Tuesday, May 24, 2005

a cheeze it moment

i am so sleepy right now. no doubt it has to do with the fact that tree cutting/leaf blowing at 7am this morning gave me strange dreams. i was trying to block out the loud motor that seemed to be right by my window in an attempt to get in a few more minutes of sleep this morning. and fall asleep i did, only to have weird ass dreams. i dreamt that there was construction going on in our building and that someone moved the bathroom so that we had to climb outdoor stairs to get there (my apt is only one story) and then people came over to look at our apt because they wanted to buy it and i didn't want to move yet. no doubt the loud construction this morning, coupled with the fact that i have no idea what i am going to do in 2 months when my roommate moves, created these odd dreams. and then i woke up with a gasp as i realized that it was past 8 and i had to run to work. it's kind of thrown my whole day off.

and remember all the beautiful chevron patterning i showed you yesterday? well i had to rip out the whole thing. yup- was way too small. i took gauge but it was hard to measure because the pattern isn't really straight. so i ended up way too small and had to rip it out. :( i went from a 4mm to a 4.5mm and now it's looking a lot better. at least now it looks like it will fit over my head. i've got about 20 rows done so far, so i am not super behind. but oh did it kill me to rip it out. this just isn't my day so far. cross fingers that it gets better for me. :)

Monday, May 23, 2005

chocolate chip overdose

ugh- i ate cookies for dinner. healthy, i know, but they were just sitting there and taunting me. and i was too lazy to cook. it's still early so i might squeeze in some veggies before i go to bed. thankfully today was not as hot, so the apt is a lot cooler. not cool, just cooler. but that gives me some opportunity to knit some cotton.

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this is actually a better representation of the actualy color. yesterday's picture was poorly lit. so far i am in love with the chevron pattern and the yarn. i gotta be careful not to split it since it's made of three plies but the knitted fabric is dreamy. i am also doing a slip stitch selvedge edge for the first time and it's turning out so great. i think that seaming this puppy will be a snap. i just hope it fits. i am also trying to finish vintage velvet before i go home this weekend. i really doubt it's gonna happen, but one can dream.

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don't look at all the ends, please. it's gonna be so much prettier when it's done. and look what i got in the mail today:

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this is tuja from dale 116. i saw it one a blog (can't remember which) and knew i had to make it. blogs are so bad. they give you knit envy and then you start buying more yarn than you know what to do with. it's a vicious cycle but i'm not really complaining. i have some araucania nature wool that i think i will set aside for tuja. ooh-here is today's yarn porn, courtesy of elann.

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staying cool

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here is the start of the chevron tank from rebecca 29. i actually have twice as much as this right now, since i've worked on it since i took the picture. that's what three episodes of the american version of the office and the season finale of csi will get you. it's a pretty crappy color represenation of the yarn but you get the picture. oh and the office- not as good as the brit version but still cringe worthy for some of its more awkward moments. i do like steve carrell and it was picked up for next season so we'll see how it goes. however, the new tim is not as cute as martin freeman.

today i went to a late lunch with friends at the hip spot, the ivy. it's very trendy and very la, but a girl's gotta go once in her life, right? we were actually sitting right next to lawrence fishburn, who doesn't look nearly as scary has he does in the matrix. there was also a jessica simpson look a like at the table nearby but that doesn't count. after (pricey) lunch we did a little window shopping on robertson. lots of trendy and overpriced shops, but it was fun to feel like paris hilton for a day. it was so funny to see a belt that my friend was wearing and bought for $15 selling at a boutique for $70. can we say "rip off"? la is such a strange place to live in sometimes.

after shopping we took an ice cream break at mashti malones. mmm i love their green tea ice cream. it's so good. and it was unbearably hot in the valley today. i am still trying to cool off. i am going to have to jump in the shower before i go to bed or else i won't be able to sleep at all. and i finally went to the post office to pick up my package from the elann. i didn't take pictures yet but i got the jo sharp tweed and some extra goodies from another source.

i will be heading up to northern california for memorial day this weekend so i hope to get some knitting done to show my mom. i would like to finish the vintage velvet scarf from scarf style, too, so i can use the washing machine at home to felt it. oh to own a washer. that is freedom. nighty night!

