tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-289021022024-03-07T11:12:19.268-08:00LieblingsGarnI'm a Hoosier that woke up one day in Austin, TX, where I am currently halfway through grad school. When I'm not constructing costumes I'm trying to spend time with my man, our cats, and my knitting! Ich kann ein bisschen Deutsch sprechen (I can speak a little German). Thus the name for my blog which translates as, "favorite yarn."lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-662454105500851532009-05-06T17:51:00.000-07:002009-05-06T17:54:01.178-07:00almost thereI am pretty sure no one even reads this blog anymore. But maybe I will be back soon? On May 23rd I finally, finally, finally, finish grad school. Three years. One MFA. The future? Wide open.<br /><br />I am headed back to Santa Fe for my third season. Just me, my wheel, and some fibery goodness.<br /><br />Hello life, I'm almost there.<br /><br />Tschuss,<br />Sarahlieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-57832212418884287072009-01-05T11:10:00.000-08:002009-01-05T11:23:52.644-08:00Happy New Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbEZB20aUDV-2TZ9CM1hS4J9ZuWX-llAXipDMOyYkdfUJIAUiREQJLc57nfqhezYRKsfJ4I8tdUIncrocone1nEee7Vl5a0Go4AMchMxKQei-Gb4q0fE3z8aAQjVLwaCQiEKe/s1600-h/Photo+11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbEZB20aUDV-2TZ9CM1hS4J9ZuWX-llAXipDMOyYkdfUJIAUiREQJLc57nfqhezYRKsfJ4I8tdUIncrocone1nEee7Vl5a0Go4AMchMxKQei-Gb4q0fE3z8aAQjVLwaCQiEKe/s400/Photo+11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287889194707540034" border="0" /></a><br />Ta da! It is break time from the grad school grind so some knitting is getting accomplished. I actually have a number of things, none of which I had the presence of mind to photograph. That Guy's brother asked for and received a hat for Christmas. Not the one pictured here, but a more appropriate cap that is reversible. Red with a single cream stripe on one side, and the other side is red and charcoal alternating stripes. I used Brooklyn Tweed's Turn a Square pattern but upped the stitch count using sport weight. <br /><br />The creation above is made from my own handspun! The pictures does no credit to the colors, and try to ignore the mess on my bed in the background. I was in the process of cleaning prior to going to Indiana to see family for the holidays. The fiber is BFL which I loooove. So squooshy. The pattern is the Honeycomb Beret from the holiday issue of IK.<br /><br />I had a nice holiday with the fam. My friend's daughter, Lauryn, and I made a dress for her to wear. She did most of the cutting and sewing. I was very proud of her for sticking with the project. I think it's time to upgrade her from the little girl miniature sewing machine I got for her a couple of year back to a full size model. Partly because she clearly likes sewing enough to keep doing it, and partly because at 12 years old she is so tall. To big for that tiny machine. Luckily, I have two sewing machines, so I am going to pass one on to her.<br /><br />It took me a while to recover from the past semester. There were three nights there at the end that drug on til the wee hours of the morning. I didn't even suffer the worst of it. My friends and colleagues, some of them stayed up all night, even for a couple of days. I am so glad that I only have one semester left - I graduate in May! Now, it's time to get focused on finishing my thesis! <br /><br />Tschuss.lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-17052030412533752442008-11-05T00:05:00.000-08:002008-11-05T00:22:02.412-08:00Words cannot express...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSZMrLR3A5wjaRnXW1SqTq49XjOv9ti-0E1z5w0pZBGFeZjVQHdf1pO6db3_skIApEawltyOeoOkwSEdb81gmR7GnkJZ9K_saNl0JphDxiRENxXJInog89s5wRxGCOsQO5aWX/s1600-h/BarackSock.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSZMrLR3A5wjaRnXW1SqTq49XjOv9ti-0E1z5w0pZBGFeZjVQHdf1pO6db3_skIApEawltyOeoOkwSEdb81gmR7GnkJZ9K_saNl0JphDxiRENxXJInog89s5wRxGCOsQO5aWX/s400/BarackSock.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265081741097300546" /></a>When I took this photo back in February here in Austin, Texas, I was moved at this rally to believe that this could truly happen. But it wasn't real until tonight. It wasn't real until I heard John McCain speak. It wasn't real until our next President, Barack Obama, took to the stage in Grant Park to address the nation. And it wasn't real until I saw my home state of Indiana in the most remarkable color - blue. I am overwhelmed and overjoyed.<div><br /></div><div>Yes, we did!</div><div><br /></div><div>Now it's time to get work. </div><div>I'm in- are you?</div><div><br /></div><div>PS Will this be one of those moments in history when you remember where you were? My oldest sister was in Grant Park tonight. I was actually working in the shop at school, thinking that it would take longer for the returns to come in. Not so. She called me not 10 minutes after I'd checked the maps to tell me the numbers just went up in the park and I could here the people cheering. Unbelievable! Most of us working cleared out - I wanted to hear the speeches with Jeremy. And now, frankly, I'm exhausted. I can't imagine how Barack must feel!</div><div><br /></div><div>Good night all, and god bless!</div>lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-53745368898624867252008-10-04T23:26:00.000-07:002008-10-04T23:58:26.613-07:00Mask making is wicked fun!There are no real excuses for my absence from this blog. There are explanations. Lack of regular internet access throughout the summer, lack of focus due to the impending reality of my thesis year of grad school, the reality of entering said thesis year. There was also the colossal harddrive crash of my beloved Mackie. Ever since they put in his new harddrive he hasn't been quite the same. Not to mention, I got an iMac, and I think my Mackie has mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the new desktop lightens the load on the laptop. Apparantly, if you run your operating system, the Adobe Creative Suite, TurboCAD, and you partition your harddrive using Bootcamp to run Windows, it will eventually get the better of the laptop. Now the work load is more evenly distributed, but there may be some jealousy. They are like siblings.<br /><br />Clearly working on my thesis is making me lose my mind just a little, since I am anthropomorphizing my computers!<br /><br />I have been knitting and spinning, but I haven't been photographing it! I did however, photograph this.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjAkhojuti-Yo0wQfs3JW3KrvgiMU_URY3emqxn8cgNNEhJY_jYVTrP0alldGdRkap16UM0gNSDYQwMngpvv27AoXn4SZt8w5Y9OnqW4nLNQMERVsXf_6vhSgCtfIT3Q82fqk/s1600-h/IMG_0070.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjAkhojuti-Yo0wQfs3JW3KrvgiMU_URY3emqxn8cgNNEhJY_jYVTrP0alldGdRkap16UM0gNSDYQwMngpvv27AoXn4SZt8w5Y9OnqW4nLNQMERVsXf_6vhSgCtfIT3Q82fqk/s400/IMG_0070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253554759681294306" border="0" /></a>For those of you who know me, you may recognize that this is my face. This semester I am in a mask making class. When it came time to demo the process of casting the head, neck, and shoulders in order to create a mother mold for a bust, my hand shot up in the air before our instructor even finished his sentence, "Do we have a model for tonight?"<br /><br />If you are claustrophobic this is not for you. I am not, and I thought it would be a cool experience. It was. I think it is a little like what being in the womb must have been like. It's quiet and dark, and you can hear people when they are up close.<br /><br />You can breathe just fine because the nostrils are not covered.<br /><br />We will be building masks for a ballet to be performed next semester based on the Briar Wood stories. I will be sculpting and building the mask for the character of Ms. Meadows,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qA9AuW_9JMUOX0oEQSJBw2GO-MoYoIRKrvZvCWscFWh_6aLvF7-avoB-H9wkDmpazCLTKfLXr2hOh9DEQrKs6TN9TiJ07dWRhMUOTvsNhVkjrHxsIXPZWKCWr9wO0b5hqGNg/s1600-h/IMG_0078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qA9AuW_9JMUOX0oEQSJBw2GO-MoYoIRKrvZvCWscFWh_6aLvF7-avoB-H9wkDmpazCLTKfLXr2hOh9DEQrKs6TN9TiJ07dWRhMUOTvsNhVkjrHxsIXPZWKCWr9wO0b5hqGNg/s400/IMG_0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253556164475496450" border="0" /></a> a blue heron. The animal head is actually perched above the performers head.<br /><br />All in all we cast 15 busts.<br /><br />Below is a maquette I made of the heron mask. This is about 3 inches tall and made out of Sculpey. I have some modifications to make, but I will probably do them in Photoshop. I have been working more with Photoshop and Illustrator, finding ways to use them as visualization tools for the work I do. It's fun. The final project won't be this boring, single color. The designer made a beautiful rendering, but I should ask her for permission to post it. More to come!<br />Tschussi!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3dWShbFMEqJAEmipOdQi1EVmue-1JFV6bzVIRhv2Aqm24aiwd7Jz6K-QS4VYaZEIcxbT2XBoOkpGF2rsdL6VT-8LRd7ZCOW-Wuz_-pdbBZNlqOKwybaB4CbNlcepQtbE_0Bb/s1600-h/Ms.MeadowsMaquette.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3dWShbFMEqJAEmipOdQi1EVmue-1JFV6bzVIRhv2Aqm24aiwd7Jz6K-QS4VYaZEIcxbT2XBoOkpGF2rsdL6VT-8LRd7ZCOW-Wuz_-pdbBZNlqOKwybaB4CbNlcepQtbE_0Bb/s400/Ms.MeadowsMaquette.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253557521900323090" border="0" /></a>lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-70339463191203919932008-06-29T18:29:00.000-07:002008-06-29T18:46:56.218-07:00Back in Santa Fe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwyGi4yKezitY1F28uVc5aP88EVNOINSURTNfQAH9_PKBQ7OEu-K5OWSm7qyASCpirx56qNznr8poRssmeQ6TSco6KJKK3_nQao1dSzWHXTmYVNGoHpJ-5qCAwQ8PmqlT_ybR/s1600-h/P1030466.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwyGi4yKezitY1F28uVc5aP88EVNOINSURTNfQAH9_PKBQ7OEu-K5OWSm7qyASCpirx56qNznr8poRssmeQ6TSco6KJKK3_nQao1dSzWHXTmYVNGoHpJ-5qCAwQ8PmqlT_ybR/s400/P1030466.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217481806707634274" border="0" /></a>Actually, I've been back in Santa Fe for about 5 out of 8 weeks of my contract. We've been working a lot to get to this, the opening weekend. There has been hiking, biking, and shopping as well. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YaNgakN77J7czyw3fLmJjRAhHSa8ivoYvC-P0QY5VAt9qhphw5sRd_c0R5fAJrlRk60Va0A_z_Phs7b0uOSdl5IZx2V5BXaog9FeRZPsJW98zbpY5J-GHakDJT2GBnsFndnz/s1600-h/P1030476.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YaNgakN77J7czyw3fLmJjRAhHSa8ivoYvC-P0QY5VAt9qhphw5sRd_c0R5fAJrlRk60Va0A_z_Phs7b0uOSdl5IZx2V5BXaog9FeRZPsJW98zbpY5J-GHakDJT2GBnsFndnz/s400/P1030476.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217481580645035314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Best of all, I was asked to knit a scarf for the character of Falstaff in the opera of the same name. And, I GOT PAID! Yes, paid. It was fun and very free form and textural. I may never get this type of opportunity again as knitting for live theatre is not an affordable option for most costume budgets. <br /><br />Anyway, things are going really well out here but at the moment I'm kind of tired! I hope everyone out there is good and having a fun summer.<br /><br />Tschussi!lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-30187236647846844602008-04-22T20:05:00.000-07:002008-04-22T20:30:36.624-07:00Pathetic...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1qqOUkpw_abSugMWFKTKQ9GI5TS1Bfs66OAk-WxVi2XBeoMVY1M1KH2SXsdcRaaF1edF3rPP1XQgWpM00VIxRbpdVPmPtYr5YBXjPMGr5z_RyvyRdbGwZDCTN63Ip2vKedXY/s1600-h/blue:greensuperwash.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1qqOUkpw_abSugMWFKTKQ9GI5TS1Bfs66OAk-WxVi2XBeoMVY1M1KH2SXsdcRaaF1edF3rPP1XQgWpM00VIxRbpdVPmPtYr5YBXjPMGr5z_RyvyRdbGwZDCTN63Ip2vKedXY/s400/blue:greensuperwash.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192272431109119202" border="0" /></a>That's me. Pathetic. For being off-blog for so long. My apologies to anyone who might actually check this blog. I have been very absent. I try to tell myself that one day, after grad school, I post regularly and be quite witty. We will see. There is still one more year of grad school, but at least the end of this semester is in sight! On to the good stuff though. <br /><br />I bought a wheel. I am super psyched. I told myself I would get one after graduation, when I would have time. Last month though, during Spring Break, That Guy was working in Boerne, Texas, outside of San Antonio so I went down to visit and found <a href="http://www.rosewoodyarns.com">Rosewood Yarns </a> online. I noticed on their website that they carried a couple of wheels so I decided I would stop by just to try them out. Ha. Granted, had I not liked the Ashford Kiwi so much I might not have purchased it, but the unfinished model was priced quite affordable so I caved. I have already found that it is very helpful when I hit little writing blocks. Spinning slows my mind down and helps me refocus my thoughts.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qiGLWHkAdN_CPSCTpastDtMnZERTGxv0vuP3GtHRl7gxhAXNnYb-iupstOLmwNft_hyphenhyphenhtZsPyAR9UzN8rpIFkDjU0I_29sY2onIlFi-m8xgscK1naC88h90JB39SCYQHGiFX/s1600-h/sarahbuysisabella.