Take your passion and make it happen

The Cobblestone took a direct hit, folks: Interweave's knitting guide's wrap technique is crap - at least I think the result is crap, and I'm looking for a better method to wrap a short row. Since I had to take the sweater off the needles to take all the short rows out, I went ahead and tried it on. Lisa quipped something like, "Hey, it looks like Kev stole Jennifer Beal's Flashdance sweater," and then everyone laughed at me.

I was already ticked and thinking evil of Interweave for their B.S. wrap technique, with a couple weeks worth of work frogged and tangled up around my feet, not to mention Jane being finished already, and somebody has to quip that I'm wearing this:

That tore it.

Like Brett from Flight of the Conchords, I dance when I'm angy. I must've been on the verge of becoming a maniac, because Flashdance moves are my "in case of emergency, break it out" moves. Seriously, the 'breakneck-toe-tapping-thigh-shimmy-head-girate' move probably saved the store some furniture (I was too busy using the chairs as props, to seriously consider smashing and breaking them).

Don't worry folks, I'm sure, through the power of dance, Kevin will become an Elizabeth Zimmermann master knitter and one day finish his Jared Flood Cobblestone sweater. I'm already knittin' away again!

In other news, I still love the bike; it's awesome. I ride it as much as I can. And I've started a salsa-chili garden; it was Kristin's idea. I wanted a larger garden, but the friend I rent from would only let me use one corner of the yard; dunno why, the yard's pretty crappy - might as well plow it under and grow food, that's what I say. I've got a nice 10'x10' plot ready, and this weekend I'd like to plant the tomatos, red onions, cilantro and basil I bought today. Cindy says there's still a chance it might frost; this is the Ohio River valley, after all. The habanera and jalepano peppers will come later - I'm looking for a good variety, so if you got any suggestions, lemme know.

the hat which went to Afghanistan

Oh man, I love my bike. But maybe I shouldn't love it so roughly... yeah, I'm finding out that I ride it too hard ('Michael Scott' it, I know you want to). Yesterday, I got a blow-out on my way to the Knit Nook; I was riding in traffic, and there were too many cars ignoring my existance, so I had to take it to the curb, and ride on the side walk. Well, I must've hit the curb too fast, because the front tire didn't take it so well. Good thing the Bardstown Rd. Bicycle shop is open until 7pm, Mon.-Wen - the guys were a big help. I was about half way to the bike shop, so I went ahead and walked the bike there, and then hoofed it the rest of the night until I went back for it at closing time. I was a bit pissed about having to get a new tire, but then I got philosophical about it: it's better than ending up under one. And shoo-whee, was it cold out last night, and being a dummy, all I had was a white t-shirt on. My nipple transplant operation is scheduled for this weekend.

I forgot to add this to the blog last time - the hat which went to Afghanistan: my friend Jeff sent me this pic of him wearing it. Jeff likes the hat: this pic is also his profile pic on Facebook - go figure. Anyhow, I'd rather be knitting the Cobblestone than blog'n, so I'm taking off. Later!

Pick your jaws up off the floor already...

...yes, this is an actual blog update. I got so much flak for not posting, I broke down and and here I am, typing up a blog. This is a good thing.

A few weeks ago I got more fish for the 55 g. They all get along, although one (of the five) black skirt tetras got a bite taken out of one of his fins by Adam (the Bicher fish - named after my brother who gifted it to me). The fin has almost grown back; no harm, no foul. The blue Australian rainbow is, uh, blue - and the new severum, named Steve (for one of my friends), is one boss fish.


Over the the past couple of weeks I've read Pablo Neruda's Twenty Love Poems and A Song of Despair; Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five; Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet; currently, I'm reading Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front. It's been... satisfying; I've been severly anemic for all these things.

I've watched Flight of the Conchords, too; the second sleeve was basically knit while I laughed my arse off - not a bad way to get it done. There were a few dropped stitches involved, but they were worth it. The Bowie episode - brilliant, spot on.

Yeah, yeah, we are now to the part which concerns knitting: I've got the body, and the sleeves for the Cobblestone done! Which puts me in the lead (Jane, who had her Cobblestone practically finished, decided to frog the body and redo it; this blow to her almost unassailable lead has made things a lot more interesting. Cindy's taking bets on this, I just know it).

Below ya can see where I was on 2.26.08 - I was making the most of the time on a lunch break at Arbies (not shown in picture: a large Diet Dr. Pepper).


A month later, I've got some sleeves done.


The goal this week is to get the sleeves even, put everything on waste yarn, try it on, adjust if necessary, get it all back on needles, and soldier on...


In other news, I've purchased this sweet little number. A steel frame, but I can curl it with one arm.


I haven't had a bike of my own since... uh, puberty. I gotta admit, Louisville drivers worried me before, but now, well, I needed more adrenaline in my life anyhow.

I ride the hell out of it, to all kinds of places: to the pet store to get Mad Max a new coconut hut; to the Knit Nook to hang with the Comrades in Yarn; to Wild and Wooly; to the gym; heck, last week I was riding home from returning a video at Red Giraffe (yes, Kristin, at least two still exist - but it seems only in Louisville!), when I came across a Latino couple (no habla English) driving down the one-way street I live on in the wrong direction, with a sick baby in the back seat, and they were looking for Kosair's Childrens Hospital. Learning Spanish in five minutes didn't seem feasible, so I had them follow me there. It was the right thing to do.

Mensch, it's late, I need sleep - g'night.



Mad Max and his new coconut hut.