isn't this clever? at this wedding, guests found their seating arrangements wrapped around an orange. if anyone needed a little snack--voila! perfect for a summer wedding.

when i logged in to blogger today, i noticed that i'm missing a couple of posts. argh!

well, i still haven't gotten the camera hooked up yet (i'm so bad) for pictures from my awesome secret pal. so sorry. but the stuff was amazing. i can't wait for the reveal.

i haven't felt in the mood for knitting at all lately and i'm not sure why. i guess i've been so preoccupied with baby thoughts it's hard for me to concentrate these days. funny, huh? you'd think all i wanted to do is knit for the little one? well...as of friday, i figured out why. i didn't know if it would be a boy or girl. now that i know our baby is a girl, i want to knit everything. i'm first starting with a bonnet. then who knows where i'll go from there. (suggestions welcome).

wow. it's been a really long time since i've posted and i do apologize.

it wasn't until yesterday that our dsl was finally turned on. it was supposed to be on the 19th...but there was some mistake. apparently. i do not understand though. they just had to turn. it. on. there was no service call from a technician. i did not have to wait around the house from 8am to 12pm or 1pm to 6pm. nothing. just suddenly the light was green and i could get on. ah, the mysteries of life.

but now that all that is taken care of, i feel settled in to our new apartment. we are only a few miles away but it feels much further. we even went back to visit our "old life" this weekend. it hadn't changed much.

i'll post more later, i'm still low on energy these days. 4 months and counting...


***
i just went down for the mail. my secret pal is the best. thank you, thank you! i can't post pictures yet. we got a new camera and i haven't figured out how to connect it to the computer (or even found the cords). will do soon when i can. but i can say that the lace pattern was a really thoughtful touch. and it's nothing for grandma. it's so cute. everything was perfect.

my life has been really hectic lately and posting has been at the bottom of the list. my new job is still new after a month. i love it there and am really enjoying the flexibility of a part-time job. but at the moment, with moving, i don't seem to have enough time for anything. of course they joys of being pregnant don't help with any of that. yes, i said it. we're having a baby! i never new i could be so happy! and at the same time feel so miserable. there are so many things that "they" never tell you about pregnancy. do you know i woke up the other day with red spots all around my eyes? do you know what that looks like? it's kind of the raccoon look but worse. i looked sickly. thank god that only lasted a couple of days. i don't have enough make-up to cover that up all the time!

now is the time to really get into my knitting and make all the baby things i've always wanted to. if anyone has any great baby patterns, please pass them my way.


and, because, i don't want to slip off track with SP8. here are some answers for you, my wonderful SP!

1) What is your favorite season of the year? Spring; because everything blooms and begins again.
2) Where is your favorite vacation spot? Oh my. This is hard because there is nowhere (yet) that I've returned to...wait, that's not true. But I think it would have to be Italy.
3) If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be? Thailand.
4) If you could pick any job, and be paid well, what would it be? Ha! Travel writer.
5) If you were going on vacation for 1 week, and had to take ONLY one project with you, what would it be? Baby pants or sweater.
6) If you won a shopping spree to your favorite Yarn shop, what would you get? A how to dye yarn kit (no chemicals, au naturale).

Poem on Writer's Almanac This Morning

Bathrooms by Elisabeth Kuhn

The condo I just bought has two. Some houses
had three. What to do with them all? Use one?
Turn the others into extra closets?
Reserve one for guests? There are none
I'd invite. I talk too much to too
many people all day. On conference
weekends I have to talk Sundays too,
and when I close my door, I want silence.

Back home we were seven. Our bathroom the only
room we could lock in a house without keys.
We'd sit, read, dream, alone, not lonely,
until testy banging disturbed our peace.
Then we'd sigh, flush, put down our text,
and turn our sanctuary over to the next.

have you seen it yet? you can get free tickets to an inconvenient truth here

aren't these the cutest shoes? since i made the commitment to forgo leather, it has been very difficult to find good shoes. but i saw these yesterday and couldn't resist!




have you heard of infixes?

happy 4th of july everyone!

not much to report. but my secret pal finally received my package! and i think she really liked it. makes me so happy!

isn't this the cutest? check out the pattern
here.

tennessee

Grotto Falls
Originally uploaded by Smkymtnman.

we're back from vacation. tennessee was absolutely beautiful. so different from california (in many ways). of course, we forgot the camera! on the day we left, i thought our flight was a 12:30pm. at 8:30am i happened to go over the details of our flight and saw that the flight left at 10:30am instead!!! we weren't finished getting ready or completely packed! we may have forgotten some things, but at least we didn't miss our flight. here is a picture i found on flickr of one of the waterfalls we hiked too. you can walk behind the falls and it is so unbelievably cook back there.

