A Little Catch-up

In no particular order here, we have:

-- A drum carder with some fantastic red that Jamin and I dyed from plain brown. It is stunning!

-- We have a cabletini-toe-up sock being worked on for the Cabletini knit along that is going on through the Brass Needles Podcast (my podcast is located at www.brassneedles.com or can be downloaded through your favorite podcatcher).

-- We also have a finally finished baby sweater for one of the cutest little girls that ever lived. I hope it's still cool enough where she lives for her to wear it sometime!

-- And we have my writing backwards on the window "All your base are belong to us" in vain hopes that the window washers or others may appreciate it...... the joys of a window at work are many and varied.

The Lucha Statue!

And here we see what happens when I have an old gauge swatch, some loose yarn on a needle, and my boss' unattended statue. This statue - usually of a resolute old man with long beard (still visible under the luchador mask) - stays facing out the window of my boss' 6th floor window. It's job was to bring in business. Now - it's job is to bring the smack-down! Because, when you're going to be out of work in three months, why not mess with your boss just a little?

I stole the statue while the boss was at a meeting. I sewed the gauge swatch to the statue at my desk, then walked it around showing my team-mates. Then I snuck it back in his office. But then I realized that I didn't have a picture - so I went and borrowed a camera from the IT guy, re-stole the statue, and ran to the mail room so I could take more pictures - dodging the boss when I ran into him, holding the statue behind my back and distracting him with political talk. Then I re-replaced the statue, returned the camera, and waited at my desk for the boss to notice, giggling to myself at my own cleverness. (yeah, I'm a dork)

Proof that it was a good decision?
1. I'm still employed
2. He left it on the statue


Rock on!!


~ miss k

In this post we see the Borg Beanie in it's initial stages. First, the borg beanie during creation (during fabrication?). Next, we see a pictures of the Borg Queen. According to my scribbling, she is both gooey and scary. I still maintain this view.

in this doodle, we see me designing the borg beanie. The doodles are me deciding what hardware and knitting need to be where, and also rough sketches of a really happy little cartoon person wearing the completed beanie.

Spinning at a winery is a-ok by me!

Why hello!

I just got back from Livermore, at the Retslaff (sp?) Winery. It was a spinning event with a potluck lunch and wine tasting available for $5. Wine and spinning do mix! Who knew? However, drinking and buying don't mix, so I made my meager purchases before I did the wine tasting. I am smart! I did purchase 1 fleece in a medium gray, but I dropped it off for processing, so I won't get it back for a few months. I am going to end up with parts of a dark blackish-brown and a white as well. Those, Jasmin and I will settle up over later, when they are back.

What else? Sleepy, happy, working on my cabletini socks for the knit along on the brass needles podcast.

BayCon

Ok, so i don't have any of the pictures in yet - and I forgot my camera, so it might be a while until I can track some down, but we just finished baycon 2009. baycon was again a very fun convention, sort of light on the panels this year, with two of the main big names (the only ones I recognized except Peter Beagle - and I know I just misspelled that) cancelling last minute due to illness. However, as I don't attend for the panels (which is, to my mind, like saying that you read playboy for the articles, it might be true, but no one believes you), I wasn't upset. I did, however, make it to my first panel ever at a baycon - and it was on podcasting. And, as I feared they might, they poked a little fun at the fact that I was a knitting podcaster. Although, I will point out that one of the panelists enjoys BOARDGAMING podcasts. Ahem. And they think knitting podcasts are lame? We'll just leave that one alone, shall we?

What else? Many parties, I made friends with the Klingons again (so goes my tradition), and even got my copy of The Unincorporated Man signed by the authors! yay! I helped JD Sawyer of the Polyschizmatic Reprobrates Hour (say that 5 times fast) podcast do a team interview of the writers. Hopefully I'll get some of that from Dan soon to put on my own podcast.

in other news, have great plans to design a borg beanie (don't ask - well, go listen to the podcast for explanation). Not going smashingly yet as I keep not being sure where I want it to fit on the back of the head, and worrying whether or not I can get away with enclosing an entire eye for the lazer. Desicions, decisions!

Oh! And I received a Hall Costume Award at Baycon for - wait for it - originality in Knitted Steampunk accessories. Hilarious and wonderful!

Pictures when i get some!

I'm Famous!

Well, maybe not famous, but I did just find that part of a short interview I did while teaching knitting at SteamPowered Convention in October made it into an article online. The article is with Bizarremag.com. I would like to point out that I did not drop a stitch. link here. http://www.bizarremag.com/bizarre-world/parties/7664/steam_powered.html

There's even a picture of me teaching someone to knit in the sidebar! Squeeee!

Victory Garden Creation

Over at Casa de Kalendar, we decided to put in a victory gardent, reminiscent of WWII campaigns to conserve. See the pictures below for the miraculous transformation.

Mother's Day Purse

When you have an idea that is perfect for someone, you just have to move on it.
Case in point - the mother's day bag for the Fiend's mom. It's all silk purchased at Stitches West this year in February, but i didn't want to post it until after it was gifted. It's about mid-knee length with the full strap, and expands large enough to fit about a 7 year old kid (if you'd be interested in putting one in your carry-all bag).

