Will pie be the next big thing?

I went to see "The Waitress" yesterday afternoon – our office closed at 3 o’clock for the long weekend. After getting past Felicity (Keri Russell) playing a troubled, depressed woman, and Jeremy Sisto as an abusive husband, I ended up really liking this movie.

It’s not the Southern chick flick that you might think. But it was moving and honest and the characters were interesting. Including Andy Griffith who was great.

I wonder if this movie is going to make pie the next big thing?

And I watched "Roman Holiday" last night, too. Such a cute movie. And Gregory Peck is the sexiest man ever.

Knitting progress

So here is the progress of Ballerina Top and Vida. Could these projects look any more different? Cool, subdued purple in wool and bright and brash turquoise in cotton.

My left wrist is remembering how cotton can be hard to knit in that it does not give like the wool yarn does. But Vida is interesting because it is a reverse stockinette, giving the fabric a really nice pattern to a solid color.

I am altering the pattern a bit on Vida. I am making the knit side the RS, although the pattern shows the purl stitches as the right side. Why go to all the trouble of reversing the knits and purls only to hide the way the twisted knit stitches look? I did learn that the twisted, or reverse stockinette, is often used w/ribbon yarn, which makes a lot of sense. I have found that ribbon yarn can look messy when knit. I think using a reverse stitch makes if lie flatter and it looks neater and more defined.

It is taking me longer to knit, though, because knitting and purling backwards is awkward. And the cotton is so stiff. But I would like to wear it this summer so I better get cracking!

I am making the sleeves for the Ballerina Top longer than the pattern is calling for. And now I am wondering if the sleeves will be too wide because I did not spread out the increases for the prescribed 13 inch sleeve that will be a 20+ inch sleeve now. So I will see how that works out. I have frogged this yarn about 4 times now, what’s one more trip around the yarn winder! (I am soooo glad I bought that thing last year.)

I gave up, onto something new

After really struggling w/reading the Ivy pattern, and ripping it out, twice, I gave up. I was so frustrated that I stopped knitting, which made me even more unhappy. I will go back to the KAL and longingly admire the finished sweaters. It is a beautiful pattern, and maybe one day I will have the skills to complete it.

Meanwhile, I found a similar wrap sweater, w/a pattern that I can handle. This is the ballerina top from Debbie Bliss's Cashmere Collection. I have gotten some serious knitting time in yesterday and today because my back is strained and I am practically immobile. It is so frustrating! The weather is gorgeous and I am stuck inside. I have taken a couple of short walks which are painful but will help me feel better in the long run.

After really struggling w/reading the Ivy pattern, and ripping it out, twice, I gave up. I was so frustrated that I stopped knitting, which made me even more unhappy. I will go back to the KAL and longingly admire the finished sweaters. It is a beautiful pattern, and maybe one day I will have the skills to complete it.

Meanwhile, I found a similar wrap sweater, w/a pattern that I can handle. This is the ballerina top from Debbie Bliss's "Cashmere Collection." I have gotten some serious knitting time in the past couple of days because my back is out. I can't imagine what I did.

Happy New Year

To pickup where I left off a few weeks ago, that blue scarf was looking great, but I ran out of yarn. I really thought I had bought 2 balls, but I guess not. Or maybe I will find it buried somewhere one day. Ugh, so much time wasted!

So that scarf turned into this one, which is part of the my charity knitting for the Orphan Foundation of America’s Red Scarf Project. I had originally thought I would have time to knit this scarf for my office secret santa to replace the blue scarf, but when it came down to the wire I did not have the 3 hours I estimated I needed to finish it in time.

I love this pattern, though, so I am using it for the third scarf I am knitting for Red Scarf here:

Remember that scarves are accepted throughout the month of January ONLY.

Happy New Year everybody. My holidays were great and I celebrated whole heartedly. With the office parties, my birthday, traveling to Rhode Island for Christmas, spending time with my parents, and then a few days off to recover from it all, I am ready to get back to my normal routine.

Living across the street from the National Cathedral brings an interesting viewpoint to now my second presidential funeral. After the obscure and rather limiting security during Reagan’s funeral and seeing the ugliness that reigns in some people in my building, I have decided to stay inside and watch is all on TV. I have the day off, maybe I will try to figure out the MP3 player I got for Christmas.