So, it turns out I'm going to have to have another ankle surgery. For anyone keeping track, this is the third, all to deal with the triple fracture I sustained falling off a three-inch ramp back in March of 1999. It'll probably happen in mid-May, though that won't be set until I see my surgeon to review my CT scan in the middle of April.
I'm a little cranky about it; I'll be out of work for two weeks, off the leg for a month or two, and on crutches for possibly as long as three months. Still, this will apparently fix a bunch of issues I've been having for awhile--flexibility, stability, and a slowly-increasing pain level. And as crappy as it is to be on crutches during the summer, I know from experience that this is better than winter crutching. And hey! I have a month or two to get ready for this, which is better than either of my other surgeries.
I'm also dropping some activities; classes at iO are off the table for now, and I've dropped go-go because I shouldn't be doing anything so percussive with that ankle. I'm sticking with trapeze until my four week session is done, since it's mostly hanging from the apparatus by my hands or my knees. And hey--if anyone has an awesome exercise regimen for people who can't walk, I'd love to hear it. I'd rather not put back all the weight I lost recently because of this. If I could come out of this thing with better arms and abs, that'd be terrific.
Other than that, I should clean my room and sew myself a fanny pack (a really cute one! really!) at some point before the surgery. But if it seems like I'm being quieter than usual between April and... Pitchfork or Lolla (damn!), this is probably why. Though if anyone wants to meet up in the next month or so, I want to get some drinking done before I go on opiates. Those things make me even more of a lightweight.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Reorganizing and restructuring
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Photos: Maestro Subgum reunion
I love Chicago. It's a great place to live if you like Weird America. It's big enough to have a thriving arts scene, affordable enough that people can live here and create more easily than they could on the coasts, and draws people from all over, including a bunch of small-town oddballs.
But my babbling about New Weird America... that's for another post. It's only a bit related, and is due to my lingering elation about the circus I saw last night. Let's just put up some Maestro Subgum pictures right now, why don't we?
More pictures can be found at Ye Olde Flickr Photostream.
Incidentally, the band kept having us chant "Maestro in May", so if you missed out... they might be back soon.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Podcasts and Barthelme and books, oh my.
Often at work, when I tire of spending my time listening to The Current at a volume so low that I cannot figure out what song is being played, I take to spoken-word podcasts. My standard rotation includes a great deal of NPR, but I've recently become a fan of several New Yorker podcasts, especially The New Yorker Out Loud, which features one of the week's contributors chatting about his or her article. This week's podcast is a fun little chat with Ariel Levy about political social-utopianist lesbians of the 1970s.
However, since I'm a book nerd and all, the previous week's podcast featuring Louis Menand talking about Donald Barthelme is what has me all in a tizzy right now, in part because it introduced me to The New Yorker Fiction podcast.
Barthelme is one of my favorite short story writers; even though I only own the Sixty Stories and Forty Stories collections, I often dip into one of the volumes to find a refreshing, beautiful, absurd little piece of writing that makes me feel better, especially if I'm in the middle of a long-haul of a book (hello, 2666, how're you? Yes, I'm talking about you). "The Balloon" is certainly one of my top ten favorite short stories; through the silly "what-if" setup of a balloon being inflated over much of lower Manhattan, Barthelme touches on the public's interaction with art and its complete separation from the creator's content. It is also poignant and wickedly funny.
Speaking of wickedly funny, Barthelme's "I Bought at Little City", read by novelist David Antrim in a perfectly droll fashion, is one of the stories featured on the New Yorker Fiction podcast. This podcast is my new work-drug. Brilliant short stories read by the authors of other great short stories! Mary Gaitskill reads Nabokov! Aleksander Hemon on Bernard Malamud! Oh, the wonder of it all. 
I recently had a chat about books with someone who emphatically stated that he liked "big" books (in both scope and volume), and was dismissive of anything less. I consider this argument equivalent to someone deciding to exercise, but only doing strength training with the heaviest possible weights you can lift. That's part of it, but you need cardio, you need light work, you need a variety of exercises to keep yourself in balance. Brilliant short stories like Barthelme's help keep me quick, and the craft that goes into short works often has to be better than that of "big" novels, because the impact must be made with less material.
