TrickyTricot

Finished sweater, weekend plans

Another late night.  Cooling down outside - rain somewhere off in the distance (like, Iowa distance - not PG County distance).  It's cool outside - the air feels very *easy* and I very much like that.  Quiet city tonight - on my street anyway.  I'm sure folks who live on 17th (Dupont) or 18th (Adams Morgan) are having a different experience.

Another late night, did I mention in my last post I've been having trouble sleeping? It's true.  It's not really trouble - it's more like I am not actually going to bed until 1230 or 1, and I'm waking up at 7, and going to work in a good way.  This is very unusual for me - usually, if I'm up this late, I'm working (and no one should think I haven't been) and when I wake up, I'm so exhausted that the idea of going to my job job is sickening.  But not recently.  I mean, I'm not complaining - it's just an odd body thing that's going on right now I guess.

I had an appointment with my bodyworker today.  A good friend of mine who lives on the west coast, acknowledging that I've pretty much given up all hope of ever having a social life so that I can pursue my big knit-dreams, told me one of the most important things for the self-employed (even if they're employed elsewhere while they're also self-employed) is to be sure they "pay themselves" before they pay elsewhere.  Now, admittedly, I've been tempted to ask clients to write checks directly payable to 'Bank of America' - and thus, haven't really been paying myself - BUT, really, to get him off my back, I opted to go see Reya (my bodyworker) once a month.  Now, I think for a very long time, while I was in therapy, I think this is what I really wanted.  AND, if I had been going for weekly massages rather than giving Bob a check for a hundred bucks a week, I probably would have been way happier, faster, but I digress.  When I go see Reya, it's awesome.  The first 20 minutes or so are spent catching up - like old friends... Where have you been, what's been going on, how're you feeling, and so on.  This part of our connection is very much like therapy (for us both - I think).  Speaking for myself, not having the same kind of connection I've had with friends in college or high school (where life is a constant stream of open-mouthed-self-reflection-with-another), having that space with someone is great and very meaningful.  From here, and I think based on that connection, I get bodywork done for an hour or so - this includes accupressure, massage, reiki, and more - it's always a powerful experience for me, and essential time I'm finding.  Afterwards, we connect again... How was the experience, what did you learn, how did things change... and so on, and then I'm off and onwards.  Today, I felt as relaxed as I think I've ever felt - I left feeling like the best possible way to continue the day would be to find a pool to sit by until twilight (which of course didn't happen - but it was nice that the experience took me to that level).

Post work, I came home and finished my sweater for KNS - the next issue, 157.  Without taking pictures of it - I can tell you, I'm pretty freaking thrilled with it.  Lately, in design, I've been experimenting a lot with cables - taking repeats and breaking them down, combining them, exploding them, imploding them - in every way.  In music, I love when a theme is taken and layered - or re explored in multiple movements or the same piece - and find myself approaching design with that goal in mind.  In this one, I gratefully had the chance to work with Kokopelli - a wonderful wool mohair blend from Fiesta in a beautiful oliv-y tone) to create a cabled raglan, with a short v-neck (a design element which just came to me tonight and pretty much is the icing on the cake).  It's on the wooly board now, going through a light block - I can't wait to show it when the magazine hits newsstands (mid July / August).

Finishing the sweater leaves a bit of breathing room in my schedule for the weekend - which will be great.  I have some tech editing to do for a small client which I've been putting off (note to clients, please, don't ever tell me "do this when you have time" because unless you give me a deadline or we work out a mutually agreeable timeline, I really will wait until I have time - and you might not be pleased), and need to start on articles due in July - and want to cast on for the next sweater (a steeked Fair Isle cardigan - using Harrisville - awesome tweeds!).  Moreso, I need to clean - hardcore.  I'd take pictures of this mess, but, well, no, I won't.  The main issue is organizing stash.  Can't wait til it's organized!

Got a couple nice emails asking about the Opal Nera in my last post - Opal Nera is the queen of all anisettes - it's deeply purple, beautifully sweet, and a wonderful taste.  I love Sambuca - don't get me wrong, and have a bottle of Sambuca (clear) which I sometimes add to coffee in the morning (my father likes the Sambuca Black for coffee - it's sweeter),  but Opal Nera can be drunk in small glasses and is wonderful.  If you're an anisette fan, try twisting a bit of lemon rind, pouring some Opal Nera over it, then adding an ice cube.  It's a great drink to cool down with after a great meal.  Me, I've been angsting for some Campari - never tried it, but in my appreciation for all things Italian, I want to give it a try.  I like bitter liqueurs (Chartreuse Vert was an early favorite of mine), but hate the idea of buying a bottle that'll cure under my sink, if I'm not a fan... Campari, after all, isn't on many bars in the US.

Onwards, next post (man, i hate those words - next post - they assume there'll be one), I'll show some spinning - I'm damn near close actually being able to spin sock weight yarn. Can't wait to show some recent results.

Springtime Hello

Monday night, late late.  I've been having a little trouble sleeping lately - it's the opposite of many season changes to this point in my life - where I've often felt as though Mother Earth pulls on all her inhabitants to help her make the transition from winter to spring, summer to fall - but this year, I feel quite enlivened by it. Many trees have soon-to-be full fledged leaves on them, and where very recently you say a green brown haze wrapping branches and stems, you now see a lime-y lush beauty emerging slowly.  The deep, old green of summer will be here soon - I can't wait.  I love summer.

We've had two days of rain in DC and I can truly say, it's been invigorating.  I love the hardness of the rain - and how it cools down the afternoons and nights.  It makes me want to toss on some Vaughn Williams, and sit and write, but mostly I just work.  Work work has been very busy with the development of a new publication (a cd-rom toolkit for workshops we're designing this summer in fall around the US) and I've been deep in it with my Editor hat on, managing content between the copyeditor (who really should be doing this) and the designer (who I finally emailed directly last week, without waiting for the contact to, uh, make contact, and got a proverbial slap on the wrist for breaking the designer-contact wall.  Stupid). Outside of work, in knit work, I'm working feverishly to finish a mens turtleneck pullover in Fiesta's Kokopeli (a wool, mohair mix - yes, men, I love a man in mohair), finish editing a book due out this summer, getting ready to put on my hat for Knit n Style tech edit duties, and start on a sweater due in July, plus two articles. 

