Knit Addictions

End Of Year: Xmas Day Pics, Addiction List and Fave Film List

Xmas 2004...we spent it with our best friends, Jo and Cazza.  Here are a few snaps of the lovely day. 

Bam n Jo

Stewart, Cazza and Holly

Me and Holly (wearing the paper crowns from the Christmas Crackers!)

As mentioned in another post, we went to Catheryn's for Boxing Day.  Here is a snap of Catheryn showing me her criss cross method of knitting.....notice the 'egg' on the bed. That's her ginormous ball of yarn she uses to try out stitches.  For the record...it's waaaay smaller than it used to be!

And now.....onto the end of 2004 list time......

Well, it's just that time of year, isn't it?  It makes me reflect and think about what I've done over the year, what I haven't done, what I should've done...etc etc etc.

In the spirit of all that bollocks.....here's my two lists:

TOP 5 ADDICTIONS:

1. Well, this one is obvious....I mean,....this is a knitting blog, right?  yep. Knitting, yarn etc etc.  Current (very small list of) fave surf sites relating to this:
   • Knitting Help - the site itself is kinda hokey looking but the info is good. 
   • Craftster - I love the forum here.
   • Punk Knitters! - does this need an introduction?
   • Knitty - in case you were living under a rock, this online knitters zine is like paradise for us yarn floozies.
2. I love all things rock n roll.  (another duh, right?)  What does rock n roll mean to me?  It means people thinking for themselves.  Britney Spears is NOT rock n roll.  The Pixies are.  It's not a type of music.  It's an attitude that moves me... that makes my heart beat fast.  I guess this extends to everything in my life.  But that's another story, isn't it!  Without wanting to spend hours hunting down all of my fave bands websites.......let's just leave it to the King of Rock n Roll...
   • Keith Richards - After all these years, he is still my hero.  And...he is all things rock n roll to me.  I had the pleasure to meet him once and I swear, I didn't sleep for a week.  Total fan geekdom moment for moi.  If Bubble could ever ever ever open for the Stones or Keith-solo, I would die happily.
3. I gave up one addiction and replaced it with another this year.  Yep.  I quit the coffee and discovered the variety of green tea.  There is a funky chinese restaurant in Venice, CA  ....very...hmmm...well, what you would expect from hippies in Venice Beach.  It's called Mao's Kitchen and they offer this tea that is made from roasted millet.  I guess it was what the peasants drank because they couldn't afford to buy tea leaves.  But it became my favorite tea very quickly.  We found a tea that tastes almost identical from Eden Foods.
   • Genmaicha Green Tea - Made with Brown Rice.  I am drinking this constantly and smiling while I absorb all those anti-oxidants.  (gotta do something to eradicate all those years of rocking and rolling like a wild girl!)
   • Adagio Teas - Nathania Apple sent me a gift certificate for this place.  Amazing selection of teas.  A flavor to please everyone.  Or do what I did and get a sampler.  Plus the tins they send the tea in can be reused for clever thingys.  (ya know....like if you're one of those uber Martha Stewart types.)  Me?  I just save the tins and keep trying to think of a clever use.  ha!  But damn, the tea sure is delicious.
4. One addiction that's close to the guilty pleasure category...ALIAS.  Why do I love this show?  Well, it's a cartoon really, isn't it?  Sydney (we're on a first name basis, ya know?) is like the female James Bond and the show is basically a soap format.  I mean, c'mon.  How many times can people come 'back to life' and then there's Sydney's relationship with her dad.  And Vaughn.  Don't ya wanna punch Vaughn sometimes?  He always wears that puppy look on his face.   And Will.  Will, Will, Will. You will never be Sydney's true flame.  Ahhhh.  the pain of unrequited love.
   
