change is good/bad

So, somehow, at the same time, it is both an incredibly sad and happy day today.

Sad news first: my boss, Carl Huff, passed away today. He had been sick with bronchitis for the past couple months, and he wasn't a young guy, and it escalated. He actually has been in the hospital all week with his family, and I am thankful that he did not suffer for an extended period of time.

This, of course, makes me Manna's permitting specialist extraordinaire, which is scary

Good news: WE GOT A NEW APARTMENT. Oh yes. Just me and Blake and the kitties. And in the city! Petworth, to be exact, in the NW. It's a really cute neighborhood, and within walking distance from Columbia Heights and a short drive to Adams Morgan. We're moving in Feb. 6th. I am so stoked. It's going to be swank and awesome. I get to go on Friday and bring paint chips for the owner, as he's letting me pick out the new colors for him to paint before we move in. Since it's a basement apartment, averything is going to be painted light and airy. In summation, my new apartment with Blake is going to be FLY. And sans crazy, messy roommates.

So I've been knitting up a storm and I FINALLY finished something. The Branching Out scarf fot my mom.

I took this before finishing the last repeat and adding the fringe, but last night I got all that done. Now I just need to block it and sew the labels in. And it's a terrible picture, mostly because I DESPERATELY need a haircut. Must find time for that this week. I'll post a better picture of the scarf tonight, promise. Myoshi, my mascot, has been helping me get all my knitting done.

Yeah, she's cute.

Last week, these came in the mail:
Yeah, I know, all these are crappy pictures. What can I say, my camera battery was dead, so I had to use le phone. Anyway, these are clothing care labels from Namemaker.com. Katie got me custom labels from them last Christmas, and I decided to order ones that specify to my recipients whether or not their gifts can be hand or machine washed. Very nifty. If you want some, click on the above link and pay $12.00 for each packet of 100. Mine say "Machine Washable, Tumble Dry" and "Hand Washable, Drip Dry". I like to avoid disasters with my knitted goods.

So, now I need to finish the Little Gems Mitts for Constance. Maybe I can get it done by...Friday? Ugh! I need to SERIOUSLY pump out the knitting this weekend and hold off on packing until after Christmas. Even though I want to pack up NOW. No really, I could not get out of there soon enough.

Mr. Carl Huff, you will be missed.

MENTAL MELTDOWN...licious

Ok guys, so I'm freaking out! I have so so much more to do knitting-wise and not a ton of time to do it. I was planning on getting some progress done this weekend but umm...suffice to say that a lot of dramatic bullshit happened between us and our roommates, and once again, anything leisurely took the backburner....ug. So, in the interest of organization, here's what I HAVE to get done as far as gifts go and what can be given to the recipients late (although I HATE giving gifts to people late!)

Gifts that neeeed to get done:

-Mom's Branching Out scarf (it's not too far from being done, so I'm not worried about this one)
-Dustin's fingerless gloves
-Emilie's Pencil Scarf (I'm worried about this one, it'll take some time)
-Katie's Endpaper Mitts (I may change this project into a hat and make her mitts later...as her hat from last year got stolen and I just HAPPEN to have some black Cascade 220 left over from Lala's SECRET gift)
-Little C's Little Gems Mitts (Also, not too far from being done)

Gifts that can be sent out later:

-Melody's scarf (This is the first project I started, and it's the slowest thing EVVVVVER. However, since I gave her a cweet hat for her birthday, I'm sure she won't be toooo disappointed to get her xmas gift late)
-Lauren's second gift (I've got something cute planned that I'm going to send her later...maybe for a bday gift?)
-Little C's Kittyville Hat (I may be able to whip this one out since it's a hat, but since Constance is getting the mitts for ther bday on Dec 23rd, I'll send out her xmas gift later)
-Mom's bday gloves (my mom is understanding and awesome, and I'm sure she'll be pleased to recieve gloves later)
-Doug's Eraserhead Pillow
-I was also supposed to knit a mega-cabled scarf for Melissa.....but I still need to get the yarn...it's such a quick and fun knit. My only concern is getting that monster of a scarf into a package to send out! I'll need a refrigerator box to ship that thing!

And the Stripey hat? Nope. Now that hand-picked (and quite pricey) O-Wool will be a hat for me. Sorry, but my handmade items are reserved for only the most awesome of people, and she is not on that list. No, I'm not a total bitch, I've just had a rough weekend (and so has poor Blake). And in case you're wondering, YES, I have a lot of people in my life with birthdays right next to Christmas. And YES, it sucks kinda. And YES, I like to type in caps....kind of a lot.

I started the Artist's Way on Saturday, and it has made me feel so much more positively about everything. Also, the Morning Pages have been helpful in letting me get all my bitching out onto a page so I can move on and be amazing (as usual :).

