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Signs of Spring

I don't give a crap about the NEW blizzard we're expecting tomorrow; the cats are dropping hair in massive, messy handfuls, and to me that's as sure a sign of winter's end as the leaves dropping off the trees is a harbinger of fall.  I've never seen anything like this - there is cat hair in our ears, up our sleeves, in the Martian's diapers.  To a certain extent, there is always hair in everything, which is kind of the point; if I'm suddenly NOTICING the hair, it's because the amount of it in our apartment has increased about a thousandfold.  After an intensive brushing session last night, I ended up with a ball of hair that was easily the size of the Martian's head.  My first thought was: "Ewwwww."  My second thought: "Too bad I can't spin it."

And did I mention the flowers?  I believe I did.

The top ones are Brenda's from a Craftster exchange, and the pink bouquet is from Laurel for the February Flower Swap.  There's another round in the works, if you want to get in on some quick, easy and crafty swapping! 

Elizabeth had to be ripped and rethought - I loved the Silk Garden, but pairing it with Fizz was a mistake.  I don't know why I keep trying to find ways to make this yarn work for me. I hate the way it feels and can't stand to knit with it, but - inexplicably - I still think the finished fabric could have potential.  I just don't know how, exactly.  For this piece, at least, it was wrong - much too foofy and goofy.  So rip it went, and I used my Drafty Interlude at Knit NY on Friday to find something more appropriate.  I ended up with this:

Zarina Multi by Filatura di Crosa.  I liked the way the color changes were spaced, and thought it would be a nice complement for the rainbow Silk Garden.

A word to the wise - if you use Silk Garden for this, do NOT start the ruffle with it, or you'll run out two rows before the end.  Luckily, I had some Kureyon that was a close enough match, and since those rows get folded over to make the picot edge anyway...well, I'm not losing any sleep over it.  I only have a few more inches of picot to sew up and the buttons to add, so I'll hopefully be able to wear it tomorrow.  Just in time for the first blizzard of Spring.

Just My Capote

PATTERN: Clapotis by Kate Gilbert
YARN: Filati FF Shine color 88 (Smoke), 85% polyamide (nylon)/15% viscose (rayon), 110 yards/50 grams, 8 balls used
GAUGE: 6 st/inch
NEEDLES: size 5 Denise circs

MeMeMeMeMe

I thought I was all done with these meme thingies, but I've been TV tagged (anyone remember that game?) by auntieknits7. This'll be short, since TV and I don't party like we used to.

How much space is left on your TIVO?

Never got this whole TIVO thing. So, none.

Have you ever bought a DVD of a TV series and if so which one?

The Office (both seasons and the holiday special), six seasons of Buffy, and two seasons of West Wing.

What was the last TV show you watched before reading this message?

Scrubs.

List five shows you won't miss.

The L Word is pretty much it for me right now; terrific acting, directing and writing, full stop. I enjoy Arrested Development and Scrubs, but don't really go out of my way for them. If we're counting shows that are no longer on the air, add Homicide, Sopranos, Sex and the City, and My So-Called Life.

Three peeps to pass this on to:

Oh, dear. Is there anyone who hasn't gotten this yet? If the spirit moves you to answer these, then go ahead and consider yourself tagged. My gift to you.

Despite the impending snowstorm expected this afternoon, I'm feeling surprisingly spring-y right now. Possibly because of the lovely knit flower pins I received from a couple of swaps - thanks thanks thanks to Laurel and Brenda who crafted the little marvels. You'll have to take my word for it on how pretty they are, because I crapped out on taking pictures last night. Some new sauciness from ferociously talented designer Kate Gilbert sucked me right in, and...

You heard me, I said NEW. Those last columns of Clapotis stitches ran like Marion Jones, and the shiny lady is finitas.

I'm a little surprised, I have to say. After more than 18 straight repeats I was starting to think that I'd be knitting Capote for the rest of my life, but once I hit those decrease rows, they flew by in fewer than 12 hours. She's officially off the needles and plotting her debut, following the official photo session tonight.

It'll be fun, I hope.

Meanwhile - speaking of flowers and spring - I'm wildly amused by these gloves. No pattern unfortunately.

Better Joke Wednesday

How many Bush administration officials does it take to screw in a light bulb?

None. There is nothing wrong with the light bulb. Its conditions are improving every day. Any reports of its lack of incandescence are a delusional spin from the liberal media. That light bulb has served honorably, and anything you say undermines the lighting effect. Why do you hate freedom?

(found on author Stephen Elliott's website)

Bad Joke Tuesday

Why don't hipsters do well in karate?

Because they can't get past the white belt.

This was a productive weekend for me - I somehow managed to give myself whiplash in my sleep on Friday, had some bad spinach on Saturday, and while puking my guts out managed to very efficiently explode all the blood vessels in my face, so now I look like I've gone a few rounds with Hilary Swank. You will be relieved to know that no pictures will be forthcoming.