Knit work is going very well - I've had several articles published, have been designing and doing more and more work.  I feel like in a lot of ways, it's not the most extraordinary work.  I mean, you think of designers like Annie Modesitt and writers like Stephanie, and you see how volumnous that are in their output - then I consider the work I do in a month or two, and while I think it's exceptional (considering I'm trying to hold down a 9 to 5), it doesn't have the same whirl and mastery as publishing KwB did.  But, I'm happy with where I am with it.  It is of course challenging - managing the details, getting through the workload, and still trying to have time to actually have a life (and post to this blog which *always* falls to the bottom rung - in fact, I probably wouldn't be posting now, if I could sleep. I just had some Opal Nera.  That'll put me out).

In travel news, I've been accepted back to Knitting Camp - I'll be at Retreat 3 with the OftTimers, which should be wonderful and humbling.  I'll try not to make a fool of myself and say something offensive in the first 10 minutes (which I tend to do, but amazing missed last year).  And, I'll be at the Mens Spring Knitting Retreat (MSKR) in May - just booked a plane ticket - AND plan on heading to the Spin Off Annual Retreat in October - and likely skipping out on Stitches (and what is inevitably a set of classes I don't much care for), but being sure to stop by the market. TNNA Columbus is still up in the air - need to think about the expense.

Jumping around a bit here, the Anisette is setting in... I went to a wedding this weekend.  I've been to a few gay weddings in my day - tho this one was Hetero all the way (not a bad thing, straights need love too). Still, I found myself saying that this experience was unlike other weddings (gay ones) that I'd been to. For example, it was nearly 90 degrees in DC on Saturday and despite the invitation which clearly read, no suits, all the guys (except me - who wore some seersucker pants and a buttondown- and my birks) were in wool suits.  Needless to say, I felt extremely underdressed (whereas at a gay wedding, I don't think it'd ever cross our minds to put fashion over comfort - in my circle anyway).  Moreso, I felt a kind of swelling happiness at this wedding, which I've never felt before.  Maybe it was because of the closeness, maybe it was seeing their parents there, maybe it was having a crush on the groom: watching my friends get married, I came to understand why people cry at weddings (I shed a tear or two, or maybe it was the dust).

I skipped out on the reception (someone there, who shall remain nameless) made a snide comment about my state of underdress, which left a very sour taste in my mouth; and as I was walking back North-Easterly to my home, I found myself experiencing that good-bad feeling.  You know these feelings, it's like when you spend a great night with friends drinking, then have a hangover the next morning; have a great yoga class, and then are sore as hell the next day; or eating a pint of headache and getting a really bad headache... I had this sobering moment where feeling really happy for my friends, I, at the same time, felt awfully lonely and single.  Weddings do that to single people I think.  I wonder if there's a term - do we call that 'wedding remorse'? Or does that reference something else?

Otherwise, been working lots and all that jazz - and endeavoring to have a social life beyond yoga.  Looks like the spring mens gathering will be cancelled this year; we're having trouble with the site, and I'm exhausted 'donating' my time to causes that just seem to sap me (though very much honor and miss those gatherings).

Hope to see some of you soon - check out the latest issue of Knit n Style to read my latest article, an interview with Meg Swansen.

The Crown Diet

Well, kids - I'm back for a moment. It has been an incredibly busy month or so since Christmas... I did go back to CT for the holiday which was wonderful - and got quite a few nice gifties, including a Rosetta Stone CD in Spanish (no soy una doctora!) and a great pair of cuff links... Time with the fam was wonderful, I think I actually gained more respect from my sister, when I got her a few substantial gifts.  Diamonds ARE a girls best friend (actually, it was pieces from Paris I bought for her - but they required some thought). Anyway.  Still tech editing - which is going very well - this last time around was the largest issue I've done for Knit n Style (well largest contribution to the tech editing) and the experience continues to be fun, interesting, and a source of personal learning for me.

For folks who are big TrickyTricot fans, my first article has been published in Knit n Style (an interview with Kaffe Fasset) and I'm pretty stoked with the way it turned out - go, run, buy the issue, and be amazed.  I've got another interview with Meg Swansen coming out in the next issue - so keep your eyes peeled.  AND, I've got 7 designs in the next 6 issues (that's six sweaters plus two vests) of KNS for men in the next year... some really cool stuff.  I'll do my best to let you all know, when the issues hit the shelves.

For now though, I present to you, my most recent endeavor from life at the dentist - and the newest addition to the celebrity diets (file it right before the tapeworm diet in severity):  The Crown Diet!

Objective: Go one week (or more) with a temporary crown in your mouth, without having it fall out.

Definition: A temporary crown is a piece of plastic - often hard, sometimes soft-ish - which is meant to symbolize a real tooth in the back of the mouth, while scientists in Switzerland are handcrafting a metal (or porcelin) tooth to replace the actual tooth which has wasted away by the tender young age of 29, due to most likely, repeated fillings.  A temporary crown's primary purpose is to trick your other teeth into believing everything's ok, and the same fate doesn't await them.

Process: There are any number of ways to have need for a temporary crown - here are a few suggestions to get you started, but creativity towards participating is encouraged:  crack a tooth on someone's (uh) personal jewelry, don't brush, instead of brushing with toothpaste cover your teeth with sugar every night, grind your teeth for no good reason, chew on marbles (don't swallow - you'll choke), have another dentist do shoddy work - then go to a new dentist and she'll tell you it needs to be replaced (this one happens to be my invitation to participate - bonus points for this one because crowns aren't covered unless they've broken after some 20 years), or borrow a dental drill and do some damage.

