The 100 Friends of Aidan the Knitter

OK. So Dr. Seuss I'm not. (Though I have been called absurd a few times...a day...every day.)

Where was I? Oh, yes.

Today I was doing my thing over to Ravelry, and a little bitty number jumped out at me.

I have 100 friends!

Now by the time you read this, the number may have changed -- that's what happens to intensely popular guys like me -- but I thought the number was monumental and deserving of attention.

Who, you might ask, is number 100? Her Ravelry handle is lilpixiestix. Her real name is Jeanne, she hails from Chicago, her favorite colors are green, orange and blue, and she is a knitting-evangelist -- she has converted two of her friends. (Fred Phelps is likely to picket her funeral for that!) Judging from the Ravelry Groups she frequents, it seems as if she likes The Simpsons, Drunken Promiscuous Sheep (Don't we all? Hi, Dolores!), and Girls Covered in Bees. I don't understand the last one, but it has something to do with Eddie Izzard.

Thank you, Jeanne, for being my friend and for making this moment so special. You know what they say -- you never forget your 100th!

Hey, Rocky! Watch Me Pull a Rabbit Out of My Ass!

The lilac and willow Baby Surprise sweater didn't end well, thanks to Gauge, the Evil Knitting Demon. But, I couldn't have shown up at a baby shower without a baby present, so I pulled this out of my ass.



I literally was sewing on buttons while Myfanwe curled her hair for the party. But, thank Bob*, I got it done and it fits! Or at least it LOOKS like it fits! I think we will have to wait until February to find out for sure!


An interesting note about the buttons. When my father, z"l, passed away, one of the things my brother Mark gave me was Pop's button tin. It was obvious that my dad had never thrown a button away in his life. And he had cut a number of buttons off of my mom's old clothes and from the five kids, as well. I treasure it, and dole out its contents as if distributing gold. The five shell buttons came from Pop's stash -- a sure sign of how much I love and treasure the baby's moms.

* My Ravelry friends will know who Bob is...and I will write more about the new knitters holiday, Bobmas Eve, closer to the April 10th celebration. (Bobmas Eve is traditionally celebrated by getting together for food and libation and exchanging stash! Can I get a Woot! Woot!)

Purplekitty Says Hi!

Our next Ravelry Friend is Purplekitty, who hails from rural New York -- a wonderful example of the unifying power of the internet! (And who would have thought the internet would have me socializing with the Pretty People? Does she look like a movie star, or what?)






Hi!

I enjoy reading your blog. I am located in Alden, NY which is just outside of Buffalo. There aren't a whole lot of knitting shops around and the few that I have gone to didn't even know about the knitting community on the web. In fact, I knit a clapotis a year or so ago and the lady at the yarn shop didn't know what it was!

Since I don't really have any knitting friends, finding all the knitting blogs and places to buy yarn on the web has been great. The only problem is trying not to spend a fortune!

My husband is pretty tolerant of my knitting habit considering I have a tendency to go a little overboard. When I really started to get into knitting seriously he was like 'Why don't you just finish one thing before you start another?' HA HA HA He obviously doesn't understand!


I really admire your lace knitting. I have bought a few patterns and some yarn, but haven't really been brave enough to try them yet. I made a PI shawl using different patterns for my Aunt who has been battling cancer. It didn't really come out right, but the yarn was so beautiful, I think she liked it anyway.


I especially enjoy knitting socks since they're so portable. But, I've dabbled in a lot of different things from mittens, to summer sweaters, baby booties and hats.


I have a few friends expecting babies to knit for so I am hoping to try the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket. I'm having a hard time finding the pattern. I don't really want to spend $30 for the book. I probably won't start them until after the holidays.


BTW, there are a few pictures of me on my flickr site.


It was nice hearing from you!


Purplekitty308

YOU GOT TO HAVE FRIENDS!

I am lovin' up my Ravelry.

I've been spending much more time than is decent learning the many and storied Secrets of Ravelry -- the Skull and Bones of the Knitting Universe. (Only Ravelry isn't a secret. And I don't think they'll let George Bush in unless he brings home the troups and learns to knit.)

