February 17, 2006
Is There Such a Thing as a Tin Medal?
(Saturday Update: Due to the holiday, no posting on Monday, Dear Readers.)
I have to tell ya’, this story my sister told me yesterday just killed me: She got a new lamp recently, unpacked it, set it on a table, plugged it in, and looked, ‘natch, for the on/off switch. That’s normal, right? I mean, sometimes the switch is on the bottom of the base, sometimes at the top, sometimes on the electric cord, sometimes it’s even a pull chain. But after a few minutes of hunting around, she came to the firm conclusion that her particular lamp was defective and had to be returned to the store posthaste because (a) it had no switch and (b) every time she touched it, it turned itself on or off.
No comment.
After letting out, I’m sure, a big long-suffering sigh, her husband set her straight.
In her defense, even as she told me the story, Big Sister knew how this would make her look. She did not know, however, that I would splash it all over the blog. Sorry, Big Sister, but it was day-um funny.
Okay, to wrap up "Ryan’s Experiments With Morphine," most likely I have a date with Mr. Surgeon and Mr. Scalpel in April, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, life is looking good, I’m feeling great, and Olympic Knitting continues!
Below, a photo which proves that (a) I was watching the Olympics (or at least had my eyes turned in the general direction of the TV; I coulda been watching the test pattern for all you know); (b) I was working on Olympic Squirrel; and (c) I do, indeed, know how to knit with both hands at once, which still gobsmacks me. For two or three years, knitting with both hands, doing Continental and English simultaneously, was my forever-unattainable Holy Grail. But now, pffffft; piece a’ kek. Snap, snap, snap of the fingers. Who knew?!
Note: Using something to underline the pattern as you go—in this case, the sticky part of two wider-than-normal, neon-green Post-Its which I cut off and stuck to the pattern, and which I move up one line at a time as I complete a row—makes all the difference. What I would really like is to find a solution that allows you to see the current row and the one just below it at the same time, without losing your place. Any ideas, Dear Readers?
(And once, just once, I wish my friend Mr. Double Chin wouldn’t appear in every photograph taken of me. I’m starting to think this is what I really look like.....
Oh.)
That being said, a Norwegian-style stranded sweater in 16 days, even a 3-month size? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, heee, heee, heee, heee, heee, ho, ho, ho, har, har, har!!!!! What was I thinking?! Or better yet, what was I on? Oh, that's right—morphine. But ne’mind. I’m having a lot of fun knitting the sweater and watching the design grow under my fingers.
For those of you who require large amounts of beer to see pink elephants squirrels, in this new version, they are now gray, and there are two of them, at the bottom, above the blue, one facing left, one facing right. See ‘em? And at the top of the sweater, in the middle, is a tree, and to the left and right are the halves of two snowflakes, all also in gray. (And the funky blue metal thing on the right—a heavy flashlight, my solution for how to hold down ultra-curly knitting when one hand is already holding down the left side of the knitting, your other hand is holding the camera, and your photography assistant has declared that she's exhausted and has gone to bed).
I am now thinking that I should have switched the colors of this pattern but, you know what? It ain’t gonna happen. Besides, squirrels are gray, damn it. In fact, the gray I’m using is a wonderfully mottled, tweedy color that just screams, “Squirrel!!!”
On the Dulaan front:
Thank you to the various and sundry who sent me this link to our (albeit nominal) mention in Time magazine. How cool is that?
Also, Meredith at F.I.R.E. tells me that the tax letters will be going out this week. Sigh. Sooner would have been much better. As always, if you have any questions about this, please contact them directly at fire@fireprojects.org or (928)779-1966. In the meantime, knit on, Dulaaners!! "Our" kids are counting on us!
Try placing the post it notes ABOVE the line you are working on, hiding the rows that are to come and allowing yourself to "read" up to the row you ARE working on.
Or have you already tried that?
Sweet Caroline
Caroline's Culture Ranch, home of the Unruly Wool Room
Ryan, I saw the squirrels, I did, I did!!!