Saturday, May 21, 2005

the chosen one

well there were no hayden christensen look alikes at the show on thursday, but i did see two storm troopers, a couple of yodas, and a mini darth vadar. i missed the light show cause i was in the loo, but it's ok, there were enough saber fights in the movie to last a lifetime. i gotta say that i enjoyed revenge of the sith. george lucas' writing is still somewhat wooden but there were blessedly less cheesy moments between natalie portman and hayden. none of that lame ass frolicing on naboo for large portions of the movie, although at one point, portman did say, "hold me like you did on naboo" and i almost laughed. but those moments were few and far between in this one. i also liked the way that the film sort of wrapped everything up to make way for episodes 4, 5, and 6. after seeing it, i totally wanted to go home and put the old ones in. they are so good (none of that digitally remastered and altered crap though, old vhs all the way). and ewan mcgregor was great. love love him. i think he and hayden christensen have more chemistry than anakin and padme, sadly. it was so sad when they were fighting after anakin had turned and obi-wan says, "you were the chosen one...you were supposed to bring balance to the force." breaks me heart. so anyway, i would say you should see it if you like star wars. i always felt a special bond with luke and leia cause i have a twin brother, too. we're not really close but whenever there's a brother/sister twin thing, i get a little sentimental.

and damn is it hot in la this weekend. i had to think of things to do in air conditioned places this morning. first i went to unwind, oh poor me. cecily and karyn were lovely, as always, and helped me pick out a luscious shade of artyarns fable. it's mostly cotton with a bit of silk. i had this huge urge to make something summery and nice and i wanted some new yarn. so i got some and i love it. karyn also showed me how to use the ball winder and now i have two fat cakes of yarn.

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and because i am such a nice girl, i made cookies for my friend's birthday, even though my house was already about 80 degrees inside. my friend is coming over tomorrow for lunch at the ivy in west hollywood. yes, she is a swanky girl. but swanky girls like chocolate chips like everyone else.

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i am now going to turn up the a/c, put on star wars: a new hope, and swatch my new yarn. stay cool!

ps- guilty movie of the week was mindhunters with hottie jonny lee miller. gotta love it.

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

handbags and gladrags

i just finished watching "the office" special (when it orginally aired, our tivo cruelly cut off the last 20 minutes or so, but i got the whole set for my birthday). and watched all of the little featurettes and interviews and it was just brilliant. it's just so funny and original and looks like it was a good time. we have the american version of the show (with steve carrell) recorded, too, but i haven't yet found the time to watch it. i heard it's not bad, either. one of these days i'll get to it.

why does elann torture me so? now they have even more jo sharp yarn and it is so hard to resist! but i have to so i am. i am i am. and my postman hates me, too, cause he never leaves packages at the door, just the stupid little note. the least the post office could do was to be open when i am not at work. my elann order from friday will have to wait until friday morning, as i am carpooling to work tomorrow so that my roommate and i can take one car to see....star wars: revenge of the sith. yes yes my friend got tickets ages ago for the movie at the arclight. i hope to see some good light sabre fights. will try and get pictures for you.

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here is my progress so far on the two fronts of the ribby cardi (ignore wrinkly sheets from unmade bed). i am actually further along that this picture and both fronts are done. i am now off to sleeve island. anyone care to join me?

Monday, May 16, 2005

puddle of me

it was so unbearably hot this weekend. at least in my apartment it was. we don't have the best ventilation and when it gets hot, things start to wilt. and this is an improvement from my old apartment where things will literally melt on the counter. and why does no one in la have central air? we have one measly wall unit in the living room that does not cool the whole house. my room was so stuffy and icky that on sat i slept in the living room and last night i swear i woke up at least 5 times and could not get comfy. thank goodness it looks really cold and windy today. i need a break.

i tried to get some knitting done this weekend, but with the weather, the last thing i wanted was a bunch of sweaty wool in my lap. i tried to start a new project with some stash yarn but that didn't work out either. the texture was just too weird for what i had in mind. so not much progress was had on anything really. at least i didn't buy any more yarn, right?

yesterday i watched "the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy," which i have been wanting to see for awhile. it was very funny and strange and cool. i think douglas adams would have liked it. i read the book awhile back but i just didn't get what the big deal was. maybe i should read it again but i think i prefer the movie. and martin freeman is just too cute as arthur dent. loved him in the office and he's so good in this.

and i had this weird, brief panic thing on sat. i was going through salvation army because my friend needed help finding a costume for her friend's napoleon dynamite themed birthday party, and i was going through racks and racks of hideous clothes. i was looking for good sweaters to recycle and kept coming across these really ugly handmade sweaters and crocheted blankets and for a second i freaked out and thought, "am i just adding to the pile of ugly handmade crap that is only going to end up at the salvation army?" and the thought of having hundreds of dollars worth of yarn and books and other things that are going to end up in the trash bin seriously depressed me for awhile. but then i went home and knit and everything was fine. does anyone else ever panic like that?

