Knit Addictions

Roarin'

It's all goin' off at once at the moment.

Our old Bubble cd's How 'Bout This? and Total Harmonic Distortion are now available at iTunes. (those links will only work if you have iTunes installed and be patient, they're a bit slow)

Our new Bubble cd Rock n Roll Hell will be here on August 2. I need to put up a 'buy' button for it!

Knitty Gritty host, Vickie Howell and me got our mugs in a magazine this month!

and.....of course, this crazy Vixen reunion gig for VH1.

No, I will not be teasing my hair.
;-)

If you live in LA, and you want to attend, just email me.

Vixen televised GIG details:
August 3
6465 Sunset Blvd
Sir Studios
FREE but guest list to ensure your entry
7 PM
show at 8 PM
All Ages

In the meantime, I'm hoping to get everything together (equipment etc) along with knit myself a new black n pink wristband for the affair.

ha!
yeah, right.

Well, we knitters like to dream, don't we?

Sex, Drugs, Rock n Roll.....n Knitting!?!

On July 14th, I posted a rather mysterious post........
here is what happened:

I went off to my knitting night on July 13th at Stitch Cafe. We had just finished our Bubble video and I brought that along to show everyone.
I arrived around 9:30 pm, late as always and was trying to get the new Bubble dvd to play in Lisi's laptop.
There was a disturbance at the front of the store and I looked up to see what was going on. At first, I thought it was vagrants but then I noticed the large cameras and bright lights. Next, I noticed they were barging in and I thought it was a news crew doing a piece on knitters in Los Angeles or something.
Then they headed straight for me and said, "We're here for you, Share".

Let it be said. I do live in a cave. Meaning, we do not have cable or satellite television so I am unfamiliar with most tv shows.

YOU may have guessed it by now but I was still clueless.
They shoved a microphone at me and with all cameras and bright lights glaring...I searched around the shop for clues from my fellow knitters. Everyone was as mystified as I was.
It felt like an hour but I'm sure it was only a moment and the host dude repeated..........
"We're here for you, Share. We're from VH1's Bands Reunited and we want to know if you will join Vixen for one last gig."

He looked at me waiting for an answer.

My first thought was..........but I came here to knit! How did you know I was here?
Hey, what's going on?
How can I turn this down?
I will look like a jerk if I say no.
Oh Shit.
I'm on camera RIGHT NOW.
Oh Shit.

I wanted to run.
But instead, I agreed to one last Vixen gig. (it's been.......12 years?)

Then, they interviewed all the knitters in the shop while they threw me in a makeup chair and got me comfortable, (hello black eyeliner!) and gave me time to call Bam.
Then they interviewed me for about 3 hours.

That's where the 'alien abduction' part came out. I found out they'd been to my house posing as a flower delivery guy with the wrong address. They'd sent me emails pretending to be knitters to make sure I was going to my knit night. The interviewer, Aamer, knew things I'd said in magazines, stuff I talk about in this blog and various other facts about me that just basically weirded me out.

Imagine how you would feel if someone studied you?

That's how I felt.

They just knew too much.

It gave me the creeps.

I've gotten over the 'ambush' as they call it and I'm feeling back to normal.
I'm still weirded out that I agreed as I view doing gigs with your old band a little bit like sleeping with an ex-boyfriend. (eeeiiwwwww!)

But it's safe to tell you..........
We're filming a Vixen gig in LA on August 3rd for VH1's Bands Reunited.
How crazed is that?
They have promised to include a clip of the Bubble video so of course, that has made me ecstatically happy.

And yes, they asked a whole lotta questions about knitting.

Too damn funny for words doncha think!

Greetings from Vancouver, eh?

Free word association from up north!!!!!
Sand dollars.
Heat.
Kids.
Broken stove.
New stove.
Water park.
Severe lack of cappuccino.
Construction....new windows, new window seat, other stuff that is undecipherable to me cuz I'm an idiot when it comes to that construction stuff.

KNIT...........
I've been knitting what I've dubbed a Baby Pirate cap. Nothing terribly fancy. Black ribbing along the bottom and then black and white stripes in stockinette. What every pirate baby should have. Arrrrrrh!

Thank you for all the lovely comments.

re: LYS up here. No time and no real access to shop for that sort of thing.

re: tattoo up here. Same.

NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH
BUBBLE
Our third cd, Rock n Roll Hell is finally being manufactured! YES. As of August 2, 2004, you will be able to order it from our site. 11 tracks of sonic destruction. ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Knit on fiber fiends.
:-)

Going on Family Trip Day

We leave for Vancouver today. I don't know if I'll get a chance to visit any LYS's up there but if I do, you know I'll take piccies and put 'em up when I get back.

