Hey folks,
Hope your Thanksgiving was all kinds of wonderful. We hosted this year and I managed to make an entirely gluten-free meal. Cornbread stuffing, GF challah bread (so good!), gravy and pies and I could eat them all. O Gluttony! You are my mistress! And because the Moms were coming in to town, we had to finish Maude's bathroom facelift. To refresh your memory, this was Maude before:
In the beginning, I thought we would be able to replace the sink and also the tub fixtures. I was only half on the mark. But we learned lots of good stuff like how to repair a crumbling plaster wall:
How to remove a giant-ass old mirror that never should have been in there in the first place:
What crackheads used to live in our house that they attached that mirror to the medicine cabinet with these screws (I shit you not, my friends):
And when to call in the professionals:
According to the plumber, the crackheads had at one point tossed a silica gel pack down the bathroom sink. Over the years it hardened and no amount of snaking by our valiant friend Tom or the expen$ive plumber would remove it. So we nuked and paved. Maude's downstairs bathrom now looks like this:
While we were at it, we also added a mirror to the upstairs bathroom. Just because we are all schmoopy, the mastic under the mirror looks like this:
We totally accept that we are giant nerds. But now we have another finished and beautiful bathroom!
Lastly, because it is now sealed and done and my offer letter signed, I can now boastfully announce that I am an Amazon.com employee! Wooooooot! I start in a few weeks (as soon as they establish I am not a felon) and I couldn't be happier. After the difficulty of the last six months not working, I am flipping ECSTATIC to be getting out of the house for the purpose of making money once again.
Ah, life is good! Oh, and I've been knitting. :)
11.28.2006
Maude's Facelift: Semi-conclusion
11.19.2006
Oh seriously!
It has been almost a month since my last post. That would be pathetic had I not actually done something in that time. Knitting? Yes! Spinning? You betcha! Home improvement? Mais, bien sur mes amis!
Along with all the Christmas knitting (So. Much. Knitting.) I started a sweater for myself and finished a hat and gauntlets. Which I think should be spelled "gauntlettes" because that is frankly more feminine and lovely. So! In the spinning quarter, we have about 300 yards of Mimi spun and plied:
She was utterly useless for the Weekend Pullover by Veronik Avery, so she will be a traditional cabled Aran instead. Which I am just as excited about. Now I just have to spin eleventy kajillion more yards at the same gauge. Oh boy! Also, spun some sock yarn from roving I dyed a while ago:
This is just about 100 yards, unfortunately. But the colors are extraordinary and I could definitely see myself with a pair of socks in this colorway. Maybe I should dye up some more (enough to actually make a pair of socks from the same dye lot even!).
10.24.2006
Climbing back out
Hi folks,
I feel I owe this blog a post. It's been more than 2 weeks. This last couple of weeks have been tough, but I feel like I am beginning to be able to see the other side. Not to pile on, but my grandma (last of the grandparents) passed away, which is not such a bad thing in and of itself (she had a bit of a mean streak) but it meant that my family was once again grieving and I had to go down to LA to be with them. I feel bad for not being more sad, but it is how it is. On the good front, a potential job came through, which is fantastic and reassuring. I have an interview tomorrow morning. I remain needing to get the hell out of the house ASAP, but I am very glad to have learned that staying home is not for me now rather than later.
In fiber news, I have been knitting Christmas presents, so no pics there, but I have been spinning, just to keep my mind off all the crap going on. Behold, Mimi:
She's one of the BFL fleeces from last spring that I had sent off to Ozark Carding Mill to be turned into pin-drafted roving. The sheen of this fleece just kills me. I have plans to make the Weekend Pullover by Veronik Avery in the Fall IK with this yarn (if it gauges out right). I think the silvery gray will be beautiful in the pattern...
I also participated in the Spinning Roving Swap. And folks, this is what arrived today direct from the Greatest Swap Partner of All Time, Purlewe!
That's a 4oz each of Spunky Eclectic 80/20 Merino/Silk in "Phenomenon" and South African Fine in "Cool Rain" as well as two patterns, one for a pretty throw pillow and the other a Matthew Shepherd memorial scarf (this pattern made me cry...) as well as some Halloween stickers. To say I was shocked does not even begin to describe it! Thanks Anj!! You seriously made my day.
