Two Black Sheep

She's So Cold

Finally, a finished object that I am happy with. Can I just tell you the joy it fills me with? Not only was it simple, I actually like the item and can see myself using it quite frequently, especially since I like my house cold in the winter. Never mind that next week it is supposed to be in the 90s here . . . I just said winter. The London Shrug is officially done and has been added to the Put a Fork In It album. Yes!

The girls leave on Tuesday for Paris, Germany, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. They will be gone for two solid weeks and couldn't be happier. Their school trip has been planned for the past two years and now that the date is quickly approaching, there is still a lot to be done. Every day, there is something new written on the white board (our preferred method of keeping in contact with one another) like "little umbrellas for Paris" or "pony tail holders." At some point, most likely in Prague, they will realize that they forgot something and have to go to a convenience store. That, for some strange reason, is always the highlight of a trip for me . . . that and eating in a McDonald's abroad.

The Flyer and I leave for London on the same day as the girls. This trip is relatively low key for us. He's doing a lot of planning, but I'm just looking for yarn stores. I've been to a few, but I really want to head to Bunty this time around, partially because I like the name. There will be a return trip to Liberty and Stash Yarns, but every thing else is up in the air. If you want anything, email me and I'll see what I can do. Trust me, if I am shopping for someone else, it's usually much better for me.

The plane project was supposed to be another Clapotis out of the Cider Moon Pandora Rose color-way (can we please think of a better word than color-way?). Best laid plans and all . . . it ain't happening. I should have bought the Glacier yarn, which I believe is their worsted weight yarn, but I bought the Icicle yarn, which is sock yarn. I knit up a gauge swatch on 5s and it was too loose, so I tried it on 4s. Better and something that I could live with. Or so I thought. About 20 rows into it, I realized that I hated it so much so that I wanted to cry. Lola and I had talked earlier about doing something out of Victorian Lace, a book I have had for a quite a while but was too nervous to use. Forced with a seven hour flight and nothing to knit, I opted for the rectangular shawl with the trellis and leaf motif on page 62. It looks very similar to Eunny's Print O' the Wave stole, but the directions were easier for me to read. I have almost two repeats done, which proves how quickly this knits up. It wasn't without issues as I had to tell my husband three times that I knew how to knit after I made successive fuck ups (not reading the chart correctly, lace cast-ons which wouldn't work, forgetting how a yarn over works - lovely crap!).

I picked up Allison's Charmed Knits last night more for Veronica than for me. Granted, I'll be doing the knitting (even though she and her sister know how to knit), but I've never met a bigger Harry Potter fan than her. I love the school jumpers and Errol - he might get knit quite quickly - as well as the Animal Crackers hat pattern. My only question, how does one knit something in secret? Any suggestions?

Lola, you are on your own for a while. Anything happens to us, the kids are yours. Make sure you have them "git" you things as well as fetch stuff for you. They are good at that. Not as good as pretend eating dog food on the phone (that's Gus for you), but good at "gitting" stuff. Email your requests!

Ava

PS - we saw the video for the Rolling Stones "She's So Cold" yesterday and I told the Flyer, "Now I know why women were gaga for Mick Jagger . . . he was hot before he looked cadavery."

A Long Walk

Ava-
So I made it home safely, tired, but safely.  I had enough time in the Newark & during the jaunt to D.C. to finish my G-Rocks.  This accomplishment led to some interesting knitting activities.  There's nothing like knitting lace at an airport bar.  To add to the interest, plied baby camel is like knitting with 4 separate pieces of sewing thread.  I think the bartender was impressed, but not enough to float me a beer.

My Philly update will not be as impressive as Ava's.  My memory is drifting away, lack of proper sleep will do that to a girl.  Before we boarded the train, we stopped at Kraemer's for some Tatamy Tweed Worsted.  I've swatched, washed & believe that US 6 will do me fine for the Half Dollar.  Fingers crossed, please.

After a quick stop at Starbucks (why do people let their large dogs walk around parking lots & then into the shop?), we went to the train station.  Since we just missed a train, we decided to enjoy a couple beers, NASCAR and people-watching.  I don't think the bar saw many women walk through the door.  Men actually offered their stools.  How sweet.

The night before, I stayed awake & practiced walking through a turnstile.  Push. Push.  No, don't pull!  Philly's transportation got the new & improved Lola!  We hit Rosie's Yarn Cellar first and grabbed more Noro, Folk Shawls & a set of the breast cancer Denise needles.  I'm sure that someone got more cashmere, but I can't remember.  It's a really good guess as it remained a hot commodity in Philly.  From there, we grabbed a delicious lunch at Ten Stone to fuel up for Loop.

