Tuesday, September 11, 2007

More Random Things.

Yesterday I came home tired and went to the gym anyway and did 3.2 miles on the treadmill. I wanted to do the weights but the place was packed and I had run out of patience and was hungry (it was almost 7) so I gave up.

The area is getting rain, my own personal neighborhood isn't. I'm waiting for our turn.

Today was spent in the field. I think the new paralegal is a keeper. She knows she has a lot to learn, asks questions, is funny, confident enough to offer opinions, and isn't intimidated. Let's hope she has the right attitude and sense of humor to stick it out, and not figure it's too crazy and leave. So far, so good.

I neglected to mention that on Sunday afternoon I finally blocked the Falling Water Scarf but didn't take pictures yet because I got distracted and basically didn't feel like bothering. I realized that my lack of desire for complicated lace is self-preservation, because I hate blocking. I don't mind blocking simple, sturdy sweater parts, but a long (longer than my queen sized bed) basic lacy scarf was a huge pain in the ass. Unblocked, it rolled on itself like a red Cashmerino burrito.

Blocked, it struggled with its body image, which is why I think I love it and think of it as really "me" - instead of a nice constant 6 in. width, it wanted to be 7 or 8 inches toward the end and 4.5 inches a quarter of the way in, then 6 inches for a while, and so on for the entire length. I patted and prodded and pinned and cursed for a long time, and finally got it to the point where it was almost even, and then said, and I quote, "Fuck it, it's going to be wrapped around my neck, nobody will see if the edges aren't perfect." Which was the right attitude, because when I finally unpinned it after it finally dried five minutes before I fell into bed to get up at 5 and go to work on Monday, it had pretty much decided that it would be sort of even and mostly rectangular, so that was good, but despite being viciously blocked into submission by a crabby, profane and impatient knitter, it tried to curl in on itself a little bit. Just a wee bit, so instead of being totally flat, it has a little pouf to it. So that is the way it shall be. And I love it anyway. Cashmerino is so soft, the scarf is so long and light, I can wrap it twice around my neck and let the ends hang down, and I will wear it in Asheville in mid-October, especially in the evening.

I promise I'll take a picture. When I finish the Red Scarf Scarf, which basically just needs binding off, I'll take a picture of the other scarf. I know you're all holding your breath here, because I pretty much killed all suspense, didn't I? Two red scarves. One badly blocked lacy effort. The other basic gender neutral mistake rib. I know it's overwhelming, please remember to breathe into a paper bag if you feel lightheaded.

My knitting is running on autopilot again. Work is crazy, life is crazy, I have ZERO desire to take on a lace shawl at the moment. I am slogging away on the big purple cardigan. But I need color, and variety, and I'm thinking I will buy yarn for either the Minimalist Cardigan in the new IK, or the Diagonal Jacket from Debbie Bliss Home. I may do this before Asheville. Or maybe not. I dunno.

Talked to Boy this evening. He's been on his new job I think a month, and he's now a supervisor/trainer, and has been told he's their golden boy. His personal goal is to become the official corporate trainer who works on hiring and training staff at new facilities, and this could work out very well for him. My son deserves a break. He's well educated and a bona fide geeneeus, which is as welcome in much of the South as a libbrul Democrat who don't watch NASCAR (he's also that). He appears to have hit a growing enterprise headed by a successful guy (who ain't from around here). It has the ability to go national and has national backing, and the head guy hired Boy because he sat down with him and decided he needed him in his organization. They like him, they really like him! Fingers and toes crossed that this will be a successful venture - it's a startup. It's not a two guys in a pizza parlor level startup, but, it's a startup. Please send good vibes and prayers if you're the praying type, that they all live long and prosper.

3 comments:

dragon knitter said...

i finished my red scarf saturday, and it's in the washing machine waiting for me to pry it out and semi-block it. i used my own handspun but with mistake rib. would you believe this thrower finally learned continental on this scarf. do i HAVE to give it away?

Bess said...

Oh man. I'm sorry you don't enjoy blocking. If only you lived Closer!!! I would offer to block for you. It's my favorite part of knitting. wool sculpting.

and, then, I have 22 feet of kitchen counter. Perfect for scarf blocking.

Catherine said...

Part of the problem is that I don't have a decent place to block, meaning large enough and not accessible to cats. Another part is that I am not that patient. I'm fine with worsted sweater parts, I can block the hell of them, but a lacy scarf that is resisting gets on my nerves.