C'mon summer.

It's starting to warm up for summer and I keep wanting to get out of town. This weekend I did just that!

This past weekend I went to North Carolina to visit Light, her hubby and her adorable little girl! Light and I have known each other since high school. Even though we see each other rarely these days, we can always pick up where we left off and have a great time doing it. Most of what we did this weekend was hang out, eat good food, watch movies and play with her daughter.

When I showed up, I came bearing gifts. Which brings me to the knitting:

For Light's birthday I made her a mesh bag for when she goes to her wonderfully yummy farmer's market right near her house. (We may or may not have had white chocolate baguettes there on Saturday!)


The Project: Everlasting Bagstopper

The Yarn: Fantasy Naturale 100% cotton

The Needles: US 5's and 10.5's

The Verdict: This was a simple easy knit and a great bag. I did make a few mods: I knit the bag with sightly less height, and I tapered the top so it wasn't quite so floppy. Also - while the yarn was perfect for the project, I found the cotton very hard on my hands, so I could only work on this a bit at a time.


I also had to make something for Light's little girl:


The Project: May Day Dress by Vicki Howell

The Yarn: Mandarin Cotton

The Needles: US 3's

The Verdict: This was an easy knit and makes such a cute little summer top. It can start as a dress for a little one and end up as a top, which makes it able to survive more than one summer! I upsized this one a bit and it's a little big for her now, but I'm sure she'll grow into it!


The weekend was a great one away! I had a fabulous time even though I didn't get a lot of sleep (someone is a bit of a finicky sleeper....) But who couldn't love this face?

Letters to the Editor

Dear California:

Thank you for the lovely weather during the Thanksgiving holiday. Although some folks like their Thanksgivings to be nippy, I loved our long walk through 70 degree sunshine on Thursday afternoon.

I also have to thank you for your lack of traffic during the holiday weekend. Other than getting in and out of the airport you were an absolute delight. Let's see more of that m'kay?

Love,
The Little Devil

*****

Dear Kansas -

You were lovely when we left - 50s and 60s and sunny. WHAT happened? Now you're spitting snow upon us. I hope you know that I'm not planning to leave my house until you get a better attitude. No matter how long it takes.

Icily yours,
The Little Devil

*****

Dear Smoking Man -

When I arrived home from Thanksgiving week last night, fresh from beautiful sunny California to snowy, icy Kansas, I was already a little disappointed in my homecoming. Add to that the fact that it was midnight, I had no heavy coat with me (please see letter to Kansas above for reasons) and that the Blue Bus took over a half an hour to arrive. So please understand me when I say I really didn't need you to chain smoke through the waiting period and hack that terrible cough in my ear forcing me to HAVE to take an extra shower at 2am just so I could go to sleep without smelling like your ash tray. You could learn a bit of common courtesy about standing away from crowds of people when you feel the need to indulge in your disgusting habit. Because really, if I ever see you again, I'm going to have to resist the impulse not to ash directly on you.

-The LD

*****

Dear Family and Friends:

Thanks for the fabulous time. I miss you all and enjoyed seeing you and sharing wonderful meals. Photographic evidence is below.

Halloween Mayhem

There was toxic green punch, there was inappropriate conversation, there were LOTS and LOTS of laughs, and there was knitting. Thanks to Grasshopper for hosting a fun shindig at her house and to my wonderful friends PlazaJen and Miss Carmen for a great evening.



P.S. Miss PlazaJen is a Yip Yip. If you don't know about it, learn more here.

A wonderful Saturday.

Yesterday was an absolutely fabulous day. It started early. We got up around 8:30 to get ready for a day at the Renaissance Faire. With a few errands and a bit of breakfast we arrived a little after 10:30am to the huge Faire grounds in Bonner Springs. We'd bought our tickets the night before so we sailed on through the gates and started exploring. For the next few hours we wandered and saw lots of things.


There was the petting zoo for children. They had goats and pigs, and even a few alpaca!



We wandered through various shops of leather, glass, jewelry, clothing and more. We saw a variety of faces.



We watched the jousting tournament while enjoying good food and beautiful weather. We saw the king and the queen.