For keeping track of charts, try these nifty things -- no picture, but they're colored, transparent things that cling via static to your pattern. Really, it works. They have them at The Mannings in PA, and the endless URL is http://www.the-mannings.com/mannings_catalog.cgi?dct=on&tab=catalog&tt=185&cma=dct&session_id=468a078a71&records_per_page=10
Posted by: Elizabeth D on February 17, 2006 10:58 AMah! my grandfather's store used to sell thsoe type of lamps. Did she have the 3 way bulb in it?? she can hit it to low, med, and high!
Good golly molly, I see squirrels. (albeit not pink ones.)
Posted by: anj on February 17, 2006 11:00 AMDude, I'm pretty sure you picked that project long before you had access to morphine. In fact, unless you completely disable your archives, I bet I could prove it. ;-) Maybe you could get special dispensation for the 2+ days of knitting you lost while ON the morphine.
>chuckle< Olympic Squirrel. Love it.
My Olympic socks are coming along. Mostly because I have a lot of teleconferences at work during the week and they can't see me knitting. :-D
And oh yeah, there are magnifying things that you can use if you wanna. They're clear plastic and you set them over your chart and they magnify the line or lines directly below, and sorta blur the others on either side. I see them all the time in needlework shops. I looked, but these were the closest I could find: http://www.keepsakeneedlearts.com/NAShopping/partsview.asp?action=lookup&partno=80670&subject=U63&catpos=14
I see the squirrels, honest! Cute bushy tails they have, and the gray is perfect.
Posted by: Kathy on February 17, 2006 11:33 AMI am not a tax expert -- I don't even know wtf I'm talkin' about, so don't listen to me -- but I thought I read somewhere that for donations under $250, a receipt is not absolutely required. Although, of course, it WOULD be better. And because I, for example, sent in several different boxes, the IRS might not take my word about the matter. So, in short, I'm glad Meredith's people are sending them out. ;-)
Posted by: Norma on February 17, 2006 11:33 AMNeedlework shops will have magnifying bars with magnets on the back (for attaching to magnetic boards that hold cross-stitch charts). These bars will magnify 2-3 lines of the chart, and they usually have a red line down the length of the bar that lets you indicate your working chart row.
I like the squirrels. :)
Posted by: Folkcat on February 17, 2006 11:42 AMI just placed an order for this stuff: removable fluorescent highlighter tape (http://www2.abcstuff.com/cgi/Web_store/web_store.cgi/cart_id=4563555.12203&item=HT005&product=@misc&keywords=). Haven't tried it yet, so I have no idea how effective it is. Normally I use one of those magnet board thingies and it works pretty well until I drop the clipboard and all the magnets leap off.
Rocky and Bullwinkle has apparently messed with me for all time because every time I see "Squirrel!" I think "Sqvirrel!". Sigh.
Posted by: Melanie on February 17, 2006 11:56 AMI used to do the same as you with the Post-its and someone told me to try Caroline's method of postie _over_ the current row. I had such a head smacking doh moment!
Works for me.
Posted by: LaurieM on February 17, 2006 12:10 PMI'm a post-it over the row I'm on kind of a girl. (It's working for me with my damn cable charts.)
When are we going to get a spinning update? Is there yarn?
Posted by: Melinda on February 17, 2006 12:40 PMThis time I can totally see the squirrels.
Post-It notes are the best damned invention ever!! Wheel, schmeel.
Posted by: Susie on February 17, 2006 12:43 PMYou tell your sister I would have been confused by that lamp behavior, too.
Posted by: Patti on February 17, 2006 12:57 PMYep, that's what I do, Post-Its over the row in progress. That way you can see where you've been and it's easier not to make mistakes. Easier, but not impossible.
Posted by: Joan in Reno on February 17, 2006 01:37 PMI'm confused by the mention that you knit with both hands. Does anyone knit with one hand? Now THAT would be an achievement.
I love the colors of the Olympic squirrel. Don't change a thing.
Posted by: Laurie on February 17, 2006 01:53 PMJust wanted to add myself to the list of Dulaan knitters. I sent in a youth-sized crocheted cap two days ago.
Toni in Daytona Beach
Posted by: toni on February 17, 2006 02:02 PMThose yellow plastic doohickys that use static to cling to your chart are wonderful. I got mine at my LYS.
