New project for fall

After browsing the Summer Knitty, I found a scarf that I love - Coquille. It looks pretty quick, too. I really like the way to yarn stripes, it will really enhances the colors in the yarn. I will be using Mochi Mini in Violet Garden.

There is a meetup group that knits at the Smithsonian's American Art Museum that I have been wanting to join, but I have not had an easily transportable project! (One small detail.) Once the yarn arrives in the mail, I will be all ready.

I don't knit very much in the summer because the yarn gets so hot and scratchy. Do you have the same problem? I can't even imagine wearing a wool sweater when it is in the 90s and humid. Ugh. So my desire to knit is gone. This is also the time to start on Christmas knitting. Dad needs a new scarf. I made him one a few years ago, which really did not turn out all that great, too short, not wide enough, but he still wears it! How flattering.

Koala collar to big

I added the collar to Koala Cardigan last night to realize that is was too wide, it was too thick and chunky for the sweater. So I reduced the CO to 15 (from 20) and will see if that looks better. I won't finish this weekend like I had hoped, but this is time well spent.

All in good time

Back to the knitting! I am slacking, badly. This really great, easy sweater I was all psyched to wear this winter - this cold and very snowy winter in D.C. - is still laying on my livingroom floor. I thought, "If I put it in the way, I will get tired of stepping over it and finish the darn thing." Not. But you all know how that goes.

I have been using my time constructively though. I have been exploring my highly sensitive personality and working on myself. I guess this all started last summer when I went to Kripalu for a yoga retreat. And then I tried a therapist. And then I found Jenna Avery on the Internet, by accident, or so I thought. And then I read "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life" to get my condo feng shui in order. So this is all unfolding as it should. I was waiting for the bolt of lightening that would bring all of the clarity I am seeking, but that's not coming. All in good time. That is my new mantra.

So before I get started on my new project, Geodesic cardigan, (in the winter/spring Knitscene) by Connie Chang Chinchio - she has some great designs - I am going to finish this cardigan this weekend. Promise.

Weekend Yoga Retreat

I was at Kripalu this weekend, something I have been wanting to do for a long time. The planning all came together, with my being in RI w/my parents for a few days earlier in the week.

It was amazing. But the funny part is that I really did not appreciate the experience until I was in the car Sunday afternoon, driving back to the airport in Providence. This calm came over me and I felt so relaxed. My breathing was so clear.

The workshop teacher was Cyndi Lee, from Om Yoga in NYC. I had never heard of her before, but many of the people in the class knew who she was and there were a few people in the class who take classes at the studio in New York. She took a great picture of the class when were finished for the weekend, totally spent but completely renewed. Well, I was anyway.

It's starting to look like something

I am over here today, plugging away at Auburn Camp Shirt.

Seaming this weekend

My goal is to finish seaming the Auburn Camp Shirt this long weekend.

I finished knitting more than a month ago, before Christmas I think, but the finishing on this sweater seemed so daunting. It involves sewing seams and also more knitting, like the collar and the cuffs on the sleeves.

But I am tired of finishing sweaters at the end of their season. I want to wear this in the spring!Wish me luck!

Paperback book swap

Have you seen PaperbackSwap.com? I actually came across it on Ravelry because they have a group. It's pretty cool, and I received my first book today! If you have piles of books around and don't know what to do with them, here's an option. Load your titles-it's easy, you just enter the ISBN-and start swapping. I had two requests w/in the first 5 days.

Check it out.

I am not a joiner, but...

Here's some progress on Hey, Teach. I have figured out how to read a chart, but that doesn't mean I am not knitting each row 1 and a half times! Grrrr. But I HAVE figured out where I have made my error so I don't have to frog the entire row. There I go, looking at the positive.




I also joined Ravelry yesterday. So visit me there. I was resistant at first because I am not a joiner. In fact, I am usually repelled by the trends. But I was tired of being sent to Ravelry by bloggers that I read to see patterns, finished projects, and the like , only be blocked because I was not a member.

