So, apparently people think I should do some work here. The nerve! Had a busy morning, running around, working on some more ad concepts, etc. I've only just now settled back in my office for a bit while I wait for something that's going to come my way to sign off on. We have a piece going to the client tonight, so I really hope I don't get stuck here late. Friday is the worst day to work late, of course. Especially after sitting on my butt most of the week doing very little of anything.

I'm very excited - if the weather is nice enough tomorrow (and it seems like it will be), we're going to the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. This will make three years in a row that we have gone to this together, so it's kind of a special place for us. It's an absolutely beautiful sight to see all the cherry trees in bloom - just like fluffy pink clouds overhead.

The IFS (Infamous Frogged Sleeve) has been conquered! Hallelujah! Now all there is left to do is sew that onto the other half (which is already sewn) of the cardigan, then do the neckband and button band. Could get at least partially done over the weekend, depending on how efficient I am. Saturday we're doing the festival, but Sunday we've decided to clean our respective apartments. If I get that done quickly enough, I will have some time for the sweater.

On second thought, don't count on it. There's major work to be done in them thar hills. I think it's safe to swap out the winter and summer clothes from the cedar chest, or at least put away the extreme winter stuff and take out the moderate spring stuff. Either way, that takes a while and always makes the place much worse before it gets better. Plus I want to reorganize some cabinets, etc. I guess it's "spring cleaning" time. Hate doing it, but love having it done.

I need to mention how sad I am that Carolyn is moving back west. I didn't want to say anything earlier, but she mentioned this on Tuesday at Stitch-n-Bitch. How sad, that my brand-new-friend is leaving so soon! I would have missed knowing she's in NYC before, but now that we've met in person, I will miss her actual presence. But at least we'll always be able to read her entertaining and informative prose at Dangerous Chunky.

The silly man is fine - I finally got through around 5:30 when he finished editing and turned his phone on. I wasn't overly worried, but I definitely feel better for having spoken with him. Now back to my regularly scheduled laundry.

There was a building explosion two blocks away from Ryan's school a few hours ago. No one was killed, and it's reportedly due to a boiler explosion, so it's not terrorism, but I can't get him on the damn phone and it's gnawing at me. I'm 99% sure he's just sitting in an editing suite with the phone off, happily oblivious to reality, but that 1% that isn't sure can really drive you nuts. Especially because after September 11th, I made him agree that if anything dangerous happened like this when we weren't together, the first thing we'd do is call each other and check in. Argh. Nothing to do but wait by the phone for him to get my message.

Didn't knit much last night - maybe 10 rows during (how embarrassing this is to admit) Felicity. I only started watching this show during this past Fall, when Ryan had a lot of night classes, and I didn't have much else to do, being unemployed and kind of lazy at the time. Of course I got hooked on the show during its last season. I wish my curly hair looked as pretty as hers when it was long. Of course, with all those stylists, it probably would.

Speaking of hair, this growing it out is such an adventure. Every couple of weeks I need to try something slightly different, because it gets a teensy bit longer and won't behave. After nearly 6 years of short short short hair, it's both fun and irritating, depending on the time of day. One of these days I'll get around to posting pics of the progress. I realized I don't have any current pics of myself here. It started out intentional, to preserve my privacy. Now I guess I don't mind the idea so much. It was sort of funny that when I met Carolyn the other night she was pretty much expecting a cute four-year-old.

Still suffering from sour-patch-tongue. And yes, the fruits are very much like the sour patch kids, just different shapes. I hadn't had them in ages, and now I remember why. I love sour tastes, and I OD on these things whenever I get my hands on them. Now I have half a bag sitting in my desk drawer, taunting me.

In the extremely odd knitted thing category, let me present the knitted thong. I love the part about suggested decorations. Can this possibly be comfortable? Someone on eBay has taken it a step further. Sorry ladies - the bidding is closed!

Network seems slower than usual here at the office. Ugh. It's somehow sad when your internet connection at home (RoadRunner - say what you want about Time Warner, but the cable modem speeds are amazing) is faster and more stable than what you have at work.

Ouch. I have sour patch mouth. Too many sour patch fruits. Yummy, but they rip up my tongue and palate. Still, I go back for more torture. And now I am too hyped up on sugar to eat lunch. Bad Betsy!

Well, the Stitch-n-Bitch was so fun last night! I finally got to meet the famous Carolyn (who appears to be neither dangerous nor chunky in person!) as well as many other nice knitters, including Jackie, who has just started her own blog. (And now has been "outed" for it twice today!)