Okay, I think I'll stop now, because otherwise this is going to segue into a discussion about Twitter, and I'd rather save that for another time.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Maestro Subgum & the Whole (or, I Am Still a Youngster in This City)
You think you know someone, and you realize you have no clue. Take Miki, for example. I met Miki at the Old Town School of Folk Music not long after I started volunteering in there 2004. He was the café manager, so I'd swing by to get my free volunteer drink whenever I worked a show. Sometimes, I would work as the café volunteer; it can be a very busy gig, but Miki would encourage me to drink the new beers he got in, and we'd chat about our lives. Miki doesn't work many concert nights anymore, but I still stop by and chat with him when he's at the school; I know all about his kids, he knows all about my ex-boyfriends. He'd mentioned making music, but so does everyone who works for the school. In a building full of sweeties, he's at the top of that list, but I didn't know much about what he'd done before he started working there.
So it was a pleasant shock to run across a picture of Miki Greenberg in the Reader a few weeks ago. Apparently he'd been a member of the "legendary band Maestro Subgum & the Whole"! I can't say that I've known anybody else who's been in a legendary band. There was no real description of the band, or when they were active, or why they were legendary. Why, why had I never heard of them? I made a mental note to investigate further next time I talked to him.
Serendipitously, Miki saw me sitting in a coffee shop recently and came inside for a chat. After talking to him about Maestro, I'm really excited to see them play next Sunday, March 1st, at the Viaduct Theatre.
Details about this fabulous band after the cut.
There's not a ton of net-data available on Maestro Subgum & the Whole (notable exception below), because they were at the height of their popularity before the internet had really taken off, starting in the late 1980s and ending when they disbanded in 1994 or 1995. They had one big blow-out reunion concert in 2001 at the Old Town School, where Miki was by that point working; the show sold out, it was apparently a riot and their best show ever, and they've not performed since then.
Their instrumental palate consists of vocals, horns, and piano, which might make you think of Weimar-era cabaret, but there's a very rocking, yelling, ranting, zany energy that moves beyond the impeccably mannered expression of Kurt Weill. That is to say: at least from the clips I've heard, it is crazy and weird, and has a dusty 1930s feel crossed with a bit of a ranty early 1980s punk vibe, and I think I like it.
Maestro Subgum's members & alumni have done quite nicely for themselves. Beau O'Reilly and Jenny Magnus founded the Curious Theatre Branch (the group curates Chicago's annual Rhino Fest; Maestro Subgum & the Whole's show will be the closing act of that festival); other members have also been involved with Redmoon Theatre and Mucca Pazza. They also have a Tony-winning alum, since former trombonist Mark Hollman wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics for Urinetown.
The best interview I can find with Maestro Subgum & the Whole is a 2001 interview with Ira Glass on WBEZ (scroll down to January 19th, grumble about it being a Real Media file, react strangely to numerous mentions of "President-Elect Bush" from just before his inauguration, fast-forward to about 1:00:38). A couple of song clips are included, which should give you a taste of what you might get to experience if you go to see them live. Do you really want to wait another 8 years?
Maestro Subgum plays as part of the 20th Annual Rhino Fest
Sunday, March 1st, 3pm, at the Viaduct Theatre, 3111 N Western Ave.
Tickets are $12, or pay what you can.
Box office: (773) 296-6024
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
On caffeine, coffee houses, and coffee.
So there's some drama going on right now in the Chicago blogosphere about the renovations to the three local Intelligentsias, and the subsequent revamp of their price structure. (In order: Original GB:DT post, Chicagoist responds, GB author Mike Doyle quits GB because of this, and The TOC Blog summarizes the whole mess.
Setting aside the drama, I do think there was a basic reporting error, as there will be under-$3.00 coffee. A Clover of the Day will be offered, with S-L prices ranging from $2.00 to $2.65. I'm also a regular at Mill Park, and all the baristas who told me about the change immediately mentioned the Clover of the Day; I find it hard to imagine that Mr. Doyle asked any barista "Will there be coffee under $3?" and received an incorrect answer.
All the passioante talk about the changes at Intelligentsia did get me thinking about what people expect when they go to a coffee shop. I think part of the discontent with Intelligentsia right now could be traced to a disconnect between what some current customers want them to be, and what Intelligentsia wants to become.
