Ain't Travel a Bitch?!?!?

Soooo…. I just got back from a quick trip to the homeland to visit the kinfolks. We had a wonderful few days of margaritas, fabric and first birthday parties.

And then I tried to come home to Buffalo…

I left at o’dark thirty in the midst of a downpour and threatening floods. I had to take it slow a few times, but ye’ olde trusty rental made it just fine. I even had time to enjoy a bit of latte and email at the airport before hopping on my first uneventful and uncrowded flight to DC. On top of all that, the good karma points were flowing as I bound off a pair of socks that have been my travel companion for the entire job search process. (I’ll post pics tomorrow. Let’s just say there’s a little bit of stress knit into every stitch.)

I get to DC and have time for a tasty slice of ricotta white pizza and another shot of Starbucks while passing the hours of my layover. Dulles was crowded and our flight was oversold. While the announcements and calls for volunteers to give up their seats made my fellow flyers groan, they made my mind start a’whirling. There’s a good chance I’ll be needing a flight to San Fran next winter and wouldn’t a free ticket be awfully helpful? The gate agents assured me I could catch a later flight and still be in town by 9 or 10 at the latest. Hey, if a girl’s got more sock yarn and free needles, what’s a few hours in an airport? I jumped at the chance and went to the customer service station to be rebooked.

And then…

I luck out and get the one agent who isn’t so sure how to run her own computer system, making me a little nervous when she keeps canceling me out of flights and writing down a list of other people she’s also kicking out of flights by mistake. (By the way, Mr. Fox and Ms. George, I’m really sorry if you’re still stranded without a ticket out of Dulles!) Finally, despite telling me that I’m flying through Rochester, she hands me a pack of tickets through Philly and tells me to run so I can make it to the next terminal. I barely have time to even notice that my last flight wasn’t supposed to get in until after midnight, but again, girl with sock yarn and needles… just another few hours to waste. I take out running and make the line for boarding with only minutes to spare. Ah, a slightly crowded but short flight and one step closer to home.

And then…

Upon arrival in Philly, I see that there are several Buffalo flights leaving earlier than my 11 departure so I take the time to wander through various terminals, hoping someone can get me home. Instead of a new boarding pass, I get news that all those flights are also oversold and they can’t even guarantee that I’ll be able to get on the flight I’m booked on. I nervously wander to my correct gate and try to combat the anxiety that comes from watching gate agents struggle with a jet bridge that won’t work, passengers that are missing connections from across the country and complaints about the most disgusting ladies restroom anyone has ever seen. (Really, it was truly gross. I get that airports are busy places and the cleaning crews are overworked and underpaid but this was a whole new level of nasty. Made me regret all that Starbucks every time I had to tinkle!)

And then…

My knitting elbow kicks in and I can’t bear to work on the socks another stitch. Truly tragic!

But, eventually the hours tick by and we start to board.

And then…

People start to come back into the gate, not out into the plane. Never a good sign.

And then…

The main gate agent grabs the microphone and offers a large sigh. Again, not a good sign. “Ladies and gentlemen, I want to be honest with you.” Uh, a really not good sign.

“The plane has been filled with too much fuel. At this point, we can either empty the fuel or take off passengers to meet weight requirements. We’ll give you information when we have it.” A really really not good sign.

And then…

Another sigh into the microphone and, “Ladies and gentlemen, you might want to get comfortable. The truck to remove the fuel is going to take awhile, probably over an hour. Go to the bar and I’ll come get you when we’re ready to board again.” When the gate agent tells you to go start drinking, it’s really really really not a good sign.

And then…

After another twenty minutes, the biggest sigh yet, “I hate to even say this, but we can’t find the truck.” Audible groans from the peanut gallery. “But maybe this is a good thing because we’ve located another truck that can take the fuel off faster and as soon as we can get it here from another terminal, we’ll be able to start the process. But in the meantime, I’m stressed out and need a smoke. Anyone care to join me outside?” When the person in charge throws up her hands, commissions a beeping cart and hauls passengers outside to get a smoke, it’s really really really really not a good sign.

And then…

We finally get the call to restart the boarding process. Woohoo! The drunk smokers which have recently returned start a raucous celebration and we all breathe a sigh of relief and gather up our bags. They hurry us onto the plane and we start to feel like the end is in sight.

And then…

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Thank you for your patience this evening. I’m sorry, but we’re going to need a little more patience from you as we now have to take care of the paperwork. I expect this to take another 15-30 minutes.”

He runs off the airplane, leaving us with one of the ditziest flight attendants I’ve ever met. Ms. Brilliant decides that the best way to deal with a plane full of angry people stuck in the middle of the night is to pass around the bag of pretzels while she tells stories of how the crew decided to pass the hours of waiting. Seems our flight attendant realized that she could fit into one of the overhead bins and this would make a perfect place to hide to scare the pilot while he was running in and out of the plane. Nothing instills a sense of confidence in your flight crew like the reenactment of your flight attendant and pilot climbing into a luggage bin.

Although it does instill a sense of copycat-itis. Our friendly drunks decided that if a tiny little flight attendant can fit into a luggage bin, so can then… despite being beefy guys who can only marginally stand up on their own.

And then…

The pilot returns… with news that the paperwork is stalled in Indianapolis and he has absolutely no idea when we’ll get it and be cleared for take-off. Yeah, in case it wasn’t clear… a really really really really really not good sign.

And then…

We took off. Well, after another 45 minutes of waiting, but there was eventually a lift-off. I arrived in Buffalo around 3 a.m. and surprisingly, my luggage had been transferred through two different airlines and was waiting for me to drag it home on my way to dragging my tired body into bed.

Ah, my travel joys.

