Ahh, knitting

So it has been a while since I have talked about my knitting projects. For some reason I thought that I had declared a moratorium on all knitting posts for the month of October. But when I reviewed my the post in which I apologized for all of the yarn talk I realized that I just had to give up only posting knitting entries. Huzzah! So I have a number of non-knitting blogs I am going to update for those who may care.

If you aren't in my knitting circle or you don't work with me then you really have no idea what I am doing. I would first have to say that I am surviving my first lace project. Then Never Wimpy wimple is slowly but surely looking like something that might possibly be practical. Which is a lot more than I can say when I showed my work to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (aka the Yarn Harlot) in September. Basically two whole Saturday's NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team)training was all that I needed for motivation. So if you wanna get a jump start on any project just try kniting a class about emergency preparedness5. That'll get your knitting mojo working. Anyway, the Never Wimpy Wimple that I am working on is going pretty well. It's going so well that I have made it to the boring part of the project. I get to to a stockinette stitch in lace weight for 9inches. Awesome right? Since this is my first lace project I would like to do a little winging. I hat doping stitches. It's really easy if your not paying attention to just drop stitches left and right. And so far I have not learned how to pick up the stitches properly. So I have random holes in my work. I never realized that holes in lace weight 10 times messier than in bulky. Its like you can tell it was a mistake rather than an error that adds character. Working with lace weight also means that my project is going to take a while. I am usually not a knitting multi-tasker but I think that it is called for in this case. The other day I looked down at my yarn and realized that I didn't like the color. This pretty much just means that I have staired at it way too long Ahh well, at least I now know that I can work with lace weight. So now that the challenge is over (at least until I have to do the top edging that requiers that I learn a new

Well that is why I have already begun to eye different patterns. I think that I am going to attempt to knit socks and mittens... One pair of each, just to start off. And well, of course I have to knit my winter hat. Although I loved my sunflower tams (I lost two last year) I think that I am going to try something different. So, I think that first I am going to try to knit the Berry Bobble Hat from Interweave Knit Holiday Gifts 2008 issue. This project has the possibility of going one two ways:Really cheesy and ugly, or cute... I am hoping for the second. I am not sure if I can pay the $60.00 per skein of yarn. Hells-to the-no! I mean, do I really need a %100 cashmere hat that I will more than likely lose within one month? I don't think so. I like merino a lot anyway. I should be ok as long as I choose a really soft yarn.

Aside from the hat I have a lot of other small projects that I would like to start. Which also means that I am going to have to buy some yarn... maybe some sock yarn?

Ya Vote!

Today is election day. Woot Woot. Make sure that you go out there and vote. Although the polling places close at 8pm they have to remain open as long as there are voters waiting in line. Okay Ohio... do you get that this time: NO TURNING VOTERS AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Which also means that if you can't get to your voting station until 7:50 you should still go. I mean, even Puffy/P. Diddy is getting into the spirit of things. So you know that you have to (Yeah, take that, take that)



So today I went and cast my vote before work. There are lots of things about this election that I am excited about. I mean, in San Francisco we get to vote on about 30 some-odd things (about 20 local propositions, 8 state, 4 Federal) and I got robo calls from nearly every political party and endorsement group. Finally, I wont have to see anymore commercials that end with "This is Such-and-Such, and I approve this message". I feel like this campaign year has spreed way too long. I guess that I should be happy knowing that I was finally able to vote for a presidential canidate. Its been too long and we need a change.

So, like I said, get out and vote. Read your voting material and make a few informed desicisons! That can be your good deed for the day. Voila. And you'll get a sticker. Who could ask for anything more?

Political Ads drive me crazy

People,

If you are scrolling through my post and you see a "Yes on Prop 8" ad please note that I do not agree with that. I am not down with taking away rights. I could to a whole post on Prop. 8 and how/why I don't agree, but I'm not. I can't for the life of my figure out how to get rid of the ads do I figure that I will at least put a disclaimer.

Britney Spears is Riding on the Dr. Who Sexy Train

Yesterday I was watching Entertainment tonight. They mentioned that Britney Spears has a new music video. This one actually looks pretty darn good. I don't know if Britney Spears had to sell her soul to the devil or what. But it looks like as long as she stays out of trouble and remembers to wear panties while wearing skirts she might actually have a successful comeback. It was classic Britney: sweaty, dirty, lots of booty shaking and a classic dance orgy a la "I'm a Slave for You." Oh, sometimes my optimism even surprises me!

Anyway, while I YouTub'd the darn thing I realized that the actual music was strangely familiar. I couldn't place it until I started watching on of the local PBS stations and htey had a preview for this weeks episode of Dr. Who. Huzzah! That's it. Whoever produced Britney Spears' "Womanizer" sampled the Dr. Who theme song.

Some of you out there might not know what or who Dr Who is. Well, the answer to the "what" is "Dr. Who" is made simple. Wikipedia has all of the information needed on that one. And if I know my Dr. Who fans this may be the most accurate page on the whole site. "Dr Who" British SciFi television show that first aired in 1963. It is still running and has had a total of 10 (as far as I can tell) actors play the good doctor (Tom Baker was the most adorable due to the fact that for some reason he was giving a horrifyingly long scarf). There have been countless assistants. Many of them were virtually useless. But it seems that now they actually serve a purpose.

Who is Dr. Who is very geektastic. I recommend that you just view the Wiki artical. There you will find way more information and links than I am willing to type without making myself seem more dorky than I already am. They will also have a sample of the soundtrack. I am sure that if you go to the official BBC site you can hear it there as well.

