Category Archive for ‘dallas’ at adam knits!

Archive for the 'dallas' Category

Equation Overdrive 10 Aug 08

Ready for your randomly scheduled update folks? As usual, things don’t seem to let up for me, but I’m still hanging in there. I’m slated to graduate this Fall, which means my schedule will only intensify as I make the big push towards defending my thesis. I still have a lot of work to do, but I’m making good progress and am definitely looking forward to December.

As I still have to sleep at some point, something had to give, which unfortunately turns out to be my yarn dyeing hijinks. Most of my weekends have been devoted to studying lately, which leaves very little time to play in the Yarn Nerd Shedquarters. I’m not putting a total halt on dyeing, but I also have to be realistic of my current schedule. Plus, the harder I work on my thesis, the sooner I can finish and return to the yarn!

Besides slaving away on the application of turbo processing techniques to interference suppression in direct-sequence spread spectrum communications (did you get all that? there’ll be quiz later), I’ve been making the most of the summer with Dallas and Emma. They certainly don’t mind running around in the park every evening.

I’m also working hard on my new project, which is to create the ultimate hipster retro living room. So far things are going well. I’m coordinating everything around these awesome Joel Dewberry fabrics.

These fabrics are already off to the upholsterer, where they will be turned into new cushions for my rattan furniture set. I also sprang for some new foam, since the current cushions are about 50 years old, and are not exactly comfortable to sit on. The other comforts in my hipster living room include a sweet new couch, and a nice rug that I scored at Target, after giving up all hope of finding a non-hideous rug that didn’t cost a small fortune. I particularly love the couch, which has turned out to be a very luxurious knitting spot.

I also picked up a cool papasan chair, in an orange and brown paisley, but I haven’t had the opportunity to actually sit in it yet. It seems that someone else has claimed it for herself. I suppose I should have known, considering her affinity for large round chairs. I’d kick her out, but the couch is pretty comfy, and I just can’t resist this pitiful look. Can you blame me?

Once the new cushions are done, I’ll be ready to put the finishing touches on the living room. I will definitely paint, but I’m thinking that may have to wait until after I finish my thesis. Just another thing to add to my long list of household improvements. I don’t seem to be making much progress on that list, but I suppose at this point, thesis progress is more important than painting progress. I just have to remind myself that December is right around the corner, and take things one equation at a time.

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Adam

in a nerd's life, dallas, ee, emma, home improvement 101, nerdy, school and yarn nerd

The Ambitions of Youth 23 Jul 08

16 Comments

Monsoon season is in full swing here in New Mexico, and there’s nothing like street watching on a rainy afternoon.

Dallas loves to look outside while it’s raining, except when there’s lightning. It just takes one flash for him to be on my bed, quivering behind some pillows. My new bed isn’t tall enough for him to hide under, although it took him a few head bonks to figure that out. Emma prefers a more subtle method of avoiding lightning strikes. Her philosophy is, “if I can’t see it, then it doesn’t exist”. She simply curls up in her bean bag with her back to the window and gives Dallas strange looks when he runs out the room.

Who needs TV when you have afternoon dog antics to watch?

In the free time arena, it seems that home projects are the new knitting. I have a few new projects to show off, and many more in the works. One I’m especially proud of is my new pot rack.

I’m now convinced that the pot rack is one of the best inventions in recent history (you know, assuming they weren’t invented in medieval times or anything). Not only does it look slick, it’s also extremely functional. My kitchen isn’t gargantuan, so I’ll take all the cabinet space I can get.

And a special thanks goes out to my Dad, who really did all the work to hang the rack. It turned out to be a bit more work than planned, as ceiling is actually mounted on 12″ spaced furring strips, unbeknownst to us. A number of drill holes later, we were finally able to locate the furring strips. Thank goodness for spackle and paint ;)

Another one of my recent decorating endeavors involved setting up a shrine to the dogs in the hallway. Because nothing impresses the ladies more than a guy who has pictures of his dogs everywhere. Right? (I really hope so, otherwise I might be on the road to becoming the male equivalent of a crazy cat lady.)

In addition to a multi-paned frame with lots of dog pictures, I also hung up one of my oldest knitting projects. I bet most of you have never seen this, since it was completed early on in my knitting career. In fact, it was my 3rd knitting project ever.

I was quite ambitious when I began knitting, and I came across a fun pattern book in a craft store, featuring this kitschy blanket with intarsia dog motifs. I thought it would be quite fun to make (little did I know how tedious intarsia can be at times), so I broke the bank for a bunch of Mission Falls 1824 Wool and cast on.

It took me a bit of time, especially to figure out how to do the colorwork, but I soldiered on and completed the blanket. I even lined the back with fleece to give it that extra special touch. Being that it was a small blanket, I knew it would probably end up as wall art, and it has finally lived up to that destiny. I do think it looks pretty handsome hanging up in the hallway, and it’s a great step in my quest to have wool everywhere possible in my house.

because everyone needs a hand-knit intarsia wall hanging

Another way I’m working towards domesticity through sheep is by knitting a runner for my new dresser. It’s deliciously textured, especially since I’m using hand-dyed and hand-spun yarn. There’s really no better knitting experience than using yarn that you dyed and spun yourself. Especially when the result is this lovely.

