope you all had a good weekend - don't forget to enter the contest by Friday!

Contest!

My 3 year blogiversary is the 27th of this month - and as promised I'm holding a contest. Submit a comment to this post answering 1 of the following (or all if you like!):

1. Favorite knitting tutorial/pattern, with link.
   
2. Favorite book - and for those Harry Potter fans, what are your plans when the final book comes out?
3. Favorite way to unwind after a stressful day.
4. Favorite vacation memory
   

What's the prize? As you may have read, my friend recently sent me the perfect teapot. So perfect, I'd already bought it for myself! So I'm offering up the duplicate:


I'll use a random number generator to choose 3 winners - one will receive this teapot and 2 others will receive yarn-related goodness. And because Blogger doesn't give me your email address (unless you've set it up to make it public), please either leave me your address or email it to me so I can get in touch with you! Contest ends July 27th, noon, PST.

Spread the word - if someone mentions they were referred by you you'll get another entry!

8 random facts

Players start with eight random facts about themselves.

People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here ya go:

1. Although I write with my right hand, I throw with my left and am somewhat ambidextrous. Which always throws people off in softball.

2. I was almost held back after kindergarten because a) I couldn't tie a bow and b) I hadn't started losing my teeth yet. Sometimes I feel like writing them back and asking if they'd like to reconsider that recommendation.

3. I have worked at an oil refinery, a semiconductor facility, a biotech, a general chemistry lab, a tutoring center, and as a nanny. I like to keep my options open.

4. I had an insanely strong ACL - about 3 years ago it broke my leg during a skiing incident. Apparently it should have torn - in only about 5% of accidents like mine does the bone break before the ACL tears. (These are the things you learn when you're taking a class on biomaterials in grad school and have an orthopedic surgeon at your disposal.)

5. I "borrowed" my parents' guitar when I left for college years ago and taught myself how to play. Not particularly skillfully. I did manage to get songs stuck in my roommate's head. And somehow started writing my own music and putting it up on the internet. You know, in my spare time.

6. I used a line from The Graduate to start my grad school essays. Or maybe it was my undergrad essays...

6.5 I have a lousy memory. Regardless, I still got admitted.

7. I'm squeamish about leftovers. So if we ever eat out and you like what I had and want it, you should ask. Odds are it won't make it into my stomach before I think it should be thrown out.

8. I'm an Okie. An Okie eligible for dual citizenship....

Okay, now for the lucky recipients of the tag:
Liquidgirl
One Flew Over the Crochet Hook
Sknitty
Dim Sum Knitting
Adventures with a knitting spaz
The Annex
All in a Day's
So That Happened...
A Day Late and a Dollar Short

I apologize if you've already done this - and if you haven't, consider yourself tagged!

Bleh

My knitting mojo is totally gone - I had a whole week off last week and only managed to finish a couple of hats! I took a look at my summer knitting goals....hmm. Nothing. Took a look at my queue on Ravelry. Nothing. I've joined Summer of Socks and Mystery Stole 3 and haven't started either.

It's times like these when I look at my stash of yarn, books, and WIPs and start to panic slightly. Will I ever get it all done?

Right now the priority is to finish the knits for other people (who are thankfully flexible about the idea of receiving birthday gifts post-birthday). Next, WIPs for me. It will be a day of ruthless evaluation of WIPs and frogging those I don't think I'll ever finish. Blinders to new projects!

On my drive home Monday, my friendly voicemail voice informed me my mailbox was full and I had to clear out some of the old messages in order to keep the new ones coming in. Yes, I had about 18 saved voicemails. I do that from time to time - but most of these were from when my brother died. Many calls saying, "I'm sorry, call if you want, but you don't have to." I've come some way from 2 months ago when he died. I happened to catch Veronica Mars last night, the episode where her boyfriend breaks up with her and she holds it all in until she gets in the shower and just breaks down. Apparently I'm not the only one :) I wouldn't say I'm totally happy now or that I never think about it. I think about it every day. But it doesn't feel like it's controlling my life anymore. And that's huge.