It was an unusual gathering because there was a team there from the CBS Early Show, filming the group for a segment on how "hip" knitting has become. Apparently my pale face frightened the camera folks away, so you probably won't see much of me, Carolyn or Jackie on TV. But we were all mesmerized by reporter Julie Chen's perfectly glossed lips. Check it out on May 2nd and see for yourself!

Got some work done on the infamous frogged sleeve. Though I did get distracted and have to frog several rows because I increased too much, I did make good progress amidst all the excitement.

This mornng, while trying to figure out what happened to my FedEx from Martha's Flowers (I will tell that irritating story some other time), I took a few more pics. I haven't yet figured out how to do little pop-up windows (actually I haven't tried yet, so there!) so you'll have to bear with me. First, you've got the completed back and not-completed front of the Mom sweater. Since it's hard to see the fabric, I got a little closer and got a halfway decent close-up. Once I finish my cardigan this will get back on the front burner. In the meantime, it's living in the adorable little silk bag I picked up for 15 bucks at the Alexia Crawford sample sale a few weeks ago.

I also got a pic of my Regia sock, which is definitely work-in-progress. I haven't read much past the directions that tell me to knit like 6 inches of ribbing, so I don't know what lies ahead as far as turning the heel, etc. My plan right now is to try and figure it out, but if it isn't crystal clear, I'll bring it to Stitch-n-Bitch and get expert help. "Winging it" has worked on some projects in the past, but I have a feeling it's a bad idea for socks.

I'm in a remarkably good mood today considering I had to frog a whole sleeve last night and woke up with a headache to find it was 40 degrees out today. I even was cheerful during a project status meeting today. Now that IS odd!

After I frogged the sleeve I had to feel some sense of accomplishment, so I did a few more rounds on the circular socks. I'll try to remember to take a picture tonight. I really love the Regia yarn and the way it makes patterns all by itself. Except it doesn't look as nice in ribbing as it does in stockinette, and the Simple Socks in the Cat Bordi book are mostly ribbing. Hmmph.

OK, I am tired of the lilac sweater for the moment. When I finished the last piece and went to block everything, I discovered I had one reasonably-sized sleeve and one ridiculously huge one. I have no idea what the hell I did, although I imagine what I did was increase too much. The sleeve that I thought was too big in the beginning turned out to be fine, but the second one is bigger than that and I am sure will not be. So, it looks like I am going to be frogging. I am SO not pleased. I did sew together two of the raglan seams on the good side, just to have SOME satisfaction. It looks cute lying flat. I'm not sure it will be as cute on me, but we shall see.

OK, I've done my civic duty. I wandered over to chat with my boss, and remind him that I'm here and not very busy. I have reading I can do for my new project, and some ad concepts to work on for Thursday, but not much else. He told me yeah, he knows, and it's just one of those quiet times and I should enjoy it, bill my time to the jobs I have, and get out of here at 5 without looking back. I feel better now, knowing that it's not like I am missing something and could really be doing tons of work that I am ignoring.

That said, I should try and write some of these ads and look up some of the references for the new project. But without any time pressure, it's so easy to put it off until tomorrow. Not to mention it's really boring. And not to mention the ads are for a client I know next-to-nothing about, and there's no project brief or anything - just a one-sentence "promise" that the ads are supposed to be based upon. Gee, thanks.

Just checked the UPS site again - now it says my package is out for delivery. Yay! As long as John comes through with the later-evening delivery as usual, there will be photos tonight!

What a rainy, icky Monday! Makes me wish I could be cuddled up at home with my knitting, some bad TV, and a big cup of tea. But instead I'm at work, with the little space heater working overtime, as I got wet and chilled on the way here.

I'm up to the raglan decreases on the left front of my cardigan - the last piece! Yay! I will finish that tonight, then hopefully block it and sew it together, right on schedule to do the neck and button bands at Stitch-n-Bitch tomorrow. Yay me!

Also, I bought a compact flash card reader from buy.com, so I should be in digital camera mode soon. I checked the tracking number, and the UPS site says it's scheduled for delivery today, but the status doesn't say that it is "out for delivery" so I don't want to get my hopes up. Luckily, I have the nicest UPS guy in the world. He does deliveries in my building late in the day - usually around 7ish, so I rarely miss a package anymore. A few weeks ago I actually saw him in the morning on my way out, and he told me he had a package for me he was going to deliver later, so we just walked over to the truck and got it then. How nice is that? Anyway, as soon as I DO get the card reader, you'll know it - pictures will start sprouting up all over this blog!

In other news...Ryan wants the periodic table sweater linked to via Dangerous Chunky. Looks interesting, but sort of a pain to knit. We shall have to see if he really wants it or just thought it was really neat to look at and thus said he wanted it.

