I Can't, I Have Rehearsal...

Because I haven't posted a kitty pic in a while:

This is what a cat looks like when he thinks he's being neglected because mom has been working ALL DAY! Literally, I rolled out of bed at 9:30a this morning, did a 10:00a-12:00p rehearsal, a 12:00p-1:00p meeting, a phone call including some sad news from Mom, a 2:00p-6:00p rehearsal, a drive to the studio, a 7:00p-11:00p rehearsal, and then paperwork after that! "I can't, I have rehearsal" is a creed we live by and often joke about, but I've had to use it far too often lately. Now, okay, I don't mind being in rehearsal when it's actually useful to be in rehearsal. When I feel like I'm wasting my time (and talent, to an extent, this should really be an intern's show), though, it's just pure torture to get stuff like this:

More after the cut. If we only had started rehearsal half an hour later this evening, instead of ending half an hour early this afternoon (and this evening! We totally didn't need that half hour!), I could have used it today, too. Sadly, I was forced to hurry and pick it up over dinner (okay, so I wasn't forced, I just really wanted to go get it and spend even a little time in the studio and away from work today!). Sir and Mr. R were teaching a kids' class when I came in, but Sir saw me and just grinned. I shook my head to let him know I couldn't be there tonight, and he looked disappointed. He couldn't have been nearly as disappointed as I was! This once a week thing is killing me!

Now I'm trying to decide if I really want to go down to LA on Monday or not. The original plan was to meet up with one friend at Disneyland and spend the morning there, then stop by and check out some new toys of John's on my way out of town, getting back to Santa Maria in time for class. It would be awesome to get out of town, and of course, no one has ever had to twist my arm to get me to spend time in the warehouse. The problem is that I know from experience both Disneyland and the warehouse can be Twilight Zones when it comes to time, and the odds of me actually leaving in time to drive the 200 miles and make it to class are not stellar. Monday is also the only regular class I can make next week (I'm definitely going Thursday - first sparring class!), it's been a really long week for everyone, I'd have to get up super early, and Disney friend can't confirm that she'll actually have that morning off until Sunday. Dilemma!

On the knitting front, I still haven't decided on beads. You all are no help at all (comments, emails, and people I've hounded irl have been split pretty much straight down the middle!) but it's not your fault. As someone pointed out, the yarn (and beads!) isn't true to color in the pic. It's KnitPicks Shadow in Jewel, and is that shade of blue violet that in some light looks royal purple, in others looks royal blue, and all sorts of varying shades in between (including navy!). I took the swatch to work with me today and kept looking at it in different lights during breaks. I like both sets of beads for different reasons. I've never worked with beads before, so I didn't really think about the "effect" I wanted to create with them. Maybe I'll wait until the first clue is revealed and see where the beads are supposed to be worked into the pattern.

And I need to get a new profile pic! I went to use this one on Ravelry and realized that it's almost four years old now! My hair looks nothing like that right now, although I still might get it chopped off again - I HATE having my hair in my face or having to pull it back!

Pics!

Hey, look what came in the mail today!

It's some diVe cotton I snagged off a destasher over on the KR Forums. It's DK weight, a pale, ice blue. I have ten skeins of it - 109 yds/50g skein. No idea what I'm going to do with it yet, but it's pretty! Maybe one of those summer tops I saw...

After, of course, I finish this:

Which is coming along quite nicely and is at the perfect mindless knitting point. Miles and miles of worsted weight stockinette in the round! Yes! It's lovely for movie marathons or listening to the audio books. I'm actually quite pleased with the colors. One of my friends begged me not to go Gryffindor or Slytherin, and wanted me to make a Ravenclaw sweater. I would actually have preferred that myself, not wanting to be a "typical" person, but couldn't find the right colors in the yarn. My high school was maroon and gold, so I guess this is okay. I'm obviously not opposed to gold and black, my beloved Purdue colors, either, but I can't really see myself ever being put in Hufflepuff for any reason. Nothing against Hufflepuff, of course. (Not that I'd ever be put in Gryffindor, either, I'd almost certainly be put in Ravenclaw, personally.) But anyway, it's my vest, and I like it so far. I'm also doing it in the round, as opposed to pieced, specifically so it would remain mindless.

But, I do need an opinion on something (if you can actually see it well enough to form an opinion.

It's my swatch for the MS3. The bottom part is just three repeats to check needle size. The top two repeats are beaded. The lower repeat has smaller (8/0), multicolored metallic green/purple beads that I really like, but may be too dark. The top repeat has larger beads (6/0), in translucent shades of light blue. I can't decide which, if either, I like. Any opinions?

Harry Potter and the Project Whore

Okay, so if you haven't figured out by now, I'm a Harry Potter geek. I'm not much into the forums and fanfics - arguing fictional theory with thirteen year olds isn't what I would consider a great use of time - but I have read the series (yes, the whole series) more times than I can count, and I love the fact that I can always find something new, some new little detail or clue or foreshadowing, every time I read them. I just love the depth that JK Rowling has put into these stories. One detail in the first book could be something important five books later. It's great! I'm both very excited and very sad that the seventh and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is coming out this summer. I can't wait to know the end of the story, but I'm sad that it is the end. We can still look forward to a few more of the great movies, though!

In honor of the Harry Potter events of the summer, though, I started a new project. I've decided to finally give in to my inner geekness and cast on for a uniform vest with Gryffindor stripes. A full sweater, like the ones they wear with their uniforms in the movies, is a bit warm for here, but a vest should be perfect. I picked up the yarn yesterday - Patons Canadiana from the LYS. I'm basing the pattern on one I found at Hobbie's House of Wizard Wear, but am going to add a bit of waist shaping. I have to say, audio books rock. I can listen to the stories while working on the project. It's great. I can go through the series again, but not necessarily give up all my free time to read.

So now I'm actively working on the vest, the multidirdiag scarf, and need to swatch (and possibly get beads for) the Mystery Stole. Zepherine on the KR Forums turned me to a bead shop up in Grover Beach that I'm going to try to check out on Monday. I've never used beads on a project before, so I'd like to try the technique on the swatch before I decide if I want to use them on the whole stole. I also picked up the summer IK at the LYS the other day, and there are a couple of really cute tops in there that I'm also adding to my project queue. I went from having no real sweater/top project going to wanting to do about five all at once. It never rains, but it pours...I'll try to be faithful to these current projects!

68* Hours Later...

Top of Show
You Could Drive A Person Crazy
Have I Got A Girl For You
Side By Side By Side

We're open!

Photo credit: David Bazemore. A few more photos can be seen on the website if you scroll to the bottom.

*Official rehearsal time. Not counting the insane number of hours the various crews put in over the past two weeks in order to make our 12 hours of tech/dress rehearsal time worth anything. You all rock!

Knitting Content!

Okay, these triangles are kicking my arse. I have not been able to work anything that remotely resembles what I want to have happen. I even broke down and went back to the sewing method, and still didn't get it right. Why is knitting a triangle between two diamonds so incredibly hard??? Anyone have any suggestions? In a perfect world, I'd be picking up 31 stitches for the legs of the triangle and the hypoteneuse will be the outside edge. Like how Ene's Scarf is shaped. I just can't, for the life of me, figure it out small scale. I wonder, if I pick up one stitch, can I increase from there and join it to the sides with a k2tog or ssk? Maybe that's to try next...

Oh, and for the record, I have worked on Tumbling Blocks lately, as well. It, the multidirdiag, and the second Green Gables sock have been uncermoniously stuffed into my work bag (which I'm sure is not good on the bamboo needles in Tumbling Blocks), you know, just in case I actually finish one in the 40 minute drives to and from Solvang. They also live in there with Arnold the Penguin, a beloved gift from a Dinner cast member, and Eeyore, a souvenier (sp? It doesnt look right) of our department Disneyland trip. So basically, my work bag has become my toy bag, and all of which are absolutely necessary for rehearsal.

