random thoughts while quilting

 

• I really had to get this quilt out of my system. Like, this was a quilt that I had to make. I learned so much while making it.
• I really and truly love the act of quilting. I had so much fun quilting this. After I worked out a plan, I set the machine on "quick as a bunny" speed and put the pedal to the metal. It's a little cathartic and cleansing to do that. It feels a little like going on a long motorcycle ride only my butt doesn't hurt at the end and I have a pretty thing to show for myself to boot.
• The new Mudhoney album sounds like just about everything else they've ever recorded in the last 25 years. So of course, I love it like crazy. It's my sewing soundtrack now. I'm madly jealous of anyone who was there when they played at the top of the Space Needle a few days ago.
• I'm actually going to finish a Halloween quilt in time for Halloween and that blows my mind, rocks my world, makes me all sorts of happy.

FMQing all the words I know

Practice practice....

on my daily travels....

I was lucky enough to come across this piece by swoon today. If you don't know who she is, you should. She blows Shepard Fairey and most of the other "street art" boys out of the water. She's been doing her thing for a long time, and she is amazing. Her exhibit at the ICA is soon drawing to a close, and I need to go see it asap.

it's dahlia time!

...and that means that Fall is right around the corner. I know as soon as these guys start blooming in force that Summer is just about over and we're only a sneeze away from decorative gourd season.

I've got a backlog of projects to talk about here that I hope to get around to soon. In the meanwhile, have you seen the trailer for the American remake of "Let the Right One In" yet? It's called "Let Me In," and it looks fantastically creepy. I can't wait to see this.

grab some coffee - it's gonna be a long one! (rantrantrant)

I was going to post about the wonky cross quilt today, but then I came across this article and felt the need to comment on it. Normally, I resist commenting on such things on the blog because I don't particularly want to court controversy, and let's face it, anytime someone expresses a strong opinion on a knitterly/crafty blog, people freak out. Being as it is craft-related, however, I'm just going to go for it and say this:

While I sympathize with some of the sentiments expressed in the article, I don't understand why so many commenters feel the need to ridicule the people behind the blogs and dismiss them as "losers" who are "not actually living life." I, too, look at some blogs and wish that I was as productive as some people or took photographs that are as beautiful as others or that I was as ambitious or accomplished as others, but I don't hate myself for not being any of those things. And I certainly don't resent or begrudge anyone else their talents or abilities. If anything, I admire and respect them. It seems that a lot of people don't "get it." These blogs don't exist for the purpose of making anyone feel bad about themselves or their lifestyle/choices. They exist because the people behind them want to celebrate beauty and share it with others. They exist to establish a sort of exchange and cultivate a community within that exchange. Since these people commenting over on Jezebel (a site that I normally enjoy, despite the occasional questionable article) don't understand what compels these folks to blog in this way, they dismiss the blogs and the people behind them in a pretty derisive and nasty fashion. You don't understand why someone chose to do something, so you call them names, make all sorts of assumptions about them, and reduce what they're doing to something not worth doing? What sense does that make? Someone made something pretty and that makes you feel badly about yourself? Why?

Perhaps this strikes too close to home for me. It reminds me of a difficult choice I had to make a couple of years ago. I had a friend who didn't understand why I chose to make softies. She thought it was silly, I guess, though she never came out and directly said so. She would occasionally read my blog, and when we would speak, she would say, "Oh, you're making so many things. Should I be doing that? Should I be making things?" The question shocked me because I didn't understand why she should feel that way, especially when she was so awesome and successful. She was getting her Masters in Language, working as a copy-editor, running the community garden, active in local politics, and about to embark on a trip to Italy and Germany. My response was, "If you feel like making stuff, do it. If you don't, then don't. Just do your thing. Do what makes you happy. Why compare yourself to anyone else?" She would then follow that up with, "Well, I am an intellectual, so making stuff is kinda beneath me. I have no desire to quilt, anyway." Eventually, she started really imposing her opinion of crafting onto me and couldn't accept that I felt differently about it. She felt it was a worthless endeavor, and that would have been fine had she been capable of realizing that her opinion was not law. It got to the point where I couldn't take talking with her anymore because she would project her insecurities onto me and end up making me feel like crap after every conversation. That's what a lot of the comments over on the article remind me of - they sound like they're written by people who cannot accept a divergent opinion or lifestyle if it's not what they would choose for themselves, and if something is not for them, then clearly, it must be wrong.

