Pride Surprise

Once again, we packed up the bubble machines and joined family and friends downtown in our annual bid to be the Best Gay Pride Audience. This year was extra special because my sister made a surprise visit from Maine.

It was great to see her, and I'd been missing her particularly badly lately. I even had a dream about her last week. I was part of Mission Impossible team, and we were pulling some caper in a political prison/mental hospital, and for some reason she was there. I abandoned the mission to spend some time with her (not sure if she was a patient or visiting a friend). My teammates understood.

Anyway, we greeted parade marchers at the entrance to downtown with cheers and bubbles. I think we are becoming essential to an enjoyable Gay Pride Celebration. This year, M&M secured individual packets of sunscreen to offer to parade marchers. M's genius marketing slogan: "Sunscreen! Rub it on your friends." Most of the go-go boys and topless lesbians already felt well-protected, but there were many people who accepted the offer for more.

I'd still love to have a Library Book Cart Drill Team in the parade, but how could I give up this much fun?

Library 2.0 Socks

I completed the Library 2.0 socks for Michael Doctor Stephens. I'm quite pleased with these. I love how the Spooky knits up. The color pooled a bit opposite the heel, but that's because I threw in some increases for a roomier gusset, which makes these socks fit really well.


What makes them "Library 2.0?" Because I started them right after meeting Michael in person, listening to him kvell about the possibilities of social technologies reshaping library services. It just "felt right" to try to customize the design for him.

I don't know that my ribbing experiment is completely successful. As I said, I based it on the braille for "L2.0", using purl stitches for the braille dots. To make the pattern stand out more, I doubled the rows (so the ribbing repeat is 12 rounds high rather than 6). I don't think it will really catch on as the "official" Library 2.0 sock ribbing. Let's call it a beta.

Do-over puts me in Ravenclaw

I had to take the Hogwarts House test more than once. The first time, all my scores were close, but Hufflepuff came out ahead. Sure, I'm "fair-minded," but "friendly, modest, and hard-working?" Uh, no. So the second time through...

The sorting hat says that I belong in Ravenclaw!

Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose intelligence is surest."

Ravenclaw students tend to be clever, witty, intelligent, and knowledgeable. Notable residents include Cho Chang and Padma Patil (objects of Harry and Ron's affections), and Luna Lovegood (daughter of The Quibbler magazine's editor).

Take the most scientific Harry Potter
Quiz ever created.

Get Sorted Now!

However, it seems pretty Slytherin-like to keep taking the test over so that you get into the House you think you belong in, doesn't it?

Cider Mooning

I've finally finished the first pair of socks I started in Cider Moon yarn.

The toe is in "Johnny Cash" and the rest is in "Cayenne." The construction method, as I mentioned earlier, I got from Sensational Knitted Socks: it's knit toe-up, but the construction method is the same as top down, with reinforced heel flap on the bottom.




I'm also working on these socks in "Casablanca." They are tests of a new pattern for my Toe-Up Sock Class. It's been awhile since I timed myself; this is how far I get in 3 hours.







And I started these (in "Spooky") last week during a library technology conference, casting on during Michael Stephens' keynote. Michael, who certainly has better things to do with his time, reads my blog (I'm guessing this post got his attention), and told me that he thought it was great to see me making the socks in person. Flattery will get you anywhere, particularly if you're a rock star in my profession. So Michael, if you're reading, send me your address, and the socks are yours. I even created a special ribbing pattern for the cuff, basing it on the braille cells for "L2.0".

Spring Stash Enhancement

I really don't like having a big stash. Stash feels like unkept promises. But I can't seem to pass up the fun of fiber festivals.

More timely bloggers reported on the Great Lakes Fiber Show last month. Great trip, good company, swell stash enhancement (some blue tweed yarn for a sweater, sock yarn with seaweed, and a lovely padauk wraps-per-inch tool). The highlight was meeting the Cider Moon folks and their entourage; it was awesome -- so much fun that most of my creative knitting energy since has been devoted to them, revising my toe-up socks class to specify using Cider Moon's Glacier. (Trust me, Matt, there are toe-up techniques that aren't hateful and make very nice, perfectly fitting socks).

This weekend, I hit the market at Knitters Connection with Mary, Meredith, and Cat. A small event, but choice stuff, and I think I spent more on yarn here than at Maryland and Wooster put together. Here's today's haul:

• From Neighborhood Fiber Company (aka Micah's guru Karida) three skeins of sock yarn named for D.C. neighborhoods, including one in honor of Micah. (Yes, Karida, I gave the skein of yarn to Jerry to give to Matt; here's photographic proof).
• From Dzined, some sport weight yarn in a wool/hemp blend (Meredith also scored some of this, which may become her first socks ever)
• From Cider Moon, 10 skeins representing their full range of sock yarns in fantastic colorways (I'm all about the names; call a yarn "Rainbow Trout" and have to own it).
  
• From Chameleon Colorworks, 2 skeins of "Evolution" stretched merino in "Earth" (Cat also bought this, so I thought we might do a knit-along of socks with a DNA cable).
• Some Interlacements Tiny Toes (Judy Ditmore has gotten me interested in the possibility of acquiring a sock knitting machine to help work through my piling stash-guilt).
• Some Apple Pie wool/mohair/silk/nylon purchased at the Yarn Barn booth from the legendary Pat (captured Reality Tour style here).

Jerry called later in the evening and said that the Cider Moon, Neighborhood, and Yarn Love peoples were gathering at Joe's Basement. I joined them for a few glasses of wine and fun chat. There was idle talk of indulging in some lesbian karaoke afterward, but the day's work was starting to take their toll. Here's wishing them all safe drives home.