To Wendy, Kate, Catheryn, Nathania, Jenifleur and a slew of others...........
THANK YOU!!!!!!!

I did finish the back of Janis last night. She's a little hmmmmm........bigger than I thought she would be. That dropped stitch routine definitely stretches her out and I thought I'd planned for it pretty well. But the jury is out until I do the straps and finish her off for real. Unfortunately, I think it will be when I get back from Vancouver. So Janis will be hangin' out here in So Cal by herself for a week. Awwwwwwwwww.

BAND STUFF
I did have a great chat with our guitar repair guy the other day and we both decided there are five reasons that musicians stop playing music for real.
1. Death. This is obvious but it needs to be listed. If you're dead, it's hard to play gigs.
2. Drugs. This doesn't always stop you and can even make the you more famous if ya play your cards right. But in the long run, it will knock you out. Or if you're on the lower rung of the ladder, chances are your gear is in the pawn shop and you'll be late for every gig/rehearsal or whatever. So drugs are kind of a drag in spite of the sex, drugs and rock n roll cliche.
3. Religion. Yes, the rocker who suddenly discovers God in a new way, can just sorta stop rockin. No offense to anyone here.
4. An overly controlling spouse. The significant other plays an important role in any band. If one of them doesn't play nice, it wreaks havoc on everything. I'm not naming any names, but I'm sure we can think of super famous examples. Duh?
5. A well paying job. Yep. This one takes the rocker right out of the picture. If you're used to a nice big fat paycheck, chances are you're not going to want to fork over any money for cd manufacturing, rehearsals, or basically anything because you could be spending it on your vacation, your house, your new car etc. You also cannot afford to miss your lovely job for a nice long drive in a van from LA to Texas to play some gigs for no money.

So there you have it.
My own version of Spinal Tap.

Bubble has had 3 guitarists (one moved to England, one was playing in too many bands in Hollywood and eventually we had to part ways due to his absences, and the last one had the well paying job.)
Bubble is on it's 7th bassist (one was really a guitarist, 2 had drug problems, 1 had a drinking problem and 2 were simply neurotic beyond belief).

Thankfully, we love our bassplayer, Brian. He is the right mixture of everything. I always liken being in a band to being married. It just so happens I am married to Bam and it's our band. But the other members are married to us, too. You have to LIVE with these people. It's not just about being on stage. You have to share small spaces with each other.

Wellllllllllllllllllllll
what the heck am I rabbiting on about?
I have no bloody idea.

We're leaving and I'm gonna miss blogging.

Plans for Vancouver........
I really want a new tattoo on my left arm. My right arm has a nice one. But I feel unbalanced.
Found this place Sacred Heart that comes highly recommended by my rocker pals up there. Who knows? Maybe this time I'll make the commitment and get a new one. I know what I want..........now I just need to find the tattooist with the right energy and someone I can trust. And of course, not a lot of dough. ha ha!!!!!

Over and out until July 29th or so..........

....unless I get access to a computer up there!!!

This Stitch is For You!

I found out on Wednesday that Arthur Kane died. (New York Dolls bassist). Being a BIG NY Dolls fan, I was heartsick. Still am. How can I miss someone I didn't even know? It's weird. I just was so in love with their records and was so inspired by their sound. It's part of why I switched from bass to guitar. Who doesn't want to be as cool as Johnny Thunders? Hello?!

Arthur Kane even saw Bubble play a year ago. Him AND Clem Burke were at the same Bubble show and I think it was definitely a highlight in our Bubble career as Ny Dolls/Blondie fans.

ALL ABOUT YOU
So here's the thing.
This rock chick starts knitting last year.
Finds out her obsessive personality really likes it much to the surprise and even ....shock of several people.
This rocker starts going crazy with knitting and starts a knitting blog.
She finds that after a few months of trial and error, she really likes creating her own designs.
Even if they suck.
Then, she really starts opening up in her blog and life is sweet.
One day, she writes a short post about the not so great aspects of her life.
(her dad's failing health, her husband's ongoing chronic debilatating arm pain, and of course,her ever present lack of money)

YOU ALL WRITE TO HER AND MAKE HER CRY EVEN MORE!

Thank you.
Top ten reasons why I started knitting again today:
1. I thought it would help my mood and it did. Even though the ribbon yarn had completely unrolled itself and tangled up all over the place.
2. Because knitters should be president. (imagine that!)
3. Because the emails you sent me made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
4. Mainly .........number 3 just over and over and over again.