So, my question is does Britney know that she is girating to a theme song for a SciFi show with a huge cult following? Well... I think that first it would help if she even knew how to drive to her own house... You know, baby steps Britney. (Ha! there goes that good old cynism!!)

Okay I am a big dork now

So I have to begin by apologizing to all of the non knitters who might read my blog. Why? Well it is enough to hear me talk about knitting and it is another to be subjected to all of the pictures of nothing BUT my knitting. So I am sorry, by now you all know that I am a dork. So I will dedicate this entry to the other dorky stuff that I do in my life. You know, all of the other geek out moments, or just the plan old unflattering usual.

My goal is to blog about other subjects for the next two months. I probably shouldn’t make this public (writing really. I am still not sure who actually reads my blog) because now that means that I have actually attempt to keep that promise. I think that I should set some boundaries. You know, ease myself off a little. I have joined a couple of knitting web rings so I am sure that there is some quota that I have to maintain in order to keep my membership. So how about this: I have to blog at least twice each month this month and next month, for a total of four posts. Of those, or any other post done this month, I have to make sure that no more than have are knitting related or have knitting updates. So I can write about a tone of other subjects. I think that one of two things will happen… Either I will actually post more blogs in the next two months than I have in a while... OR I will not make another blog post until December. I guess we will see.

But progress can easily be made. I mean look! This is my first blog post about something just as cool as the usual.

I actually got to see John Waters at the Castro Theater. I would have taken pictures but for some reason the battery charger for my camera batteries are dead and I’m still hoping that I will figure out why. Otherwise I will buy one next week. Anyway, the John Waters Lecture was really good. I have never gone to any of his live "lectures" before but I think that I will try to make the next one. I will admit that I am not a crazy fanatical JW fan. I enjoy his work and agree with him on many views (US film rating processes primarily) so it was great to hear him speak about other subjects, such as alternative ways to motivate students. You know.... give them books with cautionary tales about serial killers who make hamsters wear high heels while he pleasures himself, or womb raiders (people who take babies from the wombs of pregnant women). I found these tips to helpful and informative. I may have to save them for the day that I have children.

Form his lecture I gained a greater appreciation for the thin mustachioed man. He was able to talk for one and one half hours straight. No gimmicks, or video clips or even sips of water! He didn't even break a sweat even though he stood for the whole time while wearing a black with red trim two button (I believe) suite. He gave a quick, yet detailed, overview of his movies, the movie directors who inspired him to go into film, and a wide array of other topics and may things that I can’t say on this blog without putting up a disclaimer. But it was funny and dirty.

There was a $100 reception after the lecture. I really wonder what that must have been like. I mean, I figured that was for the real fans. I do wonder how many of them actually got to meet John and how many of them actually got to have a conversation with him. He seems like a nice fellow but he also seems like the type of person who doesn’t feel like he has to tolerate people he doesn’t care much for. To be honest, I would like to think that I was that way. But for some reason I usually just try to tune people out, or find some odd tick that they have. I don’t know if that can be considered “tolerating” but its gotten me stuck in more conversations than I’ve cared to be in.

I think that my favorite part of his lecture was hearing him talk about his love of Muni. I’m not really sure what bus lines he may have taken, but I doubt that he took the 14 Mission from Daily City to downtown during the after school rush. But if he didn’t he might want to at least once.

Finished project.

Finished project.
Originally uploaded by oneroompalace

Alright, so I have finally finished my sweater (we will ignore the fact that I still don;t know where the original buttons that I wanted to add are and that I need to steam block the whole thing again)! But I have finally taken a picture and will share with everyone the crassness that is my BIG ORANGE SWEATER. I don;t think that it is that crazy when now that it is done. As painful and time consuming it was to complete this thing I do feel ready to tackle some other "top down" sweater patterns.

My night with the "Beautiful People"

Yesterday (Sept. 13) I decided that I needed to do something. I needed to plan a nice evening in which I did something a little out of the ordinary. Luckily a buddy of mine told me about the website Flavorpill just two days earlier. I went to my Google reader (I love that thing!) to see what was going on this weekend... that was free. Amid alot of shows with bands that I had never heard of (and events the required money) saw that there was a gallery opening. Huzzah! I can do that. I mean how many people who be there really? I also planned on going to the yarn store to pick up some temporary buttons for my sweater because I lost the set that I bought in Portland. I also figured that since I was out of the house I would to a check on a fall jacket that I've been eying I would also go eat sushi near my house. All in all I felt pretty proud of my Saturday planes. It would be one of my more productive weekends (I had showered and dressed by 11:30am!).

The opening was for Shepard Fairey at the White Walls Gallery. Before I went to this show i didn't know anything about Fairey (other than the fact that he did the Obama "HOPE" pictures). Unfortunately there weren't any artist bio's available so I still know nothing about him. But I guess that is ok because I was able to have a relatively unbiased first viewing. Here is some of the art. I took the pictures with my phone. They aren't half bad, I think.

!!! I am officially finished working with the orange yarn of death. Well, its not that bad. I am actually surprised how well it came out. Anyway, it dried just right but someone one side appears to be loner than the other. It might take some manipulating to get the completly fixed but I like how it looks now. I just wish that I found those darn bottons. The sweather fits and it is warm, so what else can I ask for?My current project is going fairly well. It's the first time that I am using lace weight yarn. It wa scary at first but now things are moving along fairly well. I still don't know way I choose to make the not a hat... maybe I am turning into a crazy knitting woman. Hummnnmmm