Will I ever finish this project

I gave myself the deadline of last weekend to finish the Auburn Jacket because I was going to NH to see my college friends to celebrate our 40th birthday. I bought the yarn at Charlotte's Web on my last trip there, in the spring. But I was one sleeve short of finishing. And it was only a short-sleeve! I am kind of mad at myself. I just want to be done with it already!

So now I have no motivation to finish a spring-ish sweater as winter approaches.

The weekend was fun, it was great to get away. We went to Boston and did some shopping at Downtown Crossing and some eating in the North End.

My next project is a cute cardigan w/o buttons. And I am chipping away at this, from Knitty, in a dark gray heather silk blend:

Election Levity

I have been politics-free for the past month or so now. Living in Washington, D.C. probably does not help. Life is so nice with out all of that ridiculousness. I highly recommend it.

But this could not go by without sharing - McCain and Obama fingerpuppets.

Pattern is at www.lionbrand.com

Effing Twitter

Rant warning: I am not usually a complainer, well not out loud anyway. But my recent experience with effing Twitter has to be shared as a warning.

These new features pop up weekly and they claim to be the greatest thing ever, until there is a problem. And then they turn into the worst thing ever because customer service does not exist on the Internet. You think the cashier at Macy’s is rude, but at least there is a breathing person there. With the Internet, there isn’t anyone there. Just some self-serving FAQs that help no one and a HELP screen that is just the opposite.

I am attending a conference this week, my peers in the association world. Trying to keep up with the latest in technology, I decided to play along with the effing Twitter group that was set up for attendees. I followed the instructions and bingo, I start getting text messages.

So it’s fun for about half a day when I decide, ‘OK, I tried it, not for me.’ I don’t really like texting, I don’t know any of these people (there I just outted myself, I am not a Millennial), but now I understand how this service works. I log onto effing Twitter to turn off my device (read: cell phone) to make it stop. But no, they just keep coming.

Cripes, what do I do now? And to make matters worse, I am blocked at work from entering the site so I have to wait until I get home to figure this out. As the messages keep on coming. And I am paying for every last one of them.

Next I block all of the people who are following me and stop following the meeting that was set up. And I reply with “off” as effing Twitter has suggested somewhere on the site. I am frantically trying to get it to stop. And then I try making it stop my replying “Stop.” All the while I am getting replying to the effect of you, “You have requested messaging to stop.”

Well, yes effing Twitter I have, but you don’t seem to understand STOP.

This has been going on for 4 days now and my level of frustration is off the charts. In my Google-searching for help from someone else who may have had this problem, I find this site Get Satisfaction. Have you seen this? Users can post questions, ideas, problems, and supposedly an employee from said company will help you out. I will try anything at this point (Sat. night at about 12:30). I pound out my question.

Next stop, Sprint.com. I wonder if my carrier be of any help here. Miracle, they can block text messages. I am ready to cry. I love Sprint. I love Sprint. I love Sprint. Problem solved, no more messages from effing Twitter.

To follow up on Get Satisfaction: I had a response to my query this AM from “Mark.”

Whatever. I hate Twitter.

I'm over here tonight

Hey, Teach

I received the elann.com sale email today, one of my favorites I have to say. Even if I am not too tempted, I like to see the yarns that are out there and ON SALE!

But I have had this sweater on my mind (Hey, Teach from the summer Knitty) for a few weeks now.


This looks really cute, wearable for multi-seasons, can be dressed up or down. Living in the mid-Atlantic, I am always looking for something lightweight to wear outside when it is just a little cool. And it doesn't have loooong sleeves to knit. I get so bored with sleeves!!

I chose this tweedy silk in granite











I also came across their list of free patterns I thought I would share. Like recipes, I have a little obsession with free knitting patterns. I have a hard time organizing them, outside of a 3-ring binder.

