Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Post 201-Time to Ponder

Now that I can breathe easily with the way things are going in life, what's next? Guess I got to start being social again, getting out and meeting people, that would help if I ever want to meet mr-right-for-me. If you know any eligables, let me know. I think it would be fun to fly out to Portland for the weekend and partake some of the fun of Sock Summit, any takers?? I should really look into what I'm going to do about g-ma's 85th, do I fly out friday night just to come back sunday night??? Must find doctor to give prescription, every since I finished the research study I can feel myself getting fat again, pudge is not good.


Photo of the high ceiling in Coco Rouge taken friday night during my night of excess and celebration, this is an accurate representation of how I feel after a couple of drinks.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Post 200-Whirlwind

It's been very busy over here at Casa de Yarnsnob. I started a new job last week and it was very stressful, not bad stressful, but busy being thrown lots of info and needing to retain it crazy stressful. This week is just as busy but a little easier and wow, it's already Wednesday, that was fast. To add to the whirlwind my class at Northwestern is a go this session but I'm happy that we're playing with the format and content of the knitting class and only made it 4 weeks. So for me Monday and Tuesday are very busy, go to work, come home, have just enough time to walk dog and change cloths and out again to either Evanston in which I'll get home by 10 or to coffee shop for SnB with the peeps in which I get home at 9:15. Really, it's nice to be so busy and at least it's knitting that takes me out late.



A shot of the lake shore from Northwestern's campus by the Norris Center taken with new birthday Motorola Razr2 phone.

Rachael for my b-day put together a package for consisting of a new fancy music playing-Internet capable phone and it's accessories. The battery is shit if you ask me, I don't play the music too much because I have my iPod but it always seems to need in need of a charge, argh. I splurged a bit to test my feet in the waters data capable/web accessible phones. Well, that sounds awkward, and I don't know the lingo, but what I want to do is be able to track the bus that takes me to work and back. I hate the CTA and think it would be handy to know if there is a delay in the buses and if I'll be waiting around forever, it would be nice to take planned route B of C in times of need. Would you believe it, but the day after I agreed to cough up an extra 10 bucks a month for a simple data/SMS plan and try to use it, the bus always seems to arriving at my stop shortly after I do. I'm thinking the CTA and T-mobile have it in for me. Over all, so far so good, this new technology could be a dangerous thing in my hands and it makes me crave an iPhone or Crackberry. To me there is something so cosmopolitan about sitting on the bus on your way to work wearing a khaki trench coat, cute kitten heals, carrying a stylish bag and playing with your crackberry/iPhone.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Post 199-A Few Words and Pics of My Vacay


Where I went.



There were red clovers in bloom everywhere.


Visiting the G-ma, not bad for 85!



Former luxury of the famous Hot Springs bath houses.



An artsy shot.



One of my self-portraits I'm famous for.



Japanese Maple artsy shot.



Japanese bridge in the Japanese garden, Arkansas style.



My aunt really likes Dogwood trees.



Sunset from the plane leaving Houston, end of trip.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Post 198-Evolution

Things area changing around here. Spring keeps wanting to make an appearance, but we Chicagoans aren't fool. It's very typically to have a really nice weekend like we had for St. Pat's and then to have in snow a few weeks later. The crocus's may be in bloom but I'm still wearing my pink wool coat.

Evolution has come to my shoes. I have 6 pairs of clogs, and I'm sad to report the departure of Big Red. Big Red was my first pair, I was enamored when I first discovered their existence when first spied on the feet of Brenda, creator of the first Chicago SnB, years and eons ago.

I loved you greatly Big Red, you started out all bright and perfect in your red suede, and over the years have performed wonderfully as the "it's raining out" clog and the "camping" clog, you've even come to my rescue as a makeshift sledgehammer for pounding in tent stakes.

But it's time you retire to the garbage heap. Farwell. I have promoted the Mauve clogs to the new rank of good-for-everything clog. I was seeing signs of promotion with the wonderful job Mauve did on my Alaskan cruise and she has allowed herself to be stretched out and become the official clog to me wear with handknit socks.

I know I'm talking silly about my clogs, but when you invest 120 bucks in a pair of shoes that you wear all the frigging time, it becomes a relationship. Plus, the clogs are the perfect height to match my foot brace to I don't gimp around too much.

Last week Linda discovered that for one magical day a year, which just to happens to coincide with April Fools, her chicken laid eggs that evolved from brown to bright plastic.

At the same time, and only for that single night that also got larger and some contained yellow Peep chicks and candy, I wondered why the chickens choose that day. Maybe they were trying to bring some humor into the world?


I'm still cranking away with the February Lady Sweater, though from time to time I go on hiatus so I can also work on a pair of socks. Right now I finished sock numeral one and have started on number two, trying to keep ahead of second sockitis.

A very simple pattern from one of the Charlene Schurch books. I like short row heels and toes, but next time I want to try this new short row technique were you don't wrap the stitches but slip them after turning and then on the way back you knit 2 together and make a lift increase, apparently there are no holes and it's a very smooth look.

I prefer to knit toe up so I can add some of my own leg increasing to make them fit better. How come that is never discussed in sock books?

Now on to the button saga of the February Lady. A couple of weeks ago I purchased some buttons online from a Czech button manufacturer. One of the sets were wrong and I had to wait a couple more weeks for the correct ones to be sent. Obviously I'm in this old-fashioned retro mood right now and am keen on vintage or glass buttons.

The ones on the left are the incorrect vintage 80's (that's how the marketed them, but I don't see using the work vintage unless the era is more than 30 years ago) and the ones on the right are new green glass with an AB finish. Even with the corrected left buttons, I don't like, too white, but they would look cute on something else. So I thought I would just go with the green flowers, but truthfully, my gut wasn't 100% sold on them even though it looks just fine.

So last Saturday when I was out doing errands with Racheal and helping her pick a futon cover, shop at Costco (I got the biggest strawberries!) we stop in a Soutache. I like to support local stores and the only reason I got the first sets of potential buttons online was for the variety. It's hard, buttons can make or break a look, and when you've put all this time in knitting it, it matters even more. I don't want a typical wooden/leather/horn button and want to be able to wear the sweater both casually and in a professional office. (just planning ahead) So I found these at the button store, and in keeping with my mood, they are vintage french. Now they're nothing fancy, but they match perfectly which I hadn't been aiming for because I didn't think it was possible.


I was unable to keep it a complete secret, but yes, my birthday was Saturday. I had a nice evening Friday with friends, good movie, good food and good conversation. But those of you who should feel so inclined to get me a gift, the link to my Amazon wish list has been added to the right sidebar.