I don't ordinarily put much stock in "deadlines", new day, new week new year. It's all just a long rolling scroll of life. The new year however, does bring a time of reflection and the promise of change and new beginnings. I've given pause to look back and review the events of the passing year. 2011 started out well for me. I was able to see Apocalyptica three times in March and reconnect with my niece Tiffany. I had some pretty chronic health problems and some near misses during the summer months. Thankfully, they resolved and are under control at this time. The rest of the year was pretty low key. The last concert I hit was the Uproar Fest in September. I think I've been in a mild funk ever since, there were a couple of events that I wanted to go to but I blew them off because there are times when I'm simply tired of going to events by myself all of the time. It gets old, but the bottom line is that..I'd better get used to it. Things are never going to change, it is what it is. It's as if I live in some weird state of purgatory for lack of a better description.
As for knitting and spinning of course spinning has been in the lead. I have done some "utility knitting" lately. I am working on some leg warmers, very basic 2x2 rib, size 8 needle, 48 cast on. I am making them in anticipation of the cold and bitter weather that is eventually going to hit. I don't want to jinx myself but thus far the winter has been pretty mild, mid 30's to 40's on some days and no s-n-o-w. I've been spinning on my Trindles quite a bit. I've even gifted myself another pair of arms and a fancy shaft! The new arms spin somewhere between a worsted and sport weight. Still plucking away on the lovely blue-ish lace weight on my wheel. I switch my bobbins between that an a really basic worsted. I can only spin lace weight for so long, then my eyes and fingers start to cross. I also broke my own rules this year and knitted an X-mas prezzie. I made a Star Wars hat for my friend Billy, an action hero uber geek. I bit the bullet and decided a week before X-mas to start this project. I can't believe I finished it in time including blocking. Color work is not really my favorite knitting and using 3 colors was a real challenge but his reaction made it all worth it. I used the charts from Rav and "babzer's" project notes. I love it when someone else does the math! I alternated between the Storm Trooper and R2D2 motif's and worked a "May the force be with you" band at the bottom. Next on my knitting list will be more utility knitting as my Fibertrends felted clogs just blew through the heel. Note to self and others, double strand worsted, don't use single strand bulky. NOT the same as far as wear.
As far as other going's on. I'm still doing Kettlebell classes. I have to keep this old body moving, Cod knows I'll never be able to retire. I am looking to take some of the free classes offered this week to get a jump start back in to my routine. I do have one concert on the books. I'm going to see "the Darkness" on Feb 10th! This was probably the first band that got me started going to concerts again after deciding that I probably needed to live my own life. I was really surprised when Laythe let me know that they were touring again. They're very tongue in cheek and FUN. I could use a little more fun right now. How about you?
Would love to give a nice cohesive, interesting post but, I just don't think it's going to happen today. It's been a long time since I've updated my blog and I'm not sure if it's a good thing that I don't have much to say or not. I have overcome a lot of the health problems that I was having as of my last post. It seems that the doc was right and it was acid reflux causing a lot of my problems. Apparently it's a lot wider spread problem because it seems that everyone that I talk to has had a bout of it or is suffering from it daily. Of course my doc put my on a prescription medication which I took until my symptoms were under control, at that point I started looking around for something a little more natural. I had seen a lot on the internet about apple cider vinegar helping. I don't usually put much stock in to a lot of alternative therapies, it seems that most alternative sites offer a lot of information without a lot of valid studies to back it up. I felt that trying ACV as an alternative would be fairly innocuous and probably wouldn't do any real damage if it didn't work. I've been using it for the last 2 months, so far so good. I have a glass with a tablespoon in the AM and then before I go to bed. I have little flare up's when I eat too late at night but other than that, I've been OK.
As for knitting and spinning, it seems that I've been doing a lot more on the spinning side. I finally finished a cowl that I started last month. I needed to complete something. I used the last of my hand spun green goodness that I used for my loop scarf. I like the pattern I think I like more of a twisty cowl so that I can tighten it around my neck. As for spinning, I've been doing a LOT, I seriously can't remember everything that I've been spinning since my last post. A couple of things pop out. Some nice black and red angora blend with sparkles, a BFL alpaca blend in a heathered twist. I also started the "Bandana cowl" with a bit of spindle spun that I dyed purple. It turned out sort of variegated with nice color splashes. I ran short right at the upper purl ridge cuff, I dyed some more today and I think I got pretty close, if not, it's OK to have a contrasting cuff.
