Unfurnished Brooklyn

Rhinebeck

I'm still pretty overwhelmed by my day at Rhinebeck. I didn't buy much; I spent most of the day shmoozing. I did pick up some loopy mohair (and I lost the tag, so I can't tell you what booth I got it from).

I call this colorway seaweed salad- isn't that what it looks like? Also, some silk caps that Amy steered me to. (I've checked out her spinning tutorial, and as soon as I get a few minutes to myself I'm going to give it a try.) I tried to check out the Socks That Rock, but I got there about an hour after the booth opened and there were only two drab-colored skeins left. And the line went almost to the back of the building. So much for that.

I met a lot of new people, and many whose blogs I read regularly but hadn't met in person yet. Too many to link to (really- just go and check out everyone on the Blogger Bingo page), but it was great meeting everyone. Oh, and a special shout-out to the Queens Contingent- you seemed to be having a lot of fun. And to Norma, for not spraying me with Mace when I leaped out at her and fondled her beautiful green sweater. And to Amy, for the beautiful spindle, and for leading me to the lovely silk. And of course, the Drafty Ladies.

But you know who impressed me the most? Cheburashka. We walked all over the fairgrounds, elbowed our way through packed booths, met many, many new people, and she didn't complain once. And seriously: we did a lot of walking. It helped that I kept her sugared up.

She's usually pretty shy with people, but I put her to work finding people on our Blogger Bingo square and she would get all up people's faces. And it was Cheb who remembered that I brought a camera, so she took almost all of the shots that day (you can see some of them here).

The only problem that day was getting out of there: because I kept running into people I didn't call the car service when I meant to, and by the time I did most people were leaving the fairgrounds and jammed up the roads. It took an extra 20 minutes for the driver to show up (we were going to Poughkeepsie), but one of the guys working at the fairgrounds let me use his cell phone, and hung out with us until our driver showed. And then told him about a shortcut back to Poughkeepsie.  So, a potential problem turned into a slight blip.

Cheb really wanted to stay overnight. Maybe next year we will.

(Also- is it just me, or is Typepad acting like a real biotech today? I'm having problems uplaoding photos.)

Nerd Alert

I had this conversation yesterday:

Former Co-Worker: What are you doing Saturday night? We're all going out.

Me: You know I'm not allowed out at night.

FCW: Call your sister. She can watch [Cheb].

Me: Actually, we're going upstate. To Rhinebeck, for the sheep and wool festival.

FCW: The what?

Me: Sheep and wool festival. They have it every year.

FCW: Sheep? And wool?

Me: Yeah! And they sell really nice yarn and have sheepdog demos and spinning and stuff.

FCW: ....

Me: Um, yeah. And they show prize sheep. And, um, alpacas. They have alpacas there.

FCW: This is like a Star Wars convention for you knitting people, isn't it?

Me: Um, yeah. Kinda.

FCW: Well alright, girl. You have fun.

I didn't even get into the whole "Omahgah, I haven't finished my Rhinebeck sweater yet!" thing, or the Blogger Bingo. He wouldn't understand.

But for those of you who do understand: see you tomorrow! If it's cold enough, I'll be wearing the Tartan jacket. If not, just look for the woman in red eyeglasses chasing a curly-haired girl around the fairgrounds.

Don't hate the blogger, hate the meme

1. FIRST NAME?
Iris.

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My paternal grandmother.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
I cry when I laugh too hard, so can I count that? Yesterday, reading Em's blog.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Love it. And it's even better when I'm using a good pen.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT?
Pastrami. On rye. With lots of spicy mustard.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yep. I'm that good.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?
Yes.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes, but after seeing an episode of Fat Albert where the kid got ice cream I wanted to have mine out. I still remember the song... "you'll get ice cream!

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No. I've had quite enough excitement in my life, thank you. My sister has been working on her parachute jump license (or something like that). She's trying to get me to go. Eff that.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Honey Nut Cheerios. (Same as Em!)

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
If need be. Once I woke up after an, um, adventurous night and found my Docs next to my bed still laced. Never did figure out how I did that.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
::Climbing up on soapbox:: You know what I hate? When people tell me, oh, you're such a strong woman. Which then means they don't have to help at all, because, you know, I'm so strong. ::Shakes fist, slips, falls off soapbox::

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Pumpkin. When that's not available, strawberry.