Rules of Engagement: Temporary crown must be on a back tooth - close to the tongue, preferably on the top, and one that is essential to chewing on that side of the mouth. You may not chew on that side of the mouth at all.  No sticky food - including candy, chocolate, bread, bagels, chewing gum, or fatty meat (not a concern for us vegetarians). It is recommended you don't floss between those teeth (the crown and the one before/after it) - but bonus points if you do, and it stays in. Complaining about the crown to everyone - including strangers and especially co-workers is encouraged.  I recommend composing staff-wide daily crown updates.

Suggested Diet: Though you may eat whatever you like, I encourage you to follow the TrickyTricot recommended diet - you may actually shed a few pounds too. For your benefit, I've given you a daily account of what it might look like.  Tea, water, and juice are suggested in addition - but not listed below.

Day 1, Delivery of Temporary Crown: Dental appointment at 8am - no breakfast.  Arrive back at office, with Robek's Passionfruit Cove fruit shake in hand, half finished.  Learn from office mates that straws aren't a good idea when you've got a temp (which hell, I never knew - but could explain why temporaries have fallen out in the past).  Note to self, no more straws - they're an environmental waste anyway. Lunch: vegetarian chili, rice, and sour cream.  Dinner: Goat cheese pierogies from the farmer's market.  Hmmmm... pierogies..

Day 2: Breakfast: Skip breakfast and have an iced latte from Starbucks (notably, you learn a latte has more protein than two eggs.  Hmmmm... eggs...).  Lunch Vegetarian Chili, rice, and sour cream.  Yogurt for dessert (for good behavior).  Dinner: Tofu, rice, and other grains from Whole Foods. Bonus round: You find an abscess in your mouth (on the other side) and it pops. (Words can't describe how this tastes, friends). Freak out, and call the dentist the next morning.

Day 3: Crown is still in, but you end up going back to the dentist to check on the abscess (which happens to have been a piece of food caught between another crown and the gumline.  She cleans it out and you shed a tear of happiness, for not requiring a root canal). Breakfast: Yogurt.  Lunch: Rice bowl, with tofu. Piece of carrot cake for dessert (it's been a traumatic day, give me a break). Dinner:  Skip dinner.

Day 4: Breakfast: eggs and a soy sausage or 2.  Lunch: Tomato soup and a piece of bread (cheaters never win, and in this case, they lose).  Piece of whole grain bread gets stuck underneath temporary crown.  It doesn't hurt, but this bodes bad for you. Dinner: Chinese food - two kinds of tofu and brown rice.

Day 5: Yoga first thing in the morning - feels good. Breakfast: Yogurt and fruit salad.  You go to whole foods and buy strawberries and blackberries - then realize that those damn seeds are going to get stuck under the crown.  Just an apple and some yogurt. So yum. Lunch: Left over Chinese.  Bonus points for making left overs and not going out. Dinner: Goat Cheese pierogies from the Farmer's market.  Hmmmm... goat cheese...

Day 6: Breakfast: Reward yourself for not eating seeded berries by getting an omelet.  Give the bread away to a coworker, who throws it out.  Give him the other half of the omelet you can't finish and he eats it  Get a latte mid morning. Lunch: You guessed it - veggie chili, cheese, and brown rice.  Dinner:  Bulgarian Pepper casserole. 

Day 7: The home stretch. Pray to G-d your crown has come early (which it doesn't). Skip breakfast, in hopes you'll get a call (which never comes). Lunch: Chili routine. Dinner: Left over chinese food.

Day 8: Latte for breakfast.  Slim Fast shake for lunch.  A sensible dinner.

Day 9: Delivery of crown.  Yogurt and a latte for breakfast.  Skip lunch in preparation for crown delivery.  Get a call from the dentist 45 minutes before your appointment.  She's had an "emergency" and needs to go to an appointment.  Get incredibly angry - to the point of going ballistic and force yourself to leave work.  Throw caution to the wind, and order a pizza.  Eat the whole thing and don't even pretend like you just fell off the wagon.  Polish it off with a pint of ben and jerry's.

Day 10: Overtime. Latte for breakfast.  Skip lunch.  Go to the dentist and get new crown.  It's very shiny and pretty. Early dinner:  Chick'n rice bowl and two pieces of cake.

Results: Co-workers notice you've lost weight.  Your pants fit better.  And, you made it 10 days with a temporary crown on (a personal best).

Epilogue: Continue to wear nightguard as requested by dentist.  Approximately 8 days later, notice a huge hole in night guard where crown is now, and realize the crown broke the night guard.  Opt to wait to get it fixed.

****
Hopefully another entry to come before i disappear again.  I've spent the better part of the weekend at the spinning wheel, getting reacquainted with it (for reasons I can't say or blog about under penalty of breaking the rules.  Just telling you this, I've already said too much), and spun 4oz of BFL, 2 oz of Alpaca, and half a silk hankie.  Silk hankies are new for me - and I'm LOVING the experience of working with it.  Who knew I could spin so fine!  Well, ok, half of it is the silk - but still.  The alpaca and the BFL are both from Sakina Needles, purchased from my friends at The Loopy Ewe and I highly recommend them both. The colors are beautiful, and I can honestly say, this is one of the first times I've spun fiber so easily.  The alpaca is like butter. Plus, I have a near-complete Ram's head to show for and a few other projects.  Pictures to come (maybe) - spring's coming early.

PS I am incredibly looking forward to the Mens Spring Knitting Retreat, and can barely believe there are 30 guys in this country who knit, who'd want to visit and be socialable. If this is the first you're hearing about it, call Easton and get on the waiting list.

best to you all - mdv

Another brief update...

Sunday evening.  I just turned "Echoes" on.  It's a cool and quiet-ish Sunday night in the city and a late autumn has finally set in.  Though we had 50s today, it's cool and cooling down - and with rain tomorrow, I expect to be feeling the balmy cold tomorrow morning, enveloped by the Autumn/early winter uncertainty. On the train ride to Thanksgiving, up through Maryland-then-Delaware-then-Pennsylvania, the autumn foliage was surprisingly radiant.  There were moments, while typing away at my laptop, I leaned forward to get a better view through the window as oranges, brilliant reds, and the last of the verdant greens zoomed by.

