Random, um, Monday night.

Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.  It's just that I made the mistake of going to a conference in the middle of May.  May is the time of the year when academic administrativa reaches a fever pitch, and I take off for four days of the week before graduation (me and about a thousand others who had their conference moved up two weeks and from New Orleans to Chicago after Katrina).  Smaaaart.  You can just imagine what I came back to.  I think that was last week.  But it's really hard to tell at this point.  I have two big deadlines to get through and then it's just a matter of packing up 15 years worth of my predecessor's random clutter files and office supplies for a move to summer temporary office digs.  Because we figure that what fun is it if just your house is being torn to pieces, but why not have your office gutted too?  Right.

So anyway, the conference, despite being at a terribly inconvenient time, was a ton of fun.  Chicago is a fab city, and it was just surreal to go to a professional conference and hang out with my best friend and my favorite colleague and my former secret pal.  Having Sara make a career change to the same field I'm in was a wicked good plan.  There were no pictures, but we did make a trip to Loopy, at Ruth's most excellent suggestion.

There was a lot of Lorna's Laces there.  There's less now.  I have no further comment.

If you happen to go to Loopy, and you're hungry, seriously, Hackney's is around the corner on the architectural hidden gem called Printer's Row, and it's a fabulous bargain lunch with great service.  The Loopy/Hackney's combo is a good reason to go back to Chicago in my book.

So the trip was great fun, really wonderful, and then there was this work stuff too--Minh made our poster look not-lame (no thanks to me), and good sessions, meeting, that sort of thing.  That and the yummy food.  And the wine and the knitting.  But it was highly educational and professionally enriching.  That's my story.

In further random news:

• I ordered a zipper for Rogue.  There's all that sewing upping that has to get done, so it could be, oh, 6-7 months until it's actually wearable, but you know, the major combat operations knitting part is over.
• I'm kinda chicken about the zipper, truth be told.  I might need a stiff drink before I actually sew it in.  And do I hafta use a sewing machine?  They hate me.
• Minh's participant observation study of knitbloggers in the wild seems to be paying off.  He was overheard commenting that he couldn't believe I was knitting socks on triple-zeros, but he did like the magic loop method.  Look out, because you might end up in some sociology journal someday if you're not careful.  Scary thought.
• The Tudor Roses KAL starts today.  I did some bellyaching about which yarn to use, but decided that I HAD TO HAVE a sweater's worth of DK Zephyr. Dude, I didn't even know such a thing existed, and if there was even a chance it would work for Elizabeth I, well then.  Well, it's gorgeous.  And way too thick for Elizabeth (yeah, that swatch is supposed to be 4"/10cm.  I could recaclulate.  I might recalculate.  But first I have to try dyeing some Silk & Ivory and see how that works out.  Remember that yarn diet?  Yeah, ha ha.
• Oddly, after all my concern about a hand-dyed yarn (Silk & Ivory only comes in white, and I was hesitant to pay someone to dye it, worrying it would not strike perfectly evenly--most solid-color yarns are dyed as wool or roving and then spun), the Zephyr turned out  to be dyed in the yarn too, and it shows.  I still love it.  The color is copper, which I can only think of as Claudia-colored.  Maybe off-Cassie.  I still haven't decided what color to dye the Silk & Ivory.  There's a madder pot in my near future, and though I know there's no chance of an even strike with a natural dye pot, I have to confess I'm tempted.  Further updates as events warrant.
• Despite the madness of my work-life, I'm anticipating that things will calm down in a couple of days (on the other side of the major mountain of work I'm climbing now).  The family is taking off for a visit to the in-laws in a red state, and I'm, rather blissfully, staying home (I'll miss the kids, but I can do without the red state in-laws).  Hence the madder pot.  And rumor has it that the wool is coming my way.  Most excellent.
• So if you happen to be passing by my way on Saturday night, on your way east from Cummington, drop me a line.  My impending middle-age (shut up, I like to think of it as impending) is making me want to regress in the absence of the short people, so I plan to act, well, half my age (which a friend recently pointed out is the same age as a first-year college student, goddess help me).  Email me at mama at mamacate dot com if you'd like to partake.
• About that last one?  It might take me a few days to get back to you.  Don't worry.  I will.  Just slowly.
• Oh, and this one's for Juno.   
  Let them eat cake!

Lee Ann called me a tensioned Cate tonight.  I resemble that comment.  But I aspire to become a lazy Cate as soon as possible.  It's good to have goals.

That's it from here.  See you Saturday!

Comments

[Carole]

Dale and I are heading out to Cummington on Saturday. No torrential rain this time, right? What's the plan, Stan?

