Niçoise

Thank you Fig & Plum and thank you Bittman.
I steamed the green beans over the boiling eggs last night so I didn't need any heat at all to make dinner tonight! I dressed the plate with a little brown rice vinegar, peanut oil and pepper.

*Pssst, don't want to sign up for NY Times? Find a log in name and password here.

Outer space: Nibbler

Outer space: Nibbler
Originally uploaded by elewa.

Autobots!

Autobots!
Originally uploaded by Dr. Amy Jones.

My shoulder hurts so I haven't knit all week. :( It actually hurts so much I'm thinking about switching to continental knitting (if I'm patient enough to learn it).

So, since I don't have anything good (or anything at all) to show you why don't you check out this stuff.

Lolly is this many and she is making awesome mittens.

Pam is taking the news of her missing dissertation with so much grace and humor it amazes me. I wouldn't be hanging with awesome Philly knitters; I would be on the floor, drunk and probably crying.

I love Adrian's skirt! And I love this bear.

Hey, what gives? Is there some sort of cute couple contest I don't know about?

And finally, check out Veronique's socks in progress, Little Purl of the Orient's finished monkeys and Sandra's Bloody Mary socks.

OK, that's it. Hopefully I have some of my own knitting to show you soon.

Old Skool

Let me tell you about the Teen Center (aka 242 Main). I loved that place. I played my very first game of Super Mario Brothers there and saw my first hard core show there too. It's true that the goal of any teen center is to give kids something to do and keep them out of trouble and while 242 made a good effort it didn't really succeed with me. I mean let's be honest, I would go to the local drug store between Super Mario games and shoplift candy, smoke cigarette's out back and drink in the parking lot before shows. But, I loved that place and it may be true that I would have gotten into even more trouble had it not been around.

Why am I waxing nostalgic? I found this pattern today and it made me a little misty.

One Down, One To Go

Marigold #1 is done! I love this pattern, this yarn, this heel. Unfortunately my shoulder doesn't like all the knitting I've been doing so I think it will be a no knitting weekend for me. :(

The Bee

I almost shot coffee out of my nose at work today. Why? Because of Alicia's description of her younger cat. Maybe you had to be there but I have a feeling that anyone who's ever had a cat (or a squirrel) will love it.

That said, the Bee is unlike any cat I've ever met. She has more in common with a...squirrel...I'd say, than those of her own species. A few mornings ago, I was sleeping in. Everyone else was downstairs, and suddenly I felt the Bee alight on the bed. Five or six times she walked up and down the length of my (top-sheet-only covered) body, and when I say "walked" it was more like . . . a drunken goblin doing a firewalk, all fast and wobbly. Back and forth, back and forth.

*Edit Speaking of cats, I totally want to buy a CatCam™ for Luca so I can see what he does all day. (via)

craft + process

craft_process
Originally uploaded by Razmarie.

This is where I'll be Wednesday night. Anyone else interested? (Stoneking, I'm looking at you.)

*Edit It starts at 7pm.

Marigold Revived!

The new heel is awesome! I definitely started the short row heel too soon and I think that's why it was so tight across my ankle. Short row has been good to me but it can't compare to the fit of a heel flap and gusset. A big thank you to Wendy of Wendy Knits for coming up with this incredible technique, I love, love, love this heel.



Sock: Marigold
Heel: Toe up gusset
Yarn: Knit Picks bare

Marigold Progress

Here's my marigold progress so far. I am loving the pattern and the yarn.
Unfortunately the sock is tight across the top of my ankle (the bendy spot), I think it's because I started the heel too soon. I may need to frog, add a repeat or two to the foot and redo the heel.



*Edit
I guess I should add some details. The sock is Marigold from Flint Knits and the yarn is Knit Picks Bare hand dyed by me (and Elah).

Blimey!

Scanned from Needle and Yarn, volume 1, number 3, ©1964

Guess what, the only fad you're starting with this thing is your kid getting is ass handed to him everyday at school.

Little Ol' Us?

Guess who's coming to Springfield, VT?

*whew*

I had a busy weekend.
Let's start with Thursday. So at 11:30 Thursday night I realized that Friday was Georgia's last day at work and I had no knitted gift. For shame!

I cast on with the hand dyed Lamb's Pride and got to knittin'. I had to frog twice and by lunch time I was knitting so fast I actually broke a sweat but it was done by 1 and Georgia loves it.
The hat is based on the Cloche Du Bois pattern.

I got a lot of knitting done this weekend but didn't manage to take any pictures so today I had to try and grab some pictures after work but before this hit...


Saturday I bought some Plymouth Encore (machine washable!) for Casey's Coat from SnB Nation.

Elah picked the colors and we are knitting it together for the Bad Grandma's new dog, Lily. Hopefully it fits; we enlisted Elah's dad and stepmom to do some stealth measuring.

All weekend I continued to knit my Cable Twist Socks from hello yarn and I finished then Sunday night!

Ack! The legs, they blind me!


Yarn: 1 skein, Cherry Tree Hill Supersock
Color: Loden
Source: Linda's Store
Needles: Inox Grey US 1 crics
Date Started: 21 June 2007
Date Finished: 8 July 2007
Details: Remember when I decided to mirror the stitch pattern on the second sock? I'm really happy I did; I love them!

Sunday we had out Knit and Natter over at Viva Espresso and we had a new knitter come hang with us. Always exciting. Her Jitterbug sock was beautiful!

And finally, today I cast on for Marigold. I didn't get a lot done because I wasn't feeling well but I am very excited. (Yes, I know I need to cut my nails.)