More on that later. Now on to my GRAND THESIS. It involves taxonomy! Don't you love a good taxonomical grouping?
Here it is: people who buy coffee from coffee shops do it for (at least) three different reasons: for the caffeine, because of the coffee house, or for the coffee. There's going to be a lot of overlap in these three categories; I'd put myself in all three, depending on my circumstances. And people could go to Intelligentsia for any of the three reasons above (though I suspect most fall into the latter two categories, given the price and availability of the stuff. But let's get to the grand generalizations!
For the caffeine: These folks drink coffee like it's medicine. It is a necessary input for adequate daily output. They want coffee now, and they'd probably prefer it cheap, as long as it's drinkable. An alternate grouping wants their caffeine, and they want a socially-acceptable milkshake.
I'm this person: whenever I can't get to Intelligentsia in the morning, either because I'm starting work at 6 am or because I really need those extra 30 minutes of sleep. This happens more frequently than I like. I'm lucky enough to have a Keurig machine at work that dispenses adequately non-nasty caffeinated hot brown water; let's not talk about taste, because there is nothing to talk about. Before the Keurig, I respected the Dunkin Donuts stuff; SBUX drip coffee has always tasted like burning tar to me, so I never drink the stuff. However, while their drip is wretched, SBUX does make some delightful caffeinated milkshakes. I may have enjoyed one or two in the past.
Likely targets: DD, the tiny SBUX/Caribous with no seating, gas stations, every kitchenette in every office everywhere.
Because of the coffee house: The coffee house environment, hearkening back to the Ottoman Empire (or if you prefer, Vienna in the 1700s)! The history of intellectual progress props you up as you putter along on your laptop or meet up with your friends!
Getting slightly more serious-planting yourself down in a coffee shop for awhile is great. You can go alone ot get away from the distractions of home for less money than if you went to a restaurant (and without any of the social stigma). Groups can hang out, chat, study, knit, or whatever. I've seen small business owners interview employees in Hyde Park Starbucks, and I've seen Russian professors emeriti gather together for mid-morning tea and "conversation" (aka lots of gesticulation and loud Russian) at Unicorn in Evanston. I love them both. The atmosphere of these places varies greatly, as does the quality of the coffee, but it's probably the atmosphere that keeps people coming back.
I'm this person: On Wednesday nights at Julius Meinl (Southport/Addison) when I meet up with the Kelly Girls, my knitting group. When I tutor a friend in math at Noble Tree Coffee (2444 N Clark... it's Lincoln Park and it's fabulous). Back in the day at Filter. At numerous spots around my neighborhood, like Mercury, Atomix, and Alliance. Very frequently at the Mill Park Intelligentsia (if you show up at 6:30 am, it's pretty easy to get a seat).
Likely targets: Anywhere listed above, plus tons of other places. SBUX and Caribous with seating can even count. Apart from those corporate places, the Loop was pretty bereft of coffee houses until Intelligentsia opened two shops. However it seems that Intelligentsia is bnow aiming more for people who will come there...
For the coffee: They're members of coffeegeek.com. They wen to Intelligentsia's Coffee Geekfest weekend before last. They can talk coherently about the proper control of coffee through the wet milling and drying process, and use the term "commodity coffee" as a pejorative. They have strongly-held opinions about Chemexes, Clovers, and what varietals may taste better using a particular brewing method.
I'm this person: Because I can say "yes" to some of the above. Because when Intelligentsia higher-ups talk about how baristas should be as regarded as sommeliers, how they do much much more than just push a button at this level, I agree. Because when I went to San Francisco, I dragged my friend along to Ritual Roasters and Bluebottle Coffee Co. (where I asked so many questions that they asked me if I worked in coffee). Because this is geeky, and I am a geek.
Go to: Intelligentsia. Metropolis and The Coffee Studio probably also count, but I don't know them nearly as well and suspect that they aren't quite so geeked-out as Intelligentsia is at this point.
