PoMo Golightly

Project 333, Week 4

Whew!  What a week!  I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow morning, even if that means 6:00 a.m. instead of 5:43.  The academic semester has a predictable cycle to it, and right now we're in the "am I ever going to catch up on grading" part of the cycle for professors and the "crap!  There's not much time left to get my grade higher" part of the cycle for students.  I'm getting lots of requests for extra credit, which I'm not inclined to entertain.  Show up and do the work the first time around.  Did I mention that bitterness sometimes creeps in at that point in the cycle?  Just a touch!

Week 4 of Project 333 ended yesterday, and here are my outfits.  Christina asked me via Flickr if I was starting to get bored by my clothes.  There are a few items I'd like to have back in the wardrobe--a shot of red would be cheerful about now--but for the most part, I'm still enjoying living out of my pared-down closet.  I finally replaced the ill-fitting gray turtleneck with a nice cozy one from L.L. Bean.  Languishing gift cards from last Christmas meant that the sweater didn't cost me a dime! You can see all of my outfits for Project 333 here.

 

It's pretty chilly and gray today, so I rounded out the mosaic with a picture to remind me of the heat of July.  Ahhh, yes!

I'm fortunate to live less than 30 minutes from Hartford, CT, which is the location for Stitches East again this year.  I am pretty shopped out, but I've been keeping my eyes on the Signature Needles circulars.  A pair might come home with me this weekend.

How about you?  What are your weekend plans?  Are you dressing up for Halloween?

Project 333, Week 3

  

Project 333, Week 3 (plus the new cowl).  This week I deviated from my list.  I knit and wore my new cowl, and I also carried my orange and brown giant dot tote at Rhinebeck.  I wasn't going to, but I've carried it every year that I've attended, and I really wanted to keep up my tradition.  

If you'd like to see my outfits since Day 1, feel free to visit my Flickr page, and if you like statistics, check out my Daytum page.  Courtney of Be More with Less was kind enough to invite me to share my initial thoughts about the project, which you can read here.

I have some fun plans for the weekend, including a baby shower for Spring, Antony and Cleopatra at Hartford Stage (I wrote my MA thesis about this play and am excited to see it for the first time in almost ten years), and the last hairpin lace class at Creative Fibers.  There will be lots of grading in between the fun stuff, but I'm hoping that it goes quickly. 

How about you?  What are your plans for the weekend?  I hope it's a good one!

Rhinebeck 2010

Last weekend was close to peak for leaf peeping, which made the drive to Rhinebeck beautiful.  Sara and I wended our way along Rt. 44 until we got into New York.  There were some ominous clouds above us, but (knock wood), it has never rained on our Rhinebeck trips.

I had no shopping goals for the trip, although I did manage to find some nice things to bring home...a hat from Robin's Hoods ; a woven alpaca stole to replace my worn-out pashmina (I'm saving both for post-Project 333; they are great additions to help me create my well-appointed minimalist wardrobe); a big orange basket; three skeins of cormo/nylon yarn to use for the Macro Lace cardi I'm eager to make (and, hey, Laura was in the Foxhill Farm [no website] booth sporting her BBCs while I was shopping!  I saw the boots before I realized who was in them.  She is super nice.); a skein of creme puff from Decadent Fibers (where I also had a movie-star sighting!  Uma!  I Kinneared, but the photo is so bad.  Do you want to see it?).  I picked up a button at Jennie the Potter's booth, and some vintage millenary trims at another booth (sorry, can't find a card).

I loved the cutie patootie characters at the 425 Square Foot Art booth.  Aren't they adorable:

There was plenty of gorgeous yarn to pet and dream about:

These precious 2 oz. skeins of cashmere were all gone when I went back on Sunday to consider buying one.  Oh, how happy the knitters that bought them!

Best of all, though, was meeting friends, new and old.  I had dinner with my NM SnB girly Cari, met up with my dear friend Cheryl--not a knitter, but converted on Saturday night--and saw tons of my Ravelry, Twitter, and blog peeps (too many to link, but I loved seeing you all).  I had my picture taken by Gale and was given an adorable book by Manise as a reminder to pick my strawberries before any little thieves do. I drank warm cider, tasted cheese, and petted puppies.  

And critters.  Alpaca and llamas. Goats and sheep.  There were plenty of them.

Next year, I'm planning on some big doings for Rhinebeck.  It's one of my favorite outings of the year.  Hope to see you there some time!

 

My Kind of Cowl

Friday night I got a bee in my bonnet to knit something brand new for Rhinebeck.  Sure, Clapotis is on my Project 333 list and was finished after Rhinebeck 2009, but I wanted something really new.  At about 8:30 I cast on for the My Kind of Town Cowl, and at 12:30 it was done.  Can't beat that for fast!

Tomorrow I'll post about my wonderful experience at the festival, but today I wanted to reflect a little on how my hand knits fit into the project.  I left a space on my list for a sweater; I have several on the needles, and if I set my mind to it, I can probably finish one before December 31.  I've been thinking though, about what I have chosen to knit in the past and why.  

