Good news, bad news...

Good news:

I am on the last row of my Hap Blanket.

Bad news:

I ran out of yarn.

Good news:

I did some more exploring of Westchester Square, and found some cool buildings and a graveyard that looks like its attached church has abandoned it (photos below).

Bad news:

I had to go back to the effing uniform store for Georgia's school and spent 3.5 hours standing in line. It has got to be one of the worst stores in history. I got through the experience by pretending I was standing in line for rations behind the Iron Curtain.


A crypt from the churchyard:





A very old headstone (death date, 1775):


Across the street from the church is the Huntington Free Library:



I didn't have my camera on me today, so all these photos were taken with my phone. I downloaded a bunch of photos off of it today. There are some pretty cool shots, if I do say so myself:

This one looks almost like a water color (botanical gardens in May):


Amazingly tacky shoes. If I had a spare $500 I totally would have purchased these:


One of the only things I liked at the MoMA the last time I was there (July 4th):


And finally, somebody is holding faith healings at our local park (Poe Park, to be exact for Bronxites):



Incidentally, the bandstand in the photo above has a rich history. Famous folks such as Mae West once performed there. Also, it's called Poe Park for Edgar Allen Poe, whose house is currently at the north end of the park.

First Day of Kindergarden

My girl... she's growing up. I'm a little bit sniffly right now.

The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee wants to...

...offset the crankiness of my earlier post with his extreme cuteness.

Here he is two weeks ago. His little ears were barely up:


And here is the Beezer today. (Mr. 12oz of Raw Determination):


He is a vicious jungle cat (if you couldn't already tell):

Grr.

Last night I was on one of the last rows of my Hap blanket when this happened:


Why yes, that does happen to be the cable of an interchangeable needle that has lost its join. Why yes, that DID happen towards the end of a project. Why yes, I did lose about 20 rows of work when this happened.

Let us just say that I will not be buying knitting equipment from this particular company any longer. This was just the final straw. I don't want to name this company, as I'm not feeling vindictive, just pissed, although I'm sure most of y'all can figure it out.

Problems with equipment:

1. Bruce got me a swift from this company for Christmas. It arrived with the threads on the wooden screws stripped. I sent it back. They sent another one back to me. It worked once, and then the threads on the wooden screws stripped. I didn't bother to send it back again. Bruce fixed the problem with a binder clip.
2. I ordered two sets of interchangeable needles from them in the last two years. The finish comes off the metal after one project which makes the... not smooth. I called the company for replacement needles, which they gladly sent to me. I was happy. I wasall "yay, great customer service!"
3. Of the two sizes of replacement needles, one needle of each size didn't screw fully onto one of the cables. I tried all of my cables. It would not attach fully to either needle. I threw those out. Didn't bother to call for another replacement, because at this point I was just pissed.
4. The cable detaches from the join (see above) on a project that was not straining the damn thing at all.

I am exceedingly annoyed.

I will continue to buy yarn from this company because it is of good quality and great prices, but equipment? No.

What's the Haps, yo?

Last night I started the Hap blanket. This is a ridiculously fast knit as I've worked on the thing for approximately two hours and I'm nearly done with the garter stitch center section. Here are some photos:

(for the record, the green in the picture still isn't right. But at least this is closer.)




And here's a shot of the Lettuce Pullover looking more pullovery:


I'm getting close to starting the seemingly interminable five inches of 1x1 rib at the bottom. Ugh.

However, I ADORE this yarn, and I can't wait to wear the sweater.

Working From Home

Today I had an absolutely brilliant day working from home. I'm considering myself extremely lucky, despite the fact that I just quit for the day at 9 p.m.

I worked all morning. Packed up the kid and went to the beach at around 2.

Here is my world from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.:


We dipped our toes in the water and then came back up to the boardwalk and hung out. Georgia played on the beach playground and I knitted.


Also, I dogsat for a lovely couple who wanted to go down into the water. Apparently I looked trustworthy. Little did they know...

Then we came home, I fed the kiddo, put her to bed and then finished up all the pieces I needed to write for today.

WOO!

A Little Yarn Porn (just a tease)

The yarn came today for my hap blanket and Bruce's scarf. They're both really pretty. Although once again, my camera proves that it is incapable of taking pictures of anything green.

Hap Blanket Yarn - much more green that pictured, with a chocolate brown on the far left side. Stupid camera. Stupid green.


The yarn for Bruce's scarf! Pretty.

I'm really excited about starting new projects! And getting new yarn! And knitting on things that are not stockinette stitch!

I am having second thoughts about the pattern for Bruce's scarf, but that's normal for me. I was thinking about doing this:


Which is the reversible cable scarf from Interweave Knits Fall 2009. It's not too girly is it? The original I wanted to use was this:


Thoughts? Opinions?

Earlier today I was in a part of the Bronx I'd never been to before - Westchester Square. It's a pretty nice area - clean, quieter than Fordham Road, and according to NYC, it's the site of the first European settlement in the Bronx.

Here's the monument in the middle of the square. I am a geek, so of course I had to go read it:


I don't know if you all will be able to see it, but part of it reads:

"...the men and women of the old town of Westchester who in the world war answered the call..."

The World War. That's sobering. That the first world war was so horrible that no one thought it could happen again, and yet we managed to do it for a second time only 20 years later.

I'll be back with some deep thoughts on knitting and tools tomorrow.