As we all know, I have a very relaxed dog. Well, I am here to tell you that he is not the only one in this house who is enjoying his afternoon naps on the couch.
This would be Huxley, totally upside-down. The cat police will probably try to confiscate this picture for the obvious harm it does to the Aloof Cat image. Tough cookies, cat police!
10.07.2006
Down Deep
Hey folks-
I know I haven't piped up for awhile. These last few weeks have been increasingly difficult for me. I've been ruminating in my house, unwilling (and sometimes mentally unable) to leave. I know, it sounds far worse than it really is. I've had some schoolwork to do, but I haven't really worked on it at all. And I came to the realization last weekend that this little sojourn of mine into my head needs to end. And soon. I need to go back to work.
This was an experiment, this staying at home thing. And it doesn't work for me. I thought it would be so much different than what it has turned out to be. Mostly, I'm lonely (but yet socially paralyzed to the extent that I can't leave the house. Lovely that!). I've always known that I am an external thinker; I need people around to bounce ideas and plans off of, to try them on for size. And I have to tell you: Oslo just ain't cuttin' it in his role as a sounding board. Being busy is my savior; I actually like being overloaded. I saw my mentor from school last night and I talked to her about how it is to stay at home and it was as if she had lived my life. I talked about how I need my own money again (and to MAKE my own money) even though Jon's salary more than supports our lifestyle. She filled in the sentence with "I'm sure he's happy to provide money to you, but you feel terribly guilty about taking it, right?" And that's it exactly, I need to feel like I have an equity stake in our household, that I'm not some financial remora.
So I started applying to jobs, submitting my resume and cover letters, and all I've heard in return is utter silence. I manically check my inbox, wondering if I provided the wrong email address, but after I check for the millionth time, I see that I haven't. It's a horrible feeling to feel like you're uncompelling. I know that it's all about the network and that I am the most impatient person on Earth, but this lack of anything is almost worse than not sticking my neck out there at all and rotting away in my house.
Of course I've been knitting, but even that isn't making my heart and hands happy like it used to. Plus, all the knitting I've been up to is Secret Gift Knitting, so I can't show you anyway. It'll be that way for a while yet, until I finish a few key projects for the upcoming holidays. Maybe I'll start a cardigan just so that I'll have something to post about.
9.24.2006
OFFF: or Maude's Facelift
Howdy folks! Try as I might to sound chipper, I am a wee bit pissed (still) this week. I've been taking it out on those around me (sorry) and I'm sure I've been a general delight to be around.
Nevertheless, I managed to get my butt down to bootilicious Canby, OR for the 10th annual Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival (OFFF) to increase my strategic stash reserves. Surprisingly, I only bought half of one llama fleece and under $100 of yarn (most of it for other people). I was shocked and amazed too!
The day started off well at about 8am for the drive down to Canby from Seattle. Jon went with me, we took turns driving, and played all day with go-karts waited patiently while I took far longer to get through it all than I had anticipated. Luckily for me, I was rescued form the overwhelmingness of it all by the fabulous Duchess and her friend S. It was really wonderful to have two other amenable fibernerds to sort through the piles and piles of wool/llama/alpaca/angora/cashmere/cotton/flax/dog/goat/etcetcetc.
The one thing I wish I could have done was make this entry an audio entry. The sounds of OFFF were amazing. From the ridiculous voices of the different sheep ("baaaa" to "mehhh" to hoarse staccato bleets) to the muppety "Beaker" noises of the baby alpacas (seriously, the little squeaks, sighs ad beeps alpacas make is a reason to buy one). So, without further ado, the pictures!
And now, the fiber stash augmentation!
And the piece de resistance, fiber from Sara Anderson in colorway Autumn Joy:
And, of course, since I can't just leave well enough alone, we are also giving our house Maude a little shot of botox. She really needed a central focus for the main floor bathroom. You see, before, she was an era slut; a little from the '20s, a little from the '50s, a little from the '80s... We're restoring the bathroom to the '20s with a euro-style vanity and new fixtures and subway tile. Maude should feel a little less confused when we're done...