Personal stuff, my car needed major work this week, drive shaft, wheel bearings, U joints. Not a cheap repair but at least I have mechanics that I trust to do the job right and for a fair price. Still taking the Kettlebell class. I added a core strengthening class for the last 6 weeks but they decided not to run it again and I think that for now once a week with doing a little bit at home here and there will work out better for me right now. No concerts coming up at this point, Uproar Fest in September was awesome, I was so glad to finally see A7X. They rocked it as did all of the other bands. Family and dog is status quo. Nothing else really changes, but like I said, maybe that's a good thing. Hope everyone is doing well out there in cyber land and life is treating you well.
It's been a while since my last update and as you might guess by the title of this post, things have not been going smoothly. After the last Apo gig, I got knocked back by a pretty serious upper respiratory infection. It lasted about 2 weeks, my thinking was that the gigs and the pace that I'd been keeping up finally caught up to me and knocked me on my butt. I was fine for a while then, the day before Memorial day, I started with a sore throat, I thought I'd hit the urgent care so that I could fend it off before it got really entrenched in my system. So much for that theory, I got really really sick with another upper respiratory infection. I was in bed for 3 days and then ended up with a lingering cough that lasted for the next 5 weeks. Then I got hit again, it was my 3 day weekend and I was really looking forward to it. I work up with a little bit of a sore throat but I just thought that it was allergies. Wrong....I got hit again. This was getting a little old. I kept coughing afterward but couldn't bring anything up and my energy level ways completely tapped out. Finally after much prompting from friends and co-workers, I went back to the doctor. I told him what was going on and he asked me some questions. Finally he said..."I think it's acid reflux". He must have seen the look on my face so he said "let me tell you why". His thinking is that because of the chronic irritation to my esophagus, I was having larynx and pharynx irritation that was turning in to a secondary infection, hence the repeated upper respiratory infections. He wrote me a script for some Pepcid and told me to watch what I ate and drank, especially late at night. I started on the Pepcid about 4 days ago and the coughing has subsided drastically and I feel a little more like my old self. I'm hoping that he's on the right track and so am I. All this an a minor surgical procedure at the end of June has really knocked me for a loop. I haven't felt like myself for a long time and I am more than ready to have my life back and my summer, what's left of it. I actually had a real weekend this last weekend. On Saturday I went to the Wine and Wool fest at the Sandhill Crane Vineyard. It was a really hot day but the sun was shining and I was happy to see my knitter girls that I haven't seen in forever. We hung out, drank wine and looked at all the goodies that the vendors had to offer. I only bought two batts. I was really behaving myself. When it came to the wine I tried probably about 10 different kinds including an ice wine. I bought 3 different white wines and 2 bottles of mead. I was also feeling well enough to make my Saturday AM kettlebell and Monday AM pilates class. I don't think I've done that in a couple of months.
As for anything fibery related, I have been doing a little spinning both on my trindle and my wheel. I finished spinning the wool Samoyed mix and I'm ready to ply it at some point. I also spun up one of the batts that I got at last year's W&W fest and plied it with a really nice earthy brown BFL. It turned out really organic and slubby. Luckily I found just the right pattern for it, I think it'll turn out really cool. As for knitting I finished my really ugly "at work socks", the yarn that I used was really not my favorite. The colors were really great but the yarn was splitty and not very hand friendly. I think I'm going to "donate" whatever I have left over. I'm really sort of sick of looking at it. Besides I have more than enough of finger friendly sock yarn to keep me going for quite some time.Currently working on another pair of River Rapids socks using Knit Picks Risata. I have NO idea why they discontinued this yarn. I'm also still picking away at the never ending shrug and the Egyptian mittens. As for anything personal, work is work. There have been some changes over the last year or so that have all of us sort of looking over our shoulder. It seems like there are things that are being put in place and we really have no idea as to what they are or where they are going to end up. I am just glad to be working in a field that I still enjoy with co-workers I still enjoy working with. Mr. Larj is status quo, he cancelled his War-crack account only to start up again. Meh...I'm not even going to try to compete with his pseudo-world. Maude is doing OK, her eyesight is getting worse but she still plugs away and is still pretty independent. Apparently Harry came in the mail to my sister and I'm going to have to try and get with her to get my "portion" of the ashes. She'd mentioned doing some other things with his ashes but I just want a little something for myself. Chief is getting old, really old for a Dal, he's 12. Like most old people he's having his fair share of health problems, his arthritis is getting pretty bad in his hips and he's having a hard time with holding his bowels. Usually at least once a week I'm awakened in the middle of the night to an "accident" that I have to deal with. It's stressful but...he's my boy.
