Sad little sweater fronts

I knew this pink cardigan was going to be a belly shirt when I finished knitting the back. But I moved on to the fronts, figuring that wasn't so bad.

Then, once I nearly completed the armhole decreases (ie, was more than halfway through both fronts, knitting them at once)... I realized this wasn't just going to be a belly shirt. The cute little detailing was going to hit perfectly right across my bustline. Because what everyone wants is a nice obvious line running straight across their widest part.

So, I ripped out the dagnabbit fronts all the way back to the beginning of the armhole shaping (a solid weekend's work), and am adding an additional 5 centimeters to see if that lengthens the front enough to rest mostly beneath the bust. This means I also need to rip out HALF of the back, and reknit with those 5 centimeters back there, too.

Gnash.

To make this all the more exciting, I probably don't have enough yarn to do this. So do I call on the Ravelry goddesses to see if someone has the dye lot? Call the yarn shop where I purchased the yarn? Probably I'll do all of the above, since I'm thinking I may need two more balls of yarn. This project was already eating up the yarn. But let this be a lesson to all full-bosomed ladies. Just because the knitting will fit around you, doesn't mean it actually has enough room for the girls!

At least I'm zooming along on the book front? The Good Earth exceeded expectations, Ella Minnow Pea was just as cute as promised, I am still loving all the comic books, and I have a paperback copy of Three Bags Full- a sheep mystery- to lend out to fellow knitters as soon as I finish it!

Sofawarming and some knitting fun

I threw a little par-tay this weekend. A sofa-warming, if you will, since I've been living out in Virginia for a bit too long to call it a housewarming. The sofa was duly broken in. But more importantly, there was some good food, good times, and thanks to my pal Dan- good bread and beer. He knows his yeast for sure.

The pictures from the party came out pretty abysmally, but I did catch a snapshot of the kahlua cake and a not terrible one of the boy. The cake went over really well- apparently it's a family favorite up North, but around here people hadn't had it. The recipe is ridiculously easy, it just involves making a few parts ahead of time and having adequate light cool whip on hand. Easy-peasy, but so tasty. I think I'm going to finish it up right now, in fact!


Someone special on my new sofa. Note the wide sofa arms- specifically chosen for pattern and laptop holding and being low enough to not impede knitting elbows. I really did pick a knitting couch.


This was a banner weekend. Saturday was the party, Sunday night I went to see Pearl Jam, but Friday night was Stitch 'n Pitch at the Nationals. I forgot my camera, but I did get some progress done. Between then and tonight, I got well on my way on my sweater fronts!


I also worked on the cashmere lace stole, because it's like knitting butter.


Mostly, however, I've been enjoying my local library the past few weeks. Here's the books to be returned tomorrow. Hopefully I'll finish The Good Earth by then, too. I'm really on a kick reading pre-Revolutionary Chinese lit. I have read more than my fair share of Victorian literature through my own research interests in graduate school, and a smattering of Indian lit... and tons of sci-fi. Branching out into the rest of Asia is really enlightening, and I feel like I'm really learning a lot. Every visit to a public library is like a free vacation to the far reaches of the world, and even beyond into space. Everyone says that, but I'm finding it more true than ever, now that everything I read is entirely because I feel like it and not because I ought to, or need to, or have any other obligation. In addition to the Chinese themes and the sci-fi, I've been catching up on a great deal of Jewish literature as well. The Shawl (shown here, too) is possibly the most gripping thing I've read all year. And that few hours of pure agony and complete submission to a novel? Free. Ah, do I love my local library. Too bad about all the books on my own bookshelves, but I like the smell of library books better.

A new little challenge

I don't spend a whole ton of money on clothes. But I've had a few foibles since I started my most recent job. The big one is that since I started wearing orthotics (sexy!), I have to wear shoes that can take them. During the summer I seem to have mostly given up, and I wear my comfy SAS sandals in my free time, my running shoes for gym stuff and commuting, and reasonable heels at work. But in the fall and winter, when I can bear closed-toe, I have to wear the shmancy shoes with removable insoles that will take the orthotics. And those suckers are expensive. So anyways, my shoe budget ballooned due to the high quality of shoe I buy lately.

