Phew! A whole week has gone by and I have no idea where it went. Well, that’s not entirely true. I had Post Election Stress Disorder for a day or two, but got over that. Thanks for all the comments to the last post. It was a crazy few days but all we can do is move forward. And a special thanks to KayTee for being hip to the idea of agreeing to disagree. I agree. Hey, lookit that, we agree! I’m touched that you were concerned. However, I haven’t been away because I’m depressed, mostly I’ve been away because I’m obsessed.

That’s right, I’ll come clean and admit that I’ve been staying up way past my bedtime, ignoring my wifely responsibilities, and even shunning the affection of the cats. My eyes are bloodshot, I’m twitchy, I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in days, and I’m getting to the uncomfortable underwear at the bottom of the drawer because laundry is just not that important to me. Not anymore. For you see, I have replaced most social contact with Ratchet and Clank. For those of you in the know (and it looks like there are a few of you based on some comments I received a couple of posts ago), you are no doubt in the same mess I am. You’re dreaming of things exploding and you want to smash everything you see with a wrench to see if bolts come out. For those of you not in the know, well, it’s hard to explain. Ratchet and Clank is a game for the Playstation2. It stars a cute fox-like creature and his robot sidekick, whom he wears as a backpack. There are all sorts of crazy weapons (including one that changes enemies into sweet little grazing sheep!), and there are funny clips telling the story as you go. The actual name of the game is “Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal”, so it’s pretty cheeky (har har). What’s hard to explain is why I’m so powerless against this it. There are other similar games (“Jak and Daxter”, for instance), and I’ve played them, but they just don’t have the same soul-sucking je ne sais quoi. So I have already made my apologies to my family and friends for my absence in their lives, and I will play this game every minute that I can until I finish. It usually takes two weeks or so, but it was my birthday last Saturday and people kept wanting to take me out and give me gifts and stuff, so it really cut into my game-time. Once I’m done, I will have purged my system and will not need to touch the Playstation until next year, when the new Ratchet and Clank comes out (this is the third in the series, and I don’t think they’re about to release their hold on me just yet).

Speaking of my birthday, this was a pretty great one! I turned 35 and I thank everyone who still cards me a nightclubs. Friday night, we had sushi, then went to this thing called Tomb. It seemed like it was going to be really cool. An immersive gaming experience with puzzles and great special effects. It was not. Actually, it was kind of goofy and cheesy and the “tour guide” was so bored, or had to pee, or was just tired of watching people trying to have fun that he kept solving the puzzles for us. But sometimes goofy stuff is just as much fun as actual fun stuff is and we had a good time making each other laugh. Saturday we had dinner with my folks and I had steak covered with lobster. Too bad they couldn’t have topped it off with baby Spotted Owls for maximum decadence. Maybe for the big 4-OH.

I got some great gifts, too. My brother and sister-in-law gave me Stitch n Bitch Nation and another knitting-book-that-I-forgot-the-name-of but-it’s-really-nice-and-has-some-good-lace-patterns. I love the patterns in the new SnB, too! Great stuff. Charlene gave me a Get Fuzzy page-a-day calendar and I am staying away from it so I don’t just read the whole thing right off the bat. Love me some Get Fuzzy! Charlene’s cousin, Laura, gave me a pretty glass mosaic candle holder with a huge pumpkin spice candle. My friend Kristin gave me the Rock, Paper, Scissors Strategy Guide. My friend Victor came through with the Department 56! I love Halloween stuff and my birthday is conveniently located right afterwards. He got me a cute black cat lantern and this dip bowl.

Probably the best gift I got was a ball winder from my parents. I got myself a wooden swift to go with it (with a 50% off coupon for Joanne fabrics, I couldn’t resist). This is the most amazing pair of things ever (many men will disagree, but it’s true!). I am now in possession of the most perfect balls you could imagine (again, the fellas may take umbrage, but . . .). The best part is that even if the cats try to mess with it, they can’t. The spinning swift just knocks them in the head and they get all confused and run away. Truly a wonder.