14. SHOE SIZE?
A perfect 10.

15. RED OR PINK?
Red.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
The tattoo on my belly has suffered from pregnancy and weight gain/loss/regain. One day I'll get it redone.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My mom.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Duwatchalike.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Corduroy pants in a raisiny kinda color. Not real raisin, lipstick shade raisin. As in burgundy. Tan tee-shirt. No shoes.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE?
A bowl of Kashi cereal with soy milk. Wish I had some Honey Nut Cheerios....

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
NY1 News in the background.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Flesh.

23. FAVORITE SMELL?
Lemongrass- but only occasionally, so that it's special when I do. But otherwise, ginger.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
The mother of Cheb's homework buddy, trying to decipher our kids' assignment.

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO?
The nose. I love a nose with character.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON YOU STOLE THIS FROM?
Oh, yeah. She's the ginchiest.

27. FAVORITE DRINK?
Coffee. I'm drinking some right now. Mmmm.

28. FAVORITE SPORT?
Hockey.

29. EYE COLOR?
Brown.

30. HAT SIZE?
Average. But I have big hair, so hats are rarely worn.

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Eww. No. Never. I could never willingly stick something in my eye. Ewwww.

32. FAVORITE FOOD?
Mashed potatoes with lots of butter.

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
I'll come back and answer when I stop snickering over "happy endings."

35. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Tough one. I like cocooning in the winter, but I also like lounging on the beach in summer. I dunno.

36. HUGS OR KISSES?
Can't have one without the other.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Tiramisu.

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?
I tried to read the Dark Materials books, but got bored. I need something new.

41. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Don't have one.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV?
America's Next Top Model and Project Runway. Uli was robbed.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS?
My daughter reading to herself.

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES?
Beatles. Never could stand the Rolling Stones.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME?
I thought it would be Moscow, but I checked and it isn't. The furthest is Bahia, Brazil.

46. WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT?
Annoying my daughter, apparently.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Brooklyn.

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Swiped from Em.

1. FIRST NAME?
Iris.

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My paternal grandmother.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
I cry when I laugh too hard, so can I count that? Yesterday, reading Em's blog.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Love it. And it's even better when I'm using a good pen.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT?
Pastrami. On rye. With lots of spicy mustard.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yep. I'm that good.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?
Yes.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes, but after seeing an episode of Fat Albert where the kid got ice cream I wanted to have mine out. I still remember the song... "you'll get ice cream!

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No. I've had quite enough excitement in my life, thank you. My sister has been working on her parachute jump license (or something like that). She's trying to get me to go. Eff that.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Honey Nut Cheerios. (Same as Em!)

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
If need be. Once I woke up after an, um, adventurous night and found my Docs next to my bed still laced. Never did figure out how I did that.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
::Climbing up on soapbox:: You know what I hate? When people tell me, oh, you're such a strong woman. Which then means they don't have to help at all, because, you know, I'm so strong. ::Shakes fist, slips, falls off soapbox::

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Pumpkin. When that's not available, strawberry.

14. SHOE SIZE?
A perfect 10.

15. RED OR PINK?
Red.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
The tattoo on my belly has suffered from pregnancy and weight gain/loss/regain. One day I'll get it redone.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My mom.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Duwatchalike.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Corduroy pants in a raisiny kinda color. Not real raisin, lipstick shade raisin. As in burgundy. Tan tee-shirt. No shoes.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE?
A bowl of Kashi cereal with soy milk. Wish I had some Honey Nut Cheerios....

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
NY1 News in the background.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Flesh.

23. FAVORITE SMELL?
Lemongrass- but only occasionally, so that it's special when I do. But otherwise, ginger.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
The mother of Cheb's homework buddy, trying to decipher our kids' assignment.

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO?
The nose. I love a nose with character.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON YOU STOLE THIS FROM?
Oh, yeah. She's the ginchiest.

27. FAVORITE DRINK?
Coffee. I'm drinking some right now. Mmmm.

28. FAVORITE SPORT?
Hockey.

29. EYE COLOR?
Brown.

30. HAT SIZE?
Average. But I have big hair, so hats are rarely worn.

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Eww. No. Never. I could never willingly stick something in my eye. Ewwww.

