Unfurnished Brooklyn

"lifeless husk"

I think Em sums it up perfectly. That's what I feel like: a lifeless husk.

But, all drama aside, I feel better today.

Hey, lookit! Pictures! First, Karlsro:

And here's the front of Drifter:

And did you know that, in a pinch, a #2 pencil can be used as a stitch holder?

So, this morning, knitting and watching videos when I'm supposed to be writing, I came across this group. I haven't bought much new music lately, but I'm going to pick up their album. And Anthony Hamilton. My husband's album is already in the mail, from Dusty Groove. I may also buy Maroon 5- I'm kinda embarrassed to admit that, though. I have this thing about not buying music that is playing on the radio 24/7.

Links aplenty today, huh?

I've got cooties

There's some kind of flu or something going around, and I've got it. And I'm supposed to take a three hour exam tomorrow at 9am. Urg. Today I studied a little, slept a lot, studied some more.

Beavis is coming to stay after work tonight so he can watch Cheb, which means I had to clean. And I'm sure when I come home, it will look like I never cleaned at all.

I promise pics tomorrow of Karlsro and Drifter, since I'm supposed to be studying. I'm done with the front of Drifter, despite the loony Rowan instructions.

Off to study.

Where was I?

On Saturday, in a coma. Not feeling well, stayed in bed all day while Cheb destroyed the apartment.

On Sunday, working on my essay while Cheb & Beavis went their merry way. Tossed out essay and decided to go in a completely different direction, even though it was due the following morning. Luckily the instructor was all, ah, hand it in Wednesday.

On Monday, went for coffee with someone I have a mild case of the hotsie-totsies for. Had to listen to this person yammer about how wonderful his girlfriend is. Later, hung out at school with someone else in my sights; also had to hear about the girlfriend.

Today, realized I forgot to do an exercise for my fiction workshop, and I knocked it out in fifteen minutes. Luckily my life is filled with crazy situations. So much to draw from. I also forgot that I was supposed to take an exam today. If I do not take this college-wide mandated exam, I cannot graduate. After much pleading, I was squeezed into the last test date: 9am on a Saturday. Did I mention in takes 2 hours to get there?

Maybe the forgetfulness was caused by my shock at my precious little angel yelling "fuck you" from the time-out corner where she was doing a one minute bid.

Beavis spent 4 hours in police custody- minutes after bringing Cheb home on Sunday- because he "fit the profile" of someone who'd committed a robbery a few blocks from his home. They detained him because he carried no i.d. Which is something I've been warning him about since I met him. I can't help but laugh at the "fit the profile" part.

I'm reading a really funny book, "Snake Hips." I'm taking free belly dance classes at school and will probably be publicly humilia-er, I mean performing in- a cultural festival at the school in May.

I wanted to take pics of me wearing Rosedale, but there is nary a fresh battery in this place. I also wanted to show the progress on the Karlsro, and the Drifter pullover I started on Sunday because all of a sudden I'm all about cables, man. I've had this Rowan Cotton Tape for more than a year, I think. Been meaning to cast on for this project, but... I didn't. It's going quickly, on #11 needles, and the cable pattern is easy to remember. On the subway, the cable needle flew out of my hand and disappeared in a crack in the seat. A woman saw me looking and tried to help me, but I don't even think she knew what she was looking for. But she looked like she was trying very hard.

I'm going to bed.

Rosedale, Unzipped

Here it is, the (nearly) complete Rosedale:

I haven't sewn on the zipper yet- I let the woman in the fabric shop measure it for me while I was wearing it, and it is too long. I wore it yesterday, and it was fine just hanging open, so I'm in no rush to zip it. Super comfy!!

Today was laundry day, which means pushing an overloaded shopping cart of dirty clothes to the laundry, then knitting while knocking back a Dunkin' Donuts caramel latte. But wait! There's a new Starbucks in the neighborhood! So what do I do? I get my coffee from Dunkin' D as usual, and go check out the Starbucks, sipping it in front of their big window. It's on the site of the Hallmark store that recently closed. It was empty, whereas I had to wait in line at Dunkin' D. A couple of guys came in as I ordered my coffe, and one was holding a tray of 4 Starbucks coffees. They'd come to order donuts. Guess you can't get deep-fried sugar bombs by the dozen at Starbucks, huh?

But- on my way home later in the evening, I did notice that Starbucks was crowded.

