When in Chicago… February 9, 2010

you get snow.  Lots of it.  This morning I awoke to an odd scraping sound from outside the window of my friend Joel’s flat (God, I sound more English when I write than when I speak [oh and Darren, not one person {and most everybody I've been around this trip has known me since I was a teenager} has said that I sound more British when I am speaking than before I moved to the UK.  So there!  Ha!! Told ya so!!]).  Ok, now where was I?  Oh yeah, scraping outside the window.  My first thought was that Joel’s upstairs neighbor must be planing the wood floors (was around a woodworker everyday for ten years, what can I say?).  But then I realized that the noise wasn’t coming from up so much as out so I peeked out the window and saw, much to my surprise (and not delight) about 3 inches of snow on the ground.  The scraping sound?  Why some poor dude who drew that short straw shoveling the sidewalk.  It is still snowing and it is around 3:30 in the afternoon.  There is now at least 4 inches of snow out there now and the sky keeps on looking like a winter freaking wonderland.  I am so glad that I am not flying out today as the airports here have something like 500 flights canceled or something like that.

However, I do need to leave the flat and I am using my very best procrastination skills to avoid it.  I mean, it’s one thing to trug somewhere in a freezing Chicago winter to do some shopping and have your hands freeze off while carrying it all home, but it is completely a different thing when you add snow that is deep enough to go over the top of your all-terrain shoes and get your socks and pants wet and cold.  Had I known that this was expected (and, of course, it is always expected in Chicago in February) I would have packed my welliebobs.  Alas and alack, I didn’t, so now I will have to suffer with wet socks.  Le sigh…

Anyway, enough about the snow.  Yes, I am once again in Chicago.  I think that this may be two of the closest back-to-back trips here that I have ever done.  I spent the first part of the trip at my friend Sarah’s place.  Her little guy has grown quite a lot since I was here last.  Walking was still a novelty this past August and now he’s full-on mobile.

(Ok, I know I said that I was going to stop writing about the snow but I have to break in on this.  It just started actually snowing harder than it was before!!!  Holy crap!)

Anyway, this balls-to-the-wall mobility makes Sarah’s job of making sure that he lives to 18 so that she can take up a new hobby rather more, urm, difficult, to say the least.  He can open doors.  He can climb.  And boy can he break stuff.  The kid could be a savant in the art of breaking stuff if Sarah didn’t keep such a close eye on him.  However, he’s adorable and at 1.5 years he can get away with it ok still:-)

A lot of the first few days here were spent shopping (I had nearly filled-up my extra big duffel bag by day 2!) and eating at Jimmy John’s and Chipotle.  It was fun, but how Sarah manages to take a shower, let alone do something like grocery shopping amazes me.  I mean, I was exhausted and I’m not even the mommy, I’m only the sherpa auntie!!

All of this chasing and sherpa-ing left me little time to photograph the little guy, so forgive me, there aren’t any gratuitous cute kid pictures.

However, I will throw in a cute Meara photo free of charge!

Your bonus Meara photo, taken when I was packing to go to Chicago.

A few days before I left for Chicago, I went on a bit of a shopping spree.  Since I could have it shipped here, it actually made sense for me to buy things via the internet for once.  Here’s a few of the things that I picked-up:

Some "light" fiction for the plane ride back along with an African Violet book that I have been wanting for a while. All from a used bookstore

A couple of the books that I got on-line.

I found these two books in a used bookstore in Joel's neighborhood. I've been looking for both of them. SCORE!!

Some more on-line purchases.

Like I said, I went on a bit of a shopping spree....

Handy, huh?

The 2 yarns on the left are Zephyr in peacock and vanilla and the cone on the right is 2/14 ALPACA SILK, all from WEBS.

The top yarn is Misty Alpaca sock yarn in Reaggeton and the bottom yarn is Lace Wool in autumn, both from WEBS

The sock yarn on the left is Frog Prince Imagination and the 2 on the right are Lumberjack Stroll Tweed, both from Knit Picks.