Well that's about all new for now. There aren't any Apo concerts in the works but I see that Amon Armarth is going to be coming to St. Andrews Hall in a couple of weeks and Avenged Sevenfold will be at DTE in September. Might try to catch those. Everyone take care and stay healthy.
Call me obsessive, call me crazy...yeah I know. I am an Apoholic.
After I got back from my 2 shows in Flint and London I was FBing with my niece Tiffany. I told her that Apocalyptica was going to be playing at a club in Knoxville where she lives and that she should go with her boyfriend and check them out. I got a message back almost immediately..."are you coming down? I'll get tickets, I'll get your room ready". Well really...what could I do, I had to go. So I fanagled a Monday off of work and set about getting ready to go back on the road. I left Saturday after work, drove to Cincinnati that afternoon and evening, got up the next morning and drove the rest of the way to Knoxville. I met up with Tiff, we were so happy to see each other and really really psyched for the concert that night. After all it was going to be Tiff's first time and I promised her that she'd get to meet the band afterward. We left out early to the venue with Tiff and her BF Matt. I explained that we had to get there early because we were going to be right UP front. So we got there positioned right on the rail, actually there was space for one and Tiff sort of shoved me right up front and center. She's a firecracker that one ;-) There were a couple of opening bands and then Apocalyptica came on. It was an amazing show as usual and the crowd was really really in to it. I was so glad to see that because at first it seemed like the crowd was going to be kind of small and laid back. As the crowd got more in to the show so did the band so they really seemed to be enjoying their performance. It didn't take long in to the show for me to get spotted....Paavo lowered his eyes and gave me "the look". Tiffany was standing right behind me so she started pulling on my hair and saying "Aunt Marji he SAW you!". Paavo kept being really flirty with us all during the show even planting his cello right in front of us and doing a little hip shake. At the end of the show they played "I don't care" and I grabbed Tiff and pulled her right up next to me. Paavo seemed to be playing right to us and he even yelled something at us from the stage but I couldn't hear what he said. After the show was over Tiff was really going on about what a great show it was and how amazed she was by their musicianship and how they turned cellos in to a completely different instrument. We got matching hoodies and Tiff bought a CD to get signed by the band. Tiff and I stayed to wait for the band and Matt left for home. It didn't take long for the guys to come out. Mikko and Perttu were the first, I got some really nice shots of us with them that Kelli from NC graciously took. Mikko signed the shirt that I neglected to have him sign in Flint. Then Eicca came out and we got more great shots and hugs. Of course..we know who was last, Paavo. He was across the street and some fans had walked over to talk to him so Tiff and I did the same. He finally came over to us and said while pointing at Tiff, "Is this your very good friend? I said "No, this is my niece and this is her first Apocalypitca show". He got a look on his face walked right up to her and said "Hi,...I'm Paavo". He then got down on one knee and kissed her hand. I think her feet came up off the ground about a foot and I'm not really sure that they've touched ground since. ;-) We chatted for a couple of minutes. Got a couple of shots with him and Paavo hugs of course then we headed back to Matt's mom's house for the night. I got up the next day and hung out with Tiff for an hour or so and then hit the road again for the 8 hour drive home. It was amazing it was incredibly fun and I've created another rabid Apo fan...and Tiff let me know the other day that Apocalyptica is playing again in TN mid May. Am I going?........................
As for knitting stuff, very sloooowww going on the Retro Redux shrug. It's endless rows of yo K2tog and then yo P2tog on the wrong side. I know it's going to be cute when it's done but blurrrgghh. Then it'll be picking up stitches and K2 P2 ribbing for the border. I also started a pair of fingerless mitts out of my spindle spun hand dyed I don't think I'll have enough for both mitts so I'm spinning more and I'll have to try and match or possibly over dye to get a matching set. That's ok, it's all in good fiber fun. I'm dying to start something lace, a shawl or cowl or something and I've got my eye on a couple of "instant gratification projects as well. Any suggestions?
