Author: bryonyramsden

Today is the first day of DB’s conference, so I have to make my own plans to entertain myself. As I mentioned yesterday, I’m heading out to Depth of Field and the Mall, but I’ll also pop into Target and Borders in the city first. And I have to find some breakfast on my own too. The weather out the window is looking good anyway, so I should have a nice time 😀 And I’ve realised that I may have short changed myself bringing just two pairs of trousers for 8 nights, so I think I’ll try out the cheaper prices in Gap – when I peeped through the window on Saturday, it looks like the prices are the same in dollars as they are in pounds in the UK, which will make a BIG BIG saving… Yum.
Yesterday we headed back to Loring Park to feed the squirrels again, and it was lovely 🙂 Again 🙂 Lots of them were hanging around, and this time DB managed to get one eating out of his hand, although it was a bit eager, and thought his fingers were tasty things, so he got nipped a couple of times. No skin broken though 🙂 One was also interested in sniffing him while he took pics, so he got a fabby pic of one looking right into the camera 😀 I don’t think there will be any problem using up all the squirrel food 😀 We also went to the Sculpture Garden so DB could see some of the stuff, and as I hadn’t been round the whole gardens, it was rather nice. The weather had improved quite a bit by then – still chilly, but we had a beautiful winter sun. It was so good I actually needed to wear sunglasses… 😉 He’s taken a few pics, but I don’t think they are up yet on his site, so you’ll have to wait to look at them! Some very kind Minneapoleans (???!!) were hanging around and asked us to take a pic of them at the Spoonbridge, so we chatted a little. Before we came here, we’d heard that the residents of Minnesota, and particularaly Minneapolis are quite reserved as far as Americans go, but we’ve found them nothing but polite, friendly and very civilised. They’ve all been willing to chat, and have enquired about our accents (although one lady yesterday asked if we were Danish… Slightly ironic given DB’s brother living there!). The family we spoke to yesterday was asking about why we were here, and saying that they were visiting the Garden as a birthday expedition – the dad was the birthday boy, and he was clearly taking advantage of it by taking lots of pics and getting his young daughters (not quite teens by the look of it) to pose in comedy photographer style speak – ‘turn your shoulder a little… Beautiful, that’s it! Work it!’ and also embarrassing them a bit 🙂 But they were happy to indulge their dad on his birthday 🙂 He also very kindly offered to take a pic of us in front of the Spoonbridge, and cracked jokes about Minneapolis being home of the Cherry 🙂 He took a very good pic actually – an eager and accomplished amateur.
Then, last night, we met another very pleasant resident, who has moved here from Jamaica. He was on the bar in the hotel – we’d gone there deciding what to do for dinner, and trying to perk ourselves up a bit (apparently the jet lag is still loitering a bit as we were sleepy at 7pm, but still not too bad – we may be ok by the time we come home!). He asked us how we found the city and the US, and we told him how impressed we were by the residents, and he agreed. He said that Minnesota is a more more polite society, and even if we have got some of our opinions from Jerry Springer and bad US TV, a lot of people elsewhere can be aggressive and over the top, while Minnesota is somewhere much more comfortable and civilised 🙂 He also complained about Bush, told us he loved the BBC news, because he gets the real reasons behind events on there compared to US news channels, and also loves the plummy voices 😀 And he gave us a good tip for somewhere to eat. We were feeling a bit sleepy so didn’t fancy eating out, so he got us a pizza menu for the best pizza place in the city 🙂 Pizza Luca – they deliver directly to the hotel room, which was cool. Unfortunately they got the wrong room, but when we called again to find out what had happened, it was only a minute before they arrived at the door. And the food was good 🙂 Dave had his first taste of american pizza, and he liked it 🙂 I got a Mock Chicken Parmigiano Hoagie (apparently they don’t do things wheat free here 🙁 ), which was yummy yummy, and a lovely spinach, walnut and raisin salad, which was also yummy, but I was too full to eat much of it. I think we might order again from them if we are tired or need some lunch.
Anyway, I better get ready! I’m typing this up in bed and have still to get ready for breakfast and shopping, but I would also like to point out that it isn’t even 8am here yet, so I think I’m allowed to laze a little. And we have a free copy of the USA Today paper, which I may skim while I’m at breakfast. But one last thing. Yesterday I learnt that there are at least 3 different versions of low calorie Coke… I haven’t quite worked out the difference yet. We are definitely in the USA now 😉