I get a whole week and a half before I have to get on another plane. And that’s cause for another big sigh…

Brrrr...

So... Much... Snow...

We had quite a doozy this weekend. I think I read somewhere that the city total was 21.5 inches. Based on how long it took to shovel out my car, I'm thinking that's on the low side of an estimate. Ah, Buffalo, how I love shoveling the side of the street street so I can get enough of a path to establish momentum to jump into the ruts in the center of the street. All just so I can skid around the block and park on the other side of the street where I'll have to repeat the process should I care to go anywhere today.

Shovel inserted for scale.

The snow was very pretty, in all honesty and if I didn't have to deal with practical problems like car moving, I wouldn't have minded our winter weekend one bit.

I've been hunting around for my next large lace project and after this weekend, I think I'm going to wait for the snow shawl to come out from Anne at Knitspot. Seems like the perfect project for a Buffalonian!

White Buffalo

We're in the midst of a "blizzard-like" weekend here in the ol' Buffalo. While the meteorologists are making a big deal about the differences between "blizzard-like" and a real blizzard, I say whoopie-do, there's a whole lotta white stuff out there, like 10 inches of white stuff already and more on the way, so it counts as a blizzard in my world. I do realize the irony of the English teach telling people to be less specific about words, but really, it's a whole lotta snow and blizzard just has more zip now, doesn't it?

Provided I can get out my door, I'll take some pics for those of you lucky enough to actually see some spring weather. Speaking of spring weather, Joan is having a contest looking for green so if you've got grass on your lawn, you might want to enter.

This week I finally was able to get caught up on a few tasks that have been lingering for months. I left a job in December to give myself more time for writing and interviewing but, being incredibly rude and incorrigible... or maybe just overwhelmed and out of town, I've just now been able to return with thank you cookies to recognize all their kindness and support. Thought I'd share the recipe for my mom's famous sugar cookies. Simple recipe that always gets rave results.

Sugar Cookies

1 cup softened margarine or butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond flavoring

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

Mix all ingredients. Chill for two hours. (You can also freeze the dough at this point if you don't have time to actually bake them now.) Roll out thin (1/4 inch or so) in a mixture of sugar and flour. Cut in desired shapes. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes. Cookies will stay crispy if left un-iced but will soften with icing. If you are going to ice them, let cool completely and store in air-tight container.

Icing

1 can cream cheese frosting

additional powdered sugar to stiffen

almond extract to taste

optional: additional cream cheese and butter

food coloring, sugars, decorations, etc.

I was a little aghast when my mom revealed her "secret" frosting was really based on using the stuff out of a can. It was almost as traumatic as when I try to learn to make biscuits and sausage gravy from my grandfather and he reveals what brand of mix he likes to buy from the store. My images of these master cooks was tarnished... until I took a bite and realized that even if the starting product is on the cheater side, it's the little touches that make it the food I love.

Hat?...

.... or bowl?

Yeah, this one didn't work out so much. I used some icky, sticky, plasticky mystery acrylic and needles a size (or two) too small, hoping to get a warm, semi-floppy hat that would block the wind. No flop unless you count the whole project as a flop.

Oh well, chalk up another hat mishap!

Whew!

I’ve been running around so much I’ve worn holes in my socks. Life has still been coming at me fast and furious but, I do believe that I can take a wee bit of a breather and get caught up on the important daily activities that I’ve been neglecting… like blogging… and laundry… and well, I was going to add dissertating, but ugh, like I want to call that an important daily activity. Blogging is oh so much more important!

Anyway, so now that I get to celebrate two whole weeks without getting on an airplane or having to meet some hoity toity person who wants me to talk smart stuff, I’ve got so much to share here. Not that y’all don’t want me to talk smart stuff, just smart FUN stuff, right? As in fabric and yarn and goofy stories rather than books and books and oh yeah, more books. Bah, no books for a bit!

So, to start mending my blog deserter ways, much like I was mending my socks last night… get it? Yeah, I know, you’ve all missed my dorky humor, right? Just say you do so I don’t have to continue the mending metaphor any further… And yes, I really did spend my Friday night mending socks. Dontcha wanna come visit and hang out? I’m really fun, promise.

First things first, Christina tagged me for the 7 things meme. Hmm, since you know I how I spend my Friday nights, what other knowledge do you really need? Yeah, I really am that boring so I thought I’d give you 7 things inspired by some of the wacky things that have happened to me in the past few months of woopy do work.

1. At a recent conference, I presented a paper that used curry as a central image for the type of exoticist consumption that I study in my diss. (Basically, it’s a study of why English consumers in the 19th century bought foreign goods which were distinctly foreign, like shopping at the local Pier 1 for things which look like they’ve come from your recent vacation to Bali.) That night, we decided it was appropriate to go to a Thai restaurant and have curry while sitting on the floor at low tables in a room decorated with tiki lamps and murals of huts on the beach. While my mind (and my neighbor) was telling me to do a postcolonialist reading of our experience, my tummy was telling me that this was really yummy food and I kinda liked my first time sitting on the floor for dinner.

2. Although I study the “exotic,” I’ve never been anywhere “exotic.” Ah, grad student budgets. We can buy books about other places but only dream of plane tickets there. My foreign travels are limited to a few trips to Mexico and the good ol’ semester abroad experience of train and hostel hopping around Europe. Oh, and Canada. Does Canada count as foreign travel when you regularly just hop across the border to get Chinese food? When, if ever, I become a real grown up with one of those regular salary things and without those pesky student loan things, I want to visit either South Africa or India.