Before I move on to knitting stuff, I just need to tell you about this amazing show I went to Monday night. Yes, I put the video game controller down and I am so glad I did. We saw a guy named Andrew Bird at Johnny D’s in Somerville. He’s heading to Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, and then France (his website had dates and places). If you are nearby, do yourself a favor and go see this guy. He’s the real deal. A true talent. He accompanies himself of violin while he’s playing guitar, it’s the coolest thing. He starts off most songs by playing some pretty violin riffs. Suddenly, he’s got a guitar, but you’re still hearing the violin. He actually records and layers violin pieces right there, then loops them so they play during the song. He uses pedals to stop and start them during refrains. It’s really amazing. He also plays a sweet xylophone, whistles beautifully and has a gorgeous voice. I’ve dubbed him the Everything Bagel of singer/songwiters. This guy has it all. And he’s cute and quirky, to boot! If you like Grant Lee Phillips, Jeff Buckley, Freedy Johnston, Jonathan Richman, and/or Paul Simon, you will love this guy. Seriously. I bought a CD of his called “The Swimming Hour” at the show and the first 5 songs are all the kind you play over and over. I haven’t heard the last half of the CD much because I’m stuck on the first, but there’s good stuff all over it. There are some complicated, swirling songs with violin that makes me feel like what figure skating looks like floaty and bendy and free. There are also bluesy, rockabilly numbers, a pretty tango, and some catchy Beatlesque tunes. I don’t think he sticks to one genre, unless you consider Freakin’ Awesome a genre.

Man, do I ever get chatty when I’ve been away.

OK, now to knitting. The Manly is done. I repeat, we have completion on the Manly. Earlier I posted that I wasn’t all that happy with it, but now that Jon has worn it a couple of times, I really love it. The sleeves have sort of evened out and you can’t really see the puffiness. I did a little photo session in the back yard that ended in a very Cameron Diaz vs. the Paparazzi way. I hope you enjoy these pictures of my darling husband. I need to send one over to Drew, the host of the Man-A-Long. If anyone has a favorite, let me know!

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I have also finally started the Ostrich Plume shawl. Originally I was using verigated yarn, but the pattern got lost in all the colors. I switched and am using the light blue Geisha acrylic/mohair yarn I got the Elann. It’s much better and using the chart is not nearly as scary as I thought it would be. It’s actually fun and easy! Yay! When I get a couple of pattern repeats done, I’ll post a pic. I’m meeting up with Melanie on her turf for a Stitch n Bitch tonight, so hopefully I’ll make some good progress. Must. Not. Think. About. Ratchet. And. Clank.

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Bush has gotten the popular vote by about 3.5 million and I don’t quite know what to make of it. What does this say about the country in which I live? That its citizens are satisfied with being lied to and manipulated? I guess if I ever decide to make the career switch to shyster, this is a good thing. And I have a handy-dandy color coded map of where to make my living. Actually, all I have to do is head away from the ocean. I guess I just don’t understand the idea of voting to reduce people’s freedoms. It makes me sad to think that a majority of people in this country think it’s ok to attack a country under false pretense, and that they use their interpretation of god to dictate what choices people have, who they can marry, and even what advances medical science can achieve.

I’m simply befuddled at the anti-intellectual sentiment that is over-running this nation. A lot of people seem to think Kerry is a pointy-headed elitist because he tends to be verbose and uses big words. He’s a “flip-flopper” (if I never hear that term again, it’ll be too soon) because he can see many sides to complex situations and is willing to adjust his approach to suit the needs of a changing situation. I bet he’s even willing to admit it when he makes a mistake, and then – get this – tries to fix it! I have a feeling that people want a guy like Ray Romano in office. A regular Joe, just like them. Personally, I want a guy who’s smarter than me in office. The thing is, Bush isn’t a regular Joe. He’s the privileged son of a politician who has breezed through life, handed opportunities at every turn. I truly think his folksy way of speaking, using “nu-cu-lar” instead of “nu-cle-ar”, and even fumbling on words is an affectation that he uses to prove what a “regular” guy he is. Frontline had a documentary that profiled Bush and Kerry throughout their political careers. Young GW doesn’t sound the same as old GW. He is not from Texas, he’s from Connecticut. And yet somehow he’s posturing like he’s an extra on the Dukes of Hazzard.