So... the Intelligentsia change. I'm sure the higher prices for coffee will drive away some caffeinators and coffee house folks. I bet it will even drive some coffee fanatics to brew at home (with their own roasts, or maybe Intelly's). But the price increase isn't because of Clover machines, it's because this coffee is the 1983 colheita to a jug of Gallo that DD serves, and it's because the well-trained baristas deserve to be paid a premium for their skill. Intelligentsia (along with a few other companies across the country) has worked to create an educated, interested, coffee-loving group of consumers. Now it's time for a test of how far this group will follow them, and of whether the group is large enough. Despite the economy, I'm guessing yes; I'm guessing that in a few years, the thought of ordering pre-brewed urn coffee at Intelligentsia will seem as strange as ordering a round of Slippery Nipples at the Violet Hour would be now.
But we'll see, won't we?
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Glossing over and moving on
People, 2008 got busy. Crazy busy. 2009 looks to be similar, but in an attempt to stay connected to my far-flung friends, I'm going to try to blog more.
I'm also trying to make this more than just the knitblog it's become in recent years. You know, write about books, movies, my life, music, coffee, go-go dancing, and all that other stuff I enjoy during the frequent times I'm not knitting.
Yeah, I'll get around to that. Just not right now. For now, look at the adorable fingerless gloves I made!
(I took this pic today. It was 8 degrees outside. The things I'll do for decent light.)
Pattern: Transition Gloves by Kerin Dimeler (Ravel it!)
Yarn: ShibuiKnits Sock yarn, colors Midnight and Ink
Needles: As called for in the pattern
Finished: Sometime in December?
I purchased the yarn to do these gloves with dark blue Ink and much lighter-blue Sky, but the contrast was so great that Ink looked black and the combination looked weird. I like the gradual fade from deep blue into dark, dark blue this combination produced. The originals are done with red and gold, which made for a fun contrast, but I like mine this way.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Eight months since my last post, and it's going to be political
Inappropriate, I know, but I am rather cranky. Cross posted from my far *mumble*livejournal*scuff floor with foot*
I hadn't previously realized I'm anti-Israel
Please don't tell Israel, as I'd like to go back to Haifa someday.
So, there's now a flap about Obama and Rashid Khalidi, stemming from his going-away party when he left UChicago for Columbia. Apparently Rashid Khalidi, previously a highly-esteemed UChicago prof and current head of the Middle East Institute at Columbia, is like a neo-Nazi, at least according to John McCain. He is a dangerous man who hates Israel. Please don't ask McCain why he gave Khalidi's organization money in the 80s, thanks. Also, this means that Barack is a terrorist and hates Israel.
It just got personal for me, people.
Not many people know this, I didn't settle on math as a major until the summer after my first year of college. (Side story: I was walking home drunk from a party by myself, and all of a sudden I yelled out, "Oh fuck. I really like math!"; I had tried to avoid it after burning out in high school.) During my first year, I seriously contemplated an international studies major, and Rashid Khalidi is a major reason for that. I took his class on modern Middle Eastern history, along with a friend of mine who's now in the CIA, and it was the best class I took that quarter. I do recall he really liked Edward Said; I also remember that he took an entire class session to explain all the issues surrounging the Israeli prime ministerial election of 1999. It wasn't some biased rant about Israel; he explained the history of their political parties and the events that led to the election. He's an incredible teacher, and in class, at least, he was perfectly able to separate his personal beliefs and the opinions espoused in his scholarship from the teaching of history. I presume he is also capable of being friendly with people who might not share his beliefs on Palestine. I remember him being one of the most urbane, genteel professors I had. He actually encouraged me to apply for a Georgetown program that would have sent me to Turkey for a year; I was accepted, but eventually decided not to go because I was only going to receive a year of language credit for the entire program. I also would've landed the day of the Ankara earthquake, so perhaps it was for the best.
To summarize: Rashid Khalidi, he's not some scary radical. Despite what my dormmate Karen (direct quote: "Palestinians are exactly like dogs") and John McCain believe, people who have differing opinions on Israel and Palestine can interact. It doesn't make Barack Obama any more of a terrorist than I am. The fact that he was friends with such a wonderful guy makes me think more of him.
Also, Khalidi saying he's going to lay low until this "idiot wind" passes only makes me like him more.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Remember how I used to knit?
And then post about it? I swear, I've still been doing the former, while neglecting the latter.