Ravelry is truly amazing...so much to see, so many projects to admire, so much yarn to drool over, so much to talk about, so many new people to meet and get to know. I honestly don't know what I did with myself in the 43 years before Bob and his crew started Ravelry!

One wonderful part of this new knitting environment (besides being able to socialize in my boxers) has bee making Friends. Knitting Friends. Ravelry Friends.

The people on Ravelry are quite friendly, you see. I've made so many, I thought it was best to try to get to know them in an organized way. So I've started e-mailing them and asking them to write me a paragraph that tells me something about them -- a paragraph I can share with my peeps via this blog. And I got my first response from...

Blueyedwench!

Hi!
I used to be in the Chicagoland area, and miss it. Currently I am having trouble typing (and knitting) because I have a bandaid on my left index finger. One of my cats pegged my finger really well with his claw while we were playing. Currently they are running in circles around me - every once and awhile the little one stops to chase her tail. That's pretty much my life - cats and insanity that stops when I bite myself. Except I don't have a tail, so you can imagine how that ends.

I help build things like giant whale models for museums as a living.


Wow! She builds giant whales. That is sooooo cool. I wonder if she would make me one for my birthday? Oh, better not hint. Where would I put it, after all.

So if you run across Blueyedwench on Ravelry, be sure to introduce yourself and feel free to mention my name.

Gotta run. Ravelry is calling.

ON A HAPPIER NOTE!

My trips to my home town were not without happy moments. I really enjoy seeing my brothers, I always eat well, and, because of the car troubles, I had two train trips during which I could knit.

The train on my second trip was PACKED. Every seat sold out. Apparently there was some conference of workers in a state agency. It was FULL.

The seat next to me was taken by a rather disheveled young man who smelled a little bit like sweat and whose carry on luggage consisted of a 12-pack of Old Milwaukee in a messenger bag and a DVD player. After the first beer he smelled like a combination of a locker room and a bar floor. I decided to take my knitting to the cafe car and have myself a little cranberry juice...and a little fresh air.

Now here is where the trip got fun. I was sitting there, knitting, enjoying the space when a woman slipped into the seat across the table from me. I looked up a little surprised. She spoke first, laughing a little bit as she said, "I know who you are!"

"You do?" I asked.

"You're NOT Franklin!"

Her name was either Marnie or Marlie -- I'm a little hard of hearing -- and she doesn't have a blog, but she reads them. She is still waiting for her Ravelry invite, she works for the State of Illinois, and she was sitting with her boss, so she couldn't spend much time. She promised that she would friend me once she got her Ravelry invite.

So there you have it. I officially got recognized in public. She knew my name and didn't mistake me for Franklin. (Not that that is a bad thing...unless you are Franklin...who hasn't spoken to me much since that trashy girl in clip clops confused him the the gigantic 400 pound Jewish guy who makes Kelly Osbourne look positively ruddy.) Never mind. Now that I have a public, I'm going to hire a publicist. And a body guard. And a personal trainer. And maybe a stylist.

And a personal assistant...someone to call in and reserve Booth #1 at the Pump Room. Lord knows, a person of my stature shouldn't be doing that personally.

Good night, sweet Marnie (Mardie?), wherever you are!

NO CLEVERNESS LEFT

I don't have a cute title for this post. Nothing clever. I'm too tired. You'll have to forgive me. This happens every year at around this time...as we enter the Jewish High Holidays, or, as I like to call them, the Bhutan Death March of Holiday Seasons.

First it is Rosh Hashanah. Clean the house, polish the silver, try to make sure the house doesn't smell like dog, bake things with honey, feed a crowd, then run out on a disasterous mound of dirty dishes and head to synagogue to sit in an un-air conditioned sanctuary for three hours while the cantor does her finest impression of a banshee, then rush home, tumble into bed -- totally ignoring the dirty dishes -- only to arise a few hours later to start cleaning up before beginning another day just like the last.

