A year already?

Yayyy been blathering on here (intermittently) for a year now. And I still have stuff to say!

Well - the knitting is going good - deep into scarf season, my favourite. I recently finished a skinny clapotis and a short entrelac scarf for my friend's 5 year old - and am on my second entrelac scarf, all looking lovely and - thankfully - not boring to knit. I am using Noro matsuri for the scarf on the needles now and it's a lot of fun to see the colours developing. It's a cotton/wool blend - so no wispy bits to stick to my winter-chapped lips. (Note: I have been listening to this on audiobook while knitting this scarf, so will probably always have some weird associations with this particular garment...)

In sad knitting news - Himself washed and tumble-dried the purple cardi :(

let's just say it is now a wee bit snug...It may be stretchable, or maybe I'll have to wait to wear it when I drop some of the baby blubber. Speaking of, am now nearly 7 months along.

I tested presumptive for gestational diabetes though, have to do the follow-up this weekend. My major in college was Human Nutrition, I should know better*(she says, still scarfing down Halloween candy).

In other sad knitting news - the hat and scarf I donated to the school's fund riaser? They were put on sale for $2 each! I nearly bought them back in annoyance. I should have added labels saying they were handmade especially, washing instruction etc. But didn't. Ah well. Last I checked they were gone. No update on this accursed item...

In other sad news, my Tivo died :( And even though I have 18 months service paid up, the only option to access it is to buy a whole new Tivo box. Ranging from $150 to $350. Grr. And I had loads of stuff saved on there that I was going to watch sometime. Am a big fan of 'Murder TV' as himself calls it. I particularly like the Oxygen show "Snapped" where some long suffering women off their men. Usually following laundry-related mishaps...

Rare trip to the movies last weekend, to see Zack and Miri make a porno. I really liked it, Seth Rogen always cracks me up. The only reason I mention it here, though, is for the surprising amount of knitted and crocheted items on view - it's set in wintertime Pennsylvania so afghans/scarves/hats/sweaters are in nearly every scene. Good a reason as any to check it out :)

The Columbia Sip n Knit celebrated 2 years and counting last Wednesday, still going strong. I've been a member just over a year, and I love it. A nicer bunch of ladies (and Textillian!) you couldn't hope to meet. Lynn even had cake for us - and surprises from her trip to China!

Last night I experimented with a new cookie recipe for the 2nd annual cookie swap at Stacey's house next month: Cherry chocolate Yumsters, I think I'll call them. Himself thought I was having a 'craving' he should know by now that I kind of always crave cookies, and now I have an excuse to eat them (see*!!)

back in the saddle

well, sort of.
I have still lost the knitting mojo. I did about 4 inches of the back of the baby sweater I started weeks ago, just can't get into it. Maybe tis the weather?
Just got back from Ireland, my second trip in 5 months. Yes I am a lucky sod. Mum and Dad recently visited Italy (what family of high-fliers we are) and she brought me back yarn as a souvenir! Ahh. From the isle of Capri no less. Maybe I'll remember to take a picture of it and post that soon.
So because I haven't been knitting much I've been reading loads more. Let me recommend to you:
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. Read it all in one day. Just blew me away.
This Charming Man by Marian Keyes. What can I say - Love. Her. Have only just started this - got it from Amazon yesterday. My joker of a postman wedged it into my postbox so tight I had to rip off the packaging inside the box to get at it. No way could I wait another day till he realized his error...

I should have known

I should have known...
Last Friday I wrote a long post about all the lovely timefilling activities I've devised to occupy myself for the 60min or so I spend daily on the train.

Of course, most of these involve a sitting position to be comfortable.
Last Friday I got on the train, sat into a seat, had momentary conniption at the sight of a nearby used plaster (band-aid) but got over it, drug out jaywalkers and started listening to my book. Fifteen happy minutes later I realized we hadn't moved, and everyone around me was hoofing it back to the platform...when the next train arrived all 550 of us (or thereabouts) had to cram into one carriage and I had to stand, balancing with my legs astride my unreasonably big carrying case and clutching the tiny piece of wall mounted hand rail that was within reach (hanging off the roof-mounted one would have required feet leaving the floor).