Plus, the good news is that since it’s 249 stitches wide, I have a little longer to spend with this nubbly beauty. In fact, I think I might go knit a row now.

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Adam

in dallas, emma, garter stitch, hand spun, home improvement 101, home ownership, knitting and schnauzers

Sock 911 28 May 08

24 Comments

I think lately I’ve come to the conclusion that the process of buying a house is really just a large obstacle course, designed to weed out all but the most resolute of people. Between house searches, offers, contracts, inspections, repairs, mortgage applications and moving, it really is a tiring process. And just when I thought that the end was near, another obstacle appears.

The mortgage program I applied for is swamped with refinances these days, and as a result, the standard processing time has gone way way up. It took so long, in fact, that I didn’t actually find out about final approval until just a few days ago, almost 6 weeks after my initial application! Suffice to say, that delay wasn’t anticipated, which means that we had to push back the closing to give the bank extra time to actually finish the paperwork.

I’m supposed to find out soon when the new closing date will be, and I’ve been told it won’t be more than a week away. Unfortunately for me, I was expecting to move this weekend, which means my entire house is pretty much packed up. I’m a bit OCD when it comes to organization (ok, a lot.), and let’s just say it’s a stretch for me to have my house in such chaos. So here’s hoping that I can move soon, because I might go postal and attack someone with a moving box if this lasts too long.

In an amusing note, I had a bit of awakening regarding my fiber stash when it came time to pack up the yarn hutch. I’ve always thought I’ve had a very small stash, but I think it might have become a bit bigger than I realized. See those boxes? The small one on the right is the box I thought could house the stash, and the large one on the left is the one that the stash actually fits in. I bet next time I move I’ll need more than one box. Sigh.

Due to packing, I haven’t had much quality time with my needles, but I have managed to finish one Fiddlehead Mitten. I’m pushing to finish the pair before the EARTH round of Project Spectrum is over, but my moving to-do list might dictate otherwise. I don’t think I’ll mind too much though, since the more time I have with this buttery soft alpaca the better.

In the department of having plenty to knit, Dallas decided to ensure that I have no shortage of projects on the needles. In what I’m sure he thought was a considerate gesture, he decided that he would chew out the heel on a handknit sock, so that I could have the joy of fixing it. He’s tried to work his goodwill on many handknit socks before, but I’m always one step ahead of him when it comes to putting them away. He won this time though.

Thankfully, it was only the heel that he was interested in, and since it’s a short row heel, I think I can fix it by knitting a new one and grafting it to the foot. How fortuitous that I got bored with the ribbing and quit before running out of yarn! Anyone have experience with this type of sock surgery?

I just suppose I’ll have to forgive him, because I’m sure he had the best intentions. And how can you stay mad at such a face? I certainly can’t.

I also can’t stay mad at this face for long, even after she brings a dead bird into the living room. (Note that she was not allowed to lick me for quite some time. I might be a pushover, but I do still have common sense.)

Ah, now we come to the part of the post where you realize that I have no new material, and that I’m just baiting you with cute dog pictures. Is it working?

I should mention that the Caterpillar Sock Kits are up, and there’s just a few left. Anne is nearly finished with the pattern, and the yarn is ready to go, so they’ll be shipping out soon. The yarn is a new base, called 950 MHz Merino. It’s a nice heavy fingering weight yarn, with a gauge of 7.25 - 8.5 sts / in on US #1 - #2 needles. The yarn has a nice tight twist and will knit up into a very firm fabric, meaning that your socks will last for quite a while. Each skein is 430 yards too, so you’ll have plenty for a pair of socks.

Hopefully next time I’ll have a new house to show off!

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Adam

in a nerd's life, dallas, home, knitting, mittens, moving, shop, socks, stranded, works in progress and yarn nerd

Sun, Snow and Sprained Ligaments 08 Mar 08

22 Comments

I think this picture about sums up last weekend’s ski trip.

What could be better than 2 days of skiing with temps in the 40s and a nice cool breeze? (This is key, because the sun makes the snow nice and soft, but the breeze keeps it from going to slush.) In case you’re curious, we skiied at Wolf Creek Ski Area, in Pagosa Springs, CO. Some of the best snow in all of CO (they’ve gotten 41 feet total snowfall this winter, the most in 20 something years), and only 4 hours away from Albuquerque. And the best part? My Uncle has a house up there, so all the creature comforts, including home cooked meals and sack lunches are included. Not a bad way to spend a weekend in my opinion.