And we even indulged in a little fibery goodness - hand-dyed merino!



Around 4pm we packed it in and headed out north of the city. A former boss of mine was in town visiting his in-laws and there was a big party out on the farm. He invited us to join in promising great food and a band. He didn't lie.

The estate was beautiful - over 600 acres of forest, soybean planted farmland and a beautiful lake. We enjoyed catching up with him and his wife, and meeting new people.

We took a hayride in a tractor.

And enjoyed a sunset.

And oh the food - several different kinds of smoked meat (smoked all day next to the lake - smelled wonderful!), and salads and sides, and dessert.

All in all a pretty spectacular day.

A tribute to my own personal hero.

Since moving to Kansas City, I have met some wonderful people. One of the first to welcome me here was my dear friend PlazaJen. Now Miss Jen has many redeeming qualities - we enjoy a rollicking good time together with knitting, liquor and tasty desserts frequently! But one of her most endearing traits (at least to me) is that she gets all twitchy at the improper use of grammar and unchecked typographical errors. As an armchair grammarian myself (as opposed to those professional copy editors and advertising experts I know), this delights me to no end.

The grammar and typographical discussion reared it's ugly head a few weeks ago when Miss Jen spotted this billboard. Not only did she take a picture of the board and post it, she picked up the phone and called the company to report it!

Lo and behold, she had reason to get twitchy just a few days later. And this time she even KNEW someone over in the marketing department. He was grateful to learn of the error and noted that it was both corporate and in national release and that he'd be passing it on to the corporate officers.

See? She's correcting the world... one error at a time!

P.S. If you want to see how stupid people can be, join the "This is Broken" group at Flickr. Just make sure to take your twitch medication before you do it.

WWKIP

I bet you didn't know this, but today was World Wide Knit in Public Day. Now if you're like me, you never let anything get in the way of knitting in public. (Yes I have been known to actually knit in movie theaters, while waiting on lines, on my lunch hour, and basically anywhere else you can think of!) But who am I to stand in the way of a day where we can all go knit together?


This morning I took Wes to the airport (he's gone on business for a week) and then headed to the Plaza where a group of KC knitters and crocheters gathered to knit near the J.C. Nichols Fountain. We brought chairs, blankets, water and snacks, and gathered in the shade and knit outdoors for a few hours later. The weather cooperated by being warm, but not too hot in the shade and even though some of us are a little pink tonight, we all had a great time. Teri graciously took some photos of us knitting - these are some of my KC knitting buddies. (From left to right: Mary, Tanya, Carmen, Jenny and me.)

Update Part II: Going Home Again

This was a great trip to LA but I do think I've learned that you can't go home again. I few home last Sunday to spend some time finishing up wedding planning, hanging with friends, and hanging out with family. I arrived on Sunday night and had lunch with Sean at our favorite Brazilian place. Then I went home with my parents and enjoyed a quiet evening at home.

Monday morning I got up early and took my dress to the seamstress for alterations. I learned that the shoes I bought weren't right for the dress, but everything else went off without a hitch. I had lunch with my old roomie in LA and we chatted about everything under the sun. Then we went over to the mall and I got made over for my wedding. Although my sister is going to do my makeup on my wedding day, I wanted to go to the MAC counter and get a little advice on colors. One makeover and a few dollars later, I had my wedding makeup!


Monday evening I headed over to A Mano to join the group for Stitch & Pitch 2008. Dodger dogs, Stitch n Pitch hats, and 3 hours of knitting later the Dodgers had won the game and the knitters had knitted up a storm. I was really glad I made it home for the game. Even my Pomatomus sock enjoyed the game!


Tuesday Mom and I headed out to the wedding site to work out last minute details. We picked napkins and chairs and set up the time table for the wedding and even got to visit the site once more. Then we tried another cake place and headed home for Sex in the City (fun!) and dinner at my favorite Mexican place.

Wednesday was sushi with the gang and more A Mano time. I came home with a bunch of new samples and even a few bits of yarn for myself (don't worry, I was mostly good!). After knit night Sean and I got together for dinner and enjoyed the evening.