Sorry for the lack of pictures! Here's a little something to quench your visual thirst, doods:
Oh my Hugh! Shameless....I know...I'm embarrassed now. But seriously, YOU CANNOT DENY THAT SWAGGER. It's enough to make a girl add "-licious" to the ends of all her words...

How do you solve a problem like Cecilia?

Ok, so today was eventful.

First, some of the design team (it's fun to say team, isn't it? MY TEAM. I like it.) and I went on a site visit to an AIDS hospice which needs to be turned into a (mostly) accessible space...and while the existing plans are nightmare-ish and a lot needs to be done in terms of drawing and planning which makes me anxious, it was a pretty moving experience. And the thing is, most of the people I work with have been working non-profit for years and have seen the most destitute, poor, and sickly situations that DC unfortunately contains (as do all big cities); therefore, the emotional toll that such visits take on a little ol' Kentucky gal like myself tend to be much greater than those of my collegues....in short, I'm green. And although I don't believe any member of my company to be totally jaded to such situations, the fact is, most of what Manna does is this kind of stuff, so they see it and know it. Anyway, we came in and the residents of this hospice were literally singing at the top of their lungs...you could hear it from outside. I don't know, what I'm trying to say is that I feel lucky to be alive, and I feel lucky to belong in a world/city that has people to open hospices for the sickly and to build houses for the not-so-fortunate. I realize it's cheesy, but there you have it.

Another thing! Carl, the much older (and much wiser) boss of me, permit specialist extraordinaire, is retiring pretty soon I think. Here's how the conversation went with us in the car on the way to the above mentioned site:

Bob: Carl, it sounds like you could use a trip to the Mexican Riviera soon....maybe passing on the torch would make your health in better condition (Carl's been a bit sick lately).

Carl: I was just thinking the same thing this morning.

Bob: So Cecilia, you about ready to take up the reins?

Me: Umm...can I have a trip to the Mexican Riviera before I do that?

Bob: Well, you know what they say...sometimes you're born into greatness, sometimes it's bred into you, and sometimes it's thrust upon you forcefully....

Me: Yep. Whatever works, Bob. (*laughs all around on the outside, long deep siiiiiiigh in my head*)

I would of course welcome the pay raise that would eventually come with the position, but man, do I have a lot more to learn. Scary! I do love Manna, though. Everyone is so nice and awesome that I take them for granted sometimes. I guess I won't really be able to say that work is boring once I have Carl's job....yikes.

Speaking of which, there's a work holiday party tonight that I want to go to in a way, but it doesn't start for another 2 hours, so it may be skipped. I'm way more awesome and ambitious than I'm making myself sound today. Oh well. In the next post, I'll go back to the regularly scheduled knitting/reading/crafty-ness banter. Cil ouuuut.

P.S. Who wants to watch The Sound of Music right now aside from me? Anyone? Anyone?

Knitters are dangerous...DUH

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Nailed 'Em - Radical Knitting

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

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Originally posted by Mason-Dixon Knitting.....hilarious.

...or should I say, she once had me

I love Thanksgiving.

This one was especially awesome. It was so fun hanging out with Lauren and Katie, and I'm ecstatic that my boo Dougie T is moving to Philly! I wish all my boos would move closer to me. Yep. Especially since the drive to KY is sooooooo long. But luckily, I had a Blake and an Ipod to keep me entertained (and awake).

So, I finished Mel's Big Green Beret, but I forgot to get pictures! Oh noes. So I've been texting her to take pictures herself, but she's a busy lady. I'll just have to keep bugging her. I will say that the hat turned out adorable, and seemed to fit Mel perfectly. Awesome.

In other knitting news, I'm just trucking along with the gifts, but to be honest I'm kind of wanting to read more than I want to knit these days. With that said, I still have a slew of gifts to finish. ug. Until I can get some pictures up, here are the books I've bought in the past week:

• The Best American Non-Required Reading 2008 - I bought the 2007 one and liked most everything I read. I think I'd like to get the ones before 2007 as well...
• The Artists Way (Julia Cameron) - This book is awesome. I think it's been around for a little while, and it focuses on unblocking creativity. I was sold on it after my bff recommended it to me.
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (F. Scott Fitzgerald) - I think this movie looks so so awesome (I love Brad Pitt and the movies he does) and I really want to read the book before I see the movie.
• Norwegian Wood (Haruki Murakami) - I love Murakami (duh), and this is one I haven't read. From my understanding, it is his most popular novel in Japan.
• Custom Knits (Wendy Bernard) - amazing and super duper inspiring
• Knitting New Mittens and Gloves (Robin Melanson and Tyllie Barbosa) - Yum. Gloves. Some sweet patterns in here and tips for designing gloves.

I buy too many books. When I get in phases, I get obsessed....and go crazy. Speaking of which, I saw "Australia" with my mom and Constance on Saturday...and now I'm obsessed with Hugh Jackman. See the movie if you haven't already. IT'S AWESOME.