   • ALIAS magazine - I knew the addiction was serious when we were at Barnes and Noble and I practically dropped everything and screamed when I saw the ALIAS magazine.  I almost bought it but stopped short of becoming a full on trekkie fan of this show.  I gotta have some pride right?
5. Converse All Star Shoes!   As with all other addictions...this one extends to both Bam and me.  However, upon photographing the collection....we discovered an interesting fact!  Bam is more of a Converse junkie than I am!  He defended the number of converse that were his by claiming that he just couldn't throw them away even though the green ones, red ones and old white ones were no longer wearable.  Ahhhh.  Spoken like a true addict.  (in the collection, please note the limited edition black leather converse, along with my brand new patchwork pink/red high tops.)

TOP 7 FILMS

I couldn't think of 10 so I'm listing 7 ....anyway, since we don't drink, don't drink coffee and now Bam doesn't even smoke....well, there had to be a replacement drug.  We found it in film.  God Bless escapism!  My faves of the year:

1. The Triplets of Belleville - I loved the look of this film, the happy feeling it gives me.  The music is sublime and inventive.  Nothing short of magical.
2. The Incredibles - I thought this was gonna be another boring kids flick that we took Max to.  But instead, I found myself laughing harder than he did!  I loved the humanity of the characters and was blown away by the fact that the story was as good as the animation.  Very surprising.
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - This was an interesting foray into the heart of love and break ups.  I didn't know it was Jim Carrey for the first 20 minutes of the film.  I thought he was 'that good' in it!
4. Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - We just saw this film and I have to include it.  I thought the script was so original and fresh.  Bill Murray was adorable and I really loved seeing Willem Dafoe play a dufus German instead of his usual more evil characters.   Plus the Bowie songs sung in Portugese all throughout the film.  How could I resist?  Very fun.  Very different.  If you like Hollywood formula, you will NOT enjoy this one. 
5. Fahrenheit 9/11 - What can I say that hasn't been said?  This film made headlines, made people think, and hopefully, made us all question our leaders.  I still believe it's our right to question authority and ....isn't that what America was founded on in the first place?  It's patriotic to think for ourselves.
6. Kill Bill Vol. 2 - Many of you won't like this one cuz it's so violent.  But really, it's cartoon violence.  Like old exploitation films.  Anyway, I loved loved loved this.  Sort of like Alias in that the chick is the most skilled at all killing/fighting sports and she looks good ALL THE TIME while doing it!  (gotta love that yellow jumpsuit.)  Thank you Quentin for another piece of delicious entertainment fun.  And thank you for making Uma Thurman a super star goddess and showing how Daryl Hannah is one of the coolest babes on the planet. 
7. Intermission - Solid cast, excellent script.  Just really dug this film.

And with that...I bid you all farewell until 2005.  I hope it brings us all riches and success ...for both the heart AND the wallet!  ;-)

Shopping For the Anti-Shopper!

The LA Blogs have listed questions about shopping in LA.  The thing is...I have some sort of phobic fear of shopping.  I hate it!  With that in mind....here's my answers:

1. Start big, if you had to pick a favorite mall, which one?
...I would have to pick the smallest and closest mall to me: Westfield Mall in Eagle Rock.  Exit doors are always close by and there is a Target that is usually empty during the day.  I have found both Doc Martens and Converse in this mall!  What more can a punk girl want?  There's also a cool games arcade with air hockey in it! 

2. Least favorite mall?
Beverly Center.  Pretentious shite. 

3. Favorite shopping street (example, Montana, Melrose, Robertson, etc...)
Melrose on a weekday in the early afternoon.  Or....downtown LA in any of the mad strips of little shops.

4. Go-to gift shop, i.e. where do you end up, knowing you can find a great gift?
Either Barnes and Noble or Borders.  More likely Barnes and Noble in Glendale because the parking is easier.

5. When you decide to treat yourself to a gift, where do you duck in to?
Well, I'm a knitter so I go to a my fave yarn shop, the Stitch Cafe.  But if I want something more normal....Barnes and Noble.  What can I say?  I'm a book/film junkie.

