Productive

I feel I've had a productive day, and no knitting so far either. I dyed some yarn for more socks, and once it's dry I will take and post pics. I also got this in the mail today:

Madil Eden Yarn - in pink.

More accurate color representation.

I bought this fabulous yarn on Wednesday night on that auction site, can you believe how quickly it arrived? Part of it is earmarked for Picovoli which I'm very keen to get started on. Anyway, it took all my willpower not to start swatching up right away - it feels so soft! Instead, I did what a good friend is supposed to do, and finished a birthday gift that's been waiting for months.

What will it be?

Unfortunately, I needed to line the sophie bag (yes, from that long ago) and this meant sewing. Not any old sewing (I actually find sewing with a machine quite thrilling), I do not own a sewing machine however, so this meant hand sewing - and I HATE hand sewing, it's like I'm being punished. I worked hard, and it's complete! Don't worry about me posting the pictures before the gift transaction, this friend isn't going to read my blog - I think knitting bores her to tears.

It's lined!

And pretty neat job if I do say so myself.

Other news involves SP stuff, so all very hush hush.

Same site, new name

Over time I have come to realise that I was moving more and more away from the the original title of my blog (Hari, Itu, Hajime [yarn, needle begin in Japanese]) - I haven't made more than two folds in a paper for over 2 years - I just don't do origami anymore. I never finished the Origami "page-a-day" calendar (I think I got to May) and it was just a fad. This concerned Mr. B. when I threw down my origami papers in favor of two sticks and a ball of string (strictly speaking...um... acrylic, well a girl has to restart somewhere eh?), Mr. B's thought was "how long is this one going to last?"

While I go on and on I've lost half my readers here already (one to go) with a rambling AND pictureless post. So without further ado, I'm officially announcing the new name of my blog as "Schrodinger Knits". Say no more.

Lookie Here

Look what I got today!! My first ever "Spin-Off" Magazine. Isn't it great? Not only did my Secret Pal get me my first ever, but she/he bought a year's subscription for me!! Isn't she/he great? My secret pal totally rocks. Thank you secret pal, thank you!!! While I haven't had a chance to peruse the magazine properly (I wanted to share my happy news with all of you first). However, I did notice that there is an article on dyeing socks.. see? How cool is that? Perfect timing, I have to say (I can say no more).



As for other knitting news, Jaywalker #1 is complete at last, although a little too long in the foot and too tight in the leg. But there is no way I can face frogging and knitting AGAIN, so my slightly imperfect Jaywalker is done, and that's that! Naturally, I immediately cast on for it's partner, like the good girl I am :-)

The Chrysler

In terms of knitting/spinning, while there is plenty going on in the house of Schrodinger, it needs to be super-secret goings on right now. Suffice it to say, I'm actually getting jealous of my secret pal - it's going to be hard to give them the next gift installment (I WANT IT! I WANT IT! I scream in a tantrum). As for my Jaywalker, I'm nearly ready to post another picture. It's still going to be a little big (but much, much, much better than before). Instead, I will focus this post on NYC and what a cool night we had last night.

We were out for a friend's birthday, went to The Overlook which has a lovely patio area, where we spent much of the night, getting bitten. On the way, I was thrilled I brought the camera because of this great view of the Chrysler building which remains a firm favorite of mine on the NYC skyline - little did I realize what the evening would bring.

The Chrysler on the way to the bar.


The earrings were a big hit, she put them on immediately (always a good sign) and they suited her and the incredibly funny New Yorker card had us in giggles. The evening was a lot of fun. Around 1am, one of our friends suggested we go to his office, on the 51st floor of the CHRYSLER BUILDING no less!! Of course, how could we refuse? So we spent about an hour up there taking pictures and raving about the fantastic view, naturally I didn't give a sh*t about looking like a tourist in the safety of a night-time office up in the sky - what a fantastic evening. Here's a selection of the night-time shots of the city:



Manhattan at night.