Yay! We are on our third day in the Twin Cities, and I’m really enjoying the place 🙂 The hotel is gorgeous – the Minneapolis Hilton in the Downtown area of the city, with gorgeous rooms, the comfiest bed ever, and lovely views over the city. We are on the 22nd floor facing towards Loring Park, but we can’t quite see it for the massive buildings in front of it. I thought we were high up, but compared to some next to us…
The flights over weren’t too bad – just dull. We were horrendously jet lagged tho when we got here – we arrived at the hotel 4pm local time, and had been travelling for about 17 hours, so we were pretty knackered, but had to stay up to catch up to US time 🙁 We are just about settled now tho. We weren’t quite sure what to do for openers yesterday, so we just had a wander around to find somewhere for breakfast and to have a nosy about. Ended up in a Starbucks, naturally, although I wish we’d had the brains to go into Hell’s Kitchen while there was no queue (we went to try it this morning and ended up leaving because we didn’t have a reservation – something totally new to us for breakfast!). We were pretty surprised that it was so quiet on a Saturday morning, and that shops didn’t open in general till 10am – and place local to us at home would be heaving by 10am! It took us a while to realise that the skyways might be used when it is chilly, hence no jostling on the pavements… We ended up going to the Mall of America and were suitably impressed by its hugeness. We were pretty knackered again by lunchtime though which made it hard to be responsive to the friendly chefs at Tiger Sushi. Poor chefs must have thought us a bit, well, English 🙂 Went to Loring Park, the Sculpture Gardens, and the Walker Art Center while DB was busy yesterday, and had a lovely time wandering around. LOVED the Art Center – I didn’t have enough time to look round the whole place so I’ll go again during the week I think, but all I need say is Rothko and Warhol. Yummy. I was also impressed by the tame squirrels, so after breakfast today, we went to Target and got some critter feed, and took some back to the park. DB was suitably happy and took lots of pics of the happy squirrels who are clearly now our best friends. At one point we had about 30 of them surrounding us happily scoffing away, and one or two were brave enough to eat out of our hands. One even got rather happy and leaned on my fingers while he had a good scoff 😀 Although he did get mixed between monkey nuts and my finger tip, but he did no harm – he just want to pic up something to take with him to eat so it was the lightest nip and didn’t even redden my finger. DB is all excited to go back now, and we’ll wander round the sculpture garden too this time – in fact right now he is wandering around like an impatient child waiting to go, so I’ll sign off with this. His website has some lovely pics of the past couple of days, so go have a nosy – www.daveyp.com/gallery
Incidentally – I’m planning on visiting the yarn shops tomorrow and going back to the Mall for Hello Kitty stuff and Bloomindales goodies for my mum 😀 Can’t wait to see what the US has in yarns for me 😀 YAY!

No pics today – sorry! BUT I have done the grafting. The grafting is ok, but some of the stitches stretched as they came off the needles, so I need to do some tweaking of those. Some patches you can’t tell they were stitched together, and then some patches just look really obvious! Hopefully I can fix that, but I have a sneaky feeling that I may end up regrafting 🙁 There is also a dodgy bit where I got to the end and suddenly there is a little funny lumpy bit, but I’ve managed to tidy it up for the most part – it will be under my arm, so won’t be noticable. I’m more concerned about those loose stitches right now… And being ready for Friday. Eek!

Well, I started grafting my lace leaf pullover last night. Didn’t get very far because we went to the pub for tea and I have a pint with my food 🙂 But I did do a little. I can’t tell yet how good it is – I’ve tweaked as best I can for now, and have found that as long as I hold the needles right next to each other it seems to work reasonably well, but it is harder to tweak stitches that way. Anyway, I’m hoping that, depending on my day out with my mum, I might finish it tonight so that I can try it on and see whether there is a line across.
I plan to get some knit related reading today for the plane too. Borders has some US magazines, so with luck they’ll have some nice knitting ones, and a knitting journal might be nice – I really need to work out what stash I have…
Anyway, mum is coming over in less than an hour and I haven’t showered yet. Or written her birthday card. Whoops! Maybe there will be goodies later on. 🙂

Ok, I have lots of knitting to show (or will do next time I post, but that may not be till I come back from Minneapolis – we leave on the 4th :D).
But for now this will do! I copied this from BlueADT (link on the right). You google “[your name] needs” or change needs to hates, or whatever you like really 🙂
I need:
-to undergo a treatment called Hyper-baric Oxygen Therapy
-to uncover the roots of my unhappiness
-my flask of water
-to rotate so as to have A chance
-you, Sam
-more ‘show’
🙂
I hate:
-moths
-Quinn
-Missy
-The song Babycakes
Poor Quinn and Missy. I have no idea who you are, but I’m very sorry 😀

I’ve just realised how many times I’ve said that I’d post pics of something and haven’t. Smack me one next time I say I’ll post pics and make sure I do…
First of all, here are the new purchases – the polar and the Hipknits pink silk (which is like knitting with butter, if you can imagine that :D).

