Whoops, I've gotten behind! Things have been quite busy for me here; this weekend included a lot of family time which was fun and hectic. Sunday we had a mother's day brunch thing at my boyfriend's brother's place, and that was really nice. T's other brother brought his new puppy, who is a ~4 month old Boston Terrier, totally incorrigible. She's a kick and never stops moving! We hung out on the couch eating waffles and frittata, lots of fruit, blueberry crumble.... delicious. Here's little Molly, in motion as usual. This is one of my experiments with actions, I think this one came from Totally Rad Actions, and I think it's pretty fun. It definitely gives a nice summertime saturation flavor, which is appropriate seeing as how this was a lovely hot day.
We went straight from there to my brother's house for a housewarming / birthday celebration. I turned 30 last week so we combined my bday with their wonderful new home, and had friends and family over to help celebrate it all. It was a gorgeous day, very hot and sunny, though their house is directly across from the Golden Gate so quite a bit of nice ocean breeze makes it over the water to them. We had two toddlers in attendance, one 17 months old and the other 19 months, who were just besotted with each other - walked after the other saying, "baby!", gave lemons from the yard back and forth to each other, traded lots of hugs! Both are white blonde, blue eyed babes and it was quite a match. I have some pictures, but hesitate to put snaps of other people's children online.... so you'll just have to use your imagination.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
up
What a weekend. On Saturday, we saw the premiere of the movie that Thomas has been working so hard on for the last 3+ years. I'd managed to avoid almost any information about Up, and I'm glad I did. What an amazing picture! Bring your hankies and the person you love the most in the world, because you're going to want to squeeze them very tightly when you see it.
We got to watch it in the beautiful, historic Paramount Theater in Oakland, and if I thought that would be hard to top, we then walked a couple blocks over to the even more beautiful, recently restored Fox Theater. Incredible. I'm so glad to see downtown Oakland getting a few of its gems back in working order. It was awfully strange to walk in this parade of fancy dressed-up party people through sketchy-ass Oakland, though, with police and private security standing between us and the street. We felt kind of like wildebeest. With broken ankles. Don't make me run!
The party at the Fox was fun; big band swing when we got there, DJs later; food and big bars (with short waits, hoorah). We got stuck in one room for most of the night, and it actually worked out great - people kept coming by and would stop to talk, so I got to see so many of my friends and congratulate all the folks who worked on the movie. They should be so, so proud. Those folks really set the bar. After most of our chatting, we finally made our way to the dance floor, where all hell broke loose. All I can say is there was some doing of the robot, some break dancing, and a whole lot of hip-thrusting, jacket-swinging, steam-letting-off.
We got to watch it in the beautiful, historic Paramount Theater in Oakland, and if I thought that would be hard to top, we then walked a couple blocks over to the even more beautiful, recently restored Fox Theater. Incredible. I'm so glad to see downtown Oakland getting a few of its gems back in working order. It was awfully strange to walk in this parade of fancy dressed-up party people through sketchy-ass Oakland, though, with police and private security standing between us and the street. We felt kind of like wildebeest. With broken ankles. Don't make me run!
The party at the Fox was fun; big band swing when we got there, DJs later; food and big bars (with short waits, hoorah). We got stuck in one room for most of the night, and it actually worked out great - people kept coming by and would stop to talk, so I got to see so many of my friends and congratulate all the folks who worked on the movie. They should be so, so proud. Those folks really set the bar. After most of our chatting, we finally made our way to the dance floor, where all hell broke loose. All I can say is there was some doing of the robot, some break dancing, and a whole lot of hip-thrusting, jacket-swinging, steam-letting-off.
Sunday was great too; I booked an extra night at the hotel room so that we wouldn't have to get up at any particular time, and so I could drop Thomas off at work Monday without having to drive home and then back again. I miss Berkeley/North Oakland so much sometimes; we walked a lot and there was so much to walk to - local bakery, Peet's Coffee, and then Wood Tavern for dinner on Sunday afternoon. The walks were a real highlight of our stay. We were delighted by all the trees, by the different architecture in every single house, by the gardens that were obviously so planned and loved (and a few that weren't, but still somehow had a beauty and proliferation that's unusual in our neighborhood). It was the perfect temperature, sunny and maybe 68, with a tiny breeze. We had debated bringing our bikes, or Thomas's at least, since Tunnel Road is a perfect loop for a nice little ride. In the end we went with the lazy, rejuvenating rest option. Delicious.
