One of the things I saw in Seattle was the flying fish (also known as the fish toss) at the Pike Place Market. It's practically a required sight, but a lot of fun. I managed to figure out how the video function on my camera worked and got this clip.
The neat thing about the fish toss is that the entire staff gets in on the noise. The camera is meant for still photos, so the sound's crappy, but you can still hear them.
I'll keep posting stuff as I get it uploaded, which is easier now that I'm back. So keep watching this space.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Few Words about Seattle
Today's post comes to you from the 10th-floor reading room at the Seattle Public Library's central branch. The building is a funny-looking lumpy-looking thing that makes for interesting architecture, but doesn't get as much use as one might hope (especially if there's a librarian in the family). Here's a photo of a tiny little corner of it:
That photo is the best I've got up on Flickr yet, but I'll be putting more up when I next get a chance. The complete photoset can be found here.
I've only had a few days here, but I spent them exploring. Downtown was a bit quieter than I thought it might be, but then it's mostly offices and I'm used to Herald Square. I also looked around Pioneer Square and stopped by Elliott Bay Books -- which is definitely worth a visit if you have any interest in books. And I managed to get to Pike Place Market to see the fish toss there (the fish toss may be easily identified by the crowd of tourists, but is worth waiting to see). I haven't forgotten the yarn, either, and stopped by one highly recommended store this morning and have another on the agenda for tomorrow.
The weather so far has not been what I expected. We arrived late Saturday (I kept thinking it was the wee hours of Sunday); since then, today has been the closest we've seen to stereotypical Seattle skies. Sunday and Monday we had beautiful weather, and the clouds are breaking up -- making it rather difficult to see what I'm typing, with all the sunshine pouring through all that glass. It stays light much later than I'd have thought, I figure because Seattle is (I think) farther north. The sun doesn't set until 9-ish. That's 9pm, Pacific Daylight Time.
That's about all I can fit in at the moment, but I'll post more eventually. Even if it isn't until I get back.
That photo is the best I've got up on Flickr yet, but I'll be putting more up when I next get a chance. The complete photoset can be found here.
I've only had a few days here, but I spent them exploring. Downtown was a bit quieter than I thought it might be, but then it's mostly offices and I'm used to Herald Square. I also looked around Pioneer Square and stopped by Elliott Bay Books -- which is definitely worth a visit if you have any interest in books. And I managed to get to Pike Place Market to see the fish toss there (the fish toss may be easily identified by the crowd of tourists, but is worth waiting to see). I haven't forgotten the yarn, either, and stopped by one highly recommended store this morning and have another on the agenda for tomorrow.
The weather so far has not been what I expected. We arrived late Saturday (I kept thinking it was the wee hours of Sunday); since then, today has been the closest we've seen to stereotypical Seattle skies. Sunday and Monday we had beautiful weather, and the clouds are breaking up -- making it rather difficult to see what I'm typing, with all the sunshine pouring through all that glass. It stays light much later than I'd have thought, I figure because Seattle is (I think) farther north. The sun doesn't set until 9-ish. That's 9pm, Pacific Daylight Time.
That's about all I can fit in at the moment, but I'll post more eventually. Even if it isn't until I get back.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Taking it On the Road
I'll be leaving town tomorrow. Not for good, mind you -- just for a week or so. Mom has a conference in Seattle, and she's letting me tag along. (Apparently, I would be cheap. Mom said something having enough points to cover my airfare, and the hotel room would only cost, what, $10 more a night?) We'll even have a few days left over to dash up to Vancouver.
However, tomorrow is also World Wide Knit in Public Day; the fact that we're leaving tomorrow is that I'm going to have to improvize knitting in public. I won't be able to participate in the festivities here in New York (as I will be packing and heading to the airport), and we won't land until the events in Seattle are over (and we'll both be wiped). That said, I did think to go to the TSA website and print out some of their information. Knitting implements are indeed allowed on planes -- I highlited the line that says so -- which means I should have no trouble whatsoever participating in my one-knitter celebration: World Wide Knit in Airport Day.
I also thought to post a message on Ravelry asking for yarn-store recommendations in the Seattle group. I got a few of these before the thread spiralled into a discussion of elevators. In all honesty, however, that was probably my own damn fault: when someone said something about downtown Seattle being flat and someone else disagreed, I piped up that flat and nearly flat are all the same to me because I live in a walk-up. Well, threadjackings happen, and are usually no less unplanned.
In my rush to get stuff printed, I also made sure I ran off a pattern or two, including the one for Salad Wristers (available from Presents Knits). I'm still working on the Baby Surprise jacket I'm knitting (mostly) with my knitting circle, of course, but I'm not exactly betting the yarn stash that Mom and/or her employer sprang for seats with elbow room.
That's about all I'll spit out at the moment, but watch this blog: I'll be bringing a computer with me, and finding wi-fi in Seattle should be, I'm told, no problem.