Busy day. Went to the Salvador Dali exhibit today. Lots of interesting work there, though no original paintings. It was great to see so much of his art at once, though.

I've now finished all but the left front of my sweater! I'll probably get that done either tonight or tomorrow. Yay!! Then it's put it together, and pick up stitches for the neckband and button bands. Ick. I'm hoping to do that at Tuesday's Stitch-n-Bitch, so I can get some help with it.

OK, now here's the chance for everyone to offer their theories on something weird. For months now, Ryan and I have come home on various nights and found a wheelchair chained to the fence outside my building. Now, a bicycle chained up there wouldn't seem odd at all. But a wheelchair? Does some guy roll up in his wheelchair, stand up, chain it, and walk in? Or maybe it's someone with a companion, who then carries them inside? None of those explanations make sense to us, since if the person was able to get inside, wouldn't they somehow bring the wheelchair with them? Someone out there must have a theory - we're all ears!

Wow, I just had to add that the temperature just dropped 14 degrees in about 15 minutes, according to my weatherbug. Cool! I am such a weather junkie.

Wow, this is one serious cold front rolling in! I got off the bus about half an hour ago, and stopped in the little park I have to walk through to get home. I could see the western sky darkening and the wind picking up, so I thought it would be nice to sit on a bench for a bit and knit until the storm started in earnest. It was really fun - I got 5 or 6 rows done while the distant thunder became louder, the sky grew darker and the scattered raindrops became a bit less scattered. I love a good storm. When it seemed like the right moment, I put the knitting away and wandered on in.

That was about 5 minutes ago. Just moments ago I heard a HUGE gust of wind and saw that it was dark as night outside my window. I watched a plastic bag fly by, along with the raindrops - all moving horizontally. And suddenly the breeze coming in my window is about 20 degrees cooler than it was outside a few minutes ago. I love when this happens. A beautiful day, topped by a lovely storm. Glad I don't have to be out in it. (Can't say the same for poor sweetie who is in the editing studio at school - hey, I warned him half an hour ago that it was going to happen!)

I meant to take some pictures last night of my WIPs, but didn't get around to it. I got my Regia sock yarn and had to start making my socks. You understand, don't you? The awful part was that just as I had finished casting on and dividing my stitches between the two circular needles, Ryan showed up at my place. I hadn't spoken to him all day (a rarity) because he'd been busy editing a video project for school, so I wasn't expecting him.

Anyway, he was in a tired and bummed-out mood, so I tried to cheer him up for a while. Wasn't all that successful, but at least I tried. Once he left I got back to the socks. Whew, it's slow going on those tiny needles, but I am getting the hang of it and now have about 3/4 inch done. Then I switched back to the cardigan, and those #8 needles felt HUMONGOUS!

Also got a few more rows done on the bus this morning. I have gotten better about not having to look at every single stitch, at least with the larger needles. As long as I only look down when the bus is stopped, I think this is a good way to fit in some knitting time on busy days.

Today is another quiet day at the office, and my boss and his boss are both out for the day. So the other writer and I are hoping to get out of here on the early side. I want to hit the gym before running home to clean up a bit for my cousin Rachel, who is coming to town tonight. She's going to stay at my place while I go to Ryan's. It sucks having an apartment so small that I have to do that, but basically it's like a hotel room with a little kitchen thrown in. Not someplace three people can stay comfortably, and I don't want to spend yet another night without my sweetie!

Finished the right sleeve last night on the lilac "Honey" cardigan. When I was at the Yarn Connection yesterday, I asked the ladies to take a look and see if they thought it was too big, and they said it was fine, that the design probably is for looser sleeves so you can wear a tee or something underneath. I decided I'd buy that reasoning. Plus they measured it and said it was spot-on the pattern, so at least if it is icky, it's not me, it's Rowan!

Cast on the left sleeve last night and got a bunch of rows done before going to bed too late. Did 3 more on the bus this morning. I wasn't sure whether I could knit on the bus, but decided to try after a few stops. Turns out that as long as I only look down when the bus is stopped, I don't get queasy. And since this is NYC morning rush hour traffic, the bus really spends more time stopping than going. I only go 23 blocks, but it takes 15 minutes or so. Any time I can squeeze in a few more rows is good for me.