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qiGLWHkAdN_CPSCTpastDtMnZERTGxv0vuP3GtHRl7gxhAXNnYb-iupstOLmwNft_hyphenhyphenhtZsPyAR9UzN8rpIFkDjU0I_29sY2onIlFi-m8xgscK1naC88h90JB39SCYQHGiFX/s400/sarahbuysisabella.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192272169116114130" border="0" /></a>Naturally, spinning requires fiber. On the spindle above is a superwash merino from <a href="http://www.allspunup.etsy.com">Allspunup</a> at Etsy. I haven't spun enough to tell you how it's going, but it feels right so far.<br /><br />A couple of weekends ago That Guy and I wanted to get out of town, so we drove out to Wimberly for a while and then stopped in at <a href="http://www.theoldoaksranch.com">Old Oaks Ranch</a>. This is a splendid fiber arts shop with alpacas and a sculpture garden. If you are ever in the Texas Hill Country I highly recommend it. This was my first visit, but I will definitely make the trip again in the future. <br /><br />The owner and staff are very friendly and if you want to buy a fleece, like I did, they will probably let you get a little closer to the alpacas. The owner, Sue, led me into the pen and talked to me about the animals and let me decide which fleece I'd like.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxe5vHMkIuOWlSdZgZuwUEYXRQ9QdPGA9Qnxwkl7wXmtbKEDkK5t4uwOzCHVr1N9Oh3j_8uUP4GbekSMaHxEUm355toHwt9-3eTrKpNOKdO21BqjjxOoUNNr5v2PMw-5Z17Fzq/s1600-h/isabella.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxe5vHMkIuOWlSdZgZuwUEYXRQ9QdPGA9Qnxwkl7wXmtbKEDkK5t4uwOzCHVr1N9Oh3j_8uUP4GbekSMaHxEUm355toHwt9-3eTrKpNOKdO21BqjjxOoUNNr5v2PMw-5Z17Fzq/s400/isabella.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192271894238207170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I liked the coloring of this little one, Isabella. Charcoal grey and a little sienna. Plus, I figured the two pounds of fiber would be plenty. The larger animals are up to three pounds. She had just been shorn the week before.<br /><br />The shop is lovely with a nice selection of quality yarns and fiber. I was able to pick up a niddy noddy and two more Ashford bobbins also. All in all it is a great place.<br /><br />Okay, I've got to go finish a costume rendering for design studio class in the morning. The character of Violetta from the opera La Traviata in the painting style of Toulouse-Lautrec. No prob.lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-88615733110290877382008-03-03T20:09:00.001-08:002008-03-03T20:30:18.391-08:00Koolhaas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSJ7edlQbLFtfc9pDBX_GpXhCOfHVsRT-H1s3_0bGw_5xK_dWXrruWpGMBCi0Q51EmNtYknE3NytTCWP9-j5A8t51zJ4BFMM5ijCW9KUANyD8y0BdoGp-TLpCJFDInGGUWWg4/s1600-h/KoolhaasFront.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSJ7edlQbLFtfc9pDBX_GpXhCOfHVsRT-H1s3_0bGw_5xK_dWXrruWpGMBCi0Q51EmNtYknE3NytTCWP9-j5A8t51zJ4BFMM5ijCW9KUANyD8y0BdoGp-TLpCJFDInGGUWWg4/s400/KoolhaasFront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173733924935285058" border="0" /></a>Look, a Koolhaas! I actually finished this hat several weeks ago, but I was so excited with how it turned out that I gave it to the recipient without photographing it. Here she is, kind enough to model it for me. <br /><br />There was one big thing that I had to take in to consideration when I chose the yarn for this hat. The recipient is one of those hot-blooded people that are so mysterious to me, being a perpetually cold person. For example, I actually take pleasure in the heat of central Texas in the summer. The air conditioning is sooooo cold that I actually feel like I am defrosting when I hit the heat outside. My friend on the other hand does not share this joy. It makes her very, very hot and maybe just a little bit angry. Okay, a lot angry.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCTd6Idr3jMZD67yfx3JE_qxoq_VPTUAApjvfM2urq1rgwiwLGMDhOpcd28-JM_fUAHGW7TfPPvdrKi8IKb9Ms44HnXL2SrgiLqzsQB7hiEwhzao5TqqGXKtKNnFvSgTuhtrY/s1600-h/KoolhasSideview.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCTd6Idr3jMZD67yfx3JE_qxoq_VPTUAApjvfM2urq1rgwiwLGMDhOpcd28-JM_fUAHGW7TfPPvdrKi8IKb9Ms44HnXL2SrgiLqzsQB7hiEwhzao5TqqGXKtKNnFvSgTuhtrY/s400/KoolhasSideview.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173733821856069938" border="0" /></a>My friend will be moving to Seattle once she graduates, a climate she considers quite temperate with bits of cold. The yarn I chose is Debbie Bliss Cathay, a cotton/rayon/silk blend, so hopefully she will be able to wear it without overheating. <br /><br />So far, she hasn't had any issues with it stretching out to much, besides which it can be washed and dried to shrink up if that occurs. What really pleases me is the stitch definition! I was concerned that the pattern may lose some of the architectural quality that is so lovely about the design by not using something with wool content, but check it out! <br /><br />I have to credit the staff at my LYS, Hill Country Weavers, for helping me decide on using the Cathay. I asked if they had seen anything knit out of it and how the stitch definition was, and after some discussion the consensus was that it would be perfect. Happy happy.<br /><br />Tschuss!lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-23921661265625049572008-02-25T22:21:00.001-08:002008-02-25T22:48:07.215-08:00The Sock that saw Barack...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqyDzfqtic6G0x6kZzMYnb20FQ-R7cAT6E_1XYdBwetUoNsHecm9638APPm5PKRGLCT9IikSaGWri-QY1KdvkhiANbj243OA4Yw_hhQyrd75n1izadPq-rW8qvaUnpUC2h8bL/s1600-h/BarackSock.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqyDzfqtic6G0x6kZzMYnb20FQ-R7cAT6E_1XYdBwetUoNsHecm9638APPm5PKRGLCT9IikSaGWri-QY1KdvkhiANbj243OA4Yw_hhQyrd75n1izadPq-rW8qvaUnpUC2h8bL/s400/BarackSock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171170493287727810" border="0" /></a>Even though I did not win one of the raffle tickets to the democratic debate last Tuesday, I did get a chance to see Barack Obama on Friday night at a rally held for him. Myself and three of my friends begged off a meeting in order to be a little part of the history currently in the making.<br /><br />We wanted to get there early in order to have a good view of the stage. One of my friends said that if he was going he wanted to see the man's eyes. So we got there when the gates opened at 6pm, went through the metal detectors and settled in to wait for the 9pm speech. I had flashbacks to the Austin City Limits festival, except I wasn't sweating buckets. It was a beautiful night to cram a bunch of people into a quarter block cordoned off area. There were thousands of other people outside the fences. The creepy thing is that someone, somewhere, has figured out how much space needs to be secured for a rally such as this in order to place the speaker out of the range that a weapon might be able to reach. Gives you the willies, doesn't it?<br /><br />Anyway, I was amused over the next three hours by my friends, a wonderful r&b group, a high school mariachi band, and lastly a rock band (although I have to admit, by the time the rock band came on in the corner stage behind us, the crowd was so packed that I assumed the music was recorded, not live). Oh, and my current sock in progress. I very nearly finished the body of this guy while chatting with my friends and waiting for the speech. Since then I have finished the first one and knit the ribbed cuff of the second. I think I will have to call these the Barack Socks.<br /><br />As for the speech, I won't go into detail. If you are unfamiliar with Obama's platform I suggest going to the official website. I found that I am far less eloquent than he is when I tried to explain the content of his speech to others. And while I do not use my blog as a soapbox, I will say that he is my candidate in this election.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXV2x0WMU7XZ91VneIgjowCmD0uD47LnU6M8-QcL4R1UvHd0b3ApgMvBILACDFWsYU2887LhW8M_5KA7L0Xb9tL-cUVvtU0VVAuTOPgFwkKocQKnXzI9F1dq4HRJMpGGzN7S1/s1600-h/OutdoorMiniFridge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXV2x0WMU7XZ91VneIgjowCmD0uD47LnU6M8-QcL4R1UvHd0b3ApgMvBILACDFWsYU2887LhW8M_5KA7L0Xb9tL-cUVvtU0VVAuTOPgFwkKocQKnXzI9F1dq4HRJMpGGzN7S1/s400/OutdoorMiniFridge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171170394503479986" border="0" /></a>The rest of the weekend ended up leaving me even more tired than when it started! It ended with the Oscars, and I wanted to share this picture with you. Living in Austin gives you some freedoms that I did not experience in the midwest. People in this town manage to walk the fine line between yard trash and yard art, tacky and tasteful, with the greatest of ease. For example, That Guy went to great efforts to put gravel into the yard. Low hanging tree canopies and rocky soil prevent grass from growing, and the yard gets quite muddy at times. He also built a nice fire pit. We like to make fires and watch movies outside in the yard. There are white christmas lights in the trees year round. And to top it off, he recently acquired this mini fridge. Yes, the television is sitting on top of our mini beer fridge in the front yard, fire and christmas lights casting a warm glow.<br /><br />And the people I know down here think this is fantastic! It certainly is fun!<br /><br />Tschuss.lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-50652601575031258162008-02-21T15:49:00.001-08:002008-02-21T16:31:41.351-08:00Catching up...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59BcSc-3PT0bAcwJY-QnWuE1VzFDJctFOiTs9v8jISR7ieP8V2byI5SLb81YnSwWEwW34frv6bEhhnlko4pk_ilYmJfu3jUlHs7sjAjemTqWBivbQPxsmQS_0uGLmRCxZmwl_/s1600-h/CloseupBlue:BrownSock.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59BcSc-3PT0bAcwJY-QnWuE1VzFDJctFOiTs9v8jISR7ieP8V2byI5SLb81YnSwWEwW34frv6bEhhnlko4pk_ilYmJfu3jUlHs7sjAjemTqWBivbQPxsmQS_0uGLmRCxZmwl_/s320/CloseupBlue:BrownSock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169587145004122786" border="0" /></a>Finally, for your viewing pleasure, a picture heavy post! I found myself home a little earlier than usual today. Since I did not win the much desired ticket to the Clinton/Obama debate on campus tonight (I have heard that 50,000 people signed up for the 100 tickets available in the drawing) I decided it would be best to get off campus early if at all possible. As I have a chunk of computer work that can be done at home I felt okay clearing out at 4:30pm. With the little sunlight remaining I decided to get some shots of my current WIP's.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi677pNogD8nBHE7oYzfwdwJvZ5OrCj0t-PgVPADCNMEtL0WJWo8Fev34eXyjaffLOpH-MR-shlei5JypvuTceO_n7HFFgzImNxw6mLcPzgOl2K8hIcIDSsiSySXV2HxpujkR2/s1600-h/Amanda'sScarf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi677pNogD8nBHE7oYzfwdwJvZ5OrCj0t-PgVPADCNMEtL0WJWo8Fev34eXyjaffLOpH-MR-shlei5JypvuTceO_n7HFFgzImNxw6mLcPzgOl2K8hIcIDSsiSySXV2HxpujkR2/s400/Amanda'sScarf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169586852946346642" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The closeup of the brown and blue colorway above is some fabulous Schaeffer Anne being knit up in my generic sock pattern for myself. I recently purchased a nice pair of Keen's at the REI clearance sale. They are the Keen version of the Mary Jane, so I have taken to wearing all my handknit socks with them. I can't wait to finish these!<br /><br />The pinkness here is a much better photo of the scarf I showed in my previous post. I have finished one out of two skeins, and I have a third for a crocheted trim edge that I've planned.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmbnJJfqE1_JO3ERkPF2TC9voR33xbUv0X2mHX8wQYJLy1Q-4t1WfupTloNhGR9t3ZHj9jgy6j44TmBoj_79oDLjByOYOgwoddI-mISH3hY5BB15ZFygE2dDW3QbhT1ykZwCT/s1600-h/Gathered:Abraham.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmbnJJfqE1_JO3ERkPF2TC9voR33xbUv0X2mHX8wQYJLy1Q-4t1WfupTloNhGR9t3ZHj9jgy6j44TmBoj_79oDLjByOYOgwoddI-mISH3hY5BB15ZFygE2dDW3QbhT1ykZwCT/s320/Gathered:Abraham.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169586556593603202" border="0" /></a> <br />Here you can see my male cat, Abraham, practically rolling his eyes at me for not having this sweater finished by now. I worked on this over the Christmas break and then just dropped it as soon as classes started. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlZ4L9hmGLplR4lbrYUDAbGGvtjF-l_aCdlkc4vKXa6_nrxHI9Y2eqqXqnaPIHwE-WMZApHbQfjzHuSib1bWA4l3FEuAEQZ3IkIVsqyIb5fYi7bHC7qlmD4OFEPIDF4mMzmUJ/s1600-h/GatheredPullover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlZ4L9hmGLplR4lbrYUDAbGGvtjF-l_aCdlkc4vKXa6_nrxHI9Y2eqqXqnaPIHwE-WMZApHbQfjzHuSib1bWA4l3FEuAEQZ3IkIVsqyIb5fYi7bHC7qlmD4OFEPIDF4mMzmUJ/s320/GatheredPullover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169586247355957874" border="0" /></a>I've gotten the body knit up to splitting it for the front and back. As you can see below, one side of the front is completed and the other side started. The back stitches are still on holders. The yarn is some that our friend in Germany gave me when I visited with my dad the other year. It's a wool/alpaca blend. This pattern calls for the yarn to be knit on larger than usual needles in order to give the knitted fabric more drape. The openness of the stitches also means the alpaca shouldn't get to warm. Important in this central Texas climate. I did make one modification. Since I don't like the rolled edge that results from starting with stockinette, I started with rows of garter stitch. I plan to do the same on the sleeves hems. I haven't decided yet how to deal with the neck opening, since I think the pattern has you pick up stitches and knit that rolled edge there as well. Perhaps a seed stitch?