Still Find Myself Chuckling . . .

when I think about last night’s book signing with Stephanie. I’d been reading her blog for a while now and almost felt like I knew her (in that slight Internet-obsession sort of way), but I was really surprised to hear her speak. Y’all, she is very funny in print, but in person she was absolutely HI-LARIOUS. Threaded Bliss was pretty well packed with people knitting away and laughing till the tears came. Sarah H was sitting next to me and she let her knitting fall in her lap a few times (dropped stitches be damned!) while her hand flew up to cover her mouth in the “I’m shocked and oh so amused” pose. Sarah is (self-admittedly) one of those people who should be a continuous audience member on talk shows—need a good reaction shot, pan to her and wait for the facial expression to hit—so she was a great person to sit next to on this Nashvegas stop of the Knit Comedy Tour. After it was over and my book was signed I was in that giddy sort of mood that I get in after a really great concert or something, where I’m still kind of reeling from the experience. (But we also missed having the rest of our knitting group there. Jennifer and Sarah B, hope you both are feeling much better! We missed you!)

Two finished discloths, one stinkin' funny book.

The Warshrags

Well, after my debate with the yarns about what I would be knitting the other night, I ended up starting another dishcloth. It's from a classic old pattern that's included in the Mason-Dixon book. I've already finished one and I'm starting on a matching one in the same color scheme. I know that I own dishcloths and could buy more if I needed them. But these are so pretty. . . .

Hey, Mom, go look at another of your kids' blogs now. Nothing to see here.

Lalala lalalala lalalalala lalala (gone yet?) lalalalala lalalala lalalalalala.



Maybe I'll make a couple to send to Mom for Mother's Day along with some scented soap. She deserves pretty warshrags too.

Okay, Mom, I know you, and you just looked! Fine, deny it if you want to, but I know the truth :) Just kidding--I'm not sure that my mom comes here very regularly, so there's probably no surprise spoiled. But if she were to read this entry I guarantee you she would look :)

Weekend of Kiefer and Handknits

I was in the same room with Kiefer Sutherland--aka Jack "You're going to have to trust me" Bauer.

It wasn’t as action-packed as watching him get a busboy fired or croon a ditty on stage at Robert’s Western World, but he was very charismatic in his self-effacing way as he introduced the film “I Trust You to Kill Me” on Saturday as part of the Nashville Film Festival. The film was great—a funny and enlightening documentary about Kiefer as road manager for the band Rocco DeLuca and The Burden. It made me laugh and was an inside look at a music industry that I still don’t really understand, even after Chris has enlightened me quite a bit. And as a bonus, the film included footage of a “Kiefer attacks a Christmas tree” incident that made news a while back.

Friday was the Mason-Dixon Knitting book signing, and it was also a great time. We all knitted in between bites of whoopie pie (a new one for me--tasty!) as we listened to Kay and Ann talk about the book and about their knitting experiences. They are very funny ladies, and they had several of their projects there so I got to see and feel the blankets and other handknits in person. Beautiful! I think an afghan is in order very soon, though it will require the purchase of more yarn. It’s really a beautiful pattern they’ve put together, though—classic and clean and easy enough for this relative newbie to handle without fear—so I think it’ll be worth it! Go to Threaded Bliss’s blog and Jennifer’s blog to see great pics of the event!

Knitting in Stops and Starts

Last night I cast on (casted on???) for a new project only to rip it out after a row or two of knitting. Then I cast on for the same project with a different yarn. There was no improvement, so I ripped again. So I decided the yarn would maybe like to something else, so I thought of another project I’ve been wanting to try. Nope, the yarn was not happy with the first two rows of that either. Sigh. I think the problem may be with the knitter rather than the yarn. I was in a strange and unsettled mood yesterday. I think I’ve been stressed about work and definitely not getting enough sleep--leads to feelings of maudlinishness (and the making up of words, apparently). I’ll try to cast on again tonight and perhaps the yarn will be inspired.