I also started buying suits. This was pretty necessary- I only had a few, and I wear suits at least four days a week. And I discovered real quick that wool just doesn't work in DC in the summer, at least not when it's averaging 85 degrees in June, and the real hot months haven't even hit yet. So I had to buy more suits, out of self-preservation. And then I had to buy tops to go under the suits, because you can't just wear little Gap tee shirts every day when you're trying to look like an adult.

I should have about enough suits now, and in a variety of colors and seasonal weights. I still don't have enough tops, and I could do with some other things... but really, I should be saving that money for more important things.

All this said, I've signed up for a challenge to make myself really think about my clothing purchases, my shoe buys, and my general rather consumerist approach to hitting up the H&M when I need tops. I'm not particularly fashionable, and my size does change fairly frequently (at least on top). But I can make an effort.

So for Wardrobe Refashion, I've agreed to go two months (July and August) without buying ANY new clothing, shoes, what have you. I can thrift, I can repurpose, and most importantly I can sew my own. So this summer I'm going to try and really get on that, and sew myself some pretty work-appropriate tops. The button is on the side of the blog, in case you're interested in clicking and learning more.

But first I need to make that vest for Jamie... really.

More music

Since I moved to Virginia, I've been very excited to see that my friends' band, Fools & Horses play in this area a lot. This weekend is boyless while he's on vacation, so I decided to check out the band last night at Clarendon Grill, about four blocks from my house. The location is perfect, but it is not my kind of bar. There was at least one bachelorette party in residence, and a ton of drunk former frat boys and 20-30something nearly undressed ladies. Other than being a bit disgusted by the meat market (and having my beer knocked into half a dozen times), it was a fantastic show. Besides, the crowd liked the band, so they can be forgiven for pretending to mosh and being inane dancers. After the second or third beer my dancing probably wasn't ballroom quality either. For what is probably the first time on record, I remembered my camera AND remembered a charged battery. The photos aren't super, but I did at least give it a whirl!

L is for Love

If I have a failing, it's that I love overmuch. Maybe not overmuch. I think the problem may be that I use language of love to excess. When I like someone? I love them! When I tell someone I love them, it can't be once or twice but I have to say it a million times. Like Tourette's of the excessively emotive. I say love often, but I mean it always. I never take it back, though sometimes I have to revise what I mean by this shortest and longest four-letter word. My love is all-encompassing of the things and people that make me happy, and some that don't, too. I shan't bore you with them all, but perhaps my Flickr can provide a few examples.

I loved my cat, Grizabella. She was a doll, a ball of fluff who fit in the palm of my hand at 5 or 6 when I received her for a birthday. She grew up nice and pleasant, until the painter's dog ran her up a tree and she came down in the night, most likely incurring some severe injuries. We never knew, but she got increasingly bitter and mean after that- though she always was still good to me. She loved me back, even in her arthritic middle age before she ... well, let's not discuss the end of the story. I did love her.


Apparently about 15 images in my Flickr pop up if you do a search for "love." There's this one, because I "love big beaks":


And this one, "Love Enduring" which shows two strangers of a certain age who have obviously not lost their spark:


My coffee table is well loved, and beginning to show the wear as a result. I'm sure I've mentioned it before since I built it with my dear friend Sharyn, and it has served me beautifully ever since. And it has baskets for YARN.


Although I've since had the bumper repainted (someone rear-ended my car in a metro parking lot last year), I need to get another of these bumper stickers:


There are some yarn photos, and some knitting photos, and one where I commented on my love for crazy 80s shirts (I was in the crazy 80s in the photo, however). And there's probably a few more, one of which might feature the person I say "I love you" to more often than any other.