Here's the thing that I wish I could have said to my former friend that applies to these people as well: it is not all about you. The world doesn't revolve around you. The internet doesn't revolve around you. It's not all about your tastes and your preferences. It takes all types. Some people are going to think differently from you or do things differently. Deal with it. You feel passionately about your opinion/ your interests? Guess what? So does someone else with a different opinion and a different point of view. It doesn't mean that anyone is right or wrong. It just means that you are different. Celebrate those differences. We all have something to offer. While you may not have any interest in restoring furniture you found in the trash, you have a PhD or a law degree or both. Celebrate that! Revel in it because you are damn successful. Should others resent you and think themselves inferior to you for that?

If an innocuous blog about someone's breezy life makes you feel so awful, then don't read it, but to trash the blogger behind it or their endeavors just because you feel bad is simply ridiculous. We all have our insecurities; the way to get over them is to just say, "fuck it!" and be ourselves. The best way to shatter the mold is to realize that you can do your thing without conforming to a mold and to refuse to conform to it. Comparing yourself to everyone you meet does not help. Belittling others does not help. I don't go to skateboarding blogs and then complain that they make me feel inadequate because I can't ride. And I don't go to shelter blogs and call people liars or frauds because they were able to score some sweet deal on craigslist or lucked out and found some amazing piece of Scandinavian furniture in someone's trash when I never have that kind of luck. And I sure as shit don't go to The Sartorialist then hide in shame because my style doesn't hold a candle to the impeccably attired folks that grace his photos. Nor do I feel inferior when I read Rich's blog because he's so damn funny and witty and his cat Winston is a megastar. It is absurd (and selfish) to imagine that we should feel badly about ourselves just because someone else shines at something. No one is saying that you have to compete with anyone else, and if you really feel that way, then maybe you need to examine where this competitive impulse comes from and why it's there. Also, I'm all for the debate of crafting and blogging and Feminism, but the article didn't really so much discuss that. The comments allowed for much less as they were for the most part a gushing fountain of Haterade with only a handful of exceptions. I will say that some of the comments were spot-on about one thing: a lot of those pretty-pretty blogs are highly edited. The bloggers are extremely selective about their content and their photos, and they have every right to be. Aren't all blogs carefully edited? Besides, who's going to post a photo essay about the cat puke they had to deal with first thing in the morning? More importantly, who wants to see that? If people were interested in cat puke, dude, I'd have blog fodder every day.

On a highly personal note, you know what does make me feel worthless? Having the birth center tell me that because of my past history of depression I need clearance from a shrink before I can birth there. That makes me feel awful. Reading about someone's gardening choices doesn't fill me with self-loathing. Checking out someone's softies and thinking that they are the most adorable things I have ever seen doesn't make me feel like I've already failed as a mother. Looking at someone's blog filled with exquisitely photographed cupcakes and fancy recipes doesn't make me feel like less of a woman or like I'm failing at femininity. If anything, those pretty places take the edge off of coming home with that news and provide a welcome distraction from all sorts of ugly, painful feelings that come from someone actually telling me, or at the very least, strongly implying that for reasons beyond my control I am inadequate. And that's not to piss all over the author's feelings or those who feel the same way she does. It's only to point out that there are more substantial ways in which people are made to feel worthless, ways that pack a harder punch than pretty pictures on a stranger's blog or a supposedly sugar-coated version of femininity. Sometimes, it is really hard to say, "Fine, this is not for me," and move on unscathed.