So, yes, the months have flown by since the starts of my recap of Europe.  It has been a busy and quick September-October-November.  Work has been insane - I have this "boss" who likes to set deadlines without consulting anyone's schedules - then telling us things like, "Well, I'm sorry your $3.1 million grant is ending and you have reading to do - that's not my problem." The more I work where I work, the more it feels like I'm working for a private sector agency, getting paid for working in a non-profit world.  The benefits and salary don't measure up, but with all that said, my only choice right now is to get up every morning, do the best I can, and then, well, high tail it on home to do knit - work --- which is the other major project I'm on right now.

But, before I go onto that, I entreat you to go check out the cover of the current issue of Psychology Today. Believe it or not, I'm actually not a subscriber - but, this morning, after my first trip to the Farmer's Market in months - I happened to glance at the cover, and that was the only kick in the butt I needed. Well, now I just need the kick in the butt to read it.

Onward - I'm till tech editing with Knit n Style, which, so far is going really well.  The editor there continues to be wonderful to work with (and wonderfully understanding) and continues to be a help in what I hope will be an eventual transition to working more full-time in the knit, and less full-time in the, uh, not-knit.  Keep your eyes on newsstands - my first article is coming out in a months or so. And, others are on the way.

Truthfully, between the two, I'm finally just entering a time where I'm able to schedule work more effectively - that is to say, not leaving work to the last moment, or getting work, and running to the finish line as fast as possible.  But still, a standard day for me is hearing the alarm clock at 645, snoozing until 730 (or ahem, later), getting to work around 8 (or, ahem, later), and working non-stop until about 5 or so (*sigh*, or, often, later).  Then coming home, sitting down to watch an hour of TV and to make some dinner, and work until 11 or 12 - then off to sleep and the cycle repeats.  I admit - writing this, and living it, is a lot. It means having to make some difficult choices about having a social life and going to yoga - and, further, about having time to knit and design. You know it is what it is - I'm not saying I don't want what I have - I just wish there were more hours in the day...!

But, Thanksgiving in Connecticut was wonderful and a nice release from the craziness of the past three months.  Being there, I remembered a distinctly different time where I couldn't deal with being at home and living in DC.  I mean, those first months when I'd left home and then returned a few months later were really disorienting - just couldn't figure it all out - who I was and how who I'd always been, fit into the whole crazy mess.  I went to college with ever intention of living as an openly "out" person - and, with all that going on, I think it was hard.  In fact, I repeatedly made myself physically ill while I was home - the stress was crazy for me. But, being home this time was very different - we had a great meal, some excellent time together, and I loved being with my mom and dad so much. 

Being back in DC, I feel well primed to enjoy a few weeks enjoying the build up to Christmas.  All the craziness at work has melted away a bit - and with one tech editing contract on hold until the next batch of work comes, I have some easier time to do some design and prep for the next big thing in the works, to catch up on missed episodes of "Private Practice", and to do some well needed finishing of projects - like the Ab Fab throw I started as a wedding gift back in, uh, well, a long time ago (and since decided that the recipient, to be married in the next year, isn't worthy of a $200 kit, which, I did get on deep discount, but still want to finish and stock pile away for a worthy friend) and the Rams Head Cardigan from MS Knitting - which has sleeves that are being put on (man, that applied I-Cord thing takes an age) and needs to be blocked before I can start on borders and hems. I have high hopes of knitting hats for a hundred people before Christmas too - but I'm sure these won't result!

So, that's what I've been up to - doesn't seem all that exciting eh? Knitting content to come (yes, Ted, and pictures)...

Oh, and I did go to Minneapolis two weeks ago - don't want to forget about that. Met Sean. I can officially say - well as much as I can say knowing him and having met him - he looks really good - and despite his desires to be more buff - he looks really good.  Hell, if he weren't married and I hadn't been so incredibly busy with work, maybe we would've hit it off.  He did however see the inside of my hotel room.

Oh, and I want to give a huge-a$$ shout out to Micah for his Antler's Scarf in the new Stitch n Bitch book - I'm so freakin proud of him!

Alright - onwards - I need to do a bit of editing tonight - and I think I might watch the Simpsons.  Hope all y'all are well. Happy Thanksgiving American Friends, and uh, Happy last week of November everyone else.

Fall remembered, and Paris...

Fall has arrived in Washington.  It's not your typical fall - not your leaves ablaze, pumpkins strewn on every door step, CVS overflowing with Halloween Candy, jean jackets abound kind of fall... it's a secret fall - in cool evening breeze, the unnoticed crunch of leaves beneath your feet on sidewalks, the preparations of winter gardens, and the end of Honey Crisp apples at the Farmer's Market.  Me, it's been busy - but no where as busy as summer and spring.  Tonight, 9pm, I'm just settling in and the cool breeze through my open window is brings me back to the cool autumns of my college years - a more care-free time to be sure.

Sorry all to be so silent for so many months - you who didn't trust me and went straight to look at my Flickr images of Europe were right on the money.  Blogging is hard for me - which is surprising, considering how reflective I am and how much I like to write about myself (and talk about myself - though, not so self-absorbed, I like to think).  It's really a time-management thing - which I'm becoming all to aware of this fall - in a very strategic way.  You see, when I get busy, blogging is the first thing to go - the very first.  Not TV, not aimless (or even targeted) internet searching, not knitting - blogging is the first to go.  Followed, somewhat distantly after by Yoga (which I missed this Sunday to try and get some work done - which I did get done).  Following yoga is eating. No, I don't have an eating disorder (or, maybe I do - I don't know) - but in thinking about this, it's interesting to me that TV watching and aimless Internet surfing are still on the list - which is regrettable and an obvious sign that I need to do some re-organizing.  So, I'm making a concerted effort to decrease both TV and A.I. before giving up numbers 1, 2, and 3... but, in the end, that won't necessarily mean more or less blogging. 

