Monday, November 29, 2004
Pittsburgh Knits
In honor of the new (yet incredibly amateur...I have no good software for this kind of stuff) button I made for the Pittsburgh Knitophiles Webring, I decided to let you all in on my knitting adventures in Pittsburgh over the weekend.
There has been a lot of hullabaloo about a year-old yarn store in Ross because the Post-Gazette decided to write an article about it in the past couple of weeks. I think 3 people emailed me the article and my mom saved it and had it lying on my bed waiting for me when I got home Wednesday night. With all of that publicity, I had to check it out and I offer this review.
Dyed in the Wool:
Organized by brand and weight (!) which I liked. Comforting to know that you won't have your sock-yarns right next to your super-chunkys because nary shall the two very different knitters of these yarns meet. They had one cubby of Koigu KPPPM and I would suggest that they move it up to eye-level or move it out of the cubby completely. It's was a pain (for Justin :-) ) to dig through the entire cubby looking for one particular colorway.
It was a bright and open store. Not cramped like the one in Monroeville. When this lady gets in new inventory, you can bet that there's still room to walk around.
The yarns are mostly high-end. I was having trouble finding anything under $8 and many MANY of the yarns run in the $20/skein/hank/ball range. The novelty yarns are plentiful, but not overwhelming. I think she had much more lace and sock weight yarn than anything else. I found some Mango Moon that I snatched up because I've been looking for it for a long time and bought a hank of home/local spun wool for a potential Christmas gift idea.
The one thing that got my goat was that here I was buying all this expensive yarn, it's not incredibly busy, and I can see the ballwinder/swift attached to the counter. Yet no one asked me if I would like my yarn wound into balls. hmm... It's not something I mind doing myself, but I think it's a nice courtesy to your customers.
Considering that that's all that I found wrong with the place, I'd say it was a worthwhile trip.
Pgh. Knit & Bead
PKAB seems to have changed distributors because there were tons of new kinds of yarn there this weekend. I saw some Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille which was a first for the store. She reorganized too...it seems that she may be getting rid of all of her "acrylic-majority" items.
Yeah, some interesting finds this weekend.
Impending Doom...
When I was about to leave Pittsburgh to come back to Chi-town, Justin said to me, "Hey, this is great! You'll be back in two weeks!" Oh but what a two weeks it is. In the next two weeks I will be:
1. Translating at least 2 (probably more) Psalms from the original Hebrew
2. Facilitating at a mock baptism and a mock eucharist
3. Writing 12 pages on a "moment of my life in which part of my personal moral code solidified."
4. Giving a 7 minute presentation on the "pilgrimage" I took this semester and where it has brought me.
5. Spending 20 hours tutoring 13 year olds in math.
6. Writing a 10 page reflection paper on God knows what, something about worship.
7. Taking a massive Hebrew Final
I feel like I'm forgetting something. Oh yeah, knitting no less than 5 Christmas presents and taking Psych evals for ordination. Yeah, perfect timing for THAT one, eh?
The drive back from Pittsburgh was uneventful...except for getting stuck on the Ohio turnpike at a standstill for an hour and a half. God blessed me and my co-pilot with being a mere two miles from an exit. And it took us that full amount of time to get off at wonderful Fremont, OH, home of the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center. We were going to stop, but alas, it was closed on a Sunday night. There was an accident a few miles ahead of us that had the entire roadway plugged up. Apparently it was very serious. I'm going to spend some time on the 'net looking for news stories about it. Why? Did you SEE the list above? It's Procrastination Mode, baby.
No pictures yet. I don't know if I'll get down to Office Depot before Christmas break to get a card reader. I'm definitely thinking that's the remedy. I'll try to be as descriptive as possible in the mean time.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
T-Day Invasion
So I'm in Pittsburgh. Yeah. Surprise! I decided to make the 8+ hour trek home about the time that I posted this entry. Apparently, I spilled the beans to Mom by NOT calling her yesterday about something I probably wouldn't have called her about anyway. Cest la vie. I gotta get better at this surprise thing. I also need to be confident in how I spell surprise. I think it is the most mispelled word on this blog. If you're feeling bored today, you can go back and count 'em up. I forgot what T-Day is like here, though. It's an invasion of 18 relatives, Mom frantically working to get dinner on the table for all of us. As a friend of my dad's said, "Yeah, I've done the big family thing...it's overrated." But I love it. Just not the stress that's induced on us all before then. So this'll have to be quick.
The good news for all of you is that the parents have a printer that serves as a card reader. In layman's terms: I HAVE PICTURES! Here's a barage for you, like the Macy's Parade:
First up is Broscarf, aka Nigel due to it's British tweedy nature.
I don't have the yarn brand reference handy, Katie, but it's a wonderful navy that was a little stiff in the knitting, but has relaxed tremendously after washing. It's soft and malleable now.