9.19.2006
ohthankgodI'mhome
Oh my sweet goodness, folks, I am happy to be home. That trip was a marathon boondoggle of global proportions! It was the most poorly "planned", ridiculously scheduled slog of a sixteen days that I have ever experienced. My time was scheduled down to the half-hour by people who apparently think that graduate students = 14 year olds. Although I was explicitly asked about dietary restrictions, absolutely NO arrangements were made to ensure that I could eat the food that was served at our mandatory dinners. Many dinners I had to make do with nothing or specifically ask the chef myself if he could make something "senza glutine" because "sono allergica a glutine. Mais, patate e riso [are] tutta bene, [but] NO FRUMENTO". Yeah, I also now *totally* rock the speaking of Italian.
Highlights of the trip were all centered around the town's annual Festa. The "men in tights" (sbandiatore) were the best part of that and those guys are not shy about what they have to offer the world in the Package department, if you know what I mean (lecherous wink). We have some pretty spectacularly lewd shots of them from the various parties we attended. They are a fun bunch, though and I now know that the Italian World Cup chant can be cut into *any* song. And I know it by heart. For such a chic culture, they sure are giant dorks when it comes to the music they like to dance to (fast techno, dance hits from the 70's and 80's). I think the only new song I heard the entire time was "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. It's a giant hit with rural Italians.
So many things went on during this trip, it's going to be hard to write a general synopsis, but here goes... I had a good time, even though it was really hard to not be able to eat anything and have to be away from home. The entire living situation was totally miscommunicated (had I known I would be battling scorpions, bedbugs and spiders the size of my fist I would have at least packed a sleepsack and my own sheets. The 65-euro-a-night hotel that I indulged in the last 5 nights was the best money I have ever spent. Italians are a sweet, hospitable, dorky and quirky bunch and although I came to love them, I have no desire to ever go back. Also, one of my two classes was a total waste of time and tuition.
So! Did I do any knitting? You betcha! I started the Icarus shawl, and a secret project for the upcoming holidays. I am really really trying to be good this year and do like the Yarn Harlot and put things away as I knit them during the year for holidays gift purposes so I'm not left flatfooted on December 24th (as usual). 
9.11.2006
The Land of Pasta
Hi folks,
So the Land of Pasta is incredibly unadvanced technologically. I am in an internet cafe that has two computers and runs pirated copies of Windows. Sweet, eh? There is a LYS here and I'll be hitting it up tomorrow (everything is mostly closed on Sunday and Monday). We've been here for the Festa which include flag-waving performances, crossbow tournaments and Renaissance dress. It's really rather neat! I have, of course, been knitting through all of it. But since I have no network access for my computer, you'll have to wait for pictures... :)
That's all for now, time for Siesta! Peace out!
9.02.2006
Off On a Jet Plane (again)
Hi folks,
I'm off early tomorrow morning to the Land of Pasta and Pizza (and Gluten). I will be back on the 18th just in time for Oregon Flock and Fiber. I've started the Icarus shawl this week as well as a new pair of socks and as usual I am bringing waaaaaaaay too many knitting projects with me. Oh well!
Have a wonderful next two weeks; I'll try to post as I can!
Peace out!
8.28.2006
Random Monday
Hi folks,
Everybody else does it, so I can too!
- While I was out riding Mario last Friday, I was picking blackberries (blackberry picking is the very best from on a horse!) in a very populated park, what I call the Disneyland of public parks, when I looked behind me and saw what I first thought was a large dog staring at me 30 feet away. Then I did a double take; it was a GIGANTIC coyote. Mario unfortunately caught sight of the damn thing with its smiley mocking face and laughing eyes and promptly got very nervous. However, he was good enough to indulge me in my Master Coyote Scaring Plan of turning into a very large six-legged noise machine. My good old Mar didn't want to turn around and stare the coyote down, but he did and then enduring me making quite a ruckus on his back without flinching a bit. I am a lucky girl to have such a mount! On Sunday I talked to the folks at the barn about my middle of the afternoon sighting and they said the animal is a "coydog", a coyote/dog hybrid, and that it has been hanging around for months and isn't scared of people at all. They've lost a lot of the barn cats to this genetic mutant, unfortunately.