Still plugging away on the Auburn Camp Shirt. Watching the Olympics is a great reason to sit there and knit. Or is it the other way around?

working the brain cells

1. Soda and Lemon Anyone?, 2. green eggs & ham, 3. Tchaikovsky - Nutcracker, 4. One with nature, 5. KATerpillar, Konverter, Konquerer, Klown, Kryptik, Kone, King, Kreep, Kommunikator, Krane, Konnoisseur ... whatever you want, yet I don´t like Kats - namly Kartoon-Kats! -, you know I´m too much a Naturefriend, a Realist, for such plushy Surfaces!, 6. All-Star Women Team @ Tuxpan de Bolaños, Jalisco, 7. profiteroles, 8. Mirror Lake . Fiordland . New Zealand, 9. Untitled, 10. Branches, 11. Algida Luxor Cruiser ; ))), 12. Before the world was made… the innerlight of Sarah.K was!!! :)))

This was kind of fun, kind of challenging. It took me way longer than it probably should have, but with the learning curve and all... Plus, I don't think Blogger was the easiest way to do this. (Can anyone offer any suggestions on using code in the body of the blog? I could not figure out how to add the graphic once it was complete. The were a few options for sharing in Big Huge Lab's Mosaic Maker but none were for the graphic. I though using the HTML code was by best option but I don't know how to get Blogger to read the code in body of the post. Am I making any sense?)

I saw this on myafinari posts and thought it looked like fun. So I memed myself. Can you do that??

Here are the questions with my answers in parenthesis. (I couldn't change the order of the pics in Big Labs either. I am a dinosaur!!)

1. Favorite drink? (lemon soda)
2. What is your favorite color? (green)
3. Your flickr name (Advancing the Plot)
4. One Word to describe you. (Independent)
5. What do you love most in life? (my freedom)
6. What you want to be when you grow up? (be well known for what I do)
7. Favorite dessert? (profiteroles)
8. Dream vacation? (New Zealand)
9. Who is your celebrity crush? (George)
10. What high school did you go to? (Cumberland HS)
11. What is your favorite food? (ice cream)
12. What is your first name? (Sarah)

Bird-be-Gone

I found a new use for knitting needles


There is a pigeon, or more specifically a Mourning Dove, who is trying to build a nest among my herbs. I scared her off the other day and dismantled the start of the nest. But she came back! So I stuck a few pencils in the area near the lemon basil that she was nesting.

And she came back again, resting near the oregano and sage.

So I was thinking, What will repel the bird?

Knitting needles of course!

I quit my community garden plot a few years ago because I was tired of fighting the deer because they won every time. Now I am fighting off birds in the window boxes! Sheesh.

No Democracy for D.C. Soldiers

Bluegrass at the Birchmere

I saw a great show last night at the Birchmere in Alexandria.

Chatham County Line, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Crooked Still formed the the pseudo-Folk Festival. It was great fun! I love bluegrass, surprising for a northerner, and these 3 bands were fabulous.

Chatham County Line was the closest thing to old fashioned bluegrass so they were my favorite. They are good looking, young, very talented guys who are having a lot of fun. "One More Minute" is a beautiful song.

The Stringdusters was another bunch of good looking, talented guys, a whole bunch of them, but they were more country-pop. Enjoyable but not really my kind of music. Many of the band members play other types of music and play in other bands, including a gospel singer, so they had tremendous range in style.

Rounding out the bill was Crooked Still, yet another bunch of good looking people, girls included, talented musicians. I would characterize them as contemporary bluegrass. The cello was a big surprise and added a hint of meloncholy to the music.

Wonderful live music. They are in Philadelphia tonight and then on to NYC.

Turkey was amazing

I am back from my 2-week tour of Turkey. It was amazing, I recommend it to everyone I talk to. We all (the tour group, mostly Americans, a few Canadians) agreed that Americans don't know squat about Turkey. We lump it into the "Islamic World," along with Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and get all nervous.

It was a wonderful, beautiful, fascinating place. Language was not that big of an issue, the weather was gorgeous, the history breathtaking. And then there was the Turkish bath! I am melting just thinking about it.


