the mighty momogus

Here is the beginning of the Kingdom Gloves from Knitty that I started on my Columbus/TNNA trip:

Gus is at sleepover camp this week. He's never been to camp before, let alone sleepover camp, so we weren't sure what to expect. Campers are allowed to call home each evening. So each evening since Sunday, we've been waiting for a call. But no, not a peep. At first I was relieved (oh, phew, he's having a blast!); then I was a little wistful (hey, why isn't he missing us??). We pick him up tomorrow. I am dying to hear everything about his week!!

Well, I meant to write a nice grand post about Columbus and TNNA and Momogus Knits and other knitting, but the days have flown by and here I am.

I'll get to all that, but I got sideswiped by some sort of mock-pneumonia and by the fact that Gus is at sleepaway camp for 5 days. Now of course you might think that being sick and having all that time to myself might make me contemplative and blog-worthy, but you would be wrong. The coughing wears me out and having nothing to do all day makes it so that I get nothing done. But I am here. And I promise some wildly pithy and entertaining posts to come.

I'm here in beautiful (I mean it) Columbus, Ohio for the annual TNNA (National Needle Arts) Trade Show. I have lots of pictures and chatter about our trip, but it'll have to wait until I get back because I can't find the photo cable. Plus I'm exhausted. But in a good way!

The season is over. And I feel bereft. As I said to Coach Matt on Saturday after the game, it reminded me of a spell of jury duty I had about 15 years ago. I sat on a jury for a first-degree murder case, which lasted 3 weeks. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but by the end of the trial the jurors had bonded so tightly because of our jointly-lived vivid experience that we all got weepy when we parted. I spent all Saturday afternoon and evening kind of floundering around thinking about all the great kids and missing them!

The team didn't win any games, but boy were they game. In a league for 9- and 10-year-olds, Coach Matt was given a team with 13 9-yr-olds, 5 of whom had never played baseball before. Half of their practices were cancelled because of rain, so they didn't start hitting their stride until almost season's end. But they loved their stern-but-loving Coach Matt, and they almost won their playoff game against a team more typically-composed of experienced 9 and 10-yr-olds.

Here are some images from the season:

Opening Day


The salty, Varitek-esque catcher. He's always liked catching, but this year he had a real pitcher to handle, and they both raised their games because of it.

Here's his pitcher, the fireballing southpaw, Stephen:

He could throw about 80 mph and the commissioner of the league put him on Gus's team because he thought Gus was the only one who could handle him. He pitched every game and never complained. A great kid, sweet and goofy. He and Gus hung out together between innings:


Gus would call mid-inning conferences where they would discuss strategy and how to pitch to the batter at the plate. It was insanely awesome:


They were both named to the All-Star Team.

Though they lost game after game, the team got better all the time and almost won their playoff game. But of course for a 9-yr-old boy, all disappointments are made better by post-game ice cream with his teammates:


Great season, Orioles. I'm so proud of my catcher and my Coach Matt.

As promised, here's a picture of the Handsome Mitten:

I feel deep and true love for this mitten. My love for Peruvia yarn is well-documented and the colors are awesome and even purling the whole ding-dang thing does not dim my love. These will be for me.

Progress shot of Lady Eleanor Stole:

Chugging along...

Some random images from the past few days...

Here's something that appeared on our basement window screen. Matthew was filling a watering can the other night and made a weird shrieky noise. He said he was startled by a big spider. Of course I began to mock him for this, until I saw the spider in question:

Okay, EWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! It was like, FIVE INCHES across. Matthew, who's normally tenderhearted about killing bugs, tried to step on it, and it jumped like 50,000 miles an hour a foot away. My screams probably carried to the next town (I was sure it was going to land on me, at which point I would have to self-induce a coma.) He finally got it, and we drank our gin and tonics in peace and relief.

Here's Gus (in the grey hoody) in front of the Statue of Liberty from the Ellis Island Ferry. School trip last week - exceedingly pleasant. Great museum. I think the parents got more out of it than the kids, but it was still a great trip.


We left from the Jersey City Terminal, which was wildly fascinating to me. I would have liked to poke around the place and take some more photographs, but of course there was that whole pesky kid-minding thing. Here was one photo I took of the abandoned tracks:


Gus had a dentist appointment yesterday morning and we played hooky. We saw "Up", which was the greatest movie of all time. We didn't see it in 3-D, but it was pretty ding-dang good in 2-D. I was warned that the first 10 minutes were weepy-inducing, but I figured since I'd been warned, I wouldn't cry. BWA HA HA HA HA HA - that's so funny that I thought that!! Me, the Mayor of Crazytown. Needless to say, I cried so hard Gus leaned over, patted me on the arm and said, "You don't need to cry; the movie just started." Later on in the movie when I got all weepy again, he looked over and nodded in approval. I highly highly recommend. It was also very funny and wildly entertaining.

