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Month: February 2007

  • The Illusionist

    Thanks to my mad e-mail responding skillz earlier this week, the Snook and I had free tickets to a sneak preview of The Illusionist today. (Thanks, Kinokuniya!) While I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Prestige, it was still an entertaining – and air conditioned! – diversion on a hot summer day. Jessica Biel actually impressed me with her acting, and Paul Giamatti was awesome as usual. Edward Norton just somehow leaves me cold though. I can see that he’s a great actor and all, but I’ve just never really connected with him in any role. (Plus in this movie he has one of those beards that I hate, the ones that come right up to the lower lip all the way across. *shudder*) The opening credits were annoying though, and the first 40 minutes of plot were completely ripped off from The Princess Bride. The big trick reveal at the end was pretty anticlimactic too, as most of the audience had figured it out an hour before. Still, I’d call it a worthwhile DVD rental.

  • Flurry of Finishing

    I had meant to make this weekend a Flurry of Finishing (with regards to my knitting) and I guess I was moderately successful.

    Okay, first up is Argosy, which is a scarf I started a couple weeks ago as a way to use up the leftover Noro Silk Garden from the Cabled Jacket of Doom. It’s a fun little pattern to knit and it grows pretty quickly. I was nearing the end of it at the TC SnB Thursday night when Kate asked if anyone had any scrap wool to use as a stitch holder. I gave her about a foot-long piece. Would you believe that twenty-four hours later I ran short by EXACTLY THAT AMOUNT? D’oh! Rather than frogging back and making it shorter, I laboriously trimmed down all the tails from my joins and then spit-felted them all together. Yes, I spit in my own hand and rubbed the yarn in it til it joined. This scarf is riddled with my very own DNA. Hence, I’m not giving it as a gift to anyone. It’s pretty though, right?

    Argosy

    Next is my entry in the perpetual Best Sister Ever Sweepstakes. My little brother Joey loves the Indianapolis Colts (who just won the Superbowl). So as a surprise, I made him this hooded vest. The pattern is from this great new book and I drew the intarsia graph for the logo and name myself. (It’s here if anyone wants it.) Very cute, huh? I knitted it out of Heirloom Easycare 8ply. Mom predicts he’s absolutely going to love it.

    Colts Vest

    And lastly… I’m thinking of renaming it the Zombie Cabled Jacket That Just WILL NOT DIE. I had planned to finish the damn thing once and for all, but nothing with this project is easy. I did manage to get it steeked though. What’s more, I actually had one whole side of the zipper sewn in and the other one halfway done before ripping it off completely. The little cut ends were poking out, you see. It bothered me. I can’t get them to lie down nicely so I can trap them beneath the zipper. I’m thinking now of possibly ironing on some sort of interfacing just to keep them smooth. Any thoughts?

    Jacket Steek

  • A Tale of Two Bloggers

    We went to Nick’s surprise 30th birthday party last night. He just got back from a trip to Kenya where he was asked to provide live Internet commentary for Cricket Europe for a big cricket tournament over there. He did such a good job, they’re considering sending him to the West Indies to cover the Cricket World Cup.

    Me? I took a funny picture of my cat recently.

    Belly

  • What a Week

    I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Big time. I felt sluggish, tired, annoyed… and then I got to work and discovered that we were down two staff members. (One has been sick all week; the other resigned.) Then Albert had a go at me for my slack marketing efforts. (Slack? HELLO? I’ve already pre-sold more than half our initial order of Knit Picks and made sure that every knitter in Australia associates them with our store!) Argh. So I said “Stuff it” and decided to work in the shop all day. Pretty masochistic, really. But get this: I had nothing but wonderful customers! There was the older lady who was thrilled to find out that we could match the wool she got in Tasmania last year to allow her to finish her jumper. There was the businesswoman who wanted yarn to sew up a blanket that had been intended for first her friend and then her mother, but both had died of cancer before she’d finished it. (“Eh, it’s not the blanket’s fault,” she said.) There were the three Asian design students who oohed and aahed over everything I showed them. There was the American lady who needed something to knit on vacation and found the perfect Australian wool. I even had someone who wanted to return yarn without a receipt, but she was so nice about it that I happily helped her out. Even the presence of my Knitting Nemesis couldn’t deter me. I’m on fire! So my crap Friday turned out to be a good end to the week after all. Sometimes I think I get caught up in the idea that I’m somehow too important to be serving customers… but it’s nice to be brought back down to earth every now and then. This is why I got into this business in the first place.