We were constantly reminded that Turkey is a secular country, just like the U.S., it is just filled with mosques instead of churches. It was exotic for a while, but then we all got very comfortable with hearing the call the prayer, seeing covered women, and groups of men socializing.

I went on a tour with Rick Steves company and it was just what I was looking for. The pace was quick, lots of walking, carrying our own bags, fabulous out-of-the way pensions and inns, highly recommend it.

Here I Go!

I leave for Turkey on Saturday night. This trip is finally here! Paul, the new guy, offered to drive me to Dulles. Above and beyond the call of duty! I am traveling alone, meeting the tour in Istanbul on Monday afternoon, so being seen off by a friendly face means a lot to me.

I have gotten so many different reactions when I tell people I am taking a 2-week vacation in Turkey. All of the people who have been there are elated, telling me what a great time I am going to have, it’s so beautiful, the people are so nice, the culture if fascinating, and all the rest. Then there are the people who pause for a couple of seconds trying to compute “Turkey” and “vacation.” They are genuinely curious and interested but I can tell that they don’t really get why a person would go to Turkey, like what is there to see.

And then the reactions when I reveal I am traveling alone, although I am meeting a tour group in Istanbul.

Jonathan: So are you traveling with friends or family?

Me: No, I am going by myself.

Jonathan: Oh, wow.

Me: I am meeting a tour group in Istanbul.

Jonathan: Do you know anyone on tour?

Me: No, not yet.

Jonathan: Pause

Jonathan: Wow, that’s quite an adventure. Maybe you will meet the love your life.

Laughs

Well, no, that’s not what I am looking to do. He is very excited to hear about the trip, but he is part of that (huge) segment of society that needs to put people together.

I am not thrilled to be going alone, but I am not letting that stop me from going. Part of the reason is that Turkey is not a place many of my family or friends would want to travel to. And I could not travel well with some of my closest friends.

I am in fact dreading the 12 hour flight through Madrid. I don’t do well on long flights. And I am going to feel totally isolated. So I know that I have to go out of my way to make connections with people. My introverted personality will serve me well, but only up to a point. Then I need to interact with other humans, even if they are strangers.

And then I will meet the other people on the tour, many of whom will look at me, and any of the other solo travelers, with some trepidation. I get it all the time.

Hmm, she is friendly, smart, interesting, attractive. Yet she is alone. There must be something wrong.

So I will have to break into those groups of couples and not threaten any insecure wives whose husbands might speak to me.

I sometimes feel like a stay single to carry the flag. It’s okay to be alone and do things on your own. Our society is so marriage and family focused that single people are marginalized most of the time. If I ever get married I will feel like I am abandoning my brethren as I moved to the dark side.

Bon voyage! See you when I get back.

The next level of blogging

My first meme, I am so flattered (thanks Deb!).

Ok, here goes. More about me than you ever wanted to know.

"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer."

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was living in a group house in Glover Park, finding my way in my new life in D.C. I was having fun, hanging out with friends, doing happy hours, cook-outs, playing flag football and left field on the company softball team.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
I don't keep actual lists because I then forget to look at them! But rolling around in the back of my head: get in touch with Sophie to meet up for dinner Wed. or Thurs.; practice using the new camera; finish the left front of the Auburn Campshirt; set the alarm for 4:45 AM so I can get to the airport in time for my 7AM flight home from Austin; and decide whether to call Paul or not and then just stick to it.

3) Snacks I enjoy:
Edamame; ice cream; cookies; Triscuits; dark chocolate.

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
start a foundation.

5) Places I have lived: Rhode Island; Boston; Austria; Brookline.

6) Jobs I have had:
cashier; museum assistant; nanny; in the library during college.

7) Bloggers I am tagging who you will enjoy getting to know better:
Pink Monkey Knits
Yarngear
A Knitter in Queens
What Liz Said
Neophyte Knitter