32. FAVORITE FOOD?
Mashed potatoes with lots of butter.

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
I'll come back and answer when I stop snickering over "happy endings."

35. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Tough one. I like cocooning in the winter, but I also like lounging on the beach in summer. I dunno.

36. HUGS OR KISSES?
Can't have one without the other.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Tiramisu.

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?
I tried to read the Dark Materials books, but got bored. I need something new.

41. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Don't have one.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV?
America's Next Top Model and Project Runway. Uli was robbed.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS?
My daughter reading to herself.

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES?
Beatles. Never could stand the Rolling Stones.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME?
I thought it would be Moscow, but I checked and it isn't. The furthest is Bahia, Brazil.

46. WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT?
Annoying my daughter, apparently.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Brooklyn.

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Swiped from Em.

What I Knit During My Summer Vacation

I've been putting off photographing my finished projects because of a) a dying camera and b) laziness. And then I had to learn to use the new camera.

Anyway- here's what Ive been up to (Including a sweater knit back in March or April):

  Tartan Jacket, Interweave Knits, knit in Lamb's Pride Bulky (same specs as pattern).

  Sunrise Circle Jacket, Interweave Knits, knit in Rowan Summer Tweed. Sleeves longer than I'd like, and I really should take a photo outside so you can really see the detail. Eh.

  The cat-sick cardigan, no pattern, Classic Elite Portrait (mohair). Drove me nuts, and is pretty much the same color as Babykitty's fur, hence the name. Could be something she hocked up. Anyway, it's lightweight and warm and will probably just be used as an extra layer.

  Socks in a made-up pattern, KnitPicks Memories (colorway S'Mores). Nice soft yarn, but I'm not crazy about the tiny stripes. Wish the color would've pooled a little. I have enough yarn left over to make a pair for Cheb.

Basic 2-circ sock pattern in Trekking (color #...um... 100? I forget). I tend to make my socks on the short side, thinking I'm going to run out of yarn. Also, I make all my socks toe-up. Toe up from the floor up!!

  Scarf (a gift) in laceweight merino from School Products. Used a peacock plume lace pattern from some book (again, I forget). It's twice as long as it appears- I folded it over to fit on the blocking board. Here's a little (blurry) detail.

  Cabled sweater (my own design, didn't write it down), sized for a 3 year old, in Cascade 220 Tweed. Love that yarn.

There's also a mini-Charlotte's Web in some extra Koigu I had lying around. But that's what I've done since March.

Oh, wait: the cardigan from Interweave, in Colinette Prism:

Crappy photo, but I'm tired. Also, I used a button to close it instead of the wrap tie.

And that's about it. I think.

There's a party in my comments...

...and everyone's invited!

So there were some questions regarding the Cabled Riding Jacket in the comments of this post, and some people just ran wild with it. Doesn't bother me- have at it. I just haven't had a chance to respond. But you're not gonna like the answer: I have no idea what I did.

There's something up with the pattern, and some time ago someone gave me some pointers on dealing with it. I then managed to work around the problem (and put it down again due to running out of yarn). But I can't find my notes, so, sorry people. I can't tell you what I did. I can tell you this: stare at the photo of the completed jacket in the book; you'll see how the cables slant. Then, in the immortal words of Tim Gunn, make it work. (Or, in the words of Rich at Fourfour, make it twerk!) Make the decreases in a way that makes sense to you. That's pretty much what I did. Sorry I can't be more help than that.

I'm so close to finishing this thing, and now I've got more Peace Fleece to finish it with. I've been trying to start something new, but it's not working out. I think I need to just finish this dang sweater. Heck*, maybe it'll even be cold enough to wear it at Rhinebeck.

Speaking of Rhinebeck...

I'm both a Square and a Player. See you there.

(*Heck? Heck?? WTF?)