Personal stuff...I'm just getting over a case of killer cooties and now Mr. Larj is suffering from the same crud. Maude is up for driver re-examination, I don't really think she's going to pass this time. I guess that means that I'll have to up my child-parent responsibilities. Ergh. Hopefully the warm weather will be here shortly!!
I fed my obsession this last week with 2 Apocalyptica shows in a row! One on Tuesday night and one on Wednesday. It was amazing as usual and the band rocked harder than ever. I started out my 2 day excursion by hooking up with Michelle from Wisconsin. We had an early dinner and then headed to the show. We had VIP tickets so we got there early for the meet and greet. I had knitted items for the guys along with a six pack of "Siren" beer for Mikko (Siren is his last name). The meet and greet started out with an impromptu acoustic performance of Bittersweet with Eicca, Paavo and Perttu. It was amazing. At first I wasn't going to record but then I decided this will probably only happen to me once so I'd better get my camera out and record it for posterity. The guys were so close I could have reached out and touched them. During the performance I was smiling at Paavo and he looked up and gave me a wink. It's a miracle that I managed to hold it together. After they finished playing they put their cellos away and came back out with Mikko for the meet and greet. I had Perttu, Eicca and Paavo sign my shirt, I forgot to have Mikko sign it because I had extra prezzies for him and it was at the end of the meet and greet and they had to get backstage. I gave Eicca his loop scarf and he remembered that I'd given him one in September. He said that it kept him from getting the flu. ;-) Paavo said that he'd worn the humping deer hat a couple of times since I'd given it to him and he immediately put on the hat that I'd made for him. When I gave him his hat Mikko seemed genuinely surprised that I'd made something for him. I handed him the boxed beer and I told him.."be careful, there's beer in there. He seemed a little surprised by that too, like hmmm...why would someone give me beer. But as evidenced by this pic posted on FB this AM, I see that he knows why I gave it to him. Of course the best part of the meet and greets, Finnish cello boy hugs!! Michelle and I squeezed in up front and got ready for the show to start, it was amazing of course and the stage was so close that we could have reached out and touched it. The only problem with the small stage was that Perttu fell off of it! He stepped right off, landed on his tailbone and his right leg was bent backwards. He was a real pro and didn't drop his cello or miss a note. He finished up the show without any more incidents. After the show it didn't look like anyone was hanging out so I headed back to the hotel, said my goodbye's to Michelle and got ready for the next day. The breakfast at the Hotel was crappy so I drove to Port Huron and had a really late breakfast at Bob Evans. I crossed over the Blue Water bridge and headed to London. I got to my hotel and checked in, tried to take a catnap but there was a high school basketball team there making a ton of noise so a probably only got 15 minutes of sleep. I got ready and headed to the venue a little early. I'm glad I did there was very little parking and people were already starting to line up. I got in line and fortunately there was an overhang to stand under which was great because it was cold and rainy. When I got in the door Amy, one of my FB Apo pals was waiting for me. She'd secured a spot for us right up front. The set up was a little different, they had a pit with security and more of a barrier set up. The venue was larger as was the stage. The opening band was really good and they announced that they'd just been signed by Adam Grontier's label. Adam came out and sang on one of their songs. Apo took the stage and put on another amazing show, I think that they actually rocked it a little harder in London. Maybe it was because they had a larger crowd or a larger stage but they seriously brought it. There was even a mosh pit! That's only the second time that I've seen a pit at an Apo show, both in London ON. Crazy Canadians! ;-) Of course Adam came out and sang the lead on "I don't care" which was the song that he performed on the Worlds Collide album. It was so awesome to see the song performed with the original singer. I hung out after the show to say my goodbye's to the guys and give them the air freshener that I'd forgotten to give to them in Flint. I figured with 11 guys on the bus..they needed it. It took probably about an hour or so for the first of the guys to come out, I think it was Mikko and Perttu. I asked Perttu if he was OK and he said yes. I hadn't noticed any bruises or scrapes when he was on stage. I didn't get to chat with Mikko, he didn't stay out too long. Completely understandable if you've ever seen him on stage, I'm sure he's exhausted after a show. Eicca came out and when I had the chance I gave him the air freshener. His reaction was hilarious, he said "OH thank GOD!!" in his thick Finnish accent. He then made all kinds of wild spraying gestures and said that he sprays everything with it. He gave me massive amounts of hugs, he even gave me a huge squeeze and made huggy noises in my ear. (Squee) Of course the last one out...Paavo, nothing new there. Hugs, kind words and a photo. I headed back to the hotel and drove home the next day. No issues crossing the border this time. Phew!