Still, with all that said, I want to thank those of you who came up to me at the Yarn Harlot's soiree in Bailey's Crossroads (you, Virginians and non-Virginians alike, should know that Bailey's Crossroads and Potomac Yard are not the same shopping center - even though both have Targets nearby - as I learned) and said you missed me, missed my blog, and so enjoyed reading my blog.  Secretly, I went to support Steph with the idea of being a no-body, of being unrecognized and just another knitter... but I was so thrilled (and felt so loved) when I got to talk to folks who read when I write and who have bought my book.  I even heard one story of a friend, who, while waiting in line for Steph to sign her books, heard a woman say, "Don't tell anyone - but I heard Michael del Vecchio is here tonight" in a hushed voice (whomever you are, you made my day).  Seriously - what fun - and it's always a treat to see Steph do her thing.

Onwards - Europe was amazing.  It's been about a month since I got back - a bit more - and a quick month it was - and I keep looking back on the time like it was some crazy dream. It's odd - I keep looking at the pictures, and see myself in those pictures with my family, but it doesn't feel like it's me and though I clearly remember seeing all those things and visiting those places, it feels somewhat distant.  That's not a bad thing - it's just a thing... It really was like a dream.  We happened to take a Tauck Tour - which is a Connecticut-based tour company, and without a doubt, I'd take a tour again in a second with Tauck.  Initially, I was kind of poo pooing the tour idea - we'd be in a group, we'd have to be HERE at THIS time, and we'd see the kinds of things you're supposed to see on a tour.  Later, I came to hate being on a tour for different reasons (mainly that, being American and with a tour, I felt like we got shoved in back rooms because we were loud and obnoxious - which I really wish we weren't - and weren't with - but I digress).  But, Tauck did an amazing job - our guide was amazing, we stayed in all the best hotels (The Westin Excelsior in Florence, the Grand Hotel Eden in Lugano, the Danieli in Venice, and the St Regis in Rome) - enjoyed a few expensive, private touristy perks... like wine tastings and leather demonstrations and silk demonstrations and all those things - plus the Gondola Ride, a boat cruise on Lake Como, and on and on.. AND, to top it all off - we spent less on the tour, then we would have, had we booked it ourselves and stayed in hotels half as exciting and wonderful.  Thus, if you have any interest in travelling - and would consider a tour, start with Tauck.  In two years, I'd love to go back to France - and would love to have the pleasure of travelling with them again.

But - moving on - I'd hoped to give an hour by hour tour of Europe, including a day by day look at our meals AND highlight some of Europe's most disgusting bathrooms - but in lieu of all that AND in the interest of holding your attention, I'll start with highlights and expound from there.

The highlight of the trip for me was most certainly Paris.  I mean, I enjoyed Italy greatly - and I'd go back without a doubt - but, to be in a country where I understood the culture, knew how to get places, and above all, spoke the language, was an incredibly euphoric experience (speaking the language is a huge part of that - I'd learn more Italian before going back to Italy). In Paris, we stayed on Place des Vosges, which is in the heart of the Marais.  Now, if you're anyone who's anyone, you'll know that the Marais is the up and coming neighborhood in Paris - in fact, it's already up and it's already come - but it is the new cultural center of Paris and was, well, perfect.  If you go, I can highly recommend La Pavillion de la Reine for a hotel - it's right on la place, the staff is impeccable, and it has all the charm of an American Bed and Breakfast, without the absent staff and stale breakfast food. 

On food, one night, we ate at Restaurant Le Marche - which, though I wasn't all that hungry, had the perfect feel of a neighborhood tavern - and was very "French" (whatever that means).  The next night - we ate on the roof of le Centre Georges Pompidou - which, in the words of the staff at the Front Desk was "trop chic" for us - and in the end, I'd have to agree.  I didn't eat here either - mainly because I was tired of eating out and was a little, uh, how you say, "backed up".  Ahem.  But, my parents tell me, they ate the most wonderful mashed potatoes in the restaurant and we did get to see them turn the lights on at the Eiffel Tower and see the amazing view of Paris at sunset.  During the day - on our one day there - my parents decided they wanted to take a Bateau Mouche around the Seine, and go on a bus tour.  I'd done both on an earlier trip to France, and lovingly ditched them after Breakfast -- to explore the Marais on my own. 

The plan was to march through the Marais, into Les Halles - stop at La Droguerie and at an Anny Blatt yarnstore, then find my way over in Les Tuleries to see the new installation of the Water Lillies - and hike on back to the hotel to pick up a bottle of two of muscat de beaumes de venise and some The Caramel before dinner.

In reality, I marched through the Marais, and into Les Halles, and stopped at Anny Blatt - only to find it was closed for remodelling.  From there, I marched to la drogurie - only to find it opened at 2!  So, I found myself a little cafe, ordered a nice cup of tea, and sat and knitted for an hour.  Knitting, in public, in Paris, was a curious activity - and a joyful one. Any of you public knitters - especially those who are male - can identify with that feeling you get - that people are watching you while you knit, but when you look back and catch their eyes, they pretend to be tying their shoes or picking their nose or whatever. In Paris, it starts out the same - but they don't look away.  In fact, they're so curious - and they are totally striaghtforward about it - and I loved it.  Everyone - from the waitress to the cook to the men driving the delivery truck to the woman walking down the street... they looked, they smiled, and they kept on looking.  It was like they'd never seen a man knit before!

From the cafe, I walked around the Louvre a bit (and subsequently had to pee soooooo bad - I haven't had to pee so bad since I was a kid - only to find that all the public toilets were either absent, not working, or occupied), found a nice sandwich shop (where, I used the pissoir, thankfully) and picked up some beautiful goat cheese on ciabatta, and ate lunch in Les Halles until La Droguerie opened.  Therein (and there was a line when I got there at 2pm - if you can believe it!), I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  They didn't allow pictures inside the store (fair enough) but they sold everything from buttons, to yarn, to other craftiness and so on... I had a delightful exchange with a shopkeep - and picked up some precious sterling buttons and enough blue and grey to make a striped pullover - pictures forthcoming.  On the way back, I picked up some great man-rings, and relaxed until dinner. 