Thursday morning was the final meeting with the florist and Thursday night Wes flew in to LA! Friday was a busy day as we got our marriage license, lunched with friends, picked up my dress and got him fitted for his tux. We managed to find a few spare hours to enjoy Los Angeles though. We sat and watched the sailboats for a few hours before meeting up with friends for dinner.

Saturday Wes and I caught a showing of Indiana Jones and then had dinner and attended the Asia America Symphony with my parents. The show was really amazing - where else can you go see a symphony play Beethoven, Jazz and Flamenco music all in one evening?

Sunday was brunch with my parents and that ill-fated return trip.

All in all it was a great trip. I loved seeing my friends, visiting my old haunts (all the restaurants where the staff knows my name and my order) and spending time with my family. However, I realized that I don't miss the traffic and some of the other things that go along with a big city. Most disappointing this week was that the neighborhood around the LYS has had some problems recently. I guess I don't miss that part of living in a big city - who knew I'd want to come home to Kansas?

Bigass Update

I arrived home last night after a great week at home and have lots and lots to tell!

I flew home Tuesday evening and arrived just around the same time as my sister. Dad picked us up at the airport and took us home where we slept in the same bedroom and talked all night (kind of like an extended sleepover!)

Of note, I finished my first summer tank top on the plane ride to LA.


The Pattern: Ribby Tank from ChicKnits

The Yarn: Incense from Elann.com

The Needles: US 6

The Verdict: I really like the way this tank is structured and it fits very well. It's a simple pattern, and a little boring to knit, but produces a really simple, elegant tank. I love the color, but the yarn itself is a wool/bamboo/silk blend that I think will be a little heavy for summer. Regardless, it was a pretty quick knit and I know I will wear it!

Wednesday was my play day. I got up early and visited a yarn shop close to my parents house where I found some great Noro Matsuri - 87% cotton. I think I'm going to use it for a bias tank top. The best part was that I had a gift card!

Then I headed up to West LA where I got a pedicure and then met my friends for sushi lunch at our favorite place. The waitress gave me a huge hug and knew my order right off the bat. It was a little like coming home to Cheers again. Catching up with everyone was great, and it didn't even feel like I had left! After lunch I went by the old job and visited with people. It was nice to see everyone, but I'm pretty happy with my choice to have left there.

After that, I headed over to A Mano for an afternoon of fun with yarn. They had some beautiful new yarns in the shop which I got to touch and buy. I also picked up a copy of Elizabeth Zimmerman's The Opinionated Knitter, which I can't wait to read! I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening knitting, catching up, and picking out a few samples to bring back to the midwest and knit up. By the time I left I had to add a third bag to my luggage to get all the yarn home. Ooops! I capped off the night by having dinner with my Knitmeister S at our usual Brazilian place. The waitstaff remembered me there too!

I have to say that Wednesday was a great day catching up with friends, but it was also a little depressing. I think it's finally hitting me that I'm not the LA girl anymore, and that I really don't live there any more. It's so hard with such special friends there and places that know me. I really like Kansas so far, and I've met some wonderful people here, but it's weird because now I feel like I have two homes, and I don't really belong in the one in LA.

Thursday dawned bright and early as Mom, the Li'l Sis and I headed out to spend a day doing assorted wedding stuff. We started inauspiciously by getting stuck in a lot of traffic and a freeway closure and being 30 minutes late to our first appointment. The day got better though - we visited 2 invitation designers and 2 florists and should be able to get everything we need from these visits. We even managed to get in a good deli lunch, some midafternoon iced coffee treats and make it home by 5:30. I spent the evening in with my parents, discussing wedding details and catching up.

Friday morning was gown day! We headed over to the bridal store around 11am to pick up my gown. The gown fits almost perfectly and it looks like it will only need some alterations around the bust line. I'm still in love with the dress and can't wait to get it altered to fit (that's up for June). Now all I need to do is put together a veil and shoes and I'm dressed for the big day!

