Knitting has come to a complete standstill

Putting ribbons to good use however has not.

Comments [15]
Filed Under: Cats

My siblings

This is Bunny and Veeb's favorite Aunt Mouse. My dad got her one weekend when my mother wasn't home to say no, he called me up to tell me about it, described how skinny and wiry she is, so I told him he should name her Mouse.

Ten years later Mouse has gained a couple of gray hairs and more than a couple of pounds. She's got cow udder for a gut. From other angles it looks like a peach. Or a baboon's behind. Or a giant hooha.

Despite the advanced age and weight, Mouse is still the greatest nemesis to mice, gophers, and the two frogs that live in the little koi pond out front. She's being sent to her cousins in DC when my mom moves to China next month - they have a huge yard filled with other playmates so I hope she'll be happy there and not try to walk all the way back home. Although she could use the exercise.

We're definitely a little more worried about this one.

This is Mocha. She's a poodle and she's eleven years old. I call her the World's Saddest Puppy because she spends about 80% of her little dog life waiting for my mother to come home. When she goes out for errands I try to distract Mocha from the window with a rousing game of cards or a belly rub or a dog treat. But she was never a playful dog - tennis balls bounced acrossed the yard unchased - a belly rub from me is about as welcome as a bath, and a dog treat doesn't last 5 seconds long enough for her to forget that there's a window with a view that she has to get back to. I even try talking to her, interjecting her name every three words so she'd look at me. But her focus is 100% on mom.

So now the question is, do they bring the dog with them to China and risk her not making the long and scary travel plus the long and scary month-long quarantine? Or do they leave her with friends and risk her dying of a broken heart?

If I could take you Mocha I would.

Three years is a long time to wait by the window.

I'm doing some research online, but if anyone has some first-hand experience traveling with pets overseas, I'd love to hear it!

Comments [13]
Filed Under: Cats

Chevron Scarf II

I made Chevron Scarf - in the same fashion as the first one - for a friend's birthday, using the remainders of Sundara Yarn's Bartlett Pear (made entrelac socks with it), and a skein of this Koigu in a colorway that is both beautiful and craptastic, depending how far you stand. I really am not sure whether my friend is going to like the color combo. Us knitting insiders know that for the Chevron Scarf, the more the colors clash, the better (er right? I think?)...but will she feel the same way?

Lookit all the pretty colors.

I asked Bunny, always the most willing and photogenic fashion rabbit, to model it for me.

I think it'll do. As soon as I remove all the cat hairs.

Comments [24]
Filed Under: Cats | Chevron Scarf | Completed Projects

My Funny Rabbitine

We all have a preferred sleeping position. I like to sleep on my side with my palm under my cheek. Duck likes to sleep with his arm thrown over his head. Veebs likes to sleep on his back.

But I think Bunny's favorite sleeping position takes the cake. Have you seen anything so unorthodoxed and cute at the same time?!

Comments [19]
Filed Under: Cats

Friday is for Felines

I can has cheezburger?

OK. Roast beef den.

nyom nyom nyom nyom	I can has more kthx
:'-(

Comments [19]
Filed Under: Cats

Tangled Up in Blue (Moon Fiber Arts)

I've stalled big time on my knitting because I've reached the yoke for the Rambling Rose cardigan and now it's much less knitting and much more wrangling. And crying.

The right front panel is joined with the right sleeve is joined to the back is joined to the left sleeve is joined to the left front panel. That's what, about one trillion some-odd stitches squished on a needle with 9 strands of yarn - kept wound in small balls - jangling and twisting like windchimes in a hurricane and it SUCKS. I suppose I could/should make the balls of yarn smaller but I feel it wouldn't make the process any more manageable. The whole yoking was a bad idea. Fine so you don't have to seam later, but seaming is a small, TINY price to pay for not having to knit back and forth - no yoking in the round, this is a cardigan! - and deal with the all that yarn getting all insane all over your lap. Nightmare.

