Greetings from Our Nation's Capitol

While you guys were getting socked with a Nor'easter here in Boston, down in DC we were ALSO getting socked. DH and I can't get a break from this weather, even when we are on vacation. Poor guy takes it pretty personal. He had hoped we would be getting temps in the 60's, but that SO didn't happen.

But we did have a nice time. We stayed in some nice hotels. His great aunt did some italian cooking for us, which was OUTSTANDING.

As it was raining sideways and gusting in the other direction, we spent most of our time indoors at the museums. I took some video, but quite frankly, I've just about given up on getting google video to work in a timely fashion. I want my life back!Sniff!

art school humor


flowers at the national gallery


beautiful statue at the National Gallery, ^%$#! blurry photo!


Carousel on the Mall


WWII Army/Air Force Paraphenlia from the Air & Space Museum

Pen Pal

After about a 25 year hiatus, I have picked up the old quill and paper once again. No, I'm not finishing my novel. Although, you'd like that wouldn't you. No, this time I'm writing to a penpal. I think I wrote to my last pal was when I was in the 3rd or 4th grade. She lived in Ireland and was my age. My brother signed me up to be her penpal as a gift, and I remember being pretty psyched about it since I'm half irish.

This has all been organized by a knitting blogger I frequently read.

To those unfortunate people who corresponded with me in high school and college (ummm, Lady S, this means you), please be assured, that the tone of my letter was upbeat, devoid of narcissism (I think), and made no reference to any sort of angst, PAIN, or other types of bleakness.

heh!

All the Condo's A Stage....

Sorry for my absence! I had planned to put up a video from a walk I took in the woods in Concord, MA two Saturdays ago. Google video was not cooperating, so I gave up. Then I tried to load a photo from said walk, but got distracted.


DH and I have been working hard at "staging" our condo to sell it (hopefully!) this spring. Weekends normally spent updating my blog have lately been devoted to endless tidying, moving things around, etc, etc.

Check out the "staged" version of my command center...



Pretty nice, eh? The matching ottoman lives in another room for the time being.

In the meantime, I cast on for the second sleeve of my sweater, and done about ten rows. Every row counts, people!

This weekend, DH and I are going to DC this weekend to visit some of his family. I'm hoping to grab a bite to eat at this place.

Patches

This is a controversial short film that Patches starred in, but it never played in theatres. It was considered too artistically risque for american audiences. (this may take a few second to load on your computer depending on your internet connection)

Sha-ZZAM!

I recently suggested to myself that buying a new knitting bag would encourage me to knit more. It HAS! I finished the sleeve of my sweater. Here's a picture (pre-blocking) of all the finished parts thus far:



I knit all Sunday afternoon, seated in my command center, whilst DH and Patches watch college basketball. It's March Madness time.



Today I also treated myself to a one hour massage at my hair salon. They are a pretty small salon, but they offer some services outside the usual hair and nail type thing. Please indulge me as I speak briefly on this topic...

I was never a glamour-puss. In high school, I worked as a receptionist at the local hair salon, and found everyone on the premises (employees AND clients!) to be rather absurd and sometimes frightening. Keep in mind, this was during the Big-Hair 1980s. It has taken me many years to appreciate and enjoy what the salon has to offer, and I now consider it an oasis of pampering. Tangent: I know it's mean to say, but it really detracts from the oasis effect, when you look up from your US Weekly, and you've got goop in your hair, to see someone's sullen boyfriend/husband/child slouching there waiting for their women-folk to finish up already.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Non-Irish folks NEED to know: the whole "luck o' the irish" thing was invented by the Irish Tourist Board. Believe me. Need proof? Okay:

1. Woke up this morning to the sight of THIS (thanks, Patches!)



2. And THIS (thanks, Mr. Weatherman!)



3. As well as the sound of water dripping from our bedroom ceiling. Apparently an old water stain has revived itself, thanks to the severe winds and moisture from our most recent storm.