Secret Pal 9 Questionnaire

Who made this button? I love this button!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Um... I really dig alpaca. After a recent incident with some mohair yarn, I think I'll stay away from that for a while. I'm not entirely opposed to acrylic, but I'm currently divesting myself of what I already have (I just unloaded most of it on my sister). I chose that particular SP9 button for the humor, but also because I do have enough, thanks.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
My straight needles (which I hardly use anymore) are in an old fashioned sugar jar. Cute. My circulars are hopelessly tangled up in a plastic bin from the 99 cent store. I sewed a case for my needles, but that doesn't work for me. I'm still working out a storage solution.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting for about 8 or 9 years (and crocheting since I was a kid). I'd say advanced- I haven't tried every technique out there, but I'm sure I'd knock it out of the park.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I do, but all that's on it is E. Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac and Darth Tater. And I can't even remember my password.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
Ginger. The ginger-ery, the better. And pomegranate.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Good gosh I love chocolate, but I'm trying to cut back. Anything gingery...mmm, ginger and chocolate. Drool.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I'd like to learn to spin, but really knitting is pretty much it for craftiness. Oh, wait, I sew.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
A little bit of everything. Really- even if I can't speak the language, I'll probably still get into the music.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I really love grassy greens, orange, and a combination of blue/brown/beige. I don't like pink.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my 7 year old daughter and two wacky cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yep- all of the above.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I used to do a lot of pullovers and now I'm all about cardigans, for myself and my daughter. And I'm currently experimenting with lace patterns for scarves.

13. What are you knitting right now?
On the needles is a lace scarf for a friend, and I'm thinking of Starsky from Knitty, in a cashmere/wool blend from School Products. I'm planning another sweater for my daughter (now that she's rejected the Manos cardigan I made her).

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yup.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I used to love bamboo circs, but now I rarely use them. I generally use Addi circulars for everything.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yup- have both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Well, there's what I call The Yeti Jacket- a wisely abandoned long jacket in Jaeger Natural Fleece. What the hell was I thinking? That's only about a year old- I'm pretty much up to date on my knitting. Oh, wait- there's the Cabled Riding jacket that I've been avoiding. I should get on that....

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving. My family can cook- they make it well worth putting up with the squabbling.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Not really. Unless you count yarn.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
My Vogue Knitting sub has lapsed... I pick it up if there's something cool there. I'd like to check out some cool sock yarn- I usually use Koigu, so maybe I should branch out.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I've never tried steeks. Never had to. I'm interested in making a Fair Isle for my daughter, but I haven't yet found a pattern I like. I find most of them kinda blah.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I do knit socks. I pretty much make slight variations of the same two-circ pattern over and over. I have big feets. Size ten.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) 06/12

Life lessons

I erased the long-winded, ranty post I wrote at midnight (Wednesday). Midnight posts are generally long and ranty, no? Anyway, after a long IM session with my sister I feel better.

Mini-version: a playground incident with Cheburashka's friend, that already made my daughter feel bad, was made worse by the actions of the child's mother. There was nothing physical (or I'd be typing this from my cell on Riker's), but the mother took an unfair situation in which her daughter was clearly lying and made it worse by creating a solution that skews that unfair situation further in her daughter's favor. Also, no apologies even though my daughter asked for one (and twice gave one herself). I realized that the child would not be held accountable for original situation or for lying about it later (nor for threatening to have her mother hit my daughter). Seriously: an apology- even a half-assed one, for any one of the things she did- would've squashed the whole thing. But the girl was coddled and then pretty much rewarded.

I asked my daughter if she agreed with the mother's proposed solution. She did not, so I told her she didn't have to accept- no one was going to make her. Cheb decided on her own that it wasn't fair to her, and she needed an apology to make things right. This is not the first incident where the girl did something and refused to own up to it, but Cheb has had enough.

That may not seem like a mini-version, but trust me. Compared to the original post, it is.

That was Cheb's life lesson: life is sometimes unfair, but you have to stand up for yourself and press on. Yesterday, at the playground, I overheard Cheb telling the girl she needed to apologize. The girl refused, saying "Oh, that's over with. We can forget about it." Cheb told her no- she still needed to hear it, and wasn't going to play with the girl until she did. Then Cheb skipped off and went to play with some other girls. I kept on knitting, but what I really wanted to do was put on my cheerleader outfit, grab my pompoms and yell GIMME A C! GIMME AN H! GIMME AN E! GIMME A B! GOOOOOOOO CHEB!!!!!!

Okay, I kinda did. In my head.

Because I still haven't had the time to figure out my new camera, here's something to look at:

I'm doing a new dance: the Get That Bird Off your Shoulder. Blame Rachael for turning me on to Meez.