Here is a shot of Veeb's humungous backside to make everyone feel better.

Comments [14]
Filed Under: Cats | Rambling Rose

But it matches my nose, he said

Bunny found a pink ribbon today.

He demanded that I tie it into a pretty little bow around his neck.

Then he made me take a million photos of him with the bow, even though I told him that the one I just took was good enough.

But he got angry so I could not but comply.

What a little diva.

Comments [21]
Filed Under: Cats

The boys would like to wish you happy holidays

and especially a Meowwy Christmas!

Comments [13]
Filed Under: Cats | Life

Small adjustments

The living room, in the new place.

Furnishings that used to spread out over 3 rooms - so luxurious! - are now stuffed into one. Notice that eyesore of a basement couch and TV stand? Some of them will have to go eventually.

But this chubby little guy is going to stick around to enjoy the view.

All in all, we're adjusting to city livin' pretty well. Even though there's like, no storage space. (One bike leaning against the piano, one against the kitchen wall). Ah so you win some, you lose some. I think I'd take a overstuffed room with a view over closets any day.

Comments [16]
Filed Under: Cats | House | Life

Rabbitty, yes. Hypoallergenic, no.

So is everyone a spinner except for me? There's been spinning goodness popping all over the web lately, and I've especially been drooling over this and this and this and this. Beautiful stuff. If someone would teach me how to spin, I could supply my own fleece.

My own little angora factory. It never runs out.

This is cute little Bunny Bunniton's ugly side. He sheds easily, he sheds enormously and he sheds daily. Year-round, non-stop, even in winter but oh so much worse in summer.

Owning such a loose-follicled Bunny such as this one is not for the faint of nose. Unfortunately he doesn't understand this and absolutely hates it when you sneeze. If he's nearby and you're feeling even the slightest tickle coming on, he will know and he will hop hop hop fast away and out of sight before your first achoo, and not before shooting you the most LOATHSOME of glares. One of these days I'll have to get that look of his on camera. I have never seen such pure, human hatred out of any pair of eyes than his.

Sometimes though I will use that to my advantage. When he is insistent on sitting in my lap, and I am insistent on him not, I'll just feign a sneeze coming on, and watch him run off faster than a cheetah on wheels.

Poor Bunny. I should not be so mean. Luckily I am not allergic to him, and even if I were, I'd do everything it takes not to be. Like Duck has. Now with enough over-the-counter medication and mandatory exposure, his eyes swell only half-way shut, his nose clogs in only the left nostril and he hardly turns to me anymore to say, "Let me die."

His previous owners must not have had such fortitude. They must have sneezed violently all the time, they must have laughed cruelly at his unusual tail, and in the end what could you do with such a defective cat but to send him away? When he shoots me that dirty look and runs off like that, I try not to take it personally. He's just afraid he might be going back to the animal shelter.

Comments [17]
Filed Under: Cats

A show of hands please

OK, all ye members of Club Knitterly Letter Swap. Two things:

1) If you have not received a letter from your initial pen pal yet, please send me an e-mail (scroll to the very bottom of this page), and please type "KLS I didn't get a letter" in the subject.

2) If you have received letters and would like to write another, e-mail me and please type "KLS letter savior" in the subject.
- You do not have to be in the swap initially to be a letter savior, so those who missed out in the sign-up round can sign up to be a letter savior now.
- HOWEVER please be prepared to write and send a letter within a day or two of receiving an address, which I hope to send out tomorrow at the latest. There will be no two-week waiting period for this.

****

I wish I had more to say, but I have not knitted very much in the last week. The reason is not a loss of interest, but a demotion in priority. Knitting - and maybe blogging - will have to take a backseat for the next couple of weeks more. Which is ironic because, ready to start fresh in a new home, I bought a new domain name for this site two weeks back. Now there's no time, and no content. Bleh.

So for now I leave you with photos from this weekend. Turns out I wasn't the only one rejoicing in the glorious spring sunshine.