Friday afternoon we managed to go to lunch, all 4 of us, at a great local Mexican place. I can't remember the last time I was able to eat lunch with my parents and my sister on a weekday.


After lunch, I headed out for a doctor's appointment, and a bit more wedding shopping, and then back up to West LA to see friends and attend Bel's birthday party! Other than managing to scrape my dad's car (ick, definite worst part of the weekend), I had a good time seeing old friends and catching up, not to mention snacking on great nibbles (Knitmeister S's brownies are to DIE FOR!).

Saturday was the first day of Passover and we celebrated it family style, with my aunt and uncle and young cousin coming to visit. It was a nice last evening in town, with good eats and good company.


Sunday morning was an early one as we dropped my sister at the airport and I had breakfast with my parents before heading out myself. The day was mostly spent flying and I arrived home late last night to lots of laundry, and some growing plants. Today is a catchup and errand day and tomorrow I start another job. More details on that as I learn them!

More news to come.

More news to come but we made it here safely, so I'm going to leave you with one last photo of us girls. Oh, and a subset of photos of the trip here.

It winds from Chicago to LA...

That would be Historic Route 66 which Bel and I are following on this trip. We're two days, 5 states and over 1,000 miles in and we're having a great time. She has been quite the shutterbug, despite forgetting her camera battery charger. Since I'm the one driving, she's been doing most of the shooting, so the photo credit goes to her.


We left LA on Friday morning and headed out through Barstow. I had forgotten that the Mojave desert was beautiful and that we could get some great shots. After a few hours in the desert, we started into Arizona. The landscape changed slightly, much to Bel's delight. About 7pm we reached Flagstaff where Bel got to see snow (she hadn't ever been in snow before!) which she pronounced cold and wet. We had dinner at the Horsemen Lodge, which has EXCELLENT food and is a must-stop if you're ever in Flagstaff.


After dinner we pressed onwards and stopped for the night in Gallup, New Mexico. Despite the less-than-great accommodations (think NOISY all night long) we rested up and headed out this morning, destined for Oklahoma. The day dawned really beautiful and we both enjoyed the drive through red rock. The sky was absolutely amazing today, as you can see from Bel's shot of the road.


When we hit Albuquerque we stopped for brunch at Cracker Barrel. Bel had never been to this road trip institution, so we partook of brunch and a little shopping at the country store. We also enjoyed the rockers out on the front porch.

Duly fortified we trekked through the rest of New Mexico and crossed into Texas. Although there was a bit more on the road than I remembered (all I had remembered was tumbleweed and prairie grass and a few cows), there still wasn't much. The highlight/lowlight of the trip through Texas was the stop in Amarillo.

Highlight: When Bel asked me if an Amarillo was "an animal sort of like an anteater?" Remember folks - she's Aussie and isn't familiar with American geography or zoology.

Lowlight: Ordering milk shakes at a Dairy Queen and instantly regretting it as we watched the staff prepare the food behind the counter. 'Nuff said.

After Amarillo, Texas passed in a dark blur and we crossed into Oklahoma. Interestingly enough, we were listening to my iPod at the time and right as we crossed the Oklahoma-Texas line, this song was playing. Tonight we reached Oklahoma City and are enjoying the relative peace and quiet (and reliable internet) of the Hilton Garden Inn. Tomorrow we only have a few more hours driving and then I arrive at my new home.


One last shot of Bel and I in action.

I forgot to add the two most interesting road items for the day:


1. When a cop pulled off the median and set his hazards on. I slowed down to see what was happening - he waved his thanks to me and ran out in the road to remove a huge chunk of tire tread. Bel caught the action shot.


2. Some trucks move very interesting cargo.

Boho and Boohoo.

I just got home from a great evening. My work friend Miss J organized a "Bowl away the Tears" party for my departure at the new Lucky Strike Lanes at Del Amo Mall. I must say, the locale was downright swanky, the food was excellent and the bowling was fun. I only bowled an 89, but that's pretty darn good for me, and I had a great time doing it!

It's really starting to sink in now that I'm leaving - tonight I saw many of my friends for the last time until the wedding. Of course I'll stay in touch via email, blog and IM, but it's not quite the same.