Monday, April 13, 2009
cowl bandwagon
I finally got with it, as far as "with it" goes in the knitting community, and made a cowl. I promptly gave it away, but here I was yesterday, binding off my newest lace shawl to make a short little cowl for myself.
The woodland shawl pattern as written out by Nikol Lohr is really simple and lovely. I can see it being used in a lot of different knit garments. Here it is all laid out in its blocking glory, held tight by welding wires. All I have to do now is decide whether to seam, or add buttons.
Yarn is Dream In Color - Smooshy, colorway Strange Harvest. I was fondling it at Purlescence when the evil, evil Jasmin told me the following:
"Oh... that color! It looks so good on you! You are one of three people I know on this planet who can wear that color so well."
I never had a chance.
I've also started this - Queen Silvia, from the incredible Knitted Lace of Estonia. I've just gotten through the first repeat and I am loving it much more than I expected. I started the project as a challenge to myself. I've been looking for things to do that will work my brain, and somehow playing Scrabble on Facebook just wasn't serving all my needs (plus, I kept getting my ass handed to me). Working through this stitch pattern in a swatch was addictive - watching the tiny little stitches line up over and over is still magic to me, and in lace it's even better. Instant gratification, as long as you're gratified by a few rows at a time.
This is working up relatively small, which I'm happy about, since I'm on the short end of the bell curve. Knit on Addi lace needles, out of Yarn Place Gentle (only 5% cashmere but I swear I can feel it).
The woodland shawl pattern as written out by Nikol Lohr is really simple and lovely. I can see it being used in a lot of different knit garments. Here it is all laid out in its blocking glory, held tight by welding wires. All I have to do now is decide whether to seam, or add buttons.
Yarn is Dream In Color - Smooshy, colorway Strange Harvest. I was fondling it at Purlescence when the evil, evil Jasmin told me the following:
"Oh... that color! It looks so good on you! You are one of three people I know on this planet who can wear that color so well."
I never had a chance.
I've also started this - Queen Silvia, from the incredible Knitted Lace of Estonia. I've just gotten through the first repeat and I am loving it much more than I expected. I started the project as a challenge to myself. I've been looking for things to do that will work my brain, and somehow playing Scrabble on Facebook just wasn't serving all my needs (plus, I kept getting my ass handed to me). Working through this stitch pattern in a swatch was addictive - watching the tiny little stitches line up over and over is still magic to me, and in lace it's even better. Instant gratification, as long as you're gratified by a few rows at a time.
This is working up relatively small, which I'm happy about, since I'm on the short end of the bell curve. Knit on Addi lace needles, out of Yarn Place Gentle (only 5% cashmere but I swear I can feel it).
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Another gray day out here in the Richmond... we've been spoiled lately by really excellent sunny weather, so I can't complain now that the rain is back. Yesterday we had someone out to trim the trees on our sidewalk strip, and I was very impressed by his abilities to climb and saw and chop despite pretty consistent heavy rainfall. He did leave after the first tree and will be back again for the other; it was just too wet and chilly. Still quite impressive to me as I sat inside with my coffee and throw pillows.
I am definitely ready for spring, as evidenced by my recent purchase of samples from luckyscent.com. (I love perfume samples as a really cheap and easy treat. I've ordered samples from Aedes in the past, too, and have been impressed with each shop's selection.) This time around I tried a few by Commes des Garçons, who are known for being totally out there, just avante garde and really unusual. The scents I tried were Play, Rhubarb, and Sequoia. Sequoia was a little disappointing because it was so heavily cedar wood, and I just don't think of redwoods and cedars as smelling the same. At all. I'll have to try it again, on a cool foggy day, and see if my first impression stands up. Rhubarb I found simple and delicious, a possible full bottle buy, and Play was extremely interesting. I will have to try that one again as well, but on a sunny bright day. It's positively carbonated!
In a decidedly non-spring move, I've also been knitting quite a bit. There are babies on the way (none mine, mind you!), and little hats and socks to be completed. I also havetwo three lace projects on the needles, all of which I am enjoying immensely. There's Obstacles (rav) for Mr T, in a lovely color In Vino Veritas. Also a little woodland shawl based item for myself (it might be a cowl, I'm not sure yet) in an insanely gorgeous gold-green squishy delicious yarn. And finally the intimidating but very do-able Queen Silvia shawl (rav) which is going to take most of this year, if not all of it plus some of the next. It's so lovely that I don't mind - someday it will be a truly cherished piece of "omg, I did that?" knitting.