Can I just say one last thing? I found it a little amusing that several of the blogs they linked to don't even feature photos by the blogger herself. All the photos that commenters were clutching their proverbial pearls over, disgustedly commenting on how much time these bloggers have on their hands and what decadent/spoiled/pampered & moneyed lifestyles they must lead to afford to take such pretty pictures? Just about all those photos were taken by professional photographers, i.e. people who shoot pretty pictures for a living, and were co-opted by those bloggers, which is one of my personal pet peeves. I generally avoid blogs that do that because it irks me so, but that's just me. I can appreciate the eye candy because we all need some eye candy, be it for creative inspiration or as a form of escape. I would rather have my eye candy straight from the photographer's blog, especially if that photoblogger's tone is welcoming and they seem like the kind of person you would want to hang out with. Again, this is just me, and I don't expect or need anyone else to agree with me in order to validate this sentiment. I just think it's worth putting it out there, though.

yes!!!!

Whoever made this is my favorite person on the internet right now....

it's rastafarout, man!

So one day as we were getting ready to have his capoeira group over for their music class at our place, Matt and I got into a whole conversation about BRO-dhisattvas and trustafarians. Embarrassingly enough, I think the subject came up because I was telling Matt about some awful conservative versus liberal wife-swap show on Fox* and how I felt that they clearly chose the most extreme examples of both camps but usually made the liberal look worse by picking the most way-out hippy-dippy astrology chart writing, hemp-worshipping, ridiculous and totally cartoonish example they could find. Whereas the conservative couple was potrayed in a more positive, sympathetic light, the liberal couple came off like a couple of talking buttholes. For this particular episode the talking butthole was some smoked-out dude with blonde dreadlocks who was super-annoying and puctuated every statement with "Rastafari! Rastafari!" (Yeah, it irks to know that we would probably be lumped in with this hemorrhoid just because we lean to the left, but whatever - screw Fox.) Pretty much anyone who went to a liberal arts college knew that kid who was all, "Yeah, so I'm a Rastafarian. Jah love, man." That dude was this dude, and apparently, Andy Samburg is all too familiar with the kind of dude we're talking about. Also, Andy Samburg is awesome.

P.S. I think Matt is pretty awesome for coming up with the term "BRO-dhisattva," too.

* For the record, I only watched this show because I was alone at home and bored and came across this car-wreck and could not avert my gaze.

you know you're frazzled when you can't even conceive of a post title

In order to organize my thoughts, I am going to have to break this post down into 6 parts because let me tell you, I am skedaddled! Only 7 more days before Bazaar Bizarre Boston, and my worktable overfloweth. Apparently, so does my mind... with random thoughts and useless junk, however.

1. That yarn in the photo above? That is some Pigeonroof handspun that I received as a gift from Megan. Thanks again, M! Lovely stuff! And perfect for a quick mindless project that will help to soothe me so I can sleep at night. Now here's my question: what do I knit with it? Should I knit myself a Thorpe? Or some rustic mittens like these beauties? Or yet another cowl, like maybe another Gloria? If I had enough yardage, I would knit myself some legwarmers like these, because seriously, I LOVE them. Gah! I can't think. Please help me pick a project and cast your vote in the poll on the sidebar. The yarn is a light worsted/dk, and the yardage is about 170 yards, enough for any of the projects I'm considering.

2. Speaking of projects, I went to A Good Yarn in Brookline (LOVE!!!!) over the weekend with some friends and got the yarn(s) I needed for presents to knit. I may have already cast on for one of these gifts-to-be. Unfortunately, I can't share any of the glorious details until after the holidays because intended recipients know about the blog. I am not sure if and when they read it, but better not to take that chance. In other news, apparently, I have a huge mouth and cannot keep secrets.

3. Thank crunchy I am not a dj because my opinion seems to have been way off on the Twilight soundtrack. I still think that the music was boring and underwhelming, but I was totally wrong about the kids. The kids - they love it. I just don't understand how. The exceptions to the suckage I thought were Radiohead, who can do no wrong as far as I am concerned, and Paramore, that thanks to the A.D.D. Knitter I looked up on last fm and now totally comprehend why the tweens love it. I would love them too were I 12. I might kinda love them now. Gah, I should be so ashamed of my last fm library... but I'm not.