However, tomorrow is also World Wide Knit in Public Day; the fact that we're leaving tomorrow is that I'm going to have to improvize knitting in public. I won't be able to participate in the festivities here in New York (as I will be packing and heading to the airport), and we won't land until the events in Seattle are over (and we'll both be wiped). That said, I did think to go to the TSA website and print out some of their information. Knitting implements are indeed allowed on planes -- I highlited the line that says so -- which means I should have no trouble whatsoever participating in my one-knitter celebration: World Wide Knit in Airport Day.
I also thought to post a message on Ravelry asking for yarn-store recommendations in the Seattle group. I got a few of these before the thread spiralled into a discussion of elevators. In all honesty, however, that was probably my own damn fault: when someone said something about downtown Seattle being flat and someone else disagreed, I piped up that flat and nearly flat are all the same to me because I live in a walk-up. Well, threadjackings happen, and are usually no less unplanned.
In my rush to get stuff printed, I also made sure I ran off a pattern or two, including the one for Salad Wristers (available from Presents Knits). I'm still working on the Baby Surprise jacket I'm knitting (mostly) with my knitting circle, of course, but I'm not exactly betting the yarn stash that Mom and/or her employer sprang for seats with elbow room.
That's about all I'll spit out at the moment, but watch this blog: I'll be bringing a computer with me, and finding wi-fi in Seattle should be, I'm told, no problem.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
More wooly goodness
Tonight my knitting circle is beginning our first knit-along. Despite my objections to a larger project and/or one for a very specific type of recipient (and my stated preference for a small project that is not especially difficult and has no confusing assembly issues), the final winner was Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket which has acquired both a following and a shorthand name ("BSJ"). The fact that it's acquired a following doesn't mean much in itself: Fetching has a following as well, but only got a single vote in the final round of voting, if memory serves. But still.
I must say that my recommended pattern, Foliage, was only a few votes behind the BSJ when the results were in. I'll probably be starting a knit-along for that pattern as soon as this one gets finished. Anyone who can knit an amoeba and turn it into a baby jacket has no reason to complain about a mere hat. So what if it's a lace hat? It's not like it's a difficult lace pattern.
Despite my general lack of babies to knit for (there's only one baby in the family, and she lives several time zones away) -- which probably means I should be sticking to gender-neuteral colors -- I did buy a yarn in a colorway that is clearly better suited to one kind of baby than the other. The photo, of course, doesn't do it justice. I fell in love with the colorway and actually sent one of the staffers downstairs for the second skein I needed (believe you me, I wouldn't normally do that).
The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in "Vera", and contains a bit more of the dark brown than one might think from the photo. There are 225 yards to a skein, which is on the high end. And yes, it's incredibly soft and, of course, superwash. We'll see how it looks knitted (I tend to use yarns with only one color to them). Stay tuned for photos.
I must say that my recommended pattern, Foliage, was only a few votes behind the BSJ when the results were in. I'll probably be starting a knit-along for that pattern as soon as this one gets finished. Anyone who can knit an amoeba and turn it into a baby jacket has no reason to complain about a mere hat. So what if it's a lace hat? It's not like it's a difficult lace pattern.
Despite my general lack of babies to knit for (there's only one baby in the family, and she lives several time zones away) -- which probably means I should be sticking to gender-neuteral colors -- I did buy a yarn in a colorway that is clearly better suited to one kind of baby than the other. The photo, of course, doesn't do it justice. I fell in love with the colorway and actually sent one of the staffers downstairs for the second skein I needed (believe you me, I wouldn't normally do that).
The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in "Vera", and contains a bit more of the dark brown than one might think from the photo. There are 225 yards to a skein, which is on the high end. And yes, it's incredibly soft and, of course, superwash. We'll see how it looks knitted (I tend to use yarns with only one color to them). Stay tuned for photos.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Sign Gone Missing
Earlier this afternoon, I noticed that the post office on Seventh Avenue between Second and Third Streets in Park Slope is missing its sign. The most likely reason I can come up with is that it's being replaced, but personally, I'd much rather they used the money they're spending on a sign to clean up the interior.
Duly Noted and/or News off the Blogs: More on the Birthday Bridge Festivities
Gowanus Lounge has several more posts about this weekend's bridge festivities. These include two posts about the fireworks Thursday night, one containing a video, and another containing a photo gallery. It's a bit late in the day for the post about today's events to be of much use, but keep your eyes peeled for tomorrow's (and possibly Monday's).
Also posted are an account of the actual opening, 125 years ago today, and a special "Brooklinks" post which, like the post you are reading now, contains links to other Bridge-party links.
Though not specific to the bridge which bears the borough's name, another post mentions that Brooklyn has, apparently, shrunk.
Also posted are an account of the actual opening, 125 years ago today, and a special "Brooklinks" post which, like the post you are reading now, contains links to other Bridge-party links.
Though not specific to the bridge which bears the borough's name, another post mentions that Brooklyn has, apparently, shrunk.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Electioneering
I just posted the final poll to select a pattern for my knitting circle's first knit-along. (Members will be getting an e-mail about it as soon as I have a link for this post. Non-members may join by clicking on the big red and white thing at left.) After an extended period of nominations and preliminary voting, the finalists are:
I've already knit three of these patterns. As I mentioned last week, I've managed to crank out three Foliages (among other things) since January. I've also shown off one pair of Fetchings I knit with leftovers from the first of the hats -- the third pair of that pattern I've made. A second also uses Cascade 220 in an unidentified shade of blue (I lost its ID tag); a third uses Road to China, a very shed-prone yarn from The Fibre Company.