Interestingly, leaving Rome, going to Paris, I had this distinct "Man, it's been 10 days of travel and all I want to do is go home" feeling about me - but having been in Paris, even if just for 2 days, well, it was wonderful.

Coming - pictures of some purchases and notes on Switzerland - decidedly, my second most favorite locale of my sejour abroad - followed very closely by Venice, which holds  a special place in my heart, but, also, was, uh, crowded.

Yes, to those who are wondering, I'll be at Stitches - on Friday and Saturday.  I've got two classes, which I'm excited for - and I plan to not shop at all, save for a mistake I'm sure I'll make Chez Tess - and to walk the floor and make some contacts.

A Scene from a Craiglist Email Exchange

Faithful readers, follow along and tell me this isn't a crock....

Craiglist Ad: Posted in Washington DC, Men Seeking Men

any Quakers out there? Looking for something better than CL?
Reply to: X
Date: 2007-09-09, 4:26PM EDT
Let me know if you're Quaker(ly) or have Buddhist leanings and seek sustained safe sane relationship. You also feel foreign looking at CL.

Location: DC

--------------------------------------------------

Email sent in response to ad

Subject: Not a Quaker, Not a Buddhist...
On 9/9/07, TrickyTricot; wrote:

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid:  wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info:  http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

Also don't really feel foreign looking at CL (I mean, I'm gay and out...) - but thought I'd respond to the ad.

Generally nice, gwm, 29 year old who's lived in DC for about 10 or 11 years.  When not home cruising the internet, I love to do yoga, walk around, play card games with friends, and people watch - among other fun things.  I work for a non-profit in grantmaking by day, and work as a writer/editor/designer by night.  Some day I dream of moving to Vermont and living in the country.  I've been veg (no meat, no gills) for nearly 9 years and my favorite thing to do is turn the tv off, followed closely by learn something new...

If any of this sounds remotely interesting - feel free to hit me up.  To be truthful, when I see an ad on CL from a guy looking for a relationship of some sort, it's usually couched in some "Let's hook up on the second date" clause - so whether you're looking for something more, or just looking for what everyone else is looking for - I'd love to know more about you...

take care,

michael

---------------------------

Response from Seeking Quaker, Seeking Buddhist.....

----- Forwarded Message ----

To: TrickyTricot
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 9:37:21 AM
Subject: Re: Not a Buddhist, Not a Quaker...

Realize I'm loking for someone bi. Thanks to.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

It's official - I'm done with dating.

In other news, Italy / Europe was fanatic (F A N T A S T I C!).  Pictures and synopsis to come (I have a contract due in a week or so and am plowing through) - for folks who can't wait (or who disbelieve I'll post), check Flickr now: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8943048@N02/sets/72157601865531496/

A Vacanza

Late late on Wednesday night.  We've reached the point of the summer where it's getting cool enough outside that I'm often keeping the window open and more often, keeping the air conditioner off.  Soon, the market will be overflowing first with Asian Pears (love those Hsui Pears), then with your regular pears (Maganese are the sweetest and by far my favorite), and finally, the haul of apples.  I've been going to the same stand for enough years that the lovely woman behind the tables already knows what I want - now that's good business.  Anyway - on fall - this evening, I was walking down N Street to meet a friend and I recognized the gentle crunch of Maple Leaves beneath my Crocs.  It's not fall - It's that dry.

Well, it's the night before Italy and it's the weirdest feeling.  I feel prepared - in that I'm packed and near certain my suitcase weighs less than 50 pounds and that my apartment is clean-ish (not as well as I'd like - but, well, it is what it is) - and at the same time, I feel completely unprepared.  I realized this past weekend, that I don't know anything about this trip I'm taking and it's completely freaking me out.  I mean, yes, I know the travel plan is train to Newark-Fly to Milan-Bus to Lugano-Bus to Venezia-Train to Florence-Bus to Siena-Bus to Rome-Fly to Paris-Fly to Newark-Train to DC... but my parents have been less than forthcoming about details beyond that.  I mean, sure, they have the itinerary, they know what's going on (hell, I think they've been on this trip - or something very like it once before) - they just haven't sent it to me - and that makes me feel very uneasy.  I like to know what's going on.... I like to know exactly what's going on.  I mean, I can assume that in Venice we'll visit Saint Mark's.  And in Florence, we'll see the Uffizi.  And in Siena, we'll go to the Museo Civico... and so on... but still, I like to know - I like to feel like I'm in control.

To give you a better idea, I can remember being much younger - right around puberty when I went from being 3 feet tall and weighing 80 pounds to being 6 feet tall and weighing, well, uh, more (pounds that I've almost nearly finally shed... though I'm happily far from 80) - when I felt, the best way for me to be able to relax, was to know and understand all the details.  The most common way I did this, was to ask, at every meal, what we were eating at the next meal was - as in, Breakfast... we're eating Onion Bagels (still my favorite - though no one sells them anymore, it seems... my grandmother used to burn them and to this day, it's my favorite breakfast treat) and I'd ask my grandmother, what's for lunch.  Come lunch, we're eating snacks - sandwiches, whatever - and I'd ask my grandmother what we're eating for dinner, and on and on.  To this day, I am the same way - I like to know what the next food source is and where it's coming from in the same way I like to know what we're doing tomorrow and the next day.

Right now, it feels kind of like some weird reality show - like someone saying, "Be here at this time, and something will happen."  OK - I'll play along, but, well, what else can I do?

Truth be told, I don't feel prepared to go away for two weeks - and can't even begin to fathom the idea... this summer - since April really, has been so manic at work.... but once I'm there, I'm sure I'll be good to go.

Plane/Train knitting includes the Mimbres Vest (which I'm doing pretty well on - but can't help but feel like I've lost some yarn) and socks socks socks.  I'm bringing 6 skeins with me - plus the one on the needles - and a whole heap of needles to carry and pack, on the off chance that the kids at Charles De Gaule of that, uh, Roman Airport, decide I'm better off not having needles. 