Next up, I had a delivery from Get Knitted for the hand spinning kit. I’ve been lusting for ages over it, and finally succumbed, so here is my first attempt with the spare fibres included in the Fyberspates kit…

I couldn’t wait to knit it up, so once it was dry I did, without taking any pics of the yarn I’m afraid – stupid me. It wasn’t that great an attempt though anyway! But I’m doing better with the coloured fibres in the kit, and plan on getting some more roving to play with today from Texere Mill in Bradford (v cheap, so that is rather good) and perhaps mixing some plys next… But here is what I’ve spun so far – I need to do some more before I make a hank out of it and straighten it out, but I don’t think it is too bad for my first proper try 😀

I can see this is going to become addictive…

Yay! I am having a lovely relaxing not being at work time right now. DB and I are on leave this week, the first time in ages that we have had time off together, and it is FAB. Despite coming down with a nasty cold, I’m just enjoying being at home, lazing in bed in the morning, and generally relaxing. I should be studying, but given the cold, I’ve let myself off it. Could be a bad thing, but I don’t think I’d get too far writing a questionaire with a nasty sinus headache. So I’ve knitted 🙂 I have three finished objects, and I’ve only been on leave for 1 and a half days! The first is a scarf made from Sirdar Wow and Foxy, that one I was making for someone at work. The second is a hat made from Colinette Point 5 that my friend bought me as a pressie, using the pattern in the Fall 05 issue of FCEK. And the third? Hmmmmm… 🙂
Weelllllllll. Let me just say that I love it, even though it has caused some controversy amongst knitters due to its poor design… I’ll post pics later when I’ve had a shower and look slightly less red nosed, along with pics of the hat.
I may also post a pic of some purchases. Today a big bundle of yummy yummy Rowan Polar arrived to sub for the yarn in the Lace Leaf Pullover. Leah at Use Your Hands inspired me to purchase it when she got some to make hers, and found it just lush to knit with, and has fantastic stitch definition for the lace pattern. I bought some in Zucchini, a lovely mid-dark green with a light strand running through it. And Leah was right. It is ridiculously soft to the touch, and I can’t wait to knit with it. Gorgeous stuff. On delivery I officially frogged back the Como, with a little difficulty due to the odd mesh that encases the wool fibre – the mesh kept catching and tangling the yarn, but luckily it is still usable, and I managed to claim the full 100g (can’t believe it only took that for the body!) I’d used. Hope fully it will work better as the shrug in Simply Soft, if I dare make any more DB patterns…

Ok, here is a detail, using new phone, of my lace leaf pullover (can you spot the grafting? I can, but it doesn’t bother me!). Looks fine like this, but not when worn. Trust me. This yarn is calling for something else…

Anyway, I just got back from an aerobics/dance class, and am shattered, so time for bed!