One of my titles at The Tangled Web (other than Assistant Yarn Detangler, Executive Pattern Decoder, Chief Stitch Picker-Upper) is Executive Director of Educational Programs. Ha ha - not really, but if I ever look for another job, that's going on my resume. In reality, I'm in charge of choosing and organizing classes and Knit-Alongs at the store. It is a wonderful and endlessly fascinating job, but after 7 years sometimes Mary and I just stare blankly at each other and have no ideas at all.

We had a moment like this the other day and finally Mary, in her brilliant way, said, "Go downstairs and look through the old magazines, Maybe we have 6 [class limit] copies of something." This was a great idea. We had 6 copies of last winter's Interweave Knits (how can that be?). So I went home and pulled out my copy and got knitting.

First this, Harvard Square Cap by Sean Kelly, in Cascade 128:

This was an interesting pattern - the swirls are made by carrying a 2nd color and picking it up in a left twist every 5 stitches. Look at the top:

Neat, eh? This would be a great class - quick project with an interesting TWIST! Get it?

I also made this, Handsome Mittens by Cheryl Niamath in Berroco Peruvia (one of my all-time favorite yarns, I have dozens of skeins lying around, so this was a perfect use-up for two.):
[oops - picture coming!]

The interesting texture is because they're worked in reverse stockinette - purled every row. I could have worked them inside out so I could have knit every row, but I thought for once I'd actually follow the ding-dang pattern. These would also make a good class because they're quick and fairly interesting (it's weird to purl every row and you change colors every row), but I'll probably choose the hat because it looks more interesting in a picture. I adore these mittens though.

I also want to bring in more crochet classes, which Lucia teaches. These are more problematic, since I don't crochet really well, but I am so taken with amigurumi animals these days that I bought a pattern, pulled out a crochet hook and some yarn and got going. Here is the result, Tiny Acorn by Anna Paula Rimoli:

Aaaaaggghhhh!! That face! So cute!! It actually needs to be worked on a smaller hook so that it looks not so, uh, crocheted. But it's a good start. And if I could do it, anyone could.

I'm still chugging along on the Lady Eleanor Stole, but had to take a break because I ran out of yarn and am waiting for more to arrive. Fwiw, learning to knit and purl backwards is one of the most useful things I've ever learned. If you ever take on an entrelac project, dear reader, I strongly urge you to figure it out - it's not hard, but it's so weird I think it must be great for your brain.

One more White House photo, for clarification:

For Dad, yes, there's Romero, behind the trophy. And Utley behind him. And Coste and Lopes still do not have ties on.

Now, in knitting news - I've started a Lady Eleanor Stole. We're doing this project as the September/October Knit-Along at the Tangled Web this fall and we need to have a sample. I thought maybe there was something complicated about it, but it's basically just a big honking entrelac rectangle. Entrelac is fun - it's mindless once you get going, but something is always going on. I also taught myself to knit backwards so I don't have to keep turning it around after every 8 stitches. And that is a very useful skill to acquire! Here it is, in its unblocked baggy glory:

I'm using some Noro Silk Garden that I bought up in New York. I definitely do not love how it is pooling in big splotches of green. I love this colorway of Silk Garden - black, charcoal grey, green and blue. But I'm not going to do anything about the pooling - down that road lies Crazy Town, and I'm not going there..

I finished my February Lady Sweater, wore it to work, felt eh about it and gave it to my friend and co-worker Carole after she asked to try it on for size. She looked great in it, so why not? Look at her!! It's perfect on her!


American Idol finale tonight! I would have voted for Kris but I couldn't get through and then I fell asleep. I hope he doesn't lose by 5 votes - that would be my fault.*

*he won - the other ONE HUNDRED MILLION people who voted got me off the hook.

Okay, here are some great images. The Phillies went to the White House to meet the President!!! I'm so proud of my team and my president. But Coste and Lopes - you go to the White House and you can't even put on a tie????!!!!! That's just wrong. I mean, look how gorgeous the rest of the guys look! Look at Milt Thompson, next to Lopes, working the light-colored tie - he looks amazing! Even Gillick, with his crazy red Willy Wonka tie looks great. Hrmph. Got that out of my system...


When universes collide! Here are the two greatest Americans from October-November 2008:


He looks like he could play! (He's probably the same age as Moyer!)

Gus stayed home "sick" today - at 8:45 he came into the room and said, "Can we go to Burger King for lunch?" (which apparently he associates with staying home from school when he's "sick"; being the ideal parent that I am, I somehow have allowed this to happen...) But then we got this:

When you press the button on his back, he says "Kirk to Enterprise". And it is awesome.