First Fruits

I was thinking of teasing you and waiting until the end of the week to post my spinning pictures but I'm not that mean. And I needed to get the, now dry, yarn out of the bathroom to make room for the freshly washed yarn. And Maria is coming. So I needed to get the, now dry and documented, yarn tucked away where I feel it belongs.

So here it is. Corriadale purchased from Stefania's Handpaints, two years ago at New York Sheep and Wool. It is a lofty, two ply, worsted weight and is not totally evenly spun. There is more of the roving in the stash and I think that will be my next spinning project. It is, as Dave calls it, "chubby" yarn -- at least for me. Recently, I've taken Dave's approach to predrafting and have been doing a very large amount (though not all) of it before sitting down to spin. My prior approach was to draft out length of roving, spin, draft, spin, etc. Basically, since I do not spin very often, I did not want to wind up with lots of delicate, predrafted stuff loose in the apartment. My new approach is actually forcing me to spin more since I still do not want to have the predrafted stuff around for any length of time. Too many bodies in this place to accidentally mess it up.

Behind the yarn, in the photo, is a bit of the Rat Scarf. 3 rats down, 5 to go.

Quiet Week

So far we have done very little, this break. After Saturday's activity, I was exhausted and opted to spend Sunday in the apartment. The kids were generous and kind of offered to do the laundry, so I let them and, in the burst of energy that followed, organized the files for the taxes and did a decent amount of spinning and some knitting.

Monday saw a quick trip to Old Navy to outfit the rapidly growing Little Squid with new pants. Unfortunately they only had 2 pair in his size. Yup, only 2 pair. I guess a trip to the uptown Old Navy is in order before the week is out -- that or let my kid continue running around in high waters. Some plying and a smidge of knitting got done. Also some crochet as I finished the blanket my synagogue knitting group was working on.(I only joined and edged it, not one of those blocks is my handi-work. Our ladies do great work!)

Today was equally low key with only a solo trip a few blocks away to get eyes for the monster that my monster is sewing. More plying occurred and the berrilicious yarn is now skeined and drying from its bath. Pictures in the next day or two. I also started a rat-scarf.

Tomorrow, the museum is our goal and maybe lunch out as we dodge Maria. At some point during this week I may actually do the taxes now that they are organized. Meanwhile, the kids are making monsters and doing some small depletion of my fabric stash.

Meanwhile, on with our quiet week.

Emerging from the Fog

I had a rather long winded post written yesterday but it was mostly a whine about how this flu has taken me down. Then I got my second wind and managed to do quite a bit of spinning. So I deleted the post. I think this virus is finally on the run.

As for the spinning -- I'll have pictures by the end of break. I finished the Ingeo singles and will two-ply them later this week. Meanwhile I started Navajo plying my Cabin Cove Berrilicious. Yum!

Yup, I said break. It is mid-winter recess here in NYC and we are off. No traveling this year, just some quiet at-home time. Time to recover in body and mind. We have two planned excursions -- one the the Museum of Natural History (probably Wednesday when Maria is here) and one to the dentist.

Time to do some serious relaxing!

Expensive Tastes

Life just got more expensive around here.

Let me explain ...

For many years, Mike and his Mom had a couple of subscriptions to series at Carnegie Hall. When Mom died, I inherited her half of the subscription and learned just how wonderful live classical music can be.

Last year saw one night when Mike was not feeling well. Instead of going alone or selling the ticket, I took Squidette. We saw Sarah Chang and Squidette was entranced. We only stayed for half of the show, but that was enough.

Last week, when Mike was too sick to go, I once again took Squidette and she, once again, had a great time.

So ... when it looked like we might not have childcare lined up for last night's concert by Joshua Bell, we spoke to the kids and then purchased two more tickets. One set, the subscription, was in the "orchestra," the other ... in the next to last row of the uppermost balcony.

Little Squid joined me, way up high, so that he would have an unobstructed view. (I was the chosen parent because Papa Squid is afraid of heights and I love my husband.) From the first note to the last, Little Squid was entranced. He was even humming one of the themes as we walked to the subway afterwards.

No more will we be able to buy just two tickets for Carnegie. From now on, our subscriptions will be for four.

***

I can now honestly say that there is no difference in sound quality from the first seats in the hall and the last seats in the hall. But the experience is still vastly different. Our tickets WILL be down low!

Ninja Warrior!

Squidette was just given the choice between practicing her violin or practicing for Ninja Warrior. She chose Ninja Warrior ... until her fingers slipped off her door frame.

Untangling

Over the last few weeks I have started in on a project that will take a few months to complete. It involves untangling and sniping bits and pieces while making new connections. Today I refreshed some old connections in hopes of securing the new ones. It's a bittersweet process but I am glad that I finally started it. Wish me luck!