La la la! So happy to be outside.

Comments [17]
Filed Under: Cats | Letter-writing

This Christmas, all VanBuren wants is more tuna.

"And I want more tuna now!!!"

Happy Holidays and see you in 2007!

Comments [8]
Filed Under: Cats | Life

The four stages of Bunny

Stage I: Omniscience

Stage II: Doubt

Stage III: Alarm

Stage IV: Vengeance

Comments [17]
Filed Under: Cats

Can manly feet do lacy socks?

Well, they're gonna have to. I tried to knit something else, I did. A fast and easy pattern, but I was bored. I just didn't have the motivation to knit it, even though the sock yarn (Socks That Rock) are fast becoming my favorite. So I ripped out what I started and soon there will be another Pomatomus in this world. But for a man. Pomantomus. Heh heh.

Only 10 more days or so til we leave Santa Fe.

I have to admit I am starting to miss home a little. We went to see The Departed (aka The DePAAAHted. GREAT MOVIE by the way) recently and I can't believe I'm saying this but the Boston accents made me all homesick. The indescribable, almost unbearable, barely imitate-able unless you're from Boston, Boston accent. I thought about the state trooper and the city cop who live on either side of our cul-de-sac. They're accents are SO THICK and SO HORRIBLE, I always giggle and wretch at the same time when I hear them talk, but I miss them.

Those crazy Bwohston Myassachooosetts cwawps.

And I miss the boys.

Even if they may not miss me too much.

Comments [9]
Filed Under: Cats | Socks | Pomatomus

A funny tail

Guess what I did just now, in this here 10000 degree heat with no air conditioning to speak of so that I have to retreat into the cool but moist basement where I can smell the mushrooms sprouting?

Kooch! I picked up my long-abandoned Kooch and started fiddling with it again!

To go from exclusively knitting on size 1, 2, 3 needles since March to knitting on size 10 overnight must surely be the CRAZIEST thing I've done all year! My hands were like, mmmmmGAAH! Knitting...with lumber...it...hurts...

Well, that's about all the knitting content I have for you this week. I will now fall back on us fellow knitters' usual blogging crutch and fill the rest of this white space with content about...my cat. You're in for a special treat though, because today I don't have just any ole cat pictures, I have a thrilling exposé on my cat and his little Oddity. With pictures.

Exhibit A: Bunny from the front. Normal and cat-like by all accounts.

Exhibit B: Bunny from the back.  Sweet baby jesus what IS that?!

Perhaps an aerial view will help us understand better:

Or maybe a collage?

Do you see? That is Bunny's claim to fame - the crunchy, stunted, malformed tail! If you were ever a first time guest at our house, you'd have to touch that tail before I let you in. And when you touch it, I mean really really touch it, because you'll have no choice, I'll totally make you do it, you'll find that the base of his tail is a ball of unpleasantly twisted bone, as if someone took his long, normal tail and just jammed it in like it was an accordian.

But of course no one did that. By all accounts, he was born that way (we got him and his brother at a pound). It doesn't hurt him to have his tail like that, although it does get him into trouble that normal cats like his brother Veebs, with their luxuriously long tails, don't get into. That thing is like a grappling hook!

Bunny's tail nub has been documented to:

1. catch in the handles of plastic bags. The faster he runs, so louder the plastic bag.
2. close doors as he walks by
3. catch on yarn, which are attached to needles and the precarious beginnings of LACE, and travel off the couch, across the entire living room and up 13 flights of stairs
4. catch on the cables plugged into the desktop CPU. As Bunny struggles to escape, he pulls the CPU about 5 feet across the floor like a strongman and all the USB cables attached bend 90 degrees. (That must have really hurt the poor rabbit. Sad face.)
5. swivel 'round and 'round at the base when he's mad.
6. brush under Veeb's nose and flick his face as he walks by.
   I need to catch that on tape sometime, because hahaha there's such a human look of disgust on Veeb's face when he gets slapped by that quasi-tail.

