weekend update

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in a desperate bid for attention, Poe poses by the knitting

As you can see, there has been some progress made on the felted floral basket bag. Since you start at the top, knitting and decreasing towards the bottom it goes fairly quickly. Side one is finished, side two is in progress and then it will be onto the flowers, handles and bottom panel.

The big excitement of my weekend was scoring some ½ price cashmere sweaters at Lord & Taylor. I had an excellent day of shopping with my friend Claire. She is the very best shopping buddy with a knack for finding the best things on the sale rack. We always end up laughing ourselves silly and this time was no exception. After our mall trip, Claire and her husband came over. While the guys were watching the Olympics, I was showing Claire my latest spinning attempts. What truly caught her attention was the possibilities for color blending in the drum carder. So we played around with that for a little bit which led to a small spinning lesson ….. and she’s a natural! Yay Claire!!

Now for some bragging on behalf of Claire ……. her daughter was hired for a summer internship at Betsey Johnson’s! She met Betsey, had an interview and got herself an internship …… did I mention that this girl is 16 years old?? This summer, she will be taking the train into Manhatten and working in a design house! When I was sixteen, I was taking the family’s wood paneled Ford LTD station wagon to rt. 202 and working in a fast food restaurant called Gino’s ……

aphids on my roses

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lest you think that only the Olympic Knitters are experiencing the Sturm und Drang of high pressure knitting, I shall tell you about my evening. Which actually began a year ago.

Around this time last year, Kathleen, Peggy, Ricki and I got together for a bit of knitting. Somehow the talk turned to the latest edition of Vogue Knitting and Nicky Epstein’s pattern for a trellised, floral bag. Perhpas it was the bleakness of winter, but a mania swept over us with an urgent need to knit this pattern. Yarn was ordered.

and back ordered.

and back ordered.

By the time the yarn finally arrived – (this past October, I believe) – flower bag fever had subsided.

At least for some of us.

Kathleen and I wanted to turn the yarn into felted slippers.

but NO. we have to knit this bag. At least that’s what Peggy and Ricki say. Actually what they say is that is is perfectly fine for Kathleen to change her mind. But not Ann. Ann must knit this bag.

We gathered at Ricki’s to knit. Ricki provided the bribe – carrot cake. I had four false starts. Which I blame entirely on Cara. (She called last night in a panic over her mitten thumbs – having a real tantrum over the fact that she left this project til the last minute, thinking it was a no brainer despite me telling her she better keep knitting it. Dude, she said, it’s so easy, it’s not a problem, it’s just thumbs. I could knit them in my sleep.)

Note to all Friends of Ann: if you call seeking advice, and Ann gives you good, solid advice which you roundly reject, do not be surprised when hysterical laughter erupts upon discovery. This is Ann’s way of saying I told you so.

I am convinced that Cara put a spell on me. I had to cast on four different times. By the end of the evening, I got through one pattern repeat, Peggy had a whole section just about finished, Ricki was moving along nicely and Kathleen was taking hers home to rip.

ps. carrot cake was delicious!

Ann can’t play Mrs. Torrence

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This miserable headcold has gotten the better of me and I had to cancel my plans with Cara. boo-hoo! No excellent city adventures, no matzo ball soup! ~sniff~

Fear not darlings – although illness has kept me from playing with Cara today, I am never too sick to play with Cara!

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Come play with us Cara!

[original picture of hallway shamelessly lifted from januaryone and mercilessly hacked to bits by me]

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Angelia reminded me that I never showed you guys pictures of my spinning! On the left is a bobbin with the brown Jacob. The bobbin on the right has the brown Jacob after Peggy E. added the green mohair and silk. And a bit closer …… brown and green. Although I must say that the difference isn’t quite as subtle as protrayed in the pictures. Check out how even everything is!

The only other thing I have been doing besides knitting and spinning is fighting off a head/chest cold. ugh! The kind where your eyeballs feel bulgy and your brain feels furry? When I woke up this morning, I had the smallest notion that I may be winning the battle – but I don’t want to jinx myself.

I absolutely need to get better. Tomorrow I am taking D#2 into the city for her very own tour of NYU given by non other than Cara! I won’t even tell you what Cara said the highlight would be …..you can fill in the blank: She will show us all the places she’s ever _____. studied? written poetry? worn her sorority pin while frat boys serenaded her? I am pretty sure it is that last one! And since D#2 is a beginner knitter, Cara wants to show her some of the city’s cool yarn shops. I wonder if Cara knows the best place in the city for some matzo ball soup – could be just what the dr. ordered!