Some pretty beads from Caravan Beads. I think that these are destined to be a lot of stitch markers!

Garnet and Freshwater pearls, destined for really nice stitch markers!

Miyuke seed beads destined for the Evenstar shawl

Some more Miyuke beads destined for whatever shawl I make with the autumn yarn above

Fun Czech beads also destined for stitch markers

These are AWESOME for traveling. They have the detergent and fabric softener all in one handy, non-spillable sheet.

Finally found fun scoops that would fit in my flour and sugar canisters at home! Gotta love Homegoods!

A Lands End fleece top that was a birthday gift from Sarah. I love Lands End stuff so it is a PERFECT gift.

Another cool gift from Sarah. They have Angora in them!!!

Monkey slippers bought on clearance from Target. Oh how I miss Target in the UK.....

I got a lot of other stuff too, stuff that isn’t too exciting to photograph.  Like a half a dozen bottles of vanilla as well as 2 vanilla infusion kits (one was a gift from Sarah, the other I bought), about a dozen different Knit Picks needles, a couple packs of underwear, a few Eddie Bauer long-sleeved t-shirts (LOVE THEM!), and Eddie Bauer fleece vest (ditto) and stuff like that.  Oh, and a BUNCH of cotton yarn.  Cannot find cheap cotton yarn over there to save your life!

So, not really been doing a lot to speak of.  Nothing cultural at all.  Thought about going to the Art Institute today but that got put on the back burner thanks to the snow.  Mostly been hanging out with Joel the past few days:

Ladies, he's single! (Crazies need not apply)

When he’s not at work of course…

When he is at work, I hang with Yo-Yo, his large and in charge cat.

(In Barry White voice) Yeah ladies, I AM large and in charge...

Ok, one last totally random picture.  This is, I think, probably the coast of Nova Scotia from the airplane.

Doesn't that just LOOK cold?

Oh, sorry, I lied.  Two more, of Joel’s fun neighborhood.

Since these folks couldn't seem to work on the "reduce" part, they definitely took to the "reuse" part!

Book Review: Sacred Hearts January 13, 2010

So, this is the first fiction book that I am reviewing.  I’m not sure that I’m going to make a habit of it or not, we’ll just have to wait and see I guess.  However, this was another Christmas book (thanks mom!) and I have read both The Birth of Venus and In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant as well.  I love books that teach you about history using a fictional character to tell the story in a human way and this book doesn’t disappoint.  The story in this book is a bit of a harder sell than the other two books I’ve read of hers simply because it is mostly about the politics of convent life in Italy in 1570.  There aren’t the rich descriptions of the day-to-day life of the city because the nuns, for the most part, were cut-off from it.  Letters and the occasional visits from family were the most that these women got.

It’s not surprising that Sarah Dunant went in this direction with this book, in the previous books, she makes it clear just how many well-bred women ended-up in nunneries against their will due to dowry pressures.  However, the setting of the book causes it to drag in places.  I found myself thinking, “enough with the descriptions of the kinda boring nunnery, move on the story already” but in the end, she does manage to pull through the story.

So, if you are looking into a historically set book about nunneries in the 1570’s (and really, who isn’t these days!) I would totally suggest this book:-)

Three yarn balls up (no knitting content at all, or it would have gotten four!)

Book Review: Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts January 4, 2010

So, here is another Christmas present book I’m reviewing (y’all had better get used to this, I got a lot of books for Christmas!).  So, disclaimer time, I love Martha.  I have been reading her magazine since I was a teenager.  Not all of the articles have always pertained to anyone except, perhaps, the very wealthy, but there is always at least one article in them that I find interesting.