Loop was our favorite yarn store in the 2007 Yarn Extravaganza (however, I love my purchases from School Products the most).  The store was well lit, large enough to walk around and had a nice staff that didn't make you feel like you were a bother.  We also saw an electronic ball winder that we're both coveting.  Ava grabbed some Lorna's Lace, Blue Sky Dyed Cotton & more cashmere.  I was almost  tempted by the shrug/cardigan in the window, but I was being realistic.  I had just bought enough sock yarn, yak, camel and cotton to knit sweaters for the entire Jolie-Pitt clan, plus the others that will surely follow.  Take me, Angie.  Take me.

One more stop at Lush and we were back on the train home.  B & V came with us to Philly, & kept us in line.  No eyes were rolled.  Not a lot of vulgar language. No dancing on the corners.  But they did leave us at Urban Outfitters, and the picture below was snapped.  Who sells a hat like this?  I guess the question should be, who buys a hat like this?  I'm not passing judgment, promise, but you could make it for 1/2 the price!

To be honest, we were slap-happy.  We were also really annoyed with cell phones.  Just because you can have an entire conversation about your evening, doesn't mean you should!  Go outside!  I don't want to hear that Danny can't handle his liquor.  I'm sorry that Molly has crabs, but I don't want or need to hear it.  I don't think he was amused by the hat.

Somewhere along the route, we ran into this little fellow.  Thanks to the girls for a heads-up.  The Hubbys were happy.  Probably even proud.

So that's the big 2007 Yarn Extravaganza!  Next time we hope to drop in on some knitbloggers.  We did run into some (a little Googling led us to them. we're not proud), but we don't have kind things to say.  And we  gave up being mean for Lent.  Not really, but it sounds nice.  We had a fantastic time in both NYC & Philly.  That's not really fair.  We always seem to have fun when we're together.  Whether it's large cities, a 16-hour car ride with a 5 month-old, or a pond full of goose shit.  But that's how sisters roll...
-Lola

Rehab Remix

There are so many titles for this post which we could have used . . . "Blame It On the Rain," "Downtown,"  or "The Bitch Is Back," but we settled on "Rehab Remix" for a variety of reasons. First, after this shopping weekend of yarn-porn, we truly need some rehab to get our spending back in check. Second, we realized that we really are kind of (okay, really REALLY) snarky when we get together. And third, we listened to Amy Winehouse all weekend long and it's the first and last song on the CD. Ironically, it has nothing to do with drinking. For that, we don't think we have a problem . . . seriously. Friday started off in typcial fashioin for us: Lola's flight was cancelled. She nearly cried on the ticket agent's shoulder saying, "Please don't make me go home to a 2-year-old. I can't do it." Suffice it to say, she got here and we got into New York City without any major obstacles. Granted, I really didn't know what we were doing other than a train would in fact take us into the city, but we got there.

Our first stop was Purl. We were a little enthusiastic when we walked in as they weren't even open yet, so we grabbed a quick bite at Once Upon a Tart (thanks for the recommendation, Cara) and then waited patiently while about ten other knitters walked up and down the block. Talk about looking like herion addicts waiting for fixes. The thing about Purl is the size really gets to you in the end. If you are even remotely claustrophic, Purl might require some anxiety medication. Lola picked up some Lorna's Lace Purl exclusives (she was such a good girl), but I bought some Habu Cashmere along with the Lorna's Lace. For me, the word of the day was cashmere. Not a cheap word by any means. From there, we went to Purl Patchwork (pop another anxiety med before entering . . . it's itsy-bitsy) and bought a variety of fabrics. Me? I'm just making a purse or two. Lola, she's making a purse, a pillow, and an apron. Neither of us is into "exquisite" quilts or technically matching fabrics like some of the other shoppers. In both stores, we were struck by how the owner was able to make the most of her limited space and still have a thriving business. Thanks for cutting the fabric, Joelle; it was a pleasure.

Let it be said that Lola's interaction with public transport is limited. Still, I expected her to know how to operate a turnstile. I am wondering how many people looked at us in the Spring Street station saying, "Look, see how patient that woman is with the mentally challenged lady." Unfortunately, our "sister sign language" wasn't working that well so it took four swipes of a MetroCard to get Lola into the station. Priceless!

