resisting the urge
2008 @ 8:45 am
We’ve all been there… resisting the urge to cast on for a new project. I really want to finish MJ’s Twisted Tree Pullover before starting something new, but it’s tough. Really tough. I finished sleeve #1 last night and will cast on for #2 at my sonogram appointment today (it always takes AGES to get in to the photo booth). I think once I join these guys to the body the itch will subside. Sleeves bore me… anyone else?
At any rate, I have no excuse for casting on a new project. I have many many small things that finishing would bring great satisfaction. Not to mention a nice jaunt of FO posts.
- Herringbone Mitts
- Secret Sock
- Mittens & Hat for special little boy (my kick ass babysitter’s son)
- Snake scarf for another special little boy (this one has been languishing forever)
The two projects I want to get going on are sweaters. BIG sweaters. One long-overdue jumper for my husband and another long-overdue cardigan for my mom. I just want to get going already! It’s obvious that neither will be finished before next January so it doesn’t even make sense that I’m so hot to trot. I don’t even have yarn for The Big Guy… Mr. Sassy has declared his love for Cobblestone. I’m so happy we finally agree on a pattern–and I’ve wanted to knit something of Jared’s for a while. Now we just need to agree on a yarn. I’m torn between springing for something fantastic and falling back on something reliable and affordable. For example: I love the idea of Morehouse 3-Strand or Frog Tree merino, but just know that the sweater will pill. If I choose a commercial ply, Cascade or maybe even Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, the seater might last that much longer in perfect shape. I’ll settle for a heather or a tweed, but the yarn must not be itchy. And, I have to enjoy knitting with it.
Ah, something about writing this gave me an idea… does anyone have thoughts on Rowan Pure Wool Aran? It’s not tweed or heathered, but the colors are yummy. Particularly the slate gray…
2008
2008 @ 8:51 pm
Looking back, I appear not to have set any goals at all for 2007. Lucky me! I think I will set a list for 2008 though. Some simple things really:
1. Redo my craptacular craft area. (i.e., my desk). It’s a total mess all the time. Piles of paper, scraps of this, that and who knows what else. I am embarrassed to show you, but I think the shame will help:
A simple shelf above the desk would probably go a long way!
2. Complete a sweater for my mother. I’ve decided that the Tangled Yoke Cardigan I had planned for myself would make a splendid gift for my mom. She rarely reads and will have no idea what I’m talking about unless I put in a pic.
3. Sew something for myself to wear. Like, on my body. Since my body is on vacation until late 2008, I’ll have to focus energies on the first two!
I think that’s it! Seems reasonable enough, no?
Sprucing up…
2007 @ 8:31 am
You may have noticed that I’ve spruced up my feed a little bit. Now anyone who reads Sassy Stitchess through an aggregator (like Bloglines) will be able to click a little “Add Comment” link, Email posts to friends, or add a post to their favorites on del.icio.us. I did it all through FeedBurner, which is quite a lot of fun!
If you are reading a lot of blogs and haven’t signed on to something like Bloglines yet, what are you waiting for! It’s an unbelievable time saver and the easiest way to organize your favorite reads.
To subscribe to the feed for Sassy Stitchess, click here:
I’ve also cleaned up the Pattern Page a bit. I created a main page that then links to each pattern individually. I had them all on one unruly list and this is much neater. Eventually these will all be available in pdf format for easy printing. Lastly, I’m still working on my tutorials and hope to get them straightened out and added soon.
I’m in…
2007 @ 3:18 pm
Thanks for all your support! Lisa and Jess (and Stephanie!) did come over last Friday and helped get me moving on Fair Isle. I prefer to hold one color in each hand and haven’t paid much attention to which hand is holding which. Hopefully that won’t come back to bite me in the ass. It was quite fun! And in accordance with some of your comments, I think I will be motivated by the emergence of pattern rather than the knitting itself. I started the Herringbone Mittens and, like Lisa, have opted for the corrugated cuff. For anyone that is thinking of this cuff, add two to your cast on number. My decision was based mostly on that fact that if I didn’t do this, I wouldn’t even get to a color change until long after my support system had gone! As it was, we hung around and knit pretty late. I got all crazy and had lemonade while everyone enjoyed their wine 
I admit, I haven’t touched it since, but that’s only because it’s a distraction from Christmas knitting. I am still holding out hope that I will finish the two projects I have going in time! I have friends coming over tonight and I hope they don’t mind that I knit through our conversation. They are bestest friends, but non-knitters. They don’t really have a choice.
A little fun before I go… for anyone in the throes of the Elmo years, this is the funniest interview of a Muppet that I have seen in quite a while…
I am being forced into Fair Isle!
2007 @ 8:15 am
Okay, not really. I had expressed interest in finally taking the plunge as Jess and I discussed her upcoming Fair Isle workshop at Brooklyn General. Actually, I think Jennifer may have started it. If we were learning together, it would be fun! Right? And then Jess’s workshop started. Whoa, those ladies were tense. The infallible Heather eluded to wearing her night guard to prevent lock jaw. I admit it, I got very nervous. Not that I don’t have the talent to eventually become as adept and swift with color work as my lovely comrades, but that I won’t be able to muster the patience. One attempt to learn was thwarted by Jennifer’s sick daughter–thank you Miss P! Now Jess is so busy with school she couldn’t possibly have time for this.