I cast on for the 72 st sock but I think that I may need to go down to the 68. Instead of a short row toe, I did a Turkish Cast On of 20 sts, increasing every row with M1R and M1L* until I reached 36 sts and the increased every other row using the same method until I reached 72 sts. This more closely mimics a traditional wedge toe.

A note to my Sock It To Me pal, I'm working on your additional questions. They are very thorough and thoughtful; thank you.

*I remember the difference between M1R and M1L because the M1R picks up from the Rear. When you knit that stitch if it feels really loose then you're knitting into the wrong spot (front or back). Easy peasy.

Sock It To Me Swap

1. What are your foot measurements? (Please give shoe size, length and circumference.)
I wear a US 9.5, UK 40, my foot length 9 3/4” (25 cm) is and the circumference around the ball is 9” (23 cm)

2. How long have you been knitting? How would you rate your experience? (Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced.)
I’ve been knitting for a few years. I’ll rate myself as Intermediate because there is still a lot that I haven’t done but I do think that if I give it a try, I can do it all. :)

3. What is your favorite color? Your least favorite color?
My fave color was orange but now I think it’s green. I don’t like anything day-glo.

4. Do you have a favorite fiber? What type?
Probably wool because it is most versatile but I really like everything; silk because it’s shiny, cashmere and alpaca because they’re soft, etc.

5. Do you have any allergies to certain fibers?
No.

6. Do you have an Amazon, or other type of, wishlist? (If so, provide the link.)
Yes but it’s not really up to date so I haven’t included it. What I really lust after are Barbara Walker’s treasuries. I don’t have any and keep dreaming that I will find one in a used book store or at a thrift shop. If my pal finds one like that (they’re really quite expensive to buy new) or has a duplicate copy of one, that would be great.
I've also been wating to try (but haven't yet) Sock That Rock, Cider Moon, Yarn Pirate and Wollemeise sock yarns.

7. What techniques, if any, would you like to learn?
How to knit Continental with even tension. I guess I actually know that, I just need more practice! I can't think of another off the top of my head. Usually when I want to learn a new something I just scour the interwebs and figure it out or ask another knitter to show me.

8. Do you have a sweet tooth? What are your favorite snacks?
Yes. I love milk chocolate with or without nuts, most things coconut, all things shortbread.

9. What is your family situation? (Children, Husband, Pets...etc.)
I have a 6 year-old daughter, a 21 year-old son cousin and a 4 year-old cat.

10. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Metal, plastic or wood?It depends on the situation; I like them all.

11. Besides socks, what are your favorite items to knit?
Um, socks, wait someone said that already. As long as my needles are working I’m happy.

12. Is there a pattern, (sock or otherwise), that you are dying to try?
Not that I can think of. You can get a good idea of the books I already own by clicking the library thing button in the sidebar (that's almost all of them).

13. Do you like to read? What are you reading currently?
Yes. Lamb by Christopher Moore (don’t bother, it’s disappointing). Up next, Spook by Mary Roach.

14. Do you collect music? (On an iPod or MP3 player.)
Yes.

15. What kind of music do you listen to?
Everything: classical, metal, alt country, old country, alt, indie, hip-hop, some pop, punk. The list goes on. You might be able to get a better idea of it here.

16. Is there anything you collect?Do yarn and pattern books count?
I don’t have any special collections, I just pick up random items as they catch my eye. Some general favorites: old religious (Xtian and other) items, gnomes, hedgehogs, mushrooms, dark woody this from the East (i.e. India, China). Is that helpful?

17. What are your hobbies, aside from knitting?Seriously?
Well, I work full-time, go to school part-time and parent, I don’t really have time for much else. I do, however, love to cook.

18. Are you participating in any other swaps or knit alongs?
Yes, the Yarn in a Tea Cup swap and the Charade and Summer of Socks 2007 knit alongs.

19. Do you have a favorite scent?
I like sandalwood, lavender, rosemary, lemon (as long as it doesn’t smell like Pledge), cedar, lime.

20. When is your birthday? (You don't have to add the year if you don't want to, LOL.)
November 30 (but when I was a kid I was convinced that it was November 40)

Yikes

OK, this doesn't have anything to do with knitting at all but I have to post a link to this blog. I appreciate the way the author looks at FGS in the cultural context and tries to consider solutions that may actually work. I definitely learned about and my own attitude toward and reasoning against. The post is long but it's an important read.

You can’t hold up — say — dowry burnings and say “this is what dowry burning is, this is what it means” outside the context of the rest of the culture, anymore than you could hold up “I Love Lucy” to people who didn’t understand Western gender roles or Western materialism or a Western sense of humor and expect them to understand it.

Happy 4th!

click on either picture to see more of my fireworks pics.

Pig F*cker

My sentiments exactly.

Sunday Afternoon

Just a reminder, we will be getting together for a little Knit & Natter at Viva Espresso from 2:30-4 today.

One Cable Twist Sock is done and I've started the second one.

I'm finding that with the pattern reversed, the twist is tighter and I need to use a spare needle to do the cable. I know that there are other ways to cable without a needle but I'm afraid to drop my slippery sock yarn so I'm going the safe route.

Aija has been doing an Etsy Friday and while it's not Friday, I figured I'd share some of my Etsy purchases with you.

1. Nerd Necklace, 2. Knitty, knitty, 3. Even superheroes need a break, 4. Owl Cards

And while you're getting sucked into the black hole that is Etsy, go check The Other Emily's new store! Ocho is my fave.

Passive Aggressive

Need a good laugh? Not your style? How about this?