First, a 2007 FO for my cousin Annie:
Kusha Kusha scarf from Habu. I bought a kit at Nina. Part of it is knit with cobweb-weight merino knit together with silk-wrapped steel; the rest with just the silk stainless steel. Need to mail this alleged-Christmas present off.
Also, I am very close to finishing 3 sweaters: the Green, the Blue, and the Red. How close?
Well, here's Green:
Blocking as we speak.
Here's Blue:
To be done: blocking, sewing, and knitting about 8 feet of i-cord. Shudder. I can't block it right now, as it is from the same magazine as red, which has been 50% done since early December. No pic on that one, since it's at Mr. Z's right now. Will you accept a picture of my Venezia with fully 3 more rows done since the last pic in December? I hope so.
So that's the knitting. I'm being very slow on finishing my first book of the year (Alex Ross's The Rest Is Noise), in part because I've been studying a great deal. In other news, I have a job now, and am about to have a very nice new job. No clue how much time I'll have for knitting once I start, so I'm trying to crank some projects out.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
For my Masterpiece Complete Austen-watching friends
I know a few folks here have watched the first two entries in the Masterpiece Complete Jane Austen series. Please, tell me:
-Was Northanger Abbey just far and away better than Persuasion? I mean, the guy who wrote the screenplay for the really good Pride and Prejudice also worked on NA, so my instincts say yes. However, I might be biased, because...
-Was the guy who played Henry Tilney really rather attractive? Not quite Colin Firth in P&P levels of attractive, but higher than Hugh Grant in S&S?
"Both" or "Neither" are also acceptable answers. Please, tell me.
Monday, December 31, 2007
A quick way to break your brain
From the three books I finished in the last 12 hours:
"That relevance is instantiated both in terms of Sonic Youth's trajectory as a band and in light of Daydream Nation's permanent impact on the development of contemporary independent, avant-garde, and noise rock."
"Gluten is a viscoelastic network of proteins that becomes elongated by pulling and then partially reverts to its initial form when the tension is relaxed."
"You don't know what an egotistical control freak your taste can be until you try to turn traitor, as witness the slapstick contortions I've had to resort to just to get myself to listen to Céline Dion."
Altogether, I think these three books--about violent experimental rock music, the chemistry of cooking, and taste and its relation to pop culture--make a uniquely fitting prelude to an evening that will be spent watching Sweeney Todd and eating a luxe meal with friends.
So happy New Year, everyone, and see you on the other side.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Recently observed...
If I complete four more 33 1/3 books and one more non-33 1/3 book before year's end, then 33 1/3 books will have comprised 33 1/3% of my books read this year.
Yes, I'm a nerd. (See also: my love of this shirt.) I hope you hadn't missed that previously.
Merry Christmas, everyone! Coming soon, pictures of presents, including a Kusha Kusha scarf.
Monday, December 03, 2007
A query to the knitters
Let's say you were going to go to some sort of marathon event, one that would involve your being awake for upwards of 36 hours, much of which would be spent in the dark.
Say, like this event, which is happening tomorrow.
Now, I have a few holiday presents to work on during the wait to get inside. They're all either cables or lace, so once it gets dark, I'll need to put them away. I learned the hard way last year at a 24-hour B-movie fest: lace and darkness are not bestest friends. I sat outside for most of Krull picking out my mistakes. (This turned out to be lucky, as that movie was soul-suckingly bad, but this is beside the point.)
And yes, I do want to knit for most of the night, if I can--keeping my hands active keeps me awake and alert.
Here are my options:
-Union Square Market Pullover (it's the cover pattern). I have finished the bottom hem of this, and it's a circular pattern. There are increases and decreases, but nothing too hideous.
Apart... from the fact that I'm knitting this in a sport-weight yarn instead of a fingering-weight yarn, so my gauge is off and I'm converting everything. I'd need to finish the calculations before I go legally insane during my extended wakefulness.
-Greek Pullover (same link as above, first pattern listed): Still has shaping, but I'm on gauge for this project.
-Sorrel: Again, a yarn I have swatched. I want to do slightly different things with the hems, though. Things involving lace, so I'd need to finish that before 7 pm tomorrow. Also, I'd be converting the pattern to circular until it splits for the arms.
-Another pair of Campfire Socks. I'm slightly afraid the heel gussets would kill me, though.