Before the bowling party, I spent a night with my parents and my 8 year old cousin. We had some laughs, some great food and I managed to complete this cute knit. The pattern is the Boho Beret designed by Shannita Williams-Alleyne (co-owner of my favorite LYS), which was recently featured in the LA Times and on the Trendsetter Yarns website. Tres jolie, n'est-ce pas?

I'm ready for my close up now Mr. DeMille

Otherwise known as PHOTOGRAPHER DAY. I got up bright and early and once again met mom, this time for a little journey to the photographer's studio to contemplate wedding packages (for those interested Harry Bellows). After a bit of chit-chat we placed our deposit and went merrily on our way. I love knowing the photographer in advance - he has shot several events we have been a part of and did the awesome family photos for my Dad's 60th including our engagement photo.

After the meeting, my mom and I went shopping a bit for some linens for her new dining room table. I was shocked - we went to 2 department stores and the linens section in each was barren. All that was there were some overdone ugly tablecloths that would be hard to look at while eating. What happened to beautiful tablecloths and cloth napkins?

Since our shopping wasn't much of a success, we decide to break for lunch. Then Mom had some appointments to get to so I headed home. I managed to get most of my errands done and even get in a little nap and a chat with my honey before heading over to the LYS for Bad Girls Knitting night - think wine and knitting! I'm turning the heels on my socks right now, and I'm almost done with the first mitten.

The rest of the weekend is busy: meeting with the judge who is marrying us tomorrow, a bit more knitting, staying with my family (and my 8 yo cousin who is crashing at my parents this weekend), and then a bowling party Sunday night. It's really starting to sink in that I'm leaving here soon - Monday is the last packing day, Tuesday is a collection of last appointments and Wednesday the moving van comes (eek!). By this time next week I'll be somewhere between here and Kansas. Scary and exciting all at once!


ETA - My quote of the day:

"Unemployment would be fun if I didn't have so much shit to do."

Babies in handknits!

Auntie Fluffy just can't get enough of little Melody in handknits! And look at those beautiful blue eyes!

Let it Rock.

Last night we all gathered at Blenda's house to party a bit before I leave. Everyone came out in full force. The cooking was AMAZING. Blenda from Oz made sausage rolls, risotto balls, zucchini quiche, and veggie wraps. Blogless Will made his cooking debut with bacon wrapped dates and walnuts - I can't believe he's been hiding his talents on us. Knitmeister S made appetizers and some tasty cookies. Some had really sweet messages:


Others did not:


I warned Knitmeister S that if the FU cookie made me sick, I would return his hostility a la the black and white cookie.

Johnny Cache livened up the party by bringing his brand new Rock Band. After my disastrous turn at Guitar Hero this was definitely up my alley. We formed a mean rock band, Let it Rock.


Our band featured the stylings of Todd (on left) on bass and Betty White on guitar:


Mr. Pants2tite on drums:


And Raven on vocals:


Many thanks to Blenda for being our groupie and taking lots of pics!

The end.

I am now officially a lady of leisure. Yes, this means I will recline on my couch all day and eat bonbons. Except that the fridge is disappearing on Monday so the bonbons may get melty. Oh and the fact that I need to pack the whole place up by the 30th. But I won't panic...YET.

Today was my last day of work! It was a fitting end to the job - they muffed up my final paycheck so I actually have to go back for it next week. That said, I ended the job in traditional fashion: at SUSHI!

For the past year or so, a group of my friends and I head over to a great little restaurant in Culver City, Irori, every Friday for lunch. It has quickly become our "Cheers" where the entire staff knows my name. It has great food and it's like a second home to us. So my final day involved plum wine, teriyaki, tempura and all but one of my good work friends. We commemorated the occasion with photographic evidence.


My bunny ears courtesy of Isis, our favorite waitress!

For Belinda

This past May my friend Belinda (yes that would be Blenda from Oz) informed me that her grandmother was very ill. Belinda is a postdoc, who is researching here for several years, away from her home country of, you guessed it, Australia. When I saw how hard it was for her to be so far away from her grandmother during this time, I didn't know what to do. So I started knitting.