[Sara]

oh YUM re the dessert table. Rhys isn't trying to protect the twins' clothing is she? B/c I'm sure that was a lost cause. I would try in her shoes though.

LOVE that zephyr.

I miss you. I would have called and said so myself, but work got in the way. If I can make it to Wed., I'll live.

[Dena]

I took the zipper mini-class a couple of weeks ago at WEBS and now I feel much more confident about sewing in a zipper on a knitted garment. It was all done by hand too, no sewing machine. I have not had very good luck bringing my knitting to the sewing machine. So when the zipper arrives, let me know if you want a mini-tutorial. I can bring over my zipper sample and drinking can be optional.

[CarolineF]

Elizabeth I is most definitely sport weight, so you'll be a happier person if you stop looking at beautiful DK yarns. I forget if Silk & Ivory is DK...
I was at a party not long ago with one of those chocolate fountains. It was mesmerizing.

[Norma]

Zephyr comes in DK????? Why has no one ever told me this before? Why???

[Ruth]

Glad you were able to make it to Loopy ... we're going back to Chicago this summer, and it's on my must-visit list, right up there with the Art Institute and the Aquarium. I shall have to remember Hackney's.

That dessert table is incredible ... your kids are showing much more restraint than mine would.

[The Feminist Mafia]

Unfortunately I'll miss the debauchery. Saturday is Little Man's 3rd birthday and my Mom will be here from out of town. We're just collecting rain checks, eh? Enjoy!!

[JoVE]

I don't remember any yarn diet. But then I am not a big fan of diets of any sort. That yarn looks yummy. And if it is too thick for the sweater, what exactly was the problem with teh Treenway stuff I pointed you towards? I can't translate those weaving guages but surely it isn't so thin as to be pointless and they will dye it for you (and have BEAUTIFUL colours, to boot).

The great thing about the enforced office move is that when you unpack all that stuff to put it in cabinets etc, you can throw out what is really not required. Stock up on garbage bags. And remember that all those crazy May requests will be forgotten soon.

[Kathy]

Have fun this weekend! (And btw, what's this "impending middle age" -- that makes me on the door step of middle age!)

[--Deb]

I really don't want to talk about copper-colored Zephyr . . . we just don't get along! (You do remember my frogged Hyrna, don't you?) But still, Zephyr in DK weight sounds very, very nice indeed!

[Chris]

I probably won't be thanking you for alerting me to the existence of DK Zephyr....

[Juno]

Claudia-colored...off-Cassie....hee.

Chocolate. Thank you.

I need directions.

I can't wait to see you.

[Cassie]

Was it really necessary to tell me about DK Zephyr? Really?

Half my age is .... um... yeah. Like that. But I was never a college student, so I don't know if I know what to do to act like one. Might need help. ;-)

[Rosemary]

I resemble that age remark. A lot. Exactly. It's truly freaky to realize that those incoming college freshmen were born after you started college.

Happy to hear I'm not the only person in Rogue zipper denial. Let's make a pact to ignore them for several more months.

Have fun this weekend! Unfortunately, all my Cummington plans have been canned--first by the in-laws and then by completely cancelling the trip to MA this weekend. In honor of Cummington, I'm going to spend Saturday on my deck combing Snoopy--a fleece I bought at Cummingtion 2 years ago.

[Steph]

Sew the zipper by hand. Sewing machines are evil.

I have a tutorial here: http://acunningplan.typepad.com/andsheknitstoo/2005/09/zippers_101.html

Do it when the kids are gone, some quiet concentration time is needed.

[Katy]

Ah, but you know, at least you aren't bored. ;)
I look forward to seeing you at Cummington. Only, as I will be encumbered by my small people (as well as 2 additional small people), I will probably not stop by on the way home.
Except...maybe I could come back at night by myself? With my wheel?
You'd best send those directions.
And what--no blogger picnic?????

[Laurie]

Boy, you sound like you are richocheting all over the place. DK Zephyr? I really didn't have to know that. Y'know.

Saturday depends on Claudia and MartitaRampage. And what the gods do to me the night before.

[Shell]

Yummy chocolate fountain.
Oh and you can pick stitch the zipper in by hand, or handbaste before you sew it in by machine. Either option should work.

[Kristen]

I am a tad over the "half age" mark, but will be there to represent what people my age are supposed to do. (that being, of course, that we aren't supposed to stay at home and, er, knit...on a Friday or Saturday night...)

have I mentioned yet that I will miss the short people and your partner? I will.

But I do look forward to seeing you again. Can't wait actually....

[claudia]

That Zephyr DOES look quite delectable. Although I'm worried my blog audience might be weary of copper, I'm sure not!