So... should I just develop severe startitis and start all of these until they prove difficult? Just the Union Square Market Pullover? Should I be reasonable and not knit all night?
Sunday, November 25, 2007
A bookish update
I'd love to post about knitting, but (1) I haven't finished much of anything, and (2) I can't post about anything I'm working on, since I'm mostly working on gifts.But I have been reading a great deal! Multiple two-hour flight delays really help one run through the books. I am now up to eight 33 1/3 books read this year (almost 1/3 of the total books I've read), the most recent being Scott Plagenhoef's about Belle & Sebastian's If You're Feeling Sinister. If you like Belle & Sebastian, this is worth picking up, even if you've read This is Just a Modern Rock Story (which I have); it's more a history of being a fan of Belle & Sebastian back in the early days, and how finding out about them is different than how people find out about bands these days. For an editor at Pitchfork, Plagenhoef's awfully down on the cycle of discovering music online.
I read David Lodge's The Art of Literature and Francine Prose's Reading Like a Writer concurrently, switching to a few sections of Lodge after finishing a chapter of Prose's book. They're both guides on writing that favor examining passages of famous works, with Prose a little more focused on close reading (chapters focus on words, sentences, and paragraphs, while Lodge's sections break into things like "irony" and "aporia"). I'm not yearning to become an author, but I love reading well-written how-to books, and books about how to write are more likely to be well-written than, say, books about transformations of random variables. Though if you know of a well-written book about those, I'd appreciate it if you could let me know.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Tuscany!
...plus some thematically-similar food.
So, finished blocking the Tuscany shawl today.
Details:
Amy Singer's Tuscany Shawl, from No Sheep For You.
Made with a 150 skein of Sea Silk, in the Nova Scotia colorway, purchased from The Loopy Ewe.
Mods: I moved down to size 5 needles for the slightly lighter-weight yarn. This wasn't necessary, just a personal choice.
It's pretty, but... I'm not sure I'd ever wear it. (Insert "something something 'process knitter' something something" here.) So, maybe this will be grandma's Christmas gift. What do you think?
In other news, the party last weekend went well. I made focaccia, something roughly akin to Mario Batali's recipe from Molto Italy.
In other news, I'm heading off to SF for a long weekend soon. There will be much coffee, a trip to the pirate store, and maybe some yarn shopping. I'll see you after that.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Apartment tour with a little YPF
Man, isn't it like this is a real knitting blog now? I'm sure all my non-knitting friends are thrilled. I promise I'll write about books, music, or the CTA soon.
First off: I met a knitting fellow at Intelligentsia yesterday, named the Fiddlin' Fool. He and his wife (whom I actually know from volunteering at the Old Town School! Chicago's a small town city) have a joint knitting blog, and he's written a charming account of how we started talking (it involves Knitpicks) here. Also, they work on KnitML, which was just mentioned on the Brenda Dayne podcast. Wonderful the folks you can meet when you knit in public, isn't it? (Also, my Ravelry name is bluetangle, if anyone wants to find me. Same as my knittyboard name.)
So I'm having a party tomorrow, which means this is the first time the apartment has been clean since we moved in back in August. As I've mentioned before, I'm in this apartment on an extremely part-time basis, spending most of my time over at Mr. Z's. Because of this, I agreed to take the smallest bedroom (less than half the size of the other two).
The condition on which I took the wee bedroom was that I got my own desk/craft space in the dining room. As of today, it is now somewhat organized, which is as organized as it'll ever be. Here's some pictures:
My desk. A bin full of knitting needles is below the sewing machine. Here's the YPF:
Yarn on hooks! I know I picked this up from another blog I've read (where it was on pegs), but I can't find it now.
Also important:
These were part of a Knittyboard SP package from Froggy Dear. Thanks again!
So yeah. There are more pics over on Flickr, if you want to see my knitting area, but I'm glad it's all set up. Now, time for 35 people to come in and hang out there tomorrow!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Actual WIP Wendesday post
Okay, so I showed off Salina yesterday, but here's what I've been neglecting while I work on her.
Tuscany: Only sewing in ends and blocking remains.
I think I'm still a little disappointed that the colors are so contrast-y. I wanted semisolid, which this certainly is not.