So, with that caveat in place, I love this book.  There are detailed instructions for many different crafts including beading, paper folding and cutting, tin punching, soap and candle making, scrapbooking and nature crafts.  All of the instructions have a list of materials that are needed as well hints on ways to not, uh, mess-up the crafts in question.  I am really looking forward to making some bath fizzies as well as really perfecting my stitch markers for knitting with the jewelry making instructions.

There is, however, one glaring omission and that is all of the needle crafts.  There is nothing in it about crochet, knitting, embroidery, cross stitch or the like.  I have heard rumor that there is another book coming out that is going to be based around these solely and I sure hope that there is as there was nary a mention of them in this book.

Most of the crafts in this book were reasonably simple though a few did require power tools to complete.  There were a whole raft of crafts that I think could be done with children, so a good book to have if you do crafts with kids a lot.  It is also just a generally well written and well laid-out book in general.  So, all in all, 5 balls up (assuming that there is a needle craft book on the way, if not, then it’s only 4 balls!).

Wassup!?! January 3, 2010

One of the managers where I am currently working will quite often greet us worker bees with this odd-for-an-Englishman greeting.  Every time he says it it makes me laugh as it sounds so….. odd, coming from his mouth.  Just think about it for a little bit….

Not a lot has been going on in my life of recent to tell you the truth.  I can’t say that I’m really knitting anything right now other than a sock I have been half-heartedly working on for several weeks (and haven’t gotten past the ribbing). Most of the reason is heartbreak.  One day, after having had Malcolm for only a very little while, I ran over to the neighbor’s house for something.  I wasn’t gone for very long but when I came back, the little project bag that I had been keeping the lace stole in was on the floor, yarn like cobwebbing everywhere and both needles on the circulars were broken.  Mal, who lived up to his name in Latin, had removed the project bag from another bag, opened the closed drawstring top, and proceeded to try to eat my lace stole.  Long story short, I think that it is salvageable, but I’m just yet up to opening that bag and working on it yet (and I need to get a new pair of needles!).

This is the last picture taken with the stole before the unfortunate event. It was taken a couple of months ago when the hubby and I went into London to meet-up with some friends. At least the stole has been very well traveled!

I finished a scrapghan right before Christmas for the neighbors and I have another crocheted blanket in the works, but nothing that I can write about as it is for a gift.

However, I may not be knitting right now (and my poor spinning wheel is gathering some serious dust too!) but I certainly will be this summer!  I am now officially registered for classes at both Knit Nation and UK Knit Camp!!!  Here’s a rundown of what all I’m going to be learning about:

Knit Nation

SPINNING FOR LACE with Janel Laidman, ESTONIAN LACE SAMPLER with Nancy Bush (!!!) and

THE WONDERS OF WOOL: UK with Clara Parkes (double !!!).  I got into all of the classes that I wanted and I’m really looking forward to taking my Ashford Traveler on the train and tube that first morning and watching the looks on peoples faces!

Yesterday I did the sign-ups for Knit Camp and, once again, I got into everything that I wanted.

Knit Camp

The Baby Surprise Jacket with Jared Flood, Rare Breed Wools for Spinners with Deb Robson, Intro to the magic loop with Angela Davis, The Aestlight Shawl and Traditional Shetland shawl construction with Gudrun Johnston and I am also signed up for the tour of the New Lanark Mill on Wednesday afternoon.  I decided on the self-catering option for the accommodations as I am usually a pretty light eater for breakfast and lunch and since it is a University town, I figure that there are probably a fair number of cheap eats in the area.  If there isn’t, please don’t correct me, ok?:-)  Part of the reason that I am so looking forward to all of these events is that I have friends coming to my little(ish) part of the world for both of them.  Tini is coming all the way from Germany for Knit Nation and will be staying with us while she is here (since we are well within commuting distance!) and Malin is traveling from Finland for Knit Camp!   If nothing else, I am looking forward to seeing both of them again!!!