So that's our little Bunny with the curious tail. If there were ever Mütter Musuem for felines, I'd totally have him on display. Next to that jar of Veeb's perfectly BCB's.

"Ew."

Comments [8]
Filed Under: Cats

My first tubular

I started on another sock, bad, undisciplined me. I thought I'd do an anklet version of the "Bed Sock" from Knitting Vintage Socks, and try a tubular cast on. I can see why people get giddy at the sight of tubulars. It's so clean, so mesmerizing, so clever.

I don't like this sock pattern though. In fact I don't think I much like anything in this book, except for "Child's First Sock," and that's only because it looks like Pomatomus, with smaller scales.

That's all the knitting I've done in the last 24 hours. Kind of hard to update every day or every other day when you accomplish too little to report on...

...so here is a completely unnecessary picture of Veeb's famed BCB's (Bi-Colored Ballz).

Veebs, ready for his early physical.

Comments [13]
Filed Under: Cats | Socks

A Mouse in the House

A couple nights ago I was relaxing on my parents' bed, watching TV and knitting (another) Pomatomus sock, with Mouse the cat alongside keeping me company. Every now and then I'd stop to show her my sock progress and she seemed duly impressed.

"Cool huh, Mouse? Don't you wish you could knit?"

Then I left to go to the bathroom.

"I gave it a whirl while you were gone. Bored now."

I was gone for maybe two minutes.

So disrespectful.

Comments [10]
Filed Under: Cats | Socks | Pomatomus

I made a video even though that's not what I'm being paid to do.

The cat basket is situated sort of behind my desk, right, and at least 6 times a day every day one of the cats is trying to squeeze himself into the basket that's already occupied by the other. Sometimes there's a violent coup; other times a happy kitty marriage.

Just before round 5 began, I decided to record their quest(s)(s)(s) for the basket, and move over Dawson Leary! I've got myself an Oscar-worthy video (viewable on Windows Media Player or Real Player). It's really funny. Perhaps only to me. Ha ha ha. I've watched it like a hundred times already.

Watch this heartwarming film

Turn your audio ON for optimal viewing. Otherwise it's just cat p'nography.

Comments [19]
Filed Under: Cats

I enjoy making knitwear, making fun of my cat, and making ice cream

So if cats are missing the sweet tooth gene, why then is my cat's ass so big?

I dare you to find a larger cat bottom than this.

Hee hee I'm always picking on Veebs. Of course he doesn't eat sweets. It's only good ole fashioned Cat Chow that makes him so shapely. And I like him shapely. He's great to cuddle to, to sling around your shoulder, your arm supporting that great big butt as his great voluptuous excess spills over, and he's purring purring purring like a gigantic bumblebee.

But speaking of sweets, this is what we got going on here at Chez Kitty McKnitty. Homemade ice cream!

We've had this ice cream maker for the last 3 summers and this weekend was the first time we used it. Idiots! We made strawberry ice cream and oh my god is it good. All day long I think about strawberry ice cream and how soon it will be til I get to eat some. And on a hot hot day like today it is even more exciting.

So not much going on with the whole knitting thing. The past weekend found me in a RARE mood to clean up the jungle that is our yard, so I ran with it and removed the dead shrubs, de-weeded, even varnished the deck. But yep I think that'll be it. When I'm in the yard again it's to sit in a lounge chair with a knitting project on my lap.

I was so into gardening last year, and now I barely care. Such a shame. I wonder if this time next year I'll feel the same way about knitting? I hope not. As Duck has pointed out, knitting has been my longest running obsession ever.

Comments [5]
Filed Under: Cats | Life

Back to Allegra

The pros about being a contractor are many: flexible hours, better pay, no office politics, no pressure of having to be on some "career track." The cons about being a contractor are too few to mention. I'm even ok with paying health care out-of-pocket.