6. Where do you go to find great deals?
Nordstrom's Rack in Glendale.

7. What gift does every Los Angeleno need?
A Thomas Guide!  (the map to end all maps.)

8. Ahhh, enough consumption, what is your favorite local charitable cause?
Every homeless person in LA. 

Happy Boxing Day!

We've just come home from a lovely day at Catheryn's house for Boxing Day dinner.  We did manage to sneak off to a quiet spot where she showed me her forays into the criss crossing R2 technique that she changed a bit and I really like the result.  (don't even ask me to begin to write it down as it boggles the mind in print and yet, is so easy in real life!)

Dinner was lovely....especially the homemade raspberry trifle.  OMG!  Unbelievable. 

We pulled more Christmas crackers today and I got stuck with the blasted paper crown again.  ha!  I always end up with them. 

On the drive over.......I saw some people riding horses along a trail and asked Bam if he was into that sort of thing.  (you'd think I would know after being together for nearly a decade but I didn't know.)  He told me the following somewhat tragically hilarious story:

When he was about 10, his family sent him off to a summer camp with all sorts of sports type things.  There was 3 days of pony trekking in the Welsh hills involved and on his first day of trekking, his pony was bit by a wasp and threw him right off.  But like all kids, he pretty much bounced off the ground and was fine to get back on and ride again the next day.  However, the horse in front of his horse was on its last legs.  Literally.  It dropped dead right in front of him and pinned the 10 year old kid under its body.  The camp counselors had to drag the kid out from under his dead horse!!!!

Is that not the most bizarre horse riding story?  Geez!  I bet that kid hates riding horses!

Well, I'm off to Minnesota again on January 5th to see my mom and dad.  I guess my dad can no longer walk and is quite curled up now.  My mom said it's really awful to see him like this but we just have to keep our chins up and try to be cheery around him.  So that's what I'll do.  I figure ....if she can do it, then so can I. 

In other family gossip.........my niece broke up with her boyfriend of 4 (?) years and managed to pass a kidney stone all during the same 48 hour Christmas Eve period!  Poor girl!  She also starts a new job in January at some flashy spa as an 'aesthetician'.  (God knows if I spelled THAT right!) 

I have to weave in the ends on the scarf I made for my half brother and actually bother to send off everyone else's Xmas packages.  You could say I'm a bit late, yes?  Damn.  Well, I operate on rock n roll time.  It's hip to be late, n'est ce pas?

Ciao, au revoir........and hope your tummies are all full of yum yums.

Oh.......and anyone wondering....my finger slice is almost healed up.  I can type with it, knit with it...but still no guitar playing!  argh. 

thursday bloody thursday

argh!!!!!!!!!!!!  i've sliced my left index finger.  all cuz me mum gave bam a proper chefs knife.  it cuts tomatoes and fingers razor thin.  ha!  no worries tho.....i'll be fine.   typing this with 1 hand......  but too annoyed with this typing technique to type much......bam has threatened me with doctor/stitches if i dont behave.....(leave bandage on)  my morbid fear of doctors is keeping my right hand away from the wound and forcing the injured figer to 'sit still'!!!!

damn.  have butterfly bandage on.....has been bleeding for over an hour now......ouch.

i think i will be able to knit later.......but no geetar for a few days.

over n out.

Toys For Modern Boys and Girls

Yeah.  It's all about toys!  Max (my 12 year old step son) has his playstation 2 and has barely taken his eyes off the Grand Theft Auto game he is playing today.  Bam has his cinema widescreen display and is creating all sorts of 'stuff'.  From groovy loops to illustrations etc to film clips........

Me?  I have my knitting, duh?  And........my laptop to build websites....and....more knitting.  Let's face it.  We yarn floozies have the easiest toy to transport.  No cords or batteries required.

BAND UPDATE
In spite of Bam's broken toe ....the gig was fun.  I totally forgot he had the toe problem cuz he played like a mofo.  All was good and we spread holiday cheer with some holiday cookies.  he he. 