I am looking forward to finishing this sweater off. I don't have the dread of finishing that many seem to have - I sort of like the puzzle and watching the thing take shape. (Talk to me after I've done a hundred of these and perhaps I will feel differently.) I've never done anything with raglan sleeves before, and this is particularly neat because it's reverse stockinette (purl side out) for the body, with regular stockinette edging on the raglan parts. So it seems like matching up the seems will be kind of fun that way. Maybe I'm just weird. OK, I know I am weird, but maybe this is a manifestation of said weirdness.

Reading more clinical studies today at work, plus coming up with some ad concepts for a client I know almost nothing about and have almost no direction on. Gotta love that. What better reason to procrastinate with some bloggy fun?

Shivering no more!

Just had to share my joy at the new arrival in my office - a ceramic space heater! Our office manager actually dug one up and brought it to me about half an hour ago. Oh happy day! It has made an incredible difference already. I walked out for a bit and came back in and actually noticed it was several degrees warmer in here than the outside world. I'll bet if I close the door it'll be even better. Yay!!

Global warming is gooooood!

OK, maybe it's not really a good thing, but when it's 80 degrees at 9am on April 17, I kind of don't mind so much. It's all very bizarre - middle of April and I am flinging sweaters out of the top shelves of my closet so I can get to the sandals buried behind them.

Of course, the 60 degree air conditioning in my office compensates. I am wearing a skirt, sandals and sleeveless top with a cashmere shawl wrapped around me and a big squishy sweatshirt in reserve. That'll go in an hour or so I am certain. Gotta see about getting a space heater for this place. The whole floor is freezing, but at least my little office doesn't have to be.

Like I said, no knitting last night. And I didn't get to buy my circs. Or get someone to help read my pattern. Grr again. Maybe I will go over to the LYS near here at lunchtime if it isn't too hot to walk. (It's about a 10-15 minute walk from the office.)

Well, must finish reading about the alcoholic rats before my 10am meeting.

Foiled again. Grr.

Once again, I didn't make it to Stitch-n-Bitch. This time, I had to cover for another writer in the office who was out today, and a project he was working on went into hell-mode. I was there to do was read it and sign off on it so it could be printed. Should have happened around 4. By 7:30 they realized there was a major problem with the art, and by 7:45 it turned out that it wasn't going t go out tonight for printing unless we worked on it until midnight, and no one wanted to do that so the client was called and we got another day. So, basically, I stayed there until nearly 8pm only to get NOTHING approved, and by the time I left it was too late to make it to Cafe Des Moines in time to do anything other than sit down, knit a few rows and leave. Grrrrr. I am verrrry cranky.

So I stopped at Bruno the Ravioli King on the way home and got lobster ravioli, gnocchi, pumpkin ravioli and tomato-basil-cream sauce. As I paid, I asked the guy if he thought that would be enough for dinner for one. For a split second he thought I was serious, then he cracked up. Hey, at least I haven't lost my sense of humor. Now I'm waiting for sweetie before I eat, because I just don't want to eat alone even though I am hungry. Should be here any minute.

No knitting's going to get done tonight. Poo. What a waste of a day. Oh, well, not totally. I got my nails done in this color (Essie Nail Polish "Pansy") today. Very cheerful nails. Perhaps I will stare at them until I feel better.

What a beautiful morning! Going to work is so much more pleasant when you step out the door and it's 70 degrees and sunny at 8:30am. I was even in a good mood on the bus, and that's not easy to do.

It seems like another slow day at work. Today I'm reading about a new drug to treat alcohol dependency. Actually it's not new - been on the market in Europe for years, but we're handling the US launch. Interesting stuff. I'd rather be knitting in the park, though.

As advertised, I put down the cardigan last night in order to get some expert advice at Stitch-n-Bitch tonight. I think I know what to do, but why guess when I can get a good answer elsewhere? I started on the blocks but was annoyed with my size 7 straights (I so vastly prefer circs at this point that I can barely handle the straights) that I decided to ditch that and work on the Mom sweater again. Tonight I'll stop at Downtown Yarns before S-n-B and get my sock circs and a size 7 circ. Addi Turbos only - can you tell I just got a decent-sized tax refund?

Great news here for those of you who are dying to see pictures of all this stuff. Ryan's friend Wil has decided to raise some cash by selling his Canon Powershot G1, so Ryan is buying it from him at a great price. That means that for the bargain price of last night's sushi dinner and other favors TBD, I get Ryan's Coolpix 700! It's about 3 years old, so it's not as groovy as the new one, but it's still a 2.1 megapixel and it's what all the other pics I've taken over the past few years are from. All I need to get is a compact flash card reader, since the camera is old enough that it only comes with a slooooooow serial cord connection, which is no faster when I use my USB adapter with it. Anyway, soon there will be many more pictures to prove that betseeee knits!