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvi6PNHCH6UwY6vffr9tejz9VIcyX2CLaFehO2MpH0j21zNqKbZ4PE_wbjhx-kSGque-wtvC_5qD8yS7zptpMvwn-_oMyJwt-qJYMp_xz3N4XoPA6QsM6Kj9Mb00CtZxQ4pjy/s1600-h/GatheredCloseup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvi6PNHCH6UwY6vffr9tejz9VIcyX2CLaFehO2MpH0j21zNqKbZ4PE_wbjhx-kSGque-wtvC_5qD8yS7zptpMvwn-_oMyJwt-qJYMp_xz3N4XoPA6QsM6Kj9Mb00CtZxQ4pjy/s200/GatheredCloseup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169586006837789282" border="0" /></a>Here's a closeup of the center cablely motif. I quite like it, and I know it will be even nicer when the rest of the sweater is blocked.<br />I also might go with shorter cap sleeves and wear this as a layer with a long sleeved white shirt. I might get more use out of it that way.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9F-C1vJjdrsz5yEPohGDy_61Fa2HQXeZc-_f7h7SDe9JM_WKGDkmQ6dePLPzfdvcZqTUbIYnRN4s3B8LzcShwt8CoENR7GbH3OIWZls0X-qhZkDv8XZyzJrsiFO-QXvVm1GE/s1600-h/FiestaBoomerangYarn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9F-C1vJjdrsz5yEPohGDy_61Fa2HQXeZc-_f7h7SDe9JM_WKGDkmQ6dePLPzfdvcZqTUbIYnRN4s3B8LzcShwt8CoENR7GbH3OIWZls0X-qhZkDv8XZyzJrsiFO-QXvVm1GE/s320/FiestaBoomerangYarn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169585663240405586" border="0" /></a>While I do have some sock yarn in my stash at the moment, the percentage of it in comparison to other types/weights of yarn is actually pretty low. I have quite a lot more lace yarn, so I have put a purchase ban on any more until I use up at least half of what I already have. Sock yarn, however, I don't feel nearly so bad purchasing. There is always a sock on my needles. Of late I have branched out in my brands of sock yarn, much to my delight. The yarn seen here is a recent purchase from The Loopy Ewe. Fiesta Boomerang in Jamaican Spice. This should be great to work with. It is so soft and sproingy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2U62OXYO7e9CYCIGPqF7wzI37OI6wFwbJrUHXMjdvwHxcAev8Fwnpu2Q6WwW557ezRJF-5sXCRGqxNO07K_SqL4QMStALXMDItEqeKFYtu956dcEfHUGnh46w7vzHaeouDzQ/s1600-h/Natalie'sSockYarn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2U62OXYO7e9CYCIGPqF7wzI37OI6wFwbJrUHXMjdvwHxcAev8Fwnpu2Q6WwW557ezRJF-5sXCRGqxNO07K_SqL4QMStALXMDItEqeKFYtu956dcEfHUGnh46w7vzHaeouDzQ/s320/Natalie'sSockYarn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169585323937989186" border="0" /></a>While the Jamaican Spice is for moi, this little number is for the request of another colleague. Natalie asked for a pair of socks. Specifically all wool. No nylon, no polyamide, just good old wool. I am happy to oblige with this Schaeffer Lola in the Walk in the Forest colorway. I think these will be the next pair I cast on.<br /><br />I hope you have enjoyed the yarny goodness!<br /><br />Tschuss!lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-74080913398805073432008-02-18T20:55:00.001-08:002008-02-18T21:36:41.750-08:00Aii yai yai!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtR8CBd822LghpmYeZ5fxZyqLH72Gj7SbiexAxfT6hqOxwjKYm-fjAhEWKIfzV6Zd1pYcO3KQMX_8-pqUyXk1m7b2mgPcGFDsaa13AzDJZR_AiOdrMjCEywQYFICbLJzoQkOG/s1600-h/Photo+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtR8CBd822LghpmYeZ5fxZyqLH72Gj7SbiexAxfT6hqOxwjKYm-fjAhEWKIfzV6Zd1pYcO3KQMX_8-pqUyXk1m7b2mgPcGFDsaa13AzDJZR_AiOdrMjCEywQYFICbLJzoQkOG/s400/Photo+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168551568259514930" border="0" /></a>Wow. This might be the worst photo I've ever put on this blog. I just wanted to let ya'll know that I'm still around! I have actually knit some other fine things recently, but for want of sunlight have not photographed them. That, and a couple of items were gifted knits that I neglected to photograph. So, if my biggest sis reads this anytime in the new future - maybe you could take a picture of your shawl sometime? Against a backdrop of snowy Chicago perhaps?<br /><br />As for the other item, I did finally photograph it - with someone else's camera. So once I have that pic I will definitely post it as I'm quite pleased with it. Nothing major, just a hat, but it's pretty and the recipient was really happy with it.<br /><br />As for the barely distinguishable knitting in the photo above...this is a gift knit as well. I can blog about it because A) the recipient knows she is getting it. She has even seen the yarn and its progress thus far, and B) I'm not sure she looks at this blog anyway. She is a graduate school colleague, so we see each other all the time. She probably knows better what is going on in my day to day life than the rest of my family. Sorry family! I love you all, but I love Austin too! What is a girl to do? Anyway, I have a twisted scarf that I wear constantly that I knit out of Classic Elite Blithe, a baby camel sportweight yarn. In fact, I knit the scarf once, lost it one Christmas, and missed it so much I knit it again. This time with three full skeins instead of two. I love this scarf, and it has gained the attention of two grad colleague's thus far. These people are my friends as well. Since I love to knit, and I love to give the knits away, I informed my friends and family at some point in time in the past that they could make requests. Mainly because if I am going to go to the time and effort to make something for someone, I want it to be something they will love and use.<br /><br />So I bought this pink Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed about a year or so ago and have taken it out of the stash from time to time to ponder it. It is a heavier gauge of yarn than the Blithe, so I didn't think the pattern I had used would have the right sort of drape. Eventually I just had to accept that this yarn would yield a different kind of scarf, so I adjusted my approach. I have decided to do a reversible stitch pattern so that I can knit it flat, twisting it only once and grafting the ends together to make a mobius. I am also making it as a single tube. Mine is very long, wrapping two times around my neck. With this yarn I think that would be to bulky, especially in this climate. <br /><br />The stitch pattern I'm using is very simple. It is essentially six rows of garter stitch alternated with five rows of *yo, K2tog. The first stitch of every row is slipped, and the last stitch of every row is purled. I'm using a 24"US 4 Addi Turbo Lace Circular needle. Knowing my history of posting since graduate school began the next time you'll see this is likely to be when it's finished! Since I'm with my friend nearly every day at least you are more likely to get a photo of it.<br /><br />On a non-knitting note, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have both brought their campaigns to Texas in anticipation of the Texas primary actually counting for something in the Democratic nominations. In an extra bit of excitement, they are holding a debate this Thursday on the University of Texas at Austin campus a mere few blocks from the building that I spend most of my time in. It is an invited audience, but there are a block of tickets reserved for a drawing amongst the UT students. Naturally, I've entered. Even if I don't get to go we are hoping someone from our department gets to go so we can get a firsthand account. Otherwise, it will be broadcast live on CNN. Exciting!<br /><br />Anyway, sorry I've been MIA. I came down with what we on campus have coined the "viral crud" and missed a FULL WEEK of school/work. I can't tell you how strange this was. I haven't been sick like that in years. Fever, chills, coughing, terrible hot wet sinuses. I spent so much time in bed totally out of it that when I returned the following Monday I had a strange moment. My friends were working and talking about their projects and the classes from the week before (it was Monday) and it hit me that I had missed a FULL WEEK. One friend noticed my blank stare and looked me in the eye. This prompted me to mutter, "I was gone last week, wasn't I?" To which she replied, eyebrows raised, very frank, "Yea. It was weird. We missed you." Awwwww. That was two weeks ago, and I'm just now feeling like I'm caught up!<br /><br />I'm pretty sure that my staying away the entire week prevented me from being the cause of other people's infection. I suppose next year I will have to seriously consider getting the flu shot. Just for the last year of grad school though. In general, I don't like to put to many meds in my body. At least not now when I'm still young and pretty healthy.<br /><br />Tschuss!lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-65717975629769375942008-01-16T20:17:00.001-08:002008-01-16T20:44:01.059-08:00Better late than never!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRwBea216Pv5GUx-piP62H19WvLZvjVqqMCgBhVIOgBdOchSkh6EpOW-CpBcF_Wb-87hf8OBuGU1uzIqO4qhlcaTugJbZ61Rl8S-CnqVsJlVbV-qySfzL5NwVONZa1argMiHn/s1600-h/TOLalbumcover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRwBea216Pv5GUx-piP62H19WvLZvjVqqMCgBhVIOgBdOchSkh6EpOW-CpBcF_Wb-87hf8OBuGU1uzIqO4qhlcaTugJbZ61Rl8S-CnqVsJlVbV-qySfzL5NwVONZa1argMiHn/s400/TOLalbumcover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156296336296566514" border="0" /></a>In my previous post I was only able to get that one Pig in a Dress photo up for some reason, which prevented me from sharing with you all one of the things that I love best about Austin. The Trail of Lights!<br /><br />This one mile loop in Zilker Park is what makes it Christmas for me in this town. I didn't get a good shot of the famous tree, but it will come up on a Google search. Here are a few of my favorite pics. This one is actually on the way out, leading you up the hill to the tree. Don't you think this image would make a great album cover?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3w1xGO72hAprMy4SjqSXN6rN9yrJmBRmYwUvmCeYCC3LPpvn1BHE9gJecmOCJjEi9L-slsWf60TOKEvvQuX94LqG6Q2HUYUtc6El2enHauuWGymyaktYfZ4pgtNaiJsfPJAO/s1600-h/Trail+of+lights.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3w1xGO72hAprMy4SjqSXN6rN9yrJmBRmYwUvmCeYCC3LPpvn1BHE9gJecmOCJjEi9L-slsWf60TOKEvvQuX94LqG6Q2HUYUtc6El2enHauuWGymyaktYfZ4pgtNaiJsfPJAO/s400/Trail+of+lights.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156296065713626850" border="0" /></a>Now this here is the entrance to the trail. You can just make out the bobbing heads in shadow against the canopy of lights leading you into the park. Zilker Park is, by the way, the same place that the Austin Kite Festival is held every year, along with the Austin City Limits Festival. And from this spot, if you turn around and head the opposite direction, you will end up at Barton Springs Pool. Barton Springs Pool is a favorite summer spot of mine when the Greenbelts are dry.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVpHLAuPjv2SbdFgw2uyIMZHPxvQanwrP73efAIcbAntNtDwYcwjhO1HF5SIhwPILUh3sTneaY8lL_QJTWIh0cCkbCArdKsXjeeBMFxBiBW-r3quqrO_L-8u1nXrvo6KxweFU/s1600-h/TOLfavoritetree.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVpHLAuPjv2SbdFgw2uyIMZHPxvQanwrP73efAIcbAntNtDwYcwjhO1HF5SIhwPILUh3sTneaY8lL_QJTWIh0cCkbCArdKsXjeeBMFxBiBW-r3quqrO_L-8u1nXrvo6KxweFU/s400/TOLfavoritetree.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156295829490425554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Most dear in my heart though is this tree. The first Christmas I was in Austin, two magical things happened when That Guy and I visited the Trails of Lights. As we crossed the pedestrian bridge over the river into the park, I spotted a group of hot air balloons participating in a night glow. I ran, yes, you got me right, RAN across the field to them. I was so overwhelmed to see them, even though I grew up crewing for my dad at numerous events. I think it was because there they were, at Christmastime, glowing in the field in downtown Austin, welcoming me. That year I couldn't afford to fly home for the holidays. So seeing the balloons made me feel like in some small way, I was home. And then there was this tree. This photo does not do it justice. It is a huge, majestic, Live Oak tree. Its branches reach far, stretching and twisting high and low. It is massive. It is wrapped, every bit of it, with multi-colored pastel lights, which only emphasizes the beauty and size of it. I remember seeing it across the field, then looking for it as we entered the trail, seeking it out. I seek it out every year, this tree, and every year I am struck by it in the same way. I could look at it for hours.<br /><br />Tschusslieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-74434036106585180392008-01-03T11:54:00.001-08:002008-01-03T12:46:53.520-08:00Pig in a Dress<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuTF3-lODp7qevTlPkh0CCeaIYzqkgpZRR3CpRlzu46KQuqBDvlHMuFNB-0tGkXU-HKooUcOglPfK2UvfrWAPR-0MnrFZTsyVRZ1dORop9T8zTEtt1JvKccgs5VSkPuee1AFe/s1600-h/PigInADress.