Sorry for the forced pun, but this afternoon I returned from my second trip to visit the in-laws in Oregon. The knitting gods smiled upon me, seeing a project finished, a project started and finished, a skein of Trekking XL purchased, and much progress on the second pair’s second sock. It was first trip to Eugene that revived this little writing space and got me back on the needles.

This time, we took the trip by car. What Yahoo! Maps said would be 7+ hours ended up being closer to 9. Granted, we had our little angel in the car with us, so many stops were made for potty breaks. She traveled like a champ, hanging out in her kennel for the first few hours, napping on the back seat for most of the time, and the occasional visit to my lap. She’s exhausted from three days of playing with the resident canines—two border collie mutts, one twice her size, the other at least four times! She endeared herself to Lolo and Roger by hurling herself onto their laps anytime they sat.

But you didn’t come here for dog talk, didja? First, a confession. I went to a chain fabric store (the name rhymes with Rowan, or more specifically, Row-annnn’s) and bought some 100% acrylic Red Heart Super Saver crap. Hold on, I have a reason! I wanted something cheap to experiment with, as well as something that’s machine washable. One of the big motivators of my current toy kick is making things for friends with kids (or, in Janie’s foster mother’s case, about to have kids). If you have recommendations for baby-safe, easily cleaned and durable yarn, I’m all ears. Same goes for environmentally-friendly stuffing (organic cotton batting?). Luckily, that mainstream craft wench got less than $20 from me; and I promptly spent a similar amount at a Eugene LYS.

So, out of the aforementioned products, I present to you my first Nautie. How geeky is it to knit a fossil? It was super simple, just a little time-consuming working off of the large skeins. Next time, I’ll work it in a single color, or two that are closer in value for a mottled, less uniform appearance. With such contrasting colors, any tension variation results in visible blobs of one color. Also, I would caution anyone attempting this to not stuff too densely at the beginning, as I have some fiber leakage in the center of the shell.

When we left on Friday morning, the Jess Hutch bunny was in pieces. Somehow, when showing off the parts to Lolo, an ear was lost. I’m not sure if Oscar, Dudley or Janie ate it; I just hope it all comes out in the end. I knit up a replacement ear (the shorter one) last night, and everything came together. This pattern is super-fast and I’m looking forward to riffing off it. I love how she’s arranged the increases and my needles are antsy to try to make more little creatures.

As for the sock progress, you’ll see it when it’s finished. And the Trekking XXL, I want to get a 40″ #2 and try to knit it with the Magic Loop technique. A memorable Mem… sorry, I can’t. Between the man and the dog’s snoring, it’s time for me to go to bed as well.

The outpouring of comments got me off my butt and onto the needles. I printed out a bunch of softie patterns, put down my sock and swatched up some scrap yarn last night. I’ve settled on a Jess Hutch bunny pattern for my bear base. So far, head and 2/3 of the body are done. Using the Rowanspun Chunky from my cycling aran (no, I still haven’t put the zipper in, nor photographed it), it’s coming out a tad dense, I could probably jump up to #9’s,but I want to see it through at this gauge.

Between Leslie, emmalola, and Elemmaciltur and Janie’s expecting foster mommies, I got a bunch of creatures to make! I should probably do one on larger needles and felt it Miss Janie Sparkles, too. Little things are fast! I see why toys are so much fun!

I hope y’all won’t mind if I stray from the bear motif into other animals. Inspired by the www, I want spikes and swirls, and multiple appendages. <sarcasm>That said, I bet the gays would go nuts for a little, knitted, fat, hairy figure—who knew novelty/fun-fur yarn could be so butch? I’ll go sell them around the corner at the Lone Star Saloon</sarcasm>

Being late to knitting, I’m often jealous of people who grew up with it in their family. In fact, the woman who infected me with said passion is (at least) a third-generation knitter. (Hey, B, when’s your episode with Beema and your mother airing?) I feel like I missed out on the passing down of knowledge, tradition and family history. I’m no Knitty’s Amy; it’s just the opposite. Heck, I’m the guy my mom calls for advice for her friends—have you ever tried to describe a SSK on a cell phone?

Thanks to a kind and dear friend from work, my feeling of being left out has been replaced with a deep gratitude and a sense of honor. While cleaning out her basement, Leslie came across her mother-in-law’s needle stash and entrusted them to my care. Benthe’s son Peter doesn’t knit, and Leslie is a crochet-er (now armed with Benthe’s hooks), so she was kind enough to think of me! I was floored when she handed me a grocery bag that rattled with weight of aluminum, resins, metal and such. I am now guardian of Benthe’s valued tools (ranging in size from #0’s to #15’s):

• 13 pairs of 14″
• 4 pairs of 13″
• 2.5 pairs of 12″
• 20 pairs of 10″
• 4 circulars
• 84 individual dpns
• 3 stitch holders
• and a metric/English (not US) needle gauge.

Benthe grew up in Denmark and moved to the U.S. as a young woman. I knew she was a knitter from my first day at work, as Leslie gave me a mini bear from Benthe. This was long before I knit, and I wondered what kind of compulsive person would hand-make gifts for strangers. She was prolific and generous with her craft.

Today, Benthe is still very much alive, and I hope to do her needles justice. I never thought I’d have more needles than yarn. Anyone need a bear?