4. Speaking of Twilight, move over Bella and Edward. I am so over them and so into Eli and Oskar of Let the Right One In. If you get a chance to see this, go... now! If not, Netflix it. You will love it. Besides the gorgeous cinematography, great acting, and a compelling story, there are several moments of hilarity (not sure if they were intentional or not) that only a good vampire movie can provide. It was (genuinely) awesome.

5. I am so happy that 'tis the season for peppermint hot chocolate. Yeah, random, but true.

6. I am going to be away from the computer for the next week because I still have a ton of stuff to finish for Baz Biz. I'll be back some time next week and hopefully have a finished knit or two to show for myself. In the meanwhile, hope your holiday season is off to a happy and peaceful start. See you folks soon!

ZOMG!!!!!!!!1!!1!1!1!!!!!1! vampires, like, totally rule!!!!!!11!!!!!1

Sometimes South Park just speaks to, like, my soul, and my soul is, like, black so I, like, wear lots of black because it's, like, me and I think I, like, heard that line in a song by, like, some old British dudes. I think Trey Parker (ZOMG! So dreamy!) and Matt Stone have redeemed themselves for the unfunniest episode of South Park ever (the Indiana Jones episode) with this gem here. With references to Hot Topic and Twilight, this was just spot-on. (And this coming from someone who was called a poseur in high school for not being "true Goth enough" despite my "darkling" status, so this was doubly hilarious for me.)

Oh yeah, I saw the Twilight movie over the weekend with a bunch of friends and to sum it up (please remember, this is just my opinion):

• The acting was crap. Twitchy Stewart and Leaden Pattinson were bordering on painfully boring.
• The cinematography, however, was not crap - soooooooooo cool, I loved it!
• Jacob - kinda hot (and I say that in as non-creepy a way as possible).
• Maryse almost killed me with her commentary, especially when she said, "Ohmygod, creepy!" when Edward was in Bella's room, which leads me to say, you MUST see a movie with Maryse because you are guaranteed to laugh all the way through it, no matter what the movie may be.
  
• Spidermonkey? For real? Awesome!!!
• Was Jasper not the most unintentionally hilarious character EVER?
• Ew, what was up with Carlisle? He was so not what I imagined. I was thinking of Cary Ewles in his prime. Charlie on the other hand was better than what I imagined. Meh, go figure!
  
• Double-ew, what were thinking with the make-up? Seriously, who did they use? There are way better make-up artists on the MAC site. Did they not consult with this site? Sparkly should not have looked static-y. But then again, maybe that's just hard to translate onto film.
  
• ...which leads me to once again say that the day this is made into an anime series, I will go buy the box set immediately because it will be cheestastically fabulous. I will watch it on rainy days and revel in all its tacky over-the-top glory.
• They should have considered using someone who used to go around telling people he was a vampire when he was a teenager to do the score because, well, he might have had some perspective and in all seriousness would have done a MUCH better job of it than was done (not only that but I hear the tweens love his band - heh).
• ...which leads me to the soundtrack - ugh! I may be far from 17 (and thank crunchy for that! 17 sucked ass), but even I have a basic idea of what angst-ridden teens listen to, and it sure as hell was not most of the music they featured, save for that craptastic Linkin Park which was one of the only bands they went with from the bands that Stephenie Meyer listed as her inspiration. Oh wait! They used that Collective Soul song, too. But still.... Where is the My Chemical Romance, which seems to be the cornerstone of emo today? (It hurt to type that, for the record.) Also, does anyone under 30 actually listen to Iron & Wine? They seem to draw an older crowd. Not that I'm a fan. I may be 34, but I would rather listen to MCR than Iron & Wine. (At least, I would never shop at Hot Topic. Gotta draw the line somewhere.) They used the same person who selected all the music for the O.C., and she has a pretty impressive resume. I am surprised that this fell so flat because I like everything else she has worked on.
• All in all, I love Catherine Hardwicke (13 was such a powerful movie and I loved Lords of Dogtown), and I actually enjoyed watching this. It was awful and delightful at once. Didn't hurt that I had extremely low expectations going into it, though. Nor that I had a bunch of people around me who were wise-cracking through it and making me laugh until it hurt.