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuTF3-lODp7qevTlPkh0CCeaIYzqkgpZRR3CpRlzu46KQuqBDvlHMuFNB-0tGkXU-HKooUcOglPfK2UvfrWAPR-0MnrFZTsyVRZ1dORop9T8zTEtt1JvKccgs5VSkPuee1AFe/s400/PigInADress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5151341408620830402" border="0" /></a>Alright, I managed to upload this one photo and now blogger won't let me add anymore. I will have to try again later. Due to a recent move, I have been without the free wifi I previously enjoyed, and thanks to break I am not on campus. Thus, an ABSENT blogger I have been. As for my holidays, they didn't go as smoothly as I would have liked. Regardless, it was, as always, good to see my family and friends in Indiana. The chillins continue to get bigger, taller, and more comprehensible. My nephew and niece continued their Campaign of Cute and Crying. That Guy's nieces and nephew continued to blow me away with how wicked smart and funny they are, and Lauryn amazed me with her ability to make the precious jumper you see pictured here. <br /><br />Believe it or not, the bodice of the pig's dress is fully lined. Facings that small are just ridiculous. For this project we used a commercial pattern so that I could show her where to find information on it and how to use it. I also wanted a project that had gathers. Of course, when choosing fabric I steered her towards the cottons. Cotton is easier to manipulate than synthetics, especially on this small of a scale (Pig is only about 8" tall). Lauryn, however, has more elaborate taste in fabrics. It is hard to tell here, but the fabric is a polyester with a nap that is smoother and flatter than velvet. It also has little bubble-like pattern to the surface for added texture. If it's soft or sparkly or satiny she is going to like it, as long as it is PINK! As much as I look forward to seeing everyone on these visits, I know that my memories of the projects I do with Lauryn are something that I will cherish forever, and I hope they are for her as well. It is possible that there will come a time when she isn't as psyched about our projects, and when that day comes I won't press the issue. But until then I will continue to supply the girl with a fabric stash!<br /><br />Can I tell you about my airport purgatory? I have endured delays and canceled flights for any number of reasons in the past. I have been rerouted to different airlines and had to recheck in and go through security again. However, nothing, absolutely nothing has reached the level of airport purg as what I experienced on my return trip to Austin. Poor Chicago. So much snow, so many missed connections and delayed and canceled flights. And then the dominoes fall. <br /><br />7am Awake to drive to Indy for 12pm flight<br /><br />8:30am Begin drive to Indy<br /><br />10:30am Arrive at Indianapolis International Airport<br /><br />11am Orbitz automatic updates on my cell phone becomes the bearer of bad news. My flight to St. Louis is delayed. Once, then twice. Now I won't make my connecting flight to Austin. I look at the line at the gate counter. My follow passengers are in the same boat. <br /><br />12pm St. Louis flight delayed until 2pm. Call AA 800 # to update my travel plans. Horror of horrors, they have to reroute me through Chicago to get a flight to Austin. Laugh to myself at the impossibility of this as I know that Chicago is getting blanketed with the white stuff at the moment, but I allow them to reconfirm me on new flights.<br /><br />2pm Board the one hour flight to St. Louis<br /><br />2pm (change from eastern to central time zones) Arrive at Gate C5. Look to Gate C2. The flight to Austin is indeed gone. Debark plane to discover my Chicago flight is already delayed to 5pm. Laugh. I don't think I'll be making the Austin connection at 5:30pm. Call AA 800 # again.<br /><br />[I would like to note that the folks on the American Airlines 800 # were on the ball. They answered quickly and the rebooking was fast and the personel friendly.]<br /><br />The new travel plan? Get to Dallas-Fort Worth. Confirmed for an 8am Austin flight the next day. The next day people! Now, I love to camp and feel that when it comes to dealing with discomfort I do fairly well. I can tough out a lot of things. But a night in DFW? Every muscle in my body has tensed up at this point. Airport Purgatory! How do a get out of this one?<br /><br />7pm Arrive at DFW. Exit security and wait for my bag. Ha! No bag. Go to the AA counter to check back in and try to get standby on one of the four evening flights to Austin. <br /><br />7:05pm Discover that with a non-refundable ticket I have to pay $100 to fly standby. Seeing as I don't gamble on a regular basis I decide screw it, I've GOT to try.<br /><br />7:30pm Laugh and try not to cry. <br />There are 25 people flying standby. ON EVERY FLIGHT TO AUSTIN. To make things worse, they would finish boarding, start to put the standbys on, and then pull them off when confirmed passengers, late due to delayed connecting flights, ran up to the counter shortly thereafter. I actually boarded a plane at one point, only to find that there were no seats and I had to get off.<br /><br />11pm The LAST flight for the night. No luck. I ended up in a minivan with 6 strangers thanks to the quick thinking of an older couple who had their son book the vehicle online.<br /><br />3:45am Arrive home in Austin<br /><br />Two days later the airport delivered my luggage.<br /><br />All I can do is laugh this off and be thankful that there was a good group of people to jump into a car with. A night at DFW? No thanks.<br /><br />Happy New Year!<br />Tschussi!lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-14357888085635978952007-11-23T14:45:00.001-08:002007-11-23T14:53:51.953-08:00Gobble gobble<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkN3GNfNsTyigx-WjG0x0CH5TlVMcjPbCoGlnVYHJZP0XnWvR6a-x4QyIVPMQaTTntL51W2z6A1DczXfmSFMTTT36KYXFQuLZiJyutyNMr788xgCMa7eZUCps5dqBr66BlnIDa/s1600-h/MyPicture.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkN3GNfNsTyigx-WjG0x0CH5TlVMcjPbCoGlnVYHJZP0XnWvR6a-x4QyIVPMQaTTntL51W2z6A1DczXfmSFMTTT36KYXFQuLZiJyutyNMr788xgCMa7eZUCps5dqBr66BlnIDa/s400/MyPicture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136171220181464018" border="0" /></a>Happy Belated Turkey Day to all my family, friends, and knitters out there. I enjoyed some delicious eats with That Guy and a whack of "homeless' grad students.<br /><br />The Adamas shawl for my big sis is blocking. I started another hat. For whom? No idea, just seemed to be the right project for this tweedy yarn Astrid brought me from Germany. As far as I know, I'm not doing any other Christmas knitting now that the shawl is finished. The exception will be for Secret Santa at school.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8UCHpUFjlWu-j54WlPipov6AnmOFH9qBFm6s0cj_tuNCVS6oB7Sj3wsAPtEuvqrPR1I5sCt2rM104k_Wzs1QVOSWBqlre8d3N2vQczFsE3Ii_lGcpDtzIfgtC0R-_srhBdVD/s1600-h/P1020503.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8UCHpUFjlWu-j54WlPipov6AnmOFH9qBFm6s0cj_tuNCVS6oB7Sj3wsAPtEuvqrPR1I5sCt2rM104k_Wzs1QVOSWBqlre8d3N2vQczFsE3Ii_lGcpDtzIfgtC0R-_srhBdVD/s400/P1020503.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136171087037477826" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I am contemplating this Handmaiden Sea Silk. I think it will be a stole of some sort. Hmmmm.<br /><br />Any suggestions? I'm headed over to Ravelry to troll for the perfect pattern.<br /><br />Tschussi!lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-41951211584327678412007-11-06T10:51:00.000-08:002007-11-06T11:14:42.922-08:00I knat a hat!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcxc5Ix1sbzt67o_GGVCt3wTxnSNLDlP8dfooY-rgMQGKxTtKdFDcyyTUzuwvc-HjIK9t2Gbr2yR5QPuAD6535Q6aIj_5hmN42W8wN8tNAHfkxPJM4fg2phK_dtQXczeU6MSW/s1600-h/P1020489.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcxc5Ix1sbzt67o_GGVCt3wTxnSNLDlP8dfooY-rgMQGKxTtKdFDcyyTUzuwvc-HjIK9t2Gbr2yR5QPuAD6535Q6aIj_5hmN42W8wN8tNAHfkxPJM4fg2phK_dtQXczeU6MSW/s400/P1020489.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129803528434813266" border="0" /></a><br />Technical theatre rehearsals provide the perfect opportunity for the type of knitting that does not, for the most part, require counting. Or, for that matter, the ability to SEE what you are knitting. If it is all knit stitch, in the round, or all garter stitch, I can do it without looking. Enter this hat that I knat (I'm wearing a T-shirt with Dr. Suess characters on it today) mostly in the darkness of tech rehearsal for Ashes, Ashes. Yes, I felted it. It was rather laughable prior to that felting since I made it HUGE to begin with - on purpose! <br /><br />The fiber started out as a Lorna's Laces roving in the Camoflage colorway. It was a Secret Santa gift from last year. I used half of the roving, about 5 oz., to spin a thick/thin 2-ply yarn on my sister's wheel back when I visited her in August. I probably used about 4.5 oz to knit the unfelted hat on US 9 needles. I felted it in a lingerie bag with one large towel in the washer on a hot/cold cycle. It took two cycles to get the density that I wanted. Then, since I practically live in the costume shop at school, I had access to a hat block which I blocked the hat with this short rolled brim on the sides and back. <br /><br />To finish it I will sew a hat band on the inside using some millinery grosgrain. What separates millinery grosgrain from regular grosgrain ribbon that you can purchase at JoAnn's is that regular grosgrain is usually polyester or some other synthetic fiber. Millinery grosgrain is 100% rayon. You can shape it into lovely curves with the iron. I will take some pictures when I put the band in.<br /><br />I may also order some flexible millinery wire for the edge of the brim. Both the hatband and wire will help the hat keep it's shape while remaining flexible. I want to be able to put it in my bag when I'm not wearing it. This will be my cold weather cap that I can wear with my scooter helmet. It can be pretty cold at 20 miles an hour late at night in January!<br /><br />Tschuss!lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-52559500583133469312007-10-27T09:09:00.001-07:002007-10-27T09:29:47.159-07:00History Book and Balloons<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgngZqnrBYx_WKzLZThlnGMH5Y4e_ic2pR1ac1joM11O2amfV0uqb7ugGrAy3yMvEp3jgB0zBIQ-vVu7uERl9Ibixf9yIxg9ySSpfVQAtwoGIlW_QFJvjOAWRdrZadQ9VEEKC/s1600-h/P1020451.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgngZqnrBYx_WKzLZThlnGMH5Y4e_ic2pR1ac1joM11O2amfV0uqb7ugGrAy3yMvEp3jgB0zBIQ-vVu7uERl9Ibixf9yIxg9ySSpfVQAtwoGIlW_QFJvjOAWRdrZadQ9VEEKC/s320/P1020451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126050760506539010" border="0" /></a>Ack. Grad school. So many rewards, so little time to think about what they will be! I have been MIA, working on this costume. The History Book. It's for a great new play called Ashes, Ashes. It is a children's play, geared towards middle school age, but I feel that it really addresses all ages above that as well. It was workshopped at the New Works Festival last year.<br /><br />Anyway, I am tailoring this suit. Thank goodness for my experience this summer at the Santa Fe Opera. Otherwise, I would be constantly returning to my tailoring notes from last year to remind myself how these things come together. Instead, I'm enjoying all the tedious hand sewing with confidence. Tailoring is a step by step process that I find really rewarding.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cIsfFCm1XhE-5OSWEKy0dgVDe6G2iv8BbVbYF_Xp2Wzx2FBFuDgtq-WdW0BaBfNEaQbzuMdlR7iylGUFTZYHaFg6ttz8xqQFLEIQUHfUdVs57j-AhgFZQcAK7AxdOnJ4bZKX/s1600-h/P1020447.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cIsfFCm1XhE-5OSWEKy0dgVDe6G2iv8BbVbYF_Xp2Wzx2FBFuDgtq-WdW0BaBfNEaQbzuMdlR7iylGUFTZYHaFg6ttz8xqQFLEIQUHfUdVs57j-AhgFZQcAK7AxdOnJ4bZKX/s320/P1020447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126050618772618226" border="0" /></a>Sorry for the sideways picture. I forgot to export it before posting it, but I've got to get posted an back to work since tech is tomorrow! What's going on in this you ask? I am tailor basting horsehair and flannel to a 30 foot long tail that hangs off the left side of the coat. The tail on the right is only 6 feet. Oh, and they both get "ripped" off the coat at the end of the end of the play. All I can say is MAGNETS.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqtc0s6EKi_vOiyt5FFNaFQ_ejzco6xHy5TBzfq6_oKgLGfEGbdMpM9wCKSRagUM2VvICIq5WO146KQBTtSGS_-KGJsZXM28S_rRlL1xbfejY8pgsdQNfk-Y3Y27-eABZ3gFv/s1600-h/P1020443.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqtc0s6EKi_vOiyt5FFNaFQ_ejzco6xHy5TBzfq6_oKgLGfEGbdMpM9wCKSRagUM2VvICIq5WO146KQBTtSGS_-KGJsZXM28S_rRlL1xbfejY8pgsdQNfk-Y3Y27-eABZ3gFv/s200/P1020443.