On a happier note, my 3 year blogiversary is coming up on the 27th. Keep your eye out for a contest - I'm working on coming up with a fabulous prize :)

Another contest

Skeins her way is having a contest - go check it out and let her know I sent you :)

I'm enjoying my week off of work so far, trying to get alot of knitting done. On the list of things to work on are pocket buddies, hats, and a swallowtail shawl for a wedding in a couple of weeks. We'll see how that pans out!

Mmm, tea

After a long, frustrating week of work, this was nice to come home to. I like how sometimes shipping takes so long you've forgotten you've ordered something :)

Get your spin on

When I first started knitting, way back in 2002, I knew virtually nothing about the whole process of sheep to sweater. My first scarf was an acrylic garter stitch scarf in a teal green I normally wouldn't have chosen (but still love!) I continued on this way, until I discovered yarn stores. Stores full of yarn for knitting, uncomplicated by paint or framing or stickers which usually dominated the stores I'd been buying my yarn in.

I also, at that same time, discovered just how much money one can spend on yarn. And that it's an evil practice to not mark prices anywhere near the yarn.

I was mostly content with this new discovery, trying out new fibers, weights, and stitches. But somewhere along the way I still wanted more. I wanted to learn how to spin. Growing up, my mom had a spinning wheel that I would play on occasionally. As wheels are expensive for something you just want to try out, I got a drop spindle, some fiber, and started.

And was awful. Lumpy, inconsistent, fuzzy edged bulky yarn. Not what I wanted at all. So I put it down and waited. My local LYS started offering spinning classes and I jumped. I'm no expert now, but I have a better understanding of what I can do to change the texture of my yarn.

Which brings me back to spinning on a wheel. I really want to try it - and I'm planning on hitting up the somewhat local spinning store next week to check out wheels. My question for those of you who spin is how does spinning on a wheel differ from using a drop spindle, and what should I look for in a wheel? I see all sorts of drive ratios, treadles, etc, and it's a little overwhelming :)

Still knitting away on the second manly sock. And a few secret projects! Happy Wednesday all!

Contest

Lotus Knits! is having a contest (as seen on Dim Sum Knitting). I don't think I have a picture of my first knitted item (a scarf, made out of acrylic that I still have and love), but I certainly have quite a queue of items to cast on for.

However, I need to finish up the items I have (part of my summer knitting goals!), so the next project I'm casting on for is small. Toasty Pocket Creatures :)

I'll post more extensively later - my eyes are a bit burned out right now and I've got a meeting to get to!

Couldn't resist

I saw this on bag 'n' trash and couldn't resist.

The game is SCATTERGORIES, and it’s harder than it looks!

Here are the rules:

Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up! If you can’t think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial. You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question. Have fun!

Your Name: Kate

1. Famous Singer/Band: The Kinks

2. 4 letter word: Kiss

3. Street: King St.

4. Color: Um...Kangaroo brown? Would you believe Crayola has never come up with a "K" color?

5. Gifts/Presents:

6. Vehicle: K-car

7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Knives

8. Boy Name: Kevin

9. Girl Name: Kelly

10. Movie Title: Kill Bill (ugh)

11. Drink: Kahlua and Cream

12. Occupation: Knitter (one can wish)

13. Celebrity: Kate Winslet

14. Magazine: Knit.1

15. U.S. City: Kalamazoo, MI!

16. Pro Sports Teams: Knicks

18. Reason for Being Late for Work: Kids

19. Something You Throw Away: Kernals of corn that are unpopped (I know, it's a stretch)

20. Things You Shout: Kick-ass!

21. Cartoon Character: Katie Ka-Boom (Animaniacs)

Play nice

The Yarn Harlot has a good post today about blogging as a public forum. For the most part, I'm really open on this blog, but with the caveat it isn't anything I wouldn't be willing to talk about in public. Over the past few years, it seems alot of nastiness comes out on the internet. One, because you can put it out there instantaneously and that knee-jerk-push-button-publishing can result in alot of comments that really should have been rethought. And two, because you don't have to say it to someone's face. A personal example is the letters to the editor my father wrote to the local newspapers after my brother jumped. The issue of a barrier has been ongoing, and he was writing to advocate some action be taken. He ended the letter saying that perhaps if a barrier had been in place sooner, my brother would have graduated from high school this year.