Dark, Mumbly Goodness!

My mother-in-law and I used to refer to a certain genre of t.v. shows as "dark, mumbly shows." Those are the ones that are dimly lit and where the characters all speak in low, hushed tones. Programs in this category include Numbers, Studio 60 and my all time favorite ... The West Wing. I absolutely LOVE to work out to The West Wing and for a while, Bravo was airing 4 episodes every Monday. I'd DVR them and then work out to them on the weekends, promptly erasing them to make room for more. Then Bravo stopped airing the episodes regularly and I switched to the Muppet Show DVDs . These worked for a while, until two things happened. One, I started working out for longer then the 24 minute episodes and two, I ran out of unviewed shows. This left me jonsing for The West Wing again.

Look what my sweetie got for me!If I wasn't feeling so crummy, I'd work out right now!

Home Early

Mike came home a little early. His principal saw him without his bike this morning and commented on it. When Mike explained in his husky, cough roughened, voice, he was asked just why he came to work. So, taking this as a sign, Mike taught his classes and came home.

We have a good half hour or so before the kids get home. That's enough time for ... a nap. Get your minds out of the gutter. This is a PG blog! Besides, we're both sick.

(Actually, this blog was rated G by that blog rating thing a few months ago. I can't get to it now.)

Sicky Icky

Now it's me. Mike is still feeling miserable but went to work. Squidette is still holding on to her health and Little Squid is just fine as long as he doesn't touch his boo boo.

I'm going to drive the kids to school and then pop into work to drop off some stuff -- my note from Little Squid's school validating my running out on Friday and a list of things that my department has to do during their monthly meeting.

Then I'm coming home and curling back up on the couch. As no knitting has occurred over the last two days, I suspect that things will be much the same today. It's been a long time since I have taken a sick day to be ... sick.

I tell my kids that there are 3 things that will keep them home from school: fever, vomit and diarrhea. (And a migraine for Little Squid) Being a proper role model, I am using this rule for myself as well. The first reason, not the icky ones.

I am grateful that I have good kids. They really could have taken advantage of two sick parents this weekend but instead they pitched in and helped out. Little Squid helped Mike do laundry (usually my job and made worse by Maria's absence this week). Squidette made rice krispie squares. And both ran and fetched things for me when asked. Otherwise, they played on their computers all weekend. (Squidette went out and played a little but Little Squid was not allowed to run around.) Squidette even offered to take Little Squid to school today but it is 11 degrees out. I can suck it up enough to drive them.

Mmm... Chocolate

Long time readers know that the family Squid has a special place in their hearts for Chocolate Haven. Up until now, I have only been able to share our opinion of it. This piece aired back in November on my favorite new station but they are airing it again right now. Go take a look -- or at least read the text -- and you will understand just why we love Jacques Torres and his chocolate.

Once the weather warms up a bit, we are planning a 3-Chocolate Haven bike ride. Yum!

Tagged Again

My cousin tagged me with the Unimportant Thing Meme

Here are the Rules for this game of tag:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry.
5. Let the tagged people know, by leaving a comment on their blogs.

6 unimportant things about me:

1. I rarely cook.

2. I do not mind, and often even relish, eating the same thing day after day.

3. I have worked in the same school for almost 16 years.

4. I do not sit still well. Except today when even typing is an effort due to the nasty virus we are passing around.

5. I tend to be squeamish when it comes to random squeem inducing stuff but can suck it up and behave like a very in control adult when it involves a family member, like yesterday.

6. I had my ears pierced at some random place near Times Square during an outing with my other cousin (sister to the one who tagged me) when I was 16. Then we went and saw (I think) Dreamgirls on Broadway.

I do not have enough brain function to tag anyone. It took me over half an hour just to type it. Feel free to take this if you wish.

Three Stitches and a Parking Ticket

... and a mangled pair of glasses.

No, not a biking injury, just a run of the mill accident during recess. You know, a boy thing.

No ER visit, just a quick trip to the wonderful doctor who fixed my face last spring. O.k., maybe not so quick -- I did get that parking ticket but I knew the risk when I left it at a meter. The parking agent was at the car when I got there and gave me some advise on how to appeal it based on the circumstances. No, she couldn't rip it up. It's all computerized these days ...

(If you look closely on the right, just behind his glasses, you will see the tape covering his stitches.)

Clock Vest!

I finished hiding the ends last night and popped into Knitty City today to get buttons. I had barely cleared the door when Pearl called out my name and handed me a card. It was from Penny and contained a gift card and thank you note. Way cool!