And, in case you haven't heard about this, I got an invite to beta test Ravelry last week. (Hi, Coleen!) I finally took some time Monday to poke around the site. I think it has a lot of potential, lots of ways to organize things and keep in touch with other people. The only thing that I've been a little "mrph" about with it is that, as far as I can tell, it requires a Flickr account if you want to add pics of anything. And there are a lot of pics one can add - stash yarn, WIPs, FOs, books....now that the apartment is clean, I might take the time over the weekend and Monday (I'm not going into the office in the afternoons over the weekend. I draw the line about working 12 hours span of days after Opening!) getting all the pics taken, uploaded, and getting My Notebook on there organized. (Assuming I have not suffocated from my own stuffy nose or coughing fits. Summer colds are the worst!) I do think it's kind of cool that you can see other people who are working on, or who have worked on, the same projects as you. I've already realized that I have the weirdest needle collection habits. I have seven US 8 circs (varying lengths) and a set of US 8 bamboo dpns, but no US 8 straights, for example. I have three US 5 circs and a set of straights, and can't recall ever using US 5s for anything. I'm sure more oddities will come up as the investigation continues. But anyway, you can probably expect to see some pics soon on this blog as well.

And, because I can't seem to comment for some reason today:
Coleen and Amie, thanks for sharing the animal pics! Too cute!
Ar, the baby FOs are adorable! Great job! Can't wait to see the shrug!
Vi, get some pics up! I wanna see the lambsie!
Brittney, is working with bokken in aikido not an every class thing? What else do you use to practice? And I agree on the wet doboks - ewww! Mine is a lightweight one, so it doesn't take too long to dry, but it's still fairly gross. We're not required to wear full uniform to class now that it's summer - it gets too hot and the studio doesn't have noticeable AC by the time the adult classes start in the evening - thank goodness! I've just been wearing a solid colored or ATA t-shirt, my pants, and belt. I wore my jacket the other day and about melted.

All right, gotta go run some errands before hitting the office again. Behave yourselves!

Useful Sweaters and A Short Rant

SRSP: perfect for Solvang tonight. There might just be a use for wool sweaters here yet!

I've turned the STR into the start of a diagonal rib scarf, rather than socks of any kind. So far it is working out much better. I also dug up a UFO - another multidirectional diagonal scarf (yes, I like working on the bias, apparently) in Patons SWS. It was perfect for the bus to Solvang this afternoon. (I slept on the way back!) I'm actually pretty close to finishing the second Green Gables sock, but I just can't bring myself to work on it right now. Someone inspire me, quick!

One more tech/dress for Company, then we preview and open. These 12 hour days are killing me. And I think I have one of the lighter schedules out of the immediate design/production team right now. The LD and I are both already starting to come down with colds. Then Tuesday I go back into rehearsal for Lifeboat, a remount of a children's show we did as an Outreach tour over the school year. Lifeboat, a 2-person remount, gets 20 DAYS of rehearsal. Even if we only did four hour blocks, that's already TWICE what we got for Company. And we have several eight hour days scheduled. It comes out to something like 105 hours of rehearsal before we go into tech. And when I casually asked if we were planning on using all the rehearsal slots, the director is concerned it won't be enough! It's a REMOUNT! With TWO cast members! And it *might* be 70 minutes long! We just did a full two and a half hour Sondheim musical (I keep mentioning that because Sondheim's music is notoriously difficult), from scratch, in what will end up being just over 50 hours, including tech and dress. I'm thinking this director seriously needs to work on some time management skills if he's concerned what he's been given won't be enough! And I'll be getting less than an hour dinner break on double rehearsal days, and less than half an hour on Company performance days. I'm particularly irked because it means I won't be able to go to sparring for at least the next two weeks. Grr!

Started learning the first half of the new form (Songahm 4) last night. I like it so far, although the twin inner forearm blocks throw me off. I need to start going back through forms I've previously learned, too. A brand new white belt asked me a question about Songahm 1 and I totally blanked. Sir also asked me to start reviewing the different kinds of kicks to start being able to do them on command, and gave me some more footwork drills for sparring. I hope that will keep me busy since I'm back in the "I can only go once a week" schedule for the next few weeks, and the wonderful rehearsal schedule mentioned above prevents me from hitting the gym, unless I want to give up sleep. I can still snag a rehearsal room during dinner, though.

Oh, and it's not so weird to work with Steve again. In fact, it doesn't bother me at all. Which is really nice!

Testing Impressions

Well, it's official. I gotta spar now. No more "Oh, it's not until the NEXT belt." My only reprieve is that I have a preview Thursday in Solvang, so I can't start until the week after next. I also have to admit that a camo belt is most likely the ugliest belt ever, and I cannot wait to get the next one!

Details after the cut for those interested. I'm wordy, as always.
Testing was really interesting. All the colored belts tested together - kids and adults. There were only four of us from the adult class, and I was easily the oldest by probably ten years. The kids were naturally Wound Up, although they were pretty well-behaved for the most part. A, the cheerleadery orange-now-yellow-belt in my class, and I kept the kids on our side busy cheering for their classmates. (A won the spirit award!) I somehow ended up with a group of giggling orange belt girls around me by the time the test was over.

The kids only do about 2/3s of the form. They also only have to do one self-defense (no take downs for the lower groups) and one 1-step or sparring segment. The adults do the full form, two of three random 1-steps, and all three self-defense moves with the take downs. (Ma'am was my partner - we only busted up laughing twice, once when I actually had to catch her mid-take down to prevent her from landing on Mr. R, who had just hit the ground from his partner, and once when she came at me for the third move and I think we were both a little more aggressive than we'd planned.) Each group also had to do the board breaks, a random technique Sir would call out, and a set of pushups and sit ups. Appropriate ranks/groups also had to free spar and do weapons drills.

The kids and Teeny (who I thought I had mentioned in a post before, but can't find it if I did. She's a red belt in the adult class, and is easily one of the tiniest people I've ever met. She's a terrier, though!) did their forms by rank, and then the remaining adults did our form together since all three of us were in the same block. It was probably the worst I've ever done on my form. I swear I don't remember doing the first two kicks at all, didn't even think of them until I was doing the last set (all the moves in a form repeat in reverse at some point) and thought "Wait, did I do those earlier? Is that why the beginning felt off?" I honestly don't know if I did them or not. I wasn't nervous or anything, I was just...off. I know my stances weren't nearly as deep or solid as they have been in class, either. It also took me two tries to break a board that I usually break the first time. Of course, it was also a harder board than the one they told me I'd be breaking! (Normally we do the harder boards in class and the easier boards for the test. For some reason, I got the hardest board I've ever done in class for the test.)

I'm a little disappointed - I know, and at least Sir, Ma'am, and Mr. R. know, that I can do better than what I did today. It was a lot of fun being with the kids, though. I taught kids' swimming classes for over ten years, and I forget how much fun it is to work with that age group. I kind of got roped into babysitting - an orange belt who was being squirrely got sent to sit next to me and my gigglers for the remainder of the test, and he wasn't too happy about it. NF, a black belt in my class, was the floor conductor, and she came up to me on the break and admitted she was having trouble getting the kids to listen to her. I think I'm just more intimidating - I'm much older, much taller, a higher rank than most of the squirrely ones, and, most importantly, a stranger to them - so it usually just takes eye contact or a touch on the shoulder/hand and a quick head shake to get them focused. If I could work the time into my schedule, I might try to do leadership/instructor training, but since I already often have conflicts, it's probably best not to for now. They are starting a Fridays in the Park class for the summer, all ages and ranks, that I might try to get to if I don't have rehearsal or a show, though. Except for designated sparring days, they're all bring-a-buddy, so if anyone wants to come out, feel free ;-)

Oh, and sign-ups are open for the Mystery Stole 3 Yahoo Group. I'm hoping this will be an excellent summer project, as everything else so far just isn't doing it for me.

Socks, Starter Wife, and Sparring

It actually took me a few minutes to come up with that title, and that's all I have to show for it. Sorry!

I frogged the STR sock. I was starting the gusset increases, too. It just wasn't working for me. I really like the fabric of the US 2's, but didn't cast on enough stitches, and it was just a smidge too tight. I kept telling myself I could live with it - even just change ever so casually to US 3's when I got to the leg - but it was driving me nuts. Could I wear them? Yes. Did I want to wear them? Yes. Did I like the way they looked on my feet when I wore them? No. I went to restart again on US 3s and I really don't like the fabric. So I don' know what I"m going to do with them now.

