Anything But Hear The Voice

Crazy times.

Around me my friends are breaking up with lovers, moving house, and serving jury duty.

Yet everything remains the same for me.

Or not.

I could finish the book proposal this week and have it mailed out by FRIDAY.

The only thing stopping me: I need people to read through it and offer editorial advice.

I better get on that so here's a few photos to keep you busy

The first fire of the year


and

The In Rainbows Socks

Clean Sweap

Today was a housework day. I hardly did anything on the book. I bought a new piece of furniture last week and one must do some rearranging to make full use of the new item. I got rid of some books, moved books, looked at books. books books books. And after 90 minutes my living room looks 62% more liveable. There's something therapeutic about this process for afterwards a calm came over me that I usually associate with a yoga session. And this good feeling (cue Violent Femmes) lasted the whole day. A stillness of mind, a realigned spirit. It remains even now, after grocery shopping, meal cooking and bill paying. I suppose this means I'm going to have to clean more. Strange how I also usually associate this frame of mind with knitting... hmmmm.

Since I was organizing, I figured I might as well go to the Container Store to get some magazine boxes. Which meant I also had an excuse to swing by the bookstore and pick up the new Vogue Knitting. It's beautiful and all, but it's expletively annoying that the patterns I want to knit are the downloadable ones off the Vogue Knitting website. You know what I'm talking about -all those beautiful patterns at the front of the magazine? Gorgeous, simple use of intriguing stitch patterns and silhouettes. Quelle suprise. Still, I'm glad I got it.

I've developed something of a coffee habit. In that I stopped by Peet's Coffee to read my Vogue Knitting. It was lovely. I was wearing a sleeveless cotton top and it was warm enough that I did not require a cardigan. Apparently there is such a thing as summer in Marin County. For about 40 minutes I felt like I was on vacation, the whir of the freeway substituting the crashing sway of the ocean. My arms even got a little tan, well at least my cluster-freckle version there of.

I took a moment from the cleaning to take a few photos of the few knitting projects I'm able to show you. Socks are my escape from book knitting. I'm not a fancy sock knitter. People send me sock patterns and sock books, but I'm usually happy with a simple rib, or endless stockinette. Socks for me are the thoughtless project. I get frustrated when socks carry on too long because I want to move off onto the next sock project, the new superduper magical hand dyed sundae of a sock yarn. There's no time for cabling in my sock project. That's what scarves and sweaters are for.

So voila:

These are the finished Phoenix socks, which I started to cheer myself up after I got laid off:


They certainly did the trick. It was hand-dyed Schaeffer Anne. It's beautiful to knit with, but it's fine fingering weight and it took dog's years to finish. I'm happy how similar the two socks look. And indeed I have resurrected myself since losing the FYC job. I was reading through my book submission materials and I'm pretty far along.

Ironically, I just have to get the silly thing organized.

Just the thought of that freaks me out. I'm at a point where I could actually submit the book proposal. Ack. The only thing stopping me is myself. Weird. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I didn't think I'd be here this soon. I should be celebrating.

Back to socks:

Here is sock one of the Page Mill Farm hand dyed yarn. Sock two has been cast on, but has been neglected in the name of book knitting for a while



Never have I been more satisfied with a sock yarn. It knits up quickly and have a beautiful loft. The colors are varied and vibrant. Dreamy.


GG

Hmmmm

Still in LA. Going home today. Can't wait to get home. I've got a bunch of work to do and this is my last week as an officially unemployed person.

LA was fun. My cousins were in town, my brother lives here and we went to see Knocked Up at the famous Chinese theatre in Hollywood. And I got to visit my brother's two supercute chihuahuas. I like the idea of having a dog, but in reality I prefer the freedom of not having to worry about pets when I go out of town. And I'm not sure that a dog won't totally ruin my yarn stash.

The good news is that I finished a pair of socks this weekend. And of course I started a second sock within 24 hours of finishing the last one.

Oh and we watched 300 on the hotel tv. Lame!!!!!!!!! Pecs a movie doesn't make.

GG

When in doubt

Start knitting a new pair of socks.

With a fancy handpainted sock yarn.


The Phoenix Socks

To tell the truth though there isn't much doubt around here. I'm feeling good. Been very productive. Visited my brother for his birthday. Got the car serviced. The kitchen is clean and I'm writing patterns. Just have to stay on task. It's important to have rules for yourself or you end up on the couch watching The View, which is as bad as watching the news in the way it fosters anxiety.

Watched the new Sopranos episode. It nearly put me to sleep. Just listened to the Guster album while I was cleaning/running around this morning. Beautiful music. This house has been full of new music lately. Regina Spector, Amy Winehouse, Mika and now Guster.

ok personal insight, trying to find today's personal insight. In some ways I used to be disapointed with myself because I went straight into the job market from college. But in the end it was the right thing because I didn't really know what I liked to do. I guess this is why universities want you to have life experience before persuing certain masters degrees. You have to know what you don't like before you know what you absolutely LOVE.

And when you don't figure this stuff out, you end up repeating it over and over again until you do.

There was a time when I was so frustrated with myself because I didn't know what I loved and what I was good at. There were a few things I liked, but I didn't like them enough to be passionate about them. I didn't feel an irresistable compulsion to write screenplays or to work in film. I felt an irresistable compulsion to be with my husband and to knit.


So I guess I might be moving in the right direction.

GG

The Pros of Lace Knitting (As Opposed to the Cons)

The Pros of Lace Knitting #1

knitting with itty bitty lace weight yarn makes knitting sock yarn seem like heavy worsted weight and boy do they knit up faster!

The good news is that we have passed the set up rows and have made it to row 13 of chart one. Thanks to Izzy for clarifying things for me.

Tonight: I'm still working on the Sea Sock design tentitively called the "lifesaver sock". I have to get to the heel even though I'd rather be knitting the hood on the Central Park Hoodie.

GG

What Are You Doing New Year's Day?

Me?

I'm watching the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy on dvd.

Yes, I'm a geek.

But I've been knitting like a fiend. I started a sock on Christmas Day and miracle of miracles I might have it done tonight, just one week later. That's a record for me. Usually it takes me weeks plural to finish one sock.

The Record One-Week-Sock


I suppose it helps that I've had this last week off.

It's knit with Crystal Palace Panda Wool, which is a dream to work with and feels fabulous on foot. I've decided my favorite sock yarns are the ones that aren't too thin in gauge. Out of the five pairs I've knit, the two favorites are knit with the Panda Wool and Fleece Artist Merino. So if you like the gauge of the Fleece Artist, you'll like the Panda Wool. Yum!

Not one to continue being entertained by one project I had to cast on another project, this time a hat of my own design to match the fingerless gloves I made for Mr. G.

This New Year's Day beats last year's when it was 110 degrees in downtown Sydney and Mr. G and I were madly hungover, wandering the empty city looking for water (there was none to be found!) and a diversion from the heat. (however NYE last year will go down as the best so far -come on partying on the steps of the Sydney Opera House?"
Perhaps one could hypothesize that you can't have both a rocking New Year's Eve AND a great New Year's Day.

Guess we'll try to prove that 365 days from now.

GG