Okay, that's enough of my opinion. Happy Monday, folks!

notes on twilight

Vampires are excessive tippers, which is a great thing. I mean, how terribly fancy-pants that he paid for their meal and four glasses of Coke with a single bill. Oooh la la! He's sparkly and a big spender! Unless he only paid for dinner with a twenty in which case, they are bad tippers and totally suck. (Hah!)

Vampires are irresistible even when they’re being assholes, which makes them irresistible assholes, which in turn means that Jared Leto must be a vampire. (I knew it!)

Apparently dust motes when amassed form a “dust moat.” It’s that or the author and her editor don’t know the difference between a mote and a moat. At least Danielle will be happy to know that they do know that it’s a “moot point” and not a “mute point.” As I guess my gripe here is a moot point being as she has sold how many millions of books and no one cares that she made this mistake. (But I’m a stickler, so I do.)

If Matt were sparkly, I would get absolutely nothing done because I would stare at him all day like a love-struck magpie. What can I say – I like sparkly things. Sparkly = powerful. This is what watching Dynasty as a child has taught me. I told him this, and he said perhaps he would pick up some body glitter at MAC. Either that or he could dress like a figure skater at home. It would be like Blades of Glory in my very own living room. Or not.

While I am not exactly looking forward to seeing the movie that is being made based on this series of books, I would LOVE to see a Japanime series based on it instead. It’s where the cheesy twain meets. I love Japanime because it’s so corny and melodramatic, and this book is most definitely corny and melodramatic. It’s two great tastes that taste great together! The over-the-top ridiculous story would lend itself well to anime. I mean I love anime and all, but even when it’s really good and artfully done, it is still cheesy as all get-out. (I definitely recommend Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Christo to everyone, even people who are not normally anime fans, just because it is so awesomely over-the-top.)

sprung

pattern: Spring forward
designer: Linda Welch
yarn: Koigu KPPPM in P90318
needles: Addi Turbos US size 1 (magic loop!)
modifications: knit a round toe as usual

I’ve been meaning to show you folks these socks for days now, but alas, I have been having some problems getting to you all. Comcast has decided to suck massive ass since Thursday and is barely giving us service. There’s a tiny window of like 5 minutes of service a day it seems. It’s not just us; it’s a problem with service in our entire area. No emails, no blogging, no Flickr. It’s immensely frustrating, but at least I’m not convulsing or experiencing the serious shakes yet, so I’m alright. I am really sorry that I haven’t been able to respond to your emails or communicate with any of you all. I swear I am not being a slacker. However, I also haven’t felt like hunting for internet in any of the local cafés, all of which say they do not provide wifi, but I see people checking their email and such on their laptops as they occupy their tables for hours. I’m lucky that it seems to be working for now and that I don’t have to resort to the café thing. I mean, hey, I do have some pretty neat socks to share with you, so you know….

I have to say, while my lifeline to the internet was interrupted, I actually did fun stuff. I went to the movies with my friend Beba on Saturday and saw The Wackness. It wasn’t hilariously funny, but it managed to keep you smiling the whole time. Afterwards, we had coffee and talked for a couple of hours about how much we both love The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, what an amazing writer Junot Diaz is, other great books we have read recently (we have both been devouring books lately), and of course, the book that ate the internet. Beba hasn’t read it, but her mother, who is a YA novelist herself, has read the whole series so far and is super-into them. I am thoroughly fascinated with how much interest that series has generated in a demographic that most people would never think would be so enthralled by what is essentially bad writing, but more on that later. (Or as they would say the 90s, that kind of writing is “mad corny” and only appeals to “herbs,” but then again, I guess I qualify as a "herb" - definition #7, that is.)