All summer I knit what I hoped would be a beautiful comfortghan for her. I picked different patterns and different colors in hopes of making a patchwork afghan that would keep her warm and cozy. All summer I knit. Then the fall came and still I knit. And for the life of me I couldn't figure out why it wasn't getting any bigger. Every time I measured I was stuck at 3 feet. I began to dread the knitting. The project I had started so lovingly had turned into a SLOG.

In October I realized something. If I dreaded working on the project, why would I be giving it to my dear friend? If I didn't like it, I should start on something I really loved. It was empowering. So I began to bind off. And I bound off. And still I bound off. That's when I realized what I had done.

The "width" of the blanket turned out to be a whopping 6 feet. The "length" turned out to be 3 feet. I was knitting it in the wrong direction and it was so slow-going because every time I knit a row it was 6 feet long. And what was worse, those different patterns and colors that I had come to dread so much actually looked cute. Oh the folly!

****

I started again. This time I opted for one color, a beautiful raspberry, and a simple, but classic lace stitch, Feather and Fan. And I loved knitting it.

I have only known Belinda for a year now, and in that time she has become one of my closest friends. I'm so happy that I got to know her while I was here, and she's one of the people that I will miss the most when I leave. I hope that this blanket brings her some comfort, and will keep her warm and cozy for years to come.

Bittersweet

As I drove home tonight, I felt hollow and on the verge of tears. It was a great evening, and yet it made me sad.

***

I started today as I do many Saturdays: I slept in late. I got up around noon, showered and headed out for errands and a trip to my favorite Saturday haunt, the yarn store. After a stop at Goodwill (where I unloaded 7 bags of crap - and my place looks no better!), I headed over to the yarn store for some knitting therapy. I stayed there until five-thirty or so when I started the carpool to Burbank.

"It's my party and I'll drive if I want to."

I picked up Knitmeister S and one of my other workmates, and we headed out to my friends Mr. & Mrs. B, who were throwing me a going away party - game night. The food was amazing as usual and the party was that much more festive when Mr. and Mrs. B announced they're expecting! We played games, laughed harder than I've laughed in a while and had a great time. And all the while I couldn't help but think that I won't see all these people in the same place again (except perhaps at my wedding). It was just such a hollow feeling, having fun and yet knowing that I'm leaving.

I am so excited to begin my life with Wes. I am even looking forward to exploring a new city, find a job about which I'm passionate, and finding new knitting stores to haunt. And yet it is so bittersweet to have to say goodbye to all my friends and favorite haunts here. In my heart I know I will find friends and places to hang out, but it's almost as if I'm breaking up with my life here - I just don't want to think that there are more fish in the sea, I want these fish to stay.

And so tonight, while a blast, was bittersweet.





Of course, all this celebrating isn't doing a thing for my no soda and dessert diet either.

It comes but once a year....

And today is delurking day. You know what to do!

Things to post about!

For the past 24 hours all sorts of things have happened and I've thought "ooo I need to post that" so we're going to do it all bullet style today rather than post 12 dozen times. I give you things that have made me happy in the last 24 hours:

• Top of the list: I arrived home last night to find a package on my doorstep addressed to Auntie Fluffy. Inside were the cutest pictures of little Melody and some sweet notes from her mommy. This MADE MY DAY! I only have a very few close friends, and fewer still that I know I'll be friends with FOREVER and my dear Light is definitely one of them.
  
• Wes finally got power back on at his house! He had been living without since the ice storm knocked it out Tuesday night. Luckily he had heat and some fuel for the camping stove, so he wasn't going cold or hungry, but it wasn't that pleasant and I'm glad he's back!
  
• Chris mentioned a little time-waster, Bloxorz, on his blog. Consider my time officially sucked.
  
• I've been using the power of Ravelry to find out about great knitting stores in Kansas City and to find some knitting friends even before I move there. Everyone has been super nice and I'm starting to get excited for my new knitting community!
  

Babies in handknits.

I do have a weakness for adorable babies in hand-knits. One more of precious little Melody.