Ho hum

Posted on September 18, 2007 | 2 Comments

How do you spell ho hum, anyway? In any case, that’s how I’m feeling. This morning for the first time in a while I only read on the train, no knitting! I started Maisie Dobbs, and I like it so far. I’ve had the first Maisie book on my list for ages, and have never been in quite the right mood for it. But this seems like the right time. I bought it on Saturday along with Three Bags Full, the mystery with sheep sleuths. I’m excited to start that one, too, but I’m hoping to get some of my LT pals into a read-along.

Craft-wise, this is a time of execution, not inspiration. I’m getting close (please, God) to finishing my monkey shawl (so named because a monkey could have made it), and it’s driving me nuts. The rows are loooong, I’m not loving the cheap plastic circs I’m using, and I keep dropping stitches, not noticing, noticing three rows later, having to frog three looong rows, and then put a looong row back on the needles. In the wrong direction, inevitably. I’m hoping to power through within the week, though. And I’m liking the Lion Wool-ease pretty well too. It’s soft and lofty and easy to knit with. If there were more colors, I’d seriously consider it for my log cabin throw. And as for that damn log cabin throw, I’m still auditioning wools. I have a swatch of the Plymouth Encore worsted that’s OK, but I’m working up a swatch of Cascade 220 superwash that lovely!! It’s winning me over. So expensive, though! And to put a monkey wrench in the works, M now says he thinks maybe I should use bulky and not worsted. This might become an issue because, no matter what brand I look at, there are not enough colors in the bulky weight to please me. So then we get into the idea of holding two strands of worsted together? Aargh!

It’s when I’m thinking about things like this that my brain starts running around like a rat on a wheel. Phew. I’m trying my damnedest to keep knitting FUN. In side projects, I’m doing periodical paper crafting, and also working on a bar sampler.

Busy fingers, people- they keep the devil away. =)

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Posted in crafts, reading

Yarn for a throw

Posted on September 12, 2007 | 1 Comment

Finally I think I’ve solved a dilemma I’ve been having.

I want to make a log cabin throw a la Mason Dixon. But I haven’t been able to find a just-right yarn yet. Aside from being too expensive, Cotton Classic is too shiny and also too thin! I think I want to use a worsted-weight yarn for a throw. But all of the affordable brands don’t have the colors I want. (I’m really picky about color.)

But at Windsor Button the other day I saw Plymouth Yarns’ Encore worsted. It’s a washable wool blend, feels great, and comes in really nice colors. So I think I have my match! Now I just need to settle on a pattern and figure out just how much I’ll need…

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Posted in crafts, knitting

Reading v. Knitting, round 2

Posted on September 12, 2007 | Comments Off

Reading gained on knitting when I started The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, but knitting hit back hard yesterday. I’d finished my first Sugar N Cream hand towel, and not started another traveling project yet, so I didn’t bring any knitting with me to work. I felt just as naked and vulnerable as if I’d not brought a book with me!

What’s happening to meeee?? Will this end? It feels odd to have more than one passion, but I certainly do. On top of making and reading, I started the new chorus season last week. At least I’ve given myself a pass to not be at all ambitous about singing. I like it, so I’m doing it. I’m one of the slow kids in that class, and that’s alright. Funny note about chorus: a woman in my chorus works at Windsor Button!

In other craft  news, last Friday while M was out at a work party I played with papercrafts stuff. I made a bunch of little cards/bookmarks out of business cards and scraps. They’re kind of like tiny patchwork quilts. I like them! I also made some larger things.

As I said, I finished my first hand towel, put up a hook by the sink, and it’s already saved numerous paper towels! I tried to start the slightly fancier striped towel made with Lion cotton-ease, but I had to give up because the metal needles don’t work at all with cotton that slippery! I could barely work it and was dropping stitches left and right. So that’s on hold until I can get plastic or wood needles in the same size. Instead I wound up one of my new balls of variegated Sugar N Cream. This one will be stickinette with a rib border. Pictures of all the above to come…

And meanwhile, the shawl is coming along well. It is as plain as plain can be, but lofty and warm and not without its charms. I’m hoping to be done soon.

Aaand, I’m almost ready to jump into socks and sweaters. I think I’ll try a Mason Dixon “perfect sweater” in the next month or so…

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Posted in crafts, embroidery, knitting, papercrafts, reading

Reading v. knitting, round 1

Posted on September 7, 2007 | Comments Off

Wow.

Just, wow.

I seem to have discovered something I’m more interested in that than reading. Knitting. I know – crazy, huh? My whole identity revolves around being a reader above all else, and here I am preferring yarn and needles in my hands to a book!

This may have something to do with the fact that, for most of the week, my choice was knitting or A Fine Balance. Don’t get me wrong, A Fine Balance is good (with the previously mentioned caveats). But I’m finding myself extremely anxious right now, and I’ve discovered that knitting is a really wonderful anti-anxiety mechanism. Now that I’ve added The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, the balance has returned a bit. I guess historical adventure/romance is also a great anti-anxiety mechanism.

This, of course, brings up all my feelings about genre fiction. I described myself as a “serious reader” to a pal in chorus on Wednesday night, then instantly felt bad about it. How can I be serious if 90% of what I read is mystery, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and young adult? This is a constant struggle.