An interesting thing happened on the subway the other day: I'm knitting, and this woman is sitting across from me, watching and smiling. I smile & nod, and keep knitting. She gets up, sits next to me, and tells me that she knits and wants to know what yarn I'm using. Like a good Noro junkie, I tell her what its called and where to find it. She asks me to write it down, and I do. While I'm writing, she sticks her hand in my knitting bag, pulls out a full skein, and feels up my yarn. Yes, my bag was right there; yes, my bag was wide open. Boundaries, woman! Ask, and I will show it to you. Don't stick your hand in a stranger's bag.

It could've gotten ugly. It could've turned in to the Smeagol/Deagol scene in Return of the King. This is Silk Garden we're talking about.

Thanks for your wishes for my godmother. Mustang Sally rides again.

Kiss me, I'm Iris!

Years ago, when I worked at a health food store, I was given a green trucker hat with "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" printed on it. I whited out the 'h' and walked around with it on. I wonder what happened to that hat? And I can't believe I could not find a button with the same saying, so I could wear it today. Ah, well.

Two shocking discoveries today: first, I was watching videos at 5am this morning (little bit of writer's block), and I learned that the character on Dave Chappelle's show- Lil Jon- is not a character at all. He's a real person! Ha-what?!?

The second shocking discovery: there is a brand spanking new Starbucks in my neighborhood. I believe it opened Monday- because I didn't notice it over the weekend. On the bus home with Cheburashka, I looked up just as we passed it; the sign is huge and brightly lit. I'll get a closer look when I take the train in the morning- I want to see what it replaced. I know a couple of stores on that block were closed for renovation. I didn't expect a complete change.

It's the beginning of the end. I had a conversation recently about what the next "it" neighborhood might be. I have seen a few hipster types in the neighborhood; the last really sunny weekend we had, Cheb and I walked along the boardwalk, and I saw these hipster types had snagged a street-level apartment that opens up over the boardwalk. They were on their cell phones, probably telling their friends about it. I joke that the Russians won't allow any takever of this area, but its all about money, and once they figure that people will pay a grand for a one bedroom, its on.

Rosedale is... sort of finished. I took it on the subway with me and knit on the collar (and had to rip back because I wasn't really paying attention to the instructions for the corrugated ribbing on the neck. Duh.); all that's left to do is graft the stitches on the underarms, and weave in those ends. Oh, and sew on a zipper. I looked for zippers in the tiny fabric and notions store on the avenue, and found a shade of blue that might work, but I'd rather look around more. There was a great shade of orange, but I restrained myself. The sweater's bright enough, thank you.

I completed flaked on one of my classes, and we were supposed to bring in notes on the subject of our next essay (the first was about a journey- I chose my trip to Brazil). On the way to class, I realized I had nothing, so I stopped in the hall and scribbled a few lines about Elvis Costello, since I was listening to one of his albums in my Walkman. Now I actually have to pull it off. I love the guy and all, but I don't really know what I'm going to write about.

Oh, and I have to have a completed short story by the first week of April, for my fiction workshop. Gasp. I've lots of incomplete stories. I'd better get crackin'.

Kiss the Stone

We went to the Children's museum over the weekend. I'd been avoiding since the beat down I got when we went the last time. I'd told Cheburashka we weren't going until she was sure she wouldn't freak out when it was time to leave. She knew she wasn't able to, because she'd answer, "Ok. Maybe tomorrow." Finally she asked to go again, and assured me she would behave. And she did.

They had a Saint Patrick's Day art project: after hearing a story about the holiday, children got to choose a small stone to decorate (their personal Blarney stones). Of course, my child had to pick the largest; I think its pretty close in size to the real one. I had to tote that thing around in my purse. When we got home, she insisted that I kiss it, because "it would make me a better person." Later in the evening Babykitty climbed into my basket of Silk Garden and started batting it around. I yelled from across the room, "hey cat! Out of the basket!!"

Cheburashka walked over to me with the stone. "You really need to kiss the rock, mama."

So much for my working on a single project. Now that I've attached the sleeves of Rosedale, and am doing the decreases on the yoke, I've got about 700 stitches on the needle. That's what it feels like. And I think I may be one skein short, since I was really picky about matching the sleeves and lost some lengths of yarn. Or maybe not. But- there is a yarn section in the fabric store not far from Cheb's daycare that just happens to stock some Noro. And they just happen to have color #8. So if I do need some, I can pick it up there. Then again, I could gather up the spare lengths and use it for the corrugated ribbing on the collar.

