And knitting content...

The chevron scarf. Finally finished. I had thought about giving it away and then I put it around my neck. Yeah, no way, I love it. Jaywalkers. Finally finished. Seamed in the car.

And... the new sock yarn I bought at Knitters Mercantile. How neon is that. It didn't look so crazy when it was in the hank. And... yeah, it was knit this far basically in the car ride home. zip zip zip!

I think they'll be able to see my feet from space.

Go Bucks!

Hello Hello!
Before I say anything, let's have a moment of silence and gratitude and a big sigh of relief. Yes, my Red Sox are in the playoffs!!!! Yay! I guess I don't talk too much about the Sox in general, as they are just a part of my life and its an assumption that I follow the scores, etc. But, I did wipe my brow in relief that they didn't totally botch the end of the season.
Okay, now... I have made it back from the Heartland in one piece. Columbus, as always was a fantastic time. Great people, a rough game of P.I.G. (I hadn't shot a basketball in 10+ years and you could tell), great food and lots and lots of fun. I have no idea at this point, why I was posing with a sombrero on my head, but it seemed like a great idea at the time.
There is a ton of knitting to talk about (um, 6+ hours in a car each way AND I didn't have to drive?!?!), but I don't have time to upload all the pics at this moment, so that will follow later. Hopefully, today.
When we drove into Columbus on Friday, the Tall Guy took me to The Knitters Mercantile. If you pay attention to the knitting world, you may know that they sponsored/pulled together Knitters Connection this past spring where Lime and Violet broadcasted live. Well, what a store. I picked up a hank of Jitterbug in "Popsicle" (whats up 1972), some rosewood dpns and met all the women that work there. The Tall Guy wandered the shop like a pro and was picking out the various yarn he knew. It was all pretty entertaining and added a "check mark" to the pros list for Columbus.

In another check mark, if you're ever in Columbus, you must get ice cream from Jeni's. I had the Salty Caramel and the Butterscotch with Cocoa nibs and the Tall Guy had the Honey Vanilla Bean. Let's just say I'm actually exploring the option of having this shipped to me. It was that good.

When we got home from Ohio last night and I checked my email, I discovered that the girl I had sold my yarn to last week had written me to say thanks (how sweet!!) and to invite me to a knitting group that's just getting started at Tryst on Tuesday nights. That place is like...my home away from home, so how cool is that? So, I guess when you start telling everyone that you want to be friends that sometimes, friends start actually happening! Yay.
I'll try and post more pics this evening, I now have a few FO's to show off! Yippee!

Old School

Old School
Originally uploaded by sparklypia

I'm not sure why I'm showing the world this picture, except that today is my Friday and I'm in a random sort of mood.
That's me on the far right. I have no idea whats on my jumper and I can say with a good bit of authority that it was not my idea at the time to wear knee socks with black bows. That's my Dad on the far left with the rocking shades. The boy next to me is now some sort of big shot in the army. I have no idea what, but I do know that my best scars from childhood were caused by fighting with Scott, so I'm sure he's good at what he does.

The Tall Guy and I are off to Columbus this weekend. I'm going to be in a Big Ten Town for a home football game and it should be interesting. The mid-west is starting to grow on me, but I'm going to do my homework on LYS's in the area before I really make a call on how I feel about Ohio. If you know of any let me know. In the meantime... Go Bucks! (right? that's what I say?? its weird to say that when you're talking about a nut and not a mammal with big antlers. I'm just saying...)

destashing. yahoo!

Okay, so the more I knit, the more "choosy" I become with that I hold onto and play with for hours at a time. I've had in my closet (the Tetris closet, yes) for over 2 years a whole lot of yarn I will NEVER KNIT with AGAIN. Its not bad, its perfectly good yarn, and I feel bad trash talking it, but really. Lion Homespun after knitting with Karabella Aurora 8? Sure, Aurora 8 is three times the price, but if I'm going to wear something, I want it to feel good.
Here's a fraction of what I sent off to a good home today. I know the lighting sucks. I took these pics at 10pm the other night. Just trust me. It has left! (Actually two full shopping bags are gone!) Craigslist rules and I was able to have someone not only want this yarn, but someone who works about two blocks from me. So, I now have a free shelf in my closet and have twenty bones in my pocket and this knitter has a whole lot more yarn to play with then he/she did yesterday. Its win win all around. Now. I have three or four bags of fiber fill. Anyone want it? (Thats the stuff you fill pillows with, I only need one bag of it for a project that's coming up!

dear santa

Knit Picks just came out with these birch needles that are multi coloured. I've coveted the "Options Set" for quite some time, but am not the biggest fan of metals when knitting... now. These. I love them. Here's the whole she-bang here if you really care.. and a picture for those that don't need the details. Aren't they fun and pretty?