Oh yeah! Back to the socks! I like them. The pattern is one of those blissfully easy lacy patterns that you can almost knit blindfolded, and it’s pretty to boot. It knits up a little slouchy for my tastes. I can predict these won’t be fun to wear with my Wellies in the winter, but they’ll be perfect with other shoes or for just hanging out in the studio. For knitting the toe in the round, the only modification I made, I decreased two stitches in the center of the sole of the foot bringing the stitch total down to 64 before starting the toe decreases. I do so love a round toe. And can I tell you how much I love that Koigu? *swoon* Koigu is totally my go-to yarn. It never does me wrong, and I absolutely love this colorway. I think it works pretty well with the pattern, too.

Hope you guys had a great weekend and that your week is off to a fabulous start. I’ll try to pop by again during the week, conditions permitting.

slow ride (progress)

I am totally consumed by this.

By the way, for anyone who may be wondering where the knitting content went, if you haven't clicked "unsubscribe" by now and sent me packing into the cyber-ether, please rest assured that there will be knitlovin' content on here verrrrrrrrrrry soon. I promise.

Oh, also, when I said this was going to be my "knitblog" where I would go on and on about knitting only, I may have stretched the truth a bit - like, a teeny lil' bit. I may have some quilting to post about here soonish. And more embroidery. And if I ever get my shizz together and take Maryse up on her offer to teach me crochet, there may even be some crochet on here.

One more thing, why does she not run the other way the minute he asks, "Do you think that I could be scary?" Even when I was 15, that would have sent a huge red flag a'flyin' and I would have been all, "Yeeeeeeeeeaaaahh, so I'm getting out of the car now. Call me and there will be a restraining order, creepy dude." I believe it was at 15 that I came up with one of my favorite adages: I have no time for creepy people. Okay, maybe I came up with that when I was a little bit older and had way too many creepy people lurking about my life. But STILL! Oh yes, that's right, this is fun, fluffy fiction and not real life. Take it with a grain of salt. Keep it in perspective, M, keep it in perspective....

so much love

Over the weekend, I saw a documentary about a group of surfers in Australia, Bra Boys. Not the typical movie I would go see on a Sunday, but I'm glad I saw it. Besides the fact that I could watch people surfing all day and never get tired of it, it was a pretty interesting story, along the lines of Dogtown and Z Boys, only with a happier "ending" for all involved. I would definitely recommend it, but be warned, there are a couple of extremely graphic scenes with injured surfers. If blood makes you squeamish, you may not want to check this out. (Personally, I just hid behind my hands and may have accidentally said "EW!" out loud a few times.) Although I will say, those scenes are counterbalanced by the fact that the gorgeous Koby Abberton is shirtless for a good portion of the film. Seriously, could not get enough of ogling, erm, I mean, watching him. Shirtless. For almost every interview. And surfing. And hot. And I may have mentioned that he was shirtless. Ahem. I digress....

Seeing this got me thinking about a common attitude that the uninitiated have with any "hobby" or interest that they just "don't get," and that is "why do people get so worked up/ involved/ consumed with such-and-such hobby?" Well, that's because for most of us, it's not just a hobby. It's an obsession. It's an escape. It's a form of meditation. It's something that channels our creative energies. It's a tradition that was passed down from generation to generation, something we learned from our mothers and grandmothers. It's making something beautiful. It's a common denominator for people of all walks of life. We've built a whole community around it, online and in real life. Like surfing, it unites, brings people together, and gives them a viable outlet.