Then Pearl escorted me into the back room to paw through some brand new buttons. The perfect ones were just waiting for me and they look just right on my vest. I wish I could get the camera to show you the detail but trust me they are lovely -- there are tiny leaves etched into a pale purple mother-of-pearl button. Clock Vest from Cheryl Oberle's Folk Vests. Knit in Cascade 220 -- one of the heathers, 3 skeins with about 2 meters left over. (The yarn was a gift and I lost the labels during the great bug debacle of 2007.) Needles: addi turbos, size 1. No significant changes to pattern.

Mr. Upstairs and the Fan Light

I must preface this post by stating that I really like my upstairs neighbor. He's a really good guy and a great neighbor. That said, taken out of context, the stuff we hear from his apartment can lead to some really good stories. The best one is about the Fan Light.

The Ghost Light -- a True Story of City Living

Several years ago, we installed ceiling fans with lights and remote controls in the kids' rooms. We did this ourselves after investing in a Milwaukee hammer drill and, also after having watched a maintenance worker install 3 others in the apartment.

We waited to install the fans until the heat got too hot to bear. We were going to wait until Little Squid had out grown the stage that might have him lassoing the fan but we'd still be waiting and springtime can get pretty hot.

Amazingly enough, they went up pretty easily and spun fairly smoothly. A year later, however, Squidette's started exhibiting some alarming behaviors.

Squidette would go into bed around 8 PM, turn out her light and go to sleep. Mike and I would turn to our own beds about an hour later. As a general rule, we'd all remain in our bed for the night.

One night, I woke up around 10:00 PM as I noticed a light in the outer areas. Thinking that I had forgotten to turn one off, I staggered out of bed only to realize that it was Squidette's light. Hmm, I thought as I looked for the remote and turned it off. Maybe she was sleep lighting? Returning to my bed, I forgot about it until the next night. When it happened again.

Mike and I discussed it and started to wonder what our daughter was up to. We spoke to her about it and she was, as expected, clueless.

Going on with our day, we repeated the same patterns and, at about 10:00 had the same outcome. The next night I unplugged her light before she went to bed.

Thinking on it for a few days, we suddenly had an aha! moment as we heard Mr. Upstairs doing some more work on his apartment. He'd been working on it all summer and had done some major demolition and relaid all the wooden floors, doing some lovely work -- he invited us up to see and even gave us a bottle of wine as a "sorry for all the noise."

What if, we thought, Mr. Upstairs had installed a ceiling fan / light with remote control? The local Home Depot had one major brand of this fixture and all of the remotes came set to the same default. We'd left Squidette's fan on the default setting while changing Little Squid's setting.

If Mr. Upstairs had installed a fan with remote and had not changed his settings, could he be triggering Squidette's light? After all, his fan/light would be on his ceiling, but Squidette's was under his floor -- closer then the ceiling.

Bumping into him a few days later, we asked. Yup, he'd installed the same brand of fan / light with remote. Nope, hadn't changed the settings. We explained the problem and politely asked him to do change the settings. He looked at us as if we were weirdos and we went our separate ways.

A few days later, we changed the settings on Squidette's remote.

I really do like my upstairs neighbor -- we got closer a year or so later. One day I will share these stories with him ... or not.

Apartment Living

I love living in a large apartment building. There are many reasons, including a 24 hour maintenance staff, but last night I found a new reason to love my home ... sound transmission.

Some time around 9:30 last night, I finally decided to wash up while Mike watched the last quarter of the Superbowl. While I was in our bathroom, quietly washing my face and brushing my teeth, I heard a huge shout from our upstairs neighbor.

Rushing into the living room I gasped "did the Giants just lose?" Nope, replied my sanguine husband, "they just ..." and he proceeded to describe some sort of amazing play. Noting the score -- the Giants were still losing -- I returned to my ablutions and was changing into my p.j.s when I heard another, actually several, huge, outbursts from upstairs.

As I reentered the living room, Mike looked at me and said "you might as well stay up -- Mr. Upstairs is not going to let you get any sleep." This was punctuated with what was obviously a foot hitting the floor (ceiling) above our heads and a shout so loud it made us both laugh.

I stayed out and worked on my vest until the Giants won and then attempted to go to sleep. While the noise upstairs abated to more normal levels, I think Mr. Upstairs was mostly alone or only had a few friends over, the noise outside rivaled New Year's eve.

Definitely an interesting night in New York.

Spinning on Sunday

Feeling like I had to finish a project today, and deciding that the vest probably needed a bit more time, I took to spinning.

I turned this,

into part of this (part of one bobbin) which finished off the 8 ounces of Berrylicious Merino that I bought from Dave many, many months ago. I might ply it next week.