But there is one con that has me a little sore. I didn't get to partake in the company summer outing which went something like this: catered seafood lunch; yachting in Newport, RI; clambake dinner; dj and dancing; hotel rooms for that one too many drink. I am shocked at the extravagance during a non-dotcom era that resembles more like a millionaire daughter's wedding than a corporate outing. Goddamn. I've always wanted to do a clambake!!! And I love sailing! I love Newport! And I love love love to drink free booze!

Also since I missed the outing I missed the announcement that went out telling everyone to stay at home the next day (today), so when I came into the office this morning I was all, "Bueller....Bueller...Bueller...?" Sigh. There is no love for the contractor.

With my sudden free time today I finished Harry Potter.

Blossom's OSW came in the mail yesterday. It was too small for her, she offered to give it away, and I kindly accepted the offer. I too however found that it was too small for me.

But it wasn't too small for a certain fiery-haired beauty...

And I'm breaking my No Knitting For Me, Only Knitting for You vow. I'm disappointed in myself but hardly surprised. I did start on a few baby pieces and they seem to be going pretty quickly, and since it's still blazing hot outside I thought, I could totally squeeze in one more summer piece before the season's over.

So Allegra, I'm comin' back for you and this time I mean to finish you up and finish you up good.

Comparing the width of Allegra to the width of my favorite perfect-fit tank. Look at that!

I started this back in May and have been starting/stalling on it ever since, because I had more than an inkling that it was going to be monster big on me, despite knitting it in the smallest size. But I was loathe to make any sizing adjustments. The pattern motif is too involved and I was too lazy to re-plot. So what does one do when one cannot make one's mind up? Keep on knitting, just keep on knitting! Yes it's too big but if you just Keep On Knitting the piece will magically shrink or you will magically grow to magically fit you perfectly!

Anyway I made my adjustments to the back and cut the width back by more than 3 inches. The adjustments to the front is going to be so so gross, but I'll think about it when I get there. The goal is to finish this within the month. And THEN I will concentrate on baby stuff only, yes. I will.

"I hate you."

Comments [7]
Filed Under: Adrienne V | Allegra | Cats | Life

The weekend was good

This weekend was a hot and muggy one. I continued knitting Celia, while listening to the Red Sox/Yankee game on the radio, while reading Harry Potter. Two years ago, the doorbell rang at 6:30am in the morning, and a grumpy USPS guy hand handed over Book Five and said, "Here's your book," while his face said, "Goddamn you freaks." Remembering that, this Saturday morning I woke up at 5am and flitted in and out of sleep with my ears half opened, listening for the sound of the delivery truck. It came at 7:15 am and BOING! Duck and I were at the front door half-dressed in a split second.

I am loving this book so far. It's not a surprise, but I think her writing style has changed. It's more sophisticated, the flow reads like watching a movie. And our little wizards are cursing and flipping each other the bird. They're all grows up! I for one am waiting for the Ron/Hermione make-out scene.

This weekend I also tried to play Buckaroo with my cat Veebs. Of course I used yarn: Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran in this VERY DELICIOUS shade of teal. It's destined to become a cable jacket from a Debbie Bliss baby book...I hope...if I don't use it for myself...because I'm selfish.

It was like playing yarn jenga.

Veebs wasn't a very cooperative Buckaroo team player. Kept waking up or breathing too heavily.

Comments [4]
Filed Under: Cats | Life

Only cold-hearted human beings don't like knitting for babies

CORRECTION to my previous post about silk. I learned this while reading through the chapter in Vogue Knitting about all the different kinds of yarn materials. I seemed to have skipped that part when first receiving it because I have a habit with all my books of reading the end first, then parts of the middle and then the beginning. Yes, ass backwards!

So speaking of ass, the silk does not exit through the silkworm's bottom as one might assume, but through its head. Wow, isn't that interesting? Does it make it any more appealing whatsoever that silk comes out of a bug's FACE rather than his rear? No.