I just need to say it more often to my mom and dad. I can't believe they've escaped the general love-fest. This points to my having plenty more than one failing (loving overmuch not even being a particularly representative one), but maybe the next letter in the "ABC-Along" will shed some light on more interesting topics, or at least ones easier to put into photograph format without embarrassing the ones I love or you, dear reader! It should be fairly obvious at this point that I probably love you, too, simply for stopping by.

A show and some knitting content

Last night the boy and I trekked up to Baltimore to see Rilo Kiley, one of my favorite bands. They generally attract quite the hipster crowd. At least, they did when I saw them last in DC and felt I was underdressed. But ah, good homey Baltimore is quite different. I went to school right outside the city, and last night's concert attendees were so familiar to me. Mostly in khaki shorts and polos and sundresses, with just a few hipsters spread throughout who are long-standing fans. Besides observing the dress code, I was entertained that during the show Jenny (the female singer/guitarist/bassist/wonder woman) starting playing a riff from... Everclear I believe. And the crowd was genuinely upset they wouldn't play the whole song! Rilo Kiley, for what it's worth, sounds nothing like Everclear. And they certainly have plenty of their own material. We left before the encores, since somehow the two opening acts became three and it was obscenely late at that point, with a long long drive back to Arlington ahead of us. But we did get to hear "Never" before we left- a song I have always somehow associated with my boy, and one of my favorite songs more generally. He doesn't care for it, though. Repeating the word "never" over and over again could get old, if you don't get into the mood of the song. Maybe.

I know you didn't read this for the concert update- you came for the knitting! I'm trucking along on the cashmere stole; I am just about to start the fourth pattern repeat. As soon as I retrieve it from the car, since I brought it on our little road trip last night. I did finish something else, though.


This sweater has a few issues for me.
First: this is going to be a belly sweater. I realized it pretty quickly, but was WAY too lazy to go back and add another few inches of ribbing. It has a beautiful swing and sway to it, however, with the cotton bamboo yarn, so I think I will just wear this over a tank top or a camisole anyways and be just fine if it swings up and exposes what would otherwise be naked belly and back.
Second: I adore this yarn. I think it's sheen is unmatched, and it has amazing heft while not being too warm. But there is no good way to say it- the yarn hurts like crazy. Knitting with this stuff is killing my wrist, my palm (where I grasp it with my little finger). I can't really change the way I hold the yarn now, since it would destroy my perfect tension. That means I can only knit a few centimeters at a time without wanting to cry. I hope that now I'm doing the fronts it won't be so bad- at least there are fewer stitches to a row. Sheesh.

I have been trying hard not to waste money, but I fell into the allure of using my stimulus money for what it was intended. A third of it went straight towards prescriptions and other useful and necessary stuff, but I also bought a wee bit of yarn and an OttLite. I am so excited to try cross stitching with this amazingly bright light! Here's a review of these latest fun purchases, lickety split.
The OttLite in its new habitat:


And my yarn purchases. This one I bought from someone on Ravelry- it's Vesper, a heavenly sock yarn:


The others are from Sonny and Shear, a great online yarn vendor. First up, Shibui Sock in a luscious deep purple:


Zen Yarn Garden in the color of clouds:


And two neat skeins of Dream in Color Smooshy:



Ah, my love of sock yarn is strong.

The Great Curtain Project

I have been waiting until the sofa arrived to hang curtains in the new place. I do have a bunch of art up on the walls. If you can count degrees, a funky old mirror, and a few actual pieces of art. The walls are beige, so it looks just fine and lived in. But I have three windows along the outside wall of my efficiency. Two are large windows on each end, one in the bedroom and one is behind the kitchen table, and they both have decent blinds. In the middle are the sliding doors to the balcony, with vertical blinds. In terms of light protection, the blinds do only a fair job- it's very dim in here in the evening and morning, and very bright in the late morning into the afternoon. Not a huge deal for a girl working a normal schedule, but I occasionally have a nocturnal guest, and that's a bit too much. I also think having drapes over all of the windows would add a huge amount of color and personality to the space. At first I thought I would do the same drapes on all three (the slider and the two windows), but the more I think on it the more I think I would like to have the slider and the kitcheny window match, and the bedroom one should be coordinate in color, but perhaps a different print. And that one (at least) should be lined in blackout fabric. I plan to make pillows out of the fabrics to throw all over the sofa. Although it's very comfortable as-is, I would be more likely to nap on it with a few pillows to lean against the armrests.