Ms Kalendar Wears an Awesome Red Dress to a Wedding and Drinks Beer

Oh my God do I love that dress.




So here I am in my native habitat - dressed up, drinking, and haging on men. Sigh. Could life be more fun? The wedding was completely non-traditional and a lot of fun. And, well, anywhere I get to wear a dress that's been sitting in my closet for over a year with the tags still on is a good outing, in my opinion.

Miss Kalendar Does Easter Weekend.

Well, I just uploaded Episode 2 of Brass Needles, which you can find at Brassneedles.com or get from Itunes. I feel accomplished.

However, why not see what I was up to on Easter Weekend? As you can see from the pictures, Meri_Sefket and I were out at Lacis on Saturday. This would be the textile museum in Berkley/Oakland. it is fabulous. And beware, there are great things to buy, like busks for corset making or lace-making supplies, books (such as the one I was perusing), and bone knitting needles and crochet hooks, as well as thread, yarn, etc., for all of your dirty little hobbies. It was hard to walk out of there with just a set of bone needles and a copy of piecework about re-creating WW2 socks.

There are no pictures of my sassy 1950's cocktail dress on Easter morning, but there are pictures of drinking wine and watching Xena from Easter night. Now that's what I consider to be an excellent Easter Weekend. Nothing says good times like 90s television and good red wine. Of course, Miss K loves her red wine any day of the week, with any hobby.

Podcast!

Brass Needles, my knitting, sci-fi, steampunk, cosplay, gaming, etc. etc. podcast is now up.
(thanks for J D Sawyer of polyschizmatic reprobates hour and antithesis. Visit him at www.jdsawyer.net

It is not on Itunes yet. But I will work on that soon.

You can visit it and download at www.brassneedles.com

Ta!

Miss Kalendar's new 'do and friend.

Posted by request of C.L., the Metamor City mastermind.
So, I posted a picture of he and I hanging out to make it fair.

Shawl for grandma finished

Here are the pictures of the shawl I knitted for my grandmother. It's the swallowtail shawl from Interweave. I believe you can purchase the pattern through their website.

Miss Kalendar has been knitting a bit

There will be a longer post later, but I wanted to pop and say that I finished a shawl and a pair of knucks, both of which I am very happy with. I am in the middle of the frankensocks, and just a few pieces from being ready to sew the baby sweater together.

Never doubt the power of Star Trek movies to help the knitting mojo along!

Monogamy in Knittin? How disgusting!

I've somehow managed to become a fairly monogamous knitter in the past month. This is good and bad. While it means that I finished my grandmother's shawl (a congratulations on kicking cancer's butt again gift) and it is out blocking, and also have already almost managed a recycled sari silk market bag for an SOs's mom, it means that the project not currently foremost (the baby sweater) has moved only incrementally closer to completion. I know that the issue with this is that I don't like the yarn. But as this is the correct type of yarn (aka, not going to trip the baby's allergies and is machine washable and drier-safe), I need to stop winching and just get going. I believe there are three pieces to the sweater and I am almost done with the 1st, which leaves me 2 smaller pieces and some finishing only. My goal is to have it done by the end of the month, so long as work doesn't eat me first.

Then, I get to focus full time on the frankensocks. I am in love with them - so it's only fitting that I am making them for someone very cool. This guy seems to appreciate knit gifts, so I won't be as crabby making the largest size and going on forever because he is endowed with large feet as I could be.

In other news, Miss Kalendar got a brand new car. I'll have to go take a picture of her so I can put it up on here. She's GORGEOUS. I am in love with my car - but I'm pretty sure that's a normal American thing to do.

~ Miss K

Miss Kalendar Likes to Dress Up

Cosplay, Re-enacting, and Dressing up in general are all parts of my life. One of the things I like best is to get into costume and then go somewhere mundane. I like that people stare and I like to think that they may get inspired to dress up as well. Once, at a Burger King after Dickens Fair, in my full Christmas Victorian, a little girl was staring at me. In a whisper, not moving her eyes from my dress, she asked her mother, "Is she a princess?" I loved that moment. I love feeling like I'm showing people, especially children, that dress-up doesn't have to end just because you grew up. That you can be who you want and wear what you want in your free time. Granted, I can't dress up this way at work, but that's why they pay me to go there, not the other way around.

So, here are some pictures of my friends and I going to the Scarlet Pimpernel Ball (I know I must have just misspelled that......) Miss Kalendar is in the cream flowered dress, they man is in pirates, and the fiend is in red.

Miss Kalendar takes up Spinning

So......I have been wanting a spinning wheel for a long time. I have browsed craig's list for one for months, and have practiced my drop spindling for about 2 years. Drop spindles are great for re-enacting because they are period (for some of what I re-enact) and because they are portable. With a background in knitting and drop spinning, I determined that I should get a wheel if I could find one at a decent price. It would save me money in the long term because I would buy my knitting supplies in roving form, spin to yarn, and then knit. Thus, I would be adding in an extra step of entertainment for my money - and I was sure that the roving would cost less than the completed yarn, giving me a way to effectively 'work-off' the cost of the wheel. And if this went well, I could try getting raw fleeces or non-dyed roving and process or dye it myself. This may sound very silly to the more experienced spinners, who will assume that I don't know what I am getting myself into, but I have spinning friends with whom I have debated the merits and flaws, and I am the sort of person who follows through.

