Wedding Eve

It's the eve of the Royal Wedding. I'm quite geared up for it and hoping to finish the ribbing on the mate to my Brewster Contemporary socks. I knit the first one with a Strong Heel which enabled me to continue the pattern until it was time to start the heel turn. There were posts about the pattern using a lot of yarn, but I still have enough left in the first skein that I think I can finish the ribbing of the second sock befoe I need to join the second skein.

KAL wonders: The colourwork kal starts in a week. I've really wanted to knit EZ's Mitered Mittens and think I will use a Battenburg colourwork pattern around the wrist. The amazing thing when I was looking at the patterns suggested and other colourwork patterns, was realizing that all my winter accessories are a solid colour. I tend to like patterns and colour in my coats. It so drab to see everyone in black, brown or khaki coloured coats in winter. You see the occasional yellow or red. Not very many perwinkle coats or spring green. I do have one black coat. A jacket that is a riot of all sorts of colours from lime green, burgundy, and navy. I only have one pair of gloves, my Night Before Christmas Gloves, which are black and white.

There is also a shawl kal which includes both crochet and knit patterns. Again I wasn't wild about the choices and think if I do take this on, I will knit The Tess of the D'Urbervilles Shawl. It cross in the front and ties in the back. Perfect for those chilly air conditioned days in the Meditation Center.

I've also started the Cherry Bomb Tank, but am making it in Cotlin in brown. The trick here will be if I have enough yarn to finish. I'm starting out 75 yards short and need to add 5 or six repeats of the bust darts for the girls. Watch this space.

KP has also come out with a new yarn, Dishie. 100% machine washable and dryable cotton. I want to knit either Joan McGowan-Michael's plus sized pencil skirt with this or Espenson Tee or maybe both as a suit :)

Toupie has been his usual kitty self: going through grocery bags, treating me as a hurdle in a steeple chase when I'm in bed, running into the neighbor's apartment. We've both been a little miserable this week due to the hot muggy weather. Maintenance ran out of air filters; so no AC until they arrive and are installed. I don't know where the most cat hair lies: on kitty or on my sheets. He must have known I am blogging about him: he's arrived wanting a cuddle and a place to march.

I bought a Skybar tonight. It cost $1.50 and I bought it at a gourmet market: one of the only places you can find them these days. Interestingly, this has been my favourite candy bar from when I was a toddler. I can remember getting them from the counter at the market in Pittsburgh. And my devastation upon moving to Washington and not finding them for years. They reappeared when I was in my late teens and disappeared about a decade later. Now they're at Marvellous Market of all places. Maybe Beeman's will come back. Where's Chuck Yeager when we need him.

I'm hoping this weekend to get in some work with photography. Azealas are out and lots of trees are blooming. I want to try out some of the techniques I learned in the photography book.

Quiet Week

It's been a quiet week with even quieter mornings. It has been my habit for years to listen to the BBC World Service from the time I end meditation until I leave for work. Budget cuts and programming changes have ended that habit. Now instead of 3 hours of news from 5:00-8:00, there is 90 minutes of news; The Strand for 30 minutes (The BBC's arts and entertainment program that I found bearable when it was weekly but a real gagger in the last year when it became a weekly show); World Have Your Say for 30 minutes (which I find too distracting to pull out the really informative bits, especially in the morning).

Apparently even Members of Parliament are questioning some of the service decisions the BBC has made in light of the cuts. The ones that have baffled me, even before the cuts, is the loss of the drama and literature presentations. These continue on BBC radio in the UK, why not just rebroadcast them on the WS. I really enjoyed the novels. I've been introduced to some of the more obscure writings on Forrester and Hardy. I am particularly sorry to see the World of Music go. It was an amazing showcase for artists who may not have received exposure to an international audience.

I also miss the business programming. The presenters on these shows took what can be a very dry topic and made it fascinating.

My Contemporary Brewster sock is working out as planned using the Strong heel. I have been able to keep the stitch pattern going as I make the gusset increases. I have one more row before I begin the heel which will be all stockingnette stitch.

Here is a picture of the motif on the cabinet:

The weather simply refuses to act like it's Spring. We had one sun-filled balmy day this week. The other days have been drippy and chilly. All the most delicate blossoms have been ravaged. But I've decided to ignore the weather and follow the calendar and am putting away by winter clothes and bringing out the spring and summer ones because I know at some point we'll have a week of spring-like temps and sunshine before the heat and humidity set in.

Socks and Piccys

My book on photogaphy has arrived. It's chocked full of all kinds of information. I can see that a big part of what I will eventually be able to do lies with learning as much as possible about my camera's settings. Here's a close up photo of Toupie's tail. Toupie close up. The Contemporary Brewster Sock knit for the April Cuff Down KAL

More cat fur:

The Brewster Socks are coming along nicely. I'm planning to knit a Strong Heel instead of the traditional heel and gusset. This will enable me to carry the circling pearls pattern into the heel. I think when I knit the sock again, I will shorten the ribbing to 2 inches to make a shorter sock.

Squirrel Week

Yes, folks, I know you've heard Cherry Blossom this and Cherry Blossom that, but it's really Squirrel Week.

It's been so cold and rainy we haven't seen many of our squirrel friends, but in today's blustery but unseasonable warmth they were out and about with abandoned. Why isn't when there are no clean forks, I don't have anyone else to blame. This is one of the pecularities of the single life. I know what some of my friends will say. "She'd have clean forks if she didn't use them to eat everything like pizza and chicken." Speaking of pizza which is one of my least favorite foods. I have found pizza that I like. Vace where I have been shopping since they opened their doors on Connecticut Avenue. A few weeks ago I had a slice of their pizza. It's quite amazing. Thin crust with really fresh ingredients. I had another slice on Friday night. It really hit the spot. Also at Brookville Market I've been buying a locally-made hummous. It's not soupy like the major brands. I keep buying tabouli as well but am determined to learn to make it in my food processor. Brookville also has Musette Petit Toast or petit pain grille. 8 slices = 70 calories; no chloresterol and no trans fats. It's the perfect accompaniement to a plate of tabouli and hummous or some sliced cheese. Better than crackers.

It is now April and the KAL for the top down socks starts this weekend. I've started knitting the Gansey Sock pattern using the Eggplant colourway of Knit Picks Essential/Stroll from my stash. I think the knitting would go faster in a lighter yarn because I'm having difficulty reading my stitches. I've got the cuff done on one and am now starting the leg. I'm using size 3 needles in the hopes of getting the 6.5 stitches per inch. I've finished one of the Tuscon socks and think that I will frog my second pair of toe up socks and do them top down.

Meanwhile, as promised, a Toupie item. I got this rather amazing shot of him after he rearranged my trousers in the closet to make a bed. His eyes are a very dark inky blue, but the flash caught the very bright turquoise his eyes sometimes reflect.