Tuesday Book Review (or the joy of being a knitty librarian)

The joy of being a knitty librarian is that you can Interlibrary loan whatever knitting book you want to use. Or in my case, check out before deciding to buy. The only bookstore in town is a used bookstore, the closest town with a yarn shop (and presummably a book store, I haven't actually been anywhere but the yarn shop) is an hour or so away, so generally my purchasing happens via the good old World Wide Web.

The current ILL knitting books include Knitting Rules by the lovely Yarn Harlot and Mason-Dixon Knitting by the ever amusing Kay and Ann at Mason-Dixon Knitting.

Knitting Rules is fun, amusing and, what I like best, not only patterns but also 'recipes' for various items. During my phases of sock knitting I've found myself too dependent on this sock pattern here and that sock pattern there and it helps to have someone sit down and say 'You know, all you really need is your gauge swatch and some thinking and you don't need those'. (Even if I already knew that.) Kinda opens up the possibility for, oh say, fun stitch patterns on my socks if I do say so myself. In all it goes on the wishlist. The Guy (TG) even had fun with it, ambushing me with the stash quiz - according to him you have to be out on the sidewalk to be at least 10 feet away from the stash. But I don't even have a sidewalk! And I think there may be a room somewhere without any yarn in it. Errr... The kitchen! (If the knitted up poncho laying over the back of a chair don't count.)

Mason-Dixon Knitting is a good book with several new variations on old ideas and a lot of things that aren't your typical knitting project. I like the fact that instead of have 30 different gorgeous sweaters there are instead rugs and bedspreads and curtains and cushions. Big plus - quick and easy baby items. I have a cousin with a baby due this month, another due in February (neither of which I found out about until last month) and a boss due in April. There was no way I was going to get the in progress baby blanket as well as a second finished in time. I figure I'll get to start knitting for myself in about May. But it was TG who (while flipping through the M-D K) pointed out the baby kimono that happens to be the perfect use of some Plymouth Encore languishing in the stash (I bought it last Christmas for some mittens but it wasn't a good match at all - which is sad considering it is white). And I pulled out some leftovers of pink (as a semi-yarn snob I confess, Caron Super Soft or whatever it is) from the second (and working) attempt of said mittens that I may use with other leftovers for a striped kimono (I figure there has to be a girl in the works there somewhere).

Tonight, however, this knitty librarian is working late, swapping an evening shift with a co-worker. But tomorrow will be the interesting part. Tomorrow I may just end up helping to introduce two other librarians to the wonderful world of the knitty-ness.

(TG has also claims to have resigned himself to the fact that I'll probably end up teaching him to knit. I plan to get him a copy of Knitting With Balls when I do so.)

SP5!!!

Eeeeee!!! I have an awesome SP5 buddy, it has been decided (not that there was any doubt before, it's just been confirmed :D). I came home Tuesday (after a long day at work) to a great card from my pal. And a set of beautiful notecards with Georgia O'Keefe's Oriental Poppies on the covers. Just lovely. It completely made my day.

Wednesday was made with a trip to the bookstore and coming home to a package from the evil muse - who had sent that hank of yarn I sent her off to get me for my cardigan. Now I should have enough to finish that particular project, if I get back into my knitting grove. Which will probably not be tonight as the evil muse and I were up until 2:00 my time (3:00 her time) chatting away and the alarm clock went off at an all too early 6:00. Between a mug holding 8-10 cups of coffee (yum), two cans of Diet Vanilla Coke and judicious amounts of chocolate I've managed to make it this far. And it fifteen minutes a friend'll be picking me up from work to go for dinner and to see Batman Begins. Eeee!! Even dead tired there is excitement here. Just a little more subdued. :D

Today...

Class, work, the usual. Worked on project stuff in our groups, fried brain trying to wrap it around some concepts that just weren't working on the project report. Was picked up by J from work for the movie. Had to stop by my place first (where I told him to pretend he didn't see a drying rack filled with articles of clothing in the middle of my living room) to take the potato soup out of the crockpot. Then went to the nearby Chinese buffet, Borders (yay!music!) and left to get into line for the movie at about 9:40ish. Arrived at the theater, where he asked about the queueing instructions for the evening. After getting a 'bzuh?' from the monkey in charge, we were told we could go right on in. Go us! Got good seats and everything, spreading out the pink behemoth and his jacket to save enough for everyone we were meeting. Move of brilliancy by person two rows in front of us involved using tape to mark off seats as saved. May be borrowing that particular idea in the future.

However, sitting in the theater for 2 or so hours gave me plenty of time to think, which I know is dangerous, and in this case I measured the width of the back of the cardi I'm making. And realized that not only was I making a large (and I soooo don't need 43 in around the bust, even with added ease) but that it was wider across than an XL because I loosened up my knitting. O_o So, guess who ended up frogging 8 in of knitting. Go me.

Saw movie. Liked movie a rather awful lot. Will probably have to see in theater again. Really don't have much to say that others haven't already said and I'll save potential spoilers for another post where I can put a spoiler warning.