Well, I did find a wheel at a decent price - an Ashford Traditional, already built, stained a lovely warm color, and the proceeds went to a weaving website much like Ravelery. How could I say no? I'd already decided that my first, and maybe only wheel would be an Ashford and had read up on the wheel and spinning on them. I purchased the wheel and brought her home. Then, a friend gave me some roving out of her stash (and some locks, and some cotton, and some linen), and I begun. I will admit, I spun several singles together, working on tension and evenness, and then ruined the whole lot by plying them together backward. I ended up with the dog's breakfast....and only made it worse when I tried to re=ply them the correct way. This is why I began with my lowest quality, oldest roving, from when I was just learning on my drop spindle. I haven't had a chance to finish enough singles to ply again yet, but I'm hoping that I will now that I have finished and submitted my knitting masters level 1.

~ Miss Kalendar

Miss Kalendar goes to Stitches West!

Well, it's official, I am a yarn nerd. This year, I finally made it to Stitches West. I'd only heard of it last year and then, only after it had come and gone. This was a huge disappointment, and one that would have been repeated this year if one of my friends hadn't booked it on my calendar for me. Stitches was a few days after I returned from my Florida/NC trip, and there is no way I would have remembered through the haze of catching up at work and at home (and dealing with the ending paperwork and mechanic stuff from my accident in December), if she hadn't been sure to remind me of it.

So, these pictures, in no particular order, are my friends and I at stitches. I won't be using names as I'm not sure what they want to be called. Needles to say, there were no cameras allowed inside, so the countless times I smooshed my face into yarn will live on only in the memories of those present. (Which is good since it's sort of yarn-perv habit). The haul was pretty good. I purchased a bag of sari silk yarn, 10 small skiens, on the way cheap, some gorgeous wool/silk fibre, and a device to hold the yarn from my wrist for walking and knitting. I was very careful with my purchases.....but that was mostly due to the restraining influences of my friends rather than any tendency for restraint on my part.

The last thing I bought was a Navajo Spindle. It was the largest one I had seen at the convention. I then walked around flaunting it in an attempt to inspire "Spindle Envy." I don't yet know how to use it, but I intend to learn. Besides, if I am still re-enacting the Rennaisance, it makes a hilarious prop as an overgrown drop-spindle.

One of the best things about Stitches West was that I met the Knitmore Girls, our local San Jose area podcasters. They were just as charming in person as their podcast. I very much enjoyed talking to them.

Needless to say, I can't wait to go next year and see another room full of yarn and fibre and my kind of people.

- Miss Kalendar

Miss Kalendar is homeward bound and what she knitted on the trip

The two flights home from North Carolina took all day, literally, even though I had to run through the airport to make my connecting flight and, thus, didn't manage to get anything to eat (note the deathly pallor). This post features pictures from the airport and what I knitted while on my trip. I'm in the Lime and Violet sock marathon 2009 in Ravelry, and this trip allowed me to double my goal and knit two pairs of socks in one month. Good thing, since I don't know if my job and upcoming podcast ambition will allow me to keep up with the marathon over the next few months.

The completed items are the Kew socks from Knitty.com and the Whisper Lace Socks that were available on Ravelry. The Whisper Lace Socks had a picot cuff with a construction that I'd never seen before. Ingenious picot! I very much enjoyed making both pairs of socks. The Kew have a great leafy lace that is just charming, and the Whisper Lace socks have a darling eyelet back, which is nice and stretchy in order to hug the ankle and widen over the calf.

Miss Kalendar's Trip to North Carolina

After Florida, Miss Kalendar went to North Carolina to visit some of her favorite people. Obviously, one of these people is very photogenic.......and very adorable.

Those bright blue eyes and little smile, could you just die? Miss K had a lovely time playing with the baby, and has a baby-sweater on the needles because of this trip.

(And I just couldn't resis the cute little shower-smiley picture. Do all babies love bath time this much?

Miss Kalendar's Trip to Florida

Hello Everyone. Normally, I try to post things around when t hey happen, but I've been busy at work and then I lost my camera with all of the pictures in it. Luckily, the camera has been found. Not so luckily, I am home sick with the flu (again). But this does afford me the ability to catch up on my posts - and it's a good thing, too, because a lot has happened. First, my trip to Florida to visit my grandparents. Grandma just got out of surgery, and my mother and I went to help.

Featured at right are the daily Plate 'O Fruit that Grandfather takes an hour or more each morning to cut. Every person is required to eat their share.

Next is his Portrait of Che. This explains so much about the old man.....

Lastly, a picture of the patriarch, himself, pretending to have a heart attack over the price of red peppers at the grocery store.