Usually the Metro glides in and out of the stations, and after many years of this I've predicted my balancing act. Sometimes (like guess when?) rookie drivers stutter the train in and out of stations. Usually not a big deal except I was stood right in front of a seated man, and had to exert woefully underused glute and quad muscles to avoid landing in his lap as we lurched along.
Standing on the Metro also involves very close proximity to total strangers, though it could be worse.

I got a seat today though.

lovely stuff

Got some lovely knit gifts this week - a book I've been wanting to read for ages, from my lovely friend Celine, who I haven't seen for 2 years and miss lots, and got myRavelry May Day International swap gift all the way from East London, thanks Estieknits :)
Yay! Gorgeous yarn in my very favourite colourways, some organic black chocolate mmmm and a notebook for knitting notes - much better than the backs-of-receipts I generally rely on :)
Finished one of the hiking socks. It looks real skinny but fits me pretty well - Himself is not here so I measured the foot against one in his sock drawer...And here's my little girl...

I love NPR

Usually I listen to an audiobook in the car - I do up to an hour driving on the days I have to commute so I can knock out quite a few books that are difficult reads this way. Today I didn't have anything that I particularly wanted to listen to so I turned on NPR. Love NPR.

This morning they interviewed John Banville, a Booker-prize winning literary author who recently published The Silver Swan, a truly excellent crime noir novel, under the pseudonym Benjamin Black. Fascinating to hear the author's voice reading his work.

Then this evening, they gave an update on the Amazon.com writing contest I was a semi-finalist in. I was weeded out months ago, and today it was announced that Fresh Kills came out as winner. I just pre-purchased - I know it'll be excellent - the competition was stiff after all ;)

Finally - another airing of a story that makes me cringe every time. Today it was announced that Gene Weingarten won a Pulitzer Prize for Pearls before Breakfast, his feature in the Washington Post describing what happened when he convinced world-class violinist Joshua Bell to play beautiful music in a Metrorail station to gauge commuters' reaction. From all I've read on the experiment since both Bell and Weingarten were somewhat surprised by the lack of recognition of the pearls by us swine. Yes, I was one of the 1,070 people who scurried past. In fact - you can see me on the accompanying video of the whole experiment: I was wearing the same jacket I had on today. I remember the day in question: I noticed the violinist because he wasn't standing where the buskers usually stand...and that's about all I noticed. I usually walk up the escalators and always have my ipod on. What can I say?
Oink...

Waiting, waiting...

Yesterday I had to take time off work for a dentist visit and a doctor visit, requiring much time spent in those cheeriest of places: waiting rooms. It occurred to me as I flicked through the magazines (Will Ross and Rachel ever get together? Aren't Angelina and Billy Bob a striking pair...) that I should donate some of my own mag stash to them. Usually I avoid magazines at such places as they are invariably old and grubby and germ-laden, having been thumbed by sick people. But I forgot to bring anything to knit and was too antsy and bored to just sit there.

And here I am today, waiting at home. For the Cable Guy. Bit the bullet and decided to go for Verizon FIOS. Hopefully it'll be better behaved than Comcast, which surely is responsible for a wrinkle or two of mine. Anyhoo I took today off work for no reason other than I'm starting a new job Monday (with attendant GS increase, woohoo) and I was planning to have a day to myself, probably involving time spent in bookstores/yarn stores without much-loved family members asking things like "don't you already have enough books/yarn?"

Instead I am waiting for the frickin Cable Guy who is now 29 minutes past the 8-12 window. Grr.

I have, of course, spent the time knitting. Look how far I got on my super skinny sock! I keep shoving my arm up it, muttering, yeah it'll fit, sure it will.

And I finished listening to "No Country for Old Men". I think I'll listen to something lighter next time - back to "A Short History of Nearly Everything" maybe?

So what's keeping you busy this weekend?

Distractions

I am currently reading three books.
Killing Floor by Lee Childs (read till past midnight on this last night). Well past my bedtime.

Silver Swan by Benjamin Black. This is actually an audiobook, read by Timothy Dalton. He has the most wonderful, expressive, sonorous voice...

Shakespeare: the world as stage by Bill Bryson. Bill (can I call you Bill? Thanks) is so adept at explaining commonplace, potentially very dull topics in such a way that has me adding up and truly interpreting things for the first time. A short history of nearly everything is my go-to audiobook. I actually have 3 copies of it, and have bought it for a few people too.

Who else reads more than one book at a time?