Friday, May 13, 2005

friday the 13th

thanks for all the well wishes. i was still out of it on thursday but i feel much better today. i gotta go to an allergist or something to see what i can do about this. it has just been getting worse as i get older. but today's friday and i had a long day at work. lots of things to do and no time to do it in. it's warm in the apt so i am turning on the a/c for a bit while i knit some of the ribby cardi. and i am watching con air on tv. i know- i am a bit ashamed to say it. nicolas cage and his bad hair, oh the horror! but it's so cheesy and so many good actors are in it that i just can't help tuning in when it's on tv. a few other guilty pleasure movies: head over heels (you can't get cheesier than freddie prinze jr), the wedding planner (matthew mcconaughey is so cute), bring it on (spirit fingers!), s.w.a.t. (i have no idea why but i like it), the italian job, and dirty dancing 1 and 2. my roomie has tons of these guilty pleasure movies and i am sure that i will think of more after i write this.

nothing exciting planned for the weekend. i might hang out with my friend vanessa and possibly go yarn shopping and/or hit the bookstore. i feel the urge to buy more books even though i have so many at home that i need to real still. and i caved and bought some of the jo sharp tweed that elann got back in stock. i am SO bad. i know you're gonna say i'm not but i am cause i need to pay off the credit and not spend my paycheck on yarn. but it makes me feel so good to know that it's coming. it's my drug of choice but i gotta knit from the stash. say it with me- knit - from - the - stash. sigh. but this is what i got:

jewel cedar
jo sharp aran tweed in jewel & dk tweed in cedar

now i kind of wish i had bought the dk in one of the lighter colors like boheme, but oh well. i so want to buy more but i can't! it's so wrong. but i think i am going to love it. happy weekend, do something that makes you happy!

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

sick as a dog

i feel like i've used that title before. the reason i feel sick is because i had some kind of major allergy attack aroudn 5pm today and man, i felt like crap. sniffling and sneezing and general crappiness ensued. i swear i didn't think i was going to make it until the end of the day. but i took a little nap after i got home and i feel a little better. but i am going to pop in the incredibles right now and veg out. will knit some clapotis or ribby front. hopefully there will be a cheerier post tomorrow.

ps- saw crash last night and it is a must see, especially if you live in la. i am sure it's gonna get a lot of reaction, but that's the point. if it can start a dialogue between people who agree with it and those who don't, then i think it's done its job. and matt dillon was really good. who knew?

Monday, May 09, 2005

no time to breathe

it's been absolutely crazy at work the last couple of weeks. non stop every single day. it's great but man, do i need a breather. and my boss is going out of town for 2 weeks on wednesday so i can only imagine what is going to happen while she is gone. well i did get a little bit of knitting done tonight. not much was on the tv, so i just put on a random movie. oh and i was watching demolition man last night (yes the one with sylvester stallone and sandra bullock) and there is totally a knitting reference in it. at one point, when stallone's neanderthal cop character who's been unfrozen to save the world from crazed criminal from the same time as him, wesley snipes, stallone sits down in front of his tv and finds a red ball of yarn that says "behavioral engineering" on it. so he starts to wind it with his arm and elbow (nice form!) while watching a surveillance tape. and the next morning he has this cabled sweater that he made for sandra bullock, and they discuss the whole topic of how he was given knitting/seamstress skills while he was frozen as part of his rehabilitation. funny i never caught that since i hadn't seen it since i started knitting. so if anyone catches it on the tube (you know you love it!), keep an eye out for that scene.

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there's the left front. not very exciting. i had to rip out a bunch or rows twice because i kept forgetting what i was doing and started to screw up the garter edging. i tried to fix it but dropping down the stitches but it looked like crap so riiiiip it went. and look at what was waiting for me when i got home?

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see a pattern here? i seem to be aquiring at a much higher rate than i could possibly ever knit this stuff. oh well, such is life. but i got these books in a trade for some ggh and phildar yarn that was just laying around here. i still have the other rowan ryc book coming. woohoo! i haven't even looked through rowan 37 yet but there are two of my faves from the classic garden book:

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and some from rowan 32:

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now if only i could knit in my sleep...

