Craft Pirate

A few weeks ago I had an outing to see the Boston Derby Dames. The dames are four roller derby teams - Boston Massacre, Cosmonaughties, Nutcrackers and Wicked Pissahs. I was hooked as soon as I saw the snazzy costumes and the bad ass gals wearing them. The best part were the names of the skaters. There was Mrs. Dash, General Lee Feisty, Maura Buse, Jodie Faster and many more gems. Some even tied in their numbers to their name like Full Metal Jaque #M16.


So naturally as I watched the bout (still can't use that word without associating it with diarrhea. Right?) I was thinking, I can totally do this! That is, if I had coordination, athletic ability, and wouldn't be terrified for my life, teeth, bones, etc the entire time. In this daydream, I thought coming up with a good name was key to my success. My name would be Boozy Orman #401k. It's a little shout out to my gal Suze Orman and my love of fiscal responsibility.

So what would your roller derby name be and what does it say about you?

Knitting has been sloooow around here. I've been in a funk and knitting is one of the things that has fallen to the wayside. I did finish up some plain old stockinette socks so all is not lost with me. I'm hoping that a long train ride this weekend will jump start the knitting.

Recently my friend Jen and her husband Adam along with Baby V came up for a visit. Since this was Adam's first visit to Boston I gave him the grand tour. My favorite picture from that day is me and Adam showing off our Red Sox pride.


We are way cool. In fact, we are SO way cool that the picture was included as part of an article about national high five day. Yup, you guys all missed out on high five day yet again.

Also on a bit of a somber note - Jen's dad was in an accident last week and is still in the hospital. So please keep him in your thoughts and send Jen and her family some good vibes.

Labels: knitting, roller derby

My work "uniform" usually consists of the same tired cardigans I've been wearing for the past few years. The cardigan has been a wardrobe staple for me, and came in many incarnations including the "Susan Howe" zip-up variety, pearl buttoned, 3/4 length sleeved, and other less memorable ones. I love cardigans, they're easy and convenient.

So it's no surprise that I wanted to knit up one for myself. I chose the Military Cardigan from Classic Knits because
1) it was a pretty basic design
2) I had the yarn for it (some tweedy Rowan DK I snagged for 50% off at a store that was closing)
3) I bought this book and never, ever knit anything from it and that annoys me to no end.



I love the final result and have practically been living in it since I added the buttons.

Now I have a question for my knitters out there. When you write things like "I seamed up this sweater today." What do you mean by "today?" Do you mean 60-90 minutes? Or all freaking day until you're left a delirious heap at 11pm with a sore shoulder and possible tendinitis in your elbow?

I fall well into that second category. I started out ambitions and happily thinking "I love seaming, it's so gratifying and meditative" and it quickly goes downhill from there. At the end I am thinking very ugly thoughts about seaming, the sweater, the world in general....

Mick and his main squeeze C helped me pick out these buttons from Windsor Button. He made a fine selection as always and I highly recommend him if you need button advice. He steered me away from some "clownish" selections, and for that I am grateful.


Speaking of Mick - he has managed to catch Rosie in the act of playing with her catnip cookie. So for all of you Rosie fans out there, I now present "Rosie sits on a cookie."

Labels: "military cardigan", cardigan, knitting

First off, the 5k went really well and was incredibly fun. Since this race falls around St. Patrick's day there's a raucous feel to the whole thing. I ran with one of my friends, which is a new experience for me. Generally I run alone and get into my own meditative zone. I found that when I have someone to run with I bitch and moan the entire time. I'm sure I was an absolute pleasure to run with!

After the race we went to a pub for some Irish music and free beer. Running + Beer = Seemingly good thing - but really makes you feel like dehydrated crap for the rest of the day.

The rest of that day I tried to rehydrate but come 10pm I had an intense craving for something salty. The only thing in the house that fit the bill was an old packet of Ramen. Mmmm sodium.

To be honest, I really don't know what the hell happened at this point. I sat down with the bowl of ramen, ready for some saltiness and 10 seconds later I have a lap full of ramen. There was a moment of shock and then I ripped of the PJs and let me tell you - my thighs were actually steaming. It is a horrifying thing to behold. I hope none of you ever experience such a horror in your lifetime.

This past weekend wasn't much better in the burn department because I managed to burn the tips of both of my thumbs trying to cook some Indian food. Again, I don't really know what happened there - but my thumbs hurt so much that I was unable to knit for a full 24 hours!!