By nature, I am a solitary sort, but knitting has brought me out of my hermetic shell and closer to other people. When I went to my first knit night in Long Island City so many years ago (has it been 5 years? more? my time flies!), I went at Matt's suggestion, maybe because he was tired of going to yarn shops and fiber festivals with me (he's not, for the record), and it was a big step for me to even do this and reach out to other people who had similar interests. I met the most awesome group of strong, opinionated, intelligent, vibrant women full of life and humor. I can say it now that it doesn't hurt to admit it, but I miss those women and their conversations, opinions, crazy jokes, and amazing spirit. Most of them became good friends, and I think about them here and there even though I am horrible about keeping in touch. They brought out the best in me, and I'm so grateful for that. Likewise, I am so happy that I have met another group of women here in Cambridge who are also witty, hilarious, smart, and so much fun to hang out with. And that's not even to mention the amazing people I have met through blogging who I have become friends with in real life. I could go on and on about these awesome people, but there's a more basic point I am trying to make. I would have never met any of them if it weren't for this silly "hobby." So while I may not be putting a firecracker in anyone's butt crack (apparently, this is one of the many ways surfers show their appreciation for their friends - who knew?), there is some fabulous camaraderie going on here, and I am lucky to have it and be a part of it.

Anyhoo, we're off to dance camp again this year. Matt teaches capoeira there, and I'm supposed to be his assistant, kinda sorta. Actually, whereas Matt goes to his capoeira classes three times a week, I sit on my butt and stuff softies or knit or read or surf the internet (hah). Suffice it to say, I have a hard time keeping up without getting winded. Last year, I only assisted for the first class so that he could instruct the kids on a few different kicks. By the second class, he had them sparring with each other, which was a huge relief to me. I do teach some of the kids who are interested how to make softies in the evenings after dinner and help chaperone little walks and firefly catching sessions and such. I really enjoy it and am so looking forward to going that I'm already packed. (We leave in a couple of days.) Besides the essentials and all that, I'm bringing a book, some knitting, and my nano-nanoo onto which I just downloaded the latest Ladytron. (<- Warning: link has sound.) So yay! Last year was a blast, and hopefully this year will be good times for all again. See you all in a week or so. Hope you are all having a lovely summer!

so you think you can hat hat hat

pattern: so you think you can hat
designer: Susan Chang
yarn: Rowan Handknit Cotton in 239
needles: Addi Turbos US size 4, Crystal Palace circs & dpns US size 7
modifications: I cast on 108 stitches for a total of 9 pattern repeats instead of 8 as the pattern called for

You know what my favorite item to knit is? Hats. They never take more than a day or two to whip out, and they are so satisfying. Immensely satisfying, in fact. When I watched the first episode of So You Think You Can Dance a couple of weeks ago, I immediately fell in love with Mia's hat and knew that I had to make it. I was not alone in such hat-lust, and one of the wonderful people on ravelry, insaknitty, came up with a pattern for it. I cast on Monday night and finished it around 2 in the morning because I was still up and couldn't get to sleep (apparently, this is what not taking Benadryl for a few days does to me - awesome!)*. I love it! Regarding the mods, I decided to add one more pattern repeat for a total of 108 stitches on mine because I have a huge noggin. I had seen Diana's earlier in the day, and hers fit her perfectly, which made me realize there was no way that 96 stitches was going to fit me properly. As the annoyingly fastidious couple behind me kept whining about Saturday night at the theater while watching The Crappening** (seriously folks, if you must watch this, wait until it comes out on DVD and Netflix it - it suuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked), it seems my head just may be large enough to eclipse theater screens and such. I mean, I know my head is big, but I didn't realize it was all Easter Island proportioned. Anyhoo! Yeah, I cast on a whole more buncha stitches. Besides, I wanted it to be slouchy, and with that extra repeat, it is slouchiliciously delightful.

Total side note: the poll on my sidebar closes later tonight so if you haven't had a chance to throw in your vote, please do so now. I will talk about the results and the poll itself in the coming days. As it is I have been running a little behind here so I have a couple of belated posts coming and new posts that tie into this as well.

* Yeah, if this lack of sleep continues, I am dragging my butt to the doctor because it's a little strange to me that I stop taking Benadryl and now I can't sleep.

** I cannot believe that The Happening has been compared to Hitchcock's The Birds. NO! Wrong! Hitchcock was leagues beyond this tripe.