Finding my feet

     The camera and the computer are once again communicating.  When I went shopping for a new cable, I ran into that incredible-rate-of-technological-change thing.  I didn't come home with a new cable, but with a teeny tiny little card reader.  It will apparently read memory cards I have never even heard of, but, more to the point, it reads SD memory cards, and thus my computer can see my pictures.  I work in a field and a context (libraries in universities) that obsess about new technology -- I really never again need to hear that we are working in/toward the Library 2.0 -- but I still can't keep up.  We are working on setting things up so that the students sitting in the library can use their cell phones to text questions to the reference librarians, and I half expect to go in to work next week to discover the students are wayyy past that.  Anyway.  Pictures.

     After all that, I decided I don't want to post another crooked picture of a halfway organized closet.  The yarn is slowly marching its way (soundtrack: The Volga Boatmen) into the closet.  I need some more clear plastic boxes for the heavy wool and wool/mohair blend yarns.  Though some inspiration for using it has just come along.  Knitters for Macuwita sni  has suggested we concentrate on mittens this year.  I love knitting mittens, as I have said as nauseum on this blog, since they are small projects that allow for a lot of creativity and color.  They also do not lie on your lap in 80 degree weather.  They also provide a very satisfying use of all those small leftovers, or stray skeins.  And, done in nice thick warm yarns, they are finished very quickly.  So you may see more mittens chez Rob.  I am actually really focused on lace, but have not focused long enough to start the projects I am interested in.  And I think that lack of attention means I have once again screwed up the Free and Easy Pie Wedge Shawl.  Hmmm.

    On the uplifting side... I have been experimenting with yarns uncovered in the move that just refused to work in any project I tried for them.  Some of those apparently unknittable yarns are taking very well to Tunisian (afghan) crochet, especially when I realized that if you go up, oh, about 4 sizes above the recommended needle size you get a lovely fabric.  StitchDiva has some great tutorials, as well as some gorgeous handmade supersized Tunisian crochet hooks.  But I didn't really want to spend $30 a needle for experiments, and the locally available afghan hooks don't seem to come in large enough sizes.  Someone on Ravelry suggested Twin Birch and I ordered some needles from them.  When they come in, I will try the formerly unknittable yarns on the supersized hooks.  They already look pretty interesting on the needle sizes recommended on the label, but the fabric produced that way is too stiff.  After the needles come, I will try again.  Oh, and I bought myself a little present when changing addresses on all sorts of websites (Paypal, the mortgage company, the insurance company) led to computer-based frustration. (Get this: to change my home address, Paypal wants to send a security code to my old phone number. Is it just me or is that really something worthy of being published in the Out of the Gene Pool section of News of the Weird?) Ahem.  Found at Michaels, where I was getting pictures framed:

A very nice small bag that will keep my carry-along knitting from snagging on everything in my humungous shoulder bag.  And you can see what's in it, which is important.

And another anecdote on what makes San Antonio charming: I went again to the Candlelight cafe on Sunday, looking for the knitting group.  I hadn't, however, posted that I would be there, or asked if anyone else was going, so at first I thought I would be there alone.  Then I saw someone knitting.  So I went over and introduced myself and was invited to join the folks at that table.  While she was not there for the knitting group, it turns out the knitter was Bobbi Ravicz, the founder of Yarn Barn, which is transitioning to its new owner.  Bobbi told me about the weaving guild, and how she started as a weaver, opened the store at first to supply weavers, and now that she has semi-retired from the store she will finally have time to weave again.  We talked about lace and about Lacis, about knitting with wool in San Antonio (Bobbi says absolutely!), about looms, shops, and Maryland Sheep and Wool.  I left with her phone number.  Nice.

Comments

[KimB]

Glad the photos are working again. My home laptop refuses to recognize any SD card or card reader. I think I need to do an update. But, fortunately the personal laptop at the office is new and loves to read cards so all is fine. Check out my alpaca photos on my blog. You will get a chuckle from the text! Love the bag you found at Michael's. Will miss you on Saturday.

[kary]

YAY! Rob!

Thanks for the Macuwita sni mention ... mittens - mittens - mittens! (Although, I DO love knitting lace too! - WhEEEE!)

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