Sunday, May 08, 2005

...and then i really got into ice skating...

i'ts been a brilliant weekend that is too soon coming to an end. on friday night, sheena and i went over to the new mashti malone's ice cream shop in glendale. it's the same as the hollywood one, only newer and with cute chairs. if you've never been there, they've got great ice cream flavors made of natural ingredients. they are famous for their rosewater flavor, among other things. i had a scoop or green tea and some mocha almond fudge. i think sheena got the rosewater and the butter pecan. i would definitely recommend it if you're in the mood for something different and delicious.

saturday was spent doing a little shopping. sheena wanted to get a digital camera for her brother, since prices in america are so cheap, and we found a nice one at best buy. then off to old town pasadena to take a look at the shops. i bought this really cute paul frank ipod cover, but sadly it's a tad small for my 60bg pod and it doesn't have an opening at the bottom for the usb jack. argh- so i am guessing that i will have to return it. poo to that.

and this morning i went to san gabriel with friends because we heard that there was a good dim sum restaurant there called mission 261. although the place looked cool, we were extremely disappointed with the food and service. the dim sum was average at best and the service was so poor. we probably won't be back.

now for a big shout out to amy of good to be girl, my wonderful secret pal. it's been so great having her as my secret pal, as i have been spoiled rotten. and i was lena's secret pal, a wonderful person and great knitter. check out their blogs if you get a chance! now look what amy sent me:

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the stuff was packaged so beautifully that i didn't want to open it, but i did. amy made these great tags. aren't they lovely? other ones had fun sayings on them like "yum" and "hi." what else? look at my loot!

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there's some gorgeous soap and a cute candle in there, along with rowan felted tweed, noro, koigu, lamb's pride worsted, and some of the new knitpicks andean treasure. i loooove alpaca and this feels wonderful. i will definitely have to order myself some. thanks, amy!

i also got some yarn in the mail today. (sheepish look) i did a small de-stash trade with someone and got this.

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it's 8 skeins of bartlett yarns wool in delft blue. it's a bit rough but i like it. i have no idea what i am making with it but now i have it. not much knitting done this weekend to tell the truth. there's been too much running around. i started on the left front of the ribbed cardi and did a bit of work on cyd last wednesday. progress pics to come. i hope you all had a nice of a weekend as i did.

p.s.- watched criminal tonight and diego lunda is just too adorable. love him.

Thursday, May 05, 2005

suffocated

what is up with people and too much cologne/perfume? now that i have to take the elevator everyday to the 5th floor (i really should figure out where the stairs are), i have noticed and alarming trend - people who are dousing themselves with way too much fragrance. i find myself holding my breath and just hoping that they're on the 2nd floor and not the 6th. i just don't even know how they can stand to be around themselves. can they not smell it? just another pet peeve in a world full of pet peeves.

i worked on cyd a it last night. i kind of had a dilemna but i am over it. i'll show you the picture later to fuller illustrate my point. and i got a wonderful package from my secret pal. well, not so secret anymore but i am going to wait to show you those pictures, too. hope everyone's having a great morning!

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

oven fresh

ooh ooh lookie at what i got today!

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it's my knit happens order in my own knit happens bag! i love reading kristine's blog and only wish i was cool enough to live in d.c. just so i could frequent her store. if you haven't yet, go over there and check out the new online shop. she went through hell to get it up and running and you should all go and support the store. i can't believe that the ups man actually came after i got home from work so i could sign for it. usually they just leave a note on my door and i have to wait until the weekend to get my package. i forgot to tell you what this is. it's rowan 34, a back issue i have been wanting for awhile now. i haven't looked through it yet. i am saving it for my bedtime reading.

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and here is a bit of progress on my ribbed cardigan. so far so good. ugh- the oven in my apt has no temperature control and i totally just torched some leftovers. i had to turn on the fan and open the windows. i hope the fire alarm doesn't go off. that would suck. not much other knitting progress going on. i would like to work on cyd a bit but the tangle of intarsia is such a pain. well two posts in one day is quite a lot so i will leave you with a picture of the desert at twilight.

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chicken wings

well i managed to survive the desert this weekend. it actually wasn't as hot as years past and we had a good time. we started off with one minor glitch when my friend realized that she had left her ticket back home, in orange county. d'oh! so she had to run back for it and met us at the polo fields where the festival was. highlights included weezer, snow patrol, rilo kiley, bloc party, the raveonettes, and of course, coldplay. i've always liked coldplay but i guess i never really had a huge urge to see them live. boy was i missing out cause they are so fun! chris martin is just adorable and they all just seem to happy to be there. very very fun. i also bought a cute t-shirt from the coachella boutique, which is a fancy name for some of their more custom made merch. and we successfully prevented sheena (aka pasty white scottish girl) from buring to a crisp with liberal doses of sunblock every hour. yeah it was a lot of lotion but so worth it not to be a lobster.

i just saw the interpreter last night and it was really excellent. the only bad thing was nicole kidman's hair. i mean, you work at the united nations for goodness sake, keep it out of your eyes! i kept thinking she was going to run into a wall or something. other than that, a must see. hardly any good movies have come out lately and it's very poo. but i do want to see the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. love martin from the office and mos def ain't too shabby either. right- i'm out!

