Ta-da!

Yet another FO "Ruffles"



Details: purchased as a kit from the Knittingbag.com. Yarn is Meunch Serpentine, knit on size six bamboo circs. I purchased the kit because I could not find a purse frame anywhere!!!! I seamed it on the sewing machine as I though that would help it with a little rigidity. I sewed the purse frame casings on the sewing machine as well. The seam is a little wonky, but barely visible. Plus: cute as all get out. Minus: Serpentine is fiddly and horrible to work with, it sticks to your hands and snags very easily. I'll knit this one again, but in some other yarn.

It has been an exciting first week without work. Last Thursday the mum and I went to LA to see The Boy King! I bought the tickets way back in March, so it was a much anticipated trip. There are not that many artifacts from Tut's own tomb, but some very spectacular pieces nonetheless. I especially loved the "imitation folding stool with tail", a gorgeous wooden stool inlaid with a design to resemble an animal pelt including a wee tail! If anyone gets a chance to see it, don't pass it up. We also spent a good long day at the Getty. What a spectacular facility. I love that the galleries are small, and only hold a few works, makes the act of viewing more intimate and more accessible. There was a great exhibition of one of my all time favorite photographers Weegee. Just love his gritty, noir, and yet innocent photographs of murderers, whores, and just plain old people.

Then I started school again yesterday! Me, at almost 40, taking an intro to basic photography. Me, sitting in a class room with 50 kids just out of high school. Talk about feeling OLD. I think I might even be older than the instructor. I can't wait to get started.

Today I got an e-mail from an old friend with a lead on a directing gig. Its just a reading, but its also a place to start getting my artistic life back on track...

And a parting shot just for good measure.



More FOs very soon.

Meet my leetle friend...

Flora!



from Knitty. Details: the three yarns stranded together are Lang's Venezia, Lang's Pearl and GGH's Soft-kid. The resultant variegation looks like peppermint candy to me! The pattern is delightfully easy to follow, and the flower was great fun to make. The button is from my vast array of buttons that I have collected over the years.



In the flesh the flower looks terrific and very three dimensional.



This gives a better view of the color, but the flower is still a little fuzzy. The flower has stamens! The center of the flower is made with a twisted loop; you loop about three inches of yarn, twist it until it twists back on itself and then slide the top of the loop back over the needle. What you are left with is a big boucle like nub and a new stitch! Genius!

***

A sweet side story; Husband is out of town on business, and it had put out older dog into a state. He was panting uncontrollably last night, which worried me terribly. So I did what any right minded hypochondriac would do, I went on-line! Excessive panting in a healthy dog is often an indicator of stress. So I went back to comfort my stressed dog (should add that I know he is healthy, we were just at the vet a week ago). About 11 Devil Dog and I fell asleep, but I knew Angel dog was still up and panting. I vaguely heard him go out the dog door, and when after a certain amount of time he didn't come in, I woke up and decided to hunt for him. Looked out the back door, called for him, no dog. So I looked out the front door... and there he was curled up in the drive way, looking at the gate, waiting for his master. ! Awwwwwww!

Uh-oh

Seems that I have a problem...

A seriously bad case of repetitive startitis or is it chronic non-finishitis syndrome. Lets see; starting with the lavender pile on the far left we have the endless stockinet sea of Garland- back completed, sleeves in progress, front and ruffles... ugh; next the Drop Stitch cardigan from the Fall Intereweave in the variegated Manos- back and sleeves complete, fronts just itching (literally) to be cast on; light blue is the second Eowyn that I am knitting on dpns - having issues with the ugliness factor; brown ribbon is being knit into the ruffled hand bag from Knitting On the Edge; the light royal blue is the badly, sadly flawed Iris; the pile of color in the front is my latest experiment with handmade felt.

First step is admitting you have a problem. Right? I am assuming that this can be remedied by low doses of cabernet (a Chianti will do in pinch as pictured above) and a strict yarn diet. Yes, I am not buying yarn for another project until I finish (or frog) these. Starting right now...

Right now is of course after yesterday when I finally got my grimy paws on Rebcca issue 30, and spent a delicious hour in Imagiknit* squeezing balls of yarn, choosing the yarn and the button to knit Flora from Knitty.

On a closing note, Friday September 16th is my last day at my job. A huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders. It is the right move, and yes I am a little scared... but I'm also a little excited. I mention this because my last entry was more than a little bitter, and contained a vast amount of complaining. In addition to my yarn diet, I am going on a gripe diet. Starting... tomorrow... what follows is a wee gripe, so if you are not up to it you can stop reading here.