Nigel checks in at three wraps around the neck with plenty of space to spare, well over 6 feet from cast-on to bind off, and took many months of intermittant knitting in a "broken rib" pattern that The Seminarian picked up in Baltimore: CO multiple of three Row 1: k3, p3; Row 2: k1,p1.
Over to you, Katie.
Thanks, Al. I'm here with three adorable baby hats for the Morris Quadruplets who got so ruthlessly jipped by a daytime talk show hostess this past October.
Aren't they adorable, Willard? All knit on Lion Brand Cotton Ease in coordinating colors. I love the earflaps, don't you?
Absolutely, Katie.
But I think I have the toast of the parade. The Seminarian thought she was going to be knitting these until I wished her a HAPPY ONE HUNDREDTH BIRTHDAY from Smuckers, how sweet it is!
That's right Katie and Al, the Jaquard Sox knit on size 0's are finally finished! (Enthusiastic oohs from Katie and Al.) Here's a close up for all my little grey-haired lady fans out there. (Willard's that is.)
(Al interjects:) Wow! Look at that pointy-toed goodness!
Ok, enough of the parade metaphor. Enjoy your Thanksgiving meal. May you be surrounded by family, friends, and food. Time to prepare for our T-Day Invasion.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Project Update
Just a quick one tonight to let you all know how things are going now that we're into Thanksgiving week.
Christmas Knitting:
Justin's Momscarf: done
My Momscarf: can't get the fringe to look right. It keeps flaring out. Any helpful hints?
The Great Bear-Off: Lack of yarn has forced me to limit the bear-off to one for Samwise, the Nephew. Have half of bear completed.
Broscarf: done
Quadhats: 2.75 out of a minimum of 4 (max of 8) completed.
Geana surprise: Awaiting yarn. Who could be backordered at a time like this? May have to resort to plan B, many pale turquoise washcloths. The very thought makes me cringe. Hey, it's a 5 hour ride to Philly for Christmas.
I feel like I'm on schedule, but I also feel like I'm not going to have enough time somehow. Maybe that's finals fear creeping in.
No pictures yet. Haven't run down to Office Depot with my little Lexar Media card yet.
Saturday, November 20, 2004
No Pics.
This blog is going to get really boring in the next week or so. For some reason, my digital camera isn't hooking up to the computer as it should. I can't get it to send a signal to the computer. Yeah, I'm confused too. Not sure if it's the cable or the camera. It's not the USB port, I've got 4 of them and tried them all.
I'm really bummed. I was hoping to show you adorable baby hats and Nigel, a.k.a. Unexpected Scarf for my brother for Christmas. Yes, bro, now you know what you're getting for Christmas. Maybe I should just invest in a card scanner. Anyone know of any good ones?
The Good News
Wow, the blog world got really small today. I was checking out Knitty patterns this evening, looking for I don't know what. I came across this shawl pattern that I found very appealing. But the real surprise came when I checked out who the designer was at the bottom of the page.
Hmm...she looks like Lizzie who lived in the 3-share on third floor McBride my freshman year of college. Thanks to Emily, I was able to confirm that yes, indeed it was Liz! Whoa! Established knit designer AND blogger lived several doors down from me, years before I even started to think about learning to knit!
Check her out, SHE has pictures!
Friday, November 19, 2004
Tinking, 101
Ok, this post is going to be old hat for most of you out there. However, for those of us beginning knitters (yes, I consider myself a beginner), it's an important task. We're going to make mistakes. A lot of them. Some of them are going to require "frogging" several inches down. Some of them only require that you remove a few a stitches, let's say 4-7, or maybe a whole row or two.
Someone out there has written me and said that they needed a lesson on how to "tink" or knit backwards. So I apologize to the more experienced for whom this is second nature. However, I think I mastered, at least somewhat, the close-up feature on my camera.
Ignore the third needle in all of these pictures. I was using double-pointed needles on this project, so there's an extra one that sometimes makes a cameo.
Here we go.
Step 1:
Ok, we're looking at the first stitch on your right hand needle. The blue loop is the one that you're going to be unknitting. It will no longer exist at the end of this process. Insert the left needle, front to back in between the red loop and the blue loop. Like so:
Step 2:
In the immediately above picture, I'm about to slide the loop off of the right hand needle. It takes nerves of steel, but you'll be fine. Just slide the first stitch gently off the right hand needle.
Step 3:
Pull the yarn connected to the ball. The stitch in the picture above is about to be completely pulled out.
Like so:
This is what you'll have at the end. You have unknit one stitch, and you have a stitch resting comfortably on the left hand needle. Begin process over again with the next stitch. You'll do fine.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Call
There's a fourteen year old girl kindly accepting a chocolate from an old woman in a wheel chair on a Sunday afternoon.
"You love this."
The girl sits in class on Monday afternoon and learns about the rituals of Passover.