It turns out, my knit friends are conspiring against me…
My Spider Holiday exchange gift from Lisa includes yarn and pattern for Herringbone Mitts with Poms (pdf). Who could resist the hottest pattern of the winter season? I tell you, they are trying to bring me over to the dark side. The truth is, I owe Lisa many thanks for this gift–it’s just the *push* I needed to be excited about learning something new! And she got me a gift certificate to my favorite shop too, as you can see. And as for the tense ladies of Jess’s workshop–they are all Fair Isle pros! If they can do it, so can I
In other news, I’m teaching a new class over at the General and thought some of you might be interested… a lace workshop! I may be timid at the thought of Fair Isle, but I fear no lace! The class starts on January 31 and runs for four weeks. Full details can be found here.
hm, something weird…. something random
2007 @ 4:09 pm
——————————————————————————-
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. ——————————————————————————-
Okeedokee–Cal has tagged me with a meme thing. I haven’t done one of these in AGES so I’ll play along. But, am I really that weird? I mean everyone is weird. Frankly, you should all comment about my weirdnesses so I know what they are! If you don’t get around to it, I’m sure my kids will keep me abreast of my oddities when they get older.
1. Something that came up recently: I have decided that I am having a boy, not a girl as I has originally felt so strongly. My reason? I have clear pee, not cloudy. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. (ew)
2. I think that I only recently put it together that Kanga + Roo = Kangaroo. I guess I just never thought about it?
3. I’ve started testing my continental knitting skills on morning commute. See? You guys probably don’t think that’s weird. I think the students in my classes think I am off my rocker.
4. Being vegetarian used to be weird. I could go months without meeting another one as a child. Now, at least half in every group of people I am with are veg! Same goes for my name, although the ratio is still way less than half.
5. And now for the random: I am fairly knowledgeable at interpreting statistics. I don’t think there is any evidence of this on the blog, so now you know. This came up at the Spiders Holiday Party, of all places!
You are all tagged. All of you.
You may have noticed some BIIIIIIGGGGG sidebar changes here! I decided to add BlogHer ads to my site. It’s a little experiment and I hope you don’t mind… so far I’ve seen two ads: one from BlogHer and the other from the international relief organization, CARE. I support both so, thus far, am pleased. If you see something you like, click on through!
get yourself organized and make some baby gifts…
2007 @ 2:14 pm
That’s me talking to myself. Again. Thanks to Sew, Mama, Sew and her awesome month of handmade goodness, I am actually inspired to do something about these To Do items. She has links to so many tutorials; I am discovering some fantastic sewing blogs! Fun, fun, fun. In two weeks I’ve collected the following:
- Car Caddy Organizer. The perfect toddler carry-all for car ride fun.
- CD Case. I need to organize my Singer Futura program and design cds, my Mac cds, my PC cds, Wii gaming cds, and PS2 cds. Let’s get busy.
- Sewing Machine Cover. Okay, the fabric isn’t what I would choose, but you get the idea.
I’ve also got a couple of aprons and MJ’s new duvet cover on deck. I can’t believe I made a whole apron and forgot to take pictures and post about it! I made a Lotta Jansdotter’s Reversible Apron (pictured here at Purl Bee) for a friend’s wedding shower. I even managed to embroider her name on it. Too cute! Wish I had a pic.
I’ve just completed a few burp cloths (for which I have my own tutorial here) in need of revising. Next post (tomorrow) will be the updated tutorial! Just in case you’re looking for a holiday weekend project…
The Knit Map and more helpful links
2007 @ 11:15 am
Thank you you all for the well wishes And thanks to those who have participated in the discussion about the Downtown development, both here and in person, with me. There are some juicy knitting links at the bottom of this post, but I wanted to say one last thing. The day after I posted the video I read a great article in New York Magazine by Adam Sternbergh, “The Degentrification of Red Hook” (not Morehouse Farms, Red Hook, Red Hook Brooklyn!) The article is more about cyclical degentrification and the ultimate ramifications for NYC should this truly be the trend than it is about a single neighborhood. The article is an excellent read, no matter what side you are on, but one quote struck a cord and summarizes my post’s point:
So the prospect of degentrification doesn’t mean we’re facing down a crisis. In fact, we may be averting one. Because the real apocalyptic forecast is not that gentrification slows down, but that it doesn’t—and that its expanding edge drives out the working-class people and immigrants and artists entirely, sending them to Philadelphia or Baltimore or beyond. This is what the author John Strausbaugh described, somewhat contentiously, as the “benign ethnic cleansing” of the cultural community, at a recent panel on the city’s future. “The way it’s going, New York will turn into a city of rich people and absentee landlords,” says Sharon Zukin. “And the creative advantages of the city will be destroyed.”
Oddly enough, we have talked on and off about moving to Baltimore.
Only time will tell how this one really works on, so let’s move on to the knitting content!
Am I the last person on earth to hear about the KnitMap? I suggest you get on there post-haste! Many of your favorite stores are in need of review.
A recent post to Ravelry suggests that Pearl River carries knitting needles (including dpn) AND spinning supplies (downstairs). No guarantee that such treasures will still be around 30 days later.
Pandora Radio is awesome! Type in artists you like and you can listen for free. And they pick other stuff you might like. And then an algorithm is created based on your likes and dislikes. Algorithm–i totally ignored that in pre-calc. Doh!
More project posts to follow…
ugh.
2007 @ 12:09 pm
For those of you with me here in Brooklyn, in spirit or in residence, please watch this brief video on Downtown development. This neighborhood is located smack between where we live and where my husband owns a business. While the Downtown district is no doubt tired, I take issue with several things presented here. Not individual buildings, but rather the idea that real art and commercial “vitality” in the form of chain retail can co-exist, that small business will have any chance to “thrive”, and, most of all, the fact that long-time residents will no longer be able to afford their homes (many have been lost already) and probably their groceries too. Forced gentrification has implications that cross many moral lines for me.
I would love to hear comments.
traveling…
2007 @ 7:05 am
we’re back from the beach and headed to our nation’s capitol… see you next week!