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

a cheeze it moment

i am so sleepy right now. no doubt it has to do with the fact that tree cutting/leaf blowing at 7am this morning gave me strange dreams. i was trying to block out the loud motor that seemed to be right by my window in an attempt to get in a few more minutes of sleep this morning. and fall asleep i did, only to have weird ass dreams. i dreamt that there was construction going on in our building and that someone moved the bathroom so that we had to climb outdoor stairs to get there (my apt is only one story) and then people came over to look at our apt because they wanted to buy it and i didn't want to move yet. no doubt the loud construction this morning, coupled with the fact that i have no idea what i am going to do in 2 months when my roommate moves, created these odd dreams. and then i woke up with a gasp as i realized that it was past 8 and i had to run to work. it's kind of thrown my whole day off.

and remember all the beautiful chevron patterning i showed you yesterday? well i had to rip out the whole thing. yup- was way too small. i took gauge but it was hard to measure because the pattern isn't really straight. so i ended up way too small and had to rip it out. :( i went from a 4mm to a 4.5mm and now it's looking a lot better. at least now it looks like it will fit over my head. i've got about 20 rows done so far, so i am not super behind. but oh did it kill me to rip it out. this just isn't my day so far. cross fingers that it gets better for me. :)
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Monday, May 23, 2005

chocolate chip overdose

ugh- i ate cookies for dinner. healthy, i know, but they were just sitting there and taunting me. and i was too lazy to cook. it's still early so i might squeeze in some veggies before i go to bed. thankfully today was not as hot, so the apt is a lot cooler. not cool, just cooler. but that gives me some opportunity to knit some cotton.

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this is actually a better representation of the actualy color. yesterday's picture was poorly lit. so far i am in love with the chevron pattern and the yarn. i gotta be careful not to split it since it's made of three plies but the knitted fabric is dreamy. i am also doing a slip stitch selvedge edge for the first time and it's turning out so great. i think that seaming this puppy will be a snap. i just hope it fits. i am also trying to finish vintage velvet before i go home this weekend. i really doubt it's gonna happen, but one can dream.

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don't look at all the ends, please. it's gonna be so much prettier when it's done. and look what i got in the mail today:

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this is tuja from dale 116. i saw it one a blog (can't remember which) and knew i had to make it. blogs are so bad. they give you knit envy and then you start buying more yarn than you know what to do with. it's a vicious cycle but i'm not really complaining. i have some araucania nature wool that i think i will set aside for tuja. ooh-here is today's yarn porn, courtesy of elann.

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staying cool

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here is the start of the chevron tank from rebecca 29. i actually have twice as much as this right now, since i've worked on it since i took the picture. that's what three episodes of the american version of the office and the season finale of csi will get you. it's a pretty crappy color represenation of the yarn but you get the picture. oh and the office- not as good as the brit version but still cringe worthy for some of its more awkward moments. i do like steve carrell and it was picked up for next season so we'll see how it goes. however, the new tim is not as cute as martin freeman.

today i went to a late lunch with friends at the hip spot, the ivy. it's very trendy and very la, but a girl's gotta go once in her life, right? we were actually sitting right next to lawrence fishburn, who doesn't look nearly as scary has he does in the matrix. there was also a jessica simpson look a like at the table nearby but that doesn't count. after (pricey) lunch we did a little window shopping on robertson. lots of trendy and overpriced shops, but it was fun to feel like paris hilton for a day. it was so funny to see a belt that my friend was wearing and bought for $15 selling at a boutique for $70. can we say "rip off"? la is such a strange place to live in sometimes.

after shopping we took an ice cream break at mashti malones. mmm i love their green tea ice cream. it's so good. and it was unbearably hot in the valley today. i am still trying to cool off. i am going to have to jump in the shower before i go to bed or else i won't be able to sleep at all. and i finally went to the post office to pick up my package from the elann. i didn't take pictures yet but i got the jo sharp tweed and some extra goodies from another source.

i will be heading up to northern california for memorial day this weekend so i hope to get some knitting done to show my mom. i would like to finish the vintage velvet scarf from scarf style, too, so i can use the washing machine at home to felt it. oh to own a washer. that is freedom. nighty night!
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Saturday, May 21, 2005