- It has come time for me to shed the extra 25lbs I have gained in the last 6 months. I am doing a diet that has worked for me before, the WebMD diet, and I am one calorie-giving up cranky lady right now, I tell you what!
- On my way back from Canada I received a phone call from a recruiting company that lands people contract jobs wanting to screen me for a full-time contract position in marketing/project management for a very well-known local company founded by a MSFT gazillionaire (who also may have had a large hand in building the EMP here in Seattle). I am excited about this prospect for three reasons. Reason #1: I lost out on the fellowship I had applied for and that bummed me out. Reason #2: I barely had to do anything (other than post my resume on Monster) to get this call. Reason #3: Yarn money!!
- I take off for Italy this coming Sunday. I have about 20 pages of papers to write and more interviews to schedule and conduct, some in Italy where I don't even speak the language or know how to get to these peoples' offices!, and even more lame-ass homework to do. I signed up for two classes on this study tour in Italy thinking they would be easy and uncomplicated. Boy howdy, was I wrong! They are cramming as much information into two weeks as we usually get in 10 and it's pissing me off, but it's too late to withdraw from the classes now and get a refund. Fucking school! Pair that with the lack of fellowship and I am ready to go back to work.
- Last Thursday, I hung out with my bestest friends E. and M. and their darling sons and it was a wonderful time. It feels really good to be able to have two women in your life who are moms and who support you and you them and who I can play "little sister" to. We're all three the oldest girls in our family and I may be just speaking for myself, but that gets a little tiring sometimes. It feels nice to be able to have someone else navigate or cook for you or organize things and I thank Whoever everyday that I am surrounded by such a loving group of friends. I will end the mushiness now.
- I made a hat from the Louisa Harding Accessories collection, in the actual yarn it calls for, and I am disappointed. It knit up too small (I knit a full inch and a half shorter than the pattern called for because I could see that I would never make it to the full 19 inches and still have enough yarn left over for the crown) and the brim is all screwed up not to mention the TERRIBLE finishing instructions. It's a good thing I made that call, too, because as is, I had about a foot of yarn left over. The finishing instructions called for mattress stitch, which looks like hell on the underside and doesn't actually hide the seam at all. I am completely underwhelmed with this hat and it illustrates why I usually never buy designer books; they don't check their gauge or proof-knit their patterns and they are just as expensive as patternbooks that do. So here's a blasted picture of me in the $%*&# hat:
Peace out, yo's.
8.24.2006
Back from Beyond
Hi folks,
I'm back from here:
It was actually a restful vacation where I did things like get a massage at Hollyhock (the local Hippie Yoga Palace), go to the farmer's market in search of salal jam and honey, eat oysters whenever I darn well pleased and nude it up in a place so uninhabited that no one would ever see me. When I was little, our family used to kayak and camp all the time. The ocean kayaks that transported us up rivers, across lakes, and through mud are now at Mom's cabin. I thought it would be fun to go kayaking but the stupid stabilizers (air bladders on the side of the boat) wouldn't hold air. I was sad.
p.s. I know I look completely melty-faced demented here.
But I kayaked anyway!
Jon married me because I am a silly goose, so I already know that as well. I was determined to take to the water in some manner other than swimming, although I (barely) did that too. I rowed the dinghy:
That's Oslo on the bow, balancing. Shortly after Jon took this photo Oslo decided to jump ship and take a swim. Once he went in, though, I think he realized just how cold it is in the middle of the Sound and he swam alongside the boat where I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and hauled him back in. Silly dogs. They just don't listen to their mamas! We also visited friends (Scott and Delia) in Teakerne Arm. They help run the local oyster co-op and this is their float house. Where they live. All year round.
Their house is in the center background of the photo.
