Civic white

Today I went gangbusters. Started this morning by helping Alex clean out his kitchen shelves. He's packing up to move across the country, to spend the summer being around for his parents, who are getting on. When he tired of me taking magnets off his refrigerator and trying to throw away his Tums, I went home, where the rampage continued. I sold books (finally!), gave away clothes, and washed my car. Then, I detailed it, and painted the scratches on the bumpers where many years of parking had taken their toll. Civic white. You wouldn't believe how much wear and tear city driving can bring. Definitely made me think twice about getting a new car.

I am knitting like a fiend. My first scarf is more than halfway done. Amazing. You knit, and this stuff just spools off your needles. It's becoming a bit cumbersome, though. Like carrying around a half-knit scarf.

My knitting teacher rocks -- literally. She's a local singer/songwriter with a lovely sound. Check her out: Brandi Shearer. Her stuff is great. I can't wait to say, yeah, I knew her when. She taught me to purl.

What else? I had a nice swim this evening after a hot, sunny San Francisco day. Gorgeous. I've got the windows open, the setting sun is just about done streaming into my tiny apartment, and I'm sipping a glass of cold Husch chardonnay, a new favorite. California is just grand. Expecting Alex later to help me eat some lentil soup I'm making. I just wish he weren't leaving.

A friend's father passed away this week. It is very sad. I never met him; I was out of town when he visited. But I can only imagine what my friend is going through. It's mighty sobering. I know of 4 people whose parents are having health problems. It's that time, I guess. When you realize the people you love aren't going to live forever.

My little place is tidy and clean. I'll knit some more tonight, and read one of the dozens of books Alex has given me. All in all, a lovely holiday weekend. I can only hope everyone is out, enjoying the sun.

addicted to crafts

I've begun staring at people's knit caps on the subway. Homeless people, even. Is that double seed? Or One x One stitch? Here's what I'm doing for homework this week.

(forgive me, reader. My instruction sheet has been recently sullied by oily cheese, and so I need a clean, ever-present guide for future knitting projects.)

Garter
knit both ways

Stockinette Stitch
Row 1 (RS) Knit
Row 2 (WS) Purl
(beware: edges will curl)

1X1 Rib (good for scarves)
Row 1 (RS) K1, P1
Row 2+ do what you see

Seed Stitch
Row 1 (RS) K1 P1
Row 2+ Do opposite of what you see
(gives a rough, nubbly texture, good with colorway (varigated) yarns)

Double Seed Stitch
(and this is where it really gets complicated)
Row 1 (RS) K1, P1
Row 2 (WS) and all even rows: do what you see
Row 3 and all odd rows: Do opposite of what you see

Drop Stitch
Double-wrap knit stitch, then knit the first loop. Tricky to get even!

I was in a meeting last week and started staring at this pink sweater I bought - on sale. It's not a great sweater, but the yarn's pretty nice - silk. Started considering how to take it apart. Of course, I had to wait, since I was at work and I hadn't anything else to wear. But let me tell you, that thing doesn't have long to live. There's a nice, handknit silk scarf in my future! Now if I can just get home to get my hands on it...

Oh, I've also begun to stare at coffee mugs. I'm considering blowing off a drinking outing to go throw a tiny sake cup at the JCC. Dang, clay and yarn are highly addictive. Like crack, but healthier. And no hangover!

a phlebotomist's nightmare

I have a huge bruise in the crook of my left arm. It sortof makes me look like a junkie. Or, actually, like a junkie in training.

I am hard to draw blood from. But my doctor wants a cholesterol check, and apparently they haven't figured out any way to do that without stabbing a needle in your arm. Or, in my case, using me as a sort of human pin cushion. My least favorite is when they start poking around under the skin, trying to catch a vein. My pretty young blood drawer started a little subdural needle-wiggling and then asks, "Does this hurt?" I lied.

I've been given all sorts of reasons for my circulatory reticence. My veins are deep. Or small. Or they roll. Me? I think they're just crafty.

Fun, action-packed weekend hanging with my boy Alex. We went to see VIctor Wooten and all his bassist friends at the Fillmore, to the Asian Art museum, then a SF street fair with nice baked goods. I had Ethiopian take-out with my college roomates and then met Alex's friends at a bar in the Mission where we made finger puppets out of the heads of crawfish. Today, Alex took me to a Giants game and watched our team limp to a 3-3 tie in the 9th. It was a heartbreaking. I mean, the Nationals? Oy.

Visited artists' open studios at Hunter's Point, ate soem cheese goldfish, and caught an early show of Kung Fu Hustle, which wasn't quite as fun as I'd hoped it would be but was still worth seeing, if you think kitties getting decapitated in midair is funny. It was, kindof. Ate at Chevy's for the first time in a decade, at least. The lardy goodness is really sticking with me, though. I could use a belly bra. In Alex's word, it's like having "eaten a big brown shoe."

Talked to my mother today. Happy Mother's Day! She was home, practicing piano and eating bean soup. My dad was going to take her to bruch, but there was a line out the door, so they went home and ate light. My dad went golfing, and my mom stayed home to get the phone. She really has a lot of children.

I've begun my creative Judy classes. Knitting -- I selected *blue* yarn which I've knit into a long, narorw strip like a tie -- homework. Ceramics starts TuesdayI'm thinking about Aikido, piano, and essay writing. Hello, summer!

OK, got to go rest my belly on something, and maybe have another mug of tea. Rainy night! Cna't believe what a wet spring it's been in the Bay Area. Goodness gracious, as my mom would say. Stay dry everyone.