2.23.2005

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Back to LA I Go....

Tomorrow I am leaving the comforts of the [nice and dry] Bay Area for sloppy-wet Los Angeles for the 2nd time in 10 days. At least on this trip I get a little leisure time which will be spent with La knitting and drinking wine on Friday night. I am taking a vow to ONLY bring projects in my WIP pile, since I seem to have developed an unhealthy addiction to casting on. I am slightly embarassed that my sidebar list is nearing double-digits, so I really need to bite the bullet and finish these things. As Jason put it, 'I've never actually seen you finish a project.' Hmm. Insightful.

Anyhow, on the last trip down south my co-worker and I roadtripped-it so I had no transport worries, but this time I'm flying and I am one of those people that has an unnatural phobia of being in the air. Case in point: I grip the chairs so tight during take-off my knuckles turn white. Turbulance [literally] makes me hyperventilate. Any change in the engine sound and I am praying for all my sins in preparation for meeting my maker.

This will be my first flight as a knitter (yes, it's been about 8 months since I got on a plane), so hopefully it will make the time go quicker and help me take my mind off my impending doom self-percieved fear. I've called Southwest Airlines about 4 times making sure that knitting needles are ok and I have been reassured that they are, but I am a little worried about LAX. I MUST have some in my carry on, because I am potentially going to be sitting at the airport for 4 hours on Saturday unless I can get on standby for an earlier flight. I'm armed with my print out from the TSA website saying knitting needles are ok, BUT....
Has anyone ever tried to carry needles through LAX/Southwest and gotten them rejected?


Speaking of traveling, this is a meme from Lori, which I am entitling:
'The Very Un-Adventurous Travels of Delia'

bold the states you've been to, underline the states you've lived in and italicize the state you're in now...

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /

Go HERE to have a form generate the HTML for you.

I'm not close minded, just very attached to my home state.

2.22.2005

Knit 1 Bitch 2

I am in a seriously pissy mood at work today. My email address (which was just sent out to 25,000 alums as a contact) has decided to disappear from the main database and my pleas for help have been ignored! As overheard to a coworker - 'is she sure she's typing her password correct?' DAMN, I mean, after 3 years I must have just spontaneously forget that sequence of numbers/letters that I type about 50 times a day. You're right - after 45,000 manual entries, it picked up and disappeared from my conciousness. My bad!

Plus, I have to go to the front services desk from 1 till 4:30 . Here is what I have to look forward to for the next 3.5 hours:

Student Approaches Desk
Delia: [sitting under sign that says 'Pre-Admission Counseling'] Do you have a Pre-Admission Questions?
Student: I just have a quick question.
Delia: [uh-oh, this is SO not pre-admission related]. Yes?
Student: I need to have a retroactive withdrawl from my classes.
Delia: [blank stare]
Student: It says to wait in the line for records, but that line is long. Do I have to wait in that line or can you help me?
Delia: [looking up at the sign above her head]. Sir, I do not have the access or knowledge of how to do that.
Student: So I need to wait in the line?
Delia: [Fighting back urge to insert sarcastic-ass comment] Yes.
Student: [forced sigh for dramatic effect] FINE!

Was I that annoying when I was an undergrad?

Don't get me wrong, I really do love my job, but sometimes you just gotta vent so you can stay sane and keep a good work face on ;)




On a completely different note, has anyone picked up Knit 1 from Vogue Knitting/Lion Brand? Any thoughts? I am going to be disappointed if I spend the $6 on it? (that's 3 bottles of 2-buck chuck). However, I am seriously digging this top:

We like shirts that 'minimize the bust' in this camp.

2.21.2005

Holy Motherload Batman!

Secret Pal, it was Christmas in San Jose on Saturday night! I returned home from my business trip in LA to find:
My roommate was in awe that there was not 1, but 2 packages for me in our mailbox! In the first there was:
  • Super stylish V-Day Card
  • Adorable Notepad with red flowers on it
  • Bracelet adorned with flip-flop charms (my FAVORITE shoes!)
  • A cheese board that SP got on a trip to Sweden last summer (yum, cheese... another favorite!)
  • 6 Yarn Samples
  • Beaded Stitch Holder (for an up close photo on the sash of Kyoto, click here)

In the next, I was bombarded with snazzy sock yarn! Someone must have been reading my side bar where I wished for 'sock yarn and dpns'. I couldn't resist, I had to dive into the lovely pink 'Stargazer Lily' merino for my first sock! I cast on Sunday morning, at the very start of the Daytona 500, and here was the result at the end of the race:

(I figured that the stitch marker that I got from Marie at the SW dinner along was perfect for a sock)

It took a couple restarts (size 3 metal dpns were a TAD bit different from size 11 bamboo's), plus I took some time out to make stitch markers around lap 100 (photos when I finish the set). So just why was I watching the Daytona 500 when I have never even mentioned cars/NASCAR/races on here? Well, lets just say that JSwag has the same obcession with racing that I do with knitting.

So quite a lovely Sunday it was... after gorging on a dinner of mussels, salad, steak, and red wine the night before, we laid around all day watching NASCAR and knitting (well, Jason wasn't knitting). There was a bit of discontent in the house at end of the race (I was told that we are DEI (or '8 car') fans, not Rainbow Warrior (or '24 car') fans). If you know what that means, then you might have a NASCAR fan in your immediate circle.

Knitting:

I have been knitting A LOT the last few days. I am starting to develop this tough-skinned pointer finger on my right hand, a true sign of a hard-core needle-pusher.

  • Mom's Black Fuzz Scarf: Finished!
  • Kyoto: Back Panel - Finished, Sash - 1/3 finished
  • 1st Sock: with Knit Picks Sock Garden Merino Wool - slowly easing through the cuff
  • IGS: 1 ball of 3, with some blue/peach/gold variated stuff from Michaels.
  • Jason's Beanie: waiting on size 8 dpns to complete.

I've also been looking at Rowan 4ply for the Lucky Clover Wrap from SnB Nation. There is no way I am going to finish Kyoto by March 1, so I expect to be the kid that falls to the back of the pack during this KAL. That's ok Delia, you can't win them all. Anyhow, I can't decide between these colors:

Anyone care to share some feedback?



Tagged! From Yifaa at Noodle Knits:
[1] How much space is left on your TIVO or Comcast box?
No clue. I did record every gymastic event from the Summer Olympics so I imagine not much.
[2] Have you ever bought a DVD of a tv series and if so which one?
No but if I did, it would be CSI.
[3] What was the last tv show you watched before reading this message?
The Shield; Jason and I actually watched 3 episodes as a part of our 'celebrate the couch' day.
[4] List five shows you won't miss:
  • CSI
  • CSI: Las Vegas
  • CSI: New York
  • Law and Order
  • Numbers
[5] Three peeps to pass this on to?
No tags. Proceed if you would like!

That's all for know. I'm back in the LA-area on Thursday (and can hopefully meet up with LA!)... I'm sure it will be a blast but I must say, I still lust for NorCal. A true Bay Area girl here!