Knitting Confidential

Saturday

2009-11-07T22:54:00.002-05:00

-The Box
-A little grocery shopping
-Keeping an eye on some college football while browsing the internet
-Dinner in an Irish pub while watching Ohio State-Penn State football before walking over to the arena for a hockey game
-Blue Jackets hockey

Time spent at home (not including sleep): around five hours

Somebody's in serious need of slowing down.

Frantic Friday

2009-11-06T21:30:00.003-05:00

It's a four film day for me--I'm heading out in a little while to polish off the last of them--and thus a busy way to bring another busy week to an end. If the weather wanted to dump an early snow storm on us and get me to cool my jets for a couple days, I'm for it. But advance warning, please. I don't really have much to eat in the apartment.

I've come to the realization that a big reason for my knitting productivity downturn can be laid on my purchase of an HDTV last year. I used to knit a lot more while watching (or listening/not watching) television, but with that crystal clear picture in front of me, I can't pull my eyes away as easily.

On Wednesday I finished the first skein of yarn for my Red Scarf Project scarf. If I can pick up the pace a bit, I'd like to have it done in a week. Keep in mind, though, that most of my knitting in the last month has been done almost exclusively at knit night.

It's been a busy fall work-wise, and for awhile I just wasn't feeling top notch, so the knitting wasn't a priority. The term is winding down, and aside from the time change still throwing me, I feel more like I usually do. A long weekend with nothing on the schedule would be welcome, though.

Knit long and prosper

2009-11-05T22:50:00.004-05:00

Would you like to buy a Spock monkey?

A contest-winning knitter gets profiled on TV news for her Star Trek twist on the traditional sock monkey. My impression is that the show, movies, etc. is fairly popular with crafty types, so coming up with such a project is a smart way to help stack the deck in one's favor.

"But she does have a rather delicate hobby." Yes, thankfully there are plenty of fainting couches to go around in yarn shops and when I attend knit night.

Shuffle

2009-11-04T21:58:00.003-05:00

Since I don't have anything worth writing about, how about hitting shuffle on the iPod and seeing what comes up? If you'd like to hear these songs, most can be found by using Google to search for the artist and song title and hitting play on the embedded Lala player. (It's a new tool Google offers, but it doesn't provide anything for me to link to.)

1. Laura Cantrell "Yonder Comes a Freight Train" When the Roses Bloom Again (2004)

I haven't given this theory much thought, but I'm going to propose that the best songs about forms of transportation are about trains. Sorry cars. There's something about how the engines chug that lends itself to the rhythms of these songs and conveys the feeling of riding the rails.

2. The Streets "Who Got the Funk?" Original Pirate Material (2002)

There's a left turn--from country to British hip hop--provided by the shuffle. This short track doesn't make much sense out of the album's context. "The day in the life of a geezer," repeats Mike Skinner, essentially summarizing the concept for album about British lad culture. The song is more connective tissue than a standalone piece.

3. The Black Crowes "Sister Luck" Shake Your Money Maker (1990)

The Black Crowes bring back memories of the heritage AOR station WTUE in Dayton. While they sounded like a lot of the classic rock bands, at the time they were a new group. I don't know if this particular song would have been heard on the air, although surely their debut was played at least once at midnight, which is when they'd play one side of an album, take a break, and play the second side. Yes, albums used to have two sides (or sides at all), and rock stations used to be worth listening to.

4. The Beastie Boys "Time for Livin'" The Sounds of Science (1992)

Surely I've heard this before,but this isn't one that stood out to me. Beasties more in punk mode than rapping.

5. David Gray "Easy Way to Cry" A New Day at Midnight (2002)

Can't say that this particular song stirs up any memories, but the album it's from is inextricably tied in my mind to hearing a single from it on WXRT while in Chicago for a high school friend's wedding. Come to think of it, is that the only high school friend's wedding I've attended?

6. The Velvet Underground "I'm Waiting for the Man" The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

This album isn't considered one of the most highly influential in rock history for nothing. Funny how it can still sound current all these years later.

7. The Beta Band "Al Sharp" Hot Shots II (2001)

Totally random fact (probably): I think I bought this CD in a Rhode Island Borders.