But here’s the thing: A few months ago, I was in Borders at State Street, picking up this and that, choosing what to buy. I was navigating the stacks with a fat mass-market paperback in each hand, and I suddenly thought, “this is my life“. Like, this is the most important thing there is. So I’m a serious reader, all right. And I’m serious about the genres, too. I love to study their history, meanings, nuances, and mysteries. I read LIS articles all about the genres, their appeal, why people read them. So this is OK, I guess. Or it has to be.

So much of my life as I get older (and a little wiser) is realizing that I am who I am, regardless of how I judge that. Not judging is going to be the work of another 30 years, I’m afraid.

I am, by the way, loving SHPC. Willing (who lives in Cambridge!) does a great job of keeping it fun and believable.

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Posted in crafts, knitting, reading

Distressing stories

Posted on September 6, 2007 | 1 Comment

I’ve read two stories today that have made me angry:

First, Salon’s story about Tenet, Bush, and WMDs

Second, Michael Righi’s tale of being arrested for not showing his receipt at Circuit City.

Not much I feel I can do about the first, other than be steaming mad. But I’ll really consider not stopping for “loss prevention” agents the next time I exit a big-box store.

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Posted in civil liberties, random

Well-behaved Women Seldom Make History, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Posted on September 6, 2007 | 1 Comment

Omigod omigod!

Just this morning, I was thinking about Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, and how I want to go back to The Age of Homespun and finish it. This was related to thinking about reading and crafting (more on that later), but then I got to thinking about LTU, and wondering if she’s had a new book out recently.

Then, like a strong wind blowing my way, I read of her new book, Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History, in Slate just this morning! It’s an exploration of the practice of women’s history, among other things. It’s not her standard fare, studies of ordinary women in early America, but it still looks neat. I never knew that Ulrich coined “well-behaved women seldom make history” in her first scholarly article! I’ve never been a fan of it as a pithy, rah-rah catch phrase, but hearing its provenance makes it a lot more interesting.

I must now buy this book, in hardcover. And review it here =).

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Posted in reading

Elm Bank shout out!

Posted on September 6, 2007 | Comments Off

Hello, person who reached my blog by searching “swimming charles river elm bank” on google! I hope you come back and read this.

I have not yet gone swimming at Elm Bank, but I hope to this weekend. If you’re wondering how it was, or you’ve done it yourself, please leave a comment!

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Posted in charles river, swimming

German scrap

Posted on September 5, 2007 | Leave a comment

As promised, pics of German scrap that I got (super cheap) at the Clay
Bookstore in Clay, PA.

Fairy tales:

Nature:

Decorative motifs:

Christmas:

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Posted in crafts, papercrafts

Recent crafts

Posted on September 4, 2007 | 1 Comment

 First, pics from my outing to Windsor Button. I went by the Frog Pond on Boston Common on my way there. It looked so nice I wished I could take a dip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Windsor Button:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Knitting on the bus:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interlude: the new I-195 bridge in Providence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back at home, a neatened craft table, with tins ready to be made into sconces:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My new knitting basket. It’s a bath caddy from Stop & Shop:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shawl in progress. Once again, I’m not in love, but for some reason I’m continuing:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sugar N Cream hand towel in progress:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cotton-ease ready for striped hand towels:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So as you can see, I have not adandonned the garter stitch. I actually like how it’s coming out on the hand towel, and I’m living with the shawl for now. I feel like it will be not lovely, but highly functional as a TV shawl.

Up next: pictues of the haul of German scrap I got in PA in June.

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Posted in crafts, knitting

shopping trip, Blogroll added

Posted on August 31, 2007 | 1 Comment

First off, I’ve added my blogroll. Hope you follow some links there; I’ve only added sites that I visit faithfully.

So yesterday I did indeed go to Windsor Button, and I got a load of stuff:

Shawl will be from a free lion pattern. It’s really simple: cast on 3, knit 3, knit 1, yo, knit to end, on and on till you have 35″ or as much as you want (I think I want a bit more cause I’ll want it plus size). I started it on the tail end of my lunch hour yesterday and kept going on the bus/train. I started out really loving it, esp when I saw how the increases were working, BUT. Here’s the thing- I’m no big fan of garter stitch. Yes, it is the easiest thing in the world, but I just don’t like how it looks or feels. I’m hoping to come around on this. I was hoping to make my hand towels with it, and I’m gearing up for a Mason Dixon inspired log cabin project, but looking at the 10″ of shawl I’ve got, I’m just not that happy. I’m torn. On one hand, I have this new idea for a pattern. The garter stitch is useful for doing the increases at the ends of the rows, but there’s no need for them in the body of the shawl. What if I changed the pattern so that there were 3 garter stitches to accomodate the yo’s on the edges, but the body was stockinette stitch? I find this idea pretty attractive.

But on the other hand, I’m afraid that I’m abandoning this project too soon. Is there some rule for craft projects like Nancy Pearl’s 50-page reading rule? I worry that I might start to like it once the piece gets bigger and looking more like the finished shawl. Plus, it’s really fun to knit. Ideas? Advice?

As I said, for the two hand towels, I was planning on doing garter. But now I have this idea to do stockinette with a 4-stitch and -row rib border. But once again, I wonder if I’m getting hasty and over-ambitious. Perhaps I should make myself try garter. That’s me all over, secon-guessing myself, then second-guessing the second guess.

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Posted in crafts, knitting