Everybody Loves Saturday Night

boot squee!

In the continued spirit of cleaning, I got rid of a couple Web things that I wasn't using at all: Friendster and MySpace. I simply never used them. Hadn't updated them in over a year. Friendster I find pretty much obsolete at this point, and MySpace just turns me off completely. If I did get a message from someone, I could never remember my password. So: gone. And it felt almost as freeing as getting rid of clothes and yarn, or reducing credit card debt.

To balance the purging, I also restocked my supply of knee-high boots. I haven't had a pair since 2005, when one of the heels of my old pair broke completely off, on New Years Eve, if I remember correctly. Out with the old...it just took a couple years to ring in the new. The problem was finding a pair of boots (I keep typing "books," which is clearly my subconscious telling me I need to buy more of those, too) that would fit around my calves. My old pair were kinda stretchy and I bought them at a place that stretched them out even more on a fancyschmancy machine. I also bought them when I had the luxury of time to go shopping for boots and spend hours trying on a bunch of different kinds. Times are different now, my friends. I had tried on several pairs over the last year, but the calves were all too--WAY too--small. I had put it down to being overweight, but it's also because walking is my primary form of transportation, so my calf muscles are pretty developed, too. Why it's difficult to find wide-calf boots in a pedestrian city is really beyond me.

Enter Zappos. And specifically, David Tate. David Tate makes boots with calf measurement linked to width, so that ordering a medium gets you a calf between 14-16" around, and ordering a wide gets you a 16-18" calf circumference. So I bought these

in the wide--my calves are about 16.5" inches and it's been my experience that size ranges favor the small. I was worried that the foot then would be too wide, but reasoned that if that were the case I could use inserts, hand knit socks, anything to fill the space. I got them yesterday, and they are fabulous. The calf fits perfectly, just perfectly, and the foot is a little roomy but very comfortable to walk in. I tried them on yesterday morning as I was dressing for work and realized as soon as they were on that I would not be able to take them off--they felt so good. (They also look vaguely piratey, which fit yesterday's theme.) It's nice to be back in boots.

the restashening

I mean, what else is one to do when faced with a blowout yard sale at the home of a former yarn shop owner?

The nice thing about living in New York is that when I need to get away just for a day or two, other states are not far away, and most of them are accessible through relatively cheap public transportation. It is doubly nice that these states also tend to house friends of mine. So I went to visit Juno this weekend, for a bit of a break.

She informed me, before I left, that she knew a woman who just closed up her yarn shop and was going to be holding a yard sale with massively discounted yarn, books, needles, etc. I said, with some trepidation, "But I just threw out a ton of yarn." "So you'll have room," came the pragmatic response.

We got there about half an hour before the sale was closing up for the day, and learned that Ravelers had hit it before us, and had done a damn good number on the yarn that was there. All the better, because having less to choose from meant less hard decisions I would have to make. I immediately spotted the table of Koigu, at an incredible price, but the colorways were not calling to me. In fact, I hate to say it, but they weren't particularly happy colorways. The colors were not communing together, and really seemed to be fighting each other. If they were competing in a Top Yarn kind of reality show, they would be the yarn Tom Colicchio's knitter-equivalent would say, "I'm surprised you allowed this yarn to go out to the shops." I know I'm not being too harsh, because that was almost all that was left of the Koigu, so I'm not the only one who didn't like the colors.

Then I found the box of Louet Gems Opal. Score! Considering that I'm not only on a sock kick but also on a colorwork kick, this was a good find. The following picture brought to you by my new printer software:

Two pairs of knee-highs--the navy will probably become Clessidra, the hot pink something else. The grey and the single skeins I bought to go together in some kind of pattern, and I'm leaning toward argyle. But I might change my mind and make fair isle socks or mittens.

I also scored two out-of-print Interweave Knits issues from 2002. I was on my way out the door, stopped by the magazine table, found them, and rushed back in to lay down more money. Worth it! One issue includes a Nancy Bush sweater that I have wanted forever.