3. I often consider myself travel cursed so perhaps you want to think twice about volunteering to join me on my world explorations. It’s remarkably odd when I get to and from my destination without a delayed or cancelled flight, lost luggage or some really horrific experience… like having a dirty diaper dropped on my head. Yup, it happened on a flight. Yup, it was as gross as it sounds. My only recent kerfuffles have been a cancelled flight out of Atlanta which prompted an overnight stay without any luggage and a road trip on a borderline flat tire which had to be constantly checked in the snow and slush while wearing a suit and heels. I considered myself lucky when I only had to air it up once. Despite all this, I love to travel and am generally up for a trip at a moment’s notice.

4. I went to San Francisco to visit dear friends and had my make-up done at a Bare Essentials store. I’m considering switching to mineral make-up although I’m still not convinced. Anyone use it and have recommendations?

5. My first make-up session was at a Merle Norman store. My mother and grandmother took me to get my first make-up lesson and my ears pierced for a birthday present although I don’t remember the year, maybe when I was 10 or so. I remember being horrified when the b*tchy old woman sniped at me for not really knowing how to put on the lotion. I also remember being terrified of her plastic fake nails as I just knew she was going to poke my eye out with those talons. Maybe this is why I’ve always been a bit intimidated by Sephora stores, like the scary girls who tend to work there will come out and get me for not really knowing what to do with all the potions and gimcracks on the shelves. Despite all this, I enjoy make-up and wear it daily, something I recently realized isn’t the norm in my chosen profession.

6. I hate the smell of bananas. I think I’ve shared this before but it bears repeating. Hate ‘em, don’t want to be in the room with ‘em, can’t watch someone else eating one without feeling nauseas. Every boyfriend I’ve ever had has taken sick and twisted pleasure in calling me every time he ate a banana outside my presence. They all get the same response. “Better buy yourself a toothbrush and use it before you see me because you’re not getting so much as a handshake until you’re disinfected.”

7. Early last week I was feeling all gung-ho and ready to get back to reality after all this interview/travel nonsense, planning to start my week off by getting up early and even blogging some pictures of some recent crafty projects. But… I was instead rudely startled out of bed by the horrifying sounds of a car accident. Seems one of Buffalo’s finest residents "borrowed" a car, sped down our street until he hit a parked car, totaling his own car. He then tried to drive away but since his "borrowed" car wouldn't work and people were starting to come out to see what was going on, he jumped out and ran. The parked car he hit skidded 10-15 feet into my car, innocently just waiting to take me to the library or somewhere equally boring. The police searched the ‘hood for a few hours trying to find the jerk who, knowing my luck, was probably hiding out under my back porch or something.

Then to just add some spice to the story, we find out the “borrowed” car has already been impounded by the police so they’re not real confident anything will come of our insurance claims, so unconfident, it seems, that they goofed up the report numbers and I had to chase police reports down at multiple precincts until I was finally told that in my ‘hood, something like a hit and run accident is low priority unless it involved death. Then I discover that the tow truck that showed up was a little questionable and I may be out $250 just for the privilege of having to get a friend to take me to an even more delightful ‘hood to rescue my poor little dork-mobile which really only has a few scratches that you can’t even see under all the snow and salt and uck that covers everything in the B-lo for eight months out of the year anyway.

I tell ya, that’s what you get for being gung-ho and ready to get down to business.

Seriously, I complain a lot but life’s been pretty good, if hectic. I’ve had wonderful opportunities recently to see old friends and meet new ones and have managed to finish lots of work, both official and crafty. It feels great to be getting things back onto a regular track and I’m looking forward to blogging more in March. Thanks for reading and hopefully tomorrow I’ll have pics to share.

I'm supposed to tag 7 more people but I think this one has gone around. I'll have to get caught back up on my blog reading and see if I can hunt down 7 folks who haven't played yet.

Blankies

I seem to have come down with my annual late winter illness. It's no surprise really as I'm tired, run down with lingering stress and unable to face the rising piles of snow and ice that continue to block my path to my car and apparently, to energy. Yes, B-Lo, you've worn me down and spit me out. I bow to your winter greatness. Now please, please, please find me a job where the sun shines!

Anyway, cough, cough, I've spent today on the couch under a pile of blankies and most likely will be there tomorrow as well. I even feel too tuckered out to knit tonight, if that's any indication.

But in my recent finish-up-old-projects impulse, I tugged out a baby blanket that was never gifted (oops), ripped out the edge, finished off the rest of the purple yarn to make it bigger (and yes, just to clear it out of the stash) and added a floofier edging fit for a little princess who I hear also could use some snuggling under blankies time. I may not be able to trudge the block and a half to the post office for another few days (months) but at least there's another one ready to wing its way out my door.

Just to pretend this post has a little actual yarnie content, the eyelash yarn is Plymouth Flash and was really nice to work with. Well, aside from a few tangles when it knotted back on itself, it's soft and smooth and feels great paired with a cheap-o white acrylic, probably DK or sport weight. I'm seriously debating actually making a scarf of this combo for myself. Maybe the one skein crochet scarf from Happy Hooker or whatever the Stitch n' Bitch crochet book is called. Think I could get away with saying I'm being retro by bringing back the fun fur craze of yesterday?

Searching for Simple

Homespun Afghan
Originally uploaded by ldgraffnu

When my mind starts whirling, I feel a choice… go with it and spin wildly out of control with possibilities, questions, ponderings, excitement and daydreams… or block it all out, looking for simple, predictable, easy, steps from here to there. I suppose I run by oscillating a bit between the two, riding the high that comes with big, huge change and chance while searching for the stillness to figure it all out, make sure I’m going about it the right way, think through my thrill. Is it odd to accept that manic is part of my nature? I do sometimes wish it was a little more even keel around chez Leslie, a little more routine and consistent but that’s just not in the cards right now. No, it’s all jokers and aces around here, no stable 8s or anything of the sort.

