October 18, 2006
For Minnie
This entry is dedicated to Minnie who insists she is breaking out in hives, it’s taking me so long to post. I have to laugh when I think back on how I used to post at 8:30/9:00 in the aye em—and people would email me to say that they liked to read the blog while they sipped their early-morning coffee. Then it became 10 a.m., then 11:30 a.m., just before I zipped off to lunch but still, by God, in the morning, and now it’s anyone’s guess when posting will occur. Pretty soon I’ll start getting emails from people saying that they like to read the blog while they sip their late-night martini, or the warm milk they're drinking at 2 a.m. because they can't fall asleep.
Part of the delay comes from an uptick in the busy-ness at work (yes, this can be interpreted as "my real job gets in the way of my blogging"), part of it comes from an uptick in the busy-ness of Dulaan, part of it comes from running out of things to write about after 43 months of blogging. I mean, I live an impossibly small life; how many things of passing interest can I wring out of it? But I try to take my cue from Stephanie, who can write about a frickin’ washing machine and make people care, and the Cuzzin, who can write about a cat and a dirty paper ball and make people care. Now that’s talent.
So, Dear Minnie, let’s see what I can cobble together for you. First, left over from the trip to the glass museum, here is a picture of the overpass/bridge that contains the Dale Chihuly glass I showed in my Monday entry—and, yes, the display has had rocks thrown at it and I believe it has been shot at once or twice. (Sure ‘nuff; this article (pdf) by the company that provided the protective glass mentions the fact that it has been shot at. Or "at it has been shot," for you grammarians out there.)
Here is a small but beautiful garden you can see from the bridge/overpass. Directly below you from this vantage point is more landscaping which consists mostly of huge mounds of native grasses—minimalist but breathtaking. (This is mostly for Norma, who would care about this sort of thing. I tried to take a picture but it didn’t translate well to the camera lens and, besides, I discovered leaning way over the side of a bridge is not a good idea.)
Knitting-wise, I’ve decided flat-out that there is no fairness in the world. I'm sure you'll agree that it takes a lot for a knitter to pull back on the reins, to admit it’s time to stash bust, to make a concerted effort to use the yarn from the mega-stash instead of making another trip to the LYS. Which is what I did. I looked at all the half-used balls of Cascade 220 I had lying around, I made a commitment to find a way to use them up, and I knit this, a length-wise-knit, striped, seed-stitch scarf…
…and have just as many half-used balls of Cascade 220 lying around as I did before. I martyred myself for this scarf, people, I denied myself a trip to the LYS...and I didn’t use up a single ball of stash yarn, not even on a scarf that was over 200 stitches wide. I think I’ll go to my room and sulk now. (Although I suspect the sulk won’t last long because it’s Guild night! Wahoo! Tonight’s main event will be a lace “fashion show” where Guild members are invited to parade around supermodel-wise and show off their lace-knit items. I’m toying with the idea of taking my Faina scarf, my knitting pride and joy, although I’m not too sure about the parading-around part. I hear you have to weigh 70 pounds or less to really make it work.)
I continue to work on TMK’s Koigu socks and am also working on a preemie size of one of these in this yarn called, very accurately, School Bus Yellow. All garter stitch, all mindless, all fun. And before all of you dedicated Dulaaners start cramming preemie outfits onto your needles, this...dare I confess it?...is not for Dulaan but, instead, for a local preemie-sweater drive by a local hospital. I know, I know, I’m being wretchedly unfaithful but the sweater drive gives me an excuse to try out, on a small scale, a pattern I've been dying to use. As soon I’m finished with the sweater, I’ll lose the pattern's email address, stop IM’ing it, stop calling it, stop sending it lingerie, flowers and perfume, stop having clandestine meetings with it; the affair will be over, I promise. Forgive me?
Well, it says there are three comments ahead of me, but I don't see them yet!
Like Minnie, I also wait for your posts. I love seeing bits and pieces of other people's worlds. So thanks for sharing.
Got a nice letter from the folks at F.I.R.E. today (hey look, mail from the States!) and am going to show it to the knitting group tonight. Number six is on the needles...
Well, here I am on the East Coast sipping my cranberry juice while I cook supper and waiting for your post to appear... (sigh, not even a cocktail in my life).
You are forgiven. I will attempt one of the seed stitch scarves after I finish a Red Scarf for Norma.
Posted by: daisy on October 18, 2006 03:32 PMNow, see, Daisy, I didn't even take into account people like you who are three hours ahead of us! Boy, I really DID post late!
I based the stitch-count for my scarf on a beautiful seed-stitch scarf pattern in the Morehouse Farms Merino book. They used 211 stitches but I used a few less because I chickened out and thought I would run out of that color of Cascade 220, har, har, har. The Morehouse scarf comes out--I think--to about 5 feet; mine came out somewhat shorter but it's the perfect length for a child. I did about eight rows of each color. It was great fun to knit and went fast, fast, fast.
