Technologized Again

My laptop is home! True, there's no telling how much longer she'll last, but it's here. Any day could be the last, which you think would make me more diligent about backing up my work. I guess that's the lazy optimist in me. Besides, I'm not exactly doing rocket science on this thing. (I don't want her to know, but I'm already shopping for a new one on the side.)

I found my camera as well. It was right where I left it. Now I feel just a little sorry for blaming my husband for taking it. (He could have!) The darn thing was left in the glove box after our trip to the North Shore.

These shots were taken a few weeks ago, so the color isn't quite as brilliant as I'm sure it is by now. On the day we were up, it was sunny as we were driving, but by the time we got out for a hike at Split Rock, a bank of clouds and fog blew in from off the Lake. We took our usual walk to the top of Day Hill where this lone fireplace sits. According to some, it was built by Mr. Day as a way to persuade his smitten to marry him and live along the lake. She obviously was not as smitten as he was, or his idea of a dream home scared her off, because it's all that was completed on the point. We've been visiting this spot for years and have yet to follow through on our plans to bring a picnic lunch and some supplies to start a fire. I guess Mr. Day is still having trouble getting people to stick around. It is a great view, and no trip to the North Shore would be complete without walking to the top.

Now that I've got my technology back, I thought I should offer up a picture of the miles of cables that will soon be St. Brigid. The front and back are complete, and I have another repeat or so on the sleeves before I can knit the braided cable shoulder piece. Cables are great. They can make a knitter look so good, and you don't have to be very clever at all to pull them off. This is the easiest pattern that I've knit in awhile. No shaping, no math. So far, I have only made one modification from the original pattern. I originally thought about knitting the sweater in the round, and the alternating double seed stitch pattern on either side would not have worked out even on the seam, so even though I ended up knitting the sweater in pieces, I still switched off the seed stitch order on the sides. Does this make sense?

Let me explain. In the pattern, the first row looks like this...
XXXOOOXXX--All the other cables--XXXOOOXXX
(The X's being knit stitches, the O's being purls.) If you knit it like this, you'd be seaming an X to an X and the continuity of the alternating double seed stitch would be lost. When I knit it, I decided to make the first row look like this...
OOOXXXOOO--All the other cables--XXXOOOXXX
Now, when I seam it, I will be seaming an X to an O. True, I don't have the symmetry on the front, but that will bug me less than it would have to lose that symmetry going around the sweater. (Is this the definition of anal?)

I'm excited to see how it looks, and the cool weather just around the corner is coaxing me to finish.

It's Over

Sad.


And according the Geeks, my laptop is terminal. Not a good week.

Go Twins!

Can this get any more exciting?! One game for all the marbles. I don't know if I'll be able to take it tonight. I'm a little concerned that it's Blackburn on the mound, but I'll be sending good vibes toward Chicago all day. Ozzie's going down.

I would post a picture of my progress on St. Brigid, but I still have no laptop, and my camera is missing. (My husband better have it with him on his trip!) Picture lots and lots of brown cables. There you go! I cast off the front Sunday night and got going on the sleeves yesterday. As usual, I am going to try and knit them both at the same time. You've heard of second-sock-syndrome. I suffer from second-sleeve-syndrome. It might get to be too much after a while, but for now, it seems to work. Knowing when to quit might be a bit tricky. I need to stop after a full repeat. Will that be too long for my stubby little arms? Oh, to be taller!

Now I'm off to more of my glamorous life. Window washing. Can it get any less exciting?

Still Waiting for the Geeks...

So, I'm not so sure on the smarts of a Geek. The laptop saga continues. They actually called and left a message on my machine yesterday wanting to know if I will approve a $1,000+ repair on my laptop. Does this make sense? Does someone actually say, "Yea, go ahead. I'd much rather do that than go buy a new one for less money." I'm distraught. I don't want to buy a new computer. Windows Vista? Arrrgghhh. Is it time for a Mac?

St. Brigid is going much better than my computer dilemma. I have one more repeat of the large cable pattern on the front panel before I can begin the neck shaping. For a little while last night I was afraid that I might get off track. Knitting and watching the Twins in a close one with the Sox was very dangerous, but I think I did it, and I knit so furiously in the top of the 9th that I probably got more done than usual. Nathan is the man! Going for the sweep!

Waiting for the Geeks

"My name is Kathy, and I'm a laptopaholic."
"Hi, Kathy."
"I have now gone five days without my laptop."
Applause.
"Oh, I'm still using my desktop and my iPod touch."
Murmur, murmur.

Knitting and Computers

What's better than having the Internet available when you're thinking about starting a new knitting project? You can check out different yarns, you can learn from everyone else who may have already made your project, and you can sometimes even see the finished item on a "real" body--everything looks good on someone who is 6' and 100 lbs. As someone who knit for many years in near virtual isolation (remember when knitting was only something that your Grandma did?), I love the resources available to me through my laptop. Unfortunately, my poor laptop suffers from my craft.

As I'm typing, it sounds as if a small aircraft is landing on my desk. I try and keep the fuzzies out. I faithfully blow out the dust balls that get sucked into my computer, but I think we're past that now. I think it's time for the professionals. I'm a little embarrassed to say that I get anxious at the thought of being separated from my laptop for a few days. After all, we do have other computers in the house, but it's just not the same. This one knows what I like.

If my laptop is gone next week, I should be able to go great guns on St. Brigid. At this point, I have the charts pretty much committed to memory, so even though I haven't had a lot of knitting time this week, when I have had a chance to get to it, the knitting has gone fast. I should be able to cast off the back this weekend. Last night I decided to measure my progress against another sweater I own that is a similar style, and now I'm certain that seven repeats of the large cable will be enough. I even debated about six, but this is a pattern that is meant to be boxy and over-sized. This is a Minnesota sweater--not for the menopausal.

Pesto Pronto

With cold air moving in, it's time to take care of all the basil I have growing in my garden. Basil is so cold sensitive, and I'd hate to loose an opportunity to preserve a summer treat to enjoy when the snow is flying. Just a few weeks ago, I trimmed the whole works back and made my first batch of pesto to freeze, but it's come back with gusto.

I've got about a half dozen plants--most of them in the vegetable garden and one in a pot by the back door for quick snipping while I'm cooking. Once I've cut the plants back, I pick of the best leaves and throw them in the food processor. Having perfected this over the years, my own preference is to use the fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, a little salt and pepper, and then the olive oil drizzled in with the processor running. I have the best luck with saving the addition of garlic and parmesan just as I'm about to use it in my recipe.

The next step is to get out that kitchen gadget from our past--the ice cube tray. (It's like trying to explain to someone under 25 what a typewriter was.) I spread the pesto evenly into the tray and pop it inot the freezer. Then once it's frozen, the individual pesto cubes can be stored in a freezer bag, or I prefer an canning jar to keep them from getting too beat up. Then come this winter, just thaw a few out for pasta or a panini spread or throw a couple cubes in a pot of vegetable soup. But please, save a little of the fresh to enjoy on a plate of pasta as a reward for your effort.