Pot-bellied, Pants-wearin' Preciousness

Meet my version of Kate, the Knitty Cat. It's my latest project off the needles, and one I'm very happy with I must say. It was fun to work on (except for sewing him up which I am not so adept at) and, well, he and his pot-bellied self are just so cute. I was thinking I'd give him away, but I'm not sure whether someone else would appreciate his cartoonish cuteness as I do. We'll see. . . .

Thinga-Jiggers and Twitterpation

I peered deep into my stash this weekend in search of that summery fiber called cotton. And I discovered some long-ago-purchased-on-sale-before-yarn-diet-went-into-effect cotton angora yarn. It feels soooo yummy and soft, and it’s an absolutely beautiful deep teal color. I had hidden it away in the winter so I could find it and be surprised and inspired once summery, cottony weather rolled around. And I have indeed rediscovered it and embarked on the journey whereby I transform it into a shrugy, cardigany thinger-jigger. Cause it is spring, the time of twitterpation and love lingering in the air and Chris and I taking walks after eating a good meal--and me wanting to make soft and girly things to wear.



This particular thinga-jigger is loosely based on this idea. But I have trouble committing to “the patterns” as they are presented. Yeah, I’m a rebel that way. I do occassionally follow the directions to a T. Occasionally. But I usually want to use a different yarn. Or I don’t like the edging they chose. Or I’m not sure I have enough of the yarn and now the lovely yarn shop is all sold out of it so I need to make some adjustments. It’s always something. Maybe it’s never being satisfied or maybe it’s learning from a process; maybe it is being rebellious or maybe it’s just being creative. I am quite certain this issue I have sometimes leaves me with less than desirable results. I think I am okay with that. Cause I'm liking the learning and discovering. I think the knitterly inclined of us realize that it's often about the discovering—discovering the ways of yarn and knitting, yes, but also about the ways of our own selves. You are an odd assortment of people, you knitters, but I am excited to call myself one of you.

We interrupt this knitblog for a moment of eastertide reflection.

I read about a "diamond in the rough" story recently and thought about how people rarely get tired of hearing them. We embrace them as a justification of the mistakes we make or the hardships we’re dealt. Sometimes they act as a seasoning of hope for a bitter present. We often imagine that someone we know will be the next example of success or greatness; we hope that “someone” will be us.

But in the post-Resurrection days that the church is now celebrating, my thoughts have been hovering around the way Jesus died and the others dying in his company. And I thought about how God’s brand of love seems to fall pretty equally on the diamond-in-the-making-Davids—from shepherd’s field to king’s throne—and the criminals hanging beside Jesus—those who live and die on a cross they by all accounts deserve, only crying out, “Lord, save me.” I’ve always been amazed and comforted by this exchange of words, where one asks for mercy and the other very simply bestows it. No acts of penance required. No rebuke given. Just an exchange of grace. Some days that idea is about all I know to hold on to.

The Ever-Present Dilemma

It pops up so often in my workday--the thought that if I had my way I'd just be knitting. Instead I am copyediting and permissioning and computering and paperworking and sometimes talking twelve times a day to an author/professor who is upset because I, who have the job of editing his book, have *gasp* added commas, fixed grammatical errors, and sometimes even added some words so that he doesn't inadvertently call Jesus a cannibal.* Sigh. Wish I were knitting. One of the knitblogs I like to read is Mason-Dixon Knitting (they're the one's I'll see at the booksigning event I'm going to this week!!!). I would like their next book to be a self-help guide entitled "How to Have Our Life" or something along those lines. Cause these ladies must knit all the time-and it's all so beautiful. Their book came in the mail yesterday, direct from the Amazon, and I spent an embarrassing amount of time just drooling over the pretty pictures. Now I'm dreaming of all the pretty things my stash can become. . . . At least I can still work and dream at the same time.

*From manuscript: "Jesus healed, ate, and befriended the people."

Ode to Denises

My dear Denise Interchangeable Needle Set,
you have been faithful to me since first we met.
With your assistance I find I swatch with ease,
finding the right needle size no longer a tease.
So very many options dost thou hold,
all neatly tucked within your blue folds.
Your stitch-holding possibilities are nigh on endless,
your cable selection too broad to list.
Your needles can shrink from great to small,
then grow again at my beck and call.
A veritable tackle-box of useful implements,
with first sight I adored you and have adored e'er since.