Once my thumbs recovered I finished three of these catnip-filled fortune cookies. I stole the idea from Bezzie who had made some recently.

These cookies are for three friends of mine who were really instrumental in encouraging me to apply for a job completely outside of my comfort zone and current career path. It was a huge step for me and I needed a lot of rallying along the way. I'm proud to say that I now have a new job that I'm extremely excited about.

Mick was one of the friends that encouraged me. He would send me daily messages saying things like "So do you have the corner office yet?" Rosie was the first kitty to test out the cookie. As you can see she is totally stoned out of her gourd on catnip! She seems like a kitty that gets a bit paranoid on the stuff.


I'm still waiting to find out how the other two kitties like theirs. The report from chez Mick is Rosie is continuing to enjoy licking the cookie. I guess she's trying to make it last longer or something. ;)

Finally, I've been really down and out about the weather recently. I just want it to warm up a tiny bit! Well, this weekend I went out on my porch and found a small sign of Spring. It did my heart wonders.

Valerie over at Knitting in Pink is having a contest and she's asking people to post three of their favorite things about where they live. I've decided to play along and here a three of my favorite things.

First off is some of the art and photography that adorn my walls.

Ideally my walls would be crammed packed with art, but until then I'm happy to make one to two acquisitions a year.

Second is knitting related. It's a stitch marker that Sarah from LifeInSarahLand made.


Sarah is a master of the Shrinky Dinks and was kind enough to give me the stitch marker after I fell in love with this fabulous office chair.

My third favorite thing are these two planters I bought in Mexico City.


I like how the lamb is talking of the owl's ear and he's so annoyed that his brains are just busting out the top of his head. Look into his eyes, you can see him thinking, please, please, please, just a moment of peace and quiet!

And now for a moment of cuteness. Little Baby V in the hoodie I made her. I just love those cheeks!


Please send swift thoughts my way on Sunday as I'll be running the Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 5km!

In October of 2005 I participated in a Secret Pal exchange. Mac spoiled me rotten with some wonderful packages. One of the packages included a skein of mohair from Decadent Fibers. The yarn was incredible. I loved the color and the texture, but was intimidated by the yarn. I felt unworthy of knitting with it and thought I didn't have the skills to make something as wonderful as this yarn deserved. I was hit with my first major bout of knitting low self-esteem.


The mohair sat in my cedar chest for for almost two and a half years before I felt confident enough to knit with the yarn. I finally decided on a simple pattern that would showcase the yarn to its full potential - the Perfect Pie Shawl from Weekend Knitting.


I've never knit with anything that comes close to this yarn. The rich colors and squishy nature of the yarn paired with the interesting but simple aspects of the pattern made this one of the favorite things I've made.


I never considered myself a shawl person, but I've enjoyed wearing this one a lot. The mohair is incredibly warm. In some ways I feel like I'm wearing an animal pelt. It's furry, soft and warm. I've never actually worn any animal pelts, so I really can't say for sure, but I imagine it's pretty close.


A few weekends ago I went cross country skiing for the first time. I figured that since I've been a downhill skier for years that I would naturally excel at cross country. I had visions of finishing my lesson and having the instructor declare that I was a potential Olympian. Perhaps even the best he'd ever seen. They would make a movie about my rise from obscurity to dominate the sport. It all seemed very real and likely at the time.

Well, I am sad to inform you all that it did not come to pass. During my lesson I fell fewer than 10 times, but more than eight.

After one particularly ugly fall I told the instructor that "I just needed a moment" before getting up again. What I meant was - I have fallen six times, and I am too tired to haul my ass up again. What he heard was, I am about to burst into tears because this sport is hideous. The instructor looked at me, and in a soft voice said "Oh, I understand." He turned away from me and stoically stared off into the woods to give me privacy. Well at that point, I just felt dumb and had to get up lest he think I was a huge wuss. Falls seven, eight and nine weren't as bad and I finished the lesson without any tears, but maybe with a few swears.

Here I am, miraculously not on the ground!