Then I totally wiped down my wheel, removing years of built up oil / fiber gunk and reloaded with some Ingeo roving that has been aging in the stash for a while. It took some time to get the hang of it. This is a very fine, slippery fiber with a staple length of 1.5 to 2 inches or so. The resulting single is relatively thick (think a thin sock yarn) and kind of hard.
I finally figured out a predrafting method that allowed me to spin without it breaking up. It will be interesting to see how it plys up. I'm thinking that it might make a small, slinky scarf. There is only 2 ounces of it but the small bit I spun went a long way.

***

Even the stuffed animals get into the act around here.

Don't Look Back!

Or you might embarrass your kids!


Now to stop cleaning (hard drive) and get to my knitting!

Yesterday ...

was not nearly as amusing for the family Squid as it was for Dave. Go on over an have yourselves a nice laugh. I'll wait for you to come back.




Dang! Lost half my readership!

Oh well, my tales of driving to City Island, saying a teary farewell to a colleague who is suddenly retiring and then driving back through the pouring rain with no real idea of how to get back to my island, is not nearly as interesting as Football Squares. Nor are my cute tales of little kids melting down on the talent show stage and then pulling it together to actually perform ... followed by a wonderful brag about my own kid playing Elenore Rigby as part of a group of 5th graders in same talent show and the fact that I actually made it in time to witness the performance despite said driving experience.

Nope, nothing I can say can top Football Squares today.

I think I have to go knit a Football Square now ... or maybe get Mike to bake one ...

Movin' Right Along

Look! Progress on the blanket! Only another 14 inches or so before I start the picture.

In other news, Little Squid just asked if we had gun cleaning solvent and I was able to answer "yes." What does that say about me? (I have it because apparently mice like the taste of it so I use it as bait when they are ignoring peanut butter.)

Oops, better call the Maytag Repair Man

After seeing this commercial,

Little Squid had to make this for his dad.

(Look closely)

Papa Squid's reaction?
"AWESOME!!!"

Healing Kids and Stitch Markers

Thank you all for your well wishes for the kids' recoveries and on their performances. Both are feeling a bit better and Little Squid will return to school today. And my generous children? They gave me their cold! Sniff, sniff, cough, cough.

Yesterday's mail brought the last of my stitch marker splurge. See? One set is called "Penguin Wannabe" and the other ... yeah, I don't remember but aren't they pretty?One of the other fishies broke last night. Oh well. I think that almost has to be expected with glass stitch markers. It was cute while it lasted.

Sick Day ...

... actually a half sick day. Mike will be home in an hour or so to relieve me so that I can go take care of some business at work. Little Squid is curled up on the couch next to me, sick and miserable. This is the first time I have kept him home from school for illness in several years. Squidette was not 100% either but she was in good enough shape to go to school and has an assessment after school that she has to be at. She's been "off" for a week now and is finally showing signs of feeling a bit better. So that means that yes, they both performed yesterday while feeling icky.

I'm antsy right now and I really don't know why. I put some time in on assembling the school blanket. Not a lot of time, but some. My goal is to put a few blocks together every day this week and maybe have it done in 10 days or so. My students keep asking about it so I really should get cracking. I also knit a few rows on Squidette's blanket. It is a project I can do while reading so it is better then the vest right now. I did finish the back of the vest yesterday and am working on the left front now. The end is in sight if I do not get distracted by other projects and sick kids.

Now a bit more knitting before Mike comes home and I have to leave for my meeting.

Squidette In Concert

(This is take 2. I blew it the first time and forgot to actually record. The accompanist and Squidette humored me by doing it again after the rest of the families left. She was much better the first time out. Trust me, she really was. )

Little Squid in Concert

A Hat

To keep my daughter warm.

Pattern slightly modified from this.

Yarn: leftover Cascade 220 Superwash from the sweater I knit for her last spring.

Now back to knitting my vest.

***

Tomorrow -- Violin Recitals!

More Granola and Some Stitch Markers

My stitch markers are starting to arrive. Only one package is outstanding and it is making its way across the border from Canada.
This should give you an idea ... 4 each of the ducks, 5 of the teapots, 4 sheep (one black), four gold fish and the other sea creatures.

Today also saw the arrival of a miss-shipment of more granola. It was supposed to be a different flavor. They said we could keep it and are sending out the correct order.
With the granola, came a complimentary T-shirt. Now we can show our true feelings about this granola.
To answer your questions ...