Ten days later we have Yom Kippur. Clean the house, polish the silver, try to make sure the house doesn't smell like dog, bake things with honey, feed a crowd before the sun sets, then run out on a disasterous mound of dirty dishes and head to synagogue to sit in an un-airconditioned sanctuary for three hours while the cantor does her finest impression of a banshee, then rush home, tumble into bed -- totally ignoring the dirty dishes -- only to arise a few hours later to start cleaning up before beginning another day like the last, only this time on an empty stomach.

Yom Kippur is closely followed by Sukkot, an eight day festival and among my favorite of the Jewish Holidays. It might help that Sukkot is usually right around the time the weather begins to turn cool. Then comes Shmenei Azeret. Bringing up the rear is Simchat Torah, which celebrates the giving of the Torah. This is also my father's yahrzeit. Don't ask me why I threw that in...just trivia.

All this means that, by the middle of October I have the shiniest silver in the world and a lethargy so pervasive, sloths form my pep squad. It also means that between Labor Day and the middle of October, Norbert only has 12 or so days of school. You can't imagine how stressful that can be.

KNITTING

I have completed a few more repeats of the pattern on the Luna Moth Shawl. It really slows down after a certain point...I think I am up to 339 stitches and approximately 60 inches in width across the top. I figure two more repeats (40 rows) and I will check to see if it is large enough.

Ravelry continues to suck a whole lot of time out of my life! It is really such a fun place. I've picked at least a dozen lace projects I want to start, which should be enough to get me through the next 2 years. But every day I go back, looking for more!

I've made some Ravelry friends, and I've joined the Lace Knitters' group, the Yarn Harlot Fan Club, Dolores' Devotees, the Brenda Dayne Fan Club, a Shawl Knitters' group, Jewish Fiberholics, and a couple of other groups. I haven't made any best friends, but I figure I'll invite a bunch of the kids for a sleepover and maybe things will just click.

In real life, or the real world, or whatever this is, I found out that my law firm has a knitting group which meets every Wednesday at 12:30. I wasn't able to go this week because I had a doctor's appointment, but I will definitely try it next week. I hope they are ok with a guy who knits, because I would hate to have to add everyone to my list of people I have to crush when I win the lottery.

I've made a tentative decision on the next shawl I'm going to knit. I've decided on the Swallowtail Shawl, which I hear (from people on Ravelry) is an enjoyable knit and looks really, really beautiful. Don't you agree?

Kwiky is thinking of knitting the same shawl. I can't wait for the pattern to arrive so I can cast on!

DON'T TELL MY WIFE

I couldn't help myself. It really isn't my fault -- it's an addiction. Really. I saw this:

at this lovely site, which I found while perusing that Demon Ravlery. I tried not to buy any. I really did. As tempting as it was, I navigated my little self away several times. I just walked away, humming Eartha Kitt's "Get Thee Behind Me Satan" to myself and reminding myself that the first step is to admit I am powerless over lace yarn and that my stash has become unmanageable.

And then -- also on Ravelry -- I saw the Luna Moth Shawl:

The detail shot was even better!

Then I started thinking about how lovely that shawl would be in silver silk. About then I must have blacked out, because the next thing I know, there is a receipt in my e-mail for 2 cones (2500 yards) of heavy laceweight silver silk yarn.

I'm trying to figure out if there is some way I can blame this on my wife.

WHAT I SAW ON MY SUMMER VACATION

Sorry for the prolonged silence. Myfanwe, Norbert and I were on holiday in the middle of nowhere, doing as little as possible, and eating as much as possible.

It was a glorious success.



We stayed in a little (4 bedroom) cottage in Southwestern Michigan. This is the view of the woods from the dining room. The view from the other rooms looks basically the same. And yet we are only a short walk down a private road to a lovely private beach on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.

This has been a very wet summer we can remember in the 15 years we've been staying here, and almost all of the woodlands around us are back-dune wetlands at the present time. The mosquitoes are worse they have ever been. And water seems to have gotten into the phone lines, giving all communication and very loud crackle and preventing even the most rudimentary (i.e. dial up) internet connection.

This was difficult for me. I discovered that a laundromat in town (5 miles) offered free wifi. You could see me at odd hours, parked outside the laundromat, checking my e-mail on my laptop. That presented its own problems, since apparently my laptop battery only holds 10 minutes worth of power now. As Roseanne Roseannadana would say, "If it isn't one thing, it's another."

I'M IN! I'M IN! I'M IN!

Just call me LaceWeightGuy.

My Ravelry invitation came in the mail whilst I was away. Thank Bob! I thought it would never arrive. But it has, and it is absolutely everything I had hoped. And almost none of the things I had feared! I've already identified several lovely projects I can't wait to start!

If you are already in Ravelry, will you be my friend?

Has anyone knit the Kiri shawl? I can't, for the life of me, understand the cast on and setup instructions. I'd be much obliged.

NOW I DUCK OUT AGAIN.

I am cooking the food for the bat mitzvah of a dear friend/neighbor next Saturday. They are expecting 200 people, and I'm not exactly what you would call prepared. Oh, and I forgot to get help, and most of the people who assist with prep are out of town. So I probably won't have time to blog/knit/read/sleep or do anything else until after the bat mitzvah. And then, after a day of solid sleeping, I expect to be back to normal.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME...

...WILL BE OVERWEIGHT, NEUROTIC, & SOCIALLY AWKWARD.

OK. I need your help. As you may have read, I'm experiencing a bit of angst over my entrance into the International Confraternity of Popular Knitters, more commonly referred to as Ravelry.

Since making a good first impression is important, I thought I would enlist your help in selecting a username that will give all other Ravelry users an idea of my personality. A peak, if you will, into my soul.

So far I've come up with the following: TallDark&Handsome, KnittingStud, HotWorstedMan, Let'sGetWorsted, NoImNotFranklin, Size11US, or LaceWeightChampionoftheWorld.

Myfanwe suggested, in the "truth in advertising" vein: TiredSweatyandLazy, MoreExpensiveThanImWorth, NotHalfBadForaMiddleAgedWhiteGuy, or NotBadLookingIfYouSquint&TurnYourHeadJustSo. She's a kidder, she is.

Do you have any suggestions?

1767

In 1767, Mozart's opera "Apollo et Hyacinthus," premiered in Salzburg.

Also in 1767, the Townshend Revenue Act was passed by Parliament on June 29, imposing duties on tea, glass, paint, oil, lead, and paper imported into Britain's American colonies in hopes of raising £40,000 per year.

While we are on the subject of 1767, it was also the year Eugénie by French playwright-watchmaker Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais premiered at the Comédie-Française in Paris.

Also in 1767, Joseph Priestley pioneered carbonated water (and soft drinks). "Sometimes in the space of two or three minutes [I have] made a glass of exceedingly pleasant sparkling water which could hardly be distinguished from very good Pyrmont," he wrote. (As I type this, I am sipping Grape Crush, wondering if this is what he had in mind...)

And in 1767 Jean Chastel killed the Beast of Gévaudan. (Isn't the internet grand?)

Now, you might be asking yourself, about the significance of 1767?

Aside from being the year my mother was born, the number also represents my place, as of this posting, in line for entrance into Ravelry -- the most ultra-chic, ultra-exclusive, totally faboo fibre community the internet has ever know. We are talking The Order of the Skull and Bones of the knitting world.

I couldn't sleep last night. I started off thinking about how Rabbitch is going to get in this week, and how terribly jealous I am. Then I started worrying. What if I don't know anybody. What if nobody talks to me? What if nobody wants to be my friend? What if the other knitters think I dress weird, or make fun of my yarn overs, or think lace is sooooo 15 minutes ago? What if people laugh at me behind my back because I can't learn to knit lace continental? Or because I'm fat? Or because I couldn't pronounce "vegetable" correctly until I was 12? What if they tie me to trees and give me Ex-Lax? I saw "Sorority Girls From Hell" -- I know what people are like!

The only way I could get to sleep was to make a conscious decision to go to my "happy place" and to think about raising chickens and sheep and goats and baking cakes and making sausage and knitting sweaters and sitting in front of a fireplace during a snowstorm and drinking tea while listening to folk music. (I have an active fantasy life. I even thought through which cake recipes I would bake.)

Meanwhile, I have about 2 weeks left to loose 50 pounds, get a new wardrobe, and learn to knit lace continental.