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126050507103468514" border="0" /></a>Another added bonus to this project? I had to teach myself how to screen print in order to print this writing all over the suit. I built five screens and used a photo sensitive emulsion fluid to burn the image. Making the screens and exposing them is an entire other story that I am not going to go into. Trust me, you don't really want to hear it all. I will tell you that at one point there were tears and a deep sense of failure. Then I got some assistance and once I felt amply supported in the endeavor things got better and everything worked out in the end. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvno7aHfnwy_3q2AG-NbhOuMS2uWT3QAapb8IGqMzfDWRoTTERSeIElV8c6v3KDh_4JfcJW3dhpJYpiPRqO6-_88YsHcClmNd_ZzZYXuXOW9HvZ7VkbEnFAXklx7yfrdcxj7EC/s1600-h/P1020426.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvno7aHfnwy_3q2AG-NbhOuMS2uWT3QAapb8IGqMzfDWRoTTERSeIElV8c6v3KDh_4JfcJW3dhpJYpiPRqO6-_88YsHcClmNd_ZzZYXuXOW9HvZ7VkbEnFAXklx7yfrdcxj7EC/s400/P1020426.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126050313829940178" border="0" /></a>WaaLa! Screens and printed fabric! It is going to be a fantastic portfolio piece and despite the screen fiasco I am really pleased with how well it is turning out. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2OOAJSk6UB7vmdkpqYqpkhXCbbkwiCzN32G69OCO2jm9CcMmim8uHEUYm_sfAgRMMtD-pivB2WIL1nnXSP2ivn_OcQHnVy4nOEgie8h_8a29RrymcRU6HwMiCA37R6fiD5BG/s1600-h/P1020326.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2OOAJSk6UB7vmdkpqYqpkhXCbbkwiCzN32G69OCO2jm9CcMmim8uHEUYm_sfAgRMMtD-pivB2WIL1nnXSP2ivn_OcQHnVy4nOEgie8h_8a29RrymcRU6HwMiCA37R6fiD5BG/s400/P1020326.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126050111966477250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMffbNgqZd7BfES4FEy7o15jijmnjC_pxAlO166vLXMTPOcIRGMTtAOcX7eh9iBeJGxzbzPOcu0lzNJ9QUeEcyR2s7dmfYgyz8SoTiBMzbKdxqoQpaU_lu2x85bSQO80YG2c4m/s1600-h/P1020302.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMffbNgqZd7BfES4FEy7o15jijmnjC_pxAlO166vLXMTPOcIRGMTtAOcX7eh9iBeJGxzbzPOcu0lzNJ9QUeEcyR2s7dmfYgyz8SoTiBMzbKdxqoQpaU_lu2x85bSQO80YG2c4m/s400/P1020302.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126049841383537586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And for your viewing pleasure, some sights from the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. This is the top of the club balloon, Windswept. It is really a very very pretty balloon.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And of course our fantastic friends from Deutschland were there! It was so wonderful to see Harry and Astrid again. I hope to get back to their side of the ocean sometime in the future. <br /><br />But first I have to finish the History Book.<br />Tschusslieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-76191707001438839862007-10-05T07:42:00.000-07:002007-10-05T07:58:48.712-07:00Layover schmayover...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hAnYdi9WEa1fzzvbCyqWufA0MRkeqXMynnqJ3HSWknc-GpWUsld07vDMJgiwtZhXJqy_7v_ZuMBlc1EcOvTSWEQnuqbe-JX47-TGKP56GORZ0RMfgNdEXu5GA8MjvCNaPXLL/s1600-h/Photo+84.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hAnYdi9WEa1fzzvbCyqWufA0MRkeqXMynnqJ3HSWknc-GpWUsld07vDMJgiwtZhXJqy_7v_ZuMBlc1EcOvTSWEQnuqbe-JX47-TGKP56GORZ0RMfgNdEXu5GA8MjvCNaPXLL/s400/Photo+84.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117863955123156418" border="0" /></a>I am in Oklahoma City. It is not yet 10am. I arrived here at 8am from an early morning flight out of Austin. My flight for Albuquerque departs at 2pm. LAYOVER!<br /><br />Layovers are not always bad. I have plenty of reading to do. I have a design assignment that references Flannery O'Connor's short stories, so I have brought this book along. And clearly, I have gone so far as to pay for the Wifi here at OKC. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAlvcSCU7wmbOl1l_W1M-8uHkshH3hchyphenhyphenyY1J-NnKRlTCWYnSDTQq_hQ0oSyozEHMkgOvU3aeV9YNuLceZY4GmNw71qVpfoCZZrQTp3-fjwzRio_uNwlZS4sLHg-0G1rLx2Id/s1600-h/P1020264.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAlvcSCU7wmbOl1l_W1M-8uHkshH3hchyphenhyphenyY1J-NnKRlTCWYnSDTQq_hQ0oSyozEHMkgOvU3aeV9YNuLceZY4GmNw71qVpfoCZZrQTp3-fjwzRio_uNwlZS4sLHg-0G1rLx2Id/s400/P1020264.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117863568576099762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHxMDbIvkRqUT0cMde9sqMAIW8maljn1pxRswrBnQSMB-LiyKr-bT6ktwd8ogBhflYwokp5ce0etyWAZr9Ls1q-xdq930Khy0nAezrO2-gG95xrrKju2d5MoJ-c1blsK6sRpQ/s1600-h/P1020265.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHxMDbIvkRqUT0cMde9sqMAIW8maljn1pxRswrBnQSMB-LiyKr-bT6ktwd8ogBhflYwokp5ce0etyWAZr9Ls1q-xdq930Khy0nAezrO2-gG95xrrKju2d5MoJ-c1blsK6sRpQ/s400/P1020265.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117863426842178978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />I am going to Albuquerque to meet up with my parents and our friends from Germany to fly and crew and most likely partake in alcoholic beverages of the beer nature. Fly as in hot air ballons. Ya'll may recall that my dad is a pilot. These are the German friends that my dad met at the Albuequerque International Balloon Fiesta some 6 years ago. I had the joy of meeting them on the trip I took with my dad to their neck of the woods. Anyway, since I'll be in New Mexico with Germans, I figured it was pretty safe to let my inner geek shine through and bust out the sandals with handknit socks look. As for my parents, they have to love me regardless of how dorky I am.<br /><br />We all know that layovers are also great for knitting! This is the Adamas shawl that I am knitting for the big sister. The yarn is Jaeger Alpaca 4-ply, and the color is actually black even though it is showing up grey in the sunlight here.<br /><br />The next post will be all about ballooning. Brace yourselves for color!<br />Tschuss!lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-25940314783432500932007-10-01T16:08:00.001-07:002007-10-01T16:52:51.256-07:00I'm still standing...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09VrQqm6eD-gS42Ur0NjcE6o7z6wfAJrTQa7NdgHX6-PDmKcpdGpTGl3zmTIwHB7rchydVyumV3Xr8ArI3k2rmqeSWdxWP0uTehVttvh3GnUGh4LLelTaMjifGqWvXY2OqTZH/s1600-h/christinamomsocks1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09VrQqm6eD-gS42Ur0NjcE6o7z6wfAJrTQa7NdgHX6-PDmKcpdGpTGl3zmTIwHB7rchydVyumV3Xr8ArI3k2rmqeSWdxWP0uTehVttvh3GnUGh4LLelTaMjifGqWvXY2OqTZH/s400/christinamomsocks1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116509876488779154" border="0" /></a>Well, I made it through the first week of life after saying goodbye to Remus (see previous post). I'm still standing. Yesterday we went to Home Depot and picked out some sage bushes, a plumbago, and some succulents to plant on his final resting spot. Thanks to the rocky nature of central Texas soil we were able to collect plenty of rocks to landscape the area. As the plants grow he'll be with us. We're happy with how it turned out.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHydgQtjMyWRwPBlJIiBQKk1RQUUJ5NKO0jL0pfJ0rAD2tCWikzRvooVNkMGN_QmHWHptXWqjIyA3UezgQs5-g3t4fm5L_8AxamFoaL4MiJ5cAThZ650MDzQSAJd_cObqjAAl/s1600-h/christinamomsocks2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHydgQtjMyWRwPBlJIiBQKk1RQUUJ5NKO0jL0pfJ0rAD2tCWikzRvooVNkMGN_QmHWHptXWqjIyA3UezgQs5-g3t4fm5L_8AxamFoaL4MiJ5cAThZ650MDzQSAJd_cObqjAAl/s400/christinamomsocks2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116509717574989186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FsQclz9VIjiWFsti3FvcrzBcPcn0QLgWhWwmiBPRm8Dqp21qYDF6J9hguCdAXoleZsRQ4u-sdkMe8noApQy7tGFrPs9HceKZtvV8R_00XWfFK37lCltmfNIzrRpmT5EP-3SZ/s1600-h/cherrycola.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FsQclz9VIjiWFsti3FvcrzBcPcn0QLgWhWwmiBPRm8Dqp21qYDF6J9hguCdAXoleZsRQ4u-sdkMe8noApQy7tGFrPs9HceKZtvV8R_00XWfFK37lCltmfNIzrRpmT5EP-3SZ/s400/cherrycola.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116509558661199218" border="0" /></a>It hasn't been all tears though. The Friday evening prior to that fateful day I had my first fitting for my show project this semester, and it went just about as well as I could have hoped for. Last Wednesday I also had a large project due in Design Studio and I managed to get it finished on time and was complimented for my strong work on it.<br /><br />I also finished this pair of socks over the weekend. They are a commissioned pair for a colleague's mother. They will be a birthday present. The yarn is some that I bought in Germany - I forget the brand name, but I remember I bought it in a stationary shop, and it is named for a province in Canada.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjrJBTJunUE7Mx78B1vpjfv3Aqm81Y2Qv5QekhvtQCxJQGpxlgLqAWtW6sgyuEexbqQB2rsQnXNw1cxy6mlvo2eyeptT2gy3aBx0UfNJBVRnqfTGrJtjkmKQn8a0bIGSCIfqQ/s1600-h/cherrycola2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjrJBTJunUE7Mx78B1vpjfv3Aqm81Y2Qv5QekhvtQCxJQGpxlgLqAWtW6sgyuEexbqQB2rsQnXNw1cxy6mlvo2eyeptT2gy3aBx0UfNJBVRnqfTGrJtjkmKQn8a0bIGSCIfqQ/s400/cherrycola2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116509451287016802" border="0" /></a>What is this you ask? This is my grieving yarn. There is a new yarn shop in Austin called Gauge Knits which That Guy took me to yesterday. It may seem silly, but yarn is a great comfort to me. I always try to visit yarn shops while on vacation and inevitably purchase some souvineer yarn. When I do get around to making something from it I remember when and where I bought it and the memories associated with it.<br /><br />In this case, I think I will make a mobius type scarf out of this lovely stuff. When it gets chilly (for all of two days here) I will wear it and think of my Reemy. It is handspun by Robincat.etsy.com, whom I hear is a local Austinite. So cool, and I love her bird label also.<br /><br />Tschuss!lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-38661234091909351372007-09-25T06:33:00.001-07:002007-09-25T09:04:40.149-07:00In Memoriam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibW_kf4jOPrVXo0LBEY5uABlpXvd-OJ3rnXnMVKQIouARaaqvr070d7SZTMYH8u2zOpWJTYql5rNDNEargayGK_dTtR2nz2X7cV3VpPN3TiZcTMVRCj5pUcokf551LXrGoEXWv/s1600-h/remuswindow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibW_kf4jOPrVXo0LBEY5uABlpXvd-OJ3rnXnMVKQIouARaaqvr070d7SZTMYH8u2zOpWJTYql5rNDNEargayGK_dTtR2nz2X7cV3VpPN3TiZcTMVRCj5pUcokf551LXrGoEXWv/s400/remuswindow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114136779442158786" border="0" /></a>In late May about two and a half years ago there was a stray black cat hanging about the theatre I was working at at the time. One of the carpenters figured out she was expecting, and later discovered her and her four kittens in the props storage room! He couldn't take them, but he put them all in a cardboard box with a blanket outside the scene shop. The next day, she had moved her babies out of the box to a spot right outside the back door of the costume shop. When I walked out that day and saw her, her kittens tucked under her body, I caved. They were so exposed, I couldn't possibly leave them there, and I couldn't take them to the pound for fear they would all be euthanized. I gathered them up and took them home. A volunteer at the theatre loaned us a large animal cage. I cleaned out my sewing room and settled the kittens into a blanket in the bottom of the cage, and then put their momma in with them. She stretched out as they climbed on top of her to feed, and she looked extremely relaxed and satisfied! I think she knew that now they were safe from the elements and from predators. They had a chance.<br /><br />We decided to call Momma, well, Momma. We nicknamed the kittens, thinking that this tactic would make us impervious to the desire to keep them all. We already had two cats. Abraham is about seven years old now, and Lilly (we always just call her Kitty) is about 4 years old. We didn't necessarily need another one, but for the briefest of moments we entertained keeping two of the kittens. That delusion disspelled as they got bigger and more active. Banshee was all grey, the only girl, and earned her nicknamed for obvious reasons. Tough Guy was a tuxedo cat, and the most outgoing and fearless - he did everything first. Got out of the open cage door on his own, climbed us, etc. Scrappy was all black like his Momma and the runt of the liter. Last, but never ever least in my heart, was another tuxedo cat. He looked at me one day, his little head bobbling on top of his tiny body and told me his name was Sweetface. And he was.<br /><br />As the kittens grew to the age of weening, we starting looking for homes for them. Momma was spayed and went to a loving owner. Banshee was the first kitten to go, and Scrappy was spoken for next. That Guy was drawn to Tough Guy more, but saw how attached I was to my Sweetface, so he conceded to me. Sweetface was renamed Remus. That is how this handsome baby boy came into my life. This past Sunday afternoon, we had to say goodbye to him very suddenly and unexpectedly. I have never had to make this kind of a decision before and was shaken to suddenly find myself in that situation that all pet owners dread. Is it better to treat a sick animal that might not make it? Was it right to make him suffer, perhaps needlessly, simply because you don't want to let them go? This was the decision that we were faced with.