Today I have that hazy feeling that I always get post gig.  I usually call it 'Post Gig Syndrome'.  PGS.  I think it's what you get after any big event type thing.  It's like I can't get myself to do anything.  Not depressed but not terribly happy either. 

So.........Max has asked us to play "LIFE".  So I'm gonna go do that now.  Yawn.  Yawn.  Sorry for the lame ass post.

It's a good day for knitting and.....playing a game like "LIFE".  Lemony Snickets tomorrow.....yah.  It's the holidays.

Breaking News.....

Or should I say.........Breaking Toes.........

Yes...... Bam has broken his baby toe!  And we've got a gig tomorrow night.  He says that won't stop him........he's played gigs with broken bones before and the show must go on!  But oy vay.  His toe is totally BLACK.  It is so gross.  And swollen. 

HOW TO KNIT
I've noticed a lot of folks find this blog by searching for how to knit.  Here are a couple of sites that are my new faves with videos and great easy ways to learn techniques:

http://www.dnt-inc.com/barhtmls/knittech.html

www.knittinghelp.com

Both sites have loads and loads of info. 

Holiday Ho Ho's!

I went to knit night the other night.........and laughed so hard I had tears streaming down my cheeks.  What is it about a few chicks in a room knitting that leads to the most bizarre stories I've ever heard?  Mind you......it doesn't always happen and is most definitely dependent on the company present.  We ended up on a tangent about Hannukah 'donuts' which are known as Sufganiyot.  Lisi ended up phoning Canter's deli to prove that she wasn't making it up and ....it felt like a prank call from my teenage years. 

ON SPEAKERPHONE:  "hello.  Yes, I'm calling to see if you have any left over Hannukah donuts."

"you do?  Well, how many do you have?"

"uh, huh.  Do you sell a lot of Hannukah donuts?  ......uh, huh.  Yes, you only make them for Hannukah right?  I see.  And do you sell a lot of them on Hannukah?  ....Okay.  Thank you. "

Anyway, you probably had to be there as nothing is ever as funny in the translation but my face hurt from laughing.

Just a quick note.........my band is playing tomorrow night at the Scene in Glendale. Onstage at midnight.  Should be a gas and it's our last show of 2004. 

But here's the agenda of shite, stuff, lists, madness and chaos.............

• my stepson Max is arriving tonight
• I need to redo someone's website design for their approval
• I have another website design due....like yesterday
• I finally had my extensions tightened.  (doesn't that sound funny?)
• I need to finish the scarf for my half brother and send it.
• I need to update the Bubble site.  (I really should rebuild the whole thing)
• hmmmmmmmmmmm..........I need to sleep.

Now......I KNOW a ton of folks can waaaaaaaay beat that list.  Like parents for starters?  So I'm not complaining.  Simply sharing.

Here's what I love to do.........

• Knit on the couch while watching the first season of Alias for the second time.
• Eat foods that are bad for me.
• Sleep in.
• Go for bike rides cuz it's warm and sunny right now.  (he he.)
• Knit at the Stitch Cafe.
• Go to matinee films.

I think I was born to be a lazy bastard.  No, really.  I just am so good at doing nothing.  I can surf the internet for HOURS.  Literally hours.  I'll come away with square eyes and know nothing more than when I started except for where that really cool site was that had some style that I want to rip off.  ha!  But when it comes time to design a site.........will I remember?  Heck no.

argh!

Well, this is a rambler post today.  I have piccies to add and no time.  Gotta go do that xmas shop thing before the kid arrives.

At least my hair looks like neapolitan ice cream again.  he he.  happy ho ho's and merry ding dongs.

A Blend of Chemicals

START WITH YARN STORAGE PLASTIC THINGY
As promised ....hmmmmm.......several days ago...........here is a pic of the shoe cubby hole thingy that Bam got for my yarn habit. 

It makes me feel like I have my very own tiny yarn shop! ha!