(ok, yes, the scanner function on my printer is nifty.)

I got a couple other books and some needles, too. All together, it doesn't come close to replenishing what I got rid of, and what I will continue to get rid of, and it all cost a fraction of what it would have normally, so I am sated, feel no buyer's remorse, and still do not rule out picking something up at Rhinebeck.

fall cleaning

Or Part I:  The Destashing...

I just reduced my stash by about 40%. Yes, really. My yarn accumulation far exceeded my organizational skills, and the majority of it was resided in my closet, in bags upon bags upon bags. When I finally got around to buying new storage for it, it became clear that I was in way over my head. So I went through everything in my closet, inspired by Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, and separated the yarn and projects into "will never use/finish," "sell, sell, sell," and "keep--for now" piles. The first pile is out of my apartment for good. The second will appear here hopefully by the end of this week, if I can get good enough light to take pictures. The third fits into two and a half shopping bags. Then I went through what was already stored away in baskets and plastic boxes, to see if I could make any more room. There I was acquainted with more old friends--and some lagabouts that went into the "will never finish/use" and "sell" piles. If I had to guess, I'd say my stash just lost 25 pounds.

So at the moment, as I work towards finishing Michael's birthday socks (one down, one at the heel shaping, remind me to insist on DK weight for his socks from now on), I am also reviving a couple projects from long ago. One is a cardigan of my own design (if you can call it that--just a basic shape, but with some stripes at the cuffs and hem) and the other is Pascale from Rowan 36. And I've had the materials for this hat since Fall 2004, too. If I were starting from scratch I think I'd use different beads, but I'm going to go ahead with this anyway, because it's a small project and, once the 1000+ beads are strung (oy), it will be a relatively short project.

 

(stay tuned for Part II: The Restashening...)

cuts through aluminum, too

My printer died the other day. It was my thesis and dissertation printer, and I guess it didn't like its new responsibilities of printing out recipes and knitting patterns. Snob.

Shopping for a new printer was more difficult than I thought it would be. I'd had my Canon S450 for at least nine years, and in that time printers have become kitchen-sink appliances. I don't need or want a printer that can do photo-quality work. I don't need a copier or scanner (a fax component could come in handy, but so rarely that it doesn't justify the expense). I felt like a cranky old fart when I explained to the Best Buy guy that I just wanted a printer for plain old B&W documents and didn't need one that slices, dices, and walks the dog (I don't even have a dog, so that component would be completely underused).

He suggested I shop online. Fine.

I did finally select a printer that comes with more than I need (copier, scanner), but it was a good price, and I figure it will last at least as long as my first Canon did. And when I'm ready to replace that one, I'm sure I can find one that will travel through time.

my mom is the shizz, part two

Anne (who is also the shizz) sent me pics of my mom's Sweepstakes winning embroidery when she was at the MN State Fair last weekend. Here's one with the ribbons:

And here's a close-up:

Gorgeous, innit? I remember her working on various parts of this. Even this shot doesn't quite capture the intricacy of the stitches. See, this is why mom needs a blog.

reason not the need

King Lear began at BAM last night. It's one of my favorite Shakespeare plays (my favorite tragedy, if it comes to that. As You Like It would be my other favorite Shakespeare play). That would be reason enough to lament that the run has sold out, but it's especially painful because the show has come over from London's Royal Shakespeare Company, with the Royal Shakespeare Company cast in tow, with Ian McKellan as Lear.

Sir Ian McKellan. At BAM. As Lear. What a beam of pure light. So I was extremely bummed (though not at all surprised) to learn that the show has completely sold out. I can check to see if there are rush tickets for each performance, and while this may seem a bit much to do so every single night, it's really not a hassle, because BAM is the proverbial hop/skip/jump away from my apartment.

Which means Ian KcKellan is in my hood, at least for three hours a night, until the end of the month. This knowledge is probably as close as I'm going to get to actually seeing the play, but it hasn't stopped me from daydreaming about bumping into him on my way home from work. It could happen.