vacation all i ever wanted....

off to tennessee for a little over a week. i don't think i'll get any knitting done while there (it's supposed to be bout 95!!!). but i will definitely be checking out some yarn stores. and if i find something good, bring something back for my secret pal.

i hope everyone enjoys the first day of summer tomorrow!

tennessee

anyone out there from tennessee? i want natives...people who really know the place. i'm going to tennessee as a part of a surprise b-day trip i'm give to my wonderful boyfriend. we're hitting up nashville and probably run over to memphis. but i want to know about the out of the way places, you know small towns...also knitting stores! anyone know of any fabulous ones? oh! or any farms? and what about the smoky mountains? i really, really wanted to go there. but i was just reading that during the summertime the place is a mess. full of touristy places, tourists, and tons of traffic. i haven't heard one nice thing. maybe there is another park/mountain in the area to see instead? something not so overrun?

one skein

thanks secret pal!!! i love the yarn! that shade of green is one of my favorites. i would love to paint one of my rooms that color. and the card was so thoughtful--all about where she got the yarn and ideas on how to use the yarn at the website.

okay, please don't judge me on the photo. i know, it's bad. i was desperate. the photo is really for the yarn. isn't it beautiful? i started to make a shawl out of this wonderfully soft yarn and then half way through i realized i made a huge mistake about 25 rows down. thus messing up the rest of the pattern. so i had to take a picture before i ripped it all out. i love the purples and greens. i've decided to nix the pattern all together. i hope i find something more suitable soon. any ideas?

wishes

i love this store and drool over almost everything in it. today i finally made a wishlist at kitty-craft.

finally...some pictures from baja, mexico. these were taken on the sea of cortez near la paz. this was one of the most beatiful places i've ever seen. the water was so clear you could see every grain of sand. this was at a beach called "la playa es tuya", the beach is yours. and it was. practically no one was there, save for a family of locals having lunch.

but even on vacation i got some knitting done. i finished up the ring pillow for the wedding. it was perfect and matched everything wonderfully. unfortunately, i forgot to take a photograph of the fo. i'm asking the newlyweds to send a picture.

back from mexico

just got back from baja late yesterday evening. what a fiasco getting in and out. almost didn't get a flight until sunday and our flight on tuesday was cancelled!
it was beautiful. will post pictures soon.

i visited my mom for a few days last week for mother's day. she was out of town last sunday so we had our time together a few days later than the actual date. and, of course, we headed over to the new yarn store where she lives. i love this little place called Knitique (they don't have a website!). while there i saw the new greetings from knit cafe book and love it! i need to set up a wishlist so i can put this on there.

music i'm listening to

had to delete this post as it was messing up the my blog. i went to our local music store (amoeba) and heard some fun stuff. but, do you think i can remember what i listened too???

SP8

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I love bamboo and soy silk. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I do not like any really scatchy wools.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I don't use anything in particular. I probably could use something to help me organize my needles...

3. How long have you been knitting? I've been knitting for about 3 years. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? Intermediate

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I am making a wish list and will post more details later.

5. What's your favorite scent? lemon, vanilla

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes! I don't particularly like candy. But I love chocolate.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I love to sew. Do you spin? No.

8. What kind of music do you like? I'm into Matisyahu, Old Crow Medicine Show, Stars, Kings of Convenience. Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? Yes.

9. What's your favorite color? I love greys and light pinks and purples. Really natural looking.

10. What is your family situation? Married with a cat.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Hats

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Quick items. :)

13. What are you knitting right now? A basket to be felted.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Both. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Bamboo and plastic.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No.

17. How did you learn to knit? Taking a class.

18. How old is your oldest UFO? 2 months.

19. What is your favorite holiday? Valentine's Day.

20. Is there anything that you collect? Vintage fabric and union buttons.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I'd like to master lace.

23. Are you a sock knitter? No; I did not have fun making my first pair of socks a couple of months ago. What are your foot measurements? I wear a 7.5 shoe.

24. When is your birthday? 11/21

i've come to the realization that i, alone, cannot possibly knit all the yarn i have. so it's time to see if these skeins could have a life with someone else. visit my de-stashing page at tickled yarn.

i meant to post this earlier. b and i went to mt tamalpais on sunday and had a wonderful morning. this was the view looking towards the city at the end of our hike.

sunny day

mom came to the city today to visit. we spent most of the day in golden gate park and at the conservatory of flowers and then had lunch at my favorite restaurant: cafe gratitude. i had the best pad thai with noodles made of celery root! these are the gifties my mom brought for me. roses from her blossoming garden and artichokes from her friend.