In other news… The department store that I have been working for has asked to extend my contract to work for them until the end of January.  I have decided to take it as it will not interfere with my planned trip to CHICAGO on my birthday.  Yes, the hubby gave me a trip to Chicago for Christmas so that I could go for my traditional time with my friends there (he’s so awesome!).  I’m really looking forward to the trip if for not other reason than to buy a few packages of Stovetop Stuffing which I love dearly but isn’t available here except at the costly American Food Store.  So yes, the travel for this woman (and her knitting projects) is not yet over!

Book Review: Crazy Aunt Purl’s Home is Where the Wine Is January 1, 2010

This was one of the books that I got as a Christmas present this year and I am so glad that I did. (However, I do really wish that I could get onto whatever list it is that they send you free copies of books that are coming out soon [especially yarn/fiber related books!] for you to read and review.  Anybody have an idea on that? [I would be willing to do giveaways!])

Laurie Perry’s skills as a writer have gotten even stronger since her last book Crazy Aunt Purl’s Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair which was laugh out loud funny itself.  Actually, it was more like laugh-until-you-nearly-pee-your-pants funny and her newest book is even better.  I guess that you would call it laugh-until-you-pull-a-muscle-in-your-side-and-then-pee-your-pants funny.  The hubby looked in on me several times while I was reading it trying to discern if I was laughing really hard or crying.  Seriously folks, this woman takes all that is the worst about being a single woman (and sometimes just being a woman in general) and makes you look at it, and I mean really look at it, and realize just how ridiculous it all is sometimes.  Her story about getting ready for a vacation to Hawaii literally made me laugh until I cried and anyone who has ever tried to get in shape will recognize themselves in her descriptions of her forays to the gym.

I’ve been a fan of Laurie’s Blog Crazy Aunt Purl ever since I read her first book a few years ago.  Since then, I’ve told anyone who would listen to me prattle about something like this (read: Happy Hookers crochet group) how great of a blog it is and how everybody should go out and get her books.  Or at the very least, check them out from the library.  Laurie is sort of like a much less whiny Bridget Jones (the one aspect that I always disliked about Bridget was the whiny tone she gets into often) with the much more realistic issues of cat litter (an issue that I have cussed and discussed several times myself), Target shopping (ditto) and yoga farting (haven’t hit that one yet).  I love the fact that she too has been on a date where the other participant spent more of the time on their cell phone than on conversation with the person sitting right in front of them.  At the end of this book there are knitting and crochet patterns which are mostly small projects that a beginner (or the obsessive, in the case of the rug) could easily do.

All in all, this book gets five (yarn) balls up (get yer minds out of the gutter!).  Way to go Laurie and please, don’t make us wait as long for the next one!!!

Favorite things December 31, 2009

So, it’s been a few weeks since I last wrote for you my faithful readers.  I’m sure that you have also been busy with the holiday season so I hope that you don’t hold it against me too terribly much.  I’ve had an interesting holiday season working in the department store.  All I can say is that it makes me more glad than ever that I usually do all of my Christmas shopping super early.  And for all of you out there let me tell you something.  If you are rude to a store clerk, we will find ways to pay you back!  (this makes me really not to be rude to wait staff as they have control over FOOD!!!!)

However, overall, it has been an uneventful Christmas.  I got lots and lots of goodies and wanted to share a few of my favorites with y’all.

First up is this gem from my husband.  We’ve been talking about getting one of these since, oh, well…. March.  But, better late than never!

This is, what they call here, a water butt otherwise known as a rain barrel to my US friends.  Really, these make so much sense here that I find it hard to understand why everyone doesn’t have one!  The water that comes out of the tap here is loaded with calcium which makes it so that my indoor plants get that lovely crusty white stuff on the soil surface and on the pots.  This crust isn’t just unsightly, it is also in the end, harmful to the plants.  By collecting rainwater, I am hoping to avoid the whole darn issue!  Oh, yeah, and save water, always a nice thing!