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSb_7p6ddqCtdMB65Dc2ETYDProIbAGs90Lu1UW7n1IrPCG6EMCjpciddk1XzX_9c1Wuoq9_n8FAo5Wn-UEb6ewMcC0-HEzEm927GDIBxSC5j86M4qMJ_-Nhi5zbcBcxC0qmGd/s1600-h/remus&abe.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSb_7p6ddqCtdMB65Dc2ETYDProIbAGs90Lu1UW7n1IrPCG6EMCjpciddk1XzX_9c1Wuoq9_n8FAo5Wn-UEb6ewMcC0-HEzEm927GDIBxSC5j86M4qMJ_-Nhi5zbcBcxC0qmGd/s320/remus&abe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114136560398826674" border="0" /></a>None of the cats have ever been sick, and I didn't realize that when they do get sick, they don't really do anything to let you know until they are <span style="font-weight: bold;">very</span> sick. Remus had been sick for at the very least several days, and his infection may have begun even before that, but with three cats, the water bowl is always being emptied and the liter box always has urine in it. We just didn't notice that the water wasn't perhaps being drank as quickly, or that there weren't as many urine clumps as usual.<br /><br />We were getting ready to go for a hike when we discovered him lying in the bathtub, and immediately knew that something was wrong. He was listless when I picked him up, and he lay in my arms for the next 20 minutes while we made a few phone calls and got ready to take him to the emergency vet clinic. I feel sad for him now that he was distressed on the way there - the only time he meowed during the entire experience. This was troubling to me since he has always been such a talker. Despite his behavior though, at this point we both thought that he would be okay. Maybe he was dehydrated from being constipated or had a slight kidney infection. Either way, we would get to the vet, they would check him out, tell us what needed to happen, and we would say okay and take a deep breath before we looked at the bill. What we didn't know was that our lives were going to change when we got into that exam room.<br /><br />We were at the clinic for about 4 hours. They were really fantastic. They gave us all the time we could have wished for to make the awful decision to say goodbye to him. He had a blocked bladder, which is common in male cats and can be a reoccuring disease called FUS - feline urinary syndrome. The way I understand it, when some male cats get a bladder infection, their body can't fight it off. As the infection worsens, blockage forms that prevents them from being able to urinate. Eventually, they stop drinking water as well and become dehydrated, and they get very sick, very fast. It goes without saying that this is very painful. It is this thought that pains me the most - that my baby boy was suffering and I didn't know. How could I not know? I know that unlike us they can't tell you "I'm sick, I'm in pain, and I need help," but as I grieve for this loss I can't help but wonder "what if?" and feel badly.<br /><br />The only treatment option for him at that point was surgery. If you are a pet owner and have ever been in this situation, you know what I am about to say. The estimate was shocking. We knew it would be a lot, but we had no idea it would be as high as it was. Without going in to details, it would have wiped out our savings and we would have needed to apply for the credit plan. That Guy asked the tough questions. Could he get sick from this again? Yes, it was likely that with any future bladder infections this would reoccur. With the surgery, would he have a full recovery? Possibly. Possibly? When their little bodies are so sick, treatment is no guarantee, especially in this case. They would need to keep him no less then three days, possibly more.<br /><br />*That Guy just called me to tell me he talked with his brother. He had the exact same thing happen with a young male cat of his. He had said yes to the surgery. His cat didn't recover and the vet wanted to do another surgery - one that essentially turns the cat into a girl. At this point, he said no. The cat had suffered enough. The vet refused to euthanize his cat, and the poor animal died a horrible, painful death. I can't say that this makes me feel better about losing Remus. On the contrary, I feel terribly for Todd and his cat! But it does help me feel better about our decision. He said that letting him go was the most humane thing we could have done for him to prevent him from a future of unnecessary suffering. And I can't help but wonder, if when we found him, if he was at the point that he knew he was dying, would he understand if we put him through surgery and he suffered needlessly? It would have been selfish of us. I would like to think that he was aware, in those last painful hours, that we were with him, that we helped to make him more comfortable, and eased his suffering.<br /><br />I am sorry that we had to take him out of his home only to find that he couldn't come back with us alive and well. I can say that the vet staff was fantastic though. Even as we were struggling with the decision, they reassured us that they were doing what they could to make him comfortable. They put in a catheter to try and release some of the blockage and urine to relieve some pressure on his bladder (some blockage did come out, but the surgery would ensure all of it was removed, relieve the bladder of infected urine, and they would flush it out to try and eradicate the infection that started it all). They had him on an IV to rehydrate him, and they had given him a pain killer. They told us so many times to take as much time as we needed. They went over every option and they were honest about his chances of survival. They even reworked an estimate in the event that we wanted to keep him there overnight and transfer him to a day clinic (less expensive) for the surgery, but then again, he might not make it through the night. I really didn't want to let him go, and I seriously considered going through with the surgery. I didn't want it to be about the money. But deep down, I knew that it wasn't. I knew it would be selfish to ask him to suffer just so I might be able to hold on to the hope that he would be okay. <br /><br />I looked at That Guy and asked him, if it were only him making the decision, would he arrive at the same choice I was arriving at? He said he would, absolutely. I asked him, if I wanted to do the surgery, would he go along with me? He said again, he would, absolutely. The fact that he would support my decision, regardless of the cost, regardless of the distinct possibility that Remus might not survive, might not recover, might get sick again, might suffer needlessly, made it clear to me. If That Guy was unselfish enough to go through with the surgery, then I needed to be unselfish enough to do what was right and humane, and say goodbye to my baby boy. My only other moment of weakness occurred when they brought him back into us. He was still listless in my arms, he did not meow, but he did slowly wave his long tail back and forth. He was at least comfortable from the pain killers. I asked That Guy to get one of the Vet Techs. I told her that I needed to her from her that he couldn't get better on his own, and that relieving him of his pain was the right and humane thing to do. She assured me it was. He couldn't go home at this point. His kidneys would shut down and he would die very painfully. She told us again, spend as much time with him as you need to with him.<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iq-F3Ky93Ba1nN59Pxvtkf2P2mssDssqyq1L9B_AaAcqV3UoP44PUu9LDvWptRqMfz025PnSp3O_3akyRcSnk7lUwBt9iWZ9kAljMkQcxhcE80T-x-9u7y7bg0r7RX1lLBTW/s1600-h/remusfoot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iq-F3Ky93Ba1nN59Pxvtkf2P2mssDssqyq1L9B_AaAcqV3UoP44PUu9LDvWptRqMfz025PnSp3O_3akyRcSnk7lUwBt9iWZ9kAljMkQcxhcE80T-x-9u7y7bg0r7RX1lLBTW/s320/remusfoot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114136315585690786" border="0" /></a>We had found him in lying in the bathtub a little before 2pm. Sometime after 5pm, I held him in my arms and together we told him that we loved him, we were sorry that we didn't know he was getting so sick, that he had been a wonderful cat, and we were eternally grateful for the time that he had shared with us and the love he gave us. We told him we will always remember him. The vet came in and explained what might happen when he was given the injection. He took a few deep breaths, and then he was gone. I closed his eyes for him. We took him home and buried him on the side of the house. We are going to plant a bush there so that we can see him again, a part of the cycle of life on this earth, and so that we might take the bush along with us one day if we leave the house for a new one.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRt71jD9BMZtQSKYcbHzWOPXnpV6Sbwq7C_JPcpvq43yf25lmmMiqOXYN3FEgws8M0lZWX8xIdI7MISiblAgVAAaat8POzGc0SQxhwm4Dr-liUmh38LgArBnrjMGASQDM0MYBQ/s1600-h/remusfrontdoor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRt71jD9BMZtQSKYcbHzWOPXnpV6Sbwq7C_JPcpvq43yf25lmmMiqOXYN3FEgws8M0lZWX8xIdI7MISiblAgVAAaat8POzGc0SQxhwm4Dr-liUmh38LgArBnrjMGASQDM0MYBQ/s320/remusfrontdoor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114135697110400130" border="0" /></a><br />In life, Remus was a comfort and a blessing. He had a long body and an even longer tail. To me, he was about as devastatingly handsome as a cat can be. He was a high energy kitten who kept the other two cats on their toes, and a moody teenager prone to what seemed like impossibly long naps! He and Abe would often have sessions in which they groomed each others heads, which then somehow led to them tussling. I think Remus was always in love with Kitty, even though she didn't seem to reciprocate it, but rather merely tolerated his attentions. His long tail curled back and forth in the form of a question mark. He had a way of asking a question with his meow. At night, when we went to the bedroom, he would meow from the front room, "Where are you?" and come running in to jump on the bed after we said, "In here!" He loved to snuggle in between us, bury his head in one of our sides, and knead the blanket with his paws. He loved to claw the sides of That Guys amplifier, and he let him do it. And as you can see here, he loved to gaze out the front screen door and the windows. On the two occasions he got outside, he quickly tired of his adventure and meowed until I found him. I will always be a little heartbroken to have lost this wonderful creature, but I am so happy to have spent the time with him that I did, to have loved him, and to have had his love in return. Rest in peace, Remus. You will live on in our hearts.lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-68355154040655013542007-08-31T16:18:00.000-07:002007-08-31T17:14:14.187-07:00All the pretty things...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwSZQHFcupEuSfNN6euEqRcNrdvsYUE9FF5qbbZDmen7_om_pp6KNrPiRmZXnQjg4w3nmtVfgORA-79sn2m2QMn_iUk5dCcn6VVuTEYiKWGn7mq12TfdGr3C-6YciPulfkOzF/s1600-h/coachellafront.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwSZQHFcupEuSfNN6euEqRcNrdvsYUE9FF5qbbZDmen7_om_pp6KNrPiRmZXnQjg4w3nmtVfgORA-79sn2m2QMn_iUk5dCcn6VVuTEYiKWGn7mq12TfdGr3C-6YciPulfkOzF/s200/coachellafront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105011810764796418" border="0" /></a>While it may appear that all I did this summer was travel, hike, and work, I did actually accomplish some knitting. While I was in Santa Fe I decided that I would only knit for myself. You may remember from an earlier summer post that I completed the Bonsai Tunic from the Spring Issue of IK. I also knit Coachella from Knitty. I think the yarn called for in the pattern is something like Berroco Suede. This sounded way to warm for Texas. I swatched Euroflax Linen, wet-spun, worsted weight, and got the correct stitch gauge. I did have to keep an eye on my row gauge, but otherwise this was an enjoyable knit. I haven't had a chance to wear it yet, mainly because I didn't have an appropriate bra.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgxms3_dGpiX8Yo-LLowgfTdJqOCxLJoKYluFqsUs4JSaupxeit271u-85N84sTHuCerK_kan3QK_umIxsHFdKuGZE8uliN6N88v11cKuAdO-lj0NXIskH2u0Aph_Kke4jGOA/s1600-h/coachellaback.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgxms3_dGpiX8Yo-LLowgfTdJqOCxLJoKYluFqsUs4JSaupxeit271u-85N84sTHuCerK_kan3QK_umIxsHFdKuGZE8uliN6N88v11cKuAdO-lj0NXIskH2u0Aph_Kke4jGOA/s200/coachellaback.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105011553066758642" border="0" /></a>Just the other night I purchased one that should work though. I really like the drape on the linen, and I am looking forward to how it will soften up in future launderings.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBRNY2xNxJvc0GGQaPV_qjgMpl0w1vI6f-DBcwXPAP8iiDI8gUgpfTSuuKeJDEnLcDRbYjPypju7cwpmVq3k8vy9JDvZi71YRxzbBjxq1SJmAcK62vH0L0QLcZUuKfKdXeu6Q/s1600-h/autumnsock2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBRNY2xNxJvc0GGQaPV_qjgMpl0w1vI6f-DBcwXPAP8iiDI8gUgpfTSuuKeJDEnLcDRbYjPypju7cwpmVq3k8vy9JDvZi71YRxzbBjxq1SJmAcK62vH0L0QLcZUuKfKdXeu6Q/s320/autumnsock2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105011007605912018" border="0" /></a>On the sock front are these autumn inspired socks. My basic sock pattern in Koigu KPPPM, long forgotten colorway. I remember purchasing this yarn last spring in Houston at Yarns 2 Ewe. I convinced the classmates I was daytripping there with to please please please give me 20 minutes just so I could buy some Koigu! Hill Country Weavers does carry it, but unfortunately they do not get as many colorways.