"You love this."
She stands before a small group of people, telling about the ever-advancing pile of junk in her room and how even the young grow weary.
"You love this."
Four years later, she's again learning. Studying the civil rights movement of the sixties up to the present day. She reads MLK, Malcolm X, bell hooks.
"Say something."
She's with a group of young people, listening to their discussion on planning a presentation of words, images, music.
"Say something."
She learns that a friend is oppressed for who s/he is and who s/he struggles to be.
"Say something."
She is faced with her own upbringing, her own life of learning and words.
"Do something."
She is faced with the selfishness of those who think they are doing right. She is faced with the selfishness of those who seek comfort, rest without struggle, and reward without effort.
"Do something."
She cleans the dishes of those whose blood is toxic. She stands and speaks about the sin of selfishness. She bears witness to her life, her upbringing, her friends. She shares her knowledge of the rituals and culture of the Book, its meanings hidden deep in history.
"You love this."
It can't really be explained any other way.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
No Post on Sundays
I'm back, and since entries are few and far between in the blogging world over the weekend, I figured I'd take the opportunity to say that I'm back. Fires have been extinguished, wounds healed. Well, emotional wounds healed, more on that to come.
It's been a long and exhausting week, though. I'm thankful that I had a post up letting you all know that I might not be around for a bit. I won't bore you with the details because most has been resolved this Sunday mrorning, thanks God. Let's just say there was some Presbyterian saber rattling, some financial stressors, and a roommate who is having more problems than I and needed some intervention.
Knitting has provided a much needed and productive stress reliever. In this way, I highly recommend it if you want to give up drinking or smoking. It's hard to smoke and knit at the same time, and drinking makes your stitches come out wonky.
However, that might mean that the following post is disconcerting for those of you who are keeping track of projects that I've been working on. It's been a week of transition, a week of glorious FO's, and many new cast-ons (casts-on?), but not without injury.
Gallery of Knitting Injuries (not for the squeamish)
Exhibit A
This lovely 1st degree burn occurred Saturday afternoon. It is my punishment for attempting to block the back of Samwise the Sweater with the iron resting on the table next to me...turned on. Oops.
The good news is that Samwise is 1/4 of the way done.
Exhibit B
This one is harder to see, but trust me when I tell you that it is a SEVERLY LOCALIZED brush burn that was the result of getting mad and breaking yarn with much more force than necessary. It really is a beautiful thing to behold,
As you can see, I've overcome my anger, and have apologized to the project, the first of another collection of baby hats. Hopefully many will be done in time for Christmas. 
(By the way, this is the most beautiful knitting picture I've ever taken, I think)
Other Project Exchanges
Fringeing has commenced on Momscarf. Twill be completed way ahead of schedule (pronounced with a soft ch, as the British do).
Such an achievement calls for the beginning of another new project.
My first pair of gloves. I frantically knitted these during the "fight of November, 04." Nothing like a little stress to make knitting go fast. I also learned that I could knit and read at the same time if the stitch is simple enough...like knit one, around and around and around. :-)
Knitting Night
There's a knitting night tonight in the RA's apartment. I'm debating on what to take, Christmas present knitting, or me knitting. I feel like I should give some attention to the Farmer's Market Bag, but I should really work on things that need to be finished in a more timely manner, like baby hats. Lots and lots of baby hats.
Sunday, November 7, 2004
The End of All Things
I just wanted to let you know that I won't be blogging for awhile. Possibly ever again. We'll see how things go, but this webspace is not my own. It belongs to someone else. And I'm on the outs with that someone so badly, I don't think I have the right to this space. So until we meet, if ever again.
Happy knitting, happy living.
Wednesday, November 3, 2004
Random Thought Day
Many are spending their wit on the elections this morning, celebrating them, mourning them. I think Kerry needs to concede, be the better man. He lost the popular vote, it's time to move on for the unity of the country. The last thing we need is to have lawyers decide this election too.
UPDATE: 10:06 CST Today show reporting that Kerry is conceding the election. Man, just goes to show what a great man we could have had as president.
It's been a bittersweet 12 hours for me. Pennsylvania went to the Democrats. Hoeffel won Allegheny County, as did Kerry. I look to the elections to tell me about my home as much as the state of the country. I have to say, I'm much happier with Pittsburgh now than I was four years ago. Maybe it's sentimental homesickness...maybe not. Alas, my cousin Eric's best friend Brad lost his bid for the PA General Assembly, but he got 39% of the vote which is damn impressive for a 23 year old, I think.
All of this election stuff got me thinking about where I was four years ago, leaving for Scotland in a few months. It was nice not to be in the country for W's first 90 days. I wish I could be there for his last 90 days.