  • Walk to Rivendell

    Walk to Rivendell. What a neat idea! I’m not even that big of a Lord of the Rings fan, but there aren’t that many books where characters take a long journey by foot. So far my Nike+ has recorded 106 miles… which means I’ve just left Tom Bombadil’s house and I’m about to be attacked by Barrow-wights. Greeeeeat. Only another thirty miles to the Prancing Pony though!

  • Valentine

    Happy Valentine’s Day to my best friend. Not that I need a special day to remember how lucky I am. (Did I mention I got a foot rub after my homemade-from-scratch chocolate mousse?) Snookums is The Best.

    And lest I sound too much like a Smug Married, much love and commiseration to all the single folks suffering though this Celebration of Coupledom. I’ve been there. Rock on, drink up, and hopefully hook up (if that’s your aim.) Man, I wish Eileen‘s party had a webcam…

  • How Not to Talk to Your Kids

    How Not to Talk to Your Kids. Wow, that article really rings true for me. I was always the smartest kid in my class in school, but I was never particularly ambitious or energetic towards my studies. I developed a lot of lazy habits and I never really got good study skills. I deliberately avoided doing things that I feared I wouldn’t be good at. (Remember my Hermione Granger experience in ceramics? That’s why I didn’t take any art classes in high school or college.) I dropped out of the Honors Program at ND just so I wouldn’t have to write a thesis my senior year. Nowadays I look at friends who are nuclear physicists and lawyers and artists and I regret that I didn’t push myself harder. Relevant quotes from the accompanying MetaFilter thread:

    • “If you skate through school you just might get the impression that you can skate through life.”
    • “I felt (and still feel, to some extent) that I was gonna be ‘found out’- that I really didn’t know shit from Shinola.”
    • “Self-discipline is built; you aren’t born with it.”

  • Sydney Apple Store

    HOLY CRAP. Sydney’s getting an Apple Store! And what’s more – it’s about to be about fifty feet from Tapestry Craft’s back door! I totally need to start taking pictures of the site.

  • Secret Pal Questionnaire

    Okay, so part of this Secret Pal thing is that I have to fill out this questionnaire. That way my person knows what I like! Here we go:

    1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
    I like anything natural, basically. Wool, cotton, alpaca, etc. I’m not a big fan of novelty wools or things that are excessively fluffy (like angora). I tend to prefer the 8-10 ply thicknesses, mostly (though I do go finer for socks).

    2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
    Uch. I’ve got one old needle roll from the Snook’s grandma that has most of my straight needles in it. Other than that, I have a plastic storage tub that sits under my couch. Inside I’ve got all my circs rubber-banded together based on length. My stitch holders and markers and stuff are all tossed together in a Ziploc bag. It’s a mess!

    3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
    I’ve been knitting for nearly five years now. I moved to Australia at the end of 2001 and I had to wait several months for my visa to be approved before I could get a job. So I got into crafting heavily. I made a couple patchwork quilts and did a few cross stitch. Then my mother-in-law sent me a kids’ “Learn to Knit” book, some plastic needles, and a ball of wool. I was hooked. I’d probably classify myself as a high-level intermediate.

    4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
    Yep. My Amazon Wishlist. I also have a knitting wishlist at my shop, but you shouldn’t buy from that because I’ll potentially see your name!