THANK YOU a thousand times over for your outpouring of love and understanding.

Re: updates.......
My dad. Not so good. My mom is wondering when I can come back there again as she needs some assistance.

Bam. hm........his pain is awful. But we do now have health insurance (first time in 12 years) and he has an appointment with a doctor at the end of July. (when we're back from Vancouver.)

Why must I tell you all of this?
I dunno.
My life is an open book and it ALL affects my knitting, my music, my mood and my universe.
Truth is a matter of perception and your letters altered my perception thereby altering my truth.

I have knit one row of Janis today and will go back in there and knit more.

In spite of the fact that FED EX made a mistake and didn't deliver our Bubble cd/artwork to the manufacturers on time!!!!!! LAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm still smiling.
Yes, I'm still smiling.
Dammit.......I am smiling!
ha.
You can't keep a good woman down.

Signing off with the thought that we're all connected through a piece of yarn.

Spiraling Down

Talked to my mom.
My dad's health is getting worse.
On top of that, Bam's arm is getting worse.
I'm not sleeping much and just don't have anything positive to write.

Haven't finished Janis as I just haven't even felt like knitting.
:-(

Hopefully I will feel more upbeat later.

Knit on.

May I Introduce To You, the One and Only... JANIS!

She isn't finished yet. But you'll get the idea. Since I am guilty of blog abuse from the last post, it only seems right to post these pics of Ms. Janis. (named after Janis Joplin of course.)

Imagine if you will........
Janis will lace up the front, lace up the sides and the fur will line the bottom and the straps. What you are looking at is the two front pieces which are done minus straps. The back still needs to a few more rows and then I can drop the sides to match the front pieces. And you can see the furry stuff for those bits.
It's gonna be wild, sexy and loud if it works out.
I will let you all know of course when I try it on and see if it actually fits a human.

I modeled it after a top I already own and am hoping it will work out.

ALIENS
Regarding the last post.............
I am fine.
I still cannot say anything and am REALLY sorry and feel stupid about ranting and raving.
You will all laugh when you find out what happened.
I promise.

That's my Knit News for today.
Short and sweet cuz it's too hot to think with my hands sweating all over this computer keyboard.
argh.

Searching for Abduction Marks

This will be my weirdest, bizarrest (is that a word?) post yet.

Knit Night.
Sounds innocent doesn't it?
Like you're gonna go knit, right?

Well, for really strange reasons, I cannot actually tell you what happened.
Something DID happen and LEGALLY, I can't tell you yet.
Don't worry.
It wasn't bad or horrid or violent or any of those nasty things.

BUT................
I can only tell you how I feel for now.

I feel like I have been abducted by aliens.
I feel completely out of sorts.
I feel off balance.

Just suffice to say, I would liken it to an alien abduction complete with flying saucers and I feel totally strange right now.
I feel so NOT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

And then, it's so evil of me just to write about my 'feelings' and not what happened.
I'm sorry.
This may qualify as blog abuse?

Anyway, I slept for a grand total of 3 hours. (thank you neighbors for hammering at 7 am. that was sooo lovely to wake up to!)

KNIT NOTE
I DID show my punk tank to my trusted knitter friends.
I got major thumbs up!
I just need to finish it now. Nearly there. Nearly there.
But it deserves a name doesn't it?
I hereby dub it: THE JANIS TANK named after Janis Joplin.
the piccies will be coming soooooooon. I promise.

Well, apologies for this cryptic post.

NOTES
Lara - I am so glad you got the "I hate to be typical" comment! ha!

Nathania - You are like this cyber friend who is always understanding and manages to send warmth through all these 1's and 0's. I did dig in to the chocolate, am planning a nap today and had a cup of my fave tea last night and will probably goof off to a movie somewhere today. :-)

To Lara in Oregon - you are so funny. I do struggle with money envy alot and it's lame. I have enough to get by. It's not like I'm starving or anything!!!! And I can even buy yarn which, let's face it, as much as we addicts have our problem, it IS a luxury. Nevertheless, nice to hear that someone else has their money woes, too. At least it's not so sticky, sweaty today.

To Wendy - Your blog is so amazing. I guess it's cuz your knitting is so damn good. :-)

To all who've been asking..........the JANIS tank piccies soooooon. I swear.

One other knit note: over at Knitty, where they have their best issue yet...........I ended up finding this group blog and designs and just feeling rather blown away by their fiber finesse. I am sooooooooo punk in my....er....style. (read lack of finishing and lack of patience technique.)