the chosen one

well there were no hayden christensen look alikes at the show on thursday, but i did see two storm troopers, a couple of yodas, and a mini darth vadar. i missed the light show cause i was in the loo, but it's ok, there were enough saber fights in the movie to last a lifetime. i gotta say that i enjoyed revenge of the sith. george lucas' writing is still somewhat wooden but there were blessedly less cheesy moments between natalie portman and hayden. none of that lame ass frolicing on naboo for large portions of the movie, although at one point, portman did say, "hold me like you did on naboo" and i almost laughed. but those moments were few and far between in this one. i also liked the way that the film sort of wrapped everything up to make way for episodes 4, 5, and 6. after seeing it, i totally wanted to go home and put the old ones in. they are so good (none of that digitally remastered and altered crap though, old vhs all the way). and ewan mcgregor was great. love love him. i think he and hayden christensen have more chemistry than anakin and padme, sadly. it was so sad when they were fighting after anakin had turned and obi-wan says, "you were the chosen one...you were supposed to bring balance to the force." breaks me heart. so anyway, i would say you should see it if you like star wars. i always felt a special bond with luke and leia cause i have a twin brother, too. we're not really close but whenever there's a brother/sister twin thing, i get a little sentimental.

and damn is it hot in la this weekend. i had to think of things to do in air conditioned places this morning. first i went to unwind, oh poor me. cecily and karyn were lovely, as always, and helped me pick out a luscious shade of artyarns fable. it's mostly cotton with a bit of silk. i had this huge urge to make something summery and nice and i wanted some new yarn. so i got some and i love it. karyn also showed me how to use the ball winder and now i have two fat cakes of yarn.

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and because i am such a nice girl, i made cookies for my friend's birthday, even though my house was already about 80 degrees inside. my friend is coming over tomorrow for lunch at the ivy in west hollywood. yes, she is a swanky girl. but swanky girls like chocolate chips like everyone else.

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i am now going to turn up the a/c, put on star wars: a new hope, and swatch my new yarn. stay cool!

ps- guilty movie of the week was mindhunters with hottie jonny lee miller. gotta love it.
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Wednesday, May 18, 2005

handbags and gladrags

i just finished watching "the office" special (when it orginally aired, our tivo cruelly cut off the last 20 minutes or so, but i got the whole set for my birthday). and watched all of the little featurettes and interviews and it was just brilliant. it's just so funny and original and looks like it was a good time. we have the american version of the show (with steve carrell) recorded, too, but i haven't yet found the time to watch it. i heard it's not bad, either. one of these days i'll get to it.

why does elann torture me so? now they have even more jo sharp yarn and it is so hard to resist! but i have to so i am. i am i am. and my postman hates me, too, cause he never leaves packages at the door, just the stupid little note. the least the post office could do was to be open when i am not at work. my elann order from friday will have to wait until friday morning, as i am carpooling to work tomorrow so that my roommate and i can take one car to see....star wars: revenge of the sith. yes yes my friend got tickets ages ago for the movie at the arclight. i hope to see some good light sabre fights. will try and get pictures for you.

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here is my progress so far on the two fronts of the ribby cardi (ignore wrinkly sheets from unmade bed). i am actually further along that this picture and both fronts are done. i am now off to sleeve island. anyone care to join me?
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Monday, May 16, 2005

puddle of me

it was so unbearably hot this weekend. at least in my apartment it was. we don't have the best ventilation and when it gets hot, things start to wilt. and this is an improvement from my old apartment where things will literally melt on the counter. and why does no one in la have central air? we have one measly wall unit in the living room that does not cool the whole house. my room was so stuffy and icky that on sat i slept in the living room and last night i swear i woke up at least 5 times and could not get comfy. thank goodness it looks really cold and windy today. i need a break.

i tried to get some knitting done this weekend, but with the weather, the last thing i wanted was a bunch of sweaty wool in my lap. i tried to start a new project with some stash yarn but that didn't work out either. the texture was just too weird for what i had in mind. so not much progress was had on anything really. at least i didn't buy any more yarn, right?

yesterday i watched "the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy," which i have been wanting to see for awhile. it was very funny and strange and cool. i think douglas adams would have liked it. i read the book awhile back but i just didn't get what the big deal was. maybe i should read it again but i think i prefer the movie. and martin freeman is just too cute as arthur dent. loved him in the office and he's so good in this.

and i had this weird, brief panic thing on sat. i was going through salvation army because my friend needed help finding a costume for her friend's napoleon dynamite themed birthday party, and i was going through racks and racks of hideous clothes. i was looking for good sweaters to recycle and kept coming across these really ugly handmade sweaters and crocheted blankets and for a second i freaked out and thought, "am i just adding to the pile of ugly handmade crap that is only going to end up at the salvation army?" and the thought of having hundreds of dollars worth of yarn and books and other things that are going to end up in the trash bin seriously depressed me for awhile. but then i went home and knit and everything was fine. does anyone else ever panic like that?
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Friday, May 13, 2005