Of course as for the knitted Apo prezzies...............
I realized that I forgot to get a picture of Eicca's scarf. I used the Purl ridge pattern, knitted it with my hand spun Shetland that I also hand dyed black with Wilton's cake dye. When I originally dyed the yarn it didn't fully take and when I knitted the scarf it was coming off on my hands PINK. I immediately got on to Ravelry in one of the dying groups and posted as to what was happening. As usual Ravelry saved the day and someone posted a solution to my dilemma step by step that I followed to a tee. It seemed to have worked and there wasn't any run off when I rinsed and blocked it on a white towel. I hope so anyway, I'd hate to see Eicca with pink hair! For Mikko and Paavo's hat's I used respectively the Traveller's hat and Claudia hat pattern and my favorite worsted Shepherd's wool. So soft and warm. Blue for Paavo and Grey for Mikko. I had a color in mind for Perttu's gloves and found the perfect black with red fingering weight on Etsy. I used the Fitted Fingerless glove pattern, no ends to weave in!
As for events on the horizon? Nothing concrete still taking kettlebell classes. I plan on trying to work on more pin-up photography. There are more events coming up in the spring as far as that goes. Other than that we'll see where life takes me. Just looking forward to warmer weather. I'm sure you are too!
There's something about this time of year that makes me a little crazy and this year seems to be exceptional. I don't know if it's being cooped up or a recent events but I feel the need to bust out and do something completely out of my normal realm of possibilities. Everyone who knows my moderately well knows that I'm a big fan of pin-ups and burlesque. I've always looked at it as an art form and it's style and grace has always appealed to me. I've taken a couple of burlesque courses over the last couple of months and have met some interesting people from the local burlesque and pin up community. Maybe it's a pipe dream or it's somewhere on my bucket list but lately I've had thought of trying to get my foot in the door at some of these events. I even did some self portraits in the pin up style just to see if I could pull it off. We'll see, this could be fun! Welcome to my mid-life crisis ;-) As for knitting and spinning, I've started Apo gifts round 2 as I'll be seeing them again at the beginning of March. I found a new pattern for fingerless gloves, some of the weirdest construction that I've ever done but....only 2 ends to weave in and NO gaps between the fingers to sew up. Yes, really! So hopefully these will fit Perttu, they're a little loose on me so they should work perfectly for him. The other guys will be getting cabled ski hats I haven't settled on pattern or colors yet. I don't think it's possible for me to top the "humping deer" hat.
I finished spinning the gold tencel blend it turned out shimmery and gorgeous. 500 yards of fingering/sport weight. I also spun 360 yards of BFL tencel in "grapevine" which has deep purple, green and brown. Really lovely. The gold will most likely turn in to the "Pogona" scarf, I think it's one of those pattern karma moments where it's absolutely perfect for the intended project. As for other things in life, not much else, still taking the kettlebell classes, Veronica really kicks my ass. She's tough but I have to say that over all I feel stronger and more toned. Work is work, I have been trying to go in, do the best I can with my patients and keep a low profile. Patient care is my priority not all of the politics and "processes". I mean, we are at the end of the day about people right? Other than that, I can't wait for winter to be over with. I am officially sick of the snow, sick of driving in it for sure. It was another white knuckle ride home yesterday. We had a surprise blizzard that dumped probably 3-4 inches of snow on us within a few hours. At least I have a couple of diversions scheduled, I have the Dirty Show on Valentines weekend and then Apocalyptica the first weekend in March. Can't wait! They should both be a really good time. Till next time keep warm and safe.