Usually I complete accessories: hats, mitts, shawls.  I enjoy the process of knitting lace, and I sure love the product, too.  I give a lot of what I knit away, but lately I've been wanting to knit more for myself. Maybe it is selfish of me, but I rarely feel like knits I've gifted (except those given to other knitters) are truly appreciated.  They get tucked into drawers or meet hole-y fates at the claws of cats or get lost. Accidents happen, but my time is too precious to knit for the accident prone!

One of the things I'm learning through dressing with a minimal wardrobe is that the fit of everything I wear should be perfect.  Those khakis that need to be hemmed...well, I haven't worn them once.  That ill-fitting gray turtleneck is hanging all alone, unloved.

What does this tell me?  Simply that if I'm going to knit garments for myself, I want to ensure that I do a fantastic job with fit.  No more fudging.  No more hoping for the best.  I consider myself a fairly adventurous and unafraid knitter.  Now it's time to develop my skills even more, especially in finishing items (I guess I mean both in completing them and in doing the finishing work such as seaming).  

I wore the cowl on Saturday, but from now until December, I'll only wear it around the house or walking the dogs in the woods.  One of the things Courtney tweeted last week was "Do what works best for you! #project333 is not a competition".  I love that.  I love it so much.  Everyone participating has their own reasons, and it is silly to think the project will work the same way for each of us.  So, now and again, wearing a new hand knit, just once, isn't going to make me feel like I've failed at the project. Instead, making each knit with care, knowing that it will become a staple (or giving it away if I don't feel the love) in my wardrobe...that's success.

If you're visiting from Be More with Less: welcome!  I hope you'll swing by again on Friday and check out my outfits for the week!

And my fellow knitters...here's a question for you: what new knitting (or other crafting) skills would you like to develop?

 

Ten on Tuesday, Freezer Edition

Carole's asked us to share what is in our freezer.  Here goes!

1.  Lots of jars of strawberry freezer jam.  I save it until it gets really cold.  You know, when it gets so cold and dark so early that you can't believe it will ever be warm and light again?  That's when I put it on my yogurt.

2.  About ten ziplock bags with two cups of blueberries each.  I discovered it is vital to use them immediately after defrosting.  One of these days I'll get back in the habit of making a batch of muffins every week, and those sweet little blubs picked in July's heat will feel a little more heat!

3.  Five bags of pitted cherries.  We're big fans of cherry clafoutis.  I think it will be festive to serve around the holidays.  I don't go in for the traditional way of making it with pits in; I just add a little almond extract to mimic the taste.  Sorry, purists.

4.  Ice cream bowl.  I had some Bing cashback in my Amazon account this summer and splurged on an ice cream attachment for the Kitchenaid.  Guess I probably won't be using it again for a while.  Maybe I should make one last batch and call it the end of the season.

5.  Half a bag of ice.  I've mentioned before my addiction to ice.  I know it's bad for my teeth, but it's one of my few vices.  I prefer the cocktail-sized cubes.

6.  Edamame.  I bring about 1/2 a bag to work with me when I remember.  By the time I'm in my office after teaching, they're thawed and ready to eat.

7.  Pinons aka pignoli aka pine nuts.  It kills me to buy them around here where they are super expensive.  When I lived in Albuquerque, they were available seemingly on every street corner for a song.  Note to self: stock up next time in NM!

8.  Containers of last year's soup. Is it still edible, do you think?  When I make a large batch, I freeze some, but I don't always remember to thaw and eat it.  Oops.

9.  Morningstar chicken patties.  I'm not looking for a meat substitute here.  I don't like most commercial veggie burgers, but these are okay in a pinch.  I like to eat them on a wheat English muffin with some hot sauce when I'm in a rush between teaching gigs.

10.  The bag of peas.  Neal uses it as an ice pack when he has aches and pains.  It thaws, and we refreeze it.  It will never be eaten, but wrapped in a towel, it does provide relief.

Next year we're hoping to add a chest freezer to the basement so Neal can buy meat locally and in bulk, and I can take better advantage of summer crops.

How about you?  What's in your freezer?

 

Project 333, Week 2

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...

This week I appreciated the ease of getting dressed with only 33 (technically, 30 as I'm waiting for L.B.D., haven't finished the hand-knit sweater, and I've abandoned the ill-fitting gray turtleneck) items in my closet. You can see all of my outfits since the project's start here and take a look at my stats here. 

I'll be at Rhinebeck on Saturday and Sunday with no-longer-blogless Sara (she's still a little shy about the blog, but give her some love, will you?), probably wearing something you're seeing in these pictures. If you're playing Blogger Bingo (I am!) and I'm one of your squares, stop me and say hi!  I'm so excited to see my knit pals (and meet some of you in real life for the first time!) this weekend.  