The reason that we ordered 26 pounds of granola (the Maple Almond flavor) is because we both eat it as part of our breakfast and Mike uses it for lunch as well. I add it to plain yogurt with a bit of honey. Mike adds it to his morning oatmeal and to his lunchtime yogurt. Our usual purveyor of it tends to go through dry spells and neither of us has found a comparable substitute. Mike has a back up granola but I am a girl of habit and like to have my breakfast taste "just right" to quote a certain golden haired porridge stealer. So, after the last two trips to Fairway failed to yield our favorite flavor, we finally caved and ordered it on line.

I'll let you know when it is time to order again.

Thanks for Making My Day

Two, count them, two other bloggers awarded me the "You Make My Day" award, citing my NYC posts among other things. Thanks Cat and Dee! You two made my day!

With this award comes the obligation to bestow it on others.

So, in no particular order ...

Susan for giving me a glimpse of life in Oklahoma and for being a shoulder to cry on when I really needed it.

Cookie for her no-holds barred approach to griping about life. Sometimes you just have to tell it like it is. She is also an amazing fast and amazingly good knitter.

Sarah for inspiring me on the biking front as well as on the knitting front. Her pictures make me really want to bike in New England.

Debby, another cycling knitter for organizing the Tour de France knit-along this summer. The day-by-day summaries were a must read for the entire Tour.

Kristen, yet another cycling knitter (see a trend here) for inspiring me to get off my rear and work on preventing osteoporosis.

Dave, for his amazing photography and way of spinning a tale. Love that Ms. Lulu.

There are so very many blogs in my google reader, but these are just a few that I make sure to click through to every day. Thank you all for making my day!

A Little Granola Anyone?

26 pounds.

Nah, we're not choosy. Nope. Not us.

Public Service Announcement

Life is too short ... go tell someone how much they mean to you today while they are still around to appreciate it.

Go ahead, call them, I'll wait.

...

Well? Who did you call? Were they nearby? Did you give them a real or virtual hug?

Me? I got some good news that moved me to tears. And then called her back to tell her just that.

Just a little PSA from your friendly neighborhood Squid.

***

Mom, Dad ... I do not know what life would look like without you. And I really don't want to find out! (Sibs, same goes for you all.)

Books Without Paper

A few months ago, Mike started looking into Amazon's Kindle . The Kindle is an electronic book reader that is supposed to have a really good look and feel to it. Mike's main objection was that he wanted them to come up with a book swap program so that he could send back his paper versions and get the electronic free -- or maybe reduced cost. The logic being, of course, that he had already purchased the book. The cost and our lack of need for yet another gadget may also have convinced him to hold off on the purchase.

I liked the idea but it is yet another gadget to schlep around. And, I doubt that they will make knitting books available initially. Yes, I read popular fiction, lots of it and I have now found a great (for me) way to procure my "girlie books" and mysteries without having to schlep to the library and tote around paper that may very well be harboring those same buggies that I am trying to kill. (Yes, I am a bit obsessive these days. My obsessiveness did not stop me from requesting a copy of More Sensational Socks when Mike went to Borders yesterday.)

I also like to read while I knit and balancing a book on my lap (and keeping the pages from flopping about) can be somewhat awkward. Doesn't stop me from doing it, but it is a bit cumbersome. I also love to read on the subway but hate schleping extra weight so over the years I have experimented with reading books on my Palm. Initially I was getting them from Project Gutenberg which led to reading a lot of Louisa May Alcott for a while.

Then I discovered that the New York Public Library has the electronic version of TONS of books available for free download. They only stay active for 3 weeks so taking out a virtual stack of books is not a good idea if you are a slow reader. When I first discovered this, I only downloaded the books to my Palm and ran into the deadline issue. If my phone is the only place I am reading a book, it takes a very long time to finish because I am not likely to pick it up at home and I just do not ride the subway that often these days.

Then I realized (about a week ago) that I could read the books on my laptop. Woo Hoo! Using Mobipocket, I load the book and view about half a page of text at eye level while I knit away. I went through two books this way this weekend. Understand now how I injured myself?

Yesterday, during the usual "have to kill time while kids are in religious school" time, I took myself to the public library, found a comfy chair, propped my Palm on my lap, put the book (same one I am reading on my laptop) on "scroll" mode and knit away. Finished the toe of a sock. Yes, it was a bit odd to do this in the library but hey, it was a library book.

I'm in heaven! Now to see what they have in non-fiction ...

Jammed!

"...It appears to be Jammed!"

"Jammed ... Raspberry."

"There's only one man who would dare give me the Raspberry. LONE STAR!" (From Spaceballs)

Or perhaps my husband. Left on the counter from making the kids' lunches. And found on my finger.