They say that dogs and their owners are a lot alike. I would have to say that's certainly true these days given the fact that my dog is a bit of a scatter brain with issues knowing what direction to go in. That's sort of how I'm feeling. For one thing my concerts got canceled and moved to March. Not really a big deal as my tickets are still good and I shouldn't have any problems re-scheduling my time off but, it was an "out" that I was looking forward to. That and I've had to sort of change around some other priorities in my life and start looking at what I need to do to take care of myself mentally and physically. The issue with making changes always is "where do I start". I started something this last Saturday that's a little different. I took a Burlesque class at Pole Addiction in Ferndale with Lily LaRue. It was just me and my pal Sarah so it almost felt like a private lesson. Very interesting though, not only did we learn a routine, we also learned a lot about the history of burlesque and about the local scene. I think I'm going to take the follow up lesson on pastie making. Something knitted perhaps? ;-) I also finished my second week session of the kettlebell classes that I have been taking at the community center. It's a really great workout and Veronica kicks our ass! I've really noticed a difference in how toned I am and my over all strength.
As for knitting stuff I have been working on simple but effective projects of late. I started and finished 2 cowls, one for me and one as a gift. I used the Cat Bordhi moebius cast on, cast on 66 stitches and knitted 4 rows, purled 4 rows until it was the size I wanted. I used my hand spun and hand dyed BFL, oh so soft and cozy. Of course my power knitting flared up my tendinitis so I've been taking it easy this week although I've started another pair of "pot luck mitts" out of a nice dark Noro blend. I should have those finished in no time. It's a really easy and well fitting pattern. Of course I've adapted it to magic loop as I avoid DPN's whenever possible. I also started and finished a pair of Fiber Trends felted clogs. My old pair finally blew out after 3 years of almost constant use. I used bulky weight yarn instead of double stranding these. They don't feel as compact as my last one's so it should be interesting to see how they wear.
As for spinning I'm working on a wool and tencel blend that is just beautiful, golds, coppers and some browns all beautifully blended. I have a little more work to do to fill the second bobbin then I can start plying. I tend to double ply everything, I think it makes a nice balanced yarn that holds up well. It's a little tricky to spin, very slick but I've been using a higher ratio so it seems to be twisting well. I think that I should end up with a fingering weight yarn that might be really nice for a shawlette or lacy scarf.
As for other going's on's? Mr. Larj had hernia surgery that he sailed through without a hitch. He's back to work and doing fine. My mom is doing OK, she seems somewhat lost but at the same time is coping with her changed circumstances. Work is work, I've been spending a lot more time on IPR lately which is not really my cup of tea, but I'm working which is a lot more than most people can say in this state. I also have not done a thing as far as getting ready for the holidays. I did a little online shopping but no decorating or tree up at this point. Maybe I'll just carve a X-mas pumpkin like I did last year ;-)
Hope to update more often but as we all know..sometimes there are detours.
Yeah it kind of feels that way, like life has been so crazy and hectic that I haven't had time to sit and think about anything to blog about. Not that there hasn't been a lot going on. Let's see, since the last time I was here...of course more Apocalyptica madness. I went to Chicago to see them at the House of Blues. I opted for the VIP package this time. It included some swag and a meet and greet with the band before the show. I have to say that the meet and greet was a bit of a disappointment. It was only about 20 minutes long and rather rushed feeling. Of course young cute and aggressive got most of the face time in with the band. I was hanging back and only managed to get in 2 autographs and of course a Paavo hug. I didn't even have time to give Eicca and Mikko their Merci scarves that I had knitted for them. So at the very last minute I gave Eicca both of the scarves and he told me that he would make sure that Mikko got his. Then it was time for the show. There were 2 opening bands, one was Evaline and the other was Dir En Gray. I thought Evaline was OK but personally Dir En Gray sucked and Michelle (another Apo stalker) and I went out in the lobby and chatted during their set. Then it was time for Apo to go on, their set was amazing and included a lot of their standard favorites and several of their songs from the new album. When it was pretty close to the end of their set a couple of local radio guys came out and announced that the band would be at an after party at the HOB VIP suite, first come first serve. Oh yeah....you KNOW that when it came to the end of their set I bolted and got in line. I texted Michelle and told her where I was at and she met me there. It was awesome, of course young cute and aggressive still got most of the face time but I at least got to chat with Mikko, get a shot with Perttu and got lots of face time with Paavo. I also met the touring singer with the band, Tipe Johnson. I told him I was Mrs. Johnson and he said "uh huh" and I said "no really". Of course this is when Michelle got the shot of me where I am having an "I Love Lucy" flashback look on my face. Completely ridiculous but all in good fun. All in all a really good time. While at the after party Paavo told me that there would be some unannounced gigs in this area at the end of November/December and sure enough they are playing in Flint on November 30th. Do I have my tickets already? You bet!