Another thing that we got this Christmas was sort of a present from the hubby and I to each other.  We got a new bed.  It is a UK sized “King” which is more or less a “Queen” in the US.  We went to IKEA and each of us got a different mattress given that we both have different firmness requirements when it comes to a good nights sleep.

(photo of bed)

I also got a stand mixer to facilitate all of my making of cookies and baked goods.  The hubby and I went on a baking spree right before Christmas so that we could share yummies with the neighbors and friends around us (helps to solve the “what are we going to get the neighbors” issue rather well!  Anyway, I’m sure that it will get lots of use, just not in the month of January as my neighbors have all said, “no more!” for a little bit as they are all having trouble getting their pants (I mean trousers) fastened!

We got lots of lovely gifts from all over.  My mom sent a great care package with Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup (can’t find it over here) French’s onions (ditto) and chocolate chips (can find but not quite the same and way more expensive).  I got lots of books and a wonderful gift certificate to the pub and other fun gifts, all in all it was a very fun and relaxed holiday.

Part of the fun of it was that it was the first time that I have had a white Christmas where I was actually living.  This isn’t a totally good thing as British drivers do not know how to drive in snowy/icy conditions! One night it took me about 2.5 hours to get home from work.  It normally takes about a half an hour.  It wasn’t really the road conditions that were the issue rather the other drivers on the road and a plethora of accidents littering the main roads.  But, as long as I’m not needing to be anywhere, the snow is fun and really, really pretty.

This is more or less what the whole neighborhood looked like!

Malcolm, the new dog, really loved the snow.  He would go outside just to play in it, which got old for those of us who were letting him in and out all of the time!

And then after all of this playing and running we get a much needed rest…

I hope that all of you have a wonderful evening and a fantastic 2010!

It’s going to be another busy summer (I think). December 3, 2009

So, the UK has gone from having zero (or seriously close to zero) major knitting get-aways to having two in one year.  Not even in a year, in a summer!  First up is Knit Nation which is being held the 29th, 30th and 31st of July this year in London.  It’s three days of shopping and classes with the likes of: Cookie A, Judith MacKenzie McCuin, Clara Parkes, Nancy Bush and many more.  The Ravelry team is going to be giving a talk as well in addition to an awesome market place being in the works.  It’s being held at the Imperial College in South Kensington which is right by the Victoria and Albert museum as well as a bunch of other stuff.  I have signed up to take a Spinning for Lace class with Janel Laidman on Thursday, the Estonian Lace Sampler class with Nancy Bush (OMG!!) on Friday and a half-day class with Clara Parkes on Saturday called the Wonders of Wool (UK).  Since it is “just” in the city, I plan on taking the train with my friend Tini who will be staying with us for that weekend as well.  It should be interesting taking my Ashford Traveler on the commuter train into the city that first day:-)

I’m glad that Knit Nation is so close that I don’t have to worry about accommodation as it leaves me more money to spend a few weeks later at the UK Knit Camp 2010 which is being held in beautiful Stirling, Scotland.  This knitty adventure is going to be a bit longer than Knit Nation as it is going on the 6th through the 13th of August.  It’s being held on the campus of the University of Stirling and the accommodation is really reasonable.  To stay in one of the dormitories for 6 nights, it is 150  pounds.  That’s a really good deal for a room anywhere in this country, especially in the summer!  The classes that they are offering are pretty amazing, with instructors like Jared Flood, Annie Modesitt, Lucy Neatby, Norah Gaughan, Franklin Habit, and Ysolda Teague all teaching there.  There are also going to be excursions to local mills and whiskey distilleries as well as much fun and craziness had by all I am sure.  Just imagine, dormitories all filled with fiber freaks!  I have a feeling it’s going to turn into a huge, more-or-less, slumber party at some point!  Sign-up for classes for this yarn porn week open in January, though you can book your space to sleep now.  My friend Malin is planning on coming over for this one and I plan on driving up there so there is sure to be lots and lots of adventures!