Another cool view of manhattan - see the building with bright light on the top? That's the Metlife Building (used to be the PanAm building).


It's a long way down.


One of the elevelators interior. According to our friend, all of the elevators are different on the inside - we only saw two and they both had stunning wooden inlayed insides, mmmmmmmmmmm.
Leaving the building, it's just an amazing place.

Earrings and the Park

I actually took the camera with me today. But, for some reason, I felt embarrassed when I took the camera out to take pictures - I'm paranoid about looking like a tourist here - and I don't really know why. I did manage to take a few pictures though. There wasn't anything overly out of the ordinary going on and people were pretty normal today [for New York]. I'm sad because I fear that the weather will be too humid on Monday and, possibly, Tuesday for this lovely walk.


My new office is located on 34th st, and this is my view walking to the train on the way home... jealous? You might not be if you knew what the crowds can be like during rush hour - particularly in the rain (watch out eyes!!).


Here is a 'typical' boulder, frequently seen and used to sunbathe on in the park.


Delecorte theatre - where they have the free Shakespeare in the Park. One day I will go to this, if I can actually be bothered to queue up for hours and hours in the mid-summer heat.


I have no idea how many people see this view of the Met, I know lots in the city do, but to those that don't, I think it's cool. The Temple of Dendur is housed there behind that glass wall.


And I had to take a picture of the destruction that is going on on 86th and Lex. The building are coming down to make room for yet another storefront highrise. Just in case there isn't enough high priced apartments in the city already.

There was a fundraiser at work today (it's pretty much a daily thing at my office, working for a non-profit and all). I normally avoid them (well, it's not like I'm making big money), but this time it was handmade Jewelry. I will be out with a friend for her birthday tomorrow and really didn't know what to get her - so it was earrings to the rescue...



Of course how could I not get a pair for myself?


Right, I'm off to dinner at our favorite local restaurant.

Central Park

Did I tell you that I have been walking home from work through Central Park every day this week? The weather has been so friggin' gorgeous that I have decided to take a west side train uptown from the office (cos I actually have an office that I work out of practically every day - AND it's in Manhattan - can you tell I'm excited about that?). Anyway, I get off the train on the west side, then take a brisk stroll, I normally do 'brisk walks', the park brings some kind of serenity that I cannot get a pace faster than the 'brisk stroll' level - I'm not complaining, this is a good thing, I feel I'm normally stuck behind some ridiculously sloooooow walker, that it's a turnaround to be that person. I have promised myself that I will take my camera, since I have missed some great photo moments so far this week [including the filming of the 'Nanny Diaries" with Laura Linney and Scarlett Johanssen which was a nice distraction for a few minutes], so maybe I will have something interesting to show this weekend..... or not :-)

As for the Jaywalker sock, while it looks better than this. However, it was frogged again and I just can't talk about it.

Bleurgh and Woo Hoo!!

I'm still around, just haven't had much in the way of knitting to write about. I never made it to the NYC WWKIP as I planned, I had a major allergy attack (which basically feels like a nasty cold with plenty of sneezing) - I basically felt like crap and wasn't up to meeting new people that way. My body had better play nice for the next Stitchcraft meet-up.


After realizing that I was aflicted with 'sockus-giganticus' my jaywalker sock was frogged completely and restarted. It's now about 40% done in the next size down. I think I will do some spinning tonight though ;)

On to much much better news. I just got an email from my Secret Pal, telling me that she subscribed me to a year of "Spin-off" magazine. I'm thrilled to pieces and can't wait to get my first issue (I've never read the magazine, but heard great stuff about it, it was definitely on my wish list). Thank you Secret Pal, you rock!!!

Breakout Socks

Mr B. is happy (well he better be anyway). The breakout socks are complete and I couldn't be more happy/relieved. I hated knitting the black stockinette (but I think I made that pretty clear in previous posts) and I didn't particularly enjoy sewing the pattern in duplicate stitch. But the end results are satisfactory, and these socks did teach me short rows with yarn overs.