The thing about online newspapers is they let you comment instantaneously, much like you can on blogs. And so a few people (not many, but enough) wrote back saying things like barriers wouldn't help, how stupid are you, it's ridiculous to think someone who wants to kill themself will be deterred by a barrier, it's desecration of a national landmark, etc.

How did I find out about this? Because my mom read those comments and emailed me telling me. Not in an incredibly upset way, but it bothered her enough to mention it.

My point is, had my dad been speaking live from a public forum, would these people gone up to him afterwards and told him they thought he was stupid? I'm guessing not.

Anyways, time to get off my high horse and get back to it. Work has been really busy lately, in a good way. It's another short week, with an early departure on Friday for a Saturday wedding. Woohoo!

Destash

Less than a week after the old Destash blog was closed down, a new one has opened. Go check it out! I'm not too familar with how wordpress works, but I think you have to request an invitation to join and the criteria are similar to those for the old blog (must have your own blog and post regularly, can't be a wholesaler, must be selling yarn that is yours, etc). I think there are about 10 of us who are moderating it, so hopefully it'll be easier to keep up with than the old one was :)

Not much knitting to speak of. I got some work done on a hat and the 2nd manly sock this weekend while in transit to and from Vegas. The trip was fun, though probably less gambling and drinking intensive than some may have liked. But it is nice to be home....

FOs and Destash

Two FOs that I've been waiting on posting about until they were mailed off - the top is the Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting (I think the title is appropriate) and the bottom is another pair of Roll Top Bootees from 50 Baby Bootees to Knit - by far one of my favorite patterns. You just can't be unhappy when you have a pair of baby bootees. I see what Stephanie is talking about (the Bee Shoes are also on my list)


I'm still plugging away at the manly socks - the first was finished last night (not pictured) and has been tried on to confirm fit before starting with the 2nd. I need to figure out what knitting to bring along with me this weekend to Vegas. I imagine the grad students will look at me funny if I start knitting while they gamble, but I'll need something to do on the drive out there at least :) I received my copy of Knitting Lingerie Style, and I absolutely love it. I haven't looked too much into the specifics of the patterns (sizing, difficulty, yarn requirements), but at first glance it's one of my favorite books. There's alot in there I could see myself making (if I ever get through the huge cache of projects I already have....)

In other news, the Destash blog is closing down today. I can't blame the moderators - Blogger has been exceptionally buggy with that blog and it's caused alot of problems of multiple posts or posts not appearing or who knows what. Plus it's a huge endeavor to manage. There's already at least 2 wordpress blogs reserved to replace it, plus some discussion on Ravelry to start a sell/trade page with links to people's stashes.

Sniffle

No, I'm not crying, that's just the allergies. Apparently I really do have allergies, not matter how hard I try to convince myself I don't by forgetting to take the Allegra. Just like not wearing my glasses for years didn't really make my nearsightedness disappear (though it hasn't gotten any worse in the last, oh, 7 years)

Just a mini-rant, but the Paris Hilton thing is getting on my nerves. Undisclosed medical condition? Well, not that, but the whole situation. Would I get the same treatment she does?

I'm going to guess no....

In other rants, my parents sent a letter to the editor of the San Jose Mercury news, regarding the need for a suicide barrier for the Golden Gate Bridge and lamenting that there isn't one. The ending of their letter, which the paper cut out, mentioned the death of my brother and tied in why this is such a personal issue for them. SJMN lets readers post comments to stories/letters and this was posted:

"The belief that defacing a local and national treasure will somehow stop suicides is ludicrous. What's the thought here - "Well, I was going to kill myself, but if I can't jump off the Golden Gate, I guess I'll go on living."?? Barriers are not the answer."

Yeah, thanks - what do you suggest? I couldn't resist responding. Seriously, my blood is boiling.

I have a FO I really want to post, but I have to wait until it arrives at the recipient's doorstep to not spoil the surprise. And since I haven't mailed it yet, this will be a few days. But it's cute! And if you're on Ravelry, you can see it! (Which reminds me, if you're on Ravelry, feel free to add me as a friend. Not like this is high school and a popularity contest, but it's fun to cyberstalk other bloggers)

Why yes, I'm getting alot done today. Obviously. Actually, the last couple of days have been pretty good on all fronts. I've had alot to do at work (enough to stress me out a little) and have been keeping busy outside of work (mainly, trying not to kill the garden and destuffing the couch pillows so I don't get shoved off the couch every time I sit down). In fact, I'm even planning on going to A Mano on Saturday afternoon to partake in their book sale (I even have a list) So if you're in the LA area and have a desire to hit up A Mano, let me know.