In the midst of my desire to flee the country, look at the amazing thing that arrived in the mail
yesterday:
A parcel! A genuine British parcel! From the land where Tony Blair's in trouble for not being progressive enough. Wrapped in brown paper, not a box, with pictures of the queen. It is labeled as a "Small Packet." Sigh. I love the British.
And in the "Small Packet"?
It's going to be one of those dream projects that gets shoved in a drawer for awhile. I'll pull it out eventually and start working on it when I retire. Like my dress. Yeah, remember my dress? I didn't think so. It was only $20! For 8 balls of yarn! :-) And it's WOOL! :-)
I just had to show it to you.
The bears are coming along, and inches were added to Momscarf while watching the election returns.
I tied on a third ball this morning. I'm hoping I have enough yarn for this one. Each ball is not lasting as long as I'd hoped. I guess only time can tell.
I have another paper due Friday, which means you can expect numerous wordy and picture filled posts from me in the next two days! :-) Yay! I'll spare you the details, but if I'm not around, I told you so. If I am around, please don't yell at me to get back to work. I haven't been able to make a B here yet, no matter how little effort I put into things.
Tuesday, November 2, 2004
Democracy!
I've been surfing a lot today in between paper writing, and I 've been appalled by how many people have not posted on their blogs on an average election Tuesday, even the Canadians! Then I thought, "Hey, did you blog today? NO! So stop your whining!" Now I can whine away all I want.
Election Day Coverage
I voted today, did you? :-D I had to contend with potential "hanging chads" for the first time in my life. Very scary. I'm really excited by all of the news articles I'm reading on voter turnout. When I was in Scotland in early 2001, there was a stat out that said more people voted in the Big Brother finale than in their 2001 General Elections. It's amazing. People are fighting revolutions for the right to vote, when they earn it, they're lining up and waiting for hours to vote. It's nice to see that we're getting back to the mentality that our vote matters. I think that should be a clear sign to George of how much people want him outta there and that he should just resign...but then we'd have Cheney in there...cringe.
Luckily I have a class tonight from 5-9, so that by the time I get home, all of the EST polls will have closed and we might even have a few states tallied by then. But from what I can gather from CNN, MSNBC, and The Times UK, this one is again going to be decided by litigation. A new way for my vote not to matter. Sigh.
Knitting News
"Two projects down, Melissa! What are you up to now?"
"Um. What the hell is THAT?"
In the immortal words of the dad in A Christmas Story, "It's a leg!" "But what is it?" "I dunno, it's a leg, like in a statue."
No, I have not gone off the deep end into the world of artistic knitting. No fibrous sculptures for me.
This is the start of the Great Bear-Off of 2004. Four nieces/nephews, four matching bears. Less than two months til Christmas. Can it be done? I hope so, cause this Lion Brand Chenille stuff is really quick, but it's really hard to knit with too.
A quick and interesting (at least I think so) bit of trivia about Chenille. It's made of mostly short, tufty fluff wrapped around a tight, thin, nylon cord. The needle recommendation on the yarn band says "size 11's." If you want the thing to look at all solid, go two needle sizes smaller, AT LEAST. I'm using 8's and I'm still very worried about acrylic stuffing poking through.
And I'm also frogging a very poor excuse for a mohair hat. Yeah, that's all the stash needs, more yarn.
Hope to be back tomorrow, if we're not under a totalitarian dictator who limits our free speech rights. Oh...wait.
Monday, November 1, 2004
Laughter from Heaven
In the final scene of the movie Dogma, main character "Bethany" asks God (Alanis Morrisette) the immortally troubling question, "Why are we here?" God responds by thinking for a little bit and then poking Bethany in the nose with a childish "BOOP" sound.
I think it was meant to fly over most people's heads, a joke shared by Kevin Smith and the occasional person so immersed in theological reflection that they instinctively know what it means. We are God's children, God's creations. Our entire purpose is to bring God joy. Have you ever seen an adult with a baby who is just getting the hang of laughter and the concept of "funny?" It's hard to tell sometimes who is being more entertained. The baby or the adult who's pushing the baby's nose and saying "BOOP."
We are God's children, and our purpose is to make God laugh.
I must be really fulfilling my purpose to God this weekend.
After my last post, I measured the Fatigue strap again, decided enough was enough, I don't care how short it is, bound off, and sewed the strap to the base. Ta da! Finished Fatigue!
Jen came over at around 9:30 to go and listen to some jazz at a local bar. I decided to show off my new project. I loaded it up with wallet, cell phone, keys, lip gunk. Wait. This really requires a visual.
Fatigue Unloaded.
Fatigue Loaded.
That's right. Knitting stretches. How could I forget this? Dunno. However, I'm not keen on wearing a bag down to my knees, thank you very much. Therefore, when I feel up to it, I must unseam the strap at the bound-off end, frog for awhile, Jen said a good 6 inches, re-bind off, re-seam. That will not be today.
Chuckle at Thy creation, O Lord. I takest no offense.
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