And here is the finished fan and feather scarf that went off to its recipient today.  (knit in alchemy yarn with a lace mohair.  Very nice combo and I will use that again for something else!)

ADD CONFUSION
I feel blogless. blogally challenged. I am experiencing bloggers block.  My blog needs unclogging. Is there a rotoblogger?  Argh. 

My brain is seriously slowing down right now..............

Sooooooooo...............I shall discuss the ripping sessions last night.

MIX WITH RIPPING MADNESS
REAL ripping.  As in.......I went to knit night and one of the babes asked me what I was working on.  A stripey skirt, I replied.  But I had already ripped it once.  She raised an eyebrow and looked at it and said, "nope.  It's gonna be too wide.  And why aren't you knitting it with circulars so you don't have to seam it?"

I knew she was right.

We always know the truth when we hear it.  I resisted for a little while and then gave in after the whole knitting gang was cheering me on to rip rip rip.

So I ripped.

Then.............I picked up some circs and we all figured out how many I should cast on etc etc etc. 

Then, after I completed one cast on of 139 stitches..........we all realized I should be casting on with smaller needles for the ribbing section.

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  RIP it.  Rip it good.  (sung to devo)

But I felt justified later when Lisi, (stitch cafe owner) had to rip the poncho she was knitting for her mum and start it over with a different yarn combo. 

Yes.  I really am that competitive.  Lame aren't I?

I'm just kidding of course.

Well, a little.

ADD A DOSE OF DIRTY RNR AND SHAKE WELL
Anyway, ......after that ..........Bam and I went to the Pretty Pussy club at the Dragonfly and saw Joker Five Speed and Motochrist.  Both were fucking rawkus and we had a really great time.  We're gearing up for our shows next week.  3 gigs in one week.  That's more gigs than we've played all year!  ha!!!!  Hilarious.

Well, it's late......and I'm mesmerizing, hypnotizing and generally calming myself with train tracks from this site:  www.iserenity.com  I know I know.  How much more bleedin' hippie Californian can I get?  hmmmmmmmmmm............can I meditate on that and answer you in the morning when I've read my tea leaves?

PS.
thanks to everyone for your funny comments and heartfelt comments about my little doubts and weird feelings over the message board nonsense at another site.  I'm laughing over it all now.  I loved how it's spawned a "I want to be Courtney" competition! 

Reporting Live...from Motley Crue....

Well, not really live now, is it?  I was there yesterday........but here's my pics...

that last shot of vince smiling and the press making the rock sign.......was cuz the fire marshall had pulled their permit at the last minute and they had to switch from their helicopter grand entrance and make do with a hearse. 

They announced their world tour and Clear Channel also announced that their new single would be a 'hit'. 

The Clear Channel part was pretty scary.  If they decide you've got a smash single, well, you can't really lose, can you?

I also shot a tiny piece of mov footage with my digital camera:
www.planetbubble.com/motleycrue.html

Onto other stuff.........
I have been busy knitting some new designs.  Been busy building websites and ....been busy with the band. 

I recently made the mistake of reading a message board populated by Vixen fans.  Man oh man.  I forgot what it was like to be in the public eye.  People make judgments about you based on an edited one hour show on TV.  Making statements about your life as if they know you.  It's just creepy.   Of course, lots of folks said nice things but we always remember the negative don't we?  My fave negative comment..........somebody said I just wanted to be Courtney.   Hmmmm....I thought....I guess that's why I married an Englishman, learned to knit, engineer my own records, build my own website, and have a great relationship with my parents.  Yeah.  That's it.  I want to be Courtney.  Oh, and did I leave out....we all pretty much go through life wanting to be some icon? 

WHAT?  I don't know anyone who tries to be someone else.
It pissed me off for like a minute and then I had to laugh at the absurdity of all of it. 

I did get in a slump for a second though but not over that.  But because my father is doing even worse now.  sigh.