The past few months have been all about this oscillation. I’m either running like the wind on adrenaline, stress and caffeine or lying on the couch, regretting that I ever discovered coffee. Well, actually, that lying on the couch… um, not so much. Not nearly enough, that’s for sure. I guess my polar opposites are more like freaking out about all the stuff there is to do and just buckling down and working through one step at a time into the wee hours of the morning. Let’s just say I know the exact hours that the local Kinko’s and Office Depot open and close.

There’s a significant chance that this whirlwind will die down in a few days, something I’m hoping and praying for, honestly, but until then, the winds of chaos stream ahead, disturbing everything they touch.

After I finished Lady Eleanor, I had to do some searching for a new project. I’ve got some simple ribbed socks on the needles as my travel project but here at home, I’ve had a strong desire to tackle big projects, not complicated, just big in terms of yarn used, space they’re taking up in the stash. Part of it is a desire to be free of this stuff, clean out just in case I might actually get to move in the coming months, have fewer obligations on my needles.

Odd how hobbies can start to feel like obligations. How we turn things into projects that we work on with deadlines and goals despite the fact that for most of us, knitting is a way to relax and forget deadlines and goals. I know that having goals is a kind of motivating strategy so we finish things rather than dallying around or picking up new yarn to start something else. But how often do we substitute our yarn projects for our “real” work as a way to legitimize our procrastination?

Well, I suppose I don’t want to really answer that because I’m afraid I too often use my hobbies and the demand to finish a project as a reason to avoid work I should be doing.

Much better to just keep to my procrastination strategies in ignorant bliss…

But I have been feeling an overwhelming desire to finish things lately, have them out of my possession. I’ve been looking for gift projects to work on because then I can have the release that comes with dropping off a package at the post office. Probably doesn’t take too much to figure out that I’m searching for a sense of “done-ness” in all areas of life, from the diss to the job search to my stashed projects. I’m also being practical in wanting to have fewer things to pack and haul across the country. But it’s become a kind of strange obsession that I haven’t quite figured out, the urge to pull out projects and be done with them right now…

Anyway, the first “big” project that I grabbed was this crochet afghan, a simple zigzag pattern out of Lion Brand Homespun, a little cheesy, a little tacky, a little cozy. I started this years ago with the intention of giving it to one of my male friends so I kept it color neutral so it could be gifted multiple directions depending on who needed to receive a present. Of course, I never managed to finish it on time so it’s been in storage, waiting on the impulse to do crochet with acrylic yarn. Can’t exactly say that the impulse was particularly for the crappy yarn, but it has been a pretty pleasant, mindless project.

And in this whirlwind of stress and anxiety, mindless is nice. I have a list of things that I’d like to be working on, some lace, a new hat or two, but for now, I’m looking forward to finally gifting this to someone and having it out of my house, out of my stash, and off my mind.

Stress

So, yeah, um, there's been stress. Big events... big decisions... nothing terribly exciting to report, unfortunately, just lots o' work. But, there's a light at the end of the dark, dark tunnel and I'm hoping to be back to posting and maybe even try some of those things normal humans are supposed to do on a regular basis like laundry and dishes and sleeping without grinding their teeth and waking up in sheer panic at 3.30 a.m.

But until that illusive full night of sleep with happy dreams comes my way, I'll be reciting this, one of my favorite poems and one I'd like to share for the Blogger's Silent Poetry reading.

The Lake Isle
by Ezra Pound

O God, O Venus, O Mercury, patron of thieves,
Give me in due time, I beseech you, a little tobacco shop,
With the little bright boxes
piled up neatly upon the shelves
And the loose fragrant cavendish
and the shag
And the bright Virginia
loose under the bright glass cases,
And a pair of scales not too greasy,
And the whores dropping in for a word or two in passing,
For a flip word, and to tidy their hair a bit.

O God, O Venus, O Mercury, patron of thieves,
Lend me a little tobacco shop,
or install me in any profession
Save this damn'd profession of writing,
where one needs one's brains all the time.



May you all find your version of the little tobacco shop, perhaps filled with bright shelves of yummy cashmere piled up neatly upon the shelves.

Foxy Lady

Pattern: Lady Eleanor from Scarf Style

Yarn: Silk Garden, 232; 9 skeins

Needles: Addis Sz 10

Dates: Fall 2007 - January 2008

Recipient: Moi

Notes: What to say that hasn't been said? Entrelac was a pleasure to learn. The yarn's color shifting was perfect. I was entranced by the way the colors would interact as the squares built on the row below. It definitely gets you the "wow" factor with very little struggle and although we say we aren't going for the "wow's," we know we are.

The colorway is perhaps a little bright to put this into daily rotation. I think with a dark, monochromatic outfit, I could pull it off tossed over the shoulder but for now, it's getting lots of wear as I sit at the computer and write in my jammies. I'll definitely give it a debut at an upcoming Guild meeting and then we'll see about wearing it with non-knitters. I love the rustic look of the Silk Garden, but do wish it was a little softer and cuddlier. I've seen some stunning versions with more subtle yarns and would easily put this project back in rotation were the right yarn to come my way at the right moment.

I really enjoyed the freedom that came with working with a "rustic" yarn on a project that has an element of the rustic to it. I didn't worry so much about being perfect with the way I picked up the stitches or obsessing over gauge. I tried to be as neat and consistent as possible, but it was nice to do a "low stakes" project that gave room for the homemade factor and even celebrated the quirks that would happen with the work. I've been thinking about this freedom from perfection lately and want to write more about it when I introduce my next project tomorrow.