Knitting Injury

Knitter down! Seems I set my goals a little too high this weekend and between trying to surpass them and no obligations, I seem to have given myself a repetitive stress injury to my "throwing" finger. Boo. Maybe Squidette's new hat will not be finished today.

Injuries aside, I had, indeed, set myself goals, not just for the weekend, but for the week. The plan was to knit a minimum of 12 long rows per day (or 3X as many short ones once I split for the back) on the vest. Then, 8 rows per day minimum on Squidette's blanket. The hat got started last night when my brain could no longer process knitting instructions. The hat is all knit. That's probably where I did myself in.

Fear not -- just the act of typing this post seems to have loosened up the joint a bit but I won't push it. No knitting until after breakfast. And then ... maybe some spinning instead.

Sitting Alone in the Dark

Until just a moment ago, I was sitting alone in the dark. Now I have filled the darkness with the light of a single bulb -- and am still alone.

No, I'm not being metaphorical.

I got up at 6:15 and came out to have my tea in a still quiet living room. As is my wont, I did not turn on the lights but made the tea in the dark and then sat at my computer to read blogs. The light of the screen was plenty.

Until I had to plug in one of those spam preventer codes while commenting on a blog! I am not sure enough of my touch typing to do one as complex as this one was without looking at the keys. Hence the single bulb in my reading light.

Now I guess I'll read blogs and knit on my vest.

TGIF

Today was the last day of the semester. Need I say more?

I worked through my day, made sure that all is ready for testing on Tuesday (nice alliteration there) and left early to pick up Little Squid and take him to his audition.

The audition, according to Little Squid, went well. He was asked if he was Squidette's brother which, when I think about it, can only help. Hey, if they remembered her from last summer ... And, he thinks he played well. Time will tell.

This was not for NYSSMA but was for the Manhattan School of Music summer program. The same program that Squidette was in last summer. She had a wonderful time and grew and matured so much that I barely recognized her at the end of the summer despite seeing her every day.

To unwind from the rigors of the week, I spent much time this evening surfing Etsy and wound up splurging on lots of handmade stitch markers. I really wanted a yarn crawl but recognized that I still have more yarn then I can realistically knit through in a couple of years and limited storage space. Stitch markers are small and relatively inexpensive. I'll show them off once they arrive.

Now on to a 3 day weekend. Woo Hoo!

Supper Mommy Strikes Again!

Elapsed time from identification of the problem to location of the lost item? Less than a minute.

Super Mommy Strikes Again!

She may not cook but boy can she find things!

Lost and found item? The un marked up copy of the music that Little Squid needs for his audition tomorrow.

Good thoughts flowing his way around 3:30 Eastern Time would be appreciated.

Now You See It ...

Later you won't. I was getting nervous about the amount of yarn I had left and then took what was there and wrapped it around me. It's too big. So, I am ripping and will reknit on a smaller needle. (That's how Oberle resizes this vest.) Yup, I am reknitting. Promise!

Using it Up

I get a strange satisfaction from finishing stuff. Not just projects, but stuff. Like a line of staples in the stapler, or the last vitamin in the bottle or all of the ink in a pen. Or, of course, a ball of yarn.

I have no idea what drives it but since, as weirdness goes, it is a small one, I humor myself.

That said, I was actually pleased to see that one of my compact florescent bulbs was burned out. I've had that bulb for roughly 15 years. We were early adopters -- and no, the bulb has not actually been in use all that time but it has been in use in the same fixture for about 8 or 9 years. It was the last of its type in the fixture, though not the last in the apartment. When I took it out, I put it next to it's replacement and realized just how far compact bulb technology has come.
On the left, the original compact florescent purchased through Con Edison for $3 back around 1991. In the middle, a slightly later generation "compact" bulb probably purchased in a multi pack from BJs or Costco. On the right, the current generation -- also purchased in a multipack from Costco just a few months ago. Look how small it is! It is actually totally recessed into the fixture while it's neighbors (of the middle variety) are all poking out.

Yes, its the small things that make me smile! Now to figure out how to dispose of these things safely ...

NIght of the Three Queens

Last night we had the pleasure of watching two of the Three Queens depart. While others trouped to lower Manhattan to see all three, we waited and watched at the window for a glimpse of the the Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Victoria. We have a partial river view and can view water traffic through a sizable gap in the buildings to our north-west. To give you a feel for the size of the gap and the size of the ships: the QE II does not fill the gap, the Queen Victoria almost fills the gap and the Queen Mary II overfills the gap and, is as high as the buildings that form the gap. (The Queen Mary II left from Brooklyn last night but we've seen her before.)

I'd show you a picture but my long distance night photography leaves a lot to be desired.

Instead, some pictures of knitting.

I'm halfway up the back and hope to finish by the end of next weekend. Don't laugh at me!