8. Guided by Voices "Gold Star for Robot Boy" Jellyfish Reflector (1996)

I was into the Dayton indie rock legends-to-be a lot at the time because they were from where I am from (generally speaking) and because I was able to find an internet e-mail list to feed my interest in all things GBV. I didn't have a computer at home, but I'd go to the library to check my freenet account--two hours of access per 24 hours, thank you--for the daily digest in my inbox. The album in question is a live bootleg (or semi-official release). Being hip to these kinds of records was like knowing a secret, which probably helped stoke my interest, although it didn't hurt that they were at their creative peak at this time too.

9. George DeVore "Standing Right By Me" Austin, Texas Through the Eyes of Terri Herbert (2001)

Yes, it's on my iPod, but I've never heard this before. I bought the album solely for a rare Kelly Willis track (a cover of Gene Clark's "Full Circle Song") and never bothered listening to the rest. (I don't remember exactly how I acquired it, but it may have been among several CDs someone was selling as a lot on eBay.) It was a bit difficult to come across. Since it was an Austin singer-songwriter's tribute to his girlfriend killed in an accident, I don't know if this was even sold outside of Texas. Collecting songs by downloading them just isn't the same.

10. Soundgarden "Switch Opens" Down on the Upside (1996)

Shuffle goes deep again. It may be twelve or thirteen years since I've heard this cut from Soundgarden's final album.

I don't know how representative this sampling is of my musical tastes, but it's certainly eclectic.

Knitspotting

2009-11-03T23:19:00.002-05:00

While I may knit in public--it seems like that's the only time I have for it right now--I know that spotting knitting men in the wild is relatively uncommon. For those of you who don't believe such rare creatures exist, here's a North Dakota news anchor trying his hand at learning to knit. (It's of more interest watched than read, but a text-only version is available too.) Doesn't seem like he enjoyed it much, though.

Equilibrium

2009-11-02T22:08:00.003-05:00

It's been slow going, but I believe that things are finally getting back to the way they should be.

Today is one day shy of five weeks since I last had a radio in my car. Five weeks! (Sure, the insurance company didn't assign someone to the matter, but I added several days by purchasing the radio online and then not having the time to take it to get installed.) A new radio is where it belongs, meaning I can drive without humming or singing to keep myself preoccupied.

I came home this evening to find that the heat (or lack thereof) in my apartment was repaired. Initially a maintenance guy felt that there wasn't any problem, but Friday I snagged one who was knocking on a door to another apartment in my building.

I figured I needed to show someone to confirm that I wasn't crazy regarding the cool air that should have been warm coming out of the vents. He agreed that the heat pump wasn't operating as it should and wrote down my concern about the looseness of the thermostat. The heat pump (or whatever) has been fixed. Even better, the thermostat was replaced. I can actually set a temperature without a bunch of give/slippage in the bar used to do so.

I feel like I've been extremely busy and getting battered from all sides, but with these things taken care of, it seems like normalcy is returning. Not for long probably, but I'll take what I can get.

The 25th hour

2009-11-01T23:57:00.002-05:00

Last night or this morning, depending how you want to look at it, clocks fell back one hour. This is the greatest night of the year, especially for the sleep deprived. An extra hour!

The strange thing about this day is that I should be tired earlier in the evening but I'm not. Granted, I slept some this afternoon, but that doesn't necessarily mean I won't be ready to hit the sack when the appropriate hour arrives.

After a week of running hither and yon, it's been strange to have a deliberately uneventful day. The hustle and bustle not only has been quieted but also been replaced with sixty more minutes of inactivity.

My internal clock seems off. No time felt right for anything. For as odd of a day as it has been to experience, it has helped me get some much needed rest. Adjusting to this new rhythm? That will happen soon enough.

On the spot

2009-10-31T22:16:00.004-04:00

Halloween in these parts does not mean Beggars' Night--most places in and around the city held that on Thursday--so I needn't fear costumed children pounding on my door and demanding sweets. That's just as well. It was a a semi-long day capping a busy week, so I was ready to crash late this afternoon.