I started watching The Starter Wife this week on USA (watched the first episode on the website and the second one on tv tonight). I gotta say, I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I like the characters and the actors (I really like Debra Messing in this, actually), but it kind of seems like the story is moving just a hair faster than what we see on screen. There's been a couple of times I've gone "Um, just a little more backstory here would help this scene a lot!" Oh well. I'm not a multimillion dollar producer or screenwriter, so what do I know? I do realize that it is a mini-series (sorry, a "television event"), so perhaps all will be explained in the end. There is a semi-mystery in it, though, so maybe I'll just pick up the book instead. (We know the guy committed suicide, but the characters don't.) Has anyone else seen it? What do you think so far?

I went in for a pickup on the self-defense this afternoon. Sir helped me finally figure out what I was doing wrong with the take down (now I just have to remember it!) and then started showing me some different sparring footwork drills, and explaining the different numbers to the kicks (a #1 front kick v. a #2, 3, or 4 front kick, for example). He helped me place the order for my sparring gear and told me he was really interested in seeing what kind of style I'd develop for myself as I got more confident with the sparring. I'm kind of interested too. I'm still nervous about it, but it's a "I'm going to make such a fool of myself!" scared now. Which isn't really a problem - one of the things I really like about this studio is how extremely patient and helpful the other students are with lower belts in class - but still. Sir told me to just concentrate on footwork and putting just two or three techniques together at a time for now. I went back this evening and watched the sparring class again. Mr. R. told me that it was too bad there wasn't an odd number of people, or he'd've made me join the class. Sir did have me join the rest of the class for formwork at the end, though. It's tough getting up cold and trying to go through your form! And once again, my theater training and tkd collide - don't let the audience, or judges, know that you know you just messed up! I'm good for Saturday, but I'll only be able to go to Monday night regular class next week due to tech and Opening. The whole work thing is just inconvenient sometimes! Oh, and I'll do the camo belt form next - I somehow landed so that I'll actually go through all the forms in order, which is kind of nice. I like reverse side kicks, even if I suck at them right now!

Distraction!

Look! Quick, over there!

See, some progress! The second Green Gables sock only needs a few more inches on the leg. The STR sock is about an inch away from starting the heel. I'm going to do my best do to a toe-up heel flap and gusset on these guys, if it kills me! But isn't it intereting how the same yarn will work up into fraternal twins? This is the first Green Gables sock:

See the difference in the stripe pattern? The difference in the widths, the difference in the intensity...no idea why. Cool, though, I don't need identical twins for socks. Frats are fine with me!

And, this is how the baby blanket looks so far:

The triangles, once I sit down and figure them out, are going to fill in the edges, in the color pattern, and then there will be a striped border around it. I kind of like it, myself.

I didn't get the apartment nearly as clean as I wanted today, since I ended up spending all afternoon in the office with my LD going through the blocking for the show. I did get laundry done, though, and am now waiting for it to fold itself.

It was awesome to be back in class tonight. I'm good with my one-steps, form, and board break, but I'm not good with the self-defense. I'm going to go in on Thursday for a pickup. I also got to talk to Sir a little about testing and sparring, which was cool. He said we might start sparring in regular classes, which would be interesting. I've decided I am going to test with the rest of the class on Saturday. The music director decided he really didn't need us there Saturday afternoon, so it's cool again.

Alright, the laundry still hasn't folded itself, so I think I'm gonna go take care of that and crash now. Have a good week, everyone!

I'll Drink To That!

We ran through Company for the first time tonight. The whole show. Up on its feet in less than 48 hours of rehearsal. Yes, that would be, for those of you keeping score, an entire Sondheim musical blocked and ready to tech in six days. My director, musical director, SM team, and (most important) cast ROCKS! Now they have a whole week to forget everything and start learning a new show before we go into tech. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm dead tired, and I didn't even have to sing or learn movements!

Tomorrow (today? I guess it's technically Monday) is dedicated to cleaning the apartment and going to class. Yay, class! Once I get the place CLEAN, really clean, I'll pick up the knitting again. I have to spend time in the office this week, but I'll have some extra time until we start tech. I'm trying to find an excuse to go down to LA where it's warm. Anyone want to hit Disneyland next week?

I might get my hair chopped off, too. We'll see.

This is the post that has no title

I keep logging in and starting a post, and then realizing that I don't have much to talk about right now. Company has hit the ground fast and furious, and with all the scheduling complications trying to get a whole show up in something like 48 hours (yes, that would be one work week) of rehearsal time will obviously bring up. Tuesday was a 15+ hour span of day, yesterday was 13+ hours, I'm hoping to keep today to around 13 hours. This is why they don't pay stage managers hourly rates - we go into overtime way too quickly! The director found out today that she will be having a little girl, so I think I will make the pink the main color of the border for the baby blanket. I started the Jaywalkers with the STR, decided I didn't like them, and went back to plain stockinette toe-up socks on US 2s. I'm going too tightly on them, though - the foot can practically stand on its own. I don't remember having this trouble with the STR mediumweight when I did the Cloverleaf Socks. Weird.

I don't get to test with the rest of my class now. They changed our orchestra rehearsal to noon instead of 1:30p on the 9th, so I won't have time. Of course, I couldn't make it to class at all this week, so I will have to stop by the studio tomorrow to get a new testing time. I was kind of looking forward to testing with the class, too! =P I also haven't had the time or energy to go running this week, so although I'm working like crazy, I kind of feel like a slob. I've been trying to be really good about how I eat this week - both for work energy and because I'm not up and moving like usual. I, however, was brave enough to wear a shorter skirt (you know, like skirt length, no mini skirts or floor/ankle length, it hits just above the knee, I think), and my legs don't look nearly as bad as I thought they used to. So either I was just way self-conscious (which I am, I think my legs, although they're long, are my least-toned area) or there might be something to this whole exercise thing...

Oh, and happy anniversay, Mom and Dad! 27 years!

Okay, back to music rehearsal. Ciao!

I do so knit!

Sometimes...

Okay, so it seems like I haven't picked the needles up in forever. I did actually take the STR with me this weekend. And Tumbling Blocks (betcha haven't seen that mentioned for a while). I just didn't really ever get the time to work on them. But now I have, a little. I've done a full repeat on Tumbling Blocks. I LOVE the yarn (Jade Sapphire's Mongolian Cashmere in Lagoon - YUM!), not so fond of the needles. I'm using some Clover bamboo circs. I like the grip of the bamboo on the cashmere, but the blunt points just might drive me nuts. I already have about 24" of the scarf done, though, so I don't really want to change needles now.

As for the STR (mediumweight, Seal Rock colorway, which looks a billion times prettier balled up and knitted than in the skein), I started them off as Monkey Socks, which didn't fit. Then I tried regular toe up socks, but didn't care for it. Now I'm taking a page from Cara and trying them for some Jaywalkers. I have a good feeling about this. I'm doing the same size I did before, but on US 3s instead of 2s, so I think I will be okay with the sizing without having to do ten billion stitches. (Yes, I do knit very tightly!)

I have barely touched the baby blanket since trying to weave ends in with my shaking hands Monday night. I need to finish those ends and figure out the side triangles. I've had a couple people tell me not to bother with them, but I know exactly how I want this blanket to look, border and all, and darn it, it WILL look like that by the time I'm through. The kid may be in college by then, but I'll win eventually! She's due in October, so I have all summer to work it out.

Class was soo much better Wednesday. It's amazing the difference properly fueling your body makes! I still can't do those darn front pushing kicks correctly, though. Everyone else makes it look so easy, and I feel like...I don't know...like I've never kicked before in my life. I did surprise myself by kicking one of the targets in the head with a crescent kick, though, which made me feel better. I was partnered with Ma'am again, and Sir kept looking at us and laughing for some reason. I can't go to class again for a whole week, though! Monday is Memorial Day, so the studio is closed, and I have rehearsals all week next week. I should be able to go both Monday and Wednesday before testing, though. I'm having trouble with one of my one-steps. It's a right double outer form block, then a front jump kick, a backfist, middle punch, chin punch, a right round kick to the middle, then another right double outer form block/evading to the left. I have trouble going from the round kick into the chambering for the block, and tend to lose my balance. Sir says that I am trying to move too quickly, so I will practice next week (in a rehearsal room on dinner breaks, most likely) trying to take a pause there.