Ten on Tuesday, Road Trip Edition

Carole gave us a fantastic topic this week: 10 Ways to Have Fun on Long Car Rides.  I'm interpreting this as Road Trip!!

1.  The most obvious: have a great take-along knitting project.  I tend to bring simple shawls or socks.  I like to be able to look around and enjoy the scenery while I'm knitting.

2.  Stop at local tourist sites.  On our drive from New York to New Mexico in 2004, Neal insisted that we stop at some quirky place every day.  It was super fun to walk through a Rte. 66 Museum in OK.  I'm a drive-until-you-get-where-you're-going kind of girl, but these little stops have made road trips more fun.

3.  Start a sing-along.  I tend to prefer tv-show themes and musicals, but Queen makes for good sing alongs, too.

4.  Have a project going.  On that same road trip out west, I sent postcards to two recipients every day in which I tracked miles travelled, states traversed, weather, town in which we were stopping, and average miles per gallon.  My ex, a musician, once undertook a rate-the-reststops project with travel partner.  Projects give purpose!

5.  Get way off the highway to eat.  The food will be so much tastier.  I promise.

6.  Try to find last-minute deals to stay at swanky hotels.  We usually end up in not-so-swanky places on road trips, but with the magic of George the iPhone, this summer I found a cheaper rate at a boutique hotel than I could find at any of the budge places.  Who wouldn't want to spend the night here:

7.  Bring along something to read out loud.  I like The New Yorker because there are lots of shorter pieces.  Read, then debate.  Repeat. (can you tell I prefer to be the passenger on a road trip?)

8.  Make special Road Trip mixes to play.  They should be energetic and relevant to the trip.  They should include favorite songs of all who will be in the car.  They should encourage sing-alongs.

9.  Conversation.  I love the time in a car because my chatterbox tendencies have an audience!  When traveling with a girlfriend, it's a fantastic time to catch up and dream together.  When traveling with Neal, it provides excellent time to do the same thing (only I end up doing most of the talking).  

10.  Bring good snacks.  My dad always, always had Canada mints on road trips, and now I have to bring them along, too.  I also like pretzels, fruit (grapes are my favorite in the car), and a big water bottle of ice.  

How about you?  What makes a long car ride fun?

 

Lobos

Born in New Mexico, my Maddie (short for Madrid) can't help but be a fan of the Lobos.  Some days she is so stinking cute that I forget about the chipmunk-killing-poop-eating side of her.

Birthday Wishes and Project 333, Week 1

Today This weekend *would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday.  His music and words resonate still.

Today marks the birth of my oldest nephew, Steven, too!  He's grown into an impressive young man, and I have so much fun when we get together.  Happy birthday, Steve!

Pictured above are my first week's outfits for Project 333 (click to see all seven) Even though we're only a week in, I've learned a few things.

• I like dressing out of a simplified closet.
• I wear my gray sweater a lot.
• I wish I'd listed a second scarf/shawl.  Don't tell Clapotis, but she's starting to bore me.
• There is at least one person on Flickr with a fetish for jackets worn over the shoulder.  He is now blocked.
• Two items in my closet (gray turtleneck and print blouse) no longer fit right.  I may replace them.

If you'd like to see the outfits and list of what I've worn, visit the Flickr set here.

In other news, today I met our Carole!  And her Dale!  I can't wait to see them again in Rhinebeck.

Finally, join me in sending the very best of wishes to our dear, dear Jessalu and her equally-dear RR. Here's to a lifetime of love and happiness!  

It's hard to top getting married for weekend plans, but...what are you up to this weekend?  Hope you enjoy!

*oops!  Got the day wrong!

Ten on Tuesday, Fall Edition

Today's topic is Ten Reasons to Love Fall.  Since it is one of my four favorite seasons, this should be easy!

1.  Baking.  Apple crisp, pumpkin pie...fall's produce makes me want to don my apron and get something in the oven!

2.  Soup.  I'm a big fan of homemade soup. My favorite recipes are for tomato soup and butternut squash soup.

3.  Butternut squash.  I cook with it a lot in the fall.  It's the ultimate comfort food to me.

4. Leaves.  My time in New Mexico made me appreciate the riot of color that we get around here in the fall.  This year promises to be nothing short of glorious!

5.  Sweaters.  Cozy!

6.  Fires.  I can't wait for the first fire of the season.  If the chilly weather keeps up, it might happen this weekend.

7.  Hiking. I'm in the woods with the dogs almost every day, and in the fall, I'm much more inclined to go for really long walks that I don't feel shy about calling hikes.

8.  Halloween.  Without kids, this might be a glum holiday, but our neighborhood sees quite a bit of action from trick or treaters.  I get a lot of laughs from seeing the funny costumes.

9.  Thanksgiving.  No turkey for me, but the sides.  Oh, the sides!  

10.   Rhinebeck.  I look forward to seeing my  crafty peeps there.  Will I see you?