These socks also saw a lot of action on that trip to Boston. I never did tell the story of the trip to Boston, so here is a run-down of things that happened on that fateful trip:

• We waited and waited for a bus to turn up 45 minutes late, to take us to see a good friend.
  
• Alas, when said bus finally turned up, it was not a bus, it was a minivan, with just enough seats for all 11 of us passengers to squish together uncomfortably for the anticipated 4 hours.
  
• One hour into the trip, the passenger that was squeezed in next to Mr. B. had a grand mal seizure, where his lips turned blue. Mr. B. looked after him, while the van pulled over and we called 911. The state police, ambulance and fire engine all came quite quickly and an hour later, one passenger less we were back on our merry way.
  
• We thought traffic was bad, but when I tried to tell the driver that the Mass pike was closed he chose not to listen, so we sat in traffic for several more hours.
  
• It took us 8.5 hours to get to Boston from NYC, so we hopped in a cab for the rest of the trip.
  
• An hour later, about to pay for pizza I discovered that my wallet was gone. AAAARRRRGHHH! My ID, credit cards, SS card and many other things were in there (incl. $100). I call a bunch of cab firms in the city (no help) and then cancel my cards.
  
• An hour later, my friend gets an email message, all very convoluted, but the long and short of it is that someone found my wallet, and they live down the street. I get the wallet, giving the findee a huge hug and trying to give her money. Everything else is where it should be and the wallet is a little flatter with tire marks on it. I'm thrilled to have it back - battle wounds and all!
  

So, all's well that ends well. It was an adventure, which Mr. B's socks (although not complete a the time) took part in. All's well that ends well.

Wonderful Day

Mr. B. and I had a fantastic day yesterday for our anniversary. Mr. B. gave me an extra special present in a blue box. It's a very simple clean style bracelet with a pretty gold and silver piece that looks, to me, like a daisy (one of my favorite flowers - as it's such a happy flower) I LOVE it, and plan to wear it pretty much every day - not being one to save accessories for 'special occasions'.


I also got this t-shirt yesterday, please excuse the wet patch, they didn't have bags when I bought it at the theatre, so it got wet on the way home, and I took the picture immediately - oh well. Anyone who's seen "Bridge and Tunnel" knows exactly what this means, and I couldn't resist. Anyone who hasn't been to see it, should go - it's been extended until July. Sarah Jones is a stunning talent and I found it touching, funny, intelligent and witty. Anyone who thinks that Bush is doing a good job probably shouldn't go though :-)

Where have I been?

I know, I know, I've been very lack-luster with the posting this week. Work has kept me pretty busy, as well as the fact that I got a new gadget, which has actually taken away from my knitting time THE HORROR! I love the gadget and, just in case you didn't know already, I am a total geek for gadgets, and something that allows me IM, instant email and internet on the road. As well as the other functions (address book, to-do list, games etc) that I'm used to from my old PDA, what more can I want?


This morning, I was at our work's annual fundraiser in Central Park and after all that rain, flooding, subway stoppage and power cuts, I was a little worried that it might not happen, or that the turn out would be bad. However, the rain held off for most of the event, the park was not flooded, and the turn out was great. People seemed to really enjoy the event and I got to see people I hadn't seen in years, which was lovely, I also did the walk, so a little bit of exercise for me as a bonus. On the way home I saw a bunch of enthralled children and adults listening to a woman talking, I had discovered the Hans Christian Anderson story telling hour. I stopped to listen to the rest of the ghostly story and enjoyed every minute of it, another one of those reminders that this city is pretty amazing.

As for knitting, well...um, not much to tell you there. I've promised myself that I will concentrate and try to finish Mr. B's socks, as tomorrow is our wedding anniversary. I also signed up for next weekend's WWKIP which will be taking place on the East Green in Central Park (assuming I'm approved of course) - hope the weather is better for us next weekend. Okay, that's it from me.