As for knitting and spinning, I have been doing a lot of really simple stuff. I made the 2 scarves for the Apo boys and then made another for myself using my hand spun. I have also been picking away on the "Seaweed Scarf" that I started this last spring at the Knit-away in Lexington. Next on my project list is a little utility knitting. My felted clogs finally sprouted a good sized hole in the heel. A sad day indeed, so now I am working on their replacement pair using the updated Fiber Trends pattern. Basically the same but it called for a second circ. in a funky size that I didn't have so Amy came to my rescue today with the perfect needle for me to finish the job. Yay! I can't be without my felted clogs. They are probably my favorite knitted item ever. Probably the most exciting fibery thing that I've had going on is the customization of my wheel "Ingiborg" I commissioned a local artist, Stephen Vincent, to do a Zombie sheep motif on my wheel. He came through in a big way and it looks absolutely AMAZING! I also had him paint a matching tote bag for me while he was at it. Baahhhraaains!! Still spinning, I really watch how much time and effort I spend doing it though. I've gotten a reprieve from the tendinitis and I don't care to have another flare up any time soon. Not only was it painful but incredibly debilitating as well.
Other new? Well I've started a kettlebell class. It's sort of an aerobic and weight combo type of thing. I really like it and it gives you a really fantastic work out. It's at the community center right by my house so I don't have any excuse to miss it. I'm also trying to convince Maude to get a dog. She really needs something. She is completely bored without someone to bitch at. I don't really know how she's doing otherwise as she keeps herself pretty closed. Now I know where I get it from. Mr. Larj, sick as Hell. He caught the cooties that I had last week and now he's completely miserable. He's also back at playing Warcraft. So much for joining the real world...meh.
Fall is here the leaves are turning. I have a lot going on. You know me, I'm not one to let the grass grow under my feet. Upcoming events are the Zombie walk in Hazel Park, the Washtenaw fiber fest, Jenny's wedding and of course...more Apocalyptica!
Paavo's reaction upon receiving his "Fornicating Deer" hat after the concert?..........Priceless.
Of course, everyone knows that I stalk....I mean follow Apocalyptica whenever they are in the states. I try to make as many gigs as I possibly can. This was my second time this year and my fifth time seeing them over all. It was amazing, awesome and phenomenal. What can I say? I'm a fan. Last week I found out that they were doing a gig in Chicago at the House of Blues on Sept. first. When I relayed this information to my co-workers, they all chimed in and said "go put in your time off request now because you already know that you're going". I guess they know me all too well. So, that's exactly what I did. Then of course I got online and purchased my ticket. I sprung for the VIP ticket this time, I'm not sure all what that entails but I know that a meet and greet with the band before the show is part of it. At that point their new CD will have been out for a couple of weeks so I hope to hear a lot more of their new stuff.
As for Paavo's reaction? I waited out by the bus with some other fans after the concert and when I had the chance I saw Paavo and walked up to him got my "Paavo hug" and then told him that I'd made something for him. I told him that I knew he liked to ski and I'd made him a little something to keep his head warm. I took the hat out of the ziploc that I had it stored in and and he said "Oh.." as I unfolded it he took it and when he saw the pattern he threw his head back and gave a huge belly laugh and put it on immediately. He LOVED it. :-) It really capped off my evening.
To add to my crazy weekend I went to see Iron Maiden with my "little sister" last night. It was a great time. The crowd was totally in to the music and of course everyone went nuts when Eddie came out on stage. Bruce Dickenson is one of the most amazing vocalists out there, they don't call him the "air raid siren" for nothing. They played a lot of their old stuff that I was not as familiar with but, I like that. Though I enjoy the classics it's nice to broaden my familiarity with their music. As for knitting and spinning...well, you already know that I finished the hat. I haven'tstarted anything new yet. I probably need to address some of the UFO's lurking in my knitting basket. I did however spin and ply some of the softest yummiest BFL with some roving that I dyed myself. The colors and the yarn turned out beautiful and oh so soft. It's probably somewhere between a worsted and a chunky weight. I'm thinking, something against the skin would be great, maybe a cowl. I am missing my lace knitting though so I have the feeling something along the lines of a shawl might jump on to my needles some time soon.