There was one downside to the weekend, in that I came home slightly crippled. After all the talk about how I’m totally coordinated with skis on, I went and sprained a ligament in my knee. It wasn’t even on a difficult run either! We were heading in for lunch on the first day, and I was shushing along, and I managed to cross my tips (Rule 1 of Skiing: Don’t cross your tips), and BAM! I fell over, and there was enough slope that I got downward momentum and had a nice little yard sale. (When you lose your skis, it’s known as a yard sale)

I didn’t think much of it, and fetched my skis and went on my merry way. Later that day my knee was a bit stiff, but I figured I just needed to stretch it out. My knee begged to differ, and complained vehemently about getting out of bed the next morning. I was able to still ski on it, as it only really hurt bad right when standing up, i.e. getting off the chairlift. However, the car ride home was pretty brutal. I’ve definitely spent a good portion of my evenings last week with an ice pack, and I think I’m finally over the hump. It’s still tender after sitting down for a while, but I think I’m almost on the mend.

So the moral of this story is: don’t tell everyone on the Internet how amazing at skiing you are, and then sprain your knee. Although, you really should have seen me on that 2nd day, I ripped it up, even with a bum knee. ;)

As far as knitting, I was a busy bee last night. I finished a secret project that is so cute, I have to not implode every time I see it. I’ll be shipping it off soon, so once the recipient has it in hand, I’ll show it off. But be warned, the pictures will be dangerously cute.

I also finished up the sock that Emma is modeling for you, which is the mate for a sock that the very talented Mega knit for me in a swap. I’m quite enamored with the pair, and will take pictures as soon as I give them a nice bath.

That’s about it for me, I think I’m going to pretend it’s not cloudy outside and take the dogs out for some running around. I think they definitely have Spring on the mind, as much as I do these days, so I know they won’t mind getting out of the house a bit :) Have a good weekend!

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Adam

in a nerd's life, dallas, emma, knitting, schnauzers, snow, socks and works in progress

The Secret Lives of Dog Models 04 Nov 07

57 Comments

Dallas and Emma? It has come to my attention that you’re not quite the svelte dogs that you used to be. I know that shaggy is the look for dog models these days, but that’s a bit more than a winter coat you’re both growing. Dog modeling is a human eat human business, and you can’t keep up if you’re rolling around like little lard balls. It’s either lose the weight, or get replaced by some newer, hotter dog models, like that vixen of a Chihuahua down the street. It might seem rough, but it’s business baby. There are plenty of dogs who would kill for a spot on this blog, and just because you were on Cute Overload doesn’t mean you can sit around all day stuffing your faces. I can’t have my lovely knits being shown off by anything but the hottest dogs.

And hey, don’t you stick that tongue out at me! I will break you, you hear? You’ll never work on this blog again! Sheesh.

Yeah, so the dogs are a bit chunky these days. And stupid me, I didn’t even notice; it took my Mom (who hadn’t seem them in a few weeks) to point out that they had grown a bit in the lateral direction. So I guess it’s more walks and no more wet food. I’ll have to be strong, especially when Emma gives me that pitiful look when I serve her dry food only. Sorry sweet cheeks, it’s dog model fat camp for you.

In less superficial news, I recently gave my shelf in my home office a yarn upgrade, and it makes me quite happy. Up to this point, all my yarn was stored in bins on the ground, and well it was about high time the stash had a more central place in the office. So I reorganized my shelf and banished a bunch of engineering books to the bottom, since yarn is way more fun than reading engineering books.

Two shelves of yarn might seem a bit pitiful, but it’s a beta lambda* for me, the man who used to only buy exact yardages for a project, without ever buying “unnecessary yarn”.

*(a beta lambda is the official nerd unit of measure for a “butt load” of anything. it’s metric, so you can have a kilo beta lambda, which would be an obscene amount of yarn)

You may also have noticed that there are 2 big cones of the much coveted Valley Yarns English Tweed on the bottom shelf. I sat on that page for days, watching the available pounds go down, until it was too dangerous to not buy, so I picked up a cone of Light Sage and a cone of Lichen. At least one will be a Cobblestone, and I’m not sure about the other one.

In addition to giving my stash a central location for fondling, I also finished a sock this week, right after the Socktoberfest cutoff. I’m still counting it though, since technically it was done on the 31st, I just didn’t like the toe, so I replaced it with a different one a day later. That brings my grand total of Socktoberfest socks to 2, and non-matching even. Not the most prolific sock knitting month, but then again, it was a prolific yarn dyeing month.

This one is a single sock for a swap, wherein I’ll send the sock and remaining yarn to my pal, who will knit the second sock for herself. It’s a fun idea, and a great way to knit a complicated sock and ensure that you will end up with a pair.

The yarn is Yarn Nerd 900 MHz Merino, in the lovely Pumpkin shade I’ve been posting all over the blog these days. (I love me some Pumpkin), and the pattern is Cookie A’s Thelonious. It’s a nice combination of lace and ribbing that isn’t too hard to knit and looks really nice with a semi-solid yarn.

Oh, and I almost forgot, it was my 2 year knitting anniversary a few days ago! It seems like it’s been way longer, but the calendar doesn’t lie. Maybe someday I’ll be celebrating my 60 year knitting anniversary :)

So, leave some encouraging comments for my fattycake models, and I’ll pick 3 winners to be the recipient of some hand-dyed Yarn Nerd goodness. I have some tasty BFL coming in soon, and I’ll be happy to dye it up any color you like.

That’s it for me peeps, have a great Sunday!

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Adam