Jordana Paige and Sockshttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

2 posts in one day! Allison asked what I thought of my Jordana Paige bag, so I thought I'd take some pictures and review it a little.

I've only used it a couple of times, because my main WIPs now have been socks or little projects. The front pocket works well for crochet hooks, dpns, or stitch holders.
The inside has quite a bit of room - I've managed to fit my Lady Eleanor and 4 balls of sock yarn in there, plus a Clapotis with no problem.
It comes with the little detachable pouch, which is nice for darning needles, needle holders, row counters, and any other little gadgets you may have to store.
It's also got these loops, which I assume are for holding needles. The loops on either end of the bag I use to feed yarn through when I'm knitting from the bag.
All in all, I'm quite pleased with it. I can't disguise it as a purse, because it's larger than any of the purses I carry - but it's great for a knitting tote.

As for WIPs, the "manly" socks I mentioned before. The pattern is Garter Stitch Rib, from Sensational Knitted Socks (a title my boyfriend and his housemates found amusing, especially when I told them there was a 2nd book). They're going along fairly well, though I'm pretty sure they won't be done by the mid-June deadline....


And finally, after my post earlier today about being antisocial and unsure what I wanted in this time, a package arrived from Teresa. I thought it was my prize for winning her contest, but realized the box was a little large for a single skein of sock yarn (I'm a natural blond people, give me time)
A blanket, made by friends from SnB and beyond (if I'm reading the accompanying chart correctly). So ignore my earlier post about not hearing from people and all that. You guys are wonderful, and you made me cry - so there. Thanks very much, I'm really touched.

{insert creative title here}

Ah, how is it only Tuesday? The weeks seem to drag and fly by at the same time. It's been 4 weeks today since my brother jumped. In the interim, I've been hit by all sorts of emotions. Sadness, depression, anger. It's like PMS, but a thousand times worse :) I spent that last few weeks commuting from my boyfriend's place in Santa Barbara so I wouldn't have to be alone. No one really knows how to deal with death - after the initial flood of emails sending condolences, contact died down. Everyone is hesitant to bother you too much, to call, to email. No one knows what you want. (I should be careful to state here that I understand that feeling and am not offended, lest you think I'm pissed at everyone. I myself haven't known what to say when my friends had parents, family, or close friends die. And even now I wouldn't know what to say or do that would help)

To be honest, I don't either :) I have turned down a few offers of company after those first two weeks and have secluded myself in Santa Barbara where I have the option of doing my own thing amidst others. To avoid the awkward, "So, um, your brother killed himself - how are you?" I don't really know what I want, and I think that frustrates me the most.

Look at my list of WIPs - indecision abounds :)

But, honestly, I'm doing ok. I figure this is what I need to do right now, and that it'll get easier to hang out with people again and to talk and laugh and all those normal things. And one day, I'll stop reading into song lyrics. Because seriously, the world just not revolve around me.

Only very close to me.

Knitting continues - socks galore. My aim is to start finishing things at a rate faster than I start them. This could be tricky :) I'm also debating whether or not to photography my stash for Ravelry - it almost seems embarrassing to think of how much yarn I own.

Good thing I have renters' insurance!

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Summer Knitting Goals

I am a huge fan of lists. This is probably why I have a "hard copy" planner in addition to my PDA from work and why I document everything I feel I need to do in both places (sometimes I love MS Outlook. Until it flips out on me - then my love is diminished)

So when I saw the Summer Knitting Goals on Dim Sum Knitting, well, I had to join in. Extra motivation because there is a contest, hosted by Skeins Her Way in this post. Head over and sign up, and be sure to let her know you jumped from my blog if you do.

So, without further ado, my summer knitting goals:

1. Finish Wicker and the Hourglass Sweater - the 2 languishing sweaters I've started. I know it's summer and I should knit summery things, but these 2 need to get finished.
2. Make another Razor Cami. I have some Rowan Wool Cotton and some Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton (BSK, how I love your sale) that could be used, it's just a matter of choosing.
3. Finish all those socks that are taking up my dpns - Trekking, knee socks, manly socks, Jaywalkers...I'm probably forgetting a few. Since I joined Summer of Socks, this is pretty appropriate.
4. This may be overshooting my abilities - the mitered blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting. We shall see....

