free art and free dates

rahul and i have been talking about how we need to go on dates and stuff. i am knitting (and now studying) and he is studying all the time. i just finished my mitts for this season- super cute, super raspberry, super fun (photo forthcoming). They are nice and long- almost to the elbow. i love the yarn too.

anyway, our friend amy from dc, came to visit us (savi is really jealous now-hee hee) and we went to the museums. most of you know that i lose it in museums, i like them, but i find the general attitudes of pompus art people to be quite distasteful. like they can really make something better? and, they need to do something about their fashion issues. bad hair this weekend, really bad hair.

i also can't deal with art, that does not make any sense. like when people draw a single line on a piece of paper and call that art, for example, tuttle. but his wire "scultpures" are cool, the whole mass without mass thing, i like that, its smart. its too bad that sculpture is the red-headed bastard stepchild of the art world. just one more indication that most of those people just don't get it.

back to the dating-nyc is a super expensive place, but there are a million things to do for free. cu students get this passport to new york program. how amazing. we got into the whitney and into the met for FREE. and we get to go to all these other museums too. see? nyc just keeps getting better and better.

yummy pasta to eat, 10 more pages to read, a meeting, a class, then to sleep.

oops, he did it again

strickolino strikes again! only this time its a little more disturbing. though the body suit still upsets me.

i found this member of the strickolino family standing at full attention.


what am i supposed to do with this? i want to laugh, giggle, make jokes, but somehow i find myself frozen, unable to speak.

why would anyone make this? who would wear this? the horror!?


i guess, that after all that standing, he got tired and sat back down again.

overacheived?

so, as you all know, the transition to being in nyc has been a little rough. getting used to private school people, the ivy league scene and the general competitiveness of the city (and those ivy brats) had been bringing me down. but you know, i think i am coming back. the visit home and that chance to walk in the seattle rain again made me realize what was important. not having the rain, clouds, mountains and trees here, on the one hand, disconnects me from the earth, but on the other hand, the world and all it has to offer, seems so limitless. i always wonder what it is about this city that drives people. it must be that sleeping through opportunity is simply not an option.

i am back on track for 2006- its going to be a much better year. can't you already feel it? there has been this push to move, to strive for what i want to do, to just get at all of it. i lost sight of that inner passion, in 2005. i lost sight of the fact that i have a strength within me. that, this strength will always guide me to where i need to be. and of course, i have my guides… i think i feel her sitting next to me right now.

even though the emotional ride is not over, and likely won’t be until i get through the saturn return, i have a tailwind that’s propelling me forward, a power that’s fueling my passion and a spirit that won’t let me fail. in sum, i'm back! and this time, with even more sass!

numerology seems to agree with my new found understanding. i strongly suggest that you take the time to check whether your 2006 predictions agree with you.

in terms of personal achievements, so far this year, i have been doing the dishes and cleaning up after myself. those of you who have lived with me know that this is a major change. i am knitting less, it's sad to let it go, but i have sooo much to do. i am doing my reading! as sb, rahul and TyP know, reading anything for my classes was simply, unheard of during both my undergrad and grad years. how did i ever make it through? on a recent visit to dc, sb made a (feeble) attempt to reconstruct our college days by brainwashing me to believe that i in fact studied. but, lets be real. i spent most of my energy on boy-drama, student politics and wearing a social worker outfit.

i am attempting to become a better listener and have more patience, this is making the rahul much much happier. and, i think, me too.

in school and work news, i ran for a student position on the global health forum. meet your new communications co-chair, me! man, running unopposed really has its benefits, though the cute popular south asian girls all said that i spoke very well. i don't really fit into their crowd.

my work with rachel is getting better and better. here she is on the job ! she is very cool and very supportive. I might get to go on this new project this summer. we will be doing trainings in the rural villages, on basic life support and other emergencies. i want to develop a learning module for obstetric emergencies and work with traditional birth attendants in the villages. it's true! i am pregnant with the upcoming birth of my new profession, training and program planning in global reproductive health.

move over rover, and let anju take over. (thank you jimi)

i'm afraid...

oh! its my half birthday today. happy 28 and one half to me. consider this my gift to you all, my lovely friends!

you all know that i not only like to be funny, but i also like to knit. there is this super freaky freaky man named Strickolino. you will agree that he is very very scary. i had to rethink my love of knitting because i am very very afraid of this man and his items. all the items are hand knit by this frightening knitter. he is super popular and people do purchase and, yes, actually wear this crap! i feel terrible for the llamas and sheep that have givean their hair to this aberration. and when i say aberration, i mean the man, not the item, though i have to say that it is a close call in some cases. but who i am to say? you be the judge. and please, do leave your comments. are you as afraid as i am?

rahul and i wondered if this was designed for those fetish people. does it get this cold in deutschland? can you see out the hole? are you supposed to? the pants are knit as well.

this is a close up of the pants, and other unmentionables

do you see the scary man??? do you see his super scary face??? this is the face of Strickolino hiding behind the neck cuff! be afraid, be very afraid!

now, who is the first in line for this blue turtleneck, one piece bathing suit special? not me!

Ty's Mitts Pattern

Due to super popular demand, I have written my pattern for the mitts.

TyP's Mitts

Procedure
One skein of any worsted weight yarn- preferably one that shows off the stitches nicely- you can use cascade 220- I love this yarn, it feels good, is washable and has a lot of yardage, 220yrds, I think. It is also only $7 a skein. But any yarn will do.

You need two balls, you can split the yarn or buy two skeins. Two skeins makes two sets of mitts, and a mesh hat.
Cast on with one ball, then move those stitches down the needle, then cast on with the other ball. straight needles are a little easier to use here, cause then you can see everything better. I knit these mitts flat-- and seemed them later. I find double points to be annoying. I am trying to eliminate them from my hat making all together.

Pattern

Yarn: Cascade 220, worsted weight, or any yarn get gauge.
Gauge: 5 stitches to 1 inch by 6 rows to 1 inch. using US#7 needles in StSt.

Finished Measurements: Small is 8 inches (M is 9 inches, L is 10 inches)
CO 34 (38, 42)

R1 (WS): P2, K2 all the way to end
R2 (RS): K2, P2, all the way to end
Continue in Rib Pattern for 1.5 inches ending on a (RS) row
(RS): K2, P2, K2, P2, K18 (K22, K26), P2, K2, P2, K2
(WS) Knit your Knits and Purl your Purls
Continue in this pattern for 5 inches (6 inches, 7 inches)
Then repeat Rib Pattern as in R1 and R2 for 1.5 inches ending on (RS) row,
Bind off LOOSELY to allow for hand flexibility. Leave a 16-18 inch tail for sewing before breaking yarn.

Then seam up the ends using a invisible vertical seam on stst. You can find examples on the web. Leave a 1.25 inch hole for thumb, after you have seamed the Upper Rib section. All you need to do is take the needle down to the rest of the mitt and seam up. ALL DONE!!!

Let me know if you have questions.

Happy Knitting!

TyP, your mitts are ready!

i love these mitts. i made them at the same time on the same needle, it went soooo much faster. i'm knitting everything like this now. i am finishing up another couple projects as fast as i can before school starts. i even made my boss lady a cool mesh hat, i love it. i think it will look really nice on her. rahul is really jealous of tyty's mitts. he wants me to make him a pair now.

fight the power


check out the ribbing on the sides, allowing for flexibility and a little flair!


here is another shot of them


i love you tyler!

i love my little friends

hello my little friends! there is plenty to read here until i write my new year's post. today will be a good day since its the 11th and in numerology I am an 11. i believe, do you? i super miss you. hope to see you all in a few months. kisses, anju