HOLIDAY
I will be leaving next week for a trip to Vancouver to hang with Bam's mum and dad. (Yes, they're English but they emigrated to Canada many years ago.) I probably will not have much access to cyber land while I'm there ...........so forgive me when this blog goes blank from July 20-28th or so.

Well, I must deal with some reality and make coffee and just try to get crap done.

Oy Vay!

I won't post much right now as I am vishink I vus Jewish and could just say:
OY VAY!!!!

Vut a day I am havink!

But I am from whitebread Minnesota and must be content with the usual, oh fucking A, dude.
I need a chill pill.

Just lots of boring work related crises. (is that the multiple for crisis?)

Got knit night tonight and am looking seriously forward to that.

It's hot.
I am sweaty and sticky.
My friend, the one with the drug problem?
They are in an inpatient program in a room that is bigger than my whole house that includes a fuckin' jacuzzi.

Imagine all the yarn you could buy with the money for that treatment center.

Or imagine getting Bam's arm fixed.

That would be about 3% of the money.

I guess I am having a money envy day.

I hate it when I am feeling poverty stricken and loser-like ....so ....................
I bid you adieu from the moody wonders of my hot existence that on days like these, ....
just seems pointless and going nowhere fast in a delusional whirl of naivete.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Of course, you do know that after knit night, I will probably be all happy apologetic for this entry right?
I am fine.
I am just hating being poor.
I need coffee.
I need air conditioning.
I need a new car so Bam and I can BOTH go somewhere at the same time!!!!
Imagine that.

I need a van with air conditioning that works.
And a working transmission.
And a working muffler.
And a bigger home so my step kids can stay with us once in a fucking blue moon.
And a record deal.
And.........well, shall I keep going?

IN THE WORDS OF MADONNA.........
I am a Material Girl, living in a Material World.

Found this:

(click the pic to see it bigger)

Yes.
Money isn't everything.
ha ha ha!!!!!!

I even miss satellite television today.

Gawd.
I MUST HAVE PMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Damn.........
I DO HAVE PMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hate being typical.

Coffee and R2 and Life With Bam!

I decided today I would actually work at my job instead of goof off on my blog like I usually do.
Alas.
Here I am.

Blame the postman.

He delivered two amazing packages today!!!!
Yippee!!!!!

First, THE COFFEE
I have this great travel client who is becoming a friend now and she sent me a little something for my caffeine addiction. Coffee from Idaho! (her home state.)

She is a crafty girl too and she included two notecards that she made herself from her paper making days. I am sending her and her company to Italy next month for a two week extensive trip. Very nice and very cool. I wish I was going!

Now...THE R2 HAS ARRIVED!
I knew from the sound of our postman, Tim's (the former punk rock fan who now wears an "I-heart-Jesus" lanyard) urgent knock, that today was a special delivery. Had he known that I was jumping at the seams to get this yarn, I'm sure he wouldn't have understood. He has seen us play and always asks when the next gig is. Mind you, he must see the addresses of packages and wonder what's up with all the yarn to Bam and Share's house! ha ha!

hmmmmmmmmm..............
First, put some of this in hair.
Second, seriously plan an awesomely uber punk and cool new design with it!

And for anyone who was wondering.......it is just as delicious in person as you think it will be from the photos. Oh yes. If you're after punky knitting, this is pretty hard to beat. Well, I guess I shouldn't say that until I've knit with it!!! ha!

LIFE WITH BAM
Since Bam has been editing our music video, he is a bit, nay, a LOT like a mad scientist. He pretty much locks himself in the studio and just works for hours and hours and hours. He comes out of there with a dazed faraway look in his eyes. Talking null links, key frames, time ramping....and other terms that are like Chinese to me. He was working on a Monty Pythonesque part of the video and asked me to pose in front of a white foamcore pretending to drive a car while holding my arm out.

I obliged.

You won't see my shorts as they'll be cut off by the car and I'll be black and white too.

I have seen the animation now and it looks absolutely unbelievable!
I just had to share the bizarreness of life around here.

Maybe nobody else will think it's strange, ..........but I do.

KNITTING PUNK
I finished both front pieces of my new design: Punk Ladder/Lace-Up Tank AND made good headway on the back after a false start where I made it waaaaaaay too wide..... all while watching six episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm on dvd last night.

Pics of PUNK TANK soon as promised. (provided it doesn't turn out dreadful in which case I will rip and start over!)

To Jessica, Amanda and MJ, yes, yelling in the middle of Michael's is something I did do. I'm not so sure I should be proud of this action but I'm glad it made you all happy. Sometimes I think I need to act a little more adult. But then.....life would just be soooooooo boring.