10 states sue EPA

herr herzog

last night b and i went to see an evening with werner herzog as a part of the san francisco internation film festival. there was a showing of clips from his career (not all or we would've been there all night!), then a film critic intervied him and then the showing of his latest film, the wild blue yonder. werner herzog is hilarious. all night, joke after joke. this was one of the best events i've been to in a long time. the emcee said it looked like more people came to see werner than robert altman! my favorite part was at the end of the audience q&a when an older man got up to the microphone and asked him whether or not he'd recived the screenplay the man had sent "herr herzog" via e-mail and would he consider directing it! ha! and he was totally serious. but i will say that werner herzog did an amazing job answering the question. he talked about how he normally writes his own scripts for the films he makes. he loves everything about filmaking: directing, producing, acting, and especially writing. and then he diplomatically thanked the man.

the movie shown after, wild blue yonder, was not my favorite. although, it had some of the best music i have ever heard. werner explained that before he started anything with the film he got three musicians from around the world together and recorded them playing before ever having rehearsed together. it was haunting and he then made the film around those sounds. you can hear a clip here.

happy day, earth!

i decided to spend 5 days straight walking everywhere. it has now been 6 days. and. i. am. tired. maybe it would be different if we lived in a flat city instead of hilly san francisco. but i suppose it wouldn't be so interesting then. peaks and valleys offer breathtaking views and insights into a place i call home.

tonight we will be going, by foot,--it is earth day you know--to our first film at the SF International Film Festival. we're seeing october 17, 1961 about the massacre of algerian protestors in paris. the next is on wednesday for a discussion of werner herzog.

i am a star of the sleeping world...

Find your own pose!

i guess i'm really in a dishcloth mood. here's a cute one i made yesterday. i call it "swirls."

it's a wonderful day in the neighborhood

i heard a re-run of a 2002 this american life piece on the radio this weekend. found magazine's contributor, davy rothbart, interviews mr. rogers 20 years after meeting him as a child. the whole segment made me smile. mr. rogers, davy, davy's neighbors. it's about neighbors and the connections we have (and don't have). he says, the only way [we] get in contact with neighbors is through conflict. and that shocked me. but i know it's true. there isn't any conflict in the building, so how many of my neighbors do i know?

during the first year in this building (we've been here about a year and a half) i hadn't gotten to know anyone by name. i would see people upon entering and exiting the building and i always smiled and said hello, but that's the extent of the relationship. sometimes it's not even that much if someone's is scowling or listening to music. what kind of neighborhood is this? why don't i know more of these people? because of circumstances (sharing a living space!!!), i should at least know everyone's name.

about a month ago, we received a notice that building management sprung for new windows for the whole building.installation started last week and will continue for the next week or two. during this time, i've met susan--the neighbor to the left of me. our bathrooms are about 5 feet apart; if we opened the windows we could actually talk to (and see!) each other. a little creepy. she says, it's funny we haven't officially met before because with our bathrooms right next to each other, we probably know more about each other than we'd like! ha, that's right; i already knew she had a bird and loves that spirit of '76 song. i also met carl and vanessa--the couple across the hall from me. and then there's paul down the hall--he's the building "manager" but how he manages the building, i'm not quite sure. and then i had a neighbor walk in to my apartment in her pajamas while the door was open--she wanted to see the new windows. i didn't catch her name, but i know she lives in apartment 103 and doesn't work during the day time.
what would mister rogers think?

wow! i have been trying to find kara's work after seeing her on project runway. while she was not my favorite, nor did i particularly like her designs, i loved the line she made for fashion week and the clothes she wore on the episode she was voted out. find her at my fav online store girlshop.

Now that I have free time, I plan on trying to get through my yarn stash (and not add too much to it). Though I did pick up lots of fun cotton yarn at the goodwill today--7 balls for $2.99. Love it! I adore making dishclothes and can never have too many, so decided to use some of that yarn for this.

today's article about no dirty gold

ooohh...soy silk. isn't this beautiful? and soft like you wouldn't belive. thanks, sp!!!

i can't believe how long it's been since i last posted. i've been neglecting you. stress has overwhelmed my life in the last month and i just haven't wanted talk about it...although it doesn't seem as if i want to talk about anything at all.
anyway, things are looking up and you can even see a smile on my face these days.

i am also reading up on forgotten things.

what's wrong with blogger today? i did two posts earlier today and they're gone! what happened? did i do something to deserve this? and what's more is they were actually knitting posts! which is what i'm supposed to be writing about all the time...but don't do enough. while i am always knitting, reading about knitting, buying yarn or just playing with the large yarn stash i have...it's seems i rarely post something on my blog about it...why? new rule: must knitblog once a week.