And in one more breakneck turn of topics, Formula One: I'm very disappointed by the decision to bring MacLaren in front of the FIA for possible fines. Backstory is that last year's world champion did something during this year's first race that was... questionable, but not obviously wrong. When asked by the media, he gave one account, and then when asked by the race stewards, he gave a different one, probably under instruction from his management. His team have already been docked all points for that race, and a senior member of his organization has been fired. Now the rulesmakers want to punish them further. I am no MacLaren fan, but I don't understand this. It sheds suspicious light on the FIA World Motor Sport Council, encouraging the existing perceptions that a) they truly support MacLaren's rival team Ferrari and aren't particularly neutral at all, or b) there is some institutional racism at play (the driver who provided false accounts is Lewis Hamilton, the first black driver in F1). Neither is flattering to the sport and I hope that they allow the current punishment, the removal of points, to stand as sufficient.
I am definitely ready for spring, as evidenced by my recent purchase of samples from luckyscent.com. (I love perfume samples as a really cheap and easy treat. I've ordered samples from Aedes in the past, too, and have been impressed with each shop's selection.) This time around I tried a few by Commes des Garçons, who are known for being totally out there, just avante garde and really unusual. The scents I tried were Play, Rhubarb, and Sequoia. Sequoia was a little disappointing because it was so heavily cedar wood, and I just don't think of redwoods and cedars as smelling the same. At all. I'll have to try it again, on a cool foggy day, and see if my first impression stands up. Rhubarb I found simple and delicious, a possible full bottle buy, and Play was extremely interesting. I will have to try that one again as well, but on a sunny bright day. It's positively carbonated!
In a decidedly non-spring move, I've also been knitting quite a bit. There are babies on the way (none mine, mind you!), and little hats and socks to be completed. I also have
And in one more breakneck turn of topics, Formula One: I'm very disappointed by the decision to bring MacLaren in front of the FIA for possible fines. Backstory is that last year's world champion did something during this year's first race that was... questionable, but not obviously wrong. When asked by the media, he gave one account, and then when asked by the race stewards, he gave a different one, probably under instruction from his management. His team have already been docked all points for that race, and a senior member of his organization has been fired. Now the rulesmakers want to punish them further. I am no MacLaren fan, but I don't understand this. It sheds suspicious light on the FIA World Motor Sport Council, encouraging the existing perceptions that a) they truly support MacLaren's rival team Ferrari and aren't particularly neutral at all, or b) there is some institutional racism at play (the driver who provided false accounts is Lewis Hamilton, the first black driver in F1). Neither is flattering to the sport and I hope that they allow the current punishment, the removal of points, to stand as sufficient.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
brekkie
Greatest breakfast around here was once a ton of tiny pancakes, or dare I say pikelets, or maybe silver dollars, made with butter and served with Grade B (the darkest and the tastiest) maple syrup that we bought in Vermont. But, times being as they are and my pants fitting as they do, I've moved over to the healthier option of Greek yogurt. Fage 2% with a Tb of honey is pretty much golden delicious. T has been on a heck of a tea craze for the last month or so, so we have been having nice hot Irish tea with a splash of milk. I can drink a lot more of it than I can of coffee, without getting those little heart blips that signal too much caffeine going on.
This morning, though, Thomas broke out a serious recipe and made us some blueberry muffins from scratch. I might have to go steal a third... I'll call it my lunch.
Nom, nom.
Annie
Nom, nom.
Annie
Saturday, March 21, 2009
bienvenue a le coing
Today has started off well. Mr T is out on his bike, while I'm hanging with the laundry and hoping it doesn't rain on him. I made myself a little treat, too. It was a very small treat; I made a pot of my favorite coffee, with fresh beans roasted right in Emeryville, then warmed and whisked a cup of milk. Together they made a nice morning start. I just put on White Chalk, and it's a very good accompaniment despite being dark dark dark.
The rest of the day, I'd really like to make something. I have two hanks of beautiful fabric, and I want to make something from them that I can touch and see every day... but they're a little too cute to make clothes from (they have owls on them. Owls with hearts on thars!). Maybe a little handbag, maybe a set of napkins?
I'm also hemming and hawing before I launch into my next big knitting project, the Queen Sylvia shawl from Nancy Bush's amazing Knitted Lace of Estonia. I started a little swatch on US2 needles, and it was quite nice but opaque; I think the open texture is actually pretty important with this shawl so I'm going to try US3s next. Luckily, cross fingers, the nupps don't appear to be too hard for me, hoorah. I'd love to tackle this incredible project with the goal of finishing within the year... might be a little ambitious.
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