Poor Venezia: Size 5s seem so large compared to 2.5s! But a little has been done:
I'm up to the waist, about to start doing increases. Here's a glimpse at the backside:
Pretty in its own right, I think.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Fall Greens
One of the advantages of being a pale redhead is that I can pull off some really noxious shades of green. I am, for example, currently wearing a bright, almost-neon green V-neck from J. Crew.
Here's another example:
It's the hem detail on Salina, from the Rowan Vintage Knits book. It's the cover pattern in the version of the book I have, and it's made in the same yarn, same color. I think it'll suit me, though.
Look what I'm using, despite the fact that I almost never use wooden needles with wool anymore:
They're nice; they've only come loose once, and that was after they were jostling around in my bag for several days.
Speaking of my bag (yes, I'm going to be camera-crazy for awhile, since I just got my shiny new camera), Mr. Z got it for me while he was in Luxembourg, though the company is Swiss:
It's a huge bag. You could seriously fit a toddler in there. Not that I recommend that. I can carry two books, my knitting, my pattern book, my iPod and the massive headphones shown in the picture (a gift from my mum), several lip balms and lotions that fall to the bottom, and my wallet and keys (when I remember them) and still have room for sundry other things.
So yeah... WIP Tuesday for you all.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
So much and so little...
Ah yes, the blog. This thing still exists, doesn't it?
Sorry about the lack of posting, but I have a few reasons:
-I am not at my old job anymore. This is a good thing, but I'm shuffling about, getting things in order. Speaking of which...
-I am about to officially, finally graduate. To those of you who might've thought I already graduated: oops! I gloss that over. Essentially, there's been a rules change that will allow me to graduate in March with no additional tests/classes. Love those rules changes!
-I have finished very little knitting. That's not quite true. The knitting portion of my Tuscanny shawl is done, but not blocked. I whipped out a Raspberry Beret for a Prince-themed party yesterday. But there's been very little going on with Venezia (what can I say? It was 90 a week ago. Who wants to knit Fair Isle when it's 90?). And finally:
-It was my birthday! Yay being old. It's not out until tomorrow, but I'm getting one of these for my birthday. Actual good knitting pics to follow!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Font nerdery.
Please insert the requisite "OMG, so long since my last post" comment here. Moving on.
I went to go see a movie about Helvetica yesterday. Yes, the font. It was good.
After a brief history of the genesis of the Helvetica font, the movie was more of an exploration of typeface design (and design in general) over the last 50 years, as filtered through the lens of Helvetica.
In brief: before Helvetica, things were ugly! Then there was Helvetica. It was great! Every company in the world used Helvetica! So Helvetica became the corporate typeface (and, as one designer stated, "the font of the Vietnam war")! So people started hating on Helvetica! Boo, Helvetica! Yay, weird fonts! Hooray, ugliness! Then the youngsters decided they could make Helvetica new again!
Also, there are a lot of designers with interesting eyeglass frames and gorgeous studio spaces. The soundtrack is also nifty (Sam Prekop and Battles were the two I could easily identify).
Fun times: after the movie, the woman in front of me stood up and said "So who here's a designer?". Everyone else raised their hands, and someone asked if there were any non-designers who would watch this. In a sotto voice, I said, "I thought it looked cool."
I've already prepurchased this on DVD. Helvetica party?
So yeah... if you get a chance to see the film, do so.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Works in Progress... Saturday?
Reasons I never manage to do WIP Wednesday:
-I am very forgetful.
-I stay at my apartment two nights a week, max, and for the last month, it's been two nights total. Half of my projects are at my place, half at my boyfriend's place. This is especially a problem right now, since...
-My digital camera is broken, so I'm currently using the camera on my darling MacBook Pro. Hey, it's better than my cameraphone by a long shot.
That being said...
This is a v-neck, sleeveless lace pullover from the summer Vogue Knitting, in Blue Sky Alpaca Silk. It's really quite a fast knit, but cumbersome to carry around. For travel knitting, it's currently either the Socktopia mystery sock (at Mr. Z's; also, get well soon, Momma Monkey!) or this little number:
Toe-up Jaywalkers, with contrast toes and heels.
Here's my current challenge project:
Venezia Pullover from Interweave Winter '06. Oh, fair isle. We don't want to talk about how long it's taken me to do these few rows.
