Upcoming projects

For years I thought I'd sooner die than do lace knitting. It seemed too tedious.

But, now I want to try it. I'm sure I won't want to have anything to do with those cobweb shawls, but as I read more, I discovered that's not all there is. I've done a few things, and have discovered it's not so bad.

The first one I'd started on the cruise. It got lots of comments. I got the pattern from an old copy of Cast On. http://www.tkga.com/cointro.shtm

The pattern calls for Louet's Gems (I think.) http://www.louet.com/yarns/merlin.shtml

I found a soy yarn off of Ebay and am using it. It is a complicated, expert only pattern, and it took me a long time to figure it out. I ended up frogging after I'd gotten to the short portion of the waist because in the course of learning, I'd make more than a few mistakes. I'll start it again.

The next one is just in the planning stage. The pattern is the summer 2006 issue of Interweave.

http://www.interweaveknits.com/backissues/SU_06.asp

The yarn is elann.com Sonata, color 7009. I couldn't do this hobby without elann.com They have super yarn at superdooper prices.

http://www.elann.com/productdisp.asp?NAME=elann%2Ecom+Sonata&Season=&Company=&Cat=ALLY&ProductType=5&OrderBy=&Count=42

The last pic is also an elann.com purchase. I on occasion design my own garments, when I can't find what my mind's eye sees. I wanted a thin, lacy 3/4 sleeve spring sweater, with a tie at the collar. Using the basic patterns from the Knitter's Book of Handy Patterns,

http://www.interweave.com/knit/books/knitters_handy.asp

and any of the Stitchionaries from Vogue,

http://www.vogueknitting.com/books/index.php?cPath=3&sort=2a&page=4

finishing with any of the On, Over, or Beyond the Edge books,

http://www.vogueknitting.com/books/index.php?cPath=3&osCsid=1e4fm8l01bpc2enslp8ctdj995

I create away. With this one, I ended up borrowing from Sally's Favorite Sweater from The Knitting Experience, the Knit Stitch,

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/na_knitting/article/0,2025,DIY_14141_3186456,00.html

http://www.stitchesmarket.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=51&cat=214&page=1

and fiddled with it until I decided that one size 11 and one size 7 will create the lace pattern I seek.

Family Fun

So my niece Holly visited. I was Round I in her whirlwind five stop tour of Eastern Missouri, Southwestern Illinois, Southern Illinois, and Practically Western Kentucky (with, from what I understand, a non-stop trip to Indy and back). She's lived in Ft. Myers since she was about six or so, and hasn't made many pilgrimages to the Homeland. I live closest to the closest airport for this, so I start off the tour.

We begin in the East Terminal of St. Louis Lambert. She was only slightly tardy due to the thunderstorm that blew through about 15 minutes before she was scheduled to arrive. Before she landed, her mother was already calling me. Anyway............

We get her loaded into my very illegally parked car (there was no WAY I was parking without a roof in that rain) and away we go. I drive around to various points of interest: my former home (which the new owner has just made a MESS of my landscaping -- b^&*(%!#d), where I went to school, and other points of mild to no interest. We then get vietnamese for lunch (since I'm the only relative she has that has any willingness to eat something that isn't dully white bread). My favored spot on Delmar, Miss Saigon, is closed, so I make a second choice, Little Saigon, in the CWE. Yum.

http://stlouis.citysearch.com/profile/11496889/st_louis_mo/little_saigon.html

We then go to my house, where she can unpack and relax (Pic 1). We await Drew for dinner. We end up at Tony's in Alton, famed for steak and Italian. She crashed early because she had a long day.

http://www.tonysrestaurant.com/

Day 2: We engage in a leisurly pace. First stop is the Butterfly House in Faust Park, which is quite the drive from my house in Illinois. It's a lovely place run by the MO Botanical Garden. Not nearly the size of the MBG, but quite lovely. I'd love to have the space to create such perennial gardens. The actual house contains 1000 butterflies, which they replenish often. Holly carefully studies (Pic 2). It was a boiling hot day and pretty warm in the House, but the butterflies everywhere are just marvelous.

http://www.butterflyhouse.org/

Then off to shop. I need to return some pants at Coldwater Creek, so the nearest one is in West County Mall.

http://westfield.com/westcounty/

I note that Teavana has opened in the mall, so I make a beeline. Holly concludes, rightly, that I'm a dork for spending $50 on tea, most of which I send home with her to her mother. She finds an H & M, which she likes from other places she's been, and notes that it is probably fate because those are her initials. She finds some tops, and I found some hair things.

http://www.sqwires.com/

Next, we try Bailey's Chocolate Bar in Lafayette Square (it is precisely what you think it is). It's not open until 4, so we go to SqWire's for lunch, someplace I'd always wanted to try. I get the duck breast salad with mango salsa, she gets a burger. Then, the Chocolate Bar is open.

http://www.baileyschocolatebar.com/

Holly got the Pot de Creme. I got the Chocolate Inebriation. Yummy.