Anyway - my plan is to bring a journal and write in it everyday - and to take plenty of pictures - so hopefully I'll take good enough notes to give you a full review when I return.  Meanwhile, behave yourselves.  Stay out of the fridge (there's nothing in it anyway), and don't look in the closets.  Andiamo, kids.

Camp...

Sunday night chez Tricky... It's hot and humid outside, I've been trying to enjoy it (and for the most part have).  When it gets like this - hot, sunny, humid, relentless - I try and remind myself of being younger (much younger), where summer was about relaxing in front of the tv every day, spending hours on the phone with friends who lived down the street, eating junk food (like frozen pizza - yum) all day, and seeing how many days in a row I could go without sleep - usually in front of my Ninetendo (or later, my Super Ninetendo).  A sorry youth - you'd think - but when it gets hot and humid like this - and I think back to that part of my life, I feel more relaxed... stronger.  There's something to be said for having not a care in the world, non?

So, I just posted that vid of Andy McKee below (go ahead, skip all what I'm about to write and please go down and watch it - it's freaking amazing - he has two albums on iTunes and they're awesome)... and I was recounting to myself - and all you - how a post about Camp and other happenings was in the works... but as I picked up my most recent WIP, it occurred to me I was lying to you and lying to myself - that no matter how much I'd like to think I'm going to put a post in motion, I'm actually not going to - and the best course of action is probably, actually, to just do it and move forward, then to say I'm going to (like I always do, and then let month after month pass).  Thank G-D you all have bloglines - and maybe I'm still on them...?  All that - and I just looked at my stats on Typepad and realized 2 (T-W-O) people visited my blog today - down from the 70 it was more recently and the hundreds it once was, and felt a moment of deep guilt...  Sometimes, when I'm at work and really bored - or at home even, I remember the first days of the blog - the folks I would correspond with - and it makes me feel a bit lonely (like how I felt when I read the end of HP7, thank you f-in J.K. Rowling).  So, here we are - maybe you're all still out there... Steph? KC?  Joe?  Who knows..

So, let's start with camp - and see where we go...

So, camp started for me on July 5th... those days leading up to July 5th were super busy for me at work - trying to get a bunch of work done and out to a client left me feeling incredibly stressed out.  You know what it's like - your shoulders rise up towards your ears and the muscles around your spine tense up into oblivion... Any of you who know what I'm talking about maybe also know how, if it gets really bad, the muscles around your spine say, "Hey, I bet he'd like a migraine...." and there it is.  So, most of the 4th, I spent wallowing around my apartment in this deep migraine drama.  Anyone who's ever had a really bad migraine knows what this is like - you're awake, you're asleep, you're watching TV, you're eating goat cheese - you're doing anything, and somewhere, in the deep recesses of your mind, a battle to the death is playing out between your desire to be normal and functional, and your body's desire to leave you incapacitated.  Surmise it to say, by 7pm on the 4th (when, if you happen to live in any given capital city, for example, you start to understand someone's getting ready to set off an hour's worth of fireworks and you wish they wouldn't), I was having serious misgivings about going to camp.  One of my absolute fears is being sick and travelling... so, I was, well, unsure.  But, I packed my bags, I made my nametag, I packed yarn to work with, sock yarn, and of course, more yarn, and set my clothes out.  I even called a taxi - on the off chance that I wasn't feeling whimpy, I wanted to be ready.

The next morning, I got out of bed - still somewhat migrainey, but also feeling up to it.  I was not going to let a migraine keep me from my knitting future - I'd deal with it.  So, I pulled my stuff together and headed to the airport and off to Chicago. From Chicago, it was a short and sweet ride to Mosinee - where I met my first three compadres for the weekend.  Squishy Blue, Greg, and Angela.  Now, let me tell you, I'd have plenty of time to get to know Wassau International Airport on the way back, but I had to laugh when I got off the airplane and went into the "terminal".  Hanging from the ceiling were these signs - literally nylon (they looked quilted) that said "Gate 1", "Gate 2"... and on and on.  This seemed kind of weird to me.  Moreso, coming out of the "terminal" and into the "baggage claim" area, we had to pass through this airlock-type thing (which again, I had to laugh - I live in the freaking Nation's capital, and have never seen a freaking airlock to get out of the terminal).  Anyway - long story short, United lost my bag - I didn't really care, I just was glad to have made it, now migraine free, and we set off in the Holiday Inn Shuttle to Marshfield.

This trip to camp was my second trip to Wisconsin - I'd spent a few days in Milwaukee for a conference if you'll remember - so I thought I knew what to expect.  But, northern Wisconsin is a bit different - it's rural, and flat... and, actually, really beautiful.  Our driver to the conference center was kind and a good guide, and led us swiftly to our home for the weekend.  Once there, we set out to get some lunch (at a great little diner and pancake house) and walked the town a bit.  Very cute little hamlet, to be sure.  I spent the rest of the afternoon in this great little park outside the hotel with my mac and it's wireless (which I had just figured out how to work) and did a ton of work on tech editing - which was good, but apparently not enough, because I had a ton to do when I got back.

Anyway, here are some snippets.  Here's what camp is like.  We get up in the morning and we go down to the conference room.  A continental breakfast is out - but you'd be well to go to Lloie's or the Country Kitchen first thing and get your nutrients - you're gonna need them. 9 rolls around and you take your seat at very long tables... and Meg begins to teach.  And she teaches for 3 hours straight - everything from short rows to fair isle to intarsia in the round to more and more and more to the camerman's applied i-cord to the percentage system and on and on.  We break for lunch and then do Show and Tell until 3. Now, normal people, are supposed to stop at 3pm and go do something else, but the rest of us, sit and knit straight on until dinner (and sometimes we eat something), and then, Amy and Joyce are available to assist with issues into the night.

The room is set with long tables of Elizabeth's and Meg's garments up both sides - as above - and you're free to wear these sweaters when it gets too cold and feel them and touch them and be in general awe of them throughout.  Beyond Meg, who teaches under wee video cameras at the head of the room, is another conference room full of goodies to buy - including every book Schoolhouse Press publishes, all their yarns, and a whole host of needles and other goodies (I showed some restraint - only to lose most of it on Day 2, and then lose all of it when I got home and emailed Michelle.  Good job, I know).

