Enter Weaving

Well, I have been waiting rather impatiently for the UPS guy to deliver my birthday present and FINALLY yesterday he did:

Kromski Harp

It has been a light spot in an otherwise hectic couple of weeks. I have spent the last two weeks training newbies and having to be “on” all the time, which is really tiring when all I want to do is hide in my cubicle and write minutes, you know. (Well kind of, since I hate writing minutes. Anyway.)

I am feeling whingey apparently.

So anyway, yesterday I finally got the loom and put it together while watching the first episode of Project Runway Season 5. I don’t have any readily accessible candles, so I can’t make the loops to attach to the end things yet, but I think I’ll probably do that tomorrow, along with picking up my mom’s blocking wires and blocking the shit out of the Swallowtail Shawl, which is otherwise finished:

Swallowtail Shawl

Speaking of whining, I don’t see what the big deal is with the nupps on the Lily of the Valley part of the shawl (for the uninitiated, the edge part of the shawl with the “pea pod” like sections).  I rather enjoyed them. The P5tog on the wrong side? I totally used a small crochet hook, and the sections went really quick.  I like the texture and would totally make nupps on another project. I also really liked the “elastic bind-off” which I think I might use forever more instead of the regular one.

I didn’t use any lifelines on this project, though there are definitely some goofs scattered here and there. I like to call one of them in particular the “Twin Peaks Fuck Up”, even though I will be the only one who knows its even there.

So yeah, Twin Peaks, a big fat WTF towards that television show. I got the first disc from Netflix and watched the first episode, which is supposed to be this iconic moment in television history or whatever and IT WAS NOT INTERESTING.

After I was done watching it I watched the alternate ending for the international release and okay, it totally had a random dancing little person (the guy who played Samson in Carnivale) so while it was weird, it certainly made an impression.

I’m not sure why we are supposed to care about Twin Peaks, and I will not be watching any more of it. Also I went on Wikipedia and spoiled the end for myself, whatever.

The other stupid thing I watched this week was a 1999 adaptation of Mansfield Park (Jane Austen). I’d watched the recent adaption with Billie Piper on PBS earlier this year and other than Billie Piper’s hair, it didn’t make much of an impression on me, so I thought I’d get this other version to compare. I have never read Mansfield Park so I can’t say anything about plot, but I CAN say that this 1999 Mansfield Park was HEINOUS in its interpretation. Also kind of boring. You would think turning a Jane Austen story into a bodice ripper with hints of lesbianism and Jonny Lee Miller would be kind of, well, awesome, but you would be SO wrong that it is not even funny. I’m not even sure what the hell was going on during the whole movie, with Fanny Price talking to the camera and making out with Henry and then rebuffing him, and to top it all off I stayed up stupid late watching it so I was really tired all day today.

So, don’t watch that Mansfield Park unless you don’t know anything about Jane Austen. Jonny Lee Miller was pretty good, but I kind of like him so whatever.

Stash Enhancement

Do you remember at the beginning of the year, when I said to myself, “NO BUYING SOCK YARN!” Well, in anticipation of Summer of Socks 2008 (which I signed up for ages ago and completely forgot about and starts today, the first day of summer), I would like to present photographic evidence of the progression of the stash: It is either scary or awesome, depending on your point of view. (In other words, no buying sock yarn = big fat fail.)

Exhibit A (February 2007):

State of the Sock Yarn Stash

A respectable stash! Some good colors, quality yarn, something to be proud of.

Exhibit B (August 2007):

Sock Yarn Stash as of 8.11.07

Larger, but still respectable. A noticeable love of winding skeins into cakes is starting to come into light. (I bought my swift at Stitches West 2007).

Exhibit C (June 2008):

The State of the Sock Yarn Stash

ZOMG I need to start knitting.

If you click on the second two pictures, I have tagged them in Flickr with the different kinds of yarn. I also maybe possibly made an order at the Loopy Ewe yesterday. OH SHUSH.

However, may I present to you the latest in my upcoming interests:

Yeah, my birthday is in two weeks, and I’m going to use birthday money to hella score a rigid heddle loom. This particular model has everything you could need, and folds up, and turns into a warping board. I’m really excited – I think it will be a great way to use some of the stash, and I’ve been really impressed with some of the weaving I’ve seen around the internets.

If you’ll recall, I’m definitely more of a product over process knitter, and weaving seems to me a great way to get a product, even if to set up it’s somewhat time consuming. I’m looking forward to ordering the loom and getting started on teaching myself a new skill.

Here’s to crafting!