We have to kill some time before dinner. We go to Gringo Jones so I can check on some items I intend to buy, like the totem pole.

http://respublica.typepad.com/respublica/2005/07/gringo_jonesand.html

Holly shops. (Pic 3) We make a quick stop next door at The Bug Store.

http://stlouis.citysearch.com/profile/34843074/

We then hit the Delmar Loop because she still needs a souvenier for her sister (who should be visiting soon). We go to one of my favorites, Phoenix Rising.

http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3716912893

By now, it's time for dinner. Andrew and I select BARcelona Tapas because it's one I've never tried, and it's easy for Andrew to get to from work. There's a wait. On a Wednesday. We wait.

http://www.barcelonatapas.com/

Totally worth it. I got Jamon Serrano con Manchego, Lubina a la Plancha (mmmmmmmm....), and Tres Leches cake (MMMMMMMMMM.....). I point out, brilliantly, that if for no other reason, Holly should learn Spanish so that she can order tapas no matter where she is. She got the Patatas Alioli, Ablondigas, and Croquetas di Pollo y Jamon, and Capirote (YUM). Drew got Sopa de Alubias, Atun de Pimienta, Pincho de Pollo y Chorizo, and the flan. All was pronounced delicious.

We then stop by the World News down the street. We pick up magazines for the rest of the trip, and then drive back to Illinois.

Day 3: Up and at 'em, for the next stop on the tour. We take the scenic route, down Illinois 3, with a pit stop in Chester for facilities and drinks, through Carbondale, past a couple of "historic" sites in Marion, and then I leave her in the capable hands of her paternal grandfather.

I meet my own father, stepmother and brother in Carbondale for lunch, then to West Frankfort to collect my birthday present (smoked fish, dill Havarti, meat sticks, and cheese curds fresh from Wisconsin). And then home, through a torrential storm so severe I couldn't even read the roadsigns. My effort at taking a shortcut through O'Fallon failed, as I couldn't SEE THE SIGNS.

Kreative Korner.....

The Cable Edition.



In expanding beyond knit and purl, I've done a fair amount of cabling.



I started with the striped sweater, an easy cable in four easy pieces, done in Noro. The pattern is out of Knitting Simple Sweaters from Luxiurious Yarns.



http://www.alibris.com/search/books/isbn/1579904238



Then, I went big. I did the green top, which impresses everyone. The pattern is the Wedgewood Blouse from Summer 2006 Interweave Knits (which I used to love, but now that they've changed editors, most of the patterns are yucko -- I probably won't renew). If they only knew how easy it was (well, once I got my question answered by the nice staffers at Interweave) it was a breeze. I did it in Cascade Pima Cotton, a bag I got on my trip to San Diego last year. It was the Black Sheep in Encinitas, CA -- the best yarn shop I've been to in my life (and Andrew will attest I've been to a lot of 'em). Actually, the Black Sheep also supplied the main color of the intarsia sweater from 1/7/07's entry. And a top I made with Berroco Seta and some novelty yarn.


http://www.theblacksheep.biz/
http://www.interweaveknits.com/



Then, I finished the blanket my mother had started and never finished. I gave it to a friend who got married.

Kreative Korner

Or, "Phun with Gnu Tekneeks."

It's finally finished. This was my first attempt at top-down knitting (most construction, for you non-knitters, is done starting at the bottom hem). I'd started it a long time ago, and not convinced that what they were telling me would result in a sweater, I put it down.

The yarn is some cheap closeout I found, very similar to Mission Falls 1824 Cotton.

The pattern is from Sweaters for Everyone.

http://www.directtextbook.com/prices/B000R93YQ6

I especially like the cable ribbing.

Just a little pressing and it's wearable.

Required Reading

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/07/18/iraq/print.html

Pathetic Little Losers, and What Their Snotnose In Chief Should Do

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/57382/

Between the cowardice and the hypocrisy, I'm just disgusted with this bunch of snotty little kids.

And one of 'em grows up to be the Worst Presidunce EVER.

Keith Olberman has a great idea, one all these little pipsqueak idiot kids should do:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/07/19/special-comment-keith-blasts-bush-scapegoating-this-is-your-war/

It's the HYPOCRISY, Stupid

So. One of Bill Clinton's biggest judgers, back in the day, turns out to have some issues of his own.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/16/AR2007071601755.html

Wow. I haven't seen eyes that wide and scary since the runaway bride. And what's with the animal print?

Anyway.......

I truly don't understand these Republican Bedroom Police, and I REALLY don't understand the ones that point a finger at the rest of us while they do precisely what they rail against.

But, Vitter has declared that God forgave him.

That settles it. Nothing to see here..................

What I find really appalling is that Wendy Vitter went out of her way to rant on Hillary, back in the day, and that if Vitter did that she'd be more "Lorena Bobbitt" than "Tammy Wynette." While Vitter, penisless, would solve at least THAT problem, I wonder how that mean woman feels now.

If Hillary wanted to do the right thing, she'd call Wendy and commiserate.

The Hell That Is Telecommuting...........

Supposedly this is a benefit. I'd sell my own mother into slavery if I didn't have to do it.

I don't have concentration problems. Productivity is not the issue.

I'm bored silly. I was not cut out for staying home, watching my brain slowly turn into swiss cheese from lack of discussion.

This blows.