As you can tell by the picture atop this entry, I spent some hours hanging around the press box at Ohio State today. I was asked to fill in and help spot offense for the public address announcer. OSU's opponent practically guaranteed a lousy game, but it's interesting to see the spectacle of major college football. Plus, I didn't have to pay to get in and got a parking pass in a great spot out of the deal. It didn't pay, but eh, why not?

The PA announcer's booth had moved since I last did this a few years ago. It's still high up, but the location is much better. It's not as badly angled or in as cramped of a space. But these kind of details don't interest you, so how about a couple interesting tidbits and I'll leave it at that?

The press box level has its own McFlurry machine with someone preparing them and setting out a bunch on a table for the taking. McCafe drinks--iced coffee, in other words--were the other branded offerings available. The self-serve food choices included: scrambled eggs for those getting there earlier in the morning; hot dogs; pulled pork sandwiches, which were probably from the best local barbecue chain; cole slaw; baked beans; and the typical snacks (pretzels, chips, popcorn).

Just seeing the number of people at the press box level and on the sidelines, it's staggering to think how many people are working to put on and cover the event. (That doesn't include the nearly 105-thousand who attended.)

The marching band isn't usually shown at halftime to television viewers, but they would probably make for better entertainment than the highlights and analysis. The Halloween-centric routine featured some interesting formations--a vampire, a casket, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man's head--and a little Thriller dancing.

Whiplash

2009-10-30T23:24:00.003-04:00

Parents have been here most of the day. Went to lunch before dad and I headed downtown to go to the Blue Jackets game. Mom stayed home and watched my TV, which was surely what she would have preferred to have done even if the option to attend the hockey game were available. Time to hit the sack before getting up and heading down to Ohio State to do some unpaid work for the football game.

Yes, I've been stupid busy this week. No, I'm not ditching my parents. When I was asked to help out at OSU, I called to see if I should turn it down, as I didn't know what my dad was planning. At this time was when I was informed that my mom was planning to come over also. (I'd set this up to take my dad to the game.) I said I could decline to help out, but she said not to do so. They seem fine with this fast of a turnaround, but I wish I had. They're here and gone in the blink of an eye, and I really have no enthusiasm to be at the game after this week.

So go the decisions we make...

Olympic knitting

2009-10-29T23:42:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure I completely understand this story, but this story about one of Canada's First Nation tribes getting the right to knit products with the Olympic logo caught my eye.

It reads to me that they will be knitting the garments by hand, which sounds like an extraordinary amount of work if they're to end up with much product. Anybody out there able to shed some light on this?

The yarn yurt

2009-10-28T23:48:00.002-04:00

If you were to complete this project, wouldn't it look nice listed on your Ravelry project page?

Despite what the headline says, the ambitious crafter is not attempting to knit a yurt but crochet one. I wouldn't have the patience to bother with something like this, but I appreciate the vision and deliberation needed to try and pull off a project as unconventional as this. More power to her.

A full day

2009-10-27T23:59:00.003-04:00

Eleven hour work day and then a three hour Leonard Cohen concert. Who's wiped out?

Yesterday I wrote a little about him, so if you missed that, that'll fill you in. As for tonight's show, it was like being transported to a Montreal jazz club. I got a little sleepy, but the old guy and his band put on a pretty good show. "Hallelujah" and "I'm Your Man" back-to-back were something else.

And with that I must retire for the night.

Everybody knows

2009-10-26T23:19:00.004-04:00

Not a lot of gas left in the tank tonight and a busy day ahead tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to getting through it all and then unwinding at the Leonard Cohen concert.

Last year the 75-year-old singer-songwriter embarked on his first tour in fifteen years, and this year he performed his first concert in the U.S. in a decade and a half. With ticket prices being a little steep, I initially balked at this rare chance to see him perform, but a drop in the cost,and a pretty good seat to boot, got me to pull the trigger. While I'm not deeply familiar with his catalog, I know a substantial number of his better-known songs. Plus, I don't expect he'll be coming around again.