Of course, no vacation would be complete without knitting! I took an unfinished sock, an unstarted Phildar tank (#28 from Printemps 2005), an unstarted Phildar cardi (#30 from Printemps 2005) and the Sienna Cardi. And guess what?? All that I did was finish Sienna. Big surprise, eh? Yeah, it totally shocked me too!
Here she is a-blockin':
And here she is at home, all finished up!
I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I knit it in the madder-dyed Shilasdair yarn in size 39. When I tried it on pre-blocking it was waaaaaay small, so I blocked it much bigger and it obliged. Thankfully. This is what I got done of the sock before I discovered I'd broken a needle:
And the tank:
I'm trying to knit this in the 41" size at the base and then at the 38" size at the top. I am shaped like a pear. Unfortunately, this may make me fanangle a little and I'll probably end up procrastinating on figuring it out until I am 70 years old and a *completely* different shape. Le sigh.
And here's the progress on the Phildar cardi:
Amazing! It's an invisible cardigan and this is my leftover wool! I am way more talented than I originally thought. Where's the emperor? I have some sweaters to knit for him.
Lest you think I didn't do my fiberhound job and ferret out the scent of new wool (wow! how many animal hunting references can I cram into a phrase?) I did happen upon a little store called Mad About Ewe (sadly web presence-less) in Nanaimo, BC, that carried the most uniquely Canadian wool I know of.
Yep, you read those tags right. Fleece Artist. Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum!!! Just one skein of Lady Godiva and 2 skeins of 2-ply cashmere. I vowed to only by yarn I couldn't find at home easily and to spare my pocketbook (thanks for the sucky exchange rate Bush, you pansy...). I love this yarn, I really really do. Now I just have to find projects for it (that I will never finish anyway so what in the hell does it matter?). And of course, I also picked up some of Joy's wool:
That there is 12 skeins of Joy's homegrown Cortes Island Romney/Hampshire/Leicester/other breeds X lopi yarn. I measured out a skein using my niddy noddy and it comes to about 148 yards/skein. More than enough for two sweaters. I will dye it and let you know how it turns out.
Peace out!
Sunset our first night at the cabin
8.15.2006
Lordy lordy lordy
Wow has this last week been a whirlwind!
Tuesday/Wednesday = $#@$!&^ finals.
Thursday = Mike and Casey came up to visit and deliver dear sweet Phoebe's fiber for spinning into laceweight. Thanks for trusting me with this Casey, I'll do right by your bunny. We had a great time going to the dog park and found a fantastic Thai place that satisfied my GF diet and their vegehoovian tendancies and all was grand!
Friday = Up at 5:45am to do wedding flowers. This is the result:
Saturday = A blank. I have no idea what I did... Oh yeah, I had to go to class for the courses I'm taking in Italy. And then I had to go to "Festa" where we all tasted wine (none of which I liked; they were all way too acidic) and there was no gluten free food. Yum! So Jon and I went out to dinner later instead and we saw Little Miss Sunshine. I laughed, I cried, but really, I mainly cried. That movie is NOT your typical comedy.
Sunday = I rode and then went to the dog park with my friend M. and then we did one of our last GF/no-dairy cookathons before she moves to the Bay Area at the end of August. Turns out that lemon bars translate incredibly well to suit our weird GI tracts! We let Jon have a lemon bar and then M. and I attacked the 9x9 pan with a fork each and demolished our delicious effort. You know you've got a good friend when you don't even bother with plates and midway through the sugar craze, you mutually decide that the topping is better than the crust and proceed to scrape all the topping off and leave the crust. :)
Monday = Lunch and a "Cruisers and Crawlers" (which I keep accidentally calling "Creepers and Crawlers") group with my other friend M. for a b-day cause celebre. C'etait fantastique! Merci Mme. M!
Today = Mass craziness working toward getting packed to go up to my Mom's place in Canada for a week. So I'll be gone, knitting and seeing my favorite wool producer, Joy Shipway, on Cortes Island. As usual, I have an extremely optimistic 2 projects along for the ride (A Phildar tank and a Phildar cardi, I know, I'm insane). I'll be back next Tuesday rested and relaxed.*
*HA!!