Posted by: Ryan on October 18, 2006 03:48 PMWell, I recently discovered your blog, and I have to tell you that I really am enjoying reading your posts. I really like the multi-colored scarf you made, it's pretty.
Posted by: Jessica on October 18, 2006 03:49 PMI promise I won't read your blog while sipping a morning martini.
I save that honor for Rabbitch ;-)
(I actually hate martinis. But you were worried there for a minute, werntcha? Muah!)
Posted by: Lee Ann on October 18, 2006 03:57 PMMimosas would be the prefered morning blog reading beverage here, and for the evenings, a little Irish Cream on the rocks, yummy. ;-)
Posted by: Ginger on October 18, 2006 04:22 PMFabulous gardens/landscaping. Wish mine looked so good! And, fabulous Faina scarf--a pattern I've wanted to do for a long time.
Posted by: gail on October 18, 2006 04:42 PMGuess you'll just have to knit another scarf just the same, won't you?
Posted by: Mary de B on October 18, 2006 04:44 PM"I deleted the three comments and left the spam"
Ha! Don't feel bad - I did the exact same thing this morning, myself. Must be the weather. Barometric pressure. That sort of thing.
Posted by: Erika on October 18, 2006 06:23 PMi gave up at 2 pm! granted, i'm 2 hours ahead of you, but good grief! and yes, i feel much better now. i'm glad i gave you something to blog about, lol. and yes, i'm sipping some semi-warm milk, but it's not 2 am. it's just coming on 9, and the milk is warm because i bought it at target an hour ago, and it hasn't seen a fridge since.
faina is stunning, even with the fringe (i have a personal vendetta against fringe, i'd much rather be knitting all that yarn).
and don't worry about not being dulaan faithful. i'm crocheting a hat for rabbitch, a square for a friend who is getting blankets together for the homeless of montreal, a teddy bear for teddy bears for tragedy, and squares for balboa naval hospital in san diego. dulaan is up next, lol.
and like i said earlier, i've been pimping, i mean, promoting dulaan whereever they'll let me. i should ask my LYS if she'll let me put it up there.
again, i'm not itching, hyper-ventilating, or having any other stress-related symptoms any more. thanks, ryan.
Posted by: minnie on October 18, 2006 06:59 PMHey, as long as you keep blogging I won't stress about what time the post hits the net. I figure you promise to post most Mons, Weds and Fris and as long as it pops up before 11:59PM your time on said day, you're good on your promise!
Posted by: Kristen on October 18, 2006 08:04 PMYou are BAD, BAD, BAD. Am I the last person on the earth to hear about yarnbythebag.com? Where have I been!
BTW, I'd like to officially join the Dulaan brigade. I can for sure do at least 5 items.
Posted by: Angie on October 18, 2006 08:32 PMOh my gosh, those baby sweaters are scrumptious!
And I don't get online to read you until late in the evening, and you're always here for me.
Now I'm going to check out that yarn.
Hey, I can't keep up with Bloglines, so if you are a few minutes/hours/days late, it's okay. I'll read it when it comes. Just keep blogging, okay? Even if you are writing about a dripping faucet, you somehow make it fun.
Posted by: kmkat on October 18, 2006 08:53 PMI've been having a heck of a time with blogland lately -- so I am just glad to get it to come up and then to see a post from you - just makes me want to smile more. Don't ever think you are boring but you have to admit next to the mooj and his paper ball or gazing out the window -- well....
Posted by: rho on October 18, 2006 09:30 PMA seed stitch scarf (swoon) - now THAT'S what I call dedication. I'd never have the patience! Looks wonderful, and I'm sure it'll be enjoyed.
Posted by: Denise in Kent, WA on October 19, 2006 07:29 AMAngie, if it makes you feel any better, I just stumbled across yarnbythebag when I was trying to find a good picture of the School-Bus Yellow yarn. I actually bought the yarn at one of the yarn stores in Eastern Washington.
Posted by: Ryan on October 19, 2006 08:34 AMAs soon as I saw School Bus Yellow I knew what it had to be! (We sell it at the store where I work.) I made a sweater for Dulaan out of discontinued Buttercup Yellow Canadiana, almost as bright as the SBY. Yellow is one of my favorite small kid/baby colors. Bright yellows, not pastels so much.
Posted by: Sheri on October 19, 2006 12:11 PMok, ryan, i'm desperate. i'm reading the blogs that you put on your sidebar. i'm itching. i'm drinking milk. ack!
Posted by: minnie on October 20, 2006 11:08 AMMinnie, I would worry about your mental health if I didn't feel exactly the way you do about the blogs *I* read!
Posted by: Ryan on October 20, 2006 11:32 AM