*Just a little side note, I have always felt welcomed at Imaginknit until yesterday. I guess they were very busy, as evidenced by the woman who was at the counter when I approached with my magazine and my small (really and truly it was small) pile of yarn, she dashed away blurting out as she dashed "I have three things in my queue". Apparently I was not one of those things. The wan looking young woman who was seated next to her behind the counter resignedly wafted my direction (a staggering 2 feet, but it might as well have been a mile) and vaguely waved at my small pile, "Is ALL this yours". Yep, all three skeins, and that button, and that magazine. Lordy, sorry to disturb your finger nail polish chipping. Now there are days when I have been less than a joy to be around, but I try to strap it on in public - I have smiled through hang-overs, PMS, back spasms, cramps, the like... If I worked in Yarn Nirvana I would probably be grinning from ear to ear the long way round morning, noon and night. Wan girl I am sorry if you were having a bad day, but it wasn't very much fun.

A rant, a plea, and some knitting

RANT

Last week I was employed and unhappy. Last Friday I learn that my boss dislikes me as much as I dislike him. Although I have not been fired, I have been "kindly" asked to look for employment elsewhere. He offered to allow me to stay until I find another job, condescendly telling me that it is "easier to find a job while you have a job". As if I am totally unaware of how the job market works... Humph! I am gave him two weeks. That leaves the other employees, who I quite like, in the lurch, but fuck it - I have hated that job since the day I took it.

The boss man said to me, upon hiring me, "I am hiring you despite the fact that your resume is funny". "Peculiar" not "haha". Possibly the Master of Arts threw him. Possibly the fact that my entire career up until that moment in time had been in the arts threw him. I took this job because it paid more than any non-profit arts job could ever imagine paying, and my husband had just been laid off. We had a mortgage, two car payments, not to mention groceries, electricity, gas, water and the like to pay. And yes, I stagnated. I was great on the phone, trained actors often are. But after the forty eleventh time I had to correct a numerical mistake I had made on a spreadsheet, my charisma started to wear thin. This past Friday it split down the middle. It has been a three-year run, not bad for off off off off off Broadway.

Fact: I have not been fired. Fact: I am no longer welcome at my job. Course of action: leave and finally do what I want to do. Problem: don't know what that is. Opportunity: get to find out. I don't do numbers, detail or coffee - beyond that I am pretty much game to try anything. Ideas are most welcome! Anyone want to look at my resume?

***
PLEA

Humane Society, Red Cross, click the links above.
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KNITTING

There has been knitting, albeit kinda weird looking knitting.




Doesn't this remind you of a cast? I think I may have been my choice of color, plaster cast white... I think I might enjoy them in the winter. Although now there is really no danger of me developing carpal tunnel, as I won't be typing poorly crafted letters any more, I wonder if I will have a use for them. (No, not bitter, not me... just a little case of "boss got there before I did" Fucker!).

Pattern: Eowyn, Rowan 38
Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo Circs size 10.5
Yarn for gauntlet: Blue Sky Alpaca Sport Weight in colors #000, and #004
Yarn for lace: 4 ply Alpaca purchased at Stitches West 2005 - brand unknown.

Another view



I am disappointed with the bulkiness of the seam. I have started another pair, this time knit in the round with double pointed needles. I'll post the specs as soon as they are done.

Rowan 38 is a home run. Bonnie and Clyde actually are knitted items - who knew! Clyde is a purse and Bonnie is a wee felted flower! Sweet.

Now need the new Rebecca. Rumor has it that a number of Bay Area knitters are in possession of it... I guess Saratoga is the knitting Bermuda Triangle.

The Red Cross and the Humane Society

Friday November 25th, 1994 I learned first hand of the generosity and incredibly organized responsiveness of the Red Cross. You see the meth lab in the apartment next door caught on fire, took out half of a San Francisco city block (the corner of Pierce and Haight for those of you who want to know). 150 people were displaced.

The Red Cross was on the scene shortly after the site was declared a disaster. They had counselors on hand, provided temporary housing in hotels, and provided help locating lost pets, provided clothing and food vouchers. They helped us take the steps to rebuild our lives. Without the Red Cross my life might not have come back together so easily.

We lost everything. But we didn’t lose our community. That I cannot imagine. My heart is breaking for New Orleans, for the communities lost, for the lives lost. The Red Cross is there, and doing for those folks what they did for me.

I’d send yarn, but I don’t think that will help. So I will send money, knowing that the Red Cross needs it and will use it in the best possible way.

The Humane Society helped me locate my cat Jack. He had been badly burned, but was alive and in good care at their facility. He lost a few lives that night, but lived another ten years. If you can, help them too.