And by the way, I kind of wish sometimes that I didn't have to deal with guys. Steve gets into town for the summer next week. I'm going up this weekend to visit AF Guy for a day or two, which has made another male friend jealous (totally unreasonably - not only is there absolutely nothing but friendship between me and AF Guy, but there isn't anything between me and other guy either for him to get upset about!) And, I learned this weekend, some crushes just don't go away with time, even though there is not even a snowball's chance in hell of anything ever coming from it. Blarg. Boys!

So, who's going to see Pirates 3 this weekend??

Hey!

Did you know that if you barely eat and sleep for five days and then try to do a 45 minute tkd class, your body will go, "Oh HELL no" and your hands will start shaking? I didn't either, although it doesn't surprise me. They were still shaking for about an hour after I got home and ate, too. I was trying to finish weaving in ends on the baby blanket, but no go. Class was so hard tonight! I don't think it was all JUST me, though, since by the time Sir started demonstrating our final drills (balancing in a pushup position with your feet on a medicine ball, then alternating leg lifts), even Cute Belt, who seems to be Mr. Athlete of the class, was going "Sure we will...", which got him a few extra seconds of balancing when Sir heard him.

A link to this article on the relationship between sleeping and eating came tonight, too. I thought it was really interesting.

Knitting content soon!

What a week! (Long, and No Knitting)

It feels like I've been going non-stop since last Tuesday! Let's see, what did I do this past week?

Tuesday:
A four hour tech rehearsal and a four hour dress rehearsal, prep work for Company (the script and score still haven't formatted and copied themselves! C'mon!), and emailing/calling back and forth with John making sure we have everything ready for the weekend.

Wednesday:
See Tuesday

Thursday:
A four hour final dress rehearsal, a last minute "we need grades turned in tomorrow but you have to send them to Chrissy since you're not faculty and can't turn in grades" resulting in leaving Santa Maria an hour later than I'd wanted, a three hour drive to the theater in Montebello (which means it's 9:00p by the time I get there), a couple more hours helping John get the equipment set up and checked (they already had it loaded in, just not set up), and finally followed John to the house I'd be staying at for the weekend (in the interest of not wanting to gush too much, I'll just say the house is huge, gorgeous and I'm extremely grateful), and crashed hard.

Friday:
Get up early, head over to the theater, finish cleaning and setting equipment, work things out with the camera guy (we do three close-up card tricks in the show that we project onto the screens so the entire audience can see), run through the show with the girls and the other show crew guy, run back to the house, get food and clean up (HOW do I get SO damn dirty with that equipment?! We clean it all the time!), come back and do the first show. The hazers and foggers set off a fire alarm, which was interesting, but other than that, the show went pretty smoothly. Get a little riled when John takes other show crew guy out with him to sign autographs, leaving me to reset the entire show by myself, but take it as a backhanded compliment, and frankly, I can do it faster on my own than having to stop and show/remind the other guy how things need to be set. Besides, it's cool to be the only one, other than John of course, who can do it anywhere close to correctly. (I'm pretty good, but there still always seems to be some little detail I've missed, so I always have John check it himself, as well.) Get done around 11:30p, go to Dennys with John and crew guy to get something decent to eat, go back to the house, talk the show over with his folks and one of his sisters and nephews, and crash even harder.

Saturday:
Wake up at 9:30a for no apparent reason. Spend the morning lazing around, talking to my mom on the phone, talking to John's parents in the kitchen, and finally make it to the theater (late, I must admit....very late. And not because of me, which made me more than a little cranky!) Check everything from last night, correct some lighting issues we had with the camera last night, try in vain to attempt to set the smoke alarm off again so we can figure out what we can do to prevent it, race back to the house for a quick shower and change, race back to the theater to do the show. Again, the smoke alarm goes off (we were prepared and had someone in place to turn it off immediately this time), but again, a very smooth show. (Okay, I think I personally could have done some things better, but the audience only saw magic, which is the most important thing.) Again, I get left to start packing up while crew guy and John do the autograph thing. We finally get the show loaded out - everything stored, packed in its proper place, and loaded onto the trucks - around 12:30a. Too late to drive back to Santa Maria, so another run to Dennys, a few minutes playing with the dogs, and another hard crash at the house.

Sunday:
Get up at 8:00a, take a long shower and get all dressed up. Hit the road around 9:30a, realize about the time I hit Santa Barbara that I had not gotten the cards for my graduating second years, get into Santa Maria around noon, race around town (still all dressed up) finding appropriate cards and small gifts, get to our theater, find out that I'm supposed to sit onstage with the faculty and hand out the department's intern certificates instead of sitting in the audience like the good little staff member I was planning on being (remember that whole "I'm not faculty thing?" Yeah, me too), cry a bit through the graduation ceremony (they were smart and put bottles of water and a pack of tissues under each chair onstage), run home, change clothes (Teddie is REALLY not happy with me at this point - Mom's been gone for DAYS and now she is leaving again!), and go to a "No More Students!" staff/faculty barbecue. Get home around 10:30p (a warm blanket by a nice outdoor fire with a cold beer is quite comfortable), check the ten billion emails waiting for me (mostly spam - I didn't check it for three days and the amount was unbelievable), take another long shower to get the smoke smell off me so I can sleep, and finally indulge the Teddiecat in a long petting session before falling asleep.

Now (Monday), I keep looking around my apartment going "this place is SO messy, I have to clean it up!" and have no energy for it. (I'm also PMSy, which saps my energy and doesn't help) I do have class tonight, and I'm planning on going, but it seems like a million years ago since last Monday. I feel like I've forgotten everything and I am going to be so sore tomorrow. Luckily, this week is just a prep week - no rehearsals or performances or meetings or anything. I can go in whenever I want to do whatever work I need to have done by first rehearsal (which isn't much), so I'm going to try to get some rest!

Tag!

Here is what AR tagged me with:
Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

Here’s how to play…
1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules
3. At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here is my list:

1. I'm currently overseeing tech and dress rehearsals for two shows that aren't mine.
2. I'm officially an adopted "parent" to a Magellenic penguin - two of our cast members entered a penguin rescue group and adopted one on behalf of our company. His name is Whiteside.
3. I have a blue Christmas light gaff taped to my computer at work, courtesy of a smart-ass ME.
4. I'm having a serious chocolate craving right now and might run over and get a sandwich and a candy bar in a minute.
5. I'm really hoping that my script and score will somehow copy and format themselves into my prompt book. They haven't yet, though.
6. I'm learning how much I have learned in the past five years working in the professional world, and what kinds of examples I've set for my students in the past year. It's really interesting the habits they pick up on.
7. I want to go running this afternoon.
8. I'm freezing and miss warm weather.

Oh dear, 8 people to tag! I will have to think about this, but if you want to be tagged, consider yourself so.

To-Do

1. Laundry (why is that ALWAYS on the to-do list??)

2. Weave in ends on mitered baby blanket and figure out the edge triangles. About 1/2 done with the ends, didn't work on the triangles

3. Paint my toenails

4. Give Chrissy her mail

5. Mail a card to AF Guy (he has his final test coming up in a few weeks and it's starting to get to him)

6. Finish a repeat on the first Monkey sock (I'm not feeling the love yet, but I'm hoping it's residual irritation from doing an inch of ribbing. Although I have to admit that I really like the look of the twisted rib.)Actually have done two repeats on the leg right now

Not much to report. Class stuff after the cut. Class tonight was tiny - only eight of us. Four black belts and four colored belts, and I was the lowest belt there. Ma'am worked with me during most of the formwork time. Instead of doing the regular repetition of the forms and 1-steps, though, she had me do some drills to work on deepening my stances, some blocking and punching drills to work on my hand motions, and "sparred" me with the 1-steps. She showed me how to measure up for the 1-step sparring and it was a little weird getting used to actually having a partner. I blew through the brown board again tonight - I might ask for yet a harder board next time. We haven't done the self-defense much lately, so I hope we hit those again soon. I'm trying to decide if I can make it on Wednesday or not. Probably not - I'm really supposed to be sitting in one of my interns' final dress, and I've already arranged to have a phone meeting with John during Tuesday evening's rehearsal. Then I'm going back down to LA for the rest of the week on Thursday. I'm going to try to hit the gym and go running as much as possible this week. Next week, I should be able to go both Monday and Wednesday, and I'd like to go watch sparring again next Thursday. After that, my summer schedule starts up and it gets crazy again, but only for a couple weeks.
I got some of the ends woven in on the baby blanket, but didn't work on the triangles at all. I have a couple of ideas to try, though. I did do two full repeats on the Monkey socks...and realized something. They don't fit. Or rather, I CAN get them over my heel, but just barely. I'm just following the pattern right now, which is weird, because the number of stitches called for in the pattern is what I would normally cast on for this weight yarn on these needles, and it is supposed to be a stretchy pattern. Mrph.