I tried to learn to knit backwards to replace the flipping back and forth but found that it was more tiresome than the flipping. The project was comfortable in my lap and never grew so cumbersome that the flipping was difficult or problematic. Definitely use circular needles to save your arms and if possible, I'd suggest using a fairly long needle to give you more "wiggle room." The blunt Addis worked well with the yarn. I could see having problems using a pointy needle that might split it or a sticky bamboo or wood needle that might give too much grip. Finally, this may be obvious to everyone else, but when you do the fringe, hold both strands in your hand and do the overhand knot over both at the same time. I kept trying to tie them together like shoelaces and that was extremely fiddly and made for a few loose knots at the beginning.

And oh, the fringe... the fringe. I really think the dramatic finish makes the project. It's not quite so dramatic as lace blocking, but definitely transformative in the same way. I love watching how those final touches really make or break a project, especially when they make it!

N.B.: I ended up with four extra skeins of the Silk Garden. I believe it's a discontinued colorway. It's quite pretty and would make nice striped scarves a la Brooklyntweed. I'm going to list it on Ravelry but if anyone is interested, let me know. I'm not going to push hard to sell it as it could always be useful but at this point, I'd prefer to reduce the stash a bit.

I Am Not...

... a spinner.

Our January knitting guild meeting encouraged us to start the new year by trying something new. A very talented spinner brought in bundles of fleece and spindles and let us give it a go.

I didn't really give it a go so much as let the stupid thing dangle pathetically in the air while staring with awe at those who were making yarn.

And I'm okay with that.

I've been resistant to the spinning trend which is kinda a small victory for me. I've always been one to jump right in and try the latest and greatest thing. As a youngster, I had to make my mom drive me to Girl Scouts and music lessons and sports camps. With every new club or hobby, came new "stuff," new equipment, new outfits, new guidebooks and trinkets. We even bought a calf because I was determined to do 4-H and lead the thing around a pen. I'm pretty sure that attempt eventually turned into hamburger.

Since I've been trying to curb my crafty expenditures to give myself room, space and the financial means to actually finish projects that I've already purchased, I didn't want to start buying spindles which would turn into wheels and fleece which would turn into more fleece and never, ever turn into yarn or even more unlikely, usable objects. I get how spinning could be quite pleasurable and even replace knitting and crocheting as a meditative, relaxing habit. I just didn't want to pick up something new with so much already on my plate. You've got to save a few new frontiers for the nursing home, right?

I suppose you could also say that I went in with a bad attitude which usurped any possibility of enjoying spinning. Probably true. I'm trying to think of it as being judicious with my crafty resources. I'll add spinning after I finish off the paper making, card printing, latchhooking, paper piecing, scrapbooking, beading, embroidery, quilting, needlepoint and needle felting projects already living in my craft room. Oh, and after the fabric and yarn stashes are down to a reasonable level. Yeah, don't be holding your breath waiting for handspun yarn for a long, long time.

Observations

1. During my mini-hiatus after Chicago, I finished two denim and flannel quilts. I started these quilts five years ago and promised one to my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas. I believe the card where I wrote this promise has since yellowed with age. This is the reason for another year of avoiding new purchases to finish the old, as if that will work.

2. I am finished with Lady Eleanor save for knotting the fringe. Lovely project but I fear looking like a jester gypsy while wearing it. I think I should have gone for a little subtlety in my color selection. I think it's a bad thing when The Boy asks if you're actually going to wear it in public or just drape it over a chair. I'm pretty sure he was hoping the answer involved the chair.

3. I'm at a little loss for where to go next in the knitting. I finished a gift knit for a friend and would like to make more for the gifting stash, but they're not exactly thrilling projects. Oh, and I'm really selfish and want to make something for me.

Pattern: Cupcake Dishcloth

Yarn: Cotton-Ease and button from stash

Needles: Sz. 10s

Notes: I added the bottom backwards. I like the stitch definition this shows, but prefer the look of the original pattern. I used Ravelry mods for the ruffle: knitting in the front and back twice rather than crocheting. It could be a bigger ruffle but I like the small size in fitting with the small cloth. I think this is just the size for dish washing as regular dish rags always seem too droopy when I try to use them.

4. Considering the above observations, it probably wouldn't take too much thought to figure out why I have such a difficult time finishing projects and getting gifts sent out in a timely fashion. But will I go work on more cupcakes? Yeah, we all know better than that.

Over the River and Through the Woods...

... to job interviews we go.

'Tis the season of the job travels for interviews and conferences so I decided to whip up some shoe bags to protect the beauties gracing my friends' tootsies.

I used the Simple Leather-Handled Shoulder Bag from In Stitches by Amy Butler although I made the strip narrower. To make the cutting easy, I cut a 32" piece and then divided that into 4 strips length-wise. Theoretically, that would make my pieces 11 x 32" (44" flannel) but I didn't really even measure my width. I chose the flannel for its thickness and absorption for any wet shoes, although I also thought about using oil-cloth or some of the new laminated fabrics that are coming out. I see more of these in the future as a great way to use up some of my flannel stash for practical gifts that will hopefully see lots of wear in the very near future.

Chicago Stole my Hat... and my Oomph

So should I make up a story about being whisked away in the Windy City, off on some marvelous but chilly adventure?

Or just tell the truth?

I ended 2007 with a trip to a very large, very scary conference/ job interview/ program reunion sort of event. 15,000+ neurotics stuck in the same four city blocks, hyped up on expensive coffee and forced to actually engage with people rather than books. It wasn’t necessarily pretty. Oh, and then add a good ol’ wet snowstorm to get a chuckle at the less-than-fashionable academics try and slide around in their heels and suits when we’re all used to wearing khaki pants from 10 years ago and shoes chosen for their orthopedic function rather than fashion. We really should just charge admission for people to watch the antics.

