Sunday, October 07, 2007

One Thing Led to Another...

And all of the sudden I've taken an inadvertent hiatus from blogging. And my how I've missed ya'll!!

(I'm still fighting the stupid spacing issues that Blogger likes to inflict on me. Sorry about the screwy look.)


Home

I've been back home from my travels for a week and I've been going a mile a minute since. I had jury duty on Monday and I must say, after years of knitting anywhere and everywhere, it is highly disconcerting to sit around hour after hour after hour without the knitting. Knitting needles are verboten at the courthouse. Instead I got some work done and started reading Water for Elephants. It is an excellent read, if you find yourself with free time and (gasp) no knitting.
I also recently read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, which I highly recommend.


Now, let's see what kind of ground we can cover in this post. (Sorry if you are on dial-up....I've been taking pictures.)

On the Go

While my travels last month were for business purposes, the scenery was really beautiful there. I was a bit short on time and perpetually neglectful of my camera but I did manage to get a few semi-decent pictures, including one night shot. These pictures don't do it justice. Really.


Knitting in the Big House

In early September, Katy, Lori and I took our 10-year-old niece and nephew to Alcatraz for a long-awaited birthday outing. I took pictures but before I found the time to post them, September got crazy. Better belated than not at all, I suppose...

It was a really wonderful, fun day. They are great kids (not that I'm biased...) and we all had such a good time. The weather was grey and sort of dreary and I loved it.

Coit Tower, from the vantage point of waiting for the Alcatraz ferry. Arriving at Alcatraz Island.
There are still remnants on Alcatraz from when the location was used for a military fort and military prison, including the cannon seen here in the background.In front of the Industrial Building, which sits at one end of the Rock.

Visiting the sock, locked up for some undisclosed indiscretion.


Even knowing the facility has long-since been decommissioned as a prison, there is something disturbing about standing behind those bars. We did anyway, of course.

The Nephew.
The Niece. (Look at that pitiful expression! She is a drama queen.)
The Lori. (The angry convict, apparently.)
The Katy. (Maybe this picture gives you some indication of where The Niece gets her drama-y streak.)
The Me. Knitting. (After all, it was just prison, not jury duty.)
The view from the Warden's house, back into the city.
Antique Shopping
Yesterday we three aunts had ourselves another little outing. Lunch, some antique shopping, other shopping, dinner. All-in-all, a very good, refreshing day. We visited our favorite bakery, Teacake Bake Shop, where the cookies are $2 a piece and the cupcakes are $3 a piece, and both are worth every single red penny. Delicious.

During the antique shopping portion of our fun, I found an old sewing standing.I remember my mother or possibly my grandmother (one or the other - it is a vague memory) having one of these when I was growing up and I thought it would be the perfect thing to put beside the chair to hold my knitting. It didn't hurt, either, that it was 40% off the marked price. Lucky me.

Knitting

I finished my socks but I don't have a picture of them, yet. They fit beautifully and I am very pleased with them. If I had known how comfy they would be, maybe I'd have knit socks for myself sooner. Probably not, but maybe.
I have been doing some knitting the last few days. I'm making a scarf.
I've wanted to do something using the Farrow Rib pattern that I fell in love with way back during the ISE3. I've also had a yarn I've been hankering to knit with but no real need. The yarn is the lovely 50% camel hair 50% wool blend of Ksar from Bouton d'Or. The softness is indescribable. I've paused more than once while knitting on this scarf just to fondle the yarn. I've wanted to knit something from this yarn and I've considered all sorts of things - hat, mitts, etc. - but nothing seemed quite right, so I finally decided what the hell. I'm just going to knit a scarf, even if I don't currently need a scarf or know anyone who particularly needs a scarf. That's a knitter's prerogative, right?

Like Ripping Off a Band-Aid

I really have been crazy busy and that has kept me from post - or reading blogs, either, for that matter - but also, my absence from blogging can be partially attributed to that old adage, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." So I'll tell you this quickly, to get it over with, and then we can pretend I didn't say it.


I found out last week that I'm going to have to have more surgery on my ankle. Despite everyone's best efforts, it hasn't healed the way it should have. My doctor warned me last August before that first surgery that it may not fix my problem and I guess that's what has come to pass. So, more surgery, more months on crutches, more hassle, more everything. Bleck. I can't say I want to have surgery again but I won't deny that I am keen on the idea of it not hurting anymore (surprise, surprise). The prospective of having an ankle that is really and truly better makes it easier to swallow. At my heart, I am forever an optimist.

That being said, I'm working diligently at looking at the bright side and I'm asking your forgiveness in advance for the maudlin moments that are inevitably ahead. I've thought about just not blogging because I don't want to be a whiner and really, sometimes I don't have anything nice to say, but I've been reminded that the bloggers and the knitters are wonderful encouragers and supporters and so here we go again.


Knitters Make Great Friends

Speaking of fabulous knitter friends...I'd like you to meet a new friend of mine. This is Deb. Deb and I met at my LYS at Wednesday night knitting. Deb is a joiner and loves a knit-a-long, thus the name of her blog. It is one of the things I love about her - she always has some new wonderful something in the works. When I go a few weeks without attending the Wednesday night get together, I always come back to discover some fabulous new something on her needles. Welcome to Blogland, Deb!!