Ok, so I didn’t get the job, but apparently, despite my fears, my interview was pretty good. I just need to get some more experience in a subject team environment. And the cat isn’t back – he’s definitely gone for good now I think. But we will be getting one sometime, just not for a while (more on why that is later :D).
BUT, I have been knitting. Too much in fact. I should be studying, but I just can’t get myself into gear at the moment. I have given myself a deadline for starting work on my thesis, and that is the end of this week. If I don’t then the knitting will be put away somewhere and I will throw away the key (or perhaps not)! I have nearly completed something, but I’m not going to post it until I’ve tried it on and made sure it is ok! I have also not yet frogged the Lace Leaf Pullover, but I’m not going to finish it with the Como. I’m going to get a colleague’s sister (who lives in the US) to order some Knitpicks Sienna to make it from I think. Krista has asked whether I finished it – no I did not! Here is my attempt at some pics, using my new camera phone (just purchased today! Yay! A nice little Motorola, and it seems vvv posh compared to my good old Nokia 3310).
Ok, so I can’t install the camera equipment for some reason… I’ll post them soon, I promise! But in the pics, I’m impressed that you can’t really see much of the grafting. There are occassional patches there, but nothing that wouldn’t come out in the blocking. Krista – let me know what you are knitting it with! I’m looking for a replacement yarn, and any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Don’t worry about the grafting – it takes a long time, but if you use the Knitty guide, it is much easier than it sounds 🙂 and keep the needles close together – they help keep stitch tension close to the knit tension. You’ll see what I mean when you try it. Use a safety line too, just in case…
Anyway, the big news has already been announced on Craftster. No, I’m not engaged/pregnant, etc. DB has been asked to go to a conference in Minneapolis, and my boss has said that I can go with him 😀 I’m very very very excited – US yarn shopping ahoy, plus the Sanrio store – what more could I need to keep busy while he’s in the conference? We stay for 8 nights, and he’s working for 3 or 4 days, so that should be a lovely break for him too, even if it isn’t all fun. Plus he gets free accomodation and flights, so he can’t complain too much! And DVD shopping too… And this is all rather lovely, because we will have been together for 10 years in November, which is when we are going 🙂 Lots of lovely romance too, with a bit of luck 😀 And shopping. 4 days of yarn shopping! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Well, I went for the interview (thanks for the well wishing etc!) – it was for an assistant librarian post, and was the first interview I’ve been to in years, plus my first qualified post interview. I wasn’t awful, which was good. I was only very slightly nervous, which was vvvv good considering how sick with nerves I’ve been all week about it. But I wasn’t good! That’s the problem! I did ok considering, but I might as well have been interviewed for a job in nuclear physics for how precise I was, and how many times I repeated myself! But I am ok 🙂 It was a very good learning experience, and I now have a good idea of what kind of questions to expect for future interviews. I know how to learn from mistakes 😉 No news from my interviewers here is most definitely not good news…
Secondly, Oscar is still not back. DB still thinks he will be back, as does anyone I say anything to about him, but I reckon most of them are just being nice and supportive. He won’t be back – he’s found his way back home and they are keeping him in, having had the shock of seeing him in the slightly camp collar. I want to get a cat of our own – I need a cat to call mine, and there are plenty of them who need someone to love them, and haven’t just been running around all over the place and eating kind people out of house and home (plus being bought toys, scratching post, collars (albeit camp sparkly ones), dishes, and a fire guard because they demonstrate a worrying fascination with the fireplace). I miss him like mad, but ultimately he isn’t really mine, and if he has left, then I need to find a cat who really needs me. But not till after November. That is because DB has been asked to go to a conference in Minneapolis, and has asked me if I fancy the trip over. My boss has already said yes (I asked her, she said no (jokingly, but realistically too – it is our busiest month), DB asked her again and she agreed :D). We just have to look at whether DB can get there himself – his passport needs updating, and we aren’t sure if it needs to be x number of months old before he can travel there. But that could be quite a cool trip. It will be my second ever trip abroad (Prague was the first), and it could be fab if there are some good yarn shops. I may take an empty suitcase… 😉 If we go that is.
Finally, some knitting action. I’ve finished the body of the lace leaf pullover. I still can’t post a pic I’m afraid cos of this lack of permissions problem, but it isn’t really worth it… The pattern is lovely. I’m even reasonably happy with the kitchener grafting I did (first time too, apart from on socks, and that doesn’t count compared to this one!). But, yet again, the question of the yarn rears its ugly head. It is lovely to wear, light as a feather, goes a massively long way (it took less than 3 balls to make the body with it – how cool is that?!), but it is really irregular on the big needles. It looks nice with an open gauge, but it just can’t keep neat and tidy. It has this lovely bohemian look to it, but it just isn’t right with the pattern I think. I need something a bit more offbeat for it. It would look fab with drop stitch patterns and the like, but I’m not quite sure what it wants. Failing all other things, because there are 7 balls of it, I can make a plain jumper, and add a drop stitch rib or something. Maybe. Dunno really! I can get it to match Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky tho for gauge, so I could make the bolero shrug from simply soft if it looks ok, but as I say, it seems to call for something a little different. That I still love the yarn is the only good sign of the day today…
So now I need to find a cheap and easy sub for the lace leaf pullover. Which is a bit of a bugger. Wonder how Leah is doing with hers in Polar… And I can cross off another project from the needles for now too! (woot – that means starting something else ;D)