Squid on Wheels -- Starting out in 2008

We had absolutely no intention of going for a ride today. Squidette had band practice and then both squidlings were supposed to have a violin recital rehearsal with the accompanist but she had to cancel. The cancellation put a crimp in our dinner plans since Papa Squid and the squidlings were going to pick up sandwiches on their way back from the rehearsal. The only solution to our dinner problem? To ride down to the sandwich store, Pane Peppe. And Chocolate Haven. And The Birdbath. And H&H (we were out of bagels).

The fates, however, were working against us. Just as Papa moved his bike into the corridor, he noticed a flat tire. 15 minutes later, the tube was replaced and we got ready to go and ... he had another flat (same tire).

Defying the fates, the Squidlings and I headed out anyway and got as far as the elevators. Where we waited. And waited. And waited. I think we had to let at least half a dozen elevators go by before all three of us made it to the lobby.

Once on the streets, however, it was relatively smooth sailing with a brief stop to admire this shark fin.



See the Squid?!!!

As we concluded our first errand, the sandwiches, we noticed a strange site on the other side of the street. Papa Squid! We did it, we defeated the fates!

Sandwiches, chocolate and pastries procured, we turned back north and hit an incredible head wind. The ride up to H&H was brutal and by the time we arrived our fingers were very cold.

The return ride? Took about 2 minutes. Take a vicious head wind and turn it into a tail wind and voila! we were home.
9.6 miles. Not bad for a windy day in January.

Blanket Larve Larvae

23 Skeins of Cascade 220 Superwash. Need I say more?

Mystery Bruise Unmystified!

Do not try to diagnose the aliment that I outline below -- the answer is in the essay.

For many years I have had a sore spot on my left hip. It only bothers me when I initially snuggle into bed at night, facing my dear husband -- and then only a little. I did wonder about it but, by the time morning rolls around, I forget about it. Periodically, it disappears but I never made the connection between when it disappears and what I am doing in my life at the time. If anything, I associate the lack of soreness with an increase in exercise.

A few weeks ago I suddenly had an "ah ha!" moment and realized why I have that perpetual sore spot. The moment came as I was at work, pushing open a particularly sticky door. With my hip. D'oh!

Yes, all these years I have been using my left hip to assist in opening the sticky, and non-sticky doors at work. And my sore spot? It corresponds directly to the part of my hip that I use to open the door. I repeat -- D'oh! Now, I don't just use my hip to help open the door, I do a quick hip swivel to provide lots of force. Remember your physics? Newton's third law? "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." So, if you whup a door with your hip, repeatedly, you will bruise. Especially if you have very little padding on your hip.

Will this stop me? Nah. But is does explain why the spot gets better over the summer!

And those sticky doors? They are becoming fewer in number as Dept. of Ed carpenters quickly replace all of our outside doors. I barreled into a new one yesterday and nearly fell as it opened smoothly and easily. Oops!

Sometimes, I am just a bit slow on the uptake.

Progress

I have not done much on the Clock Vest this week due to my brain being totally fried by the time I get home from work.
This is where it now stands. Last night I found myself absolutely loving it. The yarn felt so soft to my fingers -- I think the slight row compression due to the panels of traveling stitches is making the yarn a bit poofier in the final analysis, hence making run of the mill Cascade 220 feel much softer then it usually does.

Whatever the reason, I'm loving it!

Teens Knitting: A Snapshot

Yesterday was all about purling and trouble shooting mistakes. About a dozen young people came out, grabbed stash and left, leaving me with three young ladies sitting and quietly knitting. Once we got the mistakes sorted out, I also sat and knit quietly. It was first frantic, with questions flying from all directions at once, and then calm as only a few stayed behind.

Earlier in the day I had come close to canceling the club because I was not feeling well but as the day dragged on and approached 3:00, I decided that I'd made it that far and could keep going for another hour. I'm so glad I did. The pleasure that I get from these young people is truly indescribable and works better to soothe me then any drug.

Our first blankie for the year is still on my balcony in pieces. I'll leave myself a reminder to wash them this weekend -- I refuse to let them into my place unless I have washed them and dried them on HOT first. I will do this. I promise!

Can You Spell "G E E K Y?"

Do you think we have enough computers? And there are three not in the picture!
Look what you can do with multiple XOs.Click on the photo to get the total effect. I'll wait.
Yup, the computers are taking pictures of themselves. The top photo was taken by an XO, the bottom on my little Olympus. You can see me in the computer screen if you look closely.