Slowly getting things done.

mounds of love

The "mounds" in that Kate Bush joke relates to boobs or candy bars....your choice.

One of my bosses (the one who drives us downtown and who I directly report to and will eventually replace when he retires) has been out a lot for the past two weeks because he's been sick. So, it's been pretty slow around here lately. Booooring. Although we supposedly have a "field trip" today...but that's going to be boring too. Blaaaaah.

So to alleviate my boredom and to perhaps incur boredom in you guys, here are a few patterns that I'm excited to knit (it's all in ze ravelry queue):

1. Noro Striped Scarf by Jared Flood (of Brooklyn Tweed) - Everyone's doing it or has done it, specifically the Yarn Harlot who is in 1x1 ribbed Noro obsession right now...

2. The Inga Hat by Sheila Macdonald - It's not a beret or slouchy, but it's damn pretty. I want it in gray and cream.

3. Entrelac Scarf by Allison LoCicero - Been wanting to make this one for FOREVER

4. Swiss Cheese Scarf by Winnie Shih (Ravelry download) - This calls for lace weight yarn which makes me want to gouge my eyes out, but gosh, it's a cute scarf. Maybe a mod is in order.

5. Selbu Modern by Kate Gagnon - This beret is sooooo pretty. And I had the pleasure of seeing it knit up at Stitches East. I want it. And I want it to be soft and fuzzy.

6. Cashmere Fingerless Gloves by Whitney at the Purl Bee - These are so simple and adorable...Purl Bee is my favorite knitting site as of late...

....and about a million hats. I'm really into them right now. They make big hair like mine look awesome. And it's balls cold outside.

My mom is in DC at her hotel in Dupont working, and I just got out of a 4 hour field trip/meeting. There was pizza though, so it was all ok. But I may sneak out early since I'm technically done for the day....yeeeeahhh. I could use some Caribou coffee.

Anyway. I'm going to finish the Little Gems Mitts this week....ish. I just HAVE TO FINISH SOMETHING. I already started to cast on another project last night until I had to smack my own hand. And getting that yarn in the mail won't help matters. Phooey. I WISH MY HANDS WERE LIKE LIGHTNING. So I could finish all this stuff, quick.

what's cooler than being cool?

So I'm expecting a couple skeins of yarn from Yarnzilla tomorrow. I'm pretty excited about it. Not that I need more yarn, of course.

The top one is the yarn that I'm going to use to remake Melody's hat, but I'll be making it with the Big Blue Beret pattern. I think it suits her more. The other two I got just for fun (and they just happened to be on sale). 2 skeins of Noro Silk Garden Lite (in the above shown colorway) and 3 skeins of Misti Alpaca Suri Silk. You all know I can't resist Noro...or Alpaca.....

But! I do have a plan in mind. I'm going to start writing patterns soon. Yup! I'm starting with simple constructions like hats, scarves, and mittens, and then incorporating different stitch designs. What has brought on this new confidence, you ask? This book:

It's pretty amazing. It's a stitchonary type book, but one of the most extensive that I've seen. It has fair isle, lace, cables, decorative stitches, everything. So, starting out slow, I think I can create some pretty great patterns. It will have to wait of course, until my gift making is done. Wahhh.

I also bought Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow and Dostoyevsky's Notes From the Underground/The Double. I haven't read as much as I usually do lately. However, I did bring Murakami's The Wind Up Bird Chronicle with me on the metro today to slowly continue it. It's such a good book. So, so good. I suggest it to all.

My mom is coming in tomorrow! And then only a week until I'm in for Thanksgiving. Although I'm nervous about it, because I have to figure out a way to appease my family and my friends in Richmond by dividing my time. My mom of course always wins in the end but my friends are pushy too. I love them. I'm going to try and not stress myself out about it, because I miss KY and I want it to be a magical trip. I'm so excited to cook Polish food. No, my family isn't Polish, we just pick a different country every year to do food from. Because we're awesome. But we'll be without my little sister to help prepare the night before and morning of, so it may be a bit more laborous. However, Mel will be there, and hopefully in a good mood from recieiving the above mentioned hat. Yep.

It's a good thing I don't have babies. If I did, I may not be able to help as much with the food preparation because I'd have to divide my time, and if Melody/Constance couldn't help, well, my mom would get stuck doing all the work. Which I don't agree with, at all. Here's the thing: Blake and I see eachother everyday. We can be apart and with our families for the holidays. And honestly, even if I did have kids, I may consider switching every year with Blake so that we can each be with our families. I don't think that sounds bad at all. Sorry, on a little bit of a passive- aggressive rant. I'm just a little annoyed that my little sister is only going to be there for half a day. Argggg.

On another sort of rant-y note, I'm ready for Blake and I to move out on our own...LIKE, NOW. That's all I'll say on that one.

Give me words of praise and encouragment so that I may finish my knitting projects without collapsing. So much left to do!

eskimo kisses (it's effing cold)
-C moneyz