Saturday, June 30, 2007

Comfort food

Today it was 100+ degrees and the summer doldrums hit me harder than an Ike Turner wanna-be. The airconditioning seemed to be too hot or too cold. The kids seemed to be in under a different force of gravity than the rest of the world, because everytime I turned around they seemed to be dropping, breaking or spilling something.

But this spicy little number put the spring back in my step. Everything I love about Buffalo Chicken wings was amplified - crispy spicy chicken with cool creamy slaw made my belly very very happy. True, slaving over the stove frying chicken isn't most people's idea of spending a hot summer afternoon, but OmyOmy was it worth it. I need to plot my strategy now to make sure I get the leftovers tomorrow.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

I should have known better....

In case you haven't noticed, there hasn't been a rash of finished objects on this blog lately. Life follows art (or is it vise-versa?).



I've been hit with a string (no pun intended) of bad knitting mojo. From the lost sock incident, to the sweater that will not end.... I've been knitting a lot but don't have much to show for it.



But when I committed to Tea Rose Halter Top from the Spring 2007 Interweave Knits I thought this would be the pattern that would change all that... the would be the pattern to put the spring back in my needles. And for a while - deep in the first blush of young love - it did. The lace fell into place and the cotton-ease yarn had beautiful stitch definition. It was as if fate brought us together until the one dark day when I let doubt creep in... when I thought that maybe the designer didn't know what she was doing and that I needed more proof. I decided to try the sweater on mid-project.

Of course the stitch protectors at the end of the needles popped right off as I squeezed the circulars past my shoulders - and with them went six rows of stitches. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but reconstructing lace with YO and INC and DEC in random places requires a more evolved knitter than I can ever hope to be. I managed to sort-of reconstruct my indiscretions, but I knew the trust was gone and I couldn't go on. There was nothing else to do but cast off and hoped for the best.
In the end, I was left with a too-short halter that left my heart (and breasts) naked and exposed. Maybe someday I'll find the words (and the perfect edge pattern) to pick up the stitches and mend my wicked ways ... but for now its a reminder to be more patient and trusting.