***

On a fibery front, I am almost finished with Lil' Sis's socks and added 22 rows to the vest yesterday. I will probably finish the socks during dinner with Little Squid on Tuesday and have balled up a really happy sock yarn from Dave to start socks for me. No photos because I didn't take them yet and now my nails are sticky as I perform my weekly "back to work" manicure.

Spinning also happened as I stick to my "Sundays are for Spinning" pledge.

Have a great week!

Saturday at Home

We finally got our XO computers. There is a long story in there but since they came through in the end, you get to miss it. There are currently 6 of these little guys in the apartment. One was a loaner from a friend since the 5 Mike had ordered were simply not being shipped. The day that he brought home the loaner, "our" five arrived. Next week, four will leave for Mike's school where his students will have a new platform to learn on. Hopefully they will write some good stuff for the kids that really need these machines. Meanwhile, both squidlings are having fun learning some programming on them and Papa Squid is in his glory that his kids are finally interested in his hobby. Little Squid had to be torn away from his program-in-progress in order to get some fresh air. Yes, I have another computer geek in the making.

Mama, on the other hand, is keeping occupied until the yarn for Squidette's blanket comes in.*
This is destined to be the Clock Vest from Cheryl Oberle's Folk Vests. Major amounts of traveling stitches here so it is fairly slow going. The yarn is from stash.

*I stopped by Knitty City yesterday to check on the order and found that it was not yet in and that Pearl had been having some problems with a few suppliers. Shortly after I arrived home, Pearl called and told me that it had been shipped just before the New Year and should be in soon. She also promised me a discount on it. Yes, this kind of service is why I went to her instead of just buying it on-line. I'd live without the discount -- but given the size of the order, I am happy to take it.

Wildlife in the City

There is a new addition to our student body.

Yes, it is a pheasant.
It joins our opossum and the squirrels (as well as the rats and pigeons).
If it is still around on Monday, I will name it.

Working Out

By now, most readers know that I am an avid bicyclist. I do not get to indulge my passion as much as I would like due to family obligations, but I do it when I can. One of the reasons I like to cycle is because, when using it to commute, it doesn't feel like exercise. Instead, it is a means of getting from here to there and hence frees up time instead of using time.

Before Squidette was born, I rode my bike to work almost every day. I was doing about 7 miles a day and enjoyed it immensely. After she was born, I took public transportation with her to my mother-in-law's place and then rode my bike the remaining two miles to work. This continued until I conceived Little Squid. That was it. For the first few months after I returned to work, the weather was too cold and snowy to ride. Then I got a car.

Fast forward to today. I have ridden my bike to work less then a dozen times since. These rare rides are usually in August or June, before and after the kids have school. I'd love to go back to those days but as long I am serving as child-transport, it won't happen.

Instead, I get my exercise by riding the trainer bike on the weekends and during school breaks. This past break I rode the trainer every day and did weights for a few days.

Mike is pushing me to work out more after work. He thinks it will be good for me for a number of reasons that I will not go into now. Up until now, I have preferred to use my precious evening time knitting but I had to acknowledge that his reasoning was sound. So last night I did it. I didn't ride, but I did do my arm weights and hope to do my leg weights tonight. How long do you think I can keep this up?

I like the way I look when my arms are toned. Actually, I love the way I look when my arms are toned and muscular. Yeah, I think I'll keep this up. And as for the knitting? I did get the heel flap and turn done on Lil' Sis's second sock last night ...

The Smelling of the Hair

Little Squid suffers from a common "boy" malady. He often forgets to use soap and shampoo when he bathes. Ick! This has resulted in a ritual known as the "smelling of the hair" wherein I ask "did you use soap?" and he replies by coming over and bending down so I can smell his hair.

Yes, yes we are a strange family. Did you really have to ask?

Back to work tomorrow. We are all happy that it is a short week.

Net Zero

I did it! For 2007 I used the same number of balls/skeins/hanks of yarn that I acquired. Exactly. And that counts the five just purchased for Squidette's blanket.

How did I do it? Especially since yesterday morning I was up one ball? I stayed up late (um, midnight) and finished the first of Lil Sis's new socks before the ball dropped. This way she will have one foot in the past and one in the future ... or some such stuff like that. Basically, it was my only active project so I managed to do it in two days.

That said, I have 17 balls on order at Knitty City and promised that Squidette could choose some new yarn for me to knit socks for Little Squid's "baby sitter" (the young woman who takes him home from school).

Now, for next year, I would like to spin and use more of my own hand spun. I have some lovely stuff on the wheel and in the stash and would like to see garments made out of it. I'd also like to start working on the yarn for Mike's new sweater. To that end, I am joining "Spinning My Wheel," and hope to get all of my wheels moving this year.One last FO from last year -- a scarf for Mom. On Mom.