OK, sorry. Just had to gripe a little. Must be some pent up frustration from living in New England for 33 years! I am, actually, very lucky. I've got a wonderful DH, and that's just the start of it.

We spent St. Patrick's day shoveling, then went to see The Wind That Shakes The Barley, which I found very interesting. My paternal grandparents came from Ireland (as well as my Da!), and were in their late teens/early twenties during the era depicted in the film. It was a very violent and tragic time, and I can see why no one ever seems to want to talk about it.

As much as we were in the mood for some tasty bread and a pint at Matt Murphy's after watching the film, we knew it'd be really crowded, so we went to Little Q Mongolian Hotpot Just the thing for such cold wet weather! And right down the street!



Because this is supposed to be a knitting blog, I should really update you: I'm back on that pesky sleeve for my lace sweater, and am now getting ready to do the shaping for the upper arm! I think getting a new knitting bag was the right thing to do.

Blah, blah, blah....

Listen to me drone on. and onnnnnnn.

Bored my boss this afternoon with a story about how I got a comb stuck in my hair once. simply. fascinating.

Maybe if I have a new bag...

...I'll get more knitting done!!!

Completely on impulse last week, I purchased a new knitting bag, which doubles as a purse, so theoretically, I can shlep all my knitting and purse stuff together. It is being shipped from Webs, as we speak:




Green is kind of daring for me. Normally I only choose black handbags. I hope I don't regret this! At the moment I'm using a bag I got a conference (with a big old ugly logo emblazoned on the front and a strap that is too long for my short self) to carry around my precious knitting. I simply loathe that bag.

I haven't gotten anywhere the past few weeks on my sleeve. First it was being sick, then planning DH's birthday.

SnB Thursday

I can't make SnB AGAIN this Thursday, because I need to go to a conference for work. Hmm. It's on teh North Shore - maybe I'll swing by Rhonda's favorite yarn shop up there, the Seed Stich, and do some recon of my own!

Portrait in badness

Here's Patches, trying to hide her shame from the camera.




Another roll of TP ravaged.

Movie Mania

DH has got a case of movie mania. He recently watched the three volume "A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies", and lost no time picking up some of the movies mentioned therein.

For instance, tonite we watched "All that Heaven Allows", with Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman, directed by Douglas Sirk. It was a terrific, visually stunning movie. And if you like technicolor and glamourous 1950's clothes, you'll love this. It was hard not to chuckle at the scene where Jane Wyman's character says to Rock Hudson's: "You want me to be a man!". Ummm, yes Jane, he kind of does!



A few years ago, you may have seen "Far From Heaven", with Julianne Moore. It was directed by Todd Haynes, and was an homage to the movies Douglas Sirk made in the 1950's. The costuming in this movie is unbelievable. I recommend renting this one too!

thanks Betty C!

Thanks for the soup recipe -you are the best!

Trying to feel productive

Stuck at home, sick, since Friday. I left my knitting bag at work. ARGGGHHHH. It's probably for the best, since Claritin makes me feel befuddled.

It is asian New Year, and I keep hearing the sound of drums and firecrackers going off in my neighborhood, which is pretty exciting. Yesterday as I walked over to the grocery store, I saw a bunch of kids dressed up in elaborate traditional costumes walking down the street. Pretty cool. I'd go out again and try and find where the celebrations are, but I'm feeling pretty tuckered.

For the past week or so, large flocks of canada geese have been swooping in from somewhere to spend the day pecking at the grass in the soccer field behind our house. Patches doesn't quite know what to make of them. I used to think they were pesky until I watched Winged Migration. I rented it again yesterday, and it is probably one of the best documentaries I've ever watched. What I find funny is that they swoop in between 9:00-10:00AM or so, just when I'm getting up. They disappear before it gets dark. I thought birds were supposed to be early risers.





