tomorrow we fight so let's have fun tonight

When I met Kathleen Hanna a couple years ago, I was wearing some arm warmers and a shrug that I had made for myself. She, JD and Johanna all commented on how lovely they were and that the stitching and colors were so nice. Nothing like having some of your favorite feminist indie rock idols praise the art that came out of that lost year in Philadelphia.

I was thinking about this song all day so I figured I'd post it in addition to all the knitting photos and stories of domestic bliss.

(Credit to Julie Ruin - aka: K. Hanna)

Crochet
You make me wanna go away
You make me wanna go away
You make me wanna go away
You make me wanna crochet
Just another book about women in rock
Just another book about women in rock
Just another book about women in rock
Just another book about women in rock
You make me want to
You make me want to
You make me want to
You make me want to crochet
You killed the thing
You killed the thing
They killed the thing
You killed the thing
You make me want to
You make me want to
You make me want to
Crochet?

picking up stitches (very much unlike pick up sticks)

OK, this really isn't regressing into a knitting blog, but honestly, knitting is giving books a run for the money. There's something about learning a new skill, using math, dexterity. Knitting is very satisfying. Not unlike Kindergarten, you get to work with your hands and play with color and texture. Last night, I picked up stitches around the neckline and ribbed this neckline that you see before you. Looks easy, right? Try figuring out how to pick up just enough stitches so that the final product looks like this and not an accordion. Trust me, this took all evening. Thankfully, I had all night to hang out with T and knit. (Hence waiting until this evening to snap the photo) Hopefully, I'll finish up ribbing the armholes tomorrow. I didn't this evening because I enjoyed a home cooked meal with one of my best friends and her mom who happened to be in town on a spontaneous trip to visit her daughter. Time for dreamland. I can begin to dream of the cardigan I'll be making next!

The latest!

I couldn't resist. I had to post a photo of what I did this evening. Now all I need to do is pick up stitches and rib a neckline and armholes.... Oh, yeah, just pick up the stitches. I've never done this before so this should be an adventure. An adventure for tomorrow evening. It's too late to start out on any new stitching techniques tonight.

Work in progress

I thought I'd share my current work in progress. It's a sweater vest. I've completed the back and now I'm working from the armholes up on the front of the vest. I've been knitting it in the round so there is no seam so far. In fact the only seams will be at the shoulders. I'm going to pick up stitches and rib a neckline and also rib around the armholes.

I got the yarn in March while visiting T's gran in New Hampshire. We went to Harrisville Designs and I found two skeins of New England Highland wool in Lady Slipper (scroll down to see the yarn if you check out the link) in the sale bin. Silly me was hopeful enough to think that two skeins would be enough for a vest. It wasn't. So I had to search around online to see if anyone in the New York City area carried the yarn. The only place that did was The Yarn Tree in Williamsburg. While I hate going to Williamsburg (which requires returning to Manhattan in order to return back to my neighborhood in Brooklyn), I somehow forget that I always enjoy going and always enjoy the ride. Taking the J/M/Z train back to Manhattan means crossing the Williamsburg Bridge and getting a different view of the city. But also, The Yarn Tree is a store I wish I could go to more often. And maybe I should just make the trip more often. I always enjoy going there because the lady who owns and runs the place is so kind and friendly and also her yarn selection is fantastic. She carries a good variety of sensible--not ridiculous wool only good for items that don't take on much wear or tear--yarns in a vibrant array of colors.

So long story short, making this vest required a trip to New Hampshire (all that entails: Amtrak trip, hanging out with T's great family, getting out of NYC, enjoying the mountains, clean air, etc) and a trip to Williamsburg which is low on clean air, but high on the enjoyment/diversion factor. Who says knitting keeps you at home?

Hillary's plan for the Gulf Coast

While cleaning my room earlier today, I played my dvd (yes, I own this) of "The War Room" (oh and I bought it at Target... I love Brooklyn). So maybe I have a bias towards Hillary Clinton. I'll be honest about it. I met her when I was 13 years old and was blown away by her kindness. Yes, her kindness. Her being a fellow Seven Sisters grad also doesn't hurt in terms of winning over my affection. But I am trying to gather as much info as possible about all of the Democratic candidates. As much as I have a innate bias towards the idea of the first American female president, I also would like to see something done on a federal level to aid the Gulf Coast region, but particularly New Orleans, and the London Avenue Canal Levee (which I can personally thank for destroying my house).