The first time I recall becoming acquainted with anything Cohen wrote was an R.E.M. cover on the tribute album I'm Your Fan. Then there was Jeff Buckley's impeccable version of "Hallelujah", which eventually led to the song's new-found popularity in such inexplicable places as Shrek and American Idol. (Buckley's cover wasn't a hit, so to hear John Cale's take in a children's animated film was beyond strange.) And there's also the odd yet somehow fitting use of "Everybody Knows" in Exotica.

The guy has a way with words, and that deep voice is quite an instrument. I can't wait.

Different for guys

2009-10-25T22:10:00.002-04:00

Another knitting article shocked, SHOCKED about men knitting. In short, it's good for macking on the ladies or something like that. And it's good we're knitting because us dudes get the mathematics in the craft. Beep boop beep boop. See, I just used the quadratic equation to write a scarf pattern!

OK, so it generalizes some things that have irked some Ravelry members, but I had to smile at this part:

"They're not yarn stashers like women and usually only buy what they need, working on one project at a time, not several simultaneously as women tend to do."

Whether there's anything to that stereotype or not, I resemble that remark.

A Sort of Homecoming

2009-10-24T22:23:00.002-04:00

Every October my alma mater, like other institutions of higher learning, welcomes its graduates back to campus. It's a time for meeting up with friends from one's college days, seeing how the school has changed, watching a football game, and recapturing a little of the spirit from a period in time that many people describe as the best years of their lives.

As I sat in the press box keeping stats for the homecoming game, I listened to other people talk about how great their time in college was and how much they missed it, especially in the first few years after commencement.

While I enjoyed my time in college, I'd like to believe that better days are ahead, that the most exciting time in life doesn't come to a screeching halt at 21 or 22. Of course, one could say that I don't have much room to talk because, in a sense, I never left. Until I moved two years ago, I lived within a block of campus and have been working there in a part-time or full-time capacity since graduating.

Granted, that was never the plan. I picked up some extra money keeping official statistics for football and basketball while doing forty hours per week of temp work during my job searches and non-searches. Being around led to some part-time work where I would eventually become employed full-time.

In one capacity or another I've worked during homecoming and have attended it every year since I finished school. For me it hasn't been a big deal--I see this place practically every day--so it hasn't meant much to me. I've watched how the campus has transformed and don't feel a need to wander around. Thus I don't usually bump into any old classmates unless they let me know in advance that they're coming.

This afternoon, as my alma mater made an impressive comeback to win the game and remain undefeated, I did feel a sense of the old school pride as the seconds ticked off the scoreboard andas I hoofed it across the damp, leaf-strewn lawns to my car. (All those visiting alumni kept me from parking by the stadium.)

I enjoy the energy, curiosity, and camaraderie that the academic environment can provide unlike anywhere else, and I understand why people wistfully recall their time in such a place. I may miss out on the nostalgic rush that comes form returning to my stomping grounds after years away, but getting a little bit of that every day at work isn't such a bad trade-off.

On repeat

2009-10-23T22:59:00.002-04:00

Trust me, I'm sick of writing about car repairs, but I landed yet another costly one today, so I have to gripe about it some.

The passenger door's failure to unlock electrically or manually was determined not to be related to when my car was broken into. Congratulations, you've won another expensive car repair!

This situation is beyond aggravating. The entire point of getting a new vehicle (in used car form) was to have something reliable that wouldn't need things fixed constantly. Today's repair brings the total to three in the three months I've owned it, with all three coming in approximately the past month. (I'm not counting the broken window from the theft.) All have necessitated taking the car to a dealership and thus paying through the nose. And this is on a car that had just barely passed it's relatively low warranty mileage before I bought it.

OK, so I've just run into a string of misfortune with the car--it drives fine, by the way--but it's so far past ridiculous that I don't have any sense of humor about it.

An Agatha Christie yarn

2009-10-22T22:25:00.004-04:00

I shudder at the thought of writing, highlighting, and underlining in books. Call it my inner librarian. (Actually, I worked at a library for a brief time in high school.) Nevertheless, I can admire the artistry in the work of those who alter books.

One altered book contest winner knit a wrap with strips made from the pages of an Agatha Christie book. Unfortunately I've not been able to find a good picture of it. This one shows more of it but doesn't give a sense of how it might look when worn. Of course, no one would wear it as a garment, but at least seeing it draped across someone's shoulders would give a better idea of how it looks.