My godmother is in the hospital. Yesterday she was doing much better than she was on Friday, when I was convinced she wasn't coming out of the hospital at all. (She's been there more than a week). She's 84. My sisters and I call her Mustang Sally, because she gets around so much. You'll call her, thinking she's sitting up at home, and get worried that she doesn't answer, and later learn she's in Vegas. She's got what I can only describe as an outsized personality. She's in church every day (she's an elder in the church), but she will burn your ears off with curses if you mess up in front of her.

Yesterday, when I arrived at the hospital (conveniently located in walking distance of Knitting Hands-what??), her church friends were there, talking 'bout Jesus. My cousin Veronica was there as well, and we tried to keep the eyerolling to a minimum. I sat knitting, and would occasionally go "mm hmm. that's right. yes, yes." If my trouble-making sister had been there, she'd have added "weeeelllllll."

I hope we have matching handbaskets on our way to hell.

Puny Humans!

Thanks to Em, I can now reveal my true identity:

Which Colossal Death Robot Are You?

"Vast, red and ready to turn into a lorry at the slightest provocation, you are a robot to be reckoned with. Although sickeningly noble, you just can't resist a good interplanetary war, especially when Orson Welles is involved. You have friends who can shoot tapes from their chests. Tapes that turn into panthers. And other friends who are dinosaurs. Dinosaurs who jump out of planes. Will you have my children?"

Squawk! Hallelujah!!

My apologies, but yesterday I watched VH1. They were showing "classic" videos. I was almost late picking up my child because I stayed to watch Morris Day & the Time's "Bird" video. They also showed LL Cool J's "Going Back to Cali."

Bikini: small
Heels: tall
She said she liked the ocean...

I can't wait til Cheburashka is a teen, and she brings a friend home from school to find me in front of the tv, dancing to this stuff.

Squawk! Hallelujah! whooa-oh-oh-oh-oh!

I never did find my bamboo dpns. I should probably check Cheb's toy box. She can find a million uses for them, especially involving Play-doh. So I used the 16" circulars, stretching the yarn. It actually worked out; once I started doing the increases, the cuff snapped back into place and it doesn't look stretched out. One sleeve is now finished (thanks in part to a two-hour subway hellride to class). I'm really cooking with gas on this sweater.

I'm going to work on Karlsro next, then I think Kyoto, since Cari's is looking so good. I've knit and washed a swatch of Rowan All Seasons Cotton to make Rogue, but the swatch seems to have disappeared. Probably hanging out with the dpns. But- I also want to make the Denim Silk poncho. Decisions, decisions.

We're not morning people around here

I've been waking up at 5am to get some writing done, and it has been working out so far. I don't like actually getting out of bed, but it does help. Cheburashka, though, hates it. I'm getting her to bed earlier (for her, early is 9pm), but she still wants to sleep in, and gets seriously grumpy when I wake her.

Me: Wake up! Wakey-wakey!*
She: Go away, dumbhead.
Me: C'mon! there's yogurt! And cartoooooons!
She: Leave me alone. I don't like you.

*Granted, most people would react the same way if someone woke them up saying wakey-wakey.

Once she's up, though, she's pretty agreeable. Unless we've run out of yogurt....

I've gotten up to the underarm of Rosedale, and realized I probably should have done the sleeves first. You know, like it says in the pattern. I couldn't find all of my #8 bamboo dpn's, so I had to on for the first sleeve with the aluminum ones I'd bought the last time I couldn't find the #8's. The stitches were sliding every which way. Ticked me off. So I'm going to knit it flat until I have enough stitches to use the 16" circular. (I didn't do that first because it hurts my hand to knit w/ 16" needles unless there are a lot of stitches. Go figure.) I wound out a couple of skeins to what I think are the same lengths of color repeats to try and get the sleeves to match as closely as possible.

I'm really loving this yarn: not as many knots as with the Iro, gorgeous colors, soft as all get out. I think its the first project I've worked on almost exclusively.

Just realized what time it is. I'm going to be late for class!!! Yaaaaahhhhh!!!!!

Hey, more pics!

The completed Sundby- photo cropped so you don't see my underpants:

And here's where I am on the Silk Garden Rosedale:

I've 2.5 skeins left over from the (not so) Big Kureyon. I think I'll make a Booga Bag; I should have enough yarn, as there's more yardage with the nsBK than with the Kureyon the pattern calls for. If not, then I can use another yarn for the handles.

We're off to the museum for some culcha.