friday the 13th

thanks for all the well wishes. i was still out of it on thursday but i feel much better today. i gotta go to an allergist or something to see what i can do about this. it has just been getting worse as i get older. but today's friday and i had a long day at work. lots of things to do and no time to do it in. it's warm in the apt so i am turning on the a/c for a bit while i knit some of the ribby cardi. and i am watching con air on tv. i know- i am a bit ashamed to say it. nicolas cage and his bad hair, oh the horror! but it's so cheesy and so many good actors are in it that i just can't help tuning in when it's on tv. a few other guilty pleasure movies: head over heels (you can't get cheesier than freddie prinze jr), the wedding planner (matthew mcconaughey is so cute), bring it on (spirit fingers!), s.w.a.t. (i have no idea why but i like it), the italian job, and dirty dancing 1 and 2. my roomie has tons of these guilty pleasure movies and i am sure that i will think of more after i write this.

nothing exciting planned for the weekend. i might hang out with my friend vanessa and possibly go yarn shopping and/or hit the bookstore. i feel the urge to buy more books even though i have so many at home that i need to real still. and i caved and bought some of the jo sharp tweed that elann got back in stock. i am SO bad. i know you're gonna say i'm not but i am cause i need to pay off the credit and not spend my paycheck on yarn. but it makes me feel so good to know that it's coming. it's my drug of choice but i gotta knit from the stash. say it with me- knit - from - the - stash. sigh. but this is what i got:

jewel cedar
jo sharp aran tweed in jewel & dk tweed in cedar

now i kind of wish i had bought the dk in one of the lighter colors like boheme, but oh well. i so want to buy more but i can't! it's so wrong. but i think i am going to love it. happy weekend, do something that makes you happy!

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Wednesday, May 11, 2005

sick as a dog

i feel like i've used that title before. the reason i feel sick is because i had some kind of major allergy attack aroudn 5pm today and man, i felt like crap. sniffling and sneezing and general crappiness ensued. i swear i didn't think i was going to make it until the end of the day. but i took a little nap after i got home and i feel a little better. but i am going to pop in the incredibles right now and veg out. will knit some clapotis or ribby front. hopefully there will be a cheerier post tomorrow.

ps- saw crash last night and it is a must see, especially if you live in la. i am sure it's gonna get a lot of reaction, but that's the point. if it can start a dialogue between people who agree with it and those who don't, then i think it's done its job. and matt dillon was really good. who knew?
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Monday, May 09, 2005

no time to breathe

it's been absolutely crazy at work the last couple of weeks. non stop every single day. it's great but man, do i need a breather. and my boss is going out of town for 2 weeks on wednesday so i can only imagine what is going to happen while she is gone. well i did get a little bit of knitting done tonight. not much was on the tv, so i just put on a random movie. oh and i was watching demolition man last night (yes the one with sylvester stallone and sandra bullock) and there is totally a knitting reference in it. at one point, when stallone's neanderthal cop character who's been unfrozen to save the world from crazed criminal from the same time as him, wesley snipes, stallone sits down in front of his tv and finds a red ball of yarn that says "behavioral engineering" on it. so he starts to wind it with his arm and elbow (nice form!) while watching a surveillance tape. and the next morning he has this cabled sweater that he made for sandra bullock, and they discuss the whole topic of how he was given knitting/seamstress skills while he was frozen as part of his rehabilitation. funny i never caught that since i hadn't seen it since i started knitting. so if anyone catches it on the tube (you know you love it!), keep an eye out for that scene.

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there's the left front. not very exciting. i had to rip out a bunch or rows twice because i kept forgetting what i was doing and started to screw up the garter edging. i tried to fix it but dropping down the stitches but it looked like crap so riiiiip it went. and look at what was waiting for me when i got home?

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see a pattern here? i seem to be aquiring at a much higher rate than i could possibly ever knit this stuff. oh well, such is life. but i got these books in a trade for some ggh and phildar yarn that was just laying around here. i still have the other rowan ryc book coming. woohoo! i haven't even looked through rowan 37 yet but there are two of my faves from the classic garden book:

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and some from rowan 32:

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now if only i could knit in my sleep...
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Sunday, May 08, 2005

...and then i really got into ice skating...

i'ts been a brilliant weekend that is too soon coming to an end. on friday night, sheena and i went over to the new mashti malone's ice cream shop in glendale. it's the same as the hollywood one, only newer and with cute chairs. if you've never been there, they've got great ice cream flavors made of natural ingredients. they are famous for their rosewater flavor, among other things. i had a scoop or green tea and some mocha almond fudge. i think sheena got the rosewater and the butter pecan. i would definitely recommend it if you're in the mood for something different and delicious.