As unimaginable as destroying books is, I also balk at the thought of how tedious knitting with this material must be. Just think of all of the gluing needed to make the "yarn" and the care that would be needed to avoid ripping it while knitting. Better yet, don't.

Three blogging years

2009-10-21T21:28:00.003-04:00

With today's 1076th entry, Knitting Confidential celebrates its third birthday. Where has the time gone?

I've spent three years, both online and off, as "the secret knitter". (Lowercase, please. I don't deem this identity worthy of haughty capital letters or proper noun designation.) There's no alter ego being assumed with the name. Even if there's precious little secrecy as to who's writing this, the pseudonymity gives me more freedom and a lower likelihood of those I'd rather not have reading finding it. So the pseudonym stays, as will my continued secret knitting.

In starting this blog my intention was to document what I learned, discovered, struggled with, and produced on my unlikely journey as a knitter. I am keenly aware that the site now functions more as a public journal, but knitting is still an essential component here and will continue to be. Hopefully you tolerate my diversions and moodiness and filler, but if not, I suppose that's your right.

My last date without posting an entry here is March 24, 2007, the third of three consecutive blank days while I was depriving myself of sleep at a film festival. Frankly, there's been plenty of crap and desperate searching for something to write, and I can promise you more of that in the future. Generating content isn't always easy or enjoyable, but I think of this daily writing as an exercise to flex the creative muscles in much the same way that knitting can and does.

For the moment there's really nothing else to say but thanks for reading. I'll try to keep things interesting.

The other side

2009-10-20T23:32:00.003-04:00

If you're reading this, presumably it's because you're a knitter or crafter of some kind. You've already been convinced that the needle arts are for you. What isn't there to love?

It's interesting then to read the perspective of someone encouraged to knit but who just doesn't cotton to it. Ariel Leve found learning to knit to be difficult and didn't enjoy it whatsoever, although when she writes, "If there's one thing I hate, it's practice," it seems clear that her knitting flirtation was doomed from the outset. What else is knitting but essentially repeating the same movement thousands of times?

Sure, the seriousness of her knitting undertaking is fair to question. She claims to have given knitting six months before bailing on it, but wouldn't a published writer realize that the stitch is "purl" and not "pearl"? Maybe that's trying to read too much into a spelling error, maybe not.

Seeing as I was surprised to enjoy knitting myself, I have no difficulty understanding why it didn't appeal to her. I can sympathize with thinking it's hard, to a point. From this side of things it's a wonder that making even knit stitches or performing the purl stitch was ever a challenge.

It seems so obvious now that there's no great secret or complexity to those fundamental techniques, but once they were puzzling and frustrating and, if not not unsolvable, tough to get right. Then again, isn't that how it goes for most anything that's unfamiliar?

Lifted

2009-10-19T23:59:00.006-04:00

The day did not get off to the best of starts. Late last night I was convinced that my apartment was blowing cool air when the heat was on. Someone came out from the apartment complex and claims to find no problems. For heat, it sure doesn't feel very warm, but it seems to be moving the thermostat up.

But that's a problem for which any possible repairs are not being paid directly out of my pocket. Which means that, you guessed it, my car has manifested another problem. The front passenger door will not unlock and cannot be opened manually. (Believe me, I've tried.) When pressing the unlock button on the remote and in the car, the lock will move like it's supposed to but immediately bounces back into a partially locked position. It's as though something's in there blocking it's path to an unlocked state.

Obviously this automotive development does not please me one bit. The saving grace is that it could be related to when my car was broken into three weeks ago. If it's related to broken glass getting into the door, then insurance ought to take care of it. That's what my hope hinges on.

Luckily my day ended with seeing Andrew Bird and St. Vincent in concert. Talk about a relaxing night of music. It wasn't as intimate or mellow as the five-song set in the video I've posted below, but the show was a terrific demonstration of two fine artists in peak form. I highly recommend checking out the video.

All but the final song ("Your Lips are Red") of St. Vincent's 45-minute set were drawn from her second (and current) album. Annie Clark and band put together a smoother sounding show than what I saw from them in Newport, KY in June. There were a few noisy flourishes, particularly on the last song, but it seemed like some of the roughness was toned down to jibe with the headliner and the Southern Theatre, a great and gorgeous venue that's the polar opposite of the typical rock club.