(Picture courtesy of Knitpicks, saved to my server)

one is silver and the other is gold

When did making friends become such a chore?
I love I mean LOVE my friends. Every single one of the people who really know me in the world (you know who you are) are the most amazing people in the world. They accept me for who I am, I never have to edit around them (sorry, Em for dropping the F-Bomb in that voicemail the other day...this crazy lady nearly ran me over in a cross walk while turning right on red when she shouldn't have AND then had the nerve to beep at ME).
Anyway, I'm not going to get all gushy about the friends I have, the ones that all live too far away (um, hello, can you all STOP moving to the west coast, or upstate new york or going back to boston, going to ohio or moving to atlanta?) see me cry just about every time they leave and the ones I have here, I'm just sad about how hard it is to hang out. Most of us live in different parts of the city and it seems like a chore to have to make a plan everytime you just want to sit on the couch and chill with them! This weekend the Tall Guy and I spent quite a bit of time wondering if this is how life is? Do you find the person you're going to spend some time with (For some that's a Spouse etc etc) and then you spend the rest of your time making fixed plans with people that involves having to plan a party or meet them somewhere for drinks/dinner confirming a week in advance? I miss the days of just "hey, come over and hang out". That means I can knit, we can chat. We can drink and heck, a six pack of just about anything is cheaper then us meeting somewhere and me not being able to hear you because the music is too loud and annoying and you not being able to hear me because I have a pipsqueak of a voice.
So, I'm about done, but what I'm saying is I miss the olden days of us all being too poor to go out (which alot of still seem to be as we scrimp and save to do other others in life) and hanging out in a living room without a grand plan and just enjoying each others company was okay. Let's bring it back. Or, if you want to be my friend, the Tall Guy is probably happy to share me, he doesn't have the love of all things fibery that I do. On the flip side, if you're a girl and your man sails or likes to mountain bike, this could be a two for one special!

PS. Does anyone know how you get fruitflies if you don't have food around? My office seems to have a few flying around me and I have zero food in here right now. Its driving me nuts!

We all need a little mindless knitting

DSCN1969
Originally uploaded by sparklypia

This washcloth is getting longer and longer as it was requested to be a dish towel for Yve, who just moved into a new house.
I'm calling it Pink Lemonade, because the colours are just so glaring. I figure, where else can you have neon pink, green and yellow, if not the kitchen.
I'm feeling a bit ADD in my knitting lately. I can't seem to finish any one thing, as I knit on it for a day, put it down and pick something else up. I am NOT, however letting myself start anything new. Hopefully this weekend, I'll finish something. If not, next weekend when the Tall Guy and I take a road trip to Columbus, I'll have plenty of in-car knitting time to work away. Yay for car trips (i.e. Knitting trips when your sig. other likes driving over sitting still and behaving in the passenger seat!)

Edit: I almost forgot. Another word of advice from your HR Girl. If I say it once, I say it 100 times. Don't write a resume in the third person. PLEASE. DON'T DO IT. It annoys the living S#%t out of me to have to read these sorts of resumes. Thanks in advance.

and the sweater grows

its starting to looking real... I'm sort of excited about this.

watch your pointy sticks with this one!

okay... maybe that's a little overly dramatic and most knit-bloggers usually try to photo people on the subways in various locales actually knitting, but, I'm not most.
Just a quick rant with a photo. I got on the metro tonight, sat down next to the below man, and took out my current train knitting, which is a sock on dpns. I wasn't flailing about, pointing my needles where they shouldn't be or anything weird. Next thing I know, said man (with the hat) huffs in my direction (and I do mean HUFF like "HarrumphhhhH!") and stands up. I assume he's getting off. Instead he slides out, does a back and forth to the end of the car and ends up sitting down back across from me.
Apparently, he doesn't like sock knitting.
I don't even think I smelled bad!