saturday was spent doing a little shopping. sheena wanted to get a digital camera for her brother, since prices in america are so cheap, and we found a nice one at best buy. then off to old town pasadena to take a look at the shops. i bought this really cute paul frank ipod cover, but sadly it's a tad small for my 60bg pod and it doesn't have an opening at the bottom for the usb jack. argh- so i am guessing that i will have to return it. poo to that.

and this morning i went to san gabriel with friends because we heard that there was a good dim sum restaurant there called mission 261. although the place looked cool, we were extremely disappointed with the food and service. the dim sum was average at best and the service was so poor. we probably won't be back.

now for a big shout out to amy of good to be girl, my wonderful secret pal. it's been so great having her as my secret pal, as i have been spoiled rotten. and i was lena's secret pal, a wonderful person and great knitter. check out their blogs if you get a chance! now look what amy sent me:

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the stuff was packaged so beautifully that i didn't want to open it, but i did. amy made these great tags. aren't they lovely? other ones had fun sayings on them like "yum" and "hi." what else? look at my loot!

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there's some gorgeous soap and a cute candle in there, along with rowan felted tweed, noro, koigu, lamb's pride worsted, and some of the new knitpicks andean treasure. i loooove alpaca and this feels wonderful. i will definitely have to order myself some. thanks, amy!

i also got some yarn in the mail today. (sheepish look) i did a small de-stash trade with someone and got this.

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it's 8 skeins of bartlett yarns wool in delft blue. it's a bit rough but i like it. i have no idea what i am making with it but now i have it. not much knitting done this weekend to tell the truth. there's been too much running around. i started on the left front of the ribbed cardi and did a bit of work on cyd last wednesday. progress pics to come. i hope you all had a nice of a weekend as i did.

p.s.- watched criminal tonight and diego lunda is just too adorable. love him.
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Thursday, May 05, 2005

suffocated

what is up with people and too much cologne/perfume? now that i have to take the elevator everyday to the 5th floor (i really should figure out where the stairs are), i have noticed and alarming trend - people who are dousing themselves with way too much fragrance. i find myself holding my breath and just hoping that they're on the 2nd floor and not the 6th. i just don't even know how they can stand to be around themselves. can they not smell it? just another pet peeve in a world full of pet peeves.

i worked on cyd a it last night. i kind of had a dilemna but i am over it. i'll show you the picture later to fuller illustrate my point. and i got a wonderful package from my secret pal. well, not so secret anymore but i am going to wait to show you those pictures, too. hope everyone's having a great morning!
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Tuesday, May 03, 2005

oven fresh

ooh ooh lookie at what i got today!

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it's my knit happens order in my own knit happens bag! i love reading kristine's blog and only wish i was cool enough to live in d.c. just so i could frequent her store. if you haven't yet, go over there and check out the new online shop. she went through hell to get it up and running and you should all go and support the store. i can't believe that the ups man actually came after i got home from work so i could sign for it. usually they just leave a note on my door and i have to wait until the weekend to get my package. i forgot to tell you what this is. it's rowan 34, a back issue i have been wanting for awhile now. i haven't looked through it yet. i am saving it for my bedtime reading.

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and here is a bit of progress on my ribbed cardigan. so far so good. ugh- the oven in my apt has no temperature control and i totally just torched some leftovers. i had to turn on the fan and open the windows. i hope the fire alarm doesn't go off. that would suck. not much other knitting progress going on. i would like to work on cyd a bit but the tangle of intarsia is such a pain. well two posts in one day is quite a lot so i will leave you with a picture of the desert at twilight.

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chicken wings

well i managed to survive the desert this weekend. it actually wasn't as hot as years past and we had a good time. we started off with one minor glitch when my friend realized that she had left her ticket back home, in orange county. d'oh! so she had to run back for it and met us at the polo fields where the festival was. highlights included weezer, snow patrol, rilo kiley, bloc party, the raveonettes, and of course, coldplay. i've always liked coldplay but i guess i never really had a huge urge to see them live. boy was i missing out cause they are so fun! chris martin is just adorable and they all just seem to happy to be there. very very fun. i also bought a cute t-shirt from the coachella boutique, which is a fancy name for some of their more custom made merch. and we successfully prevented sheena (aka pasty white scottish girl) from buring to a crisp with liberal doses of sunblock every hour. yeah it was a lot of lotion but so worth it not to be a lobster.

i just saw the interpreter last night and it was really excellent. the only bad thing was nicole kidman's hair. i mean, you work at the united nations for goodness sake, keep it out of your eyes! i kept thinking she was going to run into a wall or something. other than that, a must see. hardly any good movies have come out lately and it's very poo. but i do want to see the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. love martin from the office and mos def ain't too shabby either. right- i'm out!
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