jersey

as most fans out there, i have been patiently awaiting the last season of the sopranos. tonight is the night. i hope to be on the edge of my seat from 9pm to 10pm.


after that, i will begin reading
a great find from the goodwill this morning after a great brunch here.

future me

i'm sick. and i'm sick of being sick. i thought it was just a little cold, but now i'm home with a fever and taking meds. for some reason i cannot lay down for 30 minutes after taking my pills so i've been looking around at sites i've wanted to read but haven't had the time.
i found a site where you can send an e-mail to yourself in the future. i'm going to send myself an e-mail for 12/31/06 with all of my predictions for the year. we'll see what comes true.

looks like i won't be winning the gold this year. i tried, i really did try to finish my first pair of socks for the knitting olympics. between being horribly sick and with all the projects at work leaving me with barely a second to breathe...i just didn't have the time i thought i would. but i do have one sock finished. no picture to post though. let's just say it wasn't the best thing i've ever made...

unprecedented: Buddhist monk starts union
songs for Hosono the monk: union songs

great veganrecipe(s) [via]
i'm going to make the panade as soon as i'm feeling better.

for President's Day
for foodies: menurequest.com or toeat.com
for travel: farecompare.com
vegan ireland and vegan rome
US waterfalls
muhammad cartoon riots: map of riots
looking to buy a house?:
imapmls
more stateside travel: road side america
my town: historical sf

ha!

fashion week favorites

some things i'd like from clover

when i see something i love in a movie or in a magazine i always want to try to re-create it for myself. not too long ago i saw this really great shawl in an old fashion magazine and i played around for a little bit to try to make a similar pattern. unfortunately i do not have the time (or as much patience as i'd like) to do this. just came across someone who has...turtle knits

Anyone want to join Team San Francisco?

I am participating in Harlot's 2006 Knitting Olympians. I am going for the gold. I am knitting my first pair of socks.

i LOVE knitting books

My secret pal is great. Thanks, SP!

Mizrahi and the Boob

Golden Globes?

Intweave Spring Preview

I normally hate anything that remotely resembles a fanny pack. But this is cute. I can't believe I'm saying this...

Secret Pal 7

Okay here we go. This is me...

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)?
Not really a yarn snob. But I do love non traditional fibers (bamboo).Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Don't know why but for some reason don't care for Red Heart; Lion Brand is fine.

2. Do you spin? I would love to spin--I should get started on that. Crochet? Besides the occasional trim on something I've knitted I do not crochet and I'm not so sure I would like to go full-force into that anyway.

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? An old hat box. I have been thinking something that could showcase of the needles would be nice...

4. How long have you been knitting? Been knitting for about 3 years. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I consider myself an intermediate.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I have an Amazon wish list appropriately named Knit List.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) I like vanilla, coffee, hibiscus, lemon--ooh! I love citruses!

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I LOVE chocolate. Do not care too much for candy, unless it is something exotic (or even just from another country).

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Sewing, quilting but am not great at either. I also love everything buttons.

9. What kind of music do you like? I like many types of music. Currently into folk/bluegrass/reggae. But love all sorts (should I designate a post just for music?). Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? I love getting new music from others and have an ipod.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I do not like pastels. Nuff said.

11. What is your family situation? I am "married" without children. Do you have any pets? I have a fat cat aka Fatty No-Legs.

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I don't care for mittens mainly because it's really not cold enough for them where I live. And I'm pretty picky about ponchos. But love scarves and hats!

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I love Rowan, Habu Textiles, but prefer handmade things or recycled yarn.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? No dog hair.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Recycling yarn. I want to get into knitting wire.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I love things made in the round. And small things, little knick knacks for the house. I love to make knitted jewelry.

17. What are you knitting right now? Socks, can you believe it, for the first time.

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Love everything handmade.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Combination.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Bamboo and plastic.

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No...

22. How did you learn to knit? Took a class a few years ago.

23. How old is your oldest UFO? I actually like to finish things and if they don't work out (if I lag..) I rip, rip, rip and start something new. But, I do have a UFO from July 05.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? I do not care for animated characters (wait till I have kids). I love robins, blue jays, cats and fish.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

26. Is there anything that you collect? Buttons. Labor Union pins. Autographed books. 70s records. Printed corduroy fabric (vintage or not).

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Interweave.

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? I would really like to look at some cool vintage books.

29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Lace. I'd really like to make some beautiful lace shawls and table runners. Maybe something that would last into another generation.

30. Are you a sock knitter? We'll see after I finish my first!

31. When is your birthday? 11/21