Tuesday, March 24, 2009

I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can

This is busy week. I foolishly signed up for Sock Madness III on Ravelry, and the pattern came out on March 19. It has a few curves, and a pattern that has to be watched constantly. The cast-on was OK (German twisted) and then there's an afterthought heel, which is good to know, but hard to do for the first time. I've posted my beginning photo, but I doubt the pair will be done by the end of the week. And many people are done ALREADY. What was I thinking?

And this is Evita week. Rehearsals every night from 5 to 10-ish, then Dress on Wednesday and Opening on Thursday and then Friday and Saturday. It's pretty exciting for everyone, the show moved to the Confederation Centre yesterday, so the run-through (without costumes) was last night, which gave us all a chance to work in the space. There's a LOT of chatting and giggling off-stage, it will be interesting to see how it is tonight. We had lights backstage last night! But none henceforth. Must remember to get my stuff in place early. I also can't speak to Evita backstage because she'll be miked.

We have been continuing with the ballroom dance lessons (with new teachers) and have been having a good time with it. I feel much more like we are actually dancing most of the time - a combo of more experience, better music with a stronger beat, and good teachers. We're waltzing, foxtrotting, jiving and have done a bit of quick-stepping. No tango or Latin yet.

The previously predicted St. Patrick's Day storm has arrived a week late. Schools cancelled, whiteouts, slippery roads and quite a bit of snow. Will it never end?

Friday, March 20, 2009

What I CAN'T do....

I've discovered that I can't knit at the movies. I am in the middle of correcting an amazing number of mistakes in the Palindrome hat I'm making to go with the scarf (photo below). I finished the last of three crossing rows while the lights were on, and then it was nothing but K2 P2 rib for as long as I could go on. It's on a 40 cm. circular needle, so it's just around, and around, and around. Sounds simple.

However, I went adrift at an early point - I kept stopping at particularly gripping points in the action - and then forgetting if I was K-ing or P-ing. It was rarely bright enough to use the screen for illumination, and while I did consider getting out the tiny book light in my bag, I thought it might cause trouble with the other movie patrons, so I resisted.

So now I have many many instances of P1 K2 P2 ribs - even one spot where it looks as though I actually did a M1 or a crossover - or SOMETHING - because there were definitely two stitches where there had been one.

The movie was Watchmen - my sister worked on it, and we usually try to see those ones. It's always a thrill to see her name in the credits - bright yellow on black, this time, and really big on the big screen.

I'm sure the hat will survive. And I think I've learned a lesson.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Time's Marching On and Evita's coming soon!




...but the weather continues dreadful. Minus 14 this morning, and once again the car was reluctant to start - and go - and I was full of fellow-feeling. At least the sun is shining, and the house is always warm when we get home - thanks to those westward-facing windows.

So, all the excitement of March is approaching - St. Pat's of course, with several opportunities for dancing and playing music. There's a parade, too, but it's held on Sunday. We don't usually go, as it ends at St. Dunstan's for Mass. Not exactly non-denominational. And Evita is on at the end of March - the 26, 27 and 28 (She's above there, with Peron, in her "ugly pyjamas"). I picked up tickets yesterday for Fred, he wants to go on Saturday night (as well as Thursday) and there were very few tickets left. Looks like full houses!

And of course March Break! Doesn't mean as much when there aren't any children to plan trips with, but it's still a change in the daily fabric, and usually we can plan - or hope - for an improvement in the weather, once the traditional St. Pat's/March Break snowstorm is over.

I've been having fun with word-play books lately. Cat's Eye Corner is a kids' book, one I would have loved when I was one. I've been reading Percy Jackson books too, but finding them a bit - juvenile and talk-down (I'm reading them because my sister's working on the film version).

And on the adult front, The Stories of English. It's a survey of where the amazing variety comes from in the language, and gives much more credence than is usual to regional dialects (I find myself discussing this a bit with tutors who are determined to eliminate such from the vocabularies of people who have been speaking this way for 50 years!).

I've been knitting too - but also frogging. I made a sock that was just un-wearable, and decided to take it back and re-use the yarn for something else. I got a big batch of Briggs & LIttle yarn and am making Fred a new winter scarf 'n' hat set using the Palindrome pattern - amazing designer figured out how to have cables on both sides. I am also hoping that determinedly continuing with the wool knitting will fool the weather into thinking I actually LIKE all this wintry continuation. But we know differently, don't we?

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Brrr! It's Freezing!


We've just had a big dose of freezing rain, and now the temperature has dropped, so there's no chance that the ice on the trees will be melting off them anytime soon. It's bad for power lines and the like as well, but I am worried about the trees. We have a young white pine that looks pretty sad at the moment.

I'm at home with the mother of all colds in the head, and looking out at all this ice isn't doing anything for my recovery.