So, I’m at the critical point of the evening where I need to make a dinner decision immediately, or else I’ll end up wandering through the “Now Playing” list on Tivo, grazing on potato chips and other sundries, or just knitting the body of my sock. Just typing that makes me want to hop into the car and head over to my long-lost knitting night. They serve food there and it would be nice to catch up the gang.

See, blogging doesn’t ruin lives. It’s improving mine tonight. That means I won’t go into details about what I was doing 24 hours ago and why I’m really sunburned. A long day of synchronized swimming (two performances and two practices) with a midday break for fast-food and friends over to watch Amelie. Besides the dermatological damage, my passion for the pool was rekindled.

A month goes by and it feels like a year. April 10th marked another year for me—the end of my 33rd. The occasion was celebrated a day early with a starch-fest of a breakfast: homemade biscuits and veggie sausage gravy, a tomato tart and coffee cake from the neighbor, doughnuts and some good ol’ breakfast burritos.

And, yes, there’s been knitting, just no photographing of its progress. Currently, I’m on my second pair of socks, something small for BART and the two days a week I bike to work (this week, at least). In the beginning of April, I almost finished what I’m calling the week-long sweater. After the seven days, I was not quite through the second sleeve and it’s been resting since then. I’m kicking myself for wasting a month’s-worth of free photo storage of flickr. I could have shown you the socks, more pictures of Janie and my new button-making machine.

Lisa came over today to bust out some 1″ badges for her upcoming art show. We powered through 100+ pins in different designs and miniatures of her drawings. I gave her the three *sparklenation* buttons I’ve made celebrating the tiny canine who’s dominating my life of late.

And how could a visit from such a star not be an inspirational kick in the pants to get back in here to type? Pardon my long silence. Feel free to print this out and wear your own *sparklenation* button to help you my gaps in writing.

Yesterday, while a-wandering back to my car, with the boyfriend and his bike in tow, I swear I recognized the slight frame and demure face of one of my heroes. He was sitting outside Ti Couz (image of tables on sidewalk).

I elbowed Mr. Photo who was ignoring lowly humans bustling by and searching buildings for architectual detail he wanted shoot. By the time we got to the ever-hip corner of 16th & Valencia (where else could you find lanky hipsters, a Latina drag bar, used bookstores and lanky heroin addicts—sometimes hipster, sometimes not), we turned around and saw the back of the head of my prey. Across the table from him (and some otherwise unrecognizable friends) was a much wildly-coiffed and tall man. Do all the cool kids know each other in NYC? Were they post-SXSW nerd/intellectual/pop-culture/film pals?

Now, I’m not 100% sure that either man was whom his likeness proclaimed, but I’d like to pretend they both were. I like the idea that these different people not only knew one another, but perhaps are dating (totally projecting here). The more imposing, wild-looking one known for well-thought prose and the smaller, mild-looking one famous for his flamboyent stage and film creation—ironic, no?

I hope John Cameron Mitchell and Malcolm Gladwell enjoyed their crepes.

…and I’m not just talking about my dog. The ever-inspirational Lisa came over for Chris’ delicious crab enchilladas and a little Tivo’d Project Runway. Rest assured, I’m now caught up.

What she failed to mention in her post/photographic ode to Ms. Janie Sparkles, is the tasty hot chocolate that was our dessert. Luckily, she did snap a photo of it on her flickr.com photostream.

A social night, great food, dog love and I’m heading to bed before midnight? It’s been a perfect evening.

update: photo added 03.05.06

Thanks so much for the comments! You make me want to write more… if only I were knitting something to write about! Man-on-man knitting love to:

• Elemmaciltur
• Dan
• Tricky

This weekend I’ll try to get up a knitting blog links in my sidebar ’cause I want to link you fine fellows (and a few other knitters I read).

Oh, and a little note-to-self for an sock I’d like to design: inspired by Spun Magazine’s pattern (found via Whip Up—handcraft in a hectic world), I want to make a more handsome and higher-ankled male geisha sock for chilly NorCal flip-flop wearing in earth tone colorways.

Well, that was a surprisingly long lull between posts. You get a dog, you work life explodes, you stop knitting completely, and then you stop writing.

But then there’s a three-day weekend, which was supposed to be a five-day vacation to Eugene, OR to visit your partner’s parents. Due to overdue crap at work, you reschedule your flight to a day later and fly up on Friday morning, joining said partner who flew up the day before. After writing a few emails in the airport at 6:40am, there’s not really any more work you can do on the plane, so you bust out your knitting. Sheer bliss for the short flight and all weekend long.

A return to my first sock, from Cat Bordhi. When I last left the sock, it was time to begin the toe. Just 2″ or so to go. It’s done and and I’m an inch into the cuff of its partner. It feels great to be back.

That’s me in the photo, waiting for BART from the airport. I’m wearing the aran sweater I got at last year’s Stitches West from Philospher’s Wool. I wanted to knit a classic, and I ended up with a beauty with sleeves a smidge too long. Oh well, it keeps me warm.

Two things kept me sane throughout the past month:

• Project Runway. Thank you, Dan for posting those images from the final collections.
• Janie. I love having a dog. It takes up all of my free time, but damn she’s cute.

we got her!

at 10:50 this morning, her foster mom left me the happy news on my voicemail. Janie is our new little girl. she comes to us via French Bulldog Rescue Network. suppport them if you can!

be forewarned. (but feel free to tell me I’m writing about a pet too much.)