Under Construction

I'm going for a new look for the old blog, but it's still in process. S has kindly volunteered to help with the overhaul.

In other non-knitting related news, I saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs last night.

They. Rocked. SO. Hard.

I haven't had that much fun in I don't remember when. We made it about 2 rows from the stage and had a great time dancing and singing along.

The indie movie I've spent the last three weeks on, "Ciao", wrapped yesterday. It was hard work, but I think it turned out pretty well. Hopefully it will win some festivals.

And in the knitting arena, I need at least one more skein of the Cotton Twist for the Razor and the store I bought it at can't order more. I've got one more local place to look. I've found it online, but the shipping exceeds the price of the yarn by 2 bucks!

Faith...

...or how turning a heel is a lot like life.

Knitting is an act of faith. Faith in your skills, the pattern, your needles, your yarn. As much as you plan and swatch and sketch, there is no guaranteeing the results. I found this to be particularly true making my first heel.

I had never seen a knitted heel up close before, so I had no real visual guide. I read and re-read the instructions, blindly following them to the letter. I watched as my sock grew a flap. I felt a little weird turning the work in the middle of the row, and the gussets took forever for me to understand. But I did it, and from the dark tunnel of the ankle tube and my doubts emerged a perfectly respectable heel.

So turning a heel is a lot like life...it's confusing, scary, and even though you're trying your hardest, you don't know if it will work. It seems to be an incomprehensible mess until you reach the other side and the beauty of the plan is made apparent.

Good Things Come in Threes

Where to start? Ah yes, the book. I actually got it last week, but didn't have a chance to post about it. I found it at Half Price Books, and it seems like a really excellent resource. It has a whole section on how to knit pleats, which I find really exciting for some reason.
Passion Knits, which was recently voted the best LYS in Dallas, is now open on Sundays from noon to 5. I'd walked by and peered in a few times, but it was always closed because I'm only in that part on town on Sundays, for the bottomless bellini brunch at the cafe next door. Now I can drink AND fondle yarn on the Sabbath, making me quite the heathen. I bought three skiens of Berroco Cotton Twist to make the Razor Cami. Why am I making a sexy summer tank in October? Because it was 95 degrees here yesterday. I'll probably wear it to Christmas parties, what with this global warming and all.
Last, but the biggest news of all...
S asked me to teach him to knit! I'd offered a couple of times, but he'd always laughed nervously and turned me down. I was explaining my sock to him yesterday, and he asked for a pair. I explained the boyfriend knitting curse again, but promised him I'd make a pair in secret so the curse wouldn't find out. Then he read over my shoulder as I made my knitting blog rounds and fell in love with pretty much everything the guy at Brooklyn Tweed has ever taken off a pair of needles. So he was with me at the knitting store, and I have to say, he has really good taste in yarn. Lots of rich heathered colors and alpaca. We settled on a skien of Charcol Cascade 220 to make a simple hat. So far he has picked up casting on and knitting really fast and it just trying to work out some tension issues (soooo tight) and the "I started with ten and now I have 4 stitches issue". I have a feeling he's going to be kicking my knitting butt in a matter of weeks!