Anyway, I went, I talked, I showed pictures of camels and just tried to alternate my coffee and alcohol in the right order to keep myself going through the day and at least closing my eyes at night. (Sleep sorta became optional around mid-December and only recently returned to my life. I missed her.)

I knew it was going to be a doozy, but I didn’t really plan on it knocking me completely on my tuckus. Overachiever much? Not that I’ve been stressing about this very event for four or five years now or anything. I just kept saying that I could handle it. It was just a paper and a few interviews. I’d even be able to spend one afternoon shopping, maybe find Anthropologie or a yarn store for a little treat.

By the time my free afternoon rolled around, I tried to meet with the Lone Knitter and I think the poor woman ought to earn a patience medal for having to answer the same questions three times. It was like the brain was spending all my energy keeping myself from drooling that I couldn’t focus on actually having an intelligent conversation. Thank goodness she’s even lovelier in person and was quite kind about my mental fog.

Besides my dignity, I managed to also lose my new hat, the first one that I’d knit this winter and one I was actually happy to wear in public. The first day I really had to run around, the snow was coming down in hunks and I really didn’t want to do an interview with wet hair. I’m pretty sure even academics recognize that this is not a good look. I was whining that night when we splurged on pizza (mmmm… Chicago deep dish…mmm…) and jokingly, my former Dickens camp roommate asks if it was a black beret.

“Well, yes, it was. A black knit beret.”

“Were you in the Fairmont?”

“Yes, I was.”

“Ladies restroom?”

“Yes, second floor.”

“Around 11?”

“Dude, you saw my hat!”

Alas, she only saw it and left it there, never to be turned in or seen again. Le Sigh for Le Slouch. In actuality, it really needed to be reknit with a little more slouch so add that one back to the list.

And that was Chicago.

So now I’m waiting, trying to get caught up on life and sleep and laundry. Trying to write everyday and work on those New Year’s goals. Hitting the gym and the library. I took a week off after I returned, thinking I’d be able to whip out some major crafty projects. Um, not so much. I finished a few things and will post some pictures in the next few days but basically, I took a lot of time to just sit and not think about a single thing. How ‘bout that for a real winter vacay?

Gifts

Have you ever had one of those friends with the gifting gene? The one who nails it, every time, every birthday, every holiday. I have one of those friends.


The knitter ornament from Anthropologie.

Yep, so me it's scary.

Unfortunately, no time for much knitting as I'm prepping for those big scary job interviews at that big scary conference that I've been fretting about for oh, the past five years. It's here, and yep, I'm scared.

But... I also know that things will work out for the best. I'm working as hard as I possibly can work, doing all that I'm supposed to be doing and am happy to have gotten this far in the process.

And I gotta say, I'll be sooooo glad when this is all over. I have some glorious days planned with just me, my knitting needles, my sewing machine and good coffee... or more likely, good wine.

Snowed In

Well, it looks like the weather folks were right. We got the white stuff. A lot of the white stuff.

Yesterday wasn’t bad. In the morning people were out and about, trying to shovel every few inches, attempting to stay ahead of the clouds. By afternoon, the skies had darkened and the winds picked up, making shoveling a fruitless endeavor.

I elected to stay safely and warmly protected with a novel, my laptop and a stack of quilts. Sometimes having to work all day isn’t such a bad thing at all.

I intended to be off to the library today but I elected to postpone for another day. Those old newspapers aren't going anywhere and I certainly have enough reading to do here.

Our blanket of snow served well as a backdrop for my latest finished objects.

Pattern: Le Slouch and a simple seed stitch scarf

Yarn: Mystery yarn - 2 skeins of black and 1 skein of variegated, I think this came from the $1 at A.C. Moore. Whatever it was, it was decent stuff with at least some wool content.

Needles: Addis Sz 8

Notes: I'm happy with the project (aside from the ends that I still need to weave in). I followed the hat pattern and started decreasing at 6", probably should've given it 7 or 7.5" as it's just not really slouchy enough. But for a first hat in the renewed perfect hat quest, I'm pleased and will get much wear out of this.

The scarf was one of those improved kind of things where I decided to finish up the black yarn, then use the skein of variegated on both ends. It made a short scarf, or at least shorter than I usually wear so I may add a bright button if I (a) can find one in my stash and (2) can muster the energy to sew it on.

Yes, I do believe I must go to the library tomorrow. Excessive hot chocolate consumption seems to have dulled my brain. Perhaps I shall look for red buttons to spruce up my new set in honor of my newspaper research, you know, being black, white and red/read all over.

And with that joke, I will pack my bags to definitely head to the library tomorrow. I think some human interaction might be a good thing before I spiral down into knock-knock jokes.

Tacky Tinsel Trees

It’s a snowbound Sunday here in Buffalo. Luckily for me, this is the first day in what seems like a very long time where I don’t have to be anywhere or do anything aside from reading and writing, those things that I actually like to do so much. It’s a nice way to end a very busy week, working on an essay and contemplating a variety of changes that have taken place.

I kicked off the week with a mock interview on Monday morning. I honestly think I was more terrified of the mock interview than any real interviews which may be coming up in the next few weeks. If I’m interviewing with a room of strangers and it bombs, I can always pass the blame on them, just tell people that they were a bunch of weirdos that I wouldn’t want to work with anyway. Or shoot, I could always just lie and say that I performed brilliantly and they’d be a bunch of fools if they didn’t hire me on the spot. With a room of people you know and respect, well, if you look like an a$$, you can’t really hide it so much. Thankfully, it went well. There were some holes in my preparations but holes that I expected and that’s the point of these exercises really, to identify those holes and let them help you fix them before you face a real job committee. Overall, they were pleased and I was pleased and that little nightmare was behind me.

