Mittens for Rosie the Riveter February 27, 2007

Apparently the appearance of my hands is important in my job. The lovely new girl just got acrylics. Another co-worker said her own hands without acrylics look like the hands of a laboror. Me, too. My hands bely my lower-class upbringing more than my Target clothes and my ability to perform an oil change.

Actually the main reason I’m thinking about my hands is because I finished the thumb on my Peekabo Mittens yesterday. Is my thumb not freakishly short?

Notice the top of the first isn’t done yet. I took a wonderful class with Chris Bylsma at Stitches Midwest 2006 that unlocked the code of kitchener for me. Now I can’t find my handout or notes. And I know any other explanation available for me doesn’t work. Maybe I’ll just work on some sort of drawstring top to it.

Am I marked? February 26, 2007

As I’m sitting here watching Heroes, I’m thinking how much easier a girl’s life could be if she was a mind reader.

Take this weekend’s experience with the latest man of mystery. It is easy to point out that this guy was never right for me from the start. As usual, I can say that I should have followed my gut instinct. But if I had done that, I wouldn’t be telling this story.

After letting this guy have a second chance, and then a third, he calls me on Thursday and left a voicemail asking if I want to go out Saturday, you know “get out of the house or something.” As if I’ve been sitting around, waiting for his call, with nothing better to do.

After T and I stumbled out of the movie theater on Friday, I texted him, planning on stringing him along to be deserving of my own second chance (not my best moment, but whatever). He called back in no more than two minutes, saying he was on his way out but he’d call tomorrow to figure out plans. I know, I should have said I was busy, but I planned on standing him up.

Instead, he stood me up.

Well, almost.

He called at nearly 9 o’clock. Seriously. If I wanted to meet him at the bar, where the gang was going to drink, I could.

Hardly a date. Hardly worth my time. Yet I still feel like I was dumped. I suppose this time I deserve it, though.

LYS sale – HearthStone Knits

From a flyer in my mailbox today:

Spring Sale 2007
March 6th through March 17th

10%-40% sale on in-stock merch, additional savings on sale yarn

HearthStone Knits is in South County at 11429 Concord Village Ave (right behind Lindbergh at Tesson Ferry)

Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4:30pm

It’s raining babies! February 25, 2007

All within the last month, I’ve noticed that there are gestating humans everywhere: my sister, several friends, random clients…all with differing degrees of body morphing.

I’m going to be the best auntie (spoken with a uppper-crust English accent) ever. My sister wants to wait for the first knitted blanked to begin after they find out the sex. Here’s to being able to see a lack of a labia next week! (I drank water. Seems silly to open champagne just for me.)

Today’s FO is for a wonderful work-friend who, quite possibly looks hotter pregnant than she ever has.

See – doesn’t she look great!

[well, once i ask her if it’s ok to use her picture]

And for her darling daughter-to-be

First Baby Kimono from Mason-Dixon Knits
(knit stockinette and not garter)
in Rowan calmer in a hot pink, color number 477, lot 17L3, 1 1/2 balls

Isn’t the ribbon cute?

And can I say this about the calmer? (Why, yes I can. It’s my blog). Rowan’s calmer completely lives up to the hype. I despise knitting with 100% cotton. It hurts my hands. Calmer is PURE HEAVEN to knit. The acrylic makes my unruly stitches look even and beautiful.

The Wrath of Mars February 22, 2007

So…I’m three episodes behind on Veronica Mars.

Unbelievable, especially because the show typically causes me to behave like a crack addict when passing his dealer on the street.

Innocently scrolling through Bloglines while ingesting my morning caffeine, I see the title of this.

[spoiler alert]

Lamb is dead!

Damn, I allotted time in my schedule to catch up this weekend. Now I won’t be as surprised as I’m sure everyone else was. Sometimes I hate the internets.

By the way, I did convert another VM fan this week. She watched the first DVD all in one sitting, and forced her family to watch too. See, friends? You will bend to my will (and enjoy it)!

But my doctor prescribed this yarn! February 21, 2007

I got back from the allergist today and I immediately bought this! My allergist, who is one of the top allergists in the country and has completed two clinical trials very recently that cause him to come to this conclusion* —

—Under no circumstances will someone with a shellfish allergy have a reaction to Tofutsies yarn! I could even eat the yarn and not stop breathing.—

Of course, I am not claiming that I am said medical expert and you should talk to your own doctor about the risks, blah, blah, blah… But if you want the medical reasons why it will be ok for you to buy it, too, I’d be happy to share

In other unhappy news from the allergist, I’m allergic to most nuts. And I really have to limit my eating in restaurants where servers can’t always understand my instructions. After this last trip to the ER after an accidental ingestion, my dad suggested writing down an instruction card in several languages listing those allergies and carry it with me.

“I’d like to thank my mother…” as she stood there, grinning, next to golden statue February 20, 2007

Wendy answered my question! I think maybe I’ll knit a couple of swatches just to practice blocking techniques like steam ironing and the like.

The scarf is from Victorian Lace Today – it’s one of the pre-release patterns that I got at Stitches Midwest, but I purchased the book as soon as I could!

It’s my first lace project, so no comments about how the stitches are uneven. And, for my own records, here are the stats:

– Crystal Palace Yarns, Kid Merino
– Color 9810, lot 4323S2-3 (one ball in, I expect it will take three total)

The affair with MagKnits has only just begun… February 19, 2007

I just finished my almost-second* malagaiter. I’m not apologizing for the crappy quality of the picture – I’ll get an action shot sometime soon.

Stats:
– Brioche Malagaiter, by Mary Lou Egan for Mag Knits
– Elsebeth lavold’s chunky AL in 010 Turquoise (dye lot 60997 – I don’t know why in the hell I’m including that)
– 1 skein, 82 yards, wool is 50% Peruvian and 50% FS Alpaca
– Men’s size (I have a freakishly large head, see below)

Progress has commenced on Peekaboo from Mag Knits newest issue (by Megan at Pensive Frog) in the same yarn. Oddly enough I was going through knitting blogs for a particular city that I’m interested in moving to, and one of these queen knitting designers lives in said city! I’ll let you readers figure it out.

Regardless, if I don’t finish them soon, I may not get to wear them in our global-warming induced winter in St. Louis.

*I completed the body of my nearly first malagaiter right when the pattern came out, but I never made the i-cord since it wasn’t really going to fit. And I don’t like to frog, so it’ll make a nice present for someone.