I have a few ideas for what I would like to do. First and foremost, I want red silk.

Walmart has a cheapie version
And fabric.com has a sale on right now on dupioni silk- 8.30 a yard! but only until tomorrow

Crinkle taffeta is pretty cute, too, and the price is amazing.

I can also check out Ikea and West Elm. The more I think about it.. the more I kind of like the idea of sunny orange drapes. But I hate that color normally, I'm not sure why the dark gray couch is changing my mind!

The new addition

I have been waiting three months for a very special delivery. My sofa finally arrived on Friday, and it is even better than I hoped for!

Here is my living room, revised and finally furnished:


There's still plenty of room for a few lamps and my bookcases, and the thing is LONG. The cushions alone measure about six feet- long enough for the boyfriend to lie flat. Perfect! I, of course, don't take up that much room.


Now I finally have something comfortable to sit on and knit. I've been enjoying it all day, today, while working on my pretty rosey cotton sweater and watching DVRed episodes of The Daily Show.


I should be receiving an OttLite in the mail on Monday. I haven't cross stitched in years, due to my fairly abysmal eyesight. I'm hoping the bright clarity of the OttLite will allow me to try samplers again. And today has been a very good craft day in general- I pulled out the ironing board and ironed up some muslin in between ironing work shirts. This allowed me to cut out the fabric for a neo-Victorian vest. Rather, the muslin prototype of one for my boyfriend. I found the little slip of paper with his measurements, and laughed again at my analysis... "Jamie is itty bitty." At least he doesn't require much fabric.

Not a bad Sunday. Laundry done, groceries purchased, apartment... half cleaned. And I saw Sex and the City yesterday, drank a few martinis, and got to spend time with my new sofa and my hilarious boyfriend. What an overall win! I'm ready to go back to work, though. After this much success, I can only imagine I'll rock up the writing tomorrow.

Tagged by KnitCrit!

Ooh! I don't think I've been tagged for much in the past on this blog. Funfun! Here's the rules:

"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer."

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

In the summer of 1998 I was finished with my junior year of high school, and looking forward to being a senior. I was working at the mall at JCPenney's, I think, in the fashion jewelry department and fragrance. Which I found entertaining, since I abhor perfume and avoid it at all costs.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

1. Get groceries
2. Work on my pink sweater knitting project
3. Watch some of the Netflix that have built up (a disc of Buffy, a disc of Angel, AND a disc of BSG)
4. Clean the kitchen
5. Find my boyfriend's measurements so I can make him a prototype vest

That's what I certainly will do. I'd also like to go for a run and pick up fabric for pillows for the new sofa.

3) Snacks I enjoy:

Mostly I've been picking beverage snacks lately- a latte with soy milk, or cranberry juice. I haven't been eating much chocolate lately, more salty things. I've always been a massive fan of chips and salsa, and my former roommate's boyfriend got me into these amazing jalapeno chips from Target. They're nice and spicy, like Doritos with a kick.

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

I would first travel to some places I've never seen (Japan, Australia, Germany and Prague). Then I'd buy a house near the metro in DC. And then I'd open a yarn shop. That would definitely take a billion or more.

5) Places I have lived:

New Hampshire; Severna Park, MD; Baltimore, MD; Ellicott City, MD; Bloomington, IN; Pikesville, MD; Rockville, MD; Bethesda, MD; Arlington, VA.

6) Jobs I have had:

I worked at a bunch of places in the mall in high school, and as a temporary receptionist during breaks in college. Since then I've taught freshman composition, been an editorial assistant, and a technical writer. Now I'm not quite sure what my title means, but I am most certainly a writer.

I will not tag anyone for this, mostly because half the blogs I read have already done it. But Dallas should post hers, if she hasn't already...