Knitting content

The last few weeks, in addition to bringing a ton of emotion and change, have also been full of alot of knitting. I started another Lady E shawl, as a sort of meditative/prayer shawl for my first visit up here (I'm back in Napa for the weekend). I started another Clapotis from STR in Lucy, after seeing the Clapotis Teresa knit in a weekend (the gift of the Clapotis she made for me sort of slowed down my progress). Some baby gifts have been made, and two Black Sheep Knittery visits have completely decimated my resolution of being on a stash diet.

This is the point where I say rules are made to be broken.

I did take pictures of most of these things, and left my camera at home. So I'll have to ask you to imagine all of this for the time being :)

Aside from knitting, I'm doing alright. I believe this stage may be denial, anger, or something. People tell you it takes awhile to understand what happened, and I believe it. Most days seem fine - I started going back to work last week, which has been nice. I haven't seen much of people outside of work, but for now that's what I want. Knitting, writing, and just thinking.

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments. The blogging community never ceases to amaze me - you guys are great. Take care everyone, and have a good weekend!

The Golden Gate

May 8th, an 18 year old boy got up and printed out directions to the Golden Gate Bridge. A few hours later, he was dead.

I was 9 when my little brother was born. He was my excuse to start babysitting and to learn all the Disney movies by heart. He grew up while I was away at college and grad school. He got taller and taller every visit home, and had grown to appreciate the Daily Show and cynical comedy.

The drop from the bridge is 240 feet, meaning jumpers reach a velocity of 80 mph by the time they hit the water. Only a tiny percentage survive the jump. Most die as their organs shred (inertia at work), others drown. Apparently, almost all jump towards land. The San Francisco Chronicle cites many statistics in a series they did on suicides from the bridge.

Is my brother another statistic? If you watch baseball long enough, you realize almost anything can become a statistic. He was 18 and hadn't graduated from high school yet. He will never vote, he will never go to college. He will never legally drink or go to a frat party. He won't cram for finals for lectures he skipped. He won't get married, he won't have children, he won't get a job, he won't retire.

He won't read the final Harry Potter book.

In many ways, it seems too extreme to be real. I haven't lived in my parents' house for 8 years, so I feel like I didn't know him very well. I missed so much of his growing up. It seems now that none of us knew him that well. I'm just numb - my boyfriend asks me daily if I want to talk, one of my best friends offered to spend the night this weekend. I turn them down because I don't know what to say. How do you talk about something your mind hasn't accepted yet? How do you deal with the fact everyone around you is watching you closely, trying to figure out if you're ok?

I have good memories of my brother, I only wish there were going to be more. Thank you all for your kind comments, cards, and phone calls.

An absence

This will be my last post for a little while. My brother passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, and I'm back in Napa now with my parents trying to sort through everything. He was only 18, and it's incredibly hard to look in his room, with his new computer for college in the fall, and try to understand why he left. Everyone is holding it together for the time being, but with the memorial and funeral coming it's getting harder. So, keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

New!

A little while back, Jordana Paige had a contest on her website, offering 5 free bags in a drawing. I won, and found this on my doorstep yesterday! I've been happily organizing my current WIPs in it ever since :)
Speaking of new projects, Manda's post about her Swallowtail Shawl inspired me to pick up my own started Swallowtail. I got 8 spools of red wool off the Destash blog awhile back and this seemed like a good opportunity to use it. I've got mixed feelings - I love the color, but the yarn has been a little stiff an even broken in some places (I'm concerned moths may have gotten to it at some point). Plus I have a ton of it, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the rest of it....

Only 11 more repeats of the first chart to go....

