Yet Another Knitting Blog

This morning it took 28 minutes from the time the doors opened at the DMV and $28 to renew my driver's license.

I'm not sure which was the best part. The 28 minute start to finish or the fact that I am wearing a handknit scarf in my new photo.

An on-line friend has been knitting these clever little elephants during the last year. Most have gone to children in foreign countries. A few weeks ago a friend of my friend was trying to put together items for homeless school kids who are so poor that they literally have nothing. No shoes. No tooth brushes. Certainly not toys. These kids don't live in a third world country. They live in Kentucky.

So I tracked down the pattern and started to knit a couple to help her out. Then I knit another one and again, one more. Then I knit a couple more. I have only stopped knitting them for this group because the little guys have to go in the mail on Monday.

This is the funnest thing I've done for charity ever. If this kids enjoy the Nellyphants even a quarter as much as I've enjoyed knitting them, the world will be a much happier place.



Tip loves them too.



Will you please excuse me? I think I need to go knit another Nellyphant.

X-posted to knitterotica

Dear "Lady" in the Middle Seat of my Recent Southwest Flight,

Brava! Brava! I really did not expect to see such a fine piece of performance art today.

From the moment that you asked the nice guy in the aisle seat if you could sit next to him until you intimately shared his personal space as we waited to deplane, you rarely missed a beat.

The start of your performance really set the stage. I haven't seen a woman slide across a strange man's lap like that outside of a pick-up bar. He had been so willing to stand in the aisle like a gentleman too

Too bad you couldn't see the appalled look on his face when you rubbed your scrawny little buttocks up and down his leg after you dropped the back of your phone on the floor under my seat.

Another nice touch was the way you left your mobile phone on during take-off. The real piece de resistance was when you threw the phone into your purse when it rang.

However, I must say that you did start to lose it when I asked you to turn off the phone. Your snarled remark of "I NEED a ride from the airport. I do this all the time. It doesn't do anything" was at odds with your over dressed, over tanned, over bleached hair, bad girl attitude. Or maybe it wasn't. Who am I to say?

You missed a delightful conversation between our aisle mate, his friend across the way and me while you were in the lavatory. We were trying to out what you were doing in there for 20 minutes of a 50 minute flight. They thought you were trying to send a text or make a phone call. I think you were puking-up your dinner of Southwest pretzels and 3 oz. of Coke. Given your sketching during the other 30 minutes of the flight, I figured you were both bulimic and had forgotten that there are no longer actual drugs in Coca Cola.

Did you notice that our aisle mate leaped to his feet to allow you back into your seat? He had been threatening to pretend to be a sleep but decided that the invasion of his personal space wouldn't be worth it. Kind of a joke really, since you glued yourself to his backside during the deplaning process.

I must admit I felt a bit guilty when my driver was there to greet me and take my laptop case when we reached the baggage claim. You had kept up your disdain for me, the mere mortal sitting by the window seat, until then. I hope your jaw didn't get bruised when it hit the floor.

Did your ride ever arrive to pick you up? Last I saw you, you were sitting on a bench outside the terminal.

Sincerely, The 'Bitch' by the Window

x-posted to teddystutz

I’ve been writing this post in my head but it got stuck between actually having adventures and the fatigue that comes from the same.

Last Friday was Ching Ming, a holiday that was banned in Main Land China until this year. I worked the morning in our empty, empty offices and headed for Kowloon with a list of yarn stores in my hand.

I only had the vaguest notion about where to find any of these places but I knew I could figure it out – eventually. The MTR station was pretty darn easy to figure out. The street? Not so much.

I literally walked in circles around the blocks until I finally found the street that I wanted. However, I didn’t realize how long that street was. Nor did I remember that a lot of streets have fences on the corners so you can’t cross the street. This means that you have to walk a block or two in either direction, cross the street in the direction that you want to go and then walk back to the street on which you want to walk. Sometimes there are elevated walkways but I needed to be able to read the street address on the buildings.

Eventually I came to a section of the street closed to traffic. It was filled with booths selling all sorts of stuff – none of it was tourists. I was in the far Eastern section of Kowloon where very few Westerners go. The booths back-up onto the sidewalk leaving the side walks narrow, dark and very crowded with people trying to get into and out of the shops that are still open for business.

After walking for about an hour, I finally found the yarn shop which is up a level from the street. Here’s how I know that I was in the right spot.



But the door to the upper levels was closed and locked. No worries, there was a bell.



No one answered.

As I turned to leave, there as a Chinese couple who were obviously going to the yarn store too. “It’s closed,” I said. Apparently, they didn’t understand me. The husband tried the bell so I hung out thinking I’d go up if the door opened for him.

No one answered.

So, of course, the wife had to try the bell.

No one answered.

But that was okay, because I have a whole list of yarn stores. I walked back to the MTR station, using the elevated sidewalk. I cut through the MTR station (which cost me $3 hkd) and was at the next store in maybe 15 minutes. I took the corrugated tin lined elevator up to the 5th floor, only to find the door chained shut. I was so demoralized that I forgot to take a picture.