Posted by: Ruth on February 17, 2006 02:44 PMIn the office supplies they might still have the rulers for computer list input. They have a highlighted middle "row" and are clear above and below. That way you could see what is your current, future and past at the same time.
Posted by: Karin on February 17, 2006 03:41 PMI wing it. Totally Post-it-less. But then again, I AM knitting Fair Isle Deadheads...
All good wishes for the surgery. I feel for ya, darlin'...
I'm going to go get me a glass of wine and see if those squirrels appear faster. It's taking way too long for my brain to say, "oh, a squirrel..." instead of "where? where? Why can't I see any...ohhhh. Duh."
Posted by: Lee Ann on February 17, 2006 04:28 PMI don't see why people would have problems seeing the squirrels -- they are there plain as day :D And I'm done with my codeine cough meds so I can't say that your meds and mine made it obvious.
Good thoughts on your upcoming surgery. I've had 2 shoulder surgeries in the past 3 yrs so I know how you dread them coming up.
I LOVE the lamp story! Too funny!
Posted by: Anna on February 18, 2006 08:10 AMYou know, I just make several copies of the chart and I pencil over the row I just finished. You can see the chart marking through the pencil and there's no way the markings can move around (I've had trouble with magnetic row thingies shifting when I drop them and with post-its flying away etc etc--not the biggest troubles in my life but troubles they are). When one repeat is done I recycle that paper and start a new one.
Go, Olympian! I'm thinking of proposing a 40-day sport for those of us who, just possibly, overreached when we set our goals....
Squirrels? Are you sure they aren't rabbits? Look at the long ears and some rabbits have large tails.
I'm just sayin'.
I have the very thing you're looking for in my knitting bag! It's called highlighter tape -- post-it-sticky tape about 1/2 inch (?) wide, that's translucent. I can see what I've just knit, with the to be knit line underscored by the tape edge..
I LOVE IT.
Bought it at Stitches last year... I think from Mass. Ave Knit shop..
It even comes in pretty colors (mine's purple).
Posted by: Helen on February 18, 2006 10:29 AMI agree with Melanie, R&B make me want to ask you, "But dahlink, vhere iz Moose?"
Actually, your rodents are squirrelicious.
2 Cloud hats done and now I'm moving on to a couple of Zuds. Thanks for the wonderful patterns and the info on Dulaan so as to use them as a power for good (and warmth!)
Sending good wishes from AZ.
Posted by: kt on February 19, 2006 10:37 AMMr Double Chin is not your fault. I have figured it out recently. 20 - 30 years ago everyone had those Instamatic cameras and let me say, they took GREAT photos! I was thin and young in every photo. Now days they make awful cameras -- I look fat and old in every photo taken of me. You would think that technology could develop cameras that took the same quality of pictures we got with the Instamatics.
Posted by: Donna in Virginia on February 19, 2006 02:20 PMI just went out and bought some new yarn for Dulaan . . . nice and thick . . .and of course colourful! I've had a few people e-mail me about the project .. . how wonderful!!
As for the tin medal . . . well, maybe that can be 4th place. From what I've seen in the olympics .. . Canada keeps coming in 4th. We're really good at that. We can have the tin medal.
I agree with Donna 100%. Her observation is spot-on
and explains everything. Stupid technology.
I think Donna is brilliant! ;-)
Posted by: The Mysterious K on February 20, 2006 02:52 PMIt seems that the squirrels, in their zeal to corral as many acorns as possible, have inadvertantly waded into quicksand and are struggling to save their little rodent lives. But I'm sure the child you're knitting it for can work it out in therapy later on.
Posted by: Cuzzin Tom on February 20, 2006 09:33 PMI agree with the other Caroline. Put your row sticky above the row you are on. Then you can see the row below and also be sure exactly what row you are on. I was pretty sure someone else would say it first...
Posted by: CarolineF on February 23, 2006 08:58 AMLooks like several people have beaten me to it (Karin anyway) by mentioning rulers with a see-thru space on them.
What I also wanted to say was that you have to be very, very careful using post-it notes. The stickum on the back wears out quite quickly.
So when the it gets easier to move, it's time to use a new one!
Ask me how I know this.