something to show!

its a new bag!
When Miss Em was here last weekend, we wandered into a design store in Silver Spring. The Tall Guy and I had peeked in once, but without having a person with an Art Degree with us, we didn't really see the coolness that is Marimekko.
Well, Emily just about had an aneurysm and we were in the store for about an hour. I picked up and put down this bag about 10 times, thinking it would make a great medium-larger project bag, but was having trouble justifying the price tag (more then your average grocery store or zip loc bag I normally use) so, after I put it down for one last time, Emily put her hand on her hip and demanded (as only Emily can) that I bring it to the counter and it was my Maid of Honor gift. Her rationale and one I appreciate was "Why buy you something I don't know if you'll like?" Yay.
So, isn't it cute? And, its red not pink for those who may comment!
Also cool about the bag, its oilcloth, so needles don't poke through and its water resistant.
And the knitting updates, as promised... I'll update progress by the end of the weekend, I hope to have some more done soon!
The sweater. Increases continue and soon to be done. And the Broadripple sock..
Second one. The heel is turned and the gusset is started.

Big Mac Dreams

Its been a hella crazy week at work. I've threatened to start putting whiskey in my coffee and I think my boss took pause for a moment to wonder if I was serious.
For about 24 hours I was craving in that way you can't think about anything else craving a Big Mac. So, I went to Mc Donalds today with Peej and my sandwich was ingested in the blink of an eye (which for me, miss pokey eater is amazing). Damn, it tasted good, but seriously, my stomach was revolting less then an hour later. I ended up eating Tums for the rest of the afternoon. What do you actually think is in their food? I always wonder when I do the naughty thing of eating there (okay. okay. I don't know what's wrong with me but, I may have also grabbed breakfast from McD's this morning too) twice in one day and then have my entire body feel terrible. I don't know how that Morgan Spurlock made it more then two days in SuperSize Me.
That said, I'm mid project on all my knitting. My goal for this upcoming weekend is to finish some stuff to show off and then start casting on other things that my brain is obsessing about when I should be focusing on work. Work, though, is not fun to obsess about when it involves having to fix other people's mistakes.
Happy Thursday!

zip zip zip

Yawn. I shouldn't be tired, I slept in EVERY day this weekend, yet I'm sitting here at not even 10pm barely able to keep my eyes open. I love my friends dearly and am always quite social, but I'm looking forward to this weekend where I have some plans, but my apartment will be quiet with even the Tall Guy on the West Coast for a few days (his sister is there).
It was a good weekend filled with pool time, progress on a few of the WIPs (the sweater is increasing nicely, a dish towel is growing and I'm about to the turn the heel on the Broadripple socks). Of course, no photos of any of this for you and I'm sorry. It was also a weekend of friends getting engaged (yay! friends!) and that was exciting and I'm giving the thumbs up to all involved. The Tall Guy was concerned that this may be catchy, but not to worry, I love the idea of a white picket fence one day, but 28 still seems awfully young for me to be taking that plunge. As my Dad always said when we were looking forward to things...all in good time.
I've been currently debating whether my new ipod jacket (not handknit) is cute or lame. Its a heart, yes. I know. And has pink in it. BUT, its Keith Haring and I love his art. What do you think? Punk rock in a cute way or Lame in a girly way? I'll make my own decision, but I'm always open to the peanut gallery.
Before I head off to bed, I also thought I'd share one of those "why I like DC" sort of anecdotes. I was just waiting for the train at Dupont to come home from Yoga today and was knitting away on the Broadripple sock. I realized after a minute or two that the woman next to me had given up all pretenses of looking at her paper and was staring. (This is pretty normal). After another minute she very timidly puts out her hand. I realize then that the paper she had in her hand is not in English and is likely Spanish. No questions asked, I just handed her the sock in progress. For the next minute or so (it seemed like ages!) she examined the stitch pattern and yarn to the point that I pulled out the other sock that is finished. She was glowing with excitement as she looked at the heel and fingered the yarn. After she looked over the sock, she just smiled, handed it all back to me and shyly motioned to herself. A fellow knitter. It was pretty cool how we managed to interact for a few moments with no words exchanged.
And now. Off to bed.