<br /><br />For some time I didn't fully understand the vast differences in sock yarn weights and qualities. For example, Lorna's Laces and Koigu are so different from one another in their properties. Koigu has a lot of sproinginess to it as well as fantastic color palettes. Lorna's Laces is slicker and has more drape to it, and it is soft in its own way. I know some people do not prefer the lightning bolt pooling effect of the LL colorways - I myself am quite fond of it. I like both of these yarns for different reasons. I've also knit with Trekking, Nature's Palette, Claudia's Handpaints, and various others. I have two beautiful skeins of Schaffer Anne - which I hesitate to knit only because they are so luscious I cannot imagine either or the two possible scenarios upon completion. 1) Wearing such lovely creations on my feet, or 2) gifting them to someone else so they can wear them on their feet! I may have to knit a stole or shawl or something that will receive less wear and tear.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtlamaTN87X89ymWsDifqOEvSy-v4yyjykURk-BT6erbASxtYsc9lloinE5b0-5d5U4HGvBb9BShpz4A1lUEEGq0LQnTZrcgTCLryvJ-j-NCw5KCmr_W9IoHiEz2rPlWUKQNS/s1600-h/christinasock.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtlamaTN87X89ymWsDifqOEvSy-v4yyjykURk-BT6erbASxtYsc9lloinE5b0-5d5U4HGvBb9BShpz4A1lUEEGq0LQnTZrcgTCLryvJ-j-NCw5KCmr_W9IoHiEz2rPlWUKQNS/s320/christinasock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105011291073753570" border="0" /></a>I have to apologize for the bad indoor lighting/flash of the previous two pictures. Although the rain has been greatly reduced since I returned to Austin, we are still getting more of it than usual for this time of year. Thus, crappy indoor lighting. Today was a lovely sunny afternoon however, so I was able to snap a picture of this pair of socks in a bush outside the costume shop at school. I warned the friend that I was with before I behaved so ridiculously. These socks are for my friend and colleague Christina. She got into the sock queue for a recent favor, and because she has tiny feet. The more solid purple is a single skein of Nature's Palette, and the blue/purple colorway is some leftover Claudia handpaints from my Charlotte's Web shawl. I haven't ever done a sock with two yarns before. These were fun and Christina was very happy with them. I have already cast on my next pair as Christina has commissioned me to make them for her mother's birthday.<br /><br />In other projects, I am back onto the Adamas shawl that I am knitting out of Jaeger Alpaca 4-ply for my big sis's Christmas/birthday/Christmas present. I have determined that if I knit 10 rows each week until Christmas I can finish it. That is if I do all 10 repeats of the body chart. If I decide to make it slightly smaller than I suppose we are talking about 8 rows per week. The sad thing is I don't know if I can finish it even at that rate! Why? Here is my schedule each week this fall for grad school.<br /><br />Drawing Lab: 4 hours<br />Costume Shop TA Appointment: 12 hours<br />Textile/Apparel TA Positon: 10 hours<br />Class Hours: 9<br />Production Assignment: average 10 hours<br />Homework: ???<br /><br />I could make a fun pun hear along the Mastercard slogan, as in, "An MFA from a top ten university: Priceless." However priceless it may be though, it has come at the cost of said university tuition and fees, my sanity at times, the stability of my relationship, and so much more. Don't get me wrong, this is right where I want to be. Also, I'm much more prepared for this second year. I'm much more at ease and don't feel nearly as overwhelmed. For anyone that had an intense undergrad program, or has attended at demanding grad program, you know what I'm talking about. You just have to really want it in order to pull through.<br /><br />With that said, I am going to enjoy the Labor Day weekend, and I hope you do too!<br />Tschuss!lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-5532051836213902052007-08-15T08:50:00.000-07:002007-08-15T09:36:52.682-07:00Wisconsin and Chicago fun<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhck3SdABYbGe2pQUvoOfO5NaFPI_c0qqjY6f9-WL24-sfzUXvnbtxeVxHXjgTD8PbwERg4FgYjCRivSN2Fg0IpywuMl5piYkB7RhBEjivu4Y_xdaYWHfaMEXxYUye-Np1tThqr/s1600-h/elsa6months.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhck3SdABYbGe2pQUvoOfO5NaFPI_c0qqjY6f9-WL24-sfzUXvnbtxeVxHXjgTD8PbwERg4FgYjCRivSN2Fg0IpywuMl5piYkB7RhBEjivu4Y_xdaYWHfaMEXxYUye-Np1tThqr/s320/elsa6months.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098956226304737778" border="0" /></a>Here's the news from Wisconsin and the Windy City! I started out by flying into O'Hare and then took the eLtrain, a bus, and the Metra to get to Elburn, IL. My mom is not a fan of Chicago traffic, and since she was going to be the driver on this trip, I was happy to oblidge. I arrived in Elburn about noon and we then made our way up to central Wisconsin where my sister and her family live. There I finally got to meet my niece, Elsa, who is already six months old! Isn't she a doll? I think so. People tell my second sis all the time that she looks like the Gerber baby.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAF7I3BfAS7ZC50eeJTQOOCn35UpLGBrnsd5tYnRkZOTgrsm3KjBeFUld51TZwt3vakioY3pDkDb16ksO2u2dTdO25desdts-g0gnV82TLHINm_zY3wlXdZD5UjpPNZdKch0p/s1600-h/AJBlueTractor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAF7I3BfAS7ZC50eeJTQOOCn35UpLGBrnsd5tYnRkZOTgrsm3KjBeFUld51TZwt3vakioY3pDkDb16ksO2u2dTdO25desdts-g0gnV82TLHINm_zY3wlXdZD5UjpPNZdKch0p/s320/AJBlueTractor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098955938541928930" border="0" /></a>On these Wisconsin trips we always spend at least one evening at the farm. My sis's mother-in-law owns and runs a beautiful bed and breakfast in LaValle, WI called September Farms. If you, your friends, or family are ever in central Wisconsin I definitely recommend it to you. There is usually some livestock about along with some horses, rabbits, and a friendly dog and cat named Lucky and Mindy. It is not far from the Wisconsin Dells and sits right on the 400 Trail and a river, so there is access to hiking, biking, canoeing and kayaking. Lynn is also a good cook so you will eat well while you are there. All of the jellies, jams, and most of the veggies you would eat there also came right out of the garden, and kids are welcome. Now that I'm done with my plug (not kidding though, it is a really great place) we can get on to this picture of my precocious two year old nephew AJ. It kills me how aware kids are of cameras nowadays. Whenever he sees that little light come on he screws his face up into his version of a smile. It's sort of devilish. He's getting so big! He is talking so much, some of which you can understand and some of it is his own language. Regardless, he can say speak 3-5 word sentences, which I think is pretty good for his age. He also gets the concept of who his relatives are now. Since I don't see them very often, usually two times a year, he used to always look at me like, "Hmmm. You kind of look like my mom, and you kind of sound like my mom, but you are definitely not my mom." Now I am Aunt Sarah. Awesome.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWK_oO52AIvlhK8TvpLko0WiXghyphenhyphenB_mJPB2cvcMpSRQofMY6JjAQLuELIawiZ_VM_EcofpdxLICuhDgbBATwQvoRSTBYMuE6cJzqYUki7Xkd4tnctVW-rheHU1k9cUM6Sf8D1/s1600-h/chicagogirls3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWK_oO52AIvlhK8TvpLko0WiXghyphenhyphenB_mJPB2cvcMpSRQofMY6JjAQLuELIawiZ_VM_EcofpdxLICuhDgbBATwQvoRSTBYMuE6cJzqYUki7Xkd4tnctVW-rheHU1k9cUM6Sf8D1/s320/chicagogirls3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098955706613694930" border="0" /></a>My brother drove up to Chicago on Sunday to meet my mom and I at the IKEA. They have been renovating my granny's old house and needed to pick out a sink. It was nice to get a chance to visit with him, although it was all to brief. Just when he needed to take off, my friend Renee arrived with her younger daughter, Eva. You have often seen the older daughter, Lauryn, on my blog, although I know Eva has made a few appearances. Lauryn was busy camping with her uncle. That girl is ten years old and I swear she has a busier social life than I do! Anyway, us girls ran around downtown after my mom departed for Indiana. It was also an all to brief visit, but fun nonetheless. I'm lucky (and thankful!) that my friends and family liked me enough to travel the three to four hours (double that round trip) to Chicago to see me this go around. Around the Christmas holiday I will make all their lives easier by flying directly home to Indiana instead. My oldest sister is crazy busy with a recent job promotion, so I'll have to wait to see her until the holidays.<br /><br />I also got to see my great friends Heath and Rebekah, again, all to briefly. They generously make space in their lives when I need a place to crash in Chicago, as I did Sunday night. They are both theatre friends and I love to hear about their lives in the Chicago scene. I did it for only two years and they do it all the time. Rebekah had an audition the next morning. Cross your fingers for her! I didn't take any pics of them, but as it was late evening I am sure they probably didn't want me to take one anyway! Rebekah is also a fiber friend though, so she appeared last August on the blog.<br /><br />There was knitting. There was even spinning! But there are, as of this moment, no pictures of said knitting or spinning. The camera battery needs to recharge first. Then I will share some of what I have accomplished lately.<br /><br />Tschuss.lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-33827000057968074392007-08-07T14:11:00.000-07:002007-08-07T14:29:03.882-07:00Back home in Austin!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQnHZmC8-qUoiesbn5vWsmzNc7Se0_AqTvV6JW8J9_oZqKQKRSHHtxFNKA3l_OZufxsHDE5AE1o96cXWHFDg8d4N41VUzkS58ts0qGreX6bzqjQPm3dQ52gflk2tSt1WeflAr/s1600-h/2740763-Austin_TX-Austin.jpg"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Going to visit my sis in Wisconsin tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to catching up with my friends and entering my stash on </span></a><a href="http://www.ravelry.com">Ravelry</a> when I get back. Tschuss!<img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQnHZmC8-qUoiesbn5vWsmzNc7Se0_AqTvV6JW8J9_oZqKQKRSHHtxFNKA3l_OZufxsHDE5AE1o96cXWHFDg8d4N41VUzkS58ts0qGreX6bzqjQPm3dQ52gflk2tSt1WeflAr/s320/2740763-Austin_TX-Austin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096070399123849666" border="0" /><img style="width: 1px; height: 180px;" src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/HP_Owner/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg" alt="" />lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-16603347675870305662007-07-16T19:17:00.000-07:002007-07-16T19:45:28.082-07:00Bonsai and Apollo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKAKvvrFDCkBnKoIcWkPBoFJ4DyaosJKE5O_FD10eVcRtfRx1gRR-vhCfrPGesRiYKEL-Wq0X5yG0KjkQE-VuldLePKfLPYoNj2sA-06p417CkCrAsTks21hubj5An6vnIKen/s1600-h/BonsaiCloseup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKAKvvrFDCkBnKoIcWkPBoFJ4DyaosJKE5O_FD10eVcRtfRx1gRR-vhCfrPGesRiYKEL-Wq0X5yG0KjkQE-VuldLePKfLPYoNj2sA-06p417CkCrAsTks21hubj5An6vnIKen/s320/BonsaiCloseup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087985939786253378" border="0" /></a>Greetings all! Things are starting to wrap up here in Santa Fe. The second to last opera of the season, Tea: A Mirror of the Soul, by composer Tan Dun, is in first dress tonight. It will open this Saturday. The last opera, Platee, will begin dress rehearsals next monday and open on Sat., July 28th. The last day of my contract! I have been having a great time , have met a lot of wonderful people that I will keep in touch with, and have honed my tailoring skills and learned new ones. With that said, I am definitely looking forward to getting back to Austin! I miss my friends, That Guy, and my cats! It also means that I only have four weeks until classes start. During that time the only thing I have planned so far is to visit my sister in Wisconsin so I can see my niece and nephew. My nephew is two years old now, and I haven't even met my niece yet, who was born back in February!<br /><br />I have managed to finish one top this summer - the Bonsai Tunic from the Spring Interweave Knits. I did a bonehead thing - I read through my pattern one night after hiking all day and overlooked an instruction. Confused and convinced I was unable to move forward, I emailed the magazine. Not only did they respond to me within that same day, they were also kind in pointing out to me that the instructions I was looking for was AT THE VERY TOP OF THE PATTERN. Duh! So, never heisitate to email them with questions - they are prompt AND nice.