You know what else is not so appealing is knitting for babies. I know! I must be hollow inside! Both my BIL and my cousin, who are due around the same time, are having boys (Nephew W and Little Cousin O respectively) and I'm having trouble figuring out what to make for them...I'm afraid they won't like it, I'm afraid it's not practical, I'm afraid the baby will choke on the ill-sewn buttons...all very bad things in of themselves but so much worse when you've put hours and hours into making something they might pack away in the attic forever. I'm willing to pay someone to knit a baby item for me. Got anything laying around you want to sell?

But is it practical?

I have however started this super-cute kimono for Nephew W, using some KFI Cashmereno (soooooo soft) I've got laying around. But, does this sound right to you?

• The gauge is 25 sts = 4 inches. Check.
• For the 12 month-old size, cast on 90 sts for the back. Check.
• The width the back should thus be 15 inches. Check....
• The chest is about 30 inches. OK what.

Hey do one year-olds have 30 inch busts? I know it's not supposed to be FORM FITTING but, damn. I could wear this! Babies are gigantic!

After leafing through a whole mess of baby knit books, I suddenly had a great idea last night for a sweater for Cousin O. It will involve INTARSIA! I looked around online for some animal charts or something cute for kids, and I found this:

Is it: a) roadkill b) a moldy chicken 
c) not a frog d) all of the above

It's supposed to be a frog. WTF. I didn't find anything cute at all, only that and ugly Pokeman charts and one of a howling wolf, so I'm charting my own. It'll have something to do with the Red Sox, because my cousin is a huge Sox fan, and no doubt his son will be too.

Like all average Americans in average American households,
Veebs enjoys watching his favorite shows while naked in bed.

Comments [2]
Filed Under: Cats | General Knitting

I'm an idiot

Today during a meeting I used the word "nipples." I reminded myself of Jeff from Coupling whose biggest paranoia was accidentally blurting out "nipples" or "breasts" or "thighs" in casual conversation. Only difference was I thought about it first, then gave myself leave to say "nipples" outloud anyway, and then we all laughed until we cried. In a strange twist of sexism I don't think I would have gotten away with saying nipples if I weren't a woman and if I weren't the only woman in the room.

(The conversation was about those little buttons on men's shirts that allow them to button down their collars. The guys were comparing who buttoned their collars and who didn't, and if those buttons really served any valuable purpose. Like men's nipples. They're there, one on each side, but why? Such a natural segue, I thought.)

The Eyelet Cardi/Bunny Wrap just won't end. Everything's been seamed except for a small portion of the right side, because I'm waiting to finish the ties before I do that. Knitting the ties is taking ages and ages. Then I still have to give the edges a crochet finish. I want to wear it already. I've been trying it on periodically and it is so freakin soft. Next fall/winter's projects are going to have to include angora because damn I feel all luscious in angora.

Speaking of angora, my cat, whom we call Bunny, has been projectile vomitting again on a semi-regular basis. Projectile because he leaves a trail of mashed up catfood 2 feet long, or he backs up as vomits. It's totally disgusting. Other than that he's a happy healthy kitty: likes to play, likes to chase his brother, likes to swat at my knitting. He just can't keep his food down to save his little cat life.

Comments [1]
Filed Under: Cats | Life | Rebecca 29 | Eyelet Cardi

There is love....

Happy Valentines Day

Comments [1]
Filed Under: Cats

If Veebs were a ship he'd be the Titanic

Yum.

Comments [1]
Filed Under: Cats

Angelina pattern looks weird

I just received the pattern for the Angelina Vintage Jacket in the mail, read through it, and now I won't be able to sleep at night. It's done in one piece from the back, up to the neck, then down both sides of the sleeves at the same time, and then down the front.

What.

But look! It's so preeeeetty. 

Tomorrow I'm starting one of the Rebecca sweaters in tandem with the Drapey Shoulder one. I'm getting bored with all the 3x3 ribbing.

Look who's been keeping me company while I've been knitting. I could eat those paws.

Comments [4]
Filed Under: Angelina | Cats