Surprise!

So, I have to be totally honest and admit that I started the day out a little miffed. Birthdays aren't really huge deals in my family, but they are generally cause for at least a (for me) crack of dawn phone call from my mom and a card and small gift. Of course, I always moan and groan about the early morning phone call, but you know, it means she loves me and is excited to celebrate with me in the possible fashions. So I was actually a little disappointed that I didn't get a call until almost noon.

I go to one of my interns' rehearsals, and their CD player doesn't work. I rush over to the office to get mine, and run into another of my interns, who seems unusually surprised that I'm not in the office and am going back over to the rehearsal halls. I shrug it off and hurry back over to the rehearsal so they can get started (plus, I haven't seen Act One of this show yet and I really wanted to). About ten or fifteen minutes later, Surprised Intern slips in. "I REALLY need to talk to you now!" Said intern is leaving on Sunday, so I figured it was something to do with that and her scholarship or something, since this is the last business day before she leaves. She leads me to one of the classrooms....where there is a cake with candles and...my parents!!!

Apparently Intern and Chrissy and my parents started orchestrating this several weeks ago! They flew into SLO this morning, and will have to fly back home on Sunday. They're coming to see the show tomorrow night. They had planned on seeing it tonight, but after getting up around 2:00a PST jet lag, and flying across the country, a three hour show in a dark warm theater that wouldn't end until 11:00p was probably not the smartest move, so we switched the ticketes. My brother was going to come, too, but he got scheduled to work this weekend and doesn't have the option of trading. I want to spend more time with them, but of course, I have two shows tomorrow and a show and strike on Sunday. I should also go to rehearsal for Showcase in the morning, and was planning on it, but now I might go have brunch with my parents instead. After all, they live 2500 miles away and I usually only see them once a year!

I also am fully intent on breaking my no-cast-on rule and starting a pair of Monkey Socks in a skein of STR I had laying around. The yarn looks a lot better balled than in the skein! I haven't tried any of Cookie's patterns yet, so this should be interesting. I finished the heel on the second Green Gables sock at the show tonight, so I'm close enough to finishing one project, right? And it's my birthday! (We'll pretend it isn't after midnight and technically not my birthday anymore, right?)

Yikes!

Face the flags.

Chah-reyot.

Kyeong-Nae.

First half Songham Spirit of Taekwondo

Si-Juhk.

Sir/Ma'am,

I will practice in the spirit of Taekwondo,

With courtesy for my fellow students,

Loyalty for my instructors,

And respect for my juniors and seniors,

Sir/Ma'am.

Chah-reyot.

Kyeong-Nae.

Sir had me bow the class in and out for the first time last night! Now, reciting the Songham Spirit of Taekwondo isn't that big of a deal, but I couldn't remember the Korean commands for anything! I badly mangled what I'm sure is already bastardized Korean. Sir was good about prompting me, but I'm sure my "deer in the headlights" look was fairly comical. Luckily, there weren't nearly as many people there as usual last night, although there were still a fair few. Not many of the regular crowd was there. Only seven color belts, so I actually had some room to do formwork! Sir told me to forget about my arm/handwork for a while - it's "powerful" enough - and to work on widening and deepening my stances. That's going to be a hard habit to break, but I'll try! I blew through my first board again, so after everyone had taken their turns, I asked if I could try again with the next hardest board. I blew through that one, too. I like this palm-strike break! C started teasing me about sparring again. Only a few more non-sparring weeks left - test is June 9th! I'll actually be able to test with the rest of the class for the first time. I'm more nervous about that, actually. I'm starting to look forward to sparring, though. I feel like movements are starting to come a little more fluidly, although I definitely don't have the speed and power, and I'm not looking forward to being the lowest belt in the sparring class! Not that I think anyone would try to hurt me, but, well, it IS sparring. I'm assuming it's like stage combat - inexperienced people are the most dangerous!

Face the flags.

Chah-reyot.

Kyeong-Nae.

Second half Songham Spirit of Taekwondo

Si-Juhk.

Sir/Ma'am

I will live with perserverance in the spirit of Taekwondo,

Having honor with others,

Integrity for myself,

And self-control of my actions,

Sir/Ma'am.

Chah-reyot.

Kyeong-Nae.*

*Apologies for the Romanized Korean - that's what it sounds like to me.

Getting Wordy As Always

I haven't posted in a few days both because I've been so busy and because nothing interesting has happened, if that makes any sense. I keep trying to put the next two weeks into this week, for some reason. Had a full weekend of shows, then went down to LA Monday to work with John. I might go again next Monday, but I'll definitely head down next Thursday after the final Showcase dress rehearsal and stay until at least after the show Saturday night. I have to be back in time for graduation on Sunday afternoon. But see, that's all NEXT weekend, and I have to get through this one first. THIS weekend is closing weekend of the show. Thank goodness! It's been fun, and the cast is great, but we're just not getting the audiences in right now and not having the audience to play off of is making it very hard on the actors. I'm kind of ready for the summer to start, actually. I've always preferred the summer season - it's much busier, more things are going on, and more people are around.

Only about eight more miter squares in the baby blanket. I think I'll leave it how I originally laid it out. It covers my lap fairly nicely in the booth, so I think it should be fine for a stroller or car seat or somesuch. I still have to take time to sit down and figure out the triangles. I'm just really opposed to sewing a whole side of all of them to a blanket, for some reason. I've done a few more rows on Ene, but I just don't have the mental capacity to work on it much right now. The sheer number of stitches on the needle boggles my mind. 375! It feels like forever and a day to do one row! How do people get past that?? I know, in my head, that it will eventually decrease to a reasonable number. But that's not helping now.

I wasn't able to make it to class last night. John's place has always been a twilight zone where time warps and passes in unexplainable ways, and I ended up not even getting on the road back until almost 5:00p, which of course put me in the middle of traffic getting out of the city. Didn't get home until almost 8:30p. Would go back down in a heartbeat. I'm so over this place, and I want to travel again. The most awesome birthday present in the world would be a blank cheque and unlimited time to go anywhere and everywhere with anyone and everyone I wanted. I don't think anyone can arrange that by Friday, though =)

Did a mile in 12 minutes today, since I spent too much time in the office (again, working on John's stuff, I gotta watch that) and only had about half an hour to go to the gym. Definitely hitting class hard tomorrow and running Thursday and Friday. I might have to break down and get membership to a real gym with more flexible hours. I've been reading around on McDojos, btw, and I have to agree that ATA is a big one, but I like where I am and I'm not trying to learn for any real self defense (I'd probably forget every formal move and go with instinct anyway). I like the exercise and the people here. And frankly, there were a lot of horror stories out there about other studios and instructors out there. I've never seen anything like that here - really the only things I've been even remotely uncomfortable with have been the length of time between tests and the block forms. I just feel really bad for the white belts who have to learn the yellow belt form, and now that I'm getting ready to move into a new block, I'm worried about what belt's form I'm going to have to learn. What if it's the purple belt form or something? I mean, I'll still do my best at it, but blah.

Really Big Miters and other stuff...