I gave up and met my friend for a late lunch and then cocktails at Aqua

This is one of the places to watch the nightly light show in Hong Kong. We didn’t get to see the light show due to the fact that the harbor was fogged in but I did have a great mojita and scored some cool photo graphs:

This is the lighted floor photographed in reflection on the giant windows that face Hong Kong.





The next two are the sushi bar. None of these photos really communicates who hip or how dark the place is.



Dinner in Lang Kwai Fong and back to the hotel. Yarn would have to wait for another day.

cross posted to the usual places

Work was crazy last week but at least we have a weekend. Next week, I'm no so sure there will be any days off. Here are some photos I took today at the Jade Market to distract you from the fact that there is very little written content.







( More Behind the Cut )

x-posted to teddystutz

The chandelier photos were taken in the hotel lobby.

This photo was from my window this morning. It's better larger.


It is Monday morning. I don't want to go to the office - another thing that doesn't change whatever side of the world I'm on.

X-posted to the usual places

As anyone who's read this blog since my first trip to knows, I love me some time at the Jade Market. I love roaming up and down the aisles of jade, pearls, beads, tourist trinkets and more jade. I remembered to take a few pictures this time too. Next time I need to less shopping and more photography. It's cheaper too.





Sorry this picture is so small. It's too blurry larger. My favorite stall owner, May, took the photo for us.

We ran into a bunch of other Disney folks in the market then headed to Lang Kwai Fong for a Mexican Food fix.

Where we say this. It gives a whole new meaning to the word bag lady, doesn't it?


Gratuitous Lang Kwai Fong shot


After a sinus clearing meal of nachos with spicy salsa jalapenos, we headed home. dreadpiratetate, I thought of you when I took the following ( Offensive to Some Photo )

cross-posted to knitterotica

Eating in the cafeteria here is always an adventure. The BBQ pork and rice is always safe but monotonous. Even the sandwiches are a little odd. However, we make the best of it.

This is my friend Doug posing at the sandwich counter.



I have a feeling that work cafeterias every where look pretty much just like this.

x-posted to knitterotica

My third pair of socks:



There is actually more done than this but it's all I have captured in photos.

All other knitting has come to a glacial pace since I've been asked to knit some caps for a friend's mom who is going through chemo.

It's flattering that, so far, the only two hats that she can wear are ones that I knit for you. One was the pretty silk beanie that I posted a while ago. The other is a ghastly thing that I knit from some crinkly, fun fur type yarn and was originally intended for a chemo cap drive for a children's hospital. The hospital specifically asked for fun fur style caps because the kids love them.

Long story short, eight skeins of yarn appeared for caps including two skeins of Kiddo Solid in black. Black,fuzzy yarn with no body. Hmmm. Now that the hat is done:



I realize I should have doubled the yarn to give it some heft. There's just no there, there. But it is soft and, if nothing else, she can sleep in it.

Yesterday, my friend and I were lucky enough to have gotten reservations for the The Yarn Harlot's talk at the Los Angeles Library Central Branch*.

We stood in line with a whole whack of knitters from all over in all shapes, sizes, genders and all knitting. The crowd wasn't too huge because the Mark Taper Auditorium has only 230 seats. We arrived early enough to sit in the second row.

Stephannie has a deeper voice than I expected. She spoke for about an hour and a half, starting out with the point that everyone in L.A. is really tall. While many people think of her as a humorist (which she definitely is),she is really an essayist who talks about stereo types, judging people and feminism. She is very funny, well spoken and well worth the trip to see. I'd drive a lot farther now that I've heard her speak.

To support the library and encourage them to have more of these events, I bought her new book, "Stephannie Pearl-McFee Casts-Off, The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting" for her to autograph. The staff was really organized with this, passing out post-it notes so people could write out their inscriptions before hand and having us place them on the title page.

When I got to Stephannie, I greeted her. Then I had to point out that I am from L.A. and I am short - 5' 1" to be precise. She thanked me with a very straight face and remarked that she too is 5' 1."

Following this exchange, she seemed a little distracted as she signed my book. In honor of a t-shirt that I've doctored to say "Evil Knitting Queen", I requested that the inscription read the same. Stephannie apologized for her momentary disconnect. She said she was so happy with the inscription request. I got to tell her that I am the Evil Knitting Queen. She looked me straight in the eyes and with a huge grin on her face said, "You look evil." My little loony fan girl heart soared and I said "Thank you" while an even bigger grin spread across my face.

I let the next loony fan girl step-up to the desk. Stephannie Pearl-McPhee thinks I'm evil and thinks I deserve the title "Evil Knitting Queen." It was a very good day.


*If you have never been here, the WPA art is worth the trip all on it's own.

(cross-posted to teddystutz)

The Friday before Labor Day, I sprinted into the LYS, picked out the five skeins of Cascade "The Heathers" in perhaps five whole minutes, ran next door to order a pizza for my lunch while the saleswoman balled the yarn and was on the road to San Diego thirty minutes later with my new yarn, a photo copy of the pattern, my needles and everything else needed for one of Miss E's dance competitions.

On Saturday during the competition I knit the swatch shown. My stitch gauge is about an inch and half too large. I think this is going to be okay as I am not busty but a little chubbier than I should be given the size of my bust-line.



