The News from South Philly

I worked hard this week preparing for the big PACSCL meeting, and today I am feeling rebellious. Also, temptation is sitting right on my credenza. And I only have three episodes of Dr. Who to go before I'm totally caught up.

Isn't this pretty? It's the yarn I was nattering about in my previous post.

I am pleased to report that there is now new growth on every hippeastrum I brought in a couple weeks ago, as well as the two new bulbs. The current seedling crop continues to thrive and I think I will pot them on into a larger container in March.

Last night I brought in the last of the adolescent hippeastrum and tried giving them the hot water bath in the bathtub, being as the container was too big to fit in the sink. Bad move. Filling the bathtub enough to submerge the container totally depleted the hot water tank, so I had no reserve of hot water to compensate for cooling. But I think they got close to the 30 minutes at 110F they're supposed to have gotten, so we'll see.

Roy was out at a dinner function last night, so I got to do Netflix-on-demand at my computer, finishing up the 1983 Jane Eyre with Timothy Dalton and Zelia Clark. I also finished up another set of those nice wrist-and-hand warmers. I bleieve I was using leftover yarn from the ben.ben.blankie, although I'm not entirely sure. With that little project complete, I've switched to crocheting the 2010 snowflakes. But first, I made another half-dozen of the 2009 version, of which I made too few in the larger size and too many in the smaller size.

Still no sign of life on the pansy seedlings. It's about time to give up on them, I think, but I'll water them for another week before I do.

Okay, that's a metaphor because the sun has already risen (or is about to -- difficult to say when there are clouds to the east without checking the almanac).

But it's the weekend before Thanksgiving and I want to beat the Mongol Hordes. I have a "free turkey" coupon and plan to acquire one that's somewhat larger than Tiny Tim, if possible. The Wells Fargo wagon delivered my new,huge roasting pan and rack last week. I'm not quite sure how we'll wallop the bird off the rack and onto the carving platter, but I'm sure we'll think of something.

The ribbon yarn was delivered Thursday to the place where the brother-in-law of the recipient will pick it up. I like the simple pattern of the kimono-like sweater, though, and may try it in some other, less expensive, yarn to see how it makes up. kightp, it looks to me as though once I swatch it and figure out my gauge, I can use math to set up my rectangles and be good to go, no? (Except that I'll have to re-learn "mattress stitch," which I never really learned in the first place.)

(EDIT: Okay, sunrise was half an hour ago...)

This pattern rocks. I am a happy camper. That is all.

I have broken the curse of the attempt at continental knitting and completed an (admittedly pretty simple) lace pattern for this christening blanket for our grandson.

Next, I break the curse of the Japanese Silk Yarn, using the same pattern, and then I go on to make the kimono sweater using the very very cheap on sale ribbon yarn from Herrschner's.

A break from doilies is nice...


EDIT: I don't know when I finished this blanket! I noted on my LJ for February 23 that I was on the final border, and I was certain I'd mentioned it, but I can't find it. Maybe I mentioned it on Facebook. Must.Do.Research.

Not exactly but close.

I neglected to get heel protectors put on my one-piece black Merrill slip-ons, and they've worn on the outside of the right shoe to the point that they throw ankles, knees, etc. out of alignment. Ouchy ouchy ouchy. And with much stand-uppage in my future later this week and next for The!Flower!Show! that will not do.

So I went to Benjamin Lovell, a small chain (5 or 6 branches) specializing in comfort shoes at price points from $80 to $500, and found another pair of black Merill slip-ons very much like the old ones but looking just a scootch dressier. I'll wear around the house today, wear out to a meeting tomorrow, and take them on a test spin around the show floor on Wednesday.

Oh, and I'll take them to the nice while-you-wait shoe man on my way home from tomorrow's meeting.

A new pair of shoes is a big deal for me. The Merrills were purchased in 2003. The last shoes I bought were a pair of Lands End sport Mary Janes last summer and before that it was a pair of sneakers the summer of 2007. I bought a pair of Danskos in 2004. And that's it.

In other news, the second hippeastrum has opened (sort of) and looks like a clone of its parent. And I'm on the final border of the Ben.Ben.Blankie, so that should be done this week. No new knitting projects during Flower Show time. I'll just crochet snowflakes.

I saw a modest Flower Show display in a shop window today. The shop wasn't open, so it was covered by a grate and wasn't very photogenic. I'll try again tomorrow. [Edit: I don't have to! It's here, along with a whole lot of other Flower Show-themed windows!]

My brother-in-law had laparascopic surgery to remove his appendix over the weekend. I met my two-doors-down neighbor this morning and she told me she had been laid off. She had been managing the construction of a large apartment complex in Harrisburg, the state capital.

Edit: put here so I won't forget it a link to Victor Davis Hanson's current column, Some Reflections in a Time of Hysteria.

1. Do not go to the Asian supermarket the day before Lunar New Year unless you're more interested in teh spectacle than the shopping.

2. Do a real swatch before starting a major project, or risk winding up with Too Much Yarn. Srsly. The Ben.Ben.Blankie is almost half done and I've only used one quarter of the yarn I bought.

3. Something potentially life-changing has happened. The Union League has stopped charging members an additional fee for the use of its fitness center. This means that effectively Roy and I just got two free gym memberships. How cool is that?

Ferko has transformed herself into a lap cat. Wants to be on my lap almost all the time. She's hard to type around, though, and little clouds of white hair float through the air every time she moves or I pet her. I can't seem to groom her enough.

The biggest and plumpest of my seedling hippeastrum bulbs is now putting out a flower stalk, one that appears to be almost full-sized. This makes three so far.

Snow is forecast, to be followed (or so says the hyperventilating media establishment) bone-chilling cold. I wish these guys would turn down the alarmism. Still, I had best hustle to the crack dealer yarn shoppe and the Asian grocery this morning. Roy has already headed out to the sidewalk de-icer purveyor (hardware store).

Kind of like the one kightp dazzled me with when she came east last year.

Check out the yarn sale:

http://www.herrschners.com/products/product.aspx?sku=711346

But it gets better! With my sekrit code and customer number and calling on the phone, I am getting the stuff for $1.99 a ball.

I ordered three extra, just in case. I can always make a scarf...