The only solace I can take is that a lot of people who voted for Bush this time around did it while holding their noses. Republicans were stuck between a rock and a hard place. If Democrats can come up with a candidate that people can be excited about from the get-go, then the country may very well experience some progress by the end of the decade and we can begin healing this disturbing division. I don’t forsee one inch of social progress in the next four years, and hopefully we can undo any regression that happens. Honestly, the sadistic, voyeuristic, reality TV-loving jerk in me is looking forward to watching the America Show over the next four years. Without having to worry about getting re-elected, what wacky hijinks will GW get mixed up in? Maybe a case of mistaken identity involving Iran? Perhaps a date with South Korea AND China on the same night? Maybe a Very Special Holiday Episode with Israel and Palestinians coming together when the power goes out during peace talks and they all get locked in a meat freezer? It could be that some of his coworkers have been keeping some Big Secrets thinking he’d be losing his job and now that he’s staying, their consciouses will start gnawing at them and they’ll blow the lid of this mother! Who knows, but at least my guys Jon Stewart, Al Franken, and Michael Moore will have something to talk about for the next little while.

And that is the last political jibber jabber you’ll find here, at least for a while. Until then, we can all agree that knitting is great and we will all vote Yes on Proposition 934: Were knitted fashions of the 70’s just plain goofy?

It’s a momentous day here in America. There’s a buzz in the air and people are excited about taking part in an amazing process. Although it’s been part of American life for years, this time is different. There’s more on the line and an array of elements make it more complicated, but so rewarding. It will connect people in a way it never has. Issues like weapons of mass destruction, public health, and global environment are at the center of the platform and it’s all up to those who participate.

Yes, truly a great day. The new Ratchet and Clank game for PS2 is being released today!! I can’t wait. I already put one on reserve. This is the third in a series of Ratchet and Clank games and this one has a whole new set of cool weapons and has online gameplay! Can you stand it? Every year a new one comes out and I’m obsessed until I finish the game. The only problem is that I can’t pick it up today because the store is near my work an hour away. I’m working from home today because I went to vote and didn’t know how the lines would be.

Oh yeah, GO VOTE!! Make an afternoon of it. Go get a cup of coffee and a pastry. If you’re at work, tell your boss you’re taking a liberty break. If you’re at home, put the knitting in a bag and go! GO GO GO!! Then feel smug for the rest of the day because you are a good citizen and are exercising your rights, even if you don’t exercise anything else put Splenda in your coffee, it’ll be fine. If you don’t, you’re not allowed to complain OR gloat if your guy loses/wins. No votey no gloaty – no moany. Also, it would be good if you voted for Kerry. Just as a personal favor, ¢â‚¬Ëœkay?

On the knitting front, Manly is done pictures to come at some point. It came out ok, but I’m not thrilled with it. It’s my first knitted thing with sleeves, and you can tell. The sleeves came out waaay bigger than the armhole. Now, a different, better kind of knitter would have ripped them out and made them over. I’m just not that kind of knitter. I MADE them fit. Now the sleeves are a little puffy and vaguely piratey. Also, I should have made a medium. Take this as a guide with the Manly sweater from Stitch and Bitch, if your guy normally wears a medium, but measures a small in the pattern, make the medium. I blocked the crap out of it and just short of turning into taffy, the sleeves came out ok and it’s no longer a belly-sweater.

Also, I love Oprah’s new hairdo. She looks great. SWEET MERCIFUL CRAP her guest today appears to be Johnny Depp. Forget you, I’m outta here!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
-gasp-
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Check it out! It’s all blocked and I’m putting it together now. It’s practically a sweater! I keep making Jon try it on when a new seam is finished. He’s getting mildly annoyed and statically charged, but it looks really good on him. I’m worried that the arm holes might be a bit high and small, but he swears they feel fine. I guess that response is the knitting equivalent to the one for “Do I look fat?” I’m not picky, I’ll take it.