In that spirit, I wanted to bring Hillary's Gulf Coast agenda to your attention. There will be a quiz later this week (kidding, but seriously check it out. Let's hope everyone else steps up to the mat and starts talking more about NOLA).

Peonies, bluebells and more in bloom at the BBG

Am I only the one

Am I only the one who didn't know about this?

goodbye, stars hollow

Goodbye, Paris.
Goodbye, Kirk.
Goodbye, Paul Anka.
Goodbye, Taylor.
Goodbye, Gypsy.
Goodbye, Miss Patty.
Goodbye, Babette.
Goodbye, Lane.
Goodbye, Mama Kim.
Goodbye, Sebastian Bach.
Goodbye, Zack.
Goodbye, Michel.
Goodbye, Jackson.
Goodbye, Sookie.
Goodbye, Richard and Emily.
Goodbye, Rory.
Goodbye, Luke.
Goodbye, Lorelai.

(This does not in any way mean that my mother and I will not engage in lame "Where's Rory? Where's the coffee cart?" jokes at Yale in the future. Thank you for seven years of banter and heart.)

good news and bad news

The good news is that I had a great weekend. Bear Mountain with friends, sunshine, reading and cards with T, cooking, movies, parties. It was great. Tonight was no exception. Giff, my new roommate AG and I had an impromptu dinner which was a spontaneous success. My knitting is coming along famously and should I have enough yarn, i'll have a spiffy sweater vest by the end of the week.

The bad news is more of the same news from NOLA as reported by the New York Times.

huh, sounds familiar?

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said the state's response will likely be hampered because much of the equipment usually positioned around the state to respond to emergencies is now in Iraq. That includes things like tents, trucks and semitrailers.

Oh and scroll down to read about the looters. I guess it doesn't make national news if you're from the midwest...

i'm not shocked (part 6K)

More from National Geographic on the (still) flawed levees. Via New York Times.

When will anyone do something about this? Do I need to go out and get an engineering degree?

the canyon air

Maybe I will be Liz Phair for GH's 90s party. There are some who say they have no nostalgia for the 90s. Others who have no nostalgia for any era. Eh, whatever. I can say that while I do not miss high school all that much, I do miss the Clinton administration, going to indie rock shows, great music, Sassy magazine, Weetzie Bat books, tearing through any book really that I could get my hands on, and that whole going to college thing.

What I do miss is driving in New Orleans and listening to WTUL, writing zines, trying to dye my brother's hair with cranberry juice cocktail, writing all my college applications to PJ Harvey's "To Bring You My Love," drinking iced coffee with friends, taking a lot of Northeast Direct Amtrak trains to visit friends and my brother, tasting new cuisine, and moving to France for six months. What I remember best about the 90s was feeling that anything and everything was possible. I always had my fatalistic, pseudo-cynical side, but I always tried to hold onto the spark of life.

I watched "Away from Her" today with GH and I realized how much I've changed. That marriage really doesn't feel that far from what I am moving towards. That I've already seen close family lose their minds, learning to let go. But the movie also stresses that you don't lose what you had. So I am all for nostalgia as long as it pushes you forward and keeps your fear and anxiety in check. Things will always change, but negative mindsets do everything to fulfill themselves. Better to go dancing around the room when moments like that hit. I recommend "Whip-Smart": Liz Phair for moments like that.

As my neighbor likes to say

"This is *PARK* Slope."

counterpoint to bernstein

The Guardian defends Hillary. An interesting take considering the bio pubbing next month.

Good things

1) Doing a little dance to Amy Winehouse's "My tears dry on their own" at Gorilla Coffee

2) "How Sassy Changed My Life"

3) Sarah Polley + Alice Munro + Julie Christie + Olympia Dukakis

4) Orion Magazine

5) "Gilmore Girls" is no longer just an excuse for Tuesday night dinner

6) Springtime in Park Slope and Morningside Heights

7) Meeting Nathan Englander and Marilynne Robinson last week

8) Email updates about Jazz Fest

9) Manchego cheese with TJ's Ginger Spread

10) new digs, new outlook

Nat'l Geographic on Louisiana

More essential reading.