As you know, I’ve been away for a week at sock knitting camp. We arrived home yesterday, after a LONG day driving Mom to the airport at 5:30am, waiting for a greasy spoon to open to get breakfast, almost missing our plane, awaiting the return of Janie Sparkles. Needless to say, I’m exhausted.

It was go-go-go all week long, between classes and antics and knitting and eating (and eating and eating). Leaving the island on Saturday was also a jam-packed with waiting for the ferry, driving back to Seattle, visiting Bad Woman Yarn, getting Chicken Knittle and Megpie to the airport… then, we had to meet up with Mr. Man who had been in Seattle since Friday. Later that evening, we had a drink with my dear friend from college, her adorable daughter and husband, then dinner before crashing.

All this is to say, I haven’t had time to edit my photos or compose a camp recap post. And in my rush to get home and transition back to reality, I forgot that I had also requested today off! Just for this very reason, to ease back into life and decompress from the knitting overload.

So I didn’t need to spend the day at work. Alas, I had already driven to Berkeley, I decided to stay.

I don’t need to write my mom, because she’s here with me at sock knitting camp, so I’m writing y’all.

I’m having a swell time with all my new friends, returning campers and the counsolers. There’s so much to say and pictures to share and conversations to podcast, but interweb access is spotty.

Just wanted to say that I miss you and access to the wider world. I gotta run, ’cause we need to eat before tonight’s underwater knitting competition!

Oh, and thank you a thousand times for all the super birthday wishes! It was so rad to have loads of love coming in from the wide wide world of the web.

PS I’m hanging out with three hot babes, only one of whom is my mom.

It’s today… I mulled on what to write today, but I didn’t have anything prepared.

In the vein of useless New Year’s resolutions, my mind raced with things I’d do this year to make it the best yet. I’ll workout or knit or write or meditate or run or draw or blog everyday… but I don’t want to be disappointed.

I had toyed with doing The Compact as an extension of my non-yarn buying since August (which was violated for a hank of laceweight at Stitches). But I’m not sure I really want to set up that expectation for myself either.

It doesn’t really matter in the long run, does it? 35 feels no different than 25. Inside, I’m the same 16 year-old who was excited at seeing The Cure and worked at Dunkin Donuts. Only my paycheck is bigger, I have deeper friendships and I don’t worry about what I wear to school everyday. Oh, I have a man I love in a City I love, and a little black dog, too.

I guess I missed the maturity class that was supposed to kick in sometime in the past 5 years, ’cause I still don’t feel like a “grown” adult. And, that’s OK, too.

I’m happy. Really, really happy. And I hope you all have a happy my birthday, too.

All year long.

homemade with the freshest ingredients!

Thanks, Flickr video!

ummm, hello?

Sitting here at 8am, before showering for work, I’m already missing the weekend. How can I cram more fun into 2 days than I do all week? If only they all could be this much fun!

Since I have to run and get ready, I’ll try to make this brief:

• Knitting chez WonderMike morphed into a surprise pre-birthday celebration! Thank you, Mike, KnitSonya, SpeedyNeedleFreeman, Knit Ya Ya!, Kim-Chi Crafts and PuNk rAwK pUrL. You guys are too sweet!
• Courtesy of the Netflix, I finally saw RIZE, a glimpse into the LA crump and clown dance scene, as filmed by photographer David La Chapelle (NSFW: artistic nudity).
• And, 12 years after moving to the Bay Area, at long last I went to the Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire. Deadslow photographed Tammy fingering the needles, while Carrie scoured the crochet hooks and I leafed through a 1950s Columbia Men’s Book of patterns.

The only thing to look forward to this week at work is its brevity. Only four days, if I take Friday off.

This time next week? I’ll be flying through the air to Seattle for BMFA sock knitting camp.

Lace in Your Face, the 5th episode of Y KNIT just went up yesterday. We barely scrape the surface of the holy, hole-y world of lace knitting with guys from across the country (including Monday’s visitor Mel).

Lacy Knitters Guild members Gene and Lew share their thoughts from over 150 years of knitting experience (combined).

The ImagiKnit blog has a photo of our two other podcast guests, Doug and Troy, and store owner Allison, from their visit to San Francisco.

Photo of me by my lovely co-hostess with the most-est, WonderMike. It’s gang violence against my first lace project, the beautiful of Hanami stole.

Be sure to listen to the very end, for something even more embarrassing than this photo!

My boss passed on this case study to us today about a soup company in England, named Nusa Kitchen.

Check out their brilliant design solution that pumped up the brand equity, offered a visual and emotional connection to the product and uses knitting as a means to an end.

Although it’s missing the tactile elements of Innocent Drink’s The Big Knit, it’s proof that some old-fashioned wool can go a long way to make our modern world a little better, or warmer (intellectually, at least).

Perhaps it’s just a sign that I need to stop reading about UK food companies… Anyone seen either of these knitting marketing tactics?

Today is Mel’s birthday.

And last Saturday was Scout’s.

Happy birthday and belated birthday to you both!

Please assault their blogs with comments of love.

I’m terrible with birthdays, so please forgive me if I’ve missed yours.

(Photo of WonderMike enjoying a full-size cupcake.)

Imagine my surprise yesterday, when I was wandering by the lobby between meetings at work and I saw this handsome fellow!

“I’m actually here to see him,” he told the receptionist, pointing at me.

My brain clicked and whirred for a moment, lagging as my body reached out to hug him. Up until this point Mel was just picture on the web, some kind words in a comment, on the other end of an email and an enjoyable read.

I knew he was coming to the Bay Area, but was away from my desk when he called to say he was on his way down from Davis. After a quick tour of the office and a very friendly meet-and-greet with Janie Sparkles (he’s a father to the adorable Tuck), I sent him off to an even more delicious destination (in Berkeley, but I’ll let him describe) and did the bare minimum rearranged my schedule to play hooky take the afternoon off.

Ladies and gentlemen, he’s even more charming in person, knows his textiles (we visited Lacis), and knits some darn impressive colorwork! I’m looking forward to spending more time with him in May.