Labels: knitting, mohair, perfect pie shawl, shawl

I started this Clapotis in March of 2006. I wanted to branch out with a color I ordinarily wouldn't choose and ended up with some Berroco Cotton Twist in a red/orange shade. I started the project, made a mistake and instantly hated the project and the color of the yarn. The yarn hibernated in my cedar chest until this past Fall when my knitting group hosted a yarn swap. I wanted this yarn gone! Everyone else must have disliked the yarn as much as I did, because the yarn ended up back in the cedar chest.

Since I bought this yarn with the purpose of making a Clapotis, I felt locked into the pattern so the yarn sat around until I decided it was time for The Clap.


I finished the scarf in a week and a half. I powered through it so quickly because I absolutely hated knitting with the Berroco Cotton Twist. The nylon strand twisted throughout the yarn snagged on my needles, stitch markers, and pretty much anything else that came near it. Very annoying.


However, I love the finished result. I was so unsure of the color the entire time I knit it, but the first two compliments I received were about how pretty the color was. The positive feedback made me take another look at the scarf and I have to say that the color has begun to grow on me.


When I initially finished this project I swore off ever knitting it again. Considering how much wear I've already gotten out of this wrap, I might take another stab at it. However, I'm going to give it a year and next time no cotton yarn!

I've been going through a bit of Winter hibernation. Staying in more and more on the weekends. Watching movies and knitting. Recently, my movie watching has taken a turn for the worse. If I'm running low on Netflix movies I head over to the library for some DVDs and that's where the real trouble begins. Lately I've been watching PBS Mystery, which, in my opinion, is only a gateway drug to Masterpiece Theater. Then, last weekend, I hit rock bottom and watched the entire The Thorn Birds mini-series. All eight hours. It's embarrassing, I admit. But I was lured in by the promise of a forbidden love that lasts decades! Oh Richard Chamberlain! At this point I feel that it's only time before I tackle all 10 hours of Roots.

What are your guilty viewing pleasures that you watch while knitting?

Labels: clapotis, knitting, thorn birds

Marguerite: It's you. It's not a dream.
Armand: No, it's not a dream. I'm here with you in my arms, at last.
Marguerite: At last.
Armand: You're weak.
Marguerite: No, no. Strong. It's my heart. It's not used to being happy.
-Camille, 1936

No, I haven't taken to my bed with consumption, I'm just doing my best impression of Marguerite from Camille. In fact, I feel quite the opposite, a celebration is in order as I've finally finished my Greta Garbo sweater. I started the sweater in April and just added the finishing touches this week.


The stitch pattern made this an interesting knit, but my favorite parts of the sweater are the details. The pockets, cuffs, button band and collar all have a beautiful edging with a contrasting plum knit into just a few rows. They all make this sweater so special. To really finish it off, I found the perfect buttons over at Windsor Button.


This is, by far, the most sophisticated thing I've knit. It feels good wearing it and I've already received compliments. In fact, the best compliment was from a stylish coworker. She stopped a conversation mid-sentence to let me know she liked the sweater and was going to ask me where I bought it when I told her I had made the sweater.


Greta Garbo Sweater by Bill Gibb, from Hollywood Knits (out of print)
The pattern is based on a sweater Greta Garbo wore in a publicity photo.
Needles: Size 3 and 5
Yarn, 13 skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed

I really enjoyed knitting something that nobody else had done. Well, I'm sure someone out there has made this sweater, but I couldn't find any evidence of it on the Internet and that means it's never been knit, right? If you come across this sweater anywhere, let me know! It was exciting to see exactly how this sweater would turn out as I really had nothing to compare it with. As I mention above, the pattern is based on a sweater Greta wore, but there's no picture in the book of the sweater knit up from the pattern they created, just a crazy sketch of what it should look like.

Of course now that I've talked about how great it is to knit something nobody has knit you'll laugh when I tell you that my next finished object is the one practically everyone has knit - the Clapotis.

Labels: elsebeth lavold, knitting, pullover, silky tweed, sweater

This past weekend I did something really nice for myself. Instead of taking the bus out to visit Diego in Albany, I took the train. I didn't just take the train, I booked myself a seat in business class. Oh the roominess, the luxury and the seemingly limitless mini cans of diet pepsi.

The bonus is that the ride is extremely scenic. The train goes through the woods, follows rivers, and winds through the town where I attended high school (Go Lady Cougars!). I even saw a deer at the side of the tracks! Although, the deer was looking nervously back at the train as if he were saying "Mabel? Kids? Where are you? You were behind me just a second ago!"