Personally, I’m just hoping that my mock interview success was in no way connected to my secret weapon… packing tape.

I am not a business-suit wearer. I don’t have to wear a suit on a regular basis. I’d actually look quite odd doing my classes in a suit as it’s simply not de rigueur for most academics to get that gussied up on a daily basis. However, for interviews, we pull out the ultra-conservative suits. Or we go buy them, in a mall full of Canadian bargain hunters that drive you nuts every time they shout “eh” across the dressing room. Anyway, don’t get me started on shopping with our neighbors to the north. I found a few suits at a good price with a decent fit… aside from the few inches that they needed to be lopped off the legs. Yes, I should have found a seamstress prior to wearing them out of the house or even just sucked it up and shortened them myself. But in panic mode you make priorities. I could galavant around town finding someone with scissors or I could prepare for the actual interview. I took my chances, stuck my nose in another book and the night before my interview I whipped out my handy dandy roll of packing tape to hem my pants. The morning of the interview I was then left with only two concerns: (1) hoping the tape didn’t crinkle as I walked, and (2) praying that the tape wouldn’t get wet and come loose as I was cleaning the snow off my car.

All in all, the packing tape solution was quite Macgyver, held up through the interview and even impressed my colleagues in engineering. It worries me somewhat that my fashion choices impress my engineering cohorts but so long as I stay out of pocket protector land, I think I’m safe.

And speaking of engineering, the second big event of the week was leaving my job there. I’ve worked for three years as a writer for the engineering school and have grown close to the people in the Dean’s office. However, the time has come when I need to be able to focus solely on my research if I’m to finish my degree. I don’t really do so well with being the center of attention so thankfully, they let me say my good-byes quietly. I will still be around to check in on the office but it will be quite different than my schedule of being there a few days a week. I will miss everyone and will even miss the work that I did there, but I know it’s a necessary step for completing my degree and moving into my chosen profession.

It hasn’t entirely hit me that my life is changing, partially since so much is changing and everything is up in the air. I could be graduating and moving across the country in six months, or I may still be here doing pretty much the same thing while trying again to find a position. If I do get something, at this point there are still options all across the country so I don’t even know what direction I’d be taking the moving truck out of Buffalo. I could be going to a small school or a really large place, a huge city or a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. The only thing that’s certain is the need to write and research for the next five months so I can easily assuage my anxieties and dampen my distracting daydreams with the pressures of work. Nothing like having 600 pages to read in a day to whip yourself into line.

Amidst all the events of the week I also managed to put up my Christmas trees. No live pine for this gal. It’s tacky tinsel in silver and gold with enough glittery garland to overwhelm a Vegas showgirl. Yep, I’m classy like that. Packing tape and tacky trees, all the best for me.

Randomness

Ah, winter descends. Our first heavy snow to hit the city started yesterday and is supposed to continue today. It's nothing record-breaking (thank goodness) and to be fair, Mother Nature gave us a nice reprieve, holding off her stormy ways until it was actually December. I'm personally pretty happy with the weather, although that's because I get to spend the day at home in my jammies writing about Anglo-Chinese relations in the nineteenth-century. I've been hearing via multiple unhappy text messages that there are others out there who must do nasty things like check planes after they've been de-iced and soothe angry, delayed passengers. I don't think they're so pleased with our winter wonderland.

The return of the fluffy white stuff always means you have to change your thinking a bit. Add extra time for brushing off/digging out the car, seriously debate how funny you look wearing long johns under all your clothes and decide warmth is more important than the appearance of your derriere, double check every event to be sure it hasn't been cancelled due to the weather, be sure to have extra clothes and food in the car in case you get stuck somewhere (or in case it takes you 6 hours to drive the usually 15 minute commute when you're so hungry you'd get out and walk if you thought you could get to a granola bar any faster), and always, always, always be sure there are essentials in the house in case you get snowed in. I'm a little rusty on these details so last night at midnight I had to make an emergency trip to the grocery store on the way home from a birthday party. You know, those things you can't live without on a snowy Sunday... espresso and pancake mix. A girl can't be snowed in without her caffeine and sugar. It's a sad, sad state of affairs when I remembered that I was low on espresso but forgot that I am equally low on toilet paper. Priorities, after all.

The return of winter also means the return of my hat quest. Last year I tried this pattern and that, this yarn and that, and ended up with a bubbly not-so-fair-fake-isle hat and the infamous penishead hat. I'm hoping for better returns on my investment this go-around. I'm planning on starting with a beret of some sort, possibly Le Slouch or the Belle Beret, just something to get on and off the needles fairly quickly so I can get it on my head. Then I see Shedir, maybe a felted bucket hat, Calorimetry, and a standard issue black thug beanie. Yeah, you won't hold me to those plans, will you?

*****

In other random notes, I had a strange dream last night that I have to share for the lit types in the crowd. So being the helpful one, I'm counselling this person who is clearly struggling with something deeply emotional and troubling. My sage advice went something like this: "I'm telling you, you have to go to Zora Neale Hurston. Really, I promise she won't let you down. Zora Neale Hurston will help where Amy Tan just can't. Hurston is the way to go." I don't even remember how long it has been since I have read either Tan or Hurston. Um, I would totally get it if I suggested a little George Eliot to cure your ailments, but where'd I get Hurston? It's like I'm some sort of Tylenol ad bashing on Aleve or something.

But remember ladies, as you go about your day, Zora Neale Hurston won't let you down. She'll be there when Amy Tan is just not sufficient.