Last week DH and I went up to Rockport for a visit. Although we spent most of the weekend next to a nice warm woodstove, we did manage to take a walk down near the water. It was brisk. We saw some interesting creatures along the way:





I'll leave you with this image of one of my favorite stops along our walk. I find it to be very Winslow Homerish.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A happy, snowy-sleety, Valentine's Day to all! Especially, my DH.

Command Center has been implemented.

On February 10th, in the year of our Lord 2007, in the City of Quincy and the State of Massachusetts, the Chair was delivered without incident to a very happy Worker Bee.



Scratch guards were promptly put into place, to protect against this:



And this:



She really loves faux suede. She's got good taste,what can I say?

Interweave Knits!

My first issue arrived in the mail yesterday. How nice is that? It's a quarterly magazine, so I completely forgot it was coming! A lot of the patterns are for bamboo yarn! I had a passing thought of using my gift certificate for Woolcott to buy the yarn for the sweater on the cover page (different color maybe). I fell in love with bamboo yarn on my trip to WEBS recently. It is so soft, and has a beautiful sheen.

Nuthin' doin'

Couldn't make it to SnB today, since I forgot my knitting at home, AGAIN. Only about 48 hours to count down until the arrival of the Command Center.

First sleeve is progressing

Made some real progress on the first sleeve this weekend. It currently measures about 13". When I get to 17", I'll start shaping for the top of the sleeve.

So tired. So very tired.

Participate in my first ever "Blog Poll"!

DH and I are thinking about going on vacation in October (still crunching the numbers). Check out my vacation blog poll at the bottom of the page!

Command Center: Phase Two

Project Command Center has now entered Phase Two. I arrived home last night, shivering from the icy blistering walk from the subway, to a message on the answering machine from B&P's that my beloved chair (AAAND ottoman) would be arriving to their warehouse, and I should call to arrange delivery.

Delivery has been scheduled for: Saturday February 10th!

Hooooorrrraaaaaayyyyy!

I'm going to have to cat proof it. I'm completely devoted to her, but if Patches thinks she can scratch the sh** out of this chair, like she has done to everything else in the house, she has another thing coming!

On a not so different tangent, I've been fantasizing about my dream house. Mine wouldn't need this amount of square footage. HALF the square footage would be perfectly adequate, thank you. Imagine building your own solar powered/heated house, and not only would you NOT have to pay for electricity or heating oil, but actually having enough electricty left over, you SELL it back to the electric companies? I would also design a really amazing vegetable garden, and be completely sustainable. I have a design all worked out in my head. Not quite the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, but pretty durn close. DH would raise chickens and hunt wild boar (cinghale!) and we would cure our own prosciutti. All right, I'm really spinning out of control here. I'll stop. I draw the line at dressing in calico.

The Rebel

I want one of these, desparately.



It's the Canon digital SLR (single lens reflex) "Rebel XTI". I know, I know. I just bought a Canon PowerShot in October. However, as lovely as this is, I can't really manipulate the lens. Therefore, I can't get a full range of focusing options that yield more artistic results in my photos. The Rebel costs anywhere from $750-$1,000. Yikes. If I saved $83/mo, I could buy one this time next year!

Why do I want one so bad? DH and I are planning a vacation in October (destination TBD). One possible destination is Asia, which would provide many exciting photographic opportunities, and I would want to make the most of it.

I'm in kind of rut due to the frigid weather. I just want to sit at home in my pj's and eat stuff that is really bad for me, and take naps, ALL DAY. Also, I have a sort of Jimmy Carter White House-esque self-imposed ban on using a lot hot water and energy (trying to conserve heating oil!), so long hot bubble baths are not on the agenda. That depresses me. Deeply. On Saturday morning, I lay on the couch with the Striped One, watching installment one of Masterpiece Theatre's Jane Eyre. I couldn't even summon up the energy to lift knitting needles.

Speaking of knitting... I want to say hello to a friend who is a new reader. She's known around here as "The Rev". She's part of the "Amoeba" and wanted me to call her "Her Eminence", but I think not. My blog. I decide. I'm the decider. She's starting to get back into knitting, and I'd like to offer her my encouragement. Go for it TR!!