I am now a big fan or rail travel. I just felt so civilised. That's right, I am now so civilised that I have adopted the British spelling of the word. You just don't get more civilised than that. Well, maybe drinking a cuppa tea on the train could have been a bit more civilised than the two hots dogs I chowed down on. Man, I really can't resist a hot dog.

About those dogs, the best part of the trip was the cafe car served hot dogs, but a very close second to that was the amount of knitting space I had. I really spread out and it was an extremely productive trip. I was able to finish up a pair of fingerless gloves and make another pair along with a matching headband.

This was probably my most economical project. I made all of that with just two skeins of Classic Elite Inca Alpaca. One set of gloves is for my sister-in-law who was gracious enough to give me rides to and from the commuter rail station on a recent visit home. The other set and the headband are a birthday gift for a friend.

Here I am modeling the mitts and headband in front of our lovely State House. You really can't tell in the picture but since they are fingerless gloves I was risking the loss of my fingers on that freakishly cold day.


Pattern: Hand/Wrist Warmers from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Headband adapted from the same stitch pattern.


In closing I'll leave you with my favorite picture from the weekend. I visited a cavern with Diego, and here we are looking like zombies in Hell.

Labels: hand warmers, knitting, wrist warmers

Since my last post, I celebrated my 30th birthday.


Knit some pompom mittens for my niece's birthday.


And made several Korknisse ornaments. My family doesn't exchange gifts for Christmas, but I thought I'd break that rule a little bit and give an ornament to the host at each house I visited. The ornaments were easy to make and a pretty big hit overall.


That's all I have to say for now, except - I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!

Labels: korknisse, mittens, pompoms

Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, I hope all of my US peeps had a nice Thanksgiving. I spent time during those few weeks visiting with friends and family. During that period I managed to knit up a pair of cabled socks from Sensational Knitted Socks. It's the 3x3 Cable with Moss Stitch.




I used a cable needle for these instead of cabling without a needle. I didn't find the needle to be a pain at all, especially once I realized that I've been using it incorrectly up until this point. Oops. It seems obvious now, but they should really come with instructions for silly people like me.


I worked on these socks while I visited my friend Jen in Indianapolis. She is the proud mama of Violet (aka Baby V). I met Jen in college where we eventually became roommates, got all bitchy with each other because we had to live in a 10x10 space, broke up and then became friends again when I saw Shane MacGowan all drunk on TV and realized she was the only one that would appreciate the greatness of it all. Seeing her work it as a mom was cool and freaky at the same time. Jen and Baby V taught me that projectile can be used as a verb. As in, Oh shit, she just projectiled all over me!


While I was in Indy I made it over to the Knit Stop which is a fantastic yarn store. If you live in the area, definitely check it out as they recently expanded their space. There's an area to sit and browse books and in the second room there's some incredibly comfy chairs and a couch where you can knit, watch TV and pet the cute little furry dogs that live there. I talked with with the owner, Nancy, for a while and she was very friendly, as were all of the staff.

And to top it all off ChemGrrl was kind enough to stop by for a meet up!! She's a sweetheart and put up with me mispronouncing her name the entire time (sorry!) and all of my baby talk to Baby V. :)

Over Thanksgiving I headed home and had a chance for a pre-dinner hike out at Rock House. The fresh air and exercise were both sorely needed.


Speaking of nature, I came across this scene last week. A hawk, sitting on a squirrel. I guess the hawk wanted to eat his lunch but was just waiting for me to leave. eek! If you look closely you can see part of the squirrel's tail peeking out the back.


And since we're on the topic of wildlife I thought I'd give you an update on what's happening on the home front. A few weeks ago my neighbor, I will call him Andy, interrupted my sleep to kindly inform me at 3AM that he had "a problem with his apartment." Thinking there was raw sewage spewing from his toilet, I answered the door. Because, in my mind, that is one of the very few acceptable reasons to wake up your sweet, sweet neighbor at 3AM. It was actually far worse. He has mice. And not just any mice, gigantic mice. He demonstrated with his hands that they're actually 3 feet long. And then proceeded to mime how they were scurrying around his apartment. Indeed, it was frightening. It seems to me that he has an infestation of ROUS, Rodents of Unusual Size. Or wait, maybe he was just stinking drunk and has no balls. I don't know, but it's definitely one of those two.

Labels: cables, sensational knitted socks, socks