What has Mr. Larj been up to? Working sporadically, the printing biz does tend to slow down in the summer time. Of course this leads to a little bit of panic every year but by fall it usually picks up. In this economy however, who knows, anything is possible. He has been getting out of the house more though and actually went to Apo with me on Friday!
Everyone have a great week and if you want to check out the rest of my photo's from the gig here's the link to my flickr page.
It's sort of weird when someone close to you passes. This is my first experience with losing a parent but I think it makes you reflect a little bit on your life and where you're going with it. I'm sure the next few months will bring out even more emotions and changes. I just hope that I don't go in to a full blown mid-life crisis, although Mr. Larj claims that I'm already there with my Apocalyptica obsession. Speaking of which, 9 more days WOOT!!
Given the events of the last few weeks, I've tried to squeeze in a little time for calming my thoughts which of course includes spinning and a little knitting. I spun the most gorgeous and amazing batt from Frankie Love. She is one of my Saturday spinning pals and has great taste in belts :-) I've also been working on a little spindle spinning. I still probably spend about 50% of my spin time on my spindles. I even crafted a CD spindle this last week. I had wheel spun 2 full bobbins worth of chunky funky wooly goodness only to realize that there was no way that I'd be able to ply it on my wheel without a jumbo flyer. I came up with the idea that if I had a really large spindle I could use that. Off to Lowe's where I purchased a 3/8" dowel rod, corresponding electrical grommet, and small cup hooks. With a little sanding and assembling I was able to ply all of the wool in to one skein without any difficulty and it plied beautifully.
As for knitting I've been picking away at the "Fornicating Deer" hat, it's coming along. I'm not too sure about the finished size though. As I was knitting along it seemed that it was unusually long for a hat so I checked a few Ravelry projects and it looks like most people finished their length after completing the deer portion of the chart. Of course this meant a little frogging to get back to where I think the decreases should start. We'll see, color work is still fairly new territory for me. As for the intended recipient.....think I'll keep that one under my hat. ;-)
As for other going's on, I know people have been wondering how Maude is doing through all of this. All I can say is that she seems to be doing well at this point, however, she's had a lot of company and my sister Gus was in town until yesterday. I think that now is when things will get complicated, after all we are your typical Irish family, we put the fun in dysfunctional.
As for fun stuff...of course Apocalyptica is coming on the 16th and on the 17th Iron Maiden! I've never seen Maiden but I've always been a fan of their music and of course Bruce Dickenson is amazing on so many levels. Not much after that as far as events. I might have to lay low for a while, Mr. Larj's work is slowing down and given the state of the economy who knows what will eventually transpire. The best news of all though is that my tendinitis is finally starting to ease up, the exercises and icing has really really helped and now my days are for the most part pain free. Yay! I have also been timing myself as far as hand work and trying to break things up. I'm afraid my days of marathon knitting and spinning are over with. Oh well, it gives me more incentive to get back in to other things that I really need to focus on like my metalwork. Stay cool everyone!
ter weather that is eventually going to hit. I don't want to jinx myself but thus far the winter has been pretty mild, mid 30's to 40's on some days and no s-n-o-w. I've been spinning on my Trindles quite a bit. I've even gifted myself another pair of arms and a fancy shaft! The new arms spin somewhere between a worsted and sport weight. Still plucking away on the lovely blue-ish lace weight on my wheel. I switch my bobbins between that an a really basic worsted. I can only spin lace weight for so long, then my eyes and fingers start to cross. I also broke my own rules this year and knitted an X-mas prezzie. I made a Star Wars hat for my friend Billy, an action hero uber geek. I bit the bullet and decided a week before X-mas to start this project. I can't believe I finished it in time including blocking. Color work is not really my favorite knitting and using 3 colors was a real challenge but his reaction made it all worth it. I used the charts from 
Rav and "babzer's" project notes. I love it when someone else does the math! I alternated between the Storm Trooper and R2D2 motif's and worked a "May the force be with you" band at the bottom. Next on my knitting list will be more utility knitting as my Fibertrends felted clogs just blew through the heel. Note to self and others, double strand worsted, don't use single strand bulky. NOT the same as far as wear.