Okay, so I've been thinking about doing a really lacy little empire-waist top. In my head, it is the kind of thing you would definitely have to wear over a cami, but so light and airy a pattern and yarn that the color is almost a mist against whatever you wear under it. (Hey, it works in my head!) Before I can put this together, obviously, I need to decide what lace pattern to use. I keep getting drawn to the inner lace panel of Ene's Scarf, from Scarf Style. It's not quite what I'm looking for, but, not being one to let an idea pass, decided to try it. I pull out the book, look through the pattern, find the charts. It suddenly becomes a brilliant idea to actually do the project - you know, while I figure out how the garment is going to have to work I should have something to do. And I don't have any other monster projects going on right now. So I ball up a skein of KnitPicks' Shadow in Lost Lake and spend an hour casting on 375 stitches. Three Hundred And Seventy Five! I did the first row of the chart, then crashed, since we had a brat mat this morning. After this, I think I'm going to go pick it back up again. I realized, though, once I cast on, that the structure of the scarf...is a miter. You cast on the lower edges (the legs of the triangle, if you're into geometry), and because of very specifically placed decreases, you work up into a triangle shape (the cast off edge would be the hypoteneuse). I have to figure out how these decreases are placed so I can figure out how to do the edge triangles for the baby blanket. So maybe sometime in the next ten years or so, given my history with large lace projects, I might have something.

Oh, and I got a response from Fiona Ellis on the SRSP! She remembers me from Stitches and complimented the sweater! That was kind of cool!

I went running for the first time in about two weeks today. Did 2.75 miles! My legs are going to be so sore tomorrow! They've been sore pretty much since Monday's class - I almost didn't go to class last night, but they felt so much better afterwards! They were a little sore again today, but again, after I went running, they're not. I think I am one of those who gets those little endorphin highs from exercising. After I get done with class or at the gym, I feel like I can take on the world. I actually really wanted to go watch the sparring class tonight, but we had an intern seminar scheduled and we got started late due to some meetings running over. Blarg. Means I won't get to watch sparring again until week after next. Orange Belt Kid and I did some mock-sparring with our one-steps last night.

Going down to LA again on Monday. Supposed to be a full rehearsal with the dancers. We'll see. I love going down there, being down there, even driving down there and back isn't bad, it's getting up so early! I feel like I've had to get up early every day - covering classes, doing shows, prepping for the summer. I just want some sleep!

Class, good. The past couple times, we've ended with some of the kids' games. Last time it was Ninja Stars (a version of dodgeball with the hitting targets as balls). Tonight, it was Chicken Tail, a version of tag, where you turn your belt around so the ends are on your back, and you have to try to tug everyone else's belts while protecting your own. We also did self-defense a little differently tonight. We practiced the moves with our partners (Cute Purple Belt was my partner tonight), then we split into two circles. One person stood in the middle of the circle, and anyone on the circle attacked whoever was in the middle with the moves we had just been practicing. I don't know about anyone else, but that was extremely helpful to me - you didn't know who would attack you next or with which attack. I'm still a bit slow reacting and working through everything, but it was a lot more of a learning experience for me than the drills we usually do. I also found out that I might actually be able to make the next testing date (June 9th). I've never tested with the rest of the class before, so I'm a little nervous.

Getting up at 5:30a tomorrow so I can be on the road at 6:00a so I can be in LA to rehearse above show at 10:30a, bad. Gonna take a shower and try to crash now. I hope I can be back in time to go to the gym - I didn't get a chance to go running at all last week.

Kicking puppies and other fun stuff

I hate firing people who have not ticked me off personally. It's a billion times worse when said person is under ten years of age and I have to talk not only to him, but to his mother. It sucks. I know it was the right call, and I know I was the right person to do it, but really. There's nothing in the world positive about the experience. I wanted to go to the studio and kick the hell out of some targets for a while, but no such luck, since it was Saturday, and I had about twenty minutes for dinner after all was said and done, anyway.

I laid the baby blanket out today, and realized that I don't think it will be big enough.

The Inspector graciously helped with a size comparison:

There are only four more tiers in my original idea. Adding length won't be difficult, I can always add more diamonds to each end and stay in pattern, but width (which may or may not be an issue) will be a little trickier. We'll see. I'll finish what I have planned and then take a look at it again. It might not be so bad.

I get to spend my weekend with this, though:

I had a skein of Amy's The New Black explode on me when I was trying to wind it. I must have twisted it or something when I put it on the swift, and the more I worked with it, the worse it got. I have about half of it untangled and wound now, and am trying to work up the courage to face the rest of the blob.

I also thought of a couple other sweater/shirt ideas, these are for more warmer-weather tops, that I might swatch for this weekend. I don't know if I should post a picture of my sketches or not. Last time, someone very kindly suggested that if I should ever be interested in publishing a pattern, often publishers ask that said pattern is not shared in any part before the publication. While I have no plans to try to get anything published yet, I do think one of my ideas could be really cute for Knitty or something, so maybe I'll just keep them under wraps for now.

Picture sizes should be smaller now, btw. I'm trying a new program to resize images. Let me know how it works?

Class tomorrow - I cannot wait! I so need it!

Boring, but not... (mostly non-knitting)

Some things I've been thinking about recently after the cut.

So this week hasn't really been too exciting, although I feel like I've been getting up way too early and going to bed way too late. I had Monday off, then Tuesday, I got up at 6:00a (yes, that's an A, as in AM, urgh!) to drive down to LA and hang out with John. He showed me a few new illusions he's gotten lately, and we started training a new crew guy he hired. We're doing a small show in May, the weekend after Dinner closes. It's a Friday/Saturday thing, although I'm going to try to get down there Thursday night. John's arranged a place for me to crash, since I no longer have housing down there, which is cool. I'll go back down for another rehearsal with new crew guy and the dancers next Tuesday, and then we'll be set, I think.

Being down in LA was a little surprising to me, though - I realized I actually missed the place! Okay, not the traffic, which only a masochist would miss, but living there. I spent the drive home thinking of how I could support myself if I moved back down. I came up with either going to grad school or by some miracle landing a full time gig somewhere (preferably with John, in which case I'd be on the road most of the time, but the show isn't quite at full-time status yet). I had the contacts to freelance when I had roommates to help split costs, but I don't think I could support myself on just freelancing, and I don't know anyone I'd want to room with there anymore.

I'm also applying to Blue Man Group in Las Vegas for an ASM position there, which prompted an email to Lance Burton's stage manager, who was amazingly cool enough almost five years ago to take time to talk to a college kid, barely 21, who knew nothing about magic shows, only that she wanted to work on them, and had the guts to call and ask. (Thanks, Mom, for pushing me into that, btw!) We've kept in intermittent touch since, and while we can't exactly discuss business (since we both work for different illusionists, trade secrets and all), he always gives me advice about companies and such. I have a standing offer to see the show anytime I'm in town. Which, I'm starting to think, will be as soon as I can get some cash saved up. I don't care if no one else wants to go. I do, and I've travelled by myself to far more unfamiliar places before. (I've been to Vegas something like seven or eight times - only two of which have been past the age of 21!)

I think I'm getting to the "I've been here too long and it's time to move on stage." In the past few months, I've been considering moving to Vegas, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Maybe I do like the city life? I don't really have any desire to move to the East Coast, though, unless it's a rockin cool job. I think I'm just built to travel (I come by it honestly), and I haven't really been able to for several years. I hope John goes on a tour!

Class has been awesome, of course, although there have been so many people there lately that there isn't room to do much work. Some of the black belts have taken to going outside in the back to practice weapon forms now that the weather is nicer and the sun is out longer. I did my board break on Monday with no problems - Sir got that look that lets me know the next one I break will be much harder. (I also somehow got blood on my pants - I think from a hangnail - and it won't come out. Any tips?) Mr. R taught me my one steps this evening. I like them - they're fun. Again, though, everytime I think "Hey, I'm getting better at this!" something comes along to knock me on my butt. We were doing a drill that involved some sort of front pushing kick, which looks really simple and I can't seem to do for anything. All the other kicks so far, I've been able to do, maybe not powerfully or gracefully, but the footwork for this one just would not compute for some reason. I hope we do it again!

I'm about halfway through the squares on the baby blanket, and only an inch or so into the toe of the second Green Gables sock. I've also worked on Tumbling Blocks a little, although somehow a 49 stitch scarf with an eight-stitch YO/k2tog pattern repeat is kicking my butt. I thought I had it memorized, but I'm finally admitting tonight that I am going to have to dig the pattern out again.

I really have to get going - we have a brat mat (a 10:00a student matinee, which means an 8:15a call for moi!) tomorrow, plus I have to teach Chrissy's class (she's doing a gig in Arizona for a few weeks), and go to a stage combat seminar by one of our RA's for my interns. And go running. And I really need a shower!