:)

WIP Wednesday

Actually, I haven't been doing so much knitting as I have been driving lately. I have, however, been stocking up on the sock yarn. I bought some STR this weekend in Lucy, to make another Clapotis (after seeing Peggy and Teresa's, I couldn't resist) I've also bought some Lorna's Laces in somewhat solid colorways to make socks with more emphasis on stitch detail than color. I have seen a few examples of socks that have both color varigation and stitch pattern, but for me I really like one or the other.
I have been making excellent progress on the baby knit and my knee sock. Last night I also finally picked up Wicker again. This month, as I say every month, will be about finishing things. And hopefully less yarn shopping :) After a lapse in the yarn diet (though sock yarn technically doesn't count), it's time to get back on the wagon. My checkbook will thank me later.


I've added a few new links to the side for stores and tutorials. Check out Abby's Yarns post about making a tweed blend! And Ravelry - another way to organize my WIPs?

ETA: Amazon is having a Kitchen and Home Mother's Day Sale.

Still plugging away

In the midst of all the destashing I've been doing, I've still been doing some knitting. I apologize for the lack of pictures, I'll update those later.

There are still a number of WIPs on the needles, some of which I've actually worked on. And in the long-awaited department, I finally know people who are pregnant and can get some of those cute baby patterns I've been eyeing on the needles.

Tell me I didn't just say that....

Anyways - still a multitude of socks. I finished my Trekking socks using the "You're putting me on" pattern, only to decide the foot was too long and frog back. I've been plugging away at my knee socks (using this and this tutorial) while in the lab (which led to finally getting a chance to meet the other knitters at work!) and am quite pleased so far. The hiking and Jaywalker socks have sadly been neglected, but the lace knee highs from Interweave can be resurrected, now that I finally found the pattern (it was in the shawl section of my pattern files. Go figure).

Sweaters still abound as well. Wicker has been horribly neglected in favor of the Hourglass Sweater. However, after having to rip back 24 rows, Hourglass may have lost her privileged place. The yarn for Rapunzel came in, and I plan to be swatching for that soon to add to the list of planned sweaters (Ariann, Wicked, Loop-d-Loop Lace Leaf Pullover, Thermal, and many more)

And finally, I gave in to the mitre (thanks to january one) and ordered some cotton for Elann to make my own blanket. I'm still recovering from the large order :)

Oh - watch this. I'm really intrigued to see the final version now. And check out this. Finally, a whole book :) I can't wait. (If you haven't seen her blog, I command you to stop reading now and head over there).

Thoughts?

So I want to make this sweater:
Rapunzel, from Rowan. It calls for Rowan Kid Classic and Lurex (which is discontinued), with the Lurex being used for an intarsia pattern at the top of the jacket. I don't want to buy Kid Classic (b/c I'm cheap), but I really want to get Kidlin Pixie to substitute for the Lurex....the problem is picking colors...

After some suggestions, I'm still narrowing it down :) And I'm sure you all love following through the thought (or lack thereof) process!

There's Cascade Bollicine Etoile, to be used for the body (Valley Yarn Florence is pricier when you consider yardage). And there's the Kidlin Pixie, to be used instead of Lurex (at the top of the sweater):

So many yarns, so little cash :)

And the winner is....

Kami - who guessed 728. Only 5 away from the actual number of 723. Can I say how eerie that is? Have you been watching all the movies I've been watching? That's just crazy.

Honorable mentions:

Most creative guess - textual bulldog, who included a fraction. I have a thing about finishing movies I start and not including movies I didn't finish on my list, but there are certainly more and more movies I don't finish.

Guess highlighting my ideal life of knitting and watching movies: elspeth, who guess 889. I'm so close...

Guess generously downplaying the number of movies I've seen: gradschool knitter, with only 250. I feel like I'm approaching that number in a year at the rate I'm going :)

So, winners and honorable mentions, send me your snail mail addresses and something will be arriving shortly :)

A hat, a little late

I started this hat in hopes of having it ready for last weekend's trip to Sequoia (which was fun, and not as cold as I was concerned it would be. It also inspired a little shopping spree - I'm now the owner of my own snow pants, in a modest black. You've got to love those sales!), but just now finished it off.


Pattern: My own
Yarn: Malabrigo, something about grapes...crushed grapes? Velvet grapes. Whatever it is, I really love Malabrigo!

Still working on a few pairs of socks - I think this month is going to be my month to focus on finishing things up.

Contest ends at noon tomorrow, PST. I'm hoping to post the winner (and maybe some honorable mentions too!) tomorrow afternoon. :)