Trip Knittin' + Some Incoherent Rambling

So much to catch up on! Between going out of town and working some really weird hours to make up for the time I was gone (such is life when you work in the service industry - there are no paid vacations - or apparently, even unpaid ones!), I've barely been able to catch my breath since we got back to Chicago on Sunday night. The trip was fun - quite relaxing for most of the time, and I did manage to squeeze in a LOT of knitting time. We had a good time at my cousin's wedding, and I think her and her new husband did too. She looked fantastic, and the entire affair was well-done and unique, even despite having to scramble at the last minute to find someone else to make the wedding cake, when the first one (a relative, no less) flaked less than two months out.

The drive down to KC went much faster than the drive back, which seemed to take FOREVER. Even photographing (or attempting to, as the case may be) decomposing barns of rural america and knitting couldn't make the hours fly instead of crawl. Here's what a I did manage to accomplish during the trip:

1. Keyhole scarf! More on this later - but I wanted to get this off the needles.

2. Tyler's sweater, v2.0 - Took off the sleeves and joined for knitting the body in the round! Miles and miles of stockinette to go before I sleep....but I've got all summer!

3. Stalagmite Socks - I turned the heel on sock #2 and I'm working on the gusset decreases now!

In other news, Tyler showed up to work on Monday morning, only to be told he was fired. It's a long story, full of pettiness and stupidity. Basically, the reasons they gave him were things he'd a) not actually done (such as avoiding work by leaving the counter - something I've seen his coworkers AND boss do countless times, sometimes in the middle of a lunch rush, leaving him and maybe one other unlucky person stranded at the counter) and/or b) never been mentioned to him. Not only that, they forced him to sign some bogus piece of paper before they would hand over his paycheck. Nice, right? To top it all off, it was the day before his birthday. Tyler was actually relieved that he didn't have to deal with such crappy people anymore -they'd been making his life hell these past months. A few hours later, he even had a job interview! Even though he had to file for unemployment on his birthday, Tyler still managed to enjoy his day - we went to Hot Doug's, drank some beer, and had band practice for our upcoming show this Saturday night. Last night, Tyler was offered a job and will probably start sometime next week - so when they say that the best revenge is living well - perhaps this is what that means. Sure, I'd love to punch a few key people in the face who really, REALLY deserve it, but instead, I think we'll just be glad we don't have to deal with them ever again. It's kind of a shame, back in the day, Beans and Bagels was my safe haven - when I was having a crappy day at work, I'd walk there for a sandwich or some coffee, and in the mornings I'd meet up with my friend Sam and we'd knit together before we had to report for duty. I miss those days, but they're definitely gone. It's not the same place it used to be - the place Tyler and I both would make a point to go to while the Montrose Brown Line Station was closed for renovation (the then-manager Susan, who now owns her own coffee shop in Logan Square, claimed we kept them open during that time), before he ever worked there. He was a barista there for three years, and a hard-working, loyal employee at that, but I guess that doesn't matter much to some people.

I'm excited for this new phase for us, though - it sounds like Tyler will actually have some benefits, which in our world is quite the concept! Also, I never want to eat another bagel ever again - for a while, I was eating bagels every day - yes, multiple meals (I had to impose a two-a-day limit). I'm so glad we don't have to subsist on unsold bagels any more.

I think 2011 can still be salvaged...Tyler is right, this is the year of rebuilding.

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b

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