Oh, and I hit the decrease rows on Capote, which means I'm unraveling two columns at a time on that blessed eighth row. I may get all crazy and try to finish it tonight, since I'll no longer be wasting my time doing dangerous things like sleeping and eating.

Saffron/Safety

They photograph beautifully - even from space - but up close and personal, all I could think of was Home Depot and pylons.

I've always found their wrapped buildings to be amazingly transformative and powerful but this whole Central Park thing feels mundane. I walked through part of it on Monday with a friend, and both of us were just, meh.

Then again, I've been in a crappy mood for almost an entire month now, so maybe it's got nothing to do with the art at all.

Though I've got every reason to be all cheery today - Clapotis is fast approaching her decrease rows, and when I panicked because I thought I'd run short of the Shine, Threadbear came through with one more skein. Even though I bought the original yarn from them over a year ago.

And then yesterday hit me with a package from Jackie as a thank-you for the last Secret Pal exchange. She's too, too kind - there was chocolate, a book for the Martian (Curious George, no less!) and two lovely, blue-y skeins of Kersti.

Jackie, you're a lifesaver. I gotta say, when winter is kicking your ass like it is mine this year, a little Kersti goes a long way toward helping you see Spring at the end of the tunnel. I know who's got "next" on my needles.

In A Place As Strange As Brooklyn

I spent the better part of yesterday afternoon with the delightful Rose at Yarnivore, learning the finer points of working a drop spindle.  I'm clubbing myself over the head for leaving my camera at home - her store is fantastic, a big, open space that she shares with the Church of Craft, simply brimming with gorgeous yarns that I've never seen anywhere else.  I was a little...well, not nervous exactly.   Only whenever I'm about to try something I've never done before, there's this niggling little Voice that mutters darkly in my inner ear that I'm just not not going to get it, and whatever it is I'm going to fail so spectacularly that anyone lucky enough to be watching will bust out laughing, and then immediately call 1) all her friends 2) Page Six 3) my mother, to share the details of the disaster.  I don't know where this comes from (having obviously terminated my therapy prematurely) and I've gotten pretty good at ignoring it, but for a few minutes - at least - the Voice has my attention, and I'm thinking, "Fuck, maybe this is a huge mistake and I should go home right now and hide under the bed for a while."  It's to Rose's credit as a patient and knowledgeable instructor that only a few minutes into the lesson, all sense of impending doom vanished, and by the end of three hours I had this to show for it:

It's a mess, I know - it's uneven as hell, with huge thick sections alternating with teensy, tightly twisted sections.  I don't care.  It's my first yarn, and I love it.  Here it is after I dunked it to set the twist:

Since I like thick/thin yarns, I'm not too distressed by the variations in thickness - I figure that the more I do this, the more even it'll get - eventually.  For now, I'm just going to enjoy the process.  And cackle to myself every time I see the price tag for a skein of Point 5.

Oh, and Rose gave me the coolest button:

I passed by a craft store on the way home, and found some hardware so's I could finally finish putting together my pin for the February Flower Exchange.  The pattern for flower and leaf came from Knitted Embellishments

I think I'm going to make another one for myself in black, and use Rose's button in the center.

And then I got me some beautiful stitch markers in the mail from my Secret Pal - thanks for the sweetness, sweetie!

Blahg

Dunno what's up with me this week - I'm feeling overwhelmingly dour, crabby, and generally slug-like. I can't even tell if it's PMS-related or not; pregnancy and close to 2 years of breastfeeding gave me an unprecedented break from Monthly Mayhem, so now my hormones are all out of whack and my period's getting back at me by bopping all over the calendar like a monkey on Crank. At least I have lovely Capote to comfort me, and on Saturday I'll be taking the Martian to Brooklyn to hang with my friend T. while I take what I hope will be a soothing, relaxing spinning class at Yarnivore. FINALLY, I'll be using the Rhinebeck spindle and roving for their intended purposes, rather than for yet another still life in my growing series of stash tableaux.

I'm excited about this, albeit in a dour, slug-like way.

Considering my present mood, I was thrilled to see that Carolyn (aka The Most Callous Bitch) has a quiz up that invites you to test your own level of bitchiness.

I am 69% Asshole/Bitch.

I am abrasive, some people really hate me, but there may be a group of other tight knit assholes and bitches that I can hang out with and get me. Everybody else? Fuck ‘em.

Take the
Asshole/Bitch Test
@ FualiDotCom

The Other Truman Show

I really wanted to hold off on posting any more pictures of Capote until she was all done, but I couldn't help myself.  She's just too much damn fun not to share.

I can't wait to finish.  Which is not to say that I can't be distracted by some new beads that were just screaming to be stitch markers.

SP4

*I've just relocated my answers to the SP4 questionnaire because I was getting tired of seeing this "me me me" crap every day, (right; as opposed to the usual bloggy "me me me" crap) which I'm also fairly certain is of no interest to anyone but my Secret Pal, whomsoever s/he may be.