I even knit a Calorimetry a while back:
Of the five finalists, I'm partial to these three. My logic is that the other two are more likely to cause trouble. The Baby Surprise sweater is a large project for a first knit-along (and not as simple as it looks, apparently), and not all of us have babies at hand to show off our knitting skill. And socks are something that seem to require a lot of attention on the first pair, attention we don't necessarily want to lavish on something at the moment.
Fetching, on the other hand, is a tiny project (heck, I knit up a pair using leftovers) and requires nothing more advanced than double-pointeds and a few cable rounds. Foliage, my personal favorite, takes some attention and a circular needle, but is still reasonably small -- especially if you go for the version with the bulkier yarn. Calorimetry runs big and will need some raveling and tweaking (even if you have the gauge specified), but again, it's small and simple and a fairly painless introduction to short rows.
So, my advice is this: vote Foliage. If you don't feel up to that pattern, vote Fetching (or perhaps Calorimetry, if you don't mind adjusting to size).
I've already knit three of these patterns. As I mentioned last week, I've managed to crank out three Foliages (among other things) since January. I've also shown off one pair of Fetchings I knit with leftovers from the first of the hats -- the third pair of that pattern I've made. A second also uses Cascade 220 in an unidentified shade of blue (I lost its ID tag); a third uses Road to China, a very shed-prone yarn from The Fibre Company.
I even knit a Calorimetry a while back:
Of the five finalists, I'm partial to these three. My logic is that the other two are more likely to cause trouble. The Baby Surprise sweater is a large project for a first knit-along (and not as simple as it looks, apparently), and not all of us have babies at hand to show off our knitting skill. And socks are something that seem to require a lot of attention on the first pair, attention we don't necessarily want to lavish on something at the moment.
Fetching, on the other hand, is a tiny project (heck, I knit up a pair using leftovers) and requires nothing more advanced than double-pointeds and a few cable rounds. Foliage, my personal favorite, takes some attention and a circular needle, but is still reasonably small -- especially if you go for the version with the bulkier yarn. Calorimetry runs big and will need some raveling and tweaking (even if you have the gauge specified), but again, it's small and simple and a fairly painless introduction to short rows.
So, my advice is this: vote Foliage. If you don't feel up to that pattern, vote Fetching (or perhaps Calorimetry, if you don't mind adjusting to size).
Duly Noted: Happy 125th birthday, Brooklyn Bridge
Just a quick post, to point out that there are celebrations this weekend for the 125th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge, kicking off tonight with a concert featuring (of course) the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Festivities also include films, walking tours, and other lectures and performances.
Further links:
* Gowanus Lounge included several bridge links in today's edition of their "Brooklinks" column.
* The New York Times has an website includes this article about the bridge (which includes the link I posted in the first paragraph).
* And there is a Wikipedia article about the bridge. But you already knew that.
Further links:
* Gowanus Lounge included several bridge links in today's edition of their "Brooklinks" column.
* The New York Times has an website includes this article about the bridge (which includes the link I posted in the first paragraph).
* And there is a Wikipedia article about the bridge. But you already knew that.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
On the Needles -- a trio again, but of scarves
It's about time I posted projects in progress, and not just the ones I got done. At right is the scarf I'm working on now. (In fact, it's in my lap as I type this.) The pattern is variously called "Feather and Fan" or "Old Shale." It's a popular pattern which can be found all over the web -- though I got it from Barbara G. Walker's upbiquitous A Treasury of Knitting Patterns.
I have a few more scarves that are at various stages approaching completion. Two of them are meant to illustrate stitch patterns -- from that same Walker book -- on Ravelry. The first of these, my "Cloverleaf Eyelet Miniscarf" (using the "Cloverleaf Eyelet" pattern) can barely be called in progress, as all that's left is to sew on a button and weave in two yarn tails. A picture of it at an earlier stage:
My third in-progress scarf is near enough to being finished that I'm not bringing it to the office for fear of being cought without knitting. I've had to troubleshoot it a few too many times recently, anyway. I'm calling it my "Trellisleaf Scarf," a shortened version of "Trellis-Framed Leaf Pattern" the name of the stitch.
Links:
Plumberry Stripes scarf, on Ravelry
Feather and Fan Stitch, or Old Shale, on Ravelry
Cloverleaf Eyelet Miniscarf, on Ravelry
Cloverleaf Eyelet pattern, on Ravelry
Trellisleaf Scarf, on Ravelry
Trellis-Framed Leaf Pattern, on Ravelry
Barbara Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, on Ravelry
Barbara Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, on LibraryThing
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Photo: Face
A sculptural decoration on what used to be John Jay High School in Park Slope. I'm not sure if it's supposed to represent something, but I didn't exactly research it, either.
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