    5. What’s your favorite scent?
    Not a big fan of patchouli or anything excessively floral. I like vanilla a lot, and I used to have a “berry” candle that I really liked. Mostly clean, fresh scents, like laundry soap or bread baking. I used to love “Aspen for Men,” if anybody knows what that smells like. But I don’t normally wear perfume these days. (Mostly because I don’t really have any!)

    6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
    Not a huge sweet tooth, but you know what I miss most from America? Peanut butter and chocolate stuff. They just don’t really do that combination here. I really miss Little Debbie Nutty Bars and Peanut Butter Bars. Crap that’s horrible for me, basically! (Actually, at the moment I’m trying to break my sugar addiction so any low-carb or Atkins stuff would be appreciated. It’s hard to get here.)

    7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
    I’ve done a little bit of everything. I’m not really interested in spinning, to be honest. Most of my craft endeavours of late have been food/cooking or costume related. And sock monkeys, of course.

    8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
    I like a bit of everything, but my “Top Rated” playlist in iTunes is mostly pop, alternative, and showtunes. Most frequent artists are REM, Ani Difranco, Dar Williams, They Might Be Giants, etc. I can definitely play mp3s.

    9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand?
    I like rich, warm colours, like reds and burnt orange. I also really like hot pink. (My hair was pink for a while.) I’m not a big fan of pastels.

    10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
    Just one husband (the Snook) and one cat (Dr. Amy Jones).

    11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
    Scarves, hats, and mittens = yes. Ponchos = not on your life. 🙂

    12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
    *sigh* Whatever I’m not knitting at the moment. Actually I guess jumpers (in the round) are probably my favorite. It’s very satisfying to finish a whole, big, warm garment! I also like sock knitting for its portability.

    13. What are you knitting right now?
    Hooded vest for my little brother, baby blanket for my new nephew, chair cover for me, cardigan for me, socks for whoever.

    14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
    Definitely!

    15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
    Circular. I used to prefer bamboo, but lately I’m enjoying Addis and Knit Picks! I really don’t need any needles, though. I’ve got tons! What I really need are stitch markers.

    16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
    No, but I definitely want them!

    17. How old is your oldest UFO?
    I started the baby blanket well over six months ago, so that’s probably the oldest. No, wait. I’ve actually got a cross stitch that I’m doing for my Mom that I haven’t worked on in a year. (And I’ve only worked on for one day total.)

    18. What is your favorite holiday?
    Halloween! My husband and I have been throwing costume parties for the past four years. We’re always on the lookout for new costume and decorating ideas.

    19. Is there anything that you collect?
    I’ve got every book that Roald Dahl ever wrote. (I run a website devoted to his work.) I’ve also got a fast-growing collection of daggy knitting patterns of the 70’s and 80’s. (Think oversized intarsia jumpers.) My husband and I have also started collecting groovy mid-20th century kitsch to go in our mythical Tiki Basement someday, stuff like anodized aluminum drinking cups and nudie tapestries.

    20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
    No knitting subscriptions, sadly. I’d love to try out some of the fancy sock yarns that you can’t easily get here, like Lorna’s Laces or Koigu. That sea silk stuff sounds amazing too. I’m also somewhat obsessed with the idea of having sock blocking forms.

    21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?
    At the moment I’m still entranced by cables and fairisle. I’ve steeked a few things and I’m interested in exploring its possibilities, but information and books are hard to find.

    22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
    Yes! I love handknitted socks. I wear a women’s size 9 1/2, and I have fairly narrow feet. That equates to a foot length of about 10.5″ or 27cm.

    23. When is your birthday?
    Beware the Ides of March! (The 15th, that is.)

  • Secret Pal

    I’ve just signed up for Secret Pal 10. As near as I can tell, the idea is that you’ve got a secret pal that you send knitting wool and presents and stuff to. Sounds good to me! I like getting surprise packages.