An Updaty Blog

Caper and I are having the perfect rainy Saturday (this Wednesday), complete with knitting, Chinese food, and Casablanca on the internet big screen. I thought it would be nice to post a little updaty sort of blog, so here goes.

First, in keeping with the recent theme: more knitwear!

Pattern: Brulee Scarf (linked on Ravely) Yarn: More yummy Beaverslide McTaggert Tweed

Coziness Factor: off the charts.
Easy pattern, too... all garter stitch with a little beginner crochet to dress up the ends... and a darn good excuse for cute buttons.

Congratulations to Dan and Mel on their amazing new apartment. It used to be a bakery, and is complete with awesome painted wood floors and beadboard walls, the world's cutest (pink!) retro double oven, and interior stained glass windows. I'm a jealous, jealous girl. But I can't think of any two who deserve it more!

This weekend at work we had the pleasure of hosting Edric Woo, the designer for Tara Keely... I was nervous that having him in the store might be awkward, but he was soooo much fun! I think we were all a little smitten (funny how the presence of someone male in a bridal salon sends all the girls into a tizzy). The brides loved him, his work is truly beautiful, and he's a darn good bowler. Pamela took some great pictures... hopefully I'll get copies soon. In the meantime, here's my favorite gown from his latestest collection: Pretty Pretty Prettiness Edric, thank you for being such a blast! We love your work around here.

I also got to drive to Albany this weekend for Heather's baby shower, which was an honor, and fun, in spite of all the usually baby shower silliness. Heather is the world's most perfect pregnant person, and I can't wait to meet little Sophie! It was good to see Heather and Kamala... funny how you sometimes don't realize how much you miss someone until you see them. I'd like to show you pictures of the set I knit for Sophie-Muffin, but I've maxed out Flickr for the month and am too cheap to pay the yearly... March 1st!

Katelyn and Mikey were also here last week, and we played games and had fun. I feel like we've seen a lot of them in the last few months, and I'm glad, and I hope it continues! Nice to have a brother in the family.

And, let's see, today I worked the stock market for the very first time (wow, go me), and sold a pair of shoes to Buffalo Exchange for $2.45, which I used to buy an iced caramel machiatto from Kale, whom I love and miss working with. Kale, kindly come crash on my couch again sometime soon. Ooo, also today I got word from Tamara Leeper that she might be coming to town!!! I'm pretty dang excited about that.

How's that for mundane updaty blogging?

That's all. Blessings and hugs.

"You're not the person I thought you were..."

Tonight Caper and I were walking around the city, listening and thinking, as we do best at night while walking in the city.

I was thinking about how it feels sometimes as though I've lived several lifetimes in my short life. I have been the sort who changes things so drastically, blows massive holes in my routines again and again just to see where the pieces fall. Funny, really, because though I think I've grown as a person, I don't feel I've really changed much... just changed my surroundings, trying to make something fit.

I lose myself, always, in the transition... I become someone I'm not, forget who I was, and take six months off from my life to dabble in a new idea of what I could be. But I seem to return always to the same girl I have always been... hopelessly optimistic, shamelessly geeky, equal parts self-conscious watcher and know-it-all. I try to balance this me with the new setting and often feel the need to start the whole process over again.

Sometimes I think I had it right before I started trying to figure it out.

Strangely enough, I think Facebook worsens this cycle... suddenly I'm faced, daily, with every person I've known in every lifetime I've lived, everyone who has known me in every different phase, and I can watch them. I know how they are, where they are, what their new dog likes to chew, how they wear their hair. It's living my whole life all at once... a different person to all who know me, and different version for every year. Karyn 2.0, 3.7, 8.4...

I am always trying to be her, the girl you thought I was. That girl, the one who I've always been, the one I've always been running away from, she's the one I'm chasing. I'll keep trying to become her, get back to her. She trusted the answers... she knew exactly who I am.

Saturday Gratitude and Cheap Scarves

It's Saturday night, which means I'm exhausted. Saturdays at the bridal salon are 7 hour marathon runs for me... a breakless, heavy-lifting, chaotic whirlwind of a day. I'm grateful for the way the time flies, and the chance I have to really connect with people with my job. It's a blessing to use my stressful day to magically make someone's planning process a bit LESS stressful... everything comes full circle.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how lucky I am to have a job that I love, given the state of our country and our economy. I certainly don't make much more than I need to get by, but I'm able to get by, and enjoy making a living, and I'm just humbled, and grateful, and thrilled. I play dress up all day long, and there are tears, and champagne, and I get to make other women feel beautiful and special and pampered... it's awesome. I'm a lucky, lucky kid.

But in light of our current economic crisis, I present the two dollar scarf: made with (on sale) KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Kettle-Dyed (1 skein) and one beautiful left-over button. Pattern is Mustard Scarf...find it on Rav.



Cheap and dead sexy... I'm in love with this little scarf, and am wearing it everywhere.



(this is me trying to model. the more observant of you will note that I'm cracking up)

Today I am grateful for a job that is stable and makes me smile, for the tears of happy moms-of-brides, for cheap yarn, a new president, a boyfriend who tirelessly takes photos, the world's best dog, happy-hour manicures and glasses of wine, beautiful, intelligent, inspiring friends, and a family that constantly expands my definition of love.




And buttons. I do love me some buttons.

hugs.

Take That, Angelina Jolie!

Boyfriend and I finally got a chance to shoot some photos of recent knits today. I'm going to try to post them one at a time so as to achieve maximum blogging impact. :)



This is the Sideways Grande Cloche from Laura Irwin's adorable, need-to-own Boutique Knits. I'm too lazy to swatch hats, so it's a bit slouchier than intended, but I kinda dig it. Really interesting construction... Boyfriend didn't believe in the hatness until the very last possible second.





The yarn is Beaverslide Dry Goods McTaggart Tweed, which still smells delightfully farmy despite being processed and shipped. It's cozy and cushy and perfect.

I'm loving Boutique knits with all of its flapperesque headgear. I live only a few blocks from Seaplane, the boutique Laura Irwin owns here in Portland. Needless to say, I'm a bit intimidated about wearing this hat about town. :) Nothing like running into the designer at SBUX.

More to follow. God Bless.