So yesterday, my friend Charlene paid us a visit and left a comment among the ones she received. A very nice introduction, I’d say. La asked if this meant she had to stop swearing. The answer to that is a resounding “Heck no!” Charlene is as salty as any pirate I know and especially favors the term “jackass” lately. I’m partial to pairing body parts and diseases for maximum effect. Some folks asked when Charlene was going to start knitting and I just don’t know if it’s ever going to happen. But she does wear scarves well and appreciates llamas and alpaca like no one else. She went to Peru a couple of summers ago and brought back a bunch of great knitted stuff. She suggested that we make a return trip figuring it would make great blog fodder. I wholeheartedly agree. Wouldn’t you all like to see pictures of me pillaging a small Peruvian village and absconding with all of their yarn? I knew you would.

One more thing about Charlene, she was there for the 28-foot-blanket incident.

The other day, I told my dad I was going to make him a sweater and had him look at some patterns. I originally showed him this one, but he said it was too pƒ©pƒ© (a French term for grandfather). He looked through a bunch of other 60’s pattern books and it was hilarious. He LOVED them and was pointing out all the sweaters he used to have. He’d point to one and describe it, nudging my mother and saying “Remember that sweater? Mine was yellow!” and was describing others as “really sharp” saying “they just don’t make them like this any more”. My mom joined in when she saw some gorgeous knitted coats, which she had made for herself. I knew my mom used to knit beautiful things, but I never realized my dad had such a soft spot for knitwear, then he reminded me why. Many years ago, he and my mom used to work at a sweater factory in New Hampshire, which was once renowned for its textile mills along the Merrimack River. I think they actually met there. It was called Pandora* He got this sort of animated air about him and said “You should get a knitting machine! Then you could get tons done really fast!” and proceeded to demonstrate how a knitting machine works using his hands and sound effects. In case you were wondering, the sound of a knitting machine in action is “tktktktktktktktktktktkt” and the sound of an entire sweater being whipped out by one is “zooooooooOOOOOOOOP”. Then he told us about the difference between “Cut and Sew” sweaters and “Full Fashion” ones. As you can imagine, “Full Fashion” is the good stuff that took a lot of detailed hand work. “Cut and Sew” was a giant piece of knitted fabric that was then cut into pattern pieces and sewn together. My mom worked on Full Fashion doing something called “looping”. I’m not really sure what that is (I think it had to do with attaching sleeves), but she still remembered the hand movements she used on her machine. I wish I could fully explain how great it was to have my dad imitating a knitting machine and my mom doing “looping” in the air. Truly a sight to behold. Apparently it’s in my blood.

Anyway, this is the pattern my dad finally picked.

I asked what color he wanted and he insisted that it be red. Turns out he just loves red, but never wears it (I think my mom has something to do with that). So a dashing red sweater it is. Here is where I will need to do some searching. The pattern uses Spinnerin yarn which, of course, no longer exists. It uses needles 5 and 8, the gauge is 5 sts = 1 inch and 7 sts = 1 inch. I can only assume that the #8 needles yield the 5st/1inch gauge. Would anyone in the blogsphere know of a yarn that has the gauge and would produce this red/black color mix? What is that called when the colors are mixed up like that? I may have to make a trip to Webs for this one. Oh Meeeeelaniiiieee . . .

Also, as a side note, I added some more stuff to my finished object list. They’ve been finished for a while, I just got around to getting pictures now. I’ve got a shawl, a cat blanket, a doily, and a felted bag. All of these were for my mom. I’m going to make her a felted hat to go with her bag next (by her request). She uses the bag all the time and really enjoys the attention it gets. She loves the eyelash yarn and I’m hoping to get her back into knitting by buying her some cool, crazy stuff. She really is a talented knitter/crocheter/embroiderer/seamstress/lady.

*If you’re intersted in the mills, this site has gorgeous photos, click them to see the high quality images. It’s funny, I was just looking for a good picture of the mills, and for almost an hour I’ve been poring through a bunch of sites about them. They really give me a sense of “home” and I think they’re so beautiful. After almost 20 years away, I’m only recently appreciating how rich in history my hometown is.

Oh my goodness! It’s a mess in here! I need to clean up. We’re having very special company today. Today I told my best girlfriend, Charlene, about this blog. I’ve been keeping it on the QT for a while because I was afraid she would think I was a dork writing a whole blog about knitting (she’s not a knitter), but I couldn’t stand it any more and invited her to pop in and have some coffee. Everyone be on your best behavior.

Hi Charlene! -waving madly at her sistergirlfriend- Welcome!