Generally, in going, I had some very specific questions that I had to get out of the weekend.  I wanted to understand Fair Isle better - my technique was ok, and I understand the concept, but I've always had issues with the finished fabric.  I wanted to learn Meg's technique (which I did, of course). There were a few other things - but Fair Isle was the main one... of course, I got much more than I bargained for and learned a ton of new stuff which made it triply-worthwhile.  If you were there (and even more likely if you didn't like me or get to know me), I may have been a bit of a pain... I asked a lot of questions.  I wanted to see a lot of techniques and on and on.  I wanted to milk Camp I for every penny it was worth - because I wanted to leave Wisconsin with a full cupboard of techniques in stock for me to play with all year - I wanted plenty to keep me busy (cause I had no idea when I'd be around so many other great folks!).  It felt to me like people had less questions - not that this was a bad thing - but it made me aware of not wanting to seem too, uh, pushy. But, it's true - I got every last drop out of that weekend - typically, at 3pm, when we were supposed to go do something else, I, uh, usually didn't.  I sat there, chatted, worked on my pieces, and knitted late into the night.  Several nights, Sam, Joyce, and I closed it down - knitting until 1 or 2 in the morning!  What fun...

I had the pleasure of sitting next to a great group - really great folks all around me, which made it so enjoyable...Squishy Blue and I spent almost the entire weekend together - it was ironic, almost... and really awesome.  Greg too - except he slept a lot - but was great to be around!  Sam was my roommate - and I couldn't have had it better... Rachel to my right, a Minneapolitan, great to be around... and on and on.  In all, there were four guys including me...

Meg is of course, well, wonderful.  She is gracious, funny, smarter than smart and, well, awesome.

She's got her hand on her hip in this one - I can't help but think she's looking at me taking her photo, but if I remember correctly, she was also answering a question...

It's funny, it's hard to characterize the weekend - you learn so much, you're around great people, you get all your questions (and them some) answered, you get to study with great people (Joyce & Amy- whom I loved being around - that's Joyce Williams - yes THE Joyce Williams standing next to me above - I couldn't believe it when it was 1230 on Saturday night and we were knitting together and chatting...), and at the same time, you're on vacation... you get to handle these garments that belong in a museum, you get to see the amazing work of other knitters in show and tell, hear their stories... looking back, I can't fathom how I would have thought I could say anything else about camp!

I am tempted to tell you all, "Don't go - you'll hate it" - but it's only because I loved it so much and want to go back!

Back in DC, once the last vestiges of my self-restraint crumbled (and oh how they crumbled), I bough enough UnSpun Icelandic to make the Ram's Head Cardigan from Meg Swansen's Knitting (Now, this one, don't miss out kids - it's on remainder and only Schoolhouse Press has got it). 

It's going fast - I'm about 1/2 way up the body.  My Fair Isle looks flawless - aside from that green marker, marking where I made a mistake in the chart.  Definitely good stuff...

Onwards, I'm heading to Italy in 10 days, for 12 days, with the fam.  We're going Newark-Milan-Luggano-Florence-Siena-Venice-Rome-Paris-Newark, all in that short time span... should be a good time... but if I'm not posting, you'll know why!  At any rate, thanks for staying tuned - hope everyone's well.

PS You'll all be excited to know that my post on the America's Next Top Model Application that I posted, uh, I don't know how many months ago is TOP on google - on top of even the application itself.  Go ahead - Google "top model application".  Shoot - what have I gotten myself into now - Tyra is gonna have a hissy!

Andy McKee

Ok, so I'm way behind in posting (giving you updates about camp and everything else that's going on - and all the reasons why I'm a bad blogger...), but this week, while I was busy listening to Echoes - my favorite weekly radio show featuring ambient and folk music, I heard the most amazing finger style guitarist - and just had to share...

Now I get it...

Tuesday night and it's past 1030. In fact, it's nearly 11. In fact, if you're up and waiting with baited breath for a post from me, it's actually past 11. Outside, it's clearly summer. There's no denying it - it's hot and humid in the day, and cool and humid in the night. Ideas of sleeping with my windows open have long since been abandoned - I've had my a/c on non-stop (well non-stop for the hours I've been at home - I think it's an awful waste to leave it on all day if I'm not here) and I sleep with it on at night (and even I find a bit of guilt in that). They said we should expect thunderstorms the next few days (and in my honest belief, for the next few weeks at the very least); so far this week, there's been no rain.

Well, the day has finally come - I've made the leap from my Dell to the Apple - in fact, I'm transferring files from my Dell to my new Apple as we speak, and onwards we go. After having the computer (on) for about 20 minutes, I'm beginning to understand the allure of the Apple over the Dell or PC. For one thing, it's like carrying around an electronic tablet. The colors are uber brilliant and crisp, and it's silent (relatively). Truthfully, the bottom of the macbook is getting warm on my lap, but there's no annoying fan sound, so I'm relatively happy already. (Note, if you've been paying any attention to my comments, you'll see I had a visit from Larry, the Dell Customer Advocate. I didn't write him back - but if their new search protocols are as good as I think they are, maybe he's reading this... to which my response would be, "Sorry bud - I've been complaning about this fan thing on my laptop for months).

Truthfully, the changeover to mac is interesting and challenging (ie this is the part of the entry where I complain about the things which are bugging me - but I'm ready to get over). First off, the window for Safari - or maybe any window, doesn't take up the full screen - it only takes up half of it. Second, the mousepad is weird - I find I need to use one continuous path with my finger, rather than lots of little paths - it's weird. BUT, in both cases, I'm getting used to it. In fact, it kind of reminds me of detox... I'm detoxing from my experience with Windows - one day this will all be second nature. And yay. And let's hear it for me being able to take work out of my apartment. Botanical gardens, here I come!

Anyway - life is good. I'm just finishing grafting the gansey closed, pictures (and more plentiful posting) to come.