*****

I kinda missed the Thanksgiving post of beautiful food, wonderful company and a list of things I'm thankful for. The fact that this is my only picture from Turkey Day probably explains why.

So, whether you're hunkered down with pancakes or out enjoying a snow-free day, take two Zora Neale Hurstons and your own laundry basket o' booze and we'll meet back here tomorrow.

Pride

This is one I'm proud of.

Pattern: Kiri Shawl

Yarn: Custom-dyed silk from Jill at Looped Back

Needles: Sz. 3 Knitpicks

Recipient: Donna

Time: August - November, 2007

Notes: I feel like I've entered the grown-up world now. It's not the most challenging lace pattern ever, nor was my take on it original or all that creative, but this one feels good.

A colleague asked me to knit a shawl to complete her mother-of-the-bride ensemble and I was happy to oblige. Jill looked at the beaded top once and nailed the color perfectly. The beads I happen to run across at JoAnn's were exactly the color of the decorations. I was even able to finish it with time to spare. Sometimes things just work.

I wish I had the opportunity to take this one out for a real photoshoot outside during our beautiful fall but for now, indoor pics will have to do until I can get a copy of something from the wedding.

And just because I'm selfish, I've got to say that one of the best parts of this project is that I have enough leftover yarn to make a little somethin' somethin' for myself.

Two Little Sweaters for Two Little Boys

Pattern: LMKG Placket Neck Sweater

Yarn: Wool-Ease, 1980’s Vintage, 1 humungo skein for both sweaters

Needles: Sz. 7 Addis

Notions: Simple buttons from the stash.

Dates: September – November 2007

Recipients: Drew and Jalen, the cutest nephews in the world

Notes: What to say about this pattern that hasn’t been said? It’s a goodie, although I do wish it was in worsted weight so I wouldn’t have had to do any thinking. I used the stitch numbers for the smallest size for Jalen and the second-smallest for Drew but increased a size or two on the length measurements. I’m not sure they’ll fit, but I have more yarn and can always re-do if I need to.

The yarn wasn’t so bad to work with, although not a joy either. I like the tweed look with the primary colors and I’m sure my SIL will appreciate the easy-care factor of the acrylic. Seems just cruel to give a busy mom hand-wash items unless they’re requested. I’m not sure if Wool-Ease still makes the tweed as this came from a sewing/vacuum store-closing auction. I can see why the store didn’t make it considering some of their yarn is older than I am.

Anyway, I hereby promise to not be one to dress the boys in matching clothes the rest of their lives. I think I'm still trying to recover from the matching cowgirl dress episode from childhood. However, while the guys are little, I'm doing my part to create adorable, embarrassing pictures to be trotted out as often as possible.

NaBloPoMo?

More like NaNotSoMuch. Oh well, I honestly didn’t have too much faith in my daily posting abilities, but so long as it gets me posting more often, it’s worth it to stick to it.

I actually wanted the post the day after I wrote that miserly gripe about the $12 pattern. I really do support the work of designers and don’t mind paying for their intellectual and artistic labor. I don’t expect everything to be a Knitty free pattern and if the bag pattern contains a large stencil, I imagine the printing costs are rather exorbitant. I do think some of the simpler Noni patterns are a bit over-priced, but again, for the large Medallion pattern, I absolutely agree that $8 is fair. My personal knitting choices at the moment, however, are ruled by my desire to knit from the stash… both yarn AND patterns so I’m hesitating to purchase any new tools, gadgets or books as well as no new yarn. I still may pick up the Noni pattern if I can find it locally but for now, I’m going to be content with trying things that I don’t have to bust out the wallet for. And we all know that there’s plenty in my crafty stash to keep me busy for a long, long, long time.

I also wanted to post to have a chuckle at the cosmic irony of having my fugly declaration followed up by the first sweater pattern that I’ve seen lately that I’m really, really dying to knit. I’ve been obsessing about Oblique since it was posted and I’m hoping that I can find something in said stash that will work. I’ve seen some versions on Ravelry using worsted wt. and I’m waiting to see how that turns out. I don’t want to do a lot of complicated re-sizing so I’m hopeful that the lace factor makes up for the lighter yarn. I’m hoping to try some swatching with Lamb’s Pride to see if the mohair content gives the wool a little bulkier feel with a bit of a halo. I used this yarn last year on Lara and it’s such a dense, warm sweater that I can only wear it once it gets really cold around here (which it does… often). Even then, I generally have to take it off when I’m sitting at my desk.

So… anyway, I have three FOs to show so maybe just maybe I can keep up the posting this week. But first, I want to show what’s on the needles because I’m having major project love. Although we’ve been weather-blessed of yet and still are snow-free, it’s been chilly and blustery. I’ve enjoyed busting out the scarf collection but am wanting something a little more… substantial. My Clapotis is earning its keep but a girl’s gotta have variety.

Enter Lady Eleanor…

Oh my, my, my… if you haven’t done a Lady Eleanor, get thee to some Silk Garden stat. The entrelac is completely addictive and fast, but consider yourself warned you that you’ll stay up past your bedtime just so you can polish off the first skein… and then you’ll start the second skein just to finish the tier… and then you’ll have to force yourself to put down the needles and go to sleep like a good girl who has to get up early the next morning and work. And then of course you’ll really want to go sit and knit rather than work, but be strong, o fair knitter, and stay at the computer… at least until noon.

I know this one has had a steady internet following since Scarf Style was published, but it really didn’t take off like Clapotis. I suppose the limited yarn adaptability makes it less appealing and I guess its style is not as universal, but personally, I’m finding this the perfect project. So far, the process is wonderful, the yarn is a pleasure to work with and I can’t wait for the product. We’ll see if this love holds up in about 10 skeins.