Webs

This Saturday, Boston Worker Bee, and Mama [Worker] Bee (my mom) drove out to Northampton, MA to check out Webs. Talk about being over stimulated. There. Was. So. Much. Yarn.

Taking of advantage of the price breaks, I decided to stock up on Rowan Kid Silk Haze, to use for my next two projects. The lighter pink is actually Kid silk Night, which has a metallic silver glint to it. Mama Bee picked up a skein of this really stunning silk yarn, which unfortunately I do not have a name or picture for.



Saturday night and Sunday I was in Worcester at a mini-reunion of sorts with old friends otherwise known as "the amoeba". You ladies rock! I laughed so hard it hurt. Then I did it all over again. HA!

Sunday evening conversation with Dear Husband (DH):

ME: Would you like to see the yarn I got?

DH: [Gesturing to television, gritting teeth] There's ten minutes left in the game that will decide who goes to the superbowl. [painful whisper] And, it's TIIIIED.

Me: Oh! OK. hee hee hee!

God bless him, at the next commercial break, he was oohing and ahhing over my new yarn (without being coerced). No one can resist the softness of kidsilk haze. Not even a Patriots fan.

Command Center - Phase 1

My long awaited knitting "Command Center", as Danielle would describe it, has entered Phase 1.

Thanks to my lovely DH, who gave me a gift card to Bernie & Phyl's for xmas, I was able to purchase this baby over the weekend. Unfortunately, I will have to wait three to five weeks for delivery, and (fingers crossed) they will be able to deliver it through our freakishly narrow doorways.

For those of you familiar with my incomprehensible fear of driving our stick shift toyota on the highways - new frontiers have been pioneered. I drove the stick shift BY MYSELF on I-93 to the furniture store in Braintree this sunday. There was only the sound of the gears shifting and my heart pounding. For those of you who do not live in Massachusetts: I-93, and the section of it called the "Braintree Split", is about as close as one can get to playing "frogger" in real life. Yes, Lady S, this means I will probably not be renting a zipcar everytime I have to drive on the highway now! ;)

former co-workers say the darndest things

My social diary was rather crowded this week. Drinks downtown with Children of Herakles. Grilled cheese at the "peach pit" with "JJ", "Be-FAYZ'd", "D-Mo", and "Krosol". And tonite, mongolian hot-pot with my DH.

When will this dizzy merry-go-round stop, so I can get off?

Hee hee!

Be-FAYZ'd (hope you like your new nickname. I also have trouble using words.) check THIS out!

Heading South

Boston Worker Bee went to St. Pete to visit the in-laws over New Year's weekend. It was a bit of an ordeal getting there an back, but I have to say, it was wonderful to get some sun and warmth. Sadly, there wasn't a whole lot of time for knitting by the pool, but I did make some progress on my spiral rib hat number 2. I'm trying out Debbie Bliss "cashmerino", in a deep red color. I'm allergic to wool, even most blends, but I'm going to give this a try and see what happens.

Stay tuned for a hat photo, in the mean time, I hope these other photos will take away your winter blues.

Holiday cheer, and sleeves!

xmas eve, chez boston worker bee

For god's sake, don't touch her panettone.

Special holiday wishes to Lady S, Children of Herakles, Betty Crocker, MIT SnB, and BWB readers!


I cast on this week for the first sleeve of my sweater. So far, so good!

I'd like to now take this opportunity to show off some of my mom's handiwork. For christmas, she gave me some lovely waffle-knit dishtowels and a matching potholder, that she wove on her loom. Amazing!

I'm off to Florida early (EARLY!!!) Saturday morning to visit my mother-in-law. I'm planning on stopping off at Windsor Button in downtown crossing to see if I can get some yarn to try making another spiral knit hat. The first one I did in alpaca, which stretched terribly after wearing it just two times. Oh, and ummm, then I tried to felt it, and it came out kind of crappy. Back to the drawing board.