Happy Easter!

The Lowdown: I’ll Post Lots of Information Here

The Excuses: I’ve been busy away from Internet Land lately, and my office is cracking down on computer use, including while on breaks. Hence the lack of posts. But enough of the excuses. . . .

The Stormy Weather: The weather was bad around here on Friday. Chris and I were going out of town for the weekend and had left the area before there was even a drop of rain, but I’ve heard some of the stories today. My friend Daphne (see Eric's blog about her experience here) works at a school that was frightfully close to one of the tornadoes’ path, and I can only imagine how many terrified kids there were in that building. Those affected are certainly in my prayers.

The Weekend: We had such a great visit with my family this weekend, and I met the two newest additions to the family—both precious as can be!

The Knitting Pursuits: I’ve knit something frightfully close to a poncho. Yep, a poncho. I’ve been generally against the poncho from the beginning. I don’t think most of them would look particularly flattering on me (although I do think they are cute on some people—especially young kids), plus I couldn’t quite think of them as practical. What do you do with your arms? How is this better than just grabbing a sweater when you head out the door? What do you do with all these folds of fabric hanging around? But the Glampyre Knits gal designed this garment she dubbed the Paris Loop. And I kind of like it. It’s not so poncho-ish to be unflattering or bulky, but it does seem like a nice spring-time alternative for the cold restaurant scenario. So, I’ve knit one for myself, and I’ve even worn it out and about. And I think I even like it. But I’m not calling it a poncho. It’s my Loop-o. Yeah, I’m still working on the name. . . .

The Books I’m Excited About: Mason-Dixon Knitting is out and the authors are coming to Nashville for a book signing! I’ve seen the book and it has some very fun patterns! I’m even buying it instead of checking it out from the library like I usually do with knitting books. And the initiator of the Knitting Olympics has a new book, Knitting Rules, which is more a book about knitting and knitters, rather than patterns to knit. But she’s a very entertaining writer, and I’m looking forward to that signing too. The Knitters and I are RSVPed for both events. This book-signing concept is relatively new for me. In Franklinton you come across few (okay, zero) book signings, and really until I lived here I didn’t think about the idea of a book “event” all that often. But here they are sort of a big thing, and I find myself getting a little giddy at the thought of having the authors sign the books. Like getting a rock star’s autograph.

And Speaking of Rock Stars: Chris’s band has some new songs up on their myspace profile, myspace.com/sedgewick, and I’m really impressed with what they’re doing. I got to listen in on a jam session of theirs last week, and they sounded great!!! So if you haven’t checked out their site, then go listen in (and if you’re a myspacer, then make them your friend!). My personal favorite is “The Key,” but all the songs rock!

My What’s Hot/What’s Not List

Tagged from Jennifer:

My Hot List

1. 24. Jack Bauer rocketh. David Palmer rocked. President Logan rocketh not.
2. Hypnotic prog music Chris introduced me to. This is probably hot in no one else’s book on the planet, but having just discovered it I shall declare it my own personal “what’s hot.” I like to knit to it while Chris is driving . . .
3. Cute knitted stuffed animals. The yarn is cheap, a lot of the yarn is even already in my stash, the patterns are fun, gauge doesn’t matter all that much, and they shouldn’t take all that long in case knitting ADD strikes.

My Not List

1. Buying more yarn just cause it’s pretty and/or on sale. I really like to do this, but my budget and the small amount of space I call home are both begging and pleading me to stick to the strict yarn diet tactics, which clearly state, “You have plenty of yarn already. Knit something with it instead of buying more. Be creative if necessary. Do not cave.”
2. Rampant use of the word clearly. I am clearly guilty of saying this word too often. I promise I will try to do my part to thin out the herd.
3. Deal or No Deal. It sucked me in for a few shows there. But no more. And I would like for those contestants to lay off the caffeine for a few days. I stress out just watching them.