<br /><br />I did make some modifications. I used 2nd Time Around Cotton instead of the called for yarn, and I knew I didn't have the required yardage. No matter, because the length that is pictured would hit me at the widest point of my hips, so I didn't mind making it a bit shorter. Also, I am a hippy gal, so I still cast on the number of stitches called for and simply did the decreases more frequently than called for. I'm really happy with how it turned out and I have received many compliments on it in the costume shop. I even was asked to do a workshop next week with another opera shop staffer!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ApHGuZwc-v3RUi7wtUD2xfFpRADIanxlTobCaxo4uBmvtTJwAJyWB2cIFHu4rksIF5yiV5mKydfKBoCNX6wGcXsuBMuTzrgO_rvop7EZZhfAS5wi4s7hmxYtQmDMSfw-iupM/s1600-h/Apollocoat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ApHGuZwc-v3RUi7wtUD2xfFpRADIanxlTobCaxo4uBmvtTJwAJyWB2cIFHu4rksIF5yiV5mKydfKBoCNX6wGcXsuBMuTzrgO_rvop7EZZhfAS5wi4s7hmxYtQmDMSfw-iupM/s320/Apollocoat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087985218231747634" border="0" /></a>Opera picture! This is the coat that I built for the character of Apollo in the opera Daphne. It's caramel colored leather with a gold sort of glaze finish to it. When we work on projects of this size we are often doing so facing a deadline (fittings and dress rehearsals, not to mention openings night!) so often more than one person works on it at once. So when I say I made it, it does mean that someone else made the pattern and cut it out. Then it gets handed off to a primary stitcher (in this case, me). Other stitchers or even a first hand might jump in to move things along in order to finish on deadline. For this coat, the other stitcher on our team, Brian, put together the lining pieces and the sleeves, and one of the first hands, Rolf, helped with putting in the coat fronts (the inner linings that gives the coat structure). But I get to take credit for the pockets, setting in the sleeves, and the collar, along with the piecing of the coat body.<br />What I'm getting at is that the coat is pretty sweet and I'm proud of my work on it.<br />Tschuss!lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-43137424328218695812007-06-19T20:18:00.001-07:002007-06-25T20:45:47.013-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrnM0AZhX1zJ0VgW_mBkDAiampM-FLipUq4c7atJg1knqil5RcqGxW5zx0CBKcFY_3k53-HC5G5wB10dzs0lUXfFuIgGbOkdodPEhn2UxMkPaZ1tV5mOS8UcLzPSHVDjUSUaJ/s1600-h/P1010177.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrnM0AZhX1zJ0VgW_mBkDAiampM-FLipUq4c7atJg1knqil5RcqGxW5zx0CBKcFY_3k53-HC5G5wB10dzs0lUXfFuIgGbOkdodPEhn2UxMkPaZ1tV5mOS8UcLzPSHVDjUSUaJ/s320/P1010177.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077981489678412850" border="0" /></a>I forgot that I had uploaded these photos last week! These are from the previous Sunday, not yesterday. A group of us went hiking at Bandalier National Monument. There is an ancient cliff dwelling and reconstructed kiva (an underground space for religious ceremonies) that you reach by climbing a series of ladders and steps. It was a hot day! This picture is on the way to the dwelling.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33_RdWom9C09rymebTPyhkWEaHL-3joP0jEh4s8eLTyk8p7OAcIjt9O4F2ost9RCLJojE8-8Tk8thfvQJ66iVIzYDVfA86WkD79PwFjZqKffbqGrNzqadLI5KdvnleUgTe_AF/s1600-h/P1010190.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33_RdWom9C09rymebTPyhkWEaHL-3joP0jEh4s8eLTyk8p7OAcIjt9O4F2ost9RCLJojE8-8Tk8thfvQJ66iVIzYDVfA86WkD79PwFjZqKffbqGrNzqadLI5KdvnleUgTe_AF/s320/P1010190.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077981214800505890" border="0" /></a>This picture is looking up from one of the landings on the climb up to the dwelling. This is the cliff that overhangs where the dwelling once was. Now, these dwellings are west of the visitor center at Bandelier, and the waterfall pictured below was towards the east of the center. <br /><br />As far as my knitting goes, I actually finished the Bonsai Tunic from the Spring Interweave Knits issue. I promise photos next time, but right now the cafe I am at is closing and I've got to go home!<br />Tschuss!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomqZlczYzZBIXQgHnPZXRX7OKmIF41GwFzflf70qOIeWxzAijHDAWBCsh1WQdE3xe2EoHjvMcotTz5HzlaIJwipxOoQGstQ83yXEMt897LD8FkXE62zOsDvszE7j-x1nvfoav/s1600-h/P1010216.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomqZlczYzZBIXQgHnPZXRX7OKmIF41GwFzflf70qOIeWxzAijHDAWBCsh1WQdE3xe2EoHjvMcotTz5HzlaIJwipxOoQGstQ83yXEMt897LD8FkXE62zOsDvszE7j-x1nvfoav/s320/P1010216.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077981017232010258" border="0" /></a>lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-2575677002413114042007-06-11T19:31:00.001-07:002007-06-11T20:01:53.512-07:00Hiking!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgnvOu0Y_u3GhKgxzHOU0OXbqMBZUi9Xu11VLC19-jDzDKVejc0_CZHa3wWZfLrMvvZuXOwAAc5yLF0d5pN2yhRW2wHLvkDR2eOCihDrmTMQjuff9b17C7kNPZcxCdfp8q3B7/s1600-h/skibasin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgnvOu0Y_u3GhKgxzHOU0OXbqMBZUi9Xu11VLC19-jDzDKVejc0_CZHa3wWZfLrMvvZuXOwAAc5yLF0d5pN2yhRW2wHLvkDR2eOCihDrmTMQjuff9b17C7kNPZcxCdfp8q3B7/s320/skibasin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075002053685308402" border="0"></a>One of the activities that I looked forward to in Santa Fe this summer was hiking. Just as it didn't take long to find the knitters amongst my colleagues, it took only a week to discover the hikers. Yesterday we drove up to the Ski Basin and hiked 8 miles round trip to the Puerto Nambe Meadow and back. It was a gorgeous day, not to hot or cold. For the most part there was not a cloud in the sky. The first part of the hike was the most difficult, boasting a steep ascent that made me question whether I had enough water on me.<br /><br />Santa Fe itself sits around 7,000 feet above sea level. The Ski Basin sits higher, and our hike took us to somewhere just under approximately 12,ooo feet. I'm hoping to have a greater lung capacity when I return to Austin!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzNCQ1U0HbnN4B7v_tCwx9lpGcOeLf47q7eOPur-ZYkIg8C-RfZK2LJDUKxMuqG01bbyIEFIxsHXqzmpd1OJeZPAphjfx6jvV4WIkO3BF-viWKFwH66HeZ4PBzfPQQDFnUa3Y/s1600-h/puertonambemoon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzNCQ1U0HbnN4B7v_tCwx9lpGcOeLf47q7eOPur-ZYkIg8C-RfZK2LJDUKxMuqG01bbyIEFIxsHXqzmpd1OJeZPAphjfx6jvV4WIkO3BF-viWKFwH66HeZ4PBzfPQQDFnUa3Y/s320/puertonambemoon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075001787397336034" border="0"></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Once we reached the meadow we rested and lunched. One of the other hikers noticed a slip of the moon visible in the afternoon sky. It's faint, but you should be able to spot it in this picture. I love my camera - many thanks to my mom and dad who so wisely choose it!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1cfknNGOIeFPfJl6W9L7uA0j2R-f_wbO48raeOkgGH1SvzACNe3ozRdb6mV7uxsjIGvVh7IbaBFhYWMSzqpAqse0HTATVTO64zRgIQjgV6BH7QMzQcr1niQU_XNo378pACbq/s1600-h/puertonambeparasite.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1cfknNGOIeFPfJl6W9L7uA0j2R-f_wbO48raeOkgGH1SvzACNe3ozRdb6mV7uxsjIGvVh7IbaBFhYWMSzqpAqse0HTATVTO64zRgIQjgV6BH7QMzQcr1niQU_XNo378pACbq/s320/puertonambeparasite.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075000275568847826" border="0"></a><br />See how nicely the macro setting works? I'm thinking of playing around with some dyeing of yarnstuff at the end of the summer. Wouldn't this make up a nice colorway? This was growing on a tree trunk and seemed to be some sort of parasite.<br /><br />After we hiked we stopped in at a spa on the way back to town called Ten Thousand Waves to soak in the hot baths, saunas, and reenergize in the cold dip. No pictures of that, sorry. It was absolutely delightful though, and my sore muscles thanked me, both yesterday and today. The women in our group decided against the communal bath in favor of the more private women's bath. Dress is optional, and apparently the men in the communal bath take that to heart. We stuck with swimsuits.<br /><br />In knitting, I have nearly finished the first of another pair of socks, knit out of Lorna's Laces in a colorway that is all purples and fuschia. And they are for me. I don't know what has gotten in to me lately, but purple has crept in to my color world. As for the pink, I don't know what to tell you. I'm going to blame it on my exposure to it through my friends Amanda and Noelle. My resistence has broken down. No bubblegum pink though. It is absolutely banned - with the exception of the Manhands band tank top, of course. It's just to much fun.<br /><br />Tschuss!lieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28902102.post-14464661192698867922007-06-02T13:39:00.001-07:002007-06-02T14:04:57.197-07:00Notes from Santa Fe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPx6nlvJD2NhE8lFh3bf_JMd6bjYWB6LrCwmZICwxVwA53JcgQq0nhPxlq5ojyUJwpA8dlbkXFcwqRPMCbFqIcAdDOM_zjH4BHC6mgJpWcFg5jwitlTfHCmiW0ZYMnWzRg4nDy/s1600-h/P1010090.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPx6nlvJD2NhE8lFh3bf_JMd6bjYWB6LrCwmZICwxVwA53JcgQq0nhPxlq5ojyUJwpA8dlbkXFcwqRPMCbFqIcAdDOM_zjH4BHC6mgJpWcFg5jwitlTfHCmiW0ZYMnWzRg4nDy/s320/P1010090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071570841686025250" border="0" /></a>So the images in this post are in reverse chronology. Here is a pair of socks, one done and the other in progress. Thanks to "Safety Day" training at the Opera, the second sock is finished! Are you excited Jamie? I'll be in touch on where to send these. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDL5u1H7dbtX4KPh_Jxw76RUsNau5sKBjfiHffPzFz1Zt8EhepFj-Vk9lirxFsMwPYBMWkuavH9WNf9tJToN_Oz4dlFgwQawsz4IBN50zdkkOn2uOv4YcyUXHwlV1RUycieCM/s1600-h/P1010086.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDL5u1H7dbtX4KPh_Jxw76RUsNau5sKBjfiHffPzFz1Zt8EhepFj-Vk9lirxFsMwPYBMWkuavH9WNf9tJToN_Oz4dlFgwQawsz4IBN50zdkkOn2uOv4YcyUXHwlV1RUycieCM/s320/P1010086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071570214620800002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />That Guy and I took this picture on a roof top bar in Santa Fe, my temporary abode for the next two months. It is spectacular here! I found an excellent jogging route that has great views. My roommates are both very cool and fun, and the team I work on at the opera is great. It will be a very good summer. I can't explain to you fully, after this first year of grad school, how nice it is to be working and earning money. We had a great trip to SF, camping and seeing the Carlsbad Caverns, Taos, and SF (of course). It was good for him to see where I was going to be spending my time. The opera itself is an entire complex. There are something like 700 employees in all while they are in production during the summer. Singers, administrators, technicians, stage managers, you name it, we are all here. There is a Cantina if you don't want to bring your lunch everyday (it is several miles away from downtown SF) and a pool. You can bet I'll be swimming when the temps start to climb.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWk2rwVufnAz6GLHwPZFqGbgb3RmsrPa00oFP8qfq5kaohe4vGP51eL3NTtli6D8YNPSCu_7-rvtEAemImHStRRe2BP88KTkxeAaMOhvRoNVirqyROwwoSyjAyx_-uhnkUWYt/s1600-h/P1010023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWk2rwVufnAz6GLHwPZFqGbgb3RmsrPa00oFP8qfq5kaohe4vGP51eL3NTtli6D8YNPSCu_7-rvtEAemImHStRRe2BP88KTkxeAaMOhvRoNVirqyROwwoSyjAyx_-uhnkUWYt/s320/P1010023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071569626210280418" border="0" /></a>The Carlsbad Caverns were the first place we visited. They are sooooooooo vast inside. This is the view from the Entrance Trail, looking back up and out to the sky. From here we spent more than two hours underground. It was a little overwhelming, kind of like the House on the Rock. If you have been there, you know what I mean! Our campground was at Brantley Lake State Park. It was on a plateau. In the middle of the Chihuahan Desert. Thunderstorms were in the forecast the second night we were going to stay, so we beat a fast trail up to Santa Fe. This worked out better because it allowed us a full day in Taos, and a full day in SF. <br /><br />Now that I am a little more settled in for the next two months, there is plenty to do. Work, yes of course, but other activities as well. There are several opera sponsored parties that the employees attend, and the employees like to hosts some themselves. It is tradition to frequent a particular Plaza bar on Tuesday nights ($2 beers, $2 for a dozen chicken wings, fantastic!). I'm still seeking out the hikers, but I've located several knitters. Yesterday I had the afternoon off, so I went in search of the local yarn shops. Wildly enough, they are all located around the Plaza area. However, they all carry different lines and types of yarn, so they aren't in competition with one another. I like them all! I purposefully did not take any money with me so that I wouldn't buy anything. I will allow myself a souviner skein or two, but I have plenty of yarn and I am trying to knit through some of my stash before I allow too many more purchases.<br /><br />I'll keep ya'll posted!<br />Tschusslieblingsgarnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721257135554185977noreply@blogger.com0