Ghosts are a Phallusy

Have ya'll seen the new MagKnits? Those little ghosts are so freaking precious. My affinity for felted creatures is certainly no secret so it should not come as a surprise to anyone that I'm knitting some ghosts. I've knitted two and nearly a third but I haven't felted them yet. Luckily, I'm well versed in the miracles of shaping after felting otherwise I might be a bit perturbed with these precious little specters. I'm counting on post-felting-shaping to bring these darlings to a G rating.
Reading Up
I really am a little behind on reading anything online which explains why I'm more then four years late reading Knitty articles. I recently read Kate Boyd's piece entitled Bildungsrowan and I think I love that reversible cable knit shawl from Lily Chin, via Vogue's American Knits. Have any of you ever seen this book or this knit in person? Seems a bit daunting but I love the softness and complexity of it. Another addition to the "one day" list.
All Caught Up

Now that I've prattled on and on, I'm going to try to get caught up on what all of you are doing. If you happen to be reading this and you were the winner of one of the prizes in my recent contest, I'd love to know that your prizes arrived safely. So far I have only heard from Colleen and Susanne.

Today's Quote:
"Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings." -Jane Austen

12 comments:

Kim said...

Kristy! Thank Goodness!

I'd rather hear all about your ankle sorrows and be able to offer support than not to hear at all. Hang in there - lots of prayers comin' your way.

Trip looks like great fun and being able to spend family time with the kids, what a great opportunity.

Thanks for the pics. I owe you some orange, yellow, and red leaves!

Tactless Wonder said...

I was just thinking of you...in that, I wonder if she took off on another trip/she's posting as much as I have recently...kind of way :).

I'm sorry to hear about your ankle. Remember your rights as a blogger, it's your blog, write what you like :). (Or in this case, write about what you don't like!)

I'm also sorry to hear you did mail off the packages...cuz, um, nope, haven't gotten anything yet. Though if you mailed it parcel post or something similar, (of which I'm rather familiar with having mailed boxes from HI to LA), it'll be any day now, I'm sure :).

RC said...

I was going to email you this week to make sure you were OK!
1. I need a pic of your socks.. want to see.
2. SO.BUMMED. about the ankle. but as long as it does not interfere with the trip to MDSW it'll be OK. In fact, I'll start looking for a wheel chair now if you think you'll need... you can carry the packages, I'll push.
3. love the sewing stand! I remember them too.. now I want one.
4. no knitting at jury duty????? how about crochet? (lol) or a drop spindle?
5. Alcatraz looks cool. Can we go there when I come to visit you?

Charity said...

SO GLAD to see you back! I've been wondering what you were up to....

EnnaVic said...

Welcome back :) I've missed your posts, but the photos in this one were great - looks like a fun trip.

Sorry to hear about the ankle woes - and the no knitting in court, how annoying!

daaydream said...

I've been wondering where you've been!?! You were missed.

You know, the other day, I sat down, and wrote you a thank you note, an honest to goodness thank you note, and I was so careful not to tear your address up when I opened my last parcel from you, only to find out that the boys ripped the tape off the envelope so now I can't send it to you. Email it to me please?

AND I LOVED Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. It really was a wonderfully well written!

Dana

Anonymous said...

I've been thinking of you too. Glad to hear that all is well... and I laughed out loud when I saw you in the cell KNITTING! Ha! That's exactly what I'd be doing too. :)

marit said...

SO nice to have you back! I love your photos! I never made it to Alcatraz during my stay California all those years ago- just went to Angel Island, which was great.
Sorry about your ancle:-( Tell us about it- as you know the old saying: share the joy and thus double it; share the sorrows and they are halved.
As for the package- not yet.. My cousin mailed me something last summer, she sent it in the middle of June, and I had it two months later...so it might take a while-lol!
Have a nice week!

Susanne said...

Oh I am so glad you got my "message". I didn't have an email addy for you so couldn't respond directly that I rec'd your wonderful parcel!! Still loving everything and thanks again!
Glad to see you posting, bad about the surgery but if decreases the pain eventually and gives you a more usable limb then rock on surgery!!

Deb said...

So glad to read this long rambling blog. I think you got us all caught up! Any more info on that cool, handless, crutch thingy you were showing us last week at Hooks & Needles? It definitely looks like the way to go. Hope to see you on Wednesday. Oh, and thanks for the link to my blog! Glad you enjoyed reading it.

RobynR said...

Aww, Kristy, I'm so sorry. I'm not usually rude and I did post pics of my lovely package on my blog here ( http://cornsss.blogspot.com/2007/09/arrr-booty.html )Real live honest to god thank you not coming . . . soon.
Alcatraz- My sil and bil went to 'Frisco for their honeymoon and visited the prison while they were there. After seeing the pics when they returned, Grandma asked when they "took away the bridge to the island"?
Ankle-I'd much prefer that you blog and I be able to stalk you no matter the content. I consider you a friend and what sort of friend would I be if I bailed when bad times ensued?

Oh, and jury duty w/out knitting? Dude. I'm so so sorry.

Dr. B. said...

Holy shit, you are kidding with the "another surgery". That sucks so hard, but thanks for letting us know!

Also, "Phallusy"? Hilarious!

Glad you're back!