- February 29, 2012
- tags: lazy
Am I the only one who has found themselves brushing their teeth into the shower because there’s something soaking in the sink and the thought of taking it out and dealing with it properly is just too overwhelming to contemplate before bed? Because if I am the only one, then I have reached a new and unprecedented level of laziness. And if I’m not, it’s reassuring to know there are others of my kind out there.
;)
What I really really should knit? The last few rows of the cowl. It’s achingly close to done.
What I have been knitting? Swatches. For you see, I have this plan…this plan for a hat…this plan for a hat that will be either the cutest or the ugliest thing you ever did see. Only time (and more swatching) will tell.
But first…I must finish this cowl. I get to see some friends this weekend and I think I will be able to sweet talk one or two of them into modeling it for me!
;)
- February 27, 2012
- tags: books
I am not temperamentally inclined to follow instructions. I never have been. I’m far more likely to make it up on my own and then to pester other people to do it the way I decided to do it (which is likely not nearly as charming as I imagine). But this tendency to wing it only works if you’ve got a good, solid grounding in whatever the subject at hand is. Experimenting is good, flailing is not. It’s that background knowledge that helps mark the difference between the two. But sometimes, if you’re very lucky, you can borrow a bit of that background knowledge from someone else rather than painstakingly amassing it yourself.
That’s where good references come in. These are not small works. They are not light works (in any sense of the word, none of these weighs less than three pounds). They are not inexpensive. They are tools. They demand your time and attention if you are to use them well, but they reward that time and attention many times over.
I’m delighted to have added the new edition of The Principles of Knitting to the list of references that lives within easy reach of my desk. I’ve only had it a few weeks, and I’m already growing alarmingly attached to it. If you want to understand your knitting at a fundamental level, you would do well to get a copy of your own. Don’t try and read it start to finish. Just set it somewhere handy and consult it when you find yourself with a question. I can all but guarantee it will have an answer.
;)
The mitts are done. The cowl…is not. It needs about 6 more rows, maybe 10, which doesn’t sound like all that much. But the rows are long, and I am lazy. The combination means it’s surprisingly slow going around here.
I have a sneaking suspicion I may take these two patterns and a few more and combine them in a little collection of reversible projects. I’ve been toying with the idea of doing some small sets of patterns (4-6 items) in addition to releasing patterns individually. These seem like a fun place to start.
;)
There are people out there who say they don’t like classical music. I would suggest that what at least a few of these people actually dislike sitting still and being quiet while wearing fancy clothes. Because sometimes that’s what’s involved in going to see such music performed. Now I’m not presumptuous enough to suggest that this is the case for everyone, but I think there might be at least a few folks for whom the outfits and the environment are the deal breaker rather than the music.
If that’s the case for you (and if you’re in this general area), I have the solution. It’s called Happy Dog. It’s a bar, so they’ve got beer. But they’ve also got hot dogs and french fries or tater tots. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. You sit down at your table, take a sheet of paper off the little notepad waiting for you there, and indicate what you’d like on your hot dog. Perhaps you’d like brie and bacon-balsamic marmalade? Or maybe you prefer kim chee and fried onions? You’ve got dozens of things to pick from, and you can have as many as you’d like. They’ve even got suggestions in case you find yourself overwhelmed. Once you’ve figured that out, you flip the paper over, decide if you’d like french fries or tater tots, and then pick what dipping sauces and toppings you’d like for those. Someone swings by to get your papers and take your drink orders. Five minutes later, they’re back with your hot dogs and beers. Repeat until you’re full or until you’ve remembered you’re a grownup and don’t eat things like that.
That’s all well and good, but if you happen to come on the third Tuesday of the month between 8 and 11, you’ll do all this while Classical Revolution Cleveland plays in the background. They play chamber music in all sorts of unexpected locations. Last night’s performance featured a selection of Bartók’s lesser known pieces and was simply splendid. Just as important, the booths at Happy Dog are quite suited to knitting. I got in several more rows on the cowl (the mitts were finished on Monday), and should finish that up this week with any luck at all. I have a sneaking suspicion this may become a regular event. Surely one hot dog a month won’t kill me, right?
