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. :)

Contest

When I was an intern, a friend of mine introduced me to IMDb, and the My Movies feature. A few days were spent entering in movies I've seen, and today I did some catching up. And, well, I'm a little shocked at how many movies I've actually seen....

Inspired by Wendy, who is giving away books when she's finished with them and is actually the reason I have this book, I'm offering up my copy of Friday Night Knitting Club. To enter, leave me a comment with your guess as to how many movies I've seen, along with your email address (alternately, you can send me an email telling me which comment was yours if you're not comfortable with that). I'll leave it open until April 6th, the winner being whoever guesses correctly or closest. Multiple close guesses will bring in a handy random number generator to pick the winner.

A few clues:

• I watch all sorts of movies
• TV shows I've rented on DVD are included
• The list covers whatever movies I can remember seeing as a kid
• The number is in the triple digits
  

Still plugging away on the WIPs I've got going and trying very hard to resist breaking the stash diet. It's going to be a busy week both at work and at home, before a 2 day camping trip at Sequoia! Send warm thoughts, because there might be snow....

New books!

Since I'm on a yarn diet and trying hard to compensate in other ways (all my energy normally spent ogling yarn has shifted to fiber for spinning and books for inspiration), I used my last Amazon gift certificate (I love my Amazon Visa. You earn points on everything and get gift certificates to buy stuff on Amazon. Which somehow inspires more buying) to buy Fitted Knits and Favorite Socks. I haven't had a ton of time to flip through them, but what I've seen I like. My favorite knitting books (and blogs!) tend to be the ones with really nice photography - closeups of yarn for texture, good color balances, etc. (Brooklyn Tweed is a favorite here). More later on the projects.

I've been getting a far amount of knitting in while at work - doing viscosity measurements leaves alot of wait time, which translates into knitting of course. Naturally I've been getting some strange looks in the lab, but my Jaywalkers are progressing nicely. Last night I finally bit the bullet and started another crocheted ripple blanket with my purple novelty yarns. A few years ago the local craft store in Napa had a closing sale and my mom bought me alot of Cystal Palace yarns. I love the colors and textures, but I can't figure out what I would do with them that I would wear. For me, there are some yarns that are better as accesssories than as garments (just as there are some colors that are better as accents than main colors. A sea green Suburban comes to mind) and the feathery yarn my mom sent me falls into this category. So, it's going to become a lap blanket. If I can stop messing up the pattern - it's hard to find stitches in eyelash yarn.

Time to head into lab - happy Friday!

Birth and resurrection of WIPs

KADD has hit me hard - the list of items on the needles or in the basket is ridiculous....

1. Wicker
2. Hourglass Sweater
3. Jaywalker socks (toe up version)
4. Hiking socks
5. Knee socks
6. Flower Hat and Lace Knee Highs. From the Winter 2004 issue. Unfortunately, I lost the pattern - in an effort to clean up my magazines I took out patterns I wanted and put them into page protectors. And have no idea where this pattern went - does anyone out there have a copy they'd be willing to lend me? I think I have to rip back though - I'm not sure where I left off....
   
7. Socks on 2 circs
8. Trekking socks (You're putting me on pattern)
9. Mason-Dixon dish towel
10. Open lace top from Vintage Knits
11. Red Light Special (from Brooklyn Tweed)
12. My So-Called Scarf

I think the plan now should be to clean out the basket before embarking on anything new :)

Because I for one could use a laugh

Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas'pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers. (via A day in the life of Sachi)

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

+++

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

+++

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

+++

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

+++

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

+++

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

+++

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

+++

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what they're for.

+++

P: IFF inoperative.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

+++

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

+++

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

+++

P: Aircraft handles funny. (I love this one!)
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

+++

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

+++

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

+++

And the best one for last..................

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.