Somewhere between Purl and Purl Patchwork, it began to rain which is fairly typical for our New York expeditions. This time, it wasn't a torrential downpour as in the past, but still, New York in the rain kind of sucks. Seaport Yarn was next on our trip. If you haven't been there, it really is an interesting place as the yarn just goes on and on and on. We were a little overwhelmed, but they did have a fantastic selection of Louet Gems and Noro so we each got a little sumpin' sumpin' for our projects. We tossed around going uptown to Tender Buttons, but the rain really put a damper on that idea, so we settled on just Habu Textiles and School Products with a quick stop at Lush for good measure. Lola was unaware that Lush made a Karma Kream and, after trying some, spent the rest of the afternoon smelling her hands. Habu was worth it just to marvel at all the nifty yarns, but I found myself having to really do some mental talking just to buy something, so we left empty handed. School Products (after we found the right building) was much more profitable - for them and us. Lola had been talking about super-yak for a while, but I just couldn't get my head around it. School Products has a variety of yak yarns as well as an extensive camel selection. If you would have asked me about camel and yaks last month, I would have laughed at you, but suffice it to say, camel and yak was on the train home just an hour later. Me? More cashmere and some Koigu for the Chevron Scarf as I am giving into peer preasure.

We got home relatively early - about 7 PM - and got to work on our knitting while we decompressed with a beer. We learned that we don't wear our knitting into yarn shops because we don't need to prove that we can knit. If you are in a yarn shop and fondling the yarn, we assume - as do the owners - that you know what you are doing. You do not need to wear your most complicated piece as if you were fishing for comments. Please, if your first scarf turned out shitty and your second piece just as shitty and then you switched to lace and only lace, do not assume that you have a talent for the complicated shit . . . you have a talent for yarn overs. We also learned that if a yarn shop owner professes a love for a certain designer and we don't share those feelings, we will keep it to ourselves for fear of getting into a protracted arguement based upon said designer's speech patterns. And finally, we learned that the owners will laugh a little more with you if you aren't condesending about the whole thing. After all, it's just yarn. Lola will post about Philadelphia tomorrow; I have a Chevron calling my name.
-Ava

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

My Darling G-Rocks,

I knew something was wrong last night when Ava could barely muster one round. Do you ever get that feeling that someone is just not into knitting you . . . almost a "It's not you, it's me" vibe when you know damn well it is you? Last night was one such night. I wondered, "Did I do something wrong? Could I serve a better purpose plugging her ears after listening to all those youngsters murder the divine Diana Ross?" Alas, when her darling children started petting her hair, telling her it would be okay, I knew it couldn't have been the fault of a little bit of yarn.

Oh, G-Rocks, I just know if we put our tiny needles and fiber together, we can come up with something better for the girls. I hear that on the Internet, you can find lots of lovely flights for very little money. If you promise to be a good lilttle sock and I promise to at least try being one, I have a feeling everything will work out for the best.

I was beginning to think that my lovingly hand dyed colorway (you are right . . . we do need to think of a new name for that ) might run from all the sadness, when the ruckus from downstairs finally made a connection. G-Rocks! You are coming to the East coast after all! Jump for joy, little one. You can see Lush and Purl Soho and Schoolhouse (three-way? Shit, the way Ava talks, we're in for an orgy) and a subway and maybe, if you are really good, we can recreate the Rocky scene running up the stairs. Wait; that would take physical exertion and we know Lola and Ava aren't into that unless there is a Starbucks at the top of those stairs.

Jump in your traveling pouch and tell your inner-Mom voice to hush; it looks fine. Besides, the boys never look at the construction before they try the zipper. Ava is trying to pick out the Amy Butler prints that she wants for her bags. For some reason, she keeps muttering stubborn and bitch over and over again. I hope she doesn't get too involved with the Bernina again. That affair gets a bit over-wraught. Put away the cheap wine and turn on America's Next Top Model - at least no one will sing. After last night's AI, I was ready to have Ava put you on the phone to sing. Foofaraw says she is love, but she's a bit off her rocker if you ask me.

See you soon,
Monsoon

PS - We promise to stop our socks from blogging . . . they are getting a bit full of themselves. I might have to threaten Monsoon with frogging if she doesn't behave.

Margaritaville

I'll sprinkle some sunny pictures into the next couple posts.  I've never been a fan of Florida weather.  We always seemed to visit when the humidity & heat were high.  Complete opposite this time!  We were able to stay at the beach for over an hour, & probably could have stayed longer.  But let's face it, sand is annoying.  Gus loved the beach!  He didn't understand that you shouldn't throw sand and birds don't like to be touched.  He also loved the pool.  For the first 2 days, we dealt with a huge amount of clutching and screaming whenever anyone mentioned, "pool".  On the final day, we had ourselves a water baby.  He would skip the "1. 2." and just scream, "3" and fall onto Grandma. 

I got some knitting done by the pool.  I turned the heel on my G-Rocks, so now I've got to decide if I was to add some detail to the leg.  I may add a stitch and do a 6x3 rib.  Any ideas? 