Although Clark joined Bird for three songs, including a cover of Bob Dylan's "Oh, Sister" for the encore, and the rest of her band came on stage for a couple songs, the stage was Bird's and Bird's alone for most of his set. He's essentially a one man band who records and loops various violin, guitar, and whistling parts as the layered accompaniment to his singing and live instrument playing. He builds the songs on stage by recording each part there and then adding another and another. It probably shouldn't work as well as it does, but the effect is seeing how songs come to life and hearing the different parts within the collective sound.

All in all, it was about two and a half hours of music wonderfully performed and sung. As poorly as the day began, it concluded quite pleasantly thanks to these talented musicians.

Scratchy

2009-10-18T20:26:00.003-04:00

I was prepared to give my report on the Japanese film Wool 100%, but about fifteen minutes into it the DVD started freezing up. Thinking that perhaps my Blu-ray player was being finicky in what it would accept, I tried it in my laptop. Same spot, same problem.

The disk, which I checked out from the public library, bears many scratches. How it came to be so abused is beyond me, but such is the life of a library's property. It appears I'll have to obtain the DVD from Netflix to see it.

This thwarted viewing is symbolic for how much of my weekend agenda I completed. My productivity during these days of rest is practically zero right now.

That time of year

2009-10-17T22:59:00.003-04:00

The weather demanded pulling out a heavier coat today. Temperatures in the 30s in mid October? Pretty unbelievable. Now I have to find where the last hat I knit is as it wasn't stuffed in the coat pocket.

The chilly air does get me thinking about the holidays, which will be here before I know it. The holidays mean determining if to knit gifts and what to knit. At the rate I've been going, two months may not be sufficient time, but maybe having more on my plate will get me knitting more.

Anyway, since I've covered the staples--scarves and hats--I think I'm just going to ask if family members want something knitted or not. If so, what do they want? I'm happy to make things if they're desired, and I'm happy not to knit something if there isn't any interest.

Agenda

2009-10-16T22:15:00.003-04:00

Knitting-related things to do this weekend if all goes according to plan:

-Finish designing the secret project and begin knitting a sample.

-Watch Wool 100%. I stumbled upon this DVD at the library and decided to check it out. The pull quote on the cover calls it "one of the strangest Japanese movies of the year". It remains to be seen if it truly is that odd because that's setting the bar pretty high.

-Continue knitting the current WIP.

-Start a sock?

Nobody knows

2009-10-15T23:49:00.003-04:00

Although I'm methodically working on my Red Scarf Project scarf, I am feeling the itch to knit something else, even if it's just to alternate between WIPs. I've thought about having another go at a long ago frogged sock, but instead I'm opting for...another secret project.

I took stab at a rough initial design and was fairly pleased with what I was coming up with, but then I hit a sticky spot and decided to set it aside. There will probably be more trial and error in this phase, but once I have it sketched out properly, I think I can lock the pattern.

What is the secret project? I can't tell, obviously.

Hidden costs

2009-10-14T23:28:00.003-04:00

The other day I was explaining to a high school mentorship student what all goes into the television show that I have been co-producing and co-hosting for more than a decade. It's not a complex or flashy program by any means, but it requires investing a large number of hours to ready each 30-minute show. The average student who helps on the crew and the average viewer at home have no idea how much time goes into it.

Conservatively, I'd estimate my time at 21 hours per bi-weekly episode. Add in roughly 17 hours for my co-host and 8 hours for crew--one hour multiplied by eight staffers--and the final approximation comes to 46 hours for a half hour program. Needless to say, the high schooler was shocked. Yes, the bulk of that time is actually viewing what is being discussed--research, if you will--but it all counts.

Breaking down the cost in time for such a production is what leaped to mind when reading about how much money one woman spent to make a scarf. Yes, buying and caring for sheep is above and beyond what most people would do. In addition, it sounds like she jumped into this with fanciful notions but without a solid idea of what she was doing. Still, I find it interesting to see how everything adds up.