The sleeve was started Sunday. And Monday. I've ripped and re-knit countless times. For some reason I was just having a lot of trouble keeping track of the moss stitch. But I have it now and am only about 1" away from the shaping which I'm knit once I'm done with LJ.



I'm not completely happy with the evenness of the stitches but when am I ever? That said, I really don't think it's that bad either and may block out. Will I actually have a first sweater that is actually wearable. Stay tuned to find out!

My friend anonymisty sent me several skeins of Lion Brand's Fancy Fur while I was on bed arrest last spring. After knitting a bunch of scarves from this yarn for Miss E's friends as holiday gifts, I couldn't face another one. So, I made this little envelope purse. The photos are a little off. All that fuzz is hard to photograph.



The button is from my button box. Not quite vintage but it will be soon.



The fabric is from a little quilt shop in Bridgeport, CA. I'm very proud of the match. I picked it out while 400 miles away from the yarn.


I love this fabric. The metallic ink on the black background makes the whole thing really pop.

I've decided to finally knit a sweater. I'm going to try the "Minimalist Cardigan" from the Fall 2007 Interweave Knits. Here's the yarn I ordered:



Isn't it pretty? It's the wrong freaking yarn. It's Cascade Pastaza, not the Cascade 220 that I ordered. So, why am I an idiot? I didn't notice it was the wrong yarn until after I checked the dye lot numbers, paid for five skeins, had the yarn shop ball it for me and got it home.

I've checked out Ravelry for inspiration but nothing I see sweater-wise makes me jump up and down. Plus I think I'd need more for any sweater that needed that bulky a yarn. I'm sure I'll make something out of it. Hmmm, maybe a vest...

Following my Mom's stroke, I spent a lot of time at my parent's house running interference. It was horrible and especially so when my Dad kept trying to give things that belonged to my mother. Long story short, my mom eventually told me to take all the yarn which I did.

I didn't keep much of it because it was acrylic - the old yucky kind of acrylic that's squeaky, crunchy and makes your teeth hurt when you work with it. What a friend didn't want went to Miss E's old elementary school for crafts.

I did keep some balls of "Peaches and Cream" cotton which have been stuck in a drawer until a few days ago when I got bitten by the dish cloth bug. Except mine aren't going to be used as dish clothes I guess. fingle has commandeered them as guitar polishing clothes.



cross posted to teddystutz

Pattern: Argosy from Knitty.com
Yarn: Diaelissa
I blogged about the yarn when I got it in August of 2006. I bought it in Hong Kong. It's a Japanese yarn. I think it's wool, mohair and something else but since I don't read Japanese, I could be wrong.

The colors are beautiful, shifting from one to the other very subtly. The color shirts are so subtle and the repeats so far apart that I keep re-winding the balls to find the exactly the right spot. I had wanted to ends to be in the same color range but it may not happen. The scarf is six fee long now and it's still a long way from something similar to the starting color.

This was a quick knit that I made for a friend's mom who is going through chemo treatments.

The yarn is "Tao" (100% silk) by Collinette. The pattern is "Cherry" from the Collinette book Arboretum.



I haven't figured out why the reverse stockingette looks blurry in the photo. The stitches have good definition and look clear when the photo is larger.

(x-posted to teddystutz)

Hello, I've noticed a couple of new friends who've added me to their lists. I'm very sad to say that I have no idea when. But Welcome! I've been very quiet here for quite a while due to some medical drama. I've written about it ad naseum on my "regular" journal teddystutz for anyone who is curious.

I've decided to try and maintain this journal along with that one but may end-up with only one. We'll see how it goes.

I need to go back through my old posts to figure-out where I left off and if I have any photos that haven't already been posted.

I'm sad to say that I really haven't finished all that much despite spending most of the last seven weeks in bed. Pain killers and knitting don't mix well.

More soon... I hope!

Despite lack of blogging, there has been knitting. My current projects include:

Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave Knits: Cherry Tree Hill 100% cashmere on size four needles. I'm up to the eight repeat of the second chart but it is sloooww going. I was further along but dropped a stitch and had to rip back two whole repeats. *sigh* Nothing like ripping back to make me put something down. Like...

Broad Street Mittens from Knitty: I knitted a full size swatch in Moda Dea Sassy Stripes which was huge despite getting guage. Weird. I adusted then cast on in the Curious Creek hand-dyed yarn. Things were going along pretty well until I forgot the four rows between the pinky and the ring finger. Again, I got gauage but these things seem really big. These are for my kiddo and I really need to pick them back-up.

The second sock to a pair: Second sock syndrome. The same pair that have been picutured in this blog months ago.

Mindless Scarf knit on the diagonal with a fuzzy yarn with poor twist. This I will probably finish because it is truly mindless.

There is something funny about tinking the lace though. I didn't know that I had made a mistake until I dreamed about it last night. I thought only seriousl knit bloggers had dreams about their knitting. Maybe I'm ready to play with the big girls?

My mom is VERY pleased with her lace scarf. Yeah!!! I need a photo of her wearing it for my knitting journal.

Have a great day where ever you are and whatever you do and whatever you celebrate.