The day the music died and other misc

There is no knitting content in this post, other than me saying now that I've recruited another over to the dark side with the SRSP sweater. She's doing pedi-socks now, but somehow sweaters are too hard. Hah! We'll see about that!

Anyway, the majority of this post is skipable to those who only come for knitting. The rest of you have been warned! =)
Monday, I accidentally sent my beloved Sony Walkman mp3 player through the wash, zipped up in a side pocket of one of my workout shirts. I'd like to point out that the first time I did this (don't ask), it still worked afterwards. This time, not so much. After much swearing, grumbling, and general whining at myself for being so stupid, I dug into my savings account (I cannot play, work, exercise or live without music. Period.) and bought this. It came today. It is So Freaking Cool! You can...well, if you're curious, you can follow the link, otherwise I'll talk about it all day. The only thing I can't really do with it is swim, of course. They seriously need to make one of those soon!

I also got my hair chopped off yesterday. I kept telling the lady I wanted it shorter and shorter, mostly in the hope of finally being able to keep it out of my face during class. She kept giving me disbelieving looks. I told her I wanted it to be short enough that it wouldn't get in my face when I was working out. She told me I could always clip it back and stopped somewhere between my chin and the bottoms of my ears, and then proceeded to style it in a way so that it would fall right in my eyes! At that point, I politely told her thank you, pointedly shoved all my hair back out of my eyes (she looked a little shocked), paid, and left. Luckily, it is a style that I can keep out of my face mostly with a short ponytail or a cloth headband. I just really don't feel comfortable with metal barretts in my hair during class. I didn't think it really looked that different, other than actually looking styled and taking a bit of length off, but I got tons of comments on it today. I was hoping to sucker someone into taking a picture today, since I was wearing SRSP, and make up, and generally looked fairly cute (I think, anyway) at work today, but I forgot the camera. Sigh.

Sir taught me my new board break last night. (Yay, going twice a week! Yay!) It's a palm strike. Thank goodness. I was half-afraid he'd want me to do a knife-strike again. I'd try the knife-strike again, of course, but I'm just as happy with this one. We just practiced on targets last night - we usually do the first time we're learning a new break - and he had me demonstrate for New White Belt after I had learned it. I also worked with NWB a little on the form when the instructors were busy and I could see he looked a little lost. It does help me to help other people. I have to think more carefully about each move. I'm kind of curious to see how hard one of the orange belts hits after watching her form the last night - she tends to flail and wiggle a lot. While everyone else is trying for smooth, powerful moves, with varying degrees of success, she looks like she's on the dance floor at a school dance. I know, that's competitive and egotistical of me. Honest, though. I was partnered with Ma'am last night (she participates in class but doesn't teach on Wednesdays, apparently), which was a lot of fun. A butt-kicking, to be sure, but fun. She inspires me. I want to be able to kick like her. Anyone know some drills to help build up kicking power/technique? Oh, and I thought of a perfect place to practice my form. I'm kicking myself (no pun intended) for not thinking of it sooner. A rehearsal room. Duh. A big open place with mirrors. And I have keys to all of them. The trick will be to find a mirrored room not in use by students as they prepare for final projects.

Oh, and I'm saying this here so I have something to be accountable to. I'm temporarily giving up chocolate (except chocolate milk, trail mix, and the rest of the granola bars I have in this box). I've stocked up on some individual-sized fresh fruit and veggie goodies, and I am still allowing myself sweets, just not anything with chocolate. Given the pickiness of my diet, this should cut out a lot of unnecessary junk! My goal is not to lose weight, but to tone up. I honestly don't think I'm overweight or anything, but I do think I could be in better shape, and I think my activity level is pretty good at this point. Now I want to really focus on fueling that activity level better than I have been.

I can't come up with a clever title today...(long post)

But I'm not sure I have to. I have lots of eye candy today. Okay, so you might not call it eye candy, but I'm pretty darn proud of it. Everything is knitted, seamed, woven, blocked, and looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. (And I do!)

Sorry for the above pic - I didn't have anyone around to take a picture of me wearing the sweater (and shorts, gotta love California!), so I had to fall back on my mirror routine. It fits pretty well, actually, although there is just the tiniest bit of weirdness where the front isn't quite centered, but I can live with it. I'm so happy - just over three months to make this sweater!

Project Specs:
Pattern & Source: Short-Row Striped Pullover from Interweave Knits, Fall 2003
Designer: Fiona Ellis
Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes - Stream (MC), Cloud (A), Wheat (B), Rain (C), Fern (D)
Needles: KnitPicks Options - US 7
Date Started: January 15, 2007
Date Completed: April 17, 2007
Notes:
-I knit the sleeves first and used them to check gauge. My stitch gauge was spot on throughout the project, my row gauge was slightly off, creating a longer garment. I can totally live with that.
-I knit both sleeves at the same time and used the Twisted German Cast On, for a stretchier cuff.
-The sleeves took longer than the front and back. In my knitting journal, I have noted that I finished the sleeves on March 2nd, 44 days after casting on. I started the back on March 4th, and completed it on March 7th, three days after casting on. The front took a bit longer. I don't have the starting date noted, but I did have to wait a week to get more yarn to finish it.
-I did the neckband in solid MC instead of the intarsia stripes.
-This was fun. I'm not sure I would do it again - weaving in the ends is really the best way to handle them, and it takes FOREVER. Knitting them in as I worked just didn't give me the look I wanted. The seaming wasn't so bad, but trying to keep the stripes matched up on the sides was a bit of a pain. But damnit, I did it and it looks good!

I haven't decided on a next sweater project yet. I found some colors that I really like for my designed sweater, but they're an acrylic yarn and I haven't found a gauge that I like with it yet. I'm thinking of maybe trying a linen yarn? I'll have to look around for some options.

Anyway, I have not succumbed to Cara's miter madness, but I have found enjoyment in this:

This is the start of the baby blanket for my coworker. Rather than the Mason-Dixon style blanket, this one is worked more like entrelac, where you pick up the stitches from the top edges of the "valley" squares to create the next tier of squares. I got the idea from Shelly (the tutorial is on her sidebar) and the good folk of Knitting-at-Knoon. I am doing a few other personal modifications, as well. First, not a modification, but a mistake. See how the line of decreases in the initial row is horizontal and the rest are vertical? I'm going to rip those squares out and re-do them. Second, I'm going to do base triangles at the end to give the blanket a nice square edge - pointy tips and baby just doesn't sound like a good combination - but rather than picking up one edge and sewing the other in, as in the KnK pattern, I'm going to play around with doing them the same way as the rest of the squares, only instead of decreasing all the stitches down to a point, binding them off to create a flat line. I'll have to play with it.

Oh, and Knitting-at-Knoon provides these great templates for planning out your blankets, and I kind of got a little crazy playing with different layouts.

I can't say as I care for the Mason-Dixon stripey miters, but these little guys are PERFECT for show knitting. They are quick - I can do two or three squares per show - and are garter stitch, so pretty much mindless knitting. I'm hoping to get the majority of the blanket done during the run of this show, as the next is with said co-worker, so I will have to be a little sneakier about it.

And, I'm about two rounds away from finishing this:
The first of the Green Gables socks. I'll finish this one and cast on the next tonight, before I pick up the baby blanket again to rip the initial squares out.

Class talk after the cut It was also really great to get to class again last night. There were so many people there, including another new white belt. I was partnered with a blue belt girl I've seen there before, but never been partnered with. She was really nice, although I still wish she would have taken a step or two back during kicking drills. I ended up kicking her wrist instead of the target several times. It hurt my feet, so I'm sure it didn't feel so good for her. Ma'am initially had Other Orange Belt Kid and I working with the group of white belts, but cut us loose after she could see us getting bored as she kept going through the form step by step with them and told us to work together on our own. She was going to have the two of us work with the other orange belts while she worked with the new white belt, but we ran out of time. It was kind of nice that she asked, though, and I was surprised at how much of the form I remembered. I can't wait to go again on Wednesday - I'm totally taking advantage of having these nights off during performances! Some of the guys were teasing me that they'd see me on Thursday (sparring night) but not quite yet. Hopefully over the summer, though!