As for big project knitting, I've hit a road block.  I really want to start something before I visit you.  I know that it's a week away, but that seems like a year in Knitting Life.  To make Half Dollar, I've got to find some Tatamy Tweed DK.  I'm too lazy to swatch another yarn and start another search.   I know we talked about the Katherine Hepburn cardigan, but I almost put that one off.  Almost!  Then Cara comes along, starts posting her progress, and talks about it being popular on the blogs.  Why would she do that?   She doesn't know it, but I'm a follower. 

I had an appointment cancel today, so after the clothes are piled up and the trash is taken out, I'll hit the road in search of yarn.  Get moving on that sock!  I want to see some STR when I get to your house.  Now that I'm home, I'm giddy about heading to Ava-land.  Giddy dammit!

-Lola

Viva Las Vegas

Goodness gracious, Lola . . . let a woman blog for a second! I swear we talked to her as a child, folks; getting her to say "truck" was one of my earliest pleasures even when it had nothing to do with travel.

Speaking of travel, and how was that for a "smooth" segue, Las Vegas over the weekend was a little crazy as this and this were occuring simultaneously. If you read the travel news at all, it was noted that three to four times as a many people who show up for New Year's Eve showed up for this long weekend. Surprisingly, there were only a little less than a thousand arrests . . . and the Flyer and I saw five of them in one night.

It was my first trip to Las Vegas and I have to say it will not be my last. Let it be said that I don't really gamble nor do I quite understand what I am doing. I did, however, win about $63 on the London inspired slot machine which I quickly cashed out to buy a drink or two; it could have been three or four . . . I lost count. I've never been to a place that was so diametrically opposed. On one hand, every single hedonistic impulse could be conceivably indulged in a matter of twenty minutes: sex, drinks, gambling, vouyerism, drugs. You name it, someone could get it for you in a few moments. On the other hand, there was such pristine beauty in the landscape that it made me cry a little and continually utter the phrase, "I am just speechless."

My Valentine's present from the Flyer was tickets to see Love, the Beatles inspired Cirque du Soleil show. The opening scene took my breath away and I think I actually said, "He just dropped that girl," out loud. I wasn't sure what to do for the Flyer: Prince or Penn and Teller. In the end, I chickened out and got the Penn and Teller tickets. I was really conflicted because I know how much the Flyer loves Prince, but the decision was the right one after we heard that Prince didn't start playing until midnight and it didn't end until 5 AM. I'm all for partying, but at my age, 5 AM is when I get up not go to bed.

Before we left, I researched some yarn shops and convinced the Flyer to visit Gail Knits. Gail Knits is so far off the Strip that you felt like you weren't in Vegas any more which came as a welcome relief. No drunken basket ball worshippers, no stale cigarette smoke, no bells and whistles . . . just really nice yarn. I picked up some SWTC Tofutsies in Get Your Feet Wet and then I turned the corner and a Miracle happened. I was thinking to myself, "Where is the wool or alpaca? Surely I can't walk out with just sock yarn," and completely forgetting that it is very, very warm in Las Vegas when I stumbled upon Classic Elite's Miracle. I have no idea what I am going to do with it and I don't care . . . I just bought it. So, now I have 324 yards of some of the softest yarn I have ever touched, but what to do? Any suggestions? The shade is aubergine (truly, it is lavendar) and I was thinking about making a scarf of sorts, hopefully something lacey.

On the whole, I was very very good. I didn't get a tattoo, I didn't shave my head, I didn't drink until oblivion . . . hell, I even apologized to people when others ran me into them and I thanked the nice people who turned my purse in when I left it in a Starbucks. The next time, you and SK are coming with us and we are staying here just because I said so. Trust me, you'll thank me after you try the crepes at Jean-Phillipe's.

The EZ Fair Isle is coming along nicely (wish I could say the same thing about Grace . . . grrr) as I am nearly done with one sleeve. Hopefully, when you come to visit, Lola, I will have it finished . . . but don't hold your breath. The flight attendant, when she realized that the flight out was going to be, well, challenging, told my seatmates and me that that she was sticking with us in bulkhead. I volunteered the use of my Denise's in case she needed to poke at anyone. Thankfully, she didn't need to so I knit a whole lot on the sleeves.

I leave you with one final picture of Las Vegas; if I nearly tripped over my feet upon seeing it, I can only imagine what you would have done. Unbreak my heart, indeed!

Ava

PS - Congratulations to our brother on his engagement! We really like his fiance, Tiffany, but we totally understand if you have others you would like to have in the actual wedding. Maybe we could do a dramatic reading or something . . . oh, that's right, we still haven't told our family about the blog.