FemiKnitMafia

Oh, I love. I love. I love.

Pippi Knee Socks

Look at the pink/yellow/white version in the upper right hand corner. It’s called Sorbet and Kisses. If there was a bit more cash in my account, I would eat this up and make a scarf and gloves out of this yummy yarn to swaddle my lady in.

Yes, yes, I know. I just started this blog. And yes, I am notoriously ambitious and obsessed. I built my Friendster list as fast as possible. Job hopping for more pay or more responsibility has been the name of the game. So it’s not surprising that I expect some recognition of my entre into cyberland. I don’t see any blog-awards in my future. But I do wonder — is there anyone reading the damned thing? If so, indulge me. Post a comment. Not that long ago, Blogger would only accept comments from other Blogger members. But now that Blogger accepts comments from anyone, could someone put a shout out? Gee…Thanks.

Yes, Yes … thanks to some wonderful collegues at work, I found a fabulous video on short rows. Knitting Help.com is an excellent reference source, with lots and lots of videos. This site is not designed for those of us with slow-ass dial-up accounts at home. But it’s perfect for those of us who use the fabu bandwidth at work for knitting related online excursions. At lunchtime, of course. Dash over to Knitting Help.com to see a cutie hippie lookin’ western Mass chica with excellent skills. Plus, she has a hottie sizzling sister — look here. Ciao.

Short Row Heel
Originally uploaded by The Feminist Mafia.

Someone … help! This short row thing doesn’t make any sense. See the little holes in my socks. I need someone to sit me down and explain what in the hell it means to knit the wrapped stitch and the live stitch at the same time. If anyone has a good *visual* guide for this technique, please let me know. In the meantime, I’ll ask around and keep trying.

Gray Sock
Originally uploaded by The Feminist Mafia.

It was a crazy weekend. First my love-fest, mourn-fest with the Bistro. Then I started my first sock. Wee! I bought some Paton’s Kroy sock yarn a few weeks ago, and finally cast on. I’m using a pair of Addis, size 2, and trying the Magic Loop technique on my first real project. I chose a pattern with a figure 8 cast on and short row heels. Of course, I didn’t know what any of this meant until I started wrestling with the thing. The figure 8 was OK. The short row heel was not OK. More on that later. Yes, my grey yarn would bore a color-person to death. But I want neutral socks that I can actually wear with my fancy work duds. Once I have the hang of sock knitting, I’ll start collecting crazy sock yarn. Then I won’t mind if people are staring at my feet.

Bistro done
Originally uploaded by The Feminist Mafia.

Here is my finished Bistro Shirt. She is indeed a beautiful little beast. After much frogging and fighting, she and I are officially done. Or are we? Naturally she looks great spread across my bed like that. But once I tried her on, we had another crisis to deal with. Isn’t that such a girl-girl vibe? Just when you think it’s perfect, she busts out the drama fest. My dear sweet Bistro is too big! I spent the weekend mourning the loss, and deciding who would appreciate a homemade sweater. As always, the first one is not meant to last. She was my first sweater, and now we will part ways.

For those detail nuts out there — yes, the Bistro is a gender-bending little freak. Previously dubbed “Senor Bistro.” Now an official “she.” It’s my unintentional tranny-sweater. Love it.

Bistro Front
Originally uploaded by The Feminist Mafia.

Last week was a roller-coaster knitting week. On Wednesday I finished the front of my Bistro. Isn’t she beautiful?

Here we are — embarking upon the Hallmark-created holiday of love, happiness, rampant spending, and unfulfilled expectations. Flowers, chocolate, cards, dinner, dancing, movies, sex, romance, gifts. And then … nothing … for another 12 months. Instead, let’s have Valentine’s Day about 14 times a year. Instead of buying things, let’s spend quality time with our loved ones. Create something together. Talk about the future. Swap dreams and ambitions. Listen. Go for a long walk. Make snow angels. Strap on some ice skates. Hold hands. Give a pedicure. Get a babysitter. Or include your children in V-day. Do something that jives with your passions. Don’t allow Hallmark to define love. It’s too complex to fit on a greeting card.

MO

You’re most like Mo, the nucleus of the strip. Yes,
you’re cranky, neurotic, and self-righteous,
but women actually find this adorable. You’re
lucky you live in a comic, though, because this
would not happen nearly so often in reality.

Which Dyke of ‘Dykes To Watch Out For’ are you most like? (beta version)
brought to you by Quizilla

Having recently been traumatized by Bette cheating on Tina on The L Word (yes, I’m hopelessly obsessed and can’t separate TV from reality), I’m feeling very sensitive. So … I’m on the train this morning, and sit behind Mr. and Mrs. Flirt. On a recent train trip, I spent the entire ride trying to determine if they were married. Having never completed my investigation, I promptly forgot about them. But today, I’m stuck behind them again. Mrs. doe-eyed 45 year old Flirt was eating her breakfast, and Mr. Flirt was wiping bits of danish from the corner of her mouth. They were leaning in a little too close to chat. Mr. Flirt’s eyes were all glazed over, and blinking took a bit too long. They poked and prodded each other playfully. And still I wondered if they were married. Until … Mr. Flirt mentioned his wife and daughter. eek! But this didn’t stop the lovin’. In fact, now I wonder if they’re having an affair. Next - they lured a man in front of them into a discussion. Mr. Sitting in Front mentioned that he knew his wife in high school, and that she used to play with his hair during class. Unfortunately, she doesn’t do that anymore, he said. So Mrs. Flirt rubbed his head and he purred like a kitty –another man snagged by Mrs. Flirt. Now she has two and proceeds to play with these two men all the way to town. Yucky. Yucky. Yucky.

Are men really that easy? If so, it’s pathetic.

Yes, I have a runny nose, aching bones, exhaustion, body aches and the rest of it. Yes, I’m cranky and sensitive today. But yucky yucky, yucky. Even in perfect health, I say yucky!

For the sake of Mr. and Mrs. Flirt’s blissfully ignorant loved ones at home/work, I hope that my coughing, nose blowing and sneezing put a teeny damper on their little love fest. Yucky.