Now I need a new epic project. Or maybe I'll just stick with the blanket for now. And play with sock yarn.

Psst...

It's finished!

Just wanted to let you all know. Pics tomorrow.

Had to share this:

"You are a knitting madwoman. Or crocheting, or whatever method it is that you use to antagonize yarn these days."

- from a non-knitting technogeek friend in an online conversation where I mentioned having trouble deciding on how I should lay out the squares for the baby blanket. I look around and see how many things are not near finished and think "I'm a knitting madwoman? I never get anything done!"

Opening tomorrow night! No rehearsal in the afternoon, just the show. Have some errands to run beforehand, though. I can't wait for this weekend to be over. Opening tomorrow night, then a matinee and understudy rehearsal Sunday, then just class (twice!) and a few meetings until Thursday! Hopefully this time will also convince Teddie that he really is not neglected nor invisible and does not need to yowl at me for five minutes nor jump on me, attack my hands, lick my skin, or plop himself in the most inconvenient places possible in order to get attention. I swear, you'd think I never touch the cat the way he acts sometimes!

Now I'm taking a shower and going to bed, it's been a hella long day! Will try to finish seaming SRSP tomorrow and get some collarless pics. Oh, and will show you some ideas I'm thinking of with the blocks. I adore knitting them - the perfect straight play booth project - but figuring out the order of them may do me in!

Quickie

Just a quick update (pics will be up soon):
1. SRSP: I have the sleeves sewn to the body and one side and one sleeve seamed. My eyes are already crossing, so I won't work on it tonight, but it will be finished soon!

2. Socks: I found the pattern for the Green Gables yarn. It's a simple 4x4 rib and it's the right one. How do I know? I was able to turn the heel with absolutely no problems. These are my show project, at least for the time being.

3. Slight change of schedule: One of my coworkers is expecting! I'm thinking of doing a small mitered square blanket in some leftover/stash Caron Simply Soft. She's due in October. She's also a knitter, though, so I'm going to check in with her to find out if there is something she really wants to make herself for the baby so I don't make it, too!

3. Show: The show is going extremely well. We have our first preview tomorrow night and I can't wait to get an audience and fresh faces. The show is still funny to us, but we've all seen it too many times now. It's just long, and I am not looking forward to not being done with the show until after 11:00p! Next year, we're starting the shows at 7:00p - can't wait!

4. Running: 2.5 miles today, 1.25 miles yesterday. It just felt so good to run today that I did a little more than I usually do. My legs are going to complain tomorrow. Now I need some food and a shower.

Sore Throats and Stripey Goodness

So far I seem to have been able to successfully avoid the plague that has run through the company. However, the past week or so, I have woken up with a slightly sore throat and hoarse voice. Most of the week, it's gotten better through the day, but today it just hasn't. So, no trip to Monterey, unfortunately. I feel fine, other than the throat and a nagging fatigue, but I don't want to get AF Guy sick and I certainly don't want to make myself even more ill this week!

So, the results of last night's television fest:

Four complete sweater pieces! The front is actually blocking, the back and the sleeves came over to keep it company. Finishing the knitting only took maybe half an hour. This:

Took over six hours. I'm not exaggerating, I swear. Three episodes of Law & Order: SVU, one episode of House, some special on making Easter candy, part of some travel show where they went to Alaska, six hours of sleep (of course, today, I wake up at 9:15a for no reason!), and part of a Discovery Channel show about building the Great Pyramid. But it's done. I'll let it spend the day drying and either tonight or tomorrow, sew it together and pick up the stitches for the neck. I am, btw, not even going to try the intarsia collar on the original version. It's going to be the same solid color as the sleeves.

Now I'm off to play with some entrelac socks.

Freedom!

Two and a half days off for good behaviour! Woo! Tech was scheduled from 1:00p-5:00p and 7:00p-11:00p yesterday and today. At 10:55p last night, I called the final cue of the show. We got through a whole three act show in eight hours! Okay, granted, it's a straight play, not a major musical (although I have teched those in one day as well) but still. We ran through the show with tech this afternoon, then the director gave us the evening off. We have tomorrow off for Easter, and Monday is our regular day off - a *gasp* weekend!

I'm going to go up to Monterey tomorrow to visit AF Guy - I just need to get out of town for a while. (More explanation after the cut.) Steve called me earlier this week with the news that he's had a couple offers to come back to PCPA for the summer and wanted to make sure I was okay with it. I've since had other people tell me that he's been hired. I think it's okay. We've talked a few times, but I haven't seen him since August, so I'm not sure. It didn't bother me or make me particularly happy or upset that he was coming, so I think it will be okay. What am I supposed to say? "No, don't hire him because I can't handle it, even though I work a totally different schedule in a totally different department"? That sounds very professional. I'm glad that people here are kind enough to think about me, but I'm kind of tired of them making a deal about it. I hope the weather is nice enough to go out to the cliffs.

I'm planning on spending tonight vegging on the couch, watching tv and working on SRSP - I'm so close! I've started and frogged a pair of socks with some of Amy's sock sport yarn in the Green Gables colorway. I love the yarn, I just haven't quite found the right pattern for it. I have a few more ideas to play with, though. I hope it doesn't upset the Yarn Inspector, who appears to have claimed one of my drawers of sock yarn:

At least the cat has good taste in yarn - that's my STR, Bearfoot and Spunky Eclectic drawer!

I want to go to class, or at least find room to really work on my form! And the gym was closed for the college's spring break this past week, so I wasn't able to go running like usual. Luckily, I still got plenty of exercise going up and down the steps in the theater! I want next week to be here!

Belts, Yarn, Baseball and The Third Time Isn't Always The Charm When It Comes To Sweaters

I've given up on getting the right number of stitches on SRSP. I have knit that section four times and frogged it three times (I know the one before has the correct number of stitches. I counted every time.), and I still keep ending up with an extra stitch. I looked at the back and realized it was the same place I'd had problems with on the back. So, I did the same thing as I did on the back. I fudged it. Eh.

Oh, and I kind of added to my stash a little, too. I used to have a pair of Jaywalkers in KnitPicks Dancing (Jig colorway). You might remember that I had major issues with the fit of them. Then with the heels of them. I did finish them, and I have worn them several times, but the heels (one afterthought and one short row) drove me nuts. So, today, I started frogging them. I'll have two more skeins of useable sock yarn once I get them washed and dried. I don't think I'm going to do do another pair of Jaywalkers with them. I think I'll do a twisted rib sock.

My Cubbies lost today =(

I tested and earned my yellow belt this afternoon. Sir had me do my form and one-steps, then the random self-defense moves, then the board break, and then he had me do my form and one-steps again. He also had me do some drills, which he didn't have me do last time. (Answers to some questions in the full post) I got to talk to Sir for a little bit afterwards before regular classes started. Testing eligibility is based on attendence, attitude, and knowledge of required techniques. Most of the time the reason people don't test is because they haven't attended enough classes regularly in the cycle. People who don't test or don't pass start the new cycle with everyone else. They just have to do an extra cycle. Sir said that the cycle blocks (white/orange/yellow, camo/green/purple/blue, red/brown/red&black) work for them because in Songahm the level of difficulty for the forms in those blocks isn't that different. Not sure I agree with that - Ma'am started teaching me Songahm 3, the yellow belt form, tonight and it's hard! Jump front kicks, and knife strikes and blocks...I found it difficult to remember! I wouldn't want to jump into it as a white belt. I do have to admit, though, that it seems to make class more organized and it frees the three instructors up to work with more people than having to look out for 18 different forms. Tonight was the last class I can go to until after the show is open, unfortunately, since the studio is closed for Spring Break next week. Luckily, after that, I will be able to start going twice a week until summer, which will be nice. We did some new (for me) kicks - an axe kick and a hook kick - our new forms, and the Killer Ab Drill tonight. I always think, "Hey, I'm not so bad at this stuff!" when I'm working by myself, and then when I'm in class I'm always thinking, "Wow, I can't kick that high or my kicks look so sloppy compared to everyone else's." (Particularly Brown Belt - he's really good at kicks!) So I can't wait to get into more than one class a week and get more real practice and drills in.

Paper tech tomorrow, tech this weekend. I just want to get this show open.