On a lighter note...........
I watched the Office Special.  Loved it.  I realize I have a strong affinity for TV series that make me squirm from the inappropriate behavior of the characters.  I love Larry David.  I love Arrested Development.  I love Office.  It's like I can't enough of it.  I sit there and scream at the TV set.  I actually HOWL with disgust over their choices.  I love it.  Maybe it's the pent up frustration of living in a so-called politically correct America but on the inside, it is sooooooo NOT politically correct.  We use sex to sell EVERYTHING and then we have church groups making everyone feel guilty about sex.  Oh, you can't say tits on TV but you can say something that means it.  What is the fucking difference people?  A tit is a tit.  Geez.  Get over it.

So, yeah.  I guess that's why I love those shows.  They do and say all the wrong things and I just love that.

Well, after that rave .....and all those pics of motley crue....I must go dream of a way of getting our band on the road.

LAST THOUGHTS ON MOTLEY AND HOW IT SHOULD'VE GONE DOWN.....

Oh?  My only regret yesterday?  I got brave and raised my hand for a 'press' question.  I announced, "Share from TotalRock.com in England.  Do you guys have anything planned for TV or film to tie in with the tour?"

BORING BORING BORING!

Hindsight is 20/20 and here is what I should've said.................

Hey guys, Share formerly of Vixen currently with Bubble and doing moonlighting to report for Total Rock in England.  Hey,.....what are the chances of a band like Bubble getting on a tour like yours?

But no, I played it safe and went with the question that would leave me with my air of mystery.  Or is that anonymity?  Dammit dammit dammit! 

Me and Motley

Alright!  I'm back in the saddle again!  I love being back home in smoggy LA.  I felt like a kid when the plane was descending and I just couldn't stop staring out the window at all those thousands of lights.  It still amazes me. 

So me and Motley Crue!  Yes.  You heard it here first.  No we don't have a tour booked to open for them.  (at least, not yet?)  But TotalRock.com is sending me on a mission.  I am their press correspondent for the Motley Crue press conference and live performance on Monday!  How crazy and whacked out is that?  This will be my first time on THAT side of the press/cameras etc. 

BAM ROCKS
Okay.  So you already know I'm mad about my Bam.  Well, he read my post about trying to figure out a way to store my yarn so I can see it and while I was away, he found a shoe-cubby hole shelving thingy at Home Depot and put it together and stocked it with a ton of my yarn stash.  Could I be any happier?  Well, we're getting another one so my happiness meter will go even higher!  ha!  (can you say.....ever growing yarn stash?)

Photo coming as soon as I can locate our digital camera in our insanely tiny house!

CONFESSION
Knitting sin #1: I bought a machine knit sweater for Bam.  Okay.  Here's my argument.  Since my knitting leans toward the rebellious punky side, I would never knit a normal looking sweater like that.  Plus I would have to use 2mm needles to make something similar and we know THAT is not gonna happen.  Nevertheless, I am praying to the yarn gods for forgiveness.

TO THE COMMENTERS.........
To Tim, thanks dude!  Your xx blog rocks too!  I haven't checked out that Rolling Stone issue but I will and let you know. 

To Jessica, thank you dahlink! You are too kind.  I did get some fondling in of the Koigu but just saw fingerless gloves from the Kersti so I've dived in.

To Wendy, Yah, youuu knowe vut I vas tinkink.  Yah.  I tink youuuu doo.  Vee Nords and Youuuu Svedes, vell, yah.  It's da same tink, yah.  I haf to go make some lefska now. yah.

To Kris, I think it says "God Jul". So it probably is just God Bless.  But I have a twisted mind and prefer to think it says something far more nasty.  Here is what my computer says is correct for my saying:

Kunn all av Deres fiser er stinky med glede.

To Crystal.....thanks doll.  to answer your question about the white scarf....there were two.  One was for my mom.  She loves it and wears it every single day!  The other one was for my step daughter in England.  And she wrote to thank me and says she loves it.  Good luck with your Christmas prezzies!