August 2, 2010

A little sparkle, goes a long way

Last November, J and I made a trip to Little Knits for one of their sales. I didn't (and do not) need yarn, but I had never been. Little Knits is a lovely store, a little far to run there for everyday, but worth the trip occasionally. I couldn't resist the sparkles and picked up a skein of Dream in Color, Starry. I had no particular pattern in mind, just that it is a perfect color for a friend of mine.

Damson is good match to this yarn - shows off the almost solid color, the sparkles are irresistible. It is just lovely. It is too bad the camera can not capture the true color of this yarn. (it has trouble with the red hue) I hope the recipient will like it ...

July 16, 2010

I am going to fly away

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.... I called the sleeves "flap flap" in conversation with J when I was working on them. It is a fun pattern and needed no 'help' from me, except to re-enforced the bottom of the armhole. The tee is very cute, drapes nicely in linen/cotton, and fits well!

July 3, 2010

I am glad I asked ...

I made a quick job-interview-trip to Cali, spent time with the parents, aunts and uncle ... I did not have a readily available travel project, so I packed a couple of crochet hooks and J's Mahou no tawash / Magic Scrubber Part 2 book (and the elephant pic on flickr). I managed a little simple one on Thursday night, with Daiso antibacterial yarn*.

I made plans with Joanne (and Will), lucky me she had a holiday on Friday, so she and Will were in town. I talked them into going to Santa Cruz ( pics on flickr of food with parents & aunts & uncle and Santa Cruz). She is the recipient of all my tawashis, she has the genetic disposition to like cute.

me: (hands Jo the elephant)
Jo: Oh! an elephant. I haven't used the others. I did not want to dunk them.
me: Oh yea. I wouldn't want to dunk them either. (hands her the simple flower one) You want this one too? You should feel ok dunking this one.

Heh. We don't have any issues.

Saturday morning came too quickly, I sat down at the table after I finished packing. I asked Mom about the table cloth (prompted by J's comment on the tawashi pic)

me: where did this come from?
mom: oh, this? heh. I've got a story ... I got this in Hong Kong**, many years ago... finding a table cloth for an oval table is [more] difficult [than a rectangular table]. It was slightly bigger than the table so I trimmed it (I had noticed the edge is 'odd'). Then it shrunk and now it is too small. Oh and I was cutting cloth [for sewing] and accidentally cut the table cloth too. I've been wanting to replace it. Do you want it?
me: nah, not now, maybe after you found a replacement. You did not wash it before you trimmed it?

Mom is a very good seamstress and made many clothes for me when I was younger. She also wanted to try on the sweater I was knitting for her, to make adjustments, before wash. Sometimes, she really surprises me.

Then... she went OH! and proceeded to pull out ... a pile from the linen closet.

mom: I didn't know whether you like these [ol school crochet table cloth]. You never said anything.
me: well. I had no appreciation for them until I learned how to knit and crochet.
mom: These have been hoarding space in the closet. I had no use for them, and couldn't bare to throw them away. Here. Take them.

So while I dutifully stuffed the pile into my already packed-with-more-food-than-clothes suitcase, I reminded myself to be careful what I say to mom, and contemplated what I will do with this pile - see pic on flickr.

Btw, I was feeling both old and nostalgic when I saw black skinny jeans + doc marten + black flag t-shirt in Santa Cruz.

*why yes. I do have a Daiso antibacterial (ahem, plus other yarn) stash in my parents' closet.
** Hi! I can't wait to go back to Hong Kong, with empty suitcases for all sorts of goodies.

June 21, 2010

Sleep much ...

... the first day of summer started in a classic Northwest style, reminds me of my first summer here - cloudy, 50s, with chance of drizzle. Combined with the post-surgery-pain-medication haze, I took a nap (aka passed the heck out!) on Saturday. I woke up just in time to clean up before J and N came over with LOTS of yummy food to feed us. She also brought me some 'girl' yarn for me to make a toy. I had picked out the cutest hippo.

The next day ... I was reading the hippo pattern and fighting off the sleepys again. But wait, I should be making the Sleepy Puppy.

DH thinks the color says it is a Fox, "it is a Red Fox". Clearly, not what I intended, a Girl Sleepy Puppy.

June 18, 2010

A nickel ...

... was the size of the growth on my foot. I had outpatient surgery today and it is gone!

photo.jpg
my foot, iced, on the ottoman

The doctor called to follow up a few hours later.

doc: .... ... ... I sent it off to pathology...
me: oh good. maybe they can determine whether it is alien
doc: (cackle laughter) yea. they will know whether you belong on Earth
me: ut. I hope they dont send me home

I had anticipated a similar experience, like the last two times at outpatient surgery (stop it recurring issue on foot!) - check in, wait, go there, check in, and wait ... stickers, iv, nurse, different nurse, etcetc ... This time, it was a lot smoother and a lot less answering the same questions. And coincidentally, I am just at the beginning of the front and back (the ztzt part) of Camellia.

nurse: (reads my blood pressure) are you alive there?
me: er. what? (looks up at 100 / 58) oh, that's lower than normal
nurse: yea. what's your normal?
me: last week was 110 / 68
nurse: you are alright. blood pressure is lowest in the morning (it was .. just after 5:30am). It is the highest in the afternoon.

So after I situated in room, I pulled out Camellia. My primary nurse came in and we started chatting .. she is a ballroom dancer and a crocheter. Although she has not found time to crochet, 3-4 times / week ballroom and competition dancing will do that. Then my doctor walked in ...

doc: "are you knitting in the round?"
me: "no, I am knitting front and back at the same time, separately, then seam. I need the structure for this"
doc: "how do you do that?"

Seriously. No "Hi, How are you?". She has been my podiatrist for over four years and I've seen her many times. The conversation went on to more crafty. "I saw this cute crochet hat with flowers at Salmon Days, and I copied it for my daughter." "oh, you! reverse engineered a hat!". We had quite an extended conversation about crochet and knitting. Not only did she reverse engr a crochet hat, she also is on her way of steeking a baby sweater. She said knitting is harder, to which, I replied, crocheter thinks knitting is more difficult, and knitters thinks crochet is more difficult.

Heh. It was all good today. Ice is on my elevated foot. Knitting is nearby. Although, I feel an impulse 1-yr-old-girl project coming on.