Front is finished!

Whew! I finished the front of the sweater last night. I'll be casting on for the sleeves. Holy cow. I can't believe it.



I'm learning a lot of lessons from this pattern, and it's definitely making me a better knitter. Rule NUMBER ONE: always do a test swatch. This pattern calls for 4 balls of kid silk haze. To finish the sleeves, it'll probably bring me up to six balls of douceur et soie. Also, This weekend, I discovered a mistake I made in the pattern: the alternating stripes are supposed to end at the bust line, and the upper portion of the sweater is all lace. Like this.



However, I misunderstood the pattern, and you'll notice I ended up doing alternating stripes all the way up. I think the end result is going to make the sweater look a little dowdy. But I'm committed, so I'll deal with it.

Wait! Scratch that!

Henceforth, "M. Munroe" shall be known as "Betty Crocker"! Damn, you do make good lemon squares. BC, in answer to your question, no - I did not ask for a Mr. Misty steam hair curling set (I already have one!), however, I do still covet this.

Christmas in Rockport

Panoramic View of Rockport Harbor

I thought I'd entertain you with some photos of Rockport. I was up there visiting this weekend. I almost (and I mean ALMOST) finished the front of the sweater. I'm going to try and do that this week, and cast on for the sleeves.

A special holiday greeting to my friend in New Jersey who is studying nursing. Henceforth on this blog you shall be known as "M. Munroe" - HA! I got your holiday card and note - thanks! I loved the photos.


Home sweet home...


Don't mess with the baby Jesus?


Here we go a-lobstering


Motif #1

rowan static

Just came back from SnB, and I can't extricate my mind from the rowan pattern static that has taken over brain waves. Must. fight. urge. to. open. knitting. bag. until. five. o'clock.

gahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

why am I cursed with a long attention span.

Evil thoughts

This morning as I waited for my train, wearing my new hat, which felt like it was big enough to cover a watermelon, I began contemplating ripping the whole thing out, and trying to re-knit it on smaller needles. It's so loose and stretchy its not really going to keep its shape.

ARGHHH!

Spiral Rib Hat (Ann Norling)

Finished Project!!!!!!

Spiral Rib Hat (Ann Norling)



This pattern works for gauges 2.5 - 6

The yarn I used is Frog Tree 100% Alpaca (worsted weight), which calls for US #7 needles, which may explain why the stiches on my finished hat are so loose. If I were to do this again, I would do a test swatch first, and play around with the tension until it was just right. I would have preferred a tighter tension on this one. It was the first project I made with my new interchangeable needle set.

Also, the pattern calls for using double pointed needles in the decrease section at the top. Man, I do NOT know how to use double pointed needles. I'm hoping someone at SnB will take pity and show me how. In the process of awkwardly holding the various needles, I dropped several stitches and had to go back with some yarn and a needle and do some damage control. The recommended finished measurement for a woman's small in this pattern is 20" - WAY too much hat for me. The final measurement on this one is 8".



Well, I guess it's back to my sweater! I might pick up some extra alpaca and make a scarf to go with.

Half-a-hat

I still only have half-a-hat, which is not doing me a whole lot of good in this freezing $#%@! cold weather. I'll be sitting on the couch tonite, knitting until its done. It would be nice to have a section of my blog that's called "finished projects". Someday.

My thoughts go out to Lady S, who is going through a hard time right now. I'm with you in spirit!

No SnB today

Somthing's come up last minute that I need to take care of! I'll see you guys next thursday!

Girl's gotta have a hat

My DH is out getting us PIZZA for dinner! SWEET.

I'm feverishly working on a hat to match my winter coat, before it gets any colder. This goes against my strict rule about multi-tasking projects that end up never getting finished. BUT, it's knitting up pretty quick. The pattern is Ann Norling spiral hat, which I picked up at Woolcott. It's great because the pattern works with any gauge yarn you happen to have.



I also picked up some items at Windsor Button.



And here's somthing gratuitously cute: