looky looky!

It's the start of a blanket, people!

Allison told me today I've been knitting wrong for the past two years! Thrilling!

Why I Knit.

This is a picture of me with my grandparents when I was four years old. My Mommaw Gross, on the right, taught me how to crochet when I was a pre-teen. Well, actually, she taught me how to make links, but when it came to turning it around and actually making something... it made no sense. Little did I know it was because of that stupid hook. Two needles make a lot more sense. She would spend hours upon hours watching TV and crocheting afghans with (God love her frugal, lived through the depression heart) Red Heart. Her cream and purple striped afghan I love dearly, and not just because she took the trouble to somewhat match the colors. (Matching was in fact optional with Mommaw). I curl under that afghan to watch tv and knit. My cat sleeps on it cause she likes the feel. I've buried my face and cried into that afghan. Because she loved me far more than any afghan is worth, but I still have it with me, even though she passed on in December of 2005.

After making blankets for Hokie Healing, I got an itch. I wanted to make one for myself. I sat on it for a few months. Figured I would get around to it eventually.

I took an unexpected detour to the yarn store today. I was looking for more gun metal grey King Tut to make a matching hat and gloves to go with my Irish Hiking Scarf of Dooooom. While I couldn't find the color I needed, I started thinking about my afghan. I picked up a few skeins of Rowan's Comfort and looked at the palette. Actually, I stared at it for heaven knows how long until Sandy and another lady in the store took it away from me and started finding stuff that actually looked good together. We looked at the Comfort, but it just wasn't the color scheme I was going for. I wanted something bright and cheerful. Sandy suggested Cascade 220. So we went to look at the colors, and we both zeroed in on the heathered skeins. So we picked out a red, an orange, a purple, a green, a gray, and a beige. While trying not to freak out about the convention I'm speaking at tomorrow (and finishing a Power Point for it tonight, yikes) I cast on, in the Log Cabin pattern. Voila. All is right with the world. It's simple, it's easy, and I'm going to adore it.

My knitting inspiration has returned.
Pictures to follow.

someday...

i'll visit Rome and recreate Roman Holiday.

Hee hee.

Yo mama's so mentally disturbed, if depression were pastrami, anxiety mustard, and obsessive-compulsive disorder lettuce, she could eat her mental problems as a pretty good sandwich. Only one problem, though: no bread.

Some creative editing and that could describe a few people :-p
Get more here:
http://www.portraitofyomama.com/fieldnotes.html

heh.
m.

My favorite picture of the day

My favorite picture of the day
Originally uploaded by adnarim28

I went to a football game! And had fun. And it didn't suck.
Woo.

Why is it that....

When the cat feels the need to chase yarn all over the living room, she doesn't pick the cheap Sugar and Cream ($1.25 a skein) I picked up to make dishcloths, but instead picks my gorgeous, fourteen dollar a skein bamboo sock yarn? Why? Oh why? At least it was the smaller ball and not the big one, or I'd be tempted to drop her off and give her a new life at the local Chinese restaurant.

So, I managed to score tickets to today's home game, huzzah. I've made the executive decision to not take knitting. 45 dollars for a ticket! Highway robbery! However, I have a lovely orange VT shirt (purchased yesterday) and just because I am a HUGE geek, I also bought matching chandelier earrings with maroon and orange beads. I am gonna do this sucker up, cause who knows when I'll go to a game again. And you can't say I do anything by halves.

You Know You Want to Come With Me!

So while I was looking around The Internet this morning, I ran across some tour dates for the New Pornographers. Their show in DC is already sold out (and sadly, so is Rilo Kiley's), however, tickets are still available for their show in Asheville, NC at the Orange Peel. Asheville is about a three and a half hour drive from Blacksburg (four hours from Roanoke), and tickets are 20 bucks, which is quite a steal. The show is on October 28th, which is a Sunday.

So, my fellow concert going brethren... who wants to go with me? I'd be more than willing to drive/split gas and hotel (if needed) costs.

Just in case you need more convincing, here's the website for the venue:
http://www.theorangepeel.net/

And here is The New Pornographers performing the single from the album they just released on Letterman:


And here's one of my favorite songs by them:


Mimi, could you see that this gets passed along to Cat or Elinor or anyone else who might be interested?

soooo...

I've decided that the phrase, "it seemed like a good idea at the time" can apply to far more parts of my life than I'm really comfortable with.

ooooh well.

links and video and concerts OH MY.

Cause you know that's pretty much what I'm good for.

Class has been nuts lately, and I should definitely be in bed right now, but I'm working on a coming down from a concert high. And I need a shower cause wooo ee, I stink.

Concert for VT was wonderful and I had so much fun. Back in my halcyon days of undergrad, I went through a Dave Matthews phase (and who didn't, really?). While I haven't been interested in the band for a few years, I went for the 19 year old who would have done anything to see Dave live. :)

Here's the set list.
http://road.davematthewsband.com/SetlistsDir/setlist.asp

He played the one song I would have been greatly disappointed if he hadn't played ("Crush") and a whole bunch of others I was really happy to hear live.

John Mayer wasn't as much of a douchebag as he was back when I saw him in '01/02 (sorry Gina, but it's the truth, he sort of was, and it was before anyone knew who he was)

I got to sing and scream until I was hoarse and dance and stomp until my feet... well... they are about to fall off. I love music. I love concerts. All is right with the world.

And look knitters, we are "microtrendy"! Read MSNBC for more here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20630522/site/newsweek/

And just because it amuses me to no end and because the Office needs to be back on NOW, I'm posting the coolest mashup ever. Hilarious.