So, it seems that the UK has sort of gone from zero to sixty in the span of a year in terms of knitting camps.  Hopefully this will become a regular thing that all of the British knitters can enjoy!

Thanks, Giving. November 26, 2009

A few things that I am thankful for this year:

1.) My family.  We are all safe and comfortable in our lives.  Yeah, money may be a little tight this year, but remember, there are probably about a billion people on this planet who would die so that their children could have what we already do.

2.) My furry family.  They are all still healthy and safe, even with the newest member to be added.  Just think, even they are probably living better than about half a billion of those people!

3.) My friends.  This has been an extremely tough year for me what with the move and all.  I’m thankful for my friends, both old and new, who helped me though the transition.  If I am not with you this year, know that I wish that I was…

4.) The house.  We are so blessed to live in a beautiful, distinctive place filled with wonderful books and treasures (and more than a little yarn!).  We have amazing views and we live in a village where the sense of community is strong.

5.) My health.  This one is sort of ironic given that I was quite sick yesterday.  However, generally both the hubby and I are healthy.  I have a lot of friends with chronic health issues and I recognize just how horrible that can be.

6.) My safety.  I live in an incredibly safe place.  There are millions of women in this world who cannot say the same.

7.) My job.  As much as I may not really enjoy it, I have one while thousands of folks wish that they did.  Add to that, I have the option of working.

8.) That I was born in 1978 rather than 1878.  One word folks: tampons.

When you think about things like this, it makes anything in your life seem a little less dire.  Go on, think about the things that you are thankful for today, no matter where you live!

Elaboration November 24, 2009

So, to elaborate on the last post a bit…

I got a job.  It doesn’t pay well and the 3 days a week that I work take a day (at least) to recover from.  I’m on my feet all day in (cue evil music here) dress shoes.  I don’t mind being on my feet a lot.  My last job had me walking all over concrete all day but it’s the dress shoes part that kills me.  I don’t know how (or why) people actually choose to wear them.  Anyway, the people who I am working with are infallibly nice and kind, it’s just sort of a tough job for someone like me to do.  Since it is only until January, I’ll stick it out and hope that my feet toughen up a little bit!

The dog that we found we are calling Malcolm (those of you who are Firefly/Serenity fans will know what I was watching before I found him!).  He’s very pretty but he is a lot of work.  He needs a run a couple of times a day or he gets really bored and antsy.  I have gotten together with a neighbor and we are going to walk together a couple of times a day as she has a lovely Golden Retriever that loves to play.  Mal keeps trying to play with Weezy and Meara but he’s just too big and is continuously stepping on them by accident.  I think that it will be good for him to get to rough-house with someone closer to his own size.

 

Mr Malcolm after a good run.

 

 

The weather here has been trying for the past couple of weeks.  It ranges from raining to blowing rain to gusting rain or just gusting.  You can imagine how much fun that has been to take the dogs out into.  At least it gives me some interesting clouds to look at!

My Yarn Therapy group is starting to take off in fits and starts.  I have actually had other people attending it!  I’m very pleased with the ladies that I have had attend so far.  We always get comments from folks that are having dinner in the pub as well.  I’m hoping that more will come as soon as the word gets out some more!

Lots November 22, 2009

There is lots of stuff going on in my life currently.

I started a new job last week.  It is in retail and it is only for the duration of the holiday season.  However, as temporary as it is, it still required more or less 3 days of training.  I am only working 3 days a week, but it definitely leaves my feet a hurting.

Last week on my way home from the above mentioned job, I found a dog.  He is a sort of lurcher and we think that he was in the area due to some “gypsy” activity that included hare coursing as some people were arrested doing just that.  He’s a beautiful boy but have had my hands full as he is A.) wickedly smart, B.) not housetrained and C.) scary fast.

Also, last week the hubby was in India, so I was alone handling, urm, everything…

So, sorry about the silence.  I’ll write more when I have a chance