Shaina’s Scarf

I like to have a fiber project in my purse.  Something small to work on when waiting, sitting with friends or generally lolling around in a situation where I might otherwise get myself into trouble.  During a trip to DC for Mzzzz Jones’ baby shower, I was working on my sparkly purple stockings. 

Mzzzz Jones commented that she liked the yarn very much and would love a scarf made out of it.  I’d gotten the yarn on clearance at JoAnn’s and only had one more skein or so left.  It would have to be a very lacey scarf to be of any decent length with that little yarn.  She said that was fine.  So I went for it.  It turned out gorgeous (if I do say so myself, though Mzzzz Jones also said she loves it).

I decided to do a fairly basic knit pattern but with large needles in order to give the scarf lots of space and a sort of lacey feel.  The yarn calls for size 2 needles; I used size 15, the largest bamboo needles I had.      Scarf in progress.

I tried a garter stitch at first, to get an idea of what it would look like.  It was underwhelming.  Then I tried a one-stitch wide rib.  That worked fabulously.  It gave the scarf a very symmetrical look; there’s no front or back.  The ribbing also gave the scarf depth, making it appear and feel very thick despite the thin yarn and loose stitches.  And best of all, it made the scarf extremely bouncy and stretchy.  Baby J can pull on it all he wants and not strangle Mzzzz Jones.

 

yarn: Vanna’s Glamour by Lion Brand in Purple Topaz; listed for size 2; 96% acrylic and 4% metallic polyester

Needles: Takumi bamboo straight needles size 15

Blanket for Baby J

They say, “we’re going to have a baby.”  I hear, “go buy yarn.”  Baby blankets are one of my favorite things to knit.  The yarn is always soft, and I love trying to come up with something that will go with the parents in some way.

When Mzzzz Jones, one of my best friends from law school, said she and her husband were expecting, Mommy and I scampered off to JoAnn’s to find the perfect yarn. 

Mzzzz Jones is particularly sophisticated, in the old school Southern way that Vanderbilt had to train me in, so I wanted something soft, simple and almost elegant.  I was thinking something in navy and white, but JoAnn’s didn’t have any soft yarn in navy.  I went up and down the aisles, looking for the right texture and colors.  I finally settled on Bernat Softee Baby in Antique White and Soft Lilac, which I thought was grey and looks grey in some light, lavender in others and blue in others.

I didn’t want to do a plain garter stitch blanket and didn’t really have ideas, so I picked up a pattern book, Car Seat Blankets by Becky Stevens.  I chose a pattern I liked and decided I’d make it bigger.  I increased the border as well as the overall dimensions.  I also wanted multi-color, so decided to add stripes.   The picture with the pattern looked like this:

However, when I got to the pattern part, I didn’t like how it was coming out with my yarn.  The pattern looked really different and it made the blanket feel to thin and delicate.   I decided not to do the whole blanket with the pattern.  Instead, I did the increased border of seed-stitch, an inner border of the pattern and then did the full interior of the blanket in seed stitch again.  I really liked the way it came out.  The Softee Baby yarn is soft and thin.  The seed stitch gave the blanket fullness that the other patterns didn’t have.  - I tried the yarn in garter and stockinette stitches, too.

Baby blankets need that silky edge for baby’s fingers to rub, so I just had to add some blanket binding.  Since my friend is having a boy, I went with light blue, which also made the grey/lilac/blue/whatever yarn appear a bit more to the bluer side.  I was very pleased with how the blanket came out.

Mzzzz Jones liked it a lot, too.  I can’t wait to see if the baby likes it as well, but there’s a few more months before he arrives, let alone realizes he has a blanket.

Finished blanket

Adventures with Ivory: My Own Nation’s Capitol

It started as a trip to visit Mzzzz Jones (who’s no longer Mzzzzz Jones, but will stay so on here), and morphed into a giant adventure.

Mzzzz Jones is going to have a baby!  And the baby is due when Mzzzz Jones and I were going to be our 5 year law school reunion.  I clearly needed a new way to see her.  Add to that a sale on Amtrak, and a trip to DC was hatched.

The Capitol Limited from Chicago to DC feels super short after so many California Zephyr trips, less than 24 hours.  It was a pleasant ride and I was easily able to navigate my way from DC’s main train station to a park near Mzzzz Jones work.

(—> me on the train)

Mzzzz Jones and her husband graciously let me stay with them an entire week.  Originally, I was just going to visit for the weekend, but as I mentioned, my trip morphed. 

Soon after planning the trip, I noticed American University was offering a number of IP courses for lawyers and law students from around the world.  There was one that particularly caught my eye and it was to be held the week I was going to leave DC.  I decided to go out on a limb and apply for the course.  I got in!  And my weekend trip became a week trip.

Mzzzz Jones and I had lots of fun.  We went to (catered!) happy hour at her aunts’ house, sampled delicious foods from many restaurants, accidentally wandered into an African street festival where a steel drum band was playing “Moves like Jagger,”  checked out a new church in Maryland where they sat us in the handicap seats cuz Mzzzz Jones is expecting, and watched 3 movies.  I finally saw Coming to America.  We also watched the remake of About Last Night with Kevin Hart at her place and went to a cute little theater to see Belle.  I really liked all of them and am glad I went to Africa before seeing Coming to America.  I was shocked to learn that the lead actress in Belle, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, is in one of my favorite movies, Lost in Austen.

Mzzzz Jones also sent me off exploring on my own.  I went to the Newseum, which is huge and pretty neat.  The Pulitzer Prize Photo exhibit is intense and very emotionally draining.  I checked out a few of the Smithsonian Art Museums (because I needed to use their restrooms) and walked, like a dumb-butt, from nearly-at-the-Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial because I didn’t know how far it was.  Then I had to get my tushie back to Chinatown for dinner with Mzzzz Jones and her husband.  (<—Canadian paper example at the Newseum)

I missed the MLK memorial on my long trek because I didn’t realize it was far from the paved path.  But, thanks to a very nice gentleman I was able to see it before I left.  Mzzzz Jones and her husband threw a BBQ while I was there and lots of their friends and people from their wedding who I had met but didn’t really know came, including the best man.  I met up with Best Man my last night in town and we went exploring.  He took me to see both the MLK and FDR monuments.  It was so, so, so awesome to see them at night under a full moon with the warm summer air and a light breeze.

(—> Back of MLK monument and the moon)

The whole trip was absolutely delightful and one of the few times I wasn’t ready to go home by the time it was time to go home.  Mzzzz Jones and I spent a lot of time hanging out in law school and it was wonderful to get to hang out like that again.  I also loved DC.  I’ve been there before but never this long and in a manner where I’m getting around by myself.  I realized one day as I was walking down the street in the downtown area that I’ve spent more time in both the capitols of Zambia and Nigeria (Lusaka and Abuja, respectively) than I have in the capitol of the US.  That struck me as very crazy.  I hope I get to go back soon and spend some more time in DC.

Me and Eleanor Roosevelt.  She makes me look so tiny!

Oh, and in case you were wondering – the class was excellent.

*SIGH* Law School

Hello folks.  You may have noticed my recent extended absence.  (With the exception of major excitement for my little sister!)  I've been busy being a law student.  It's really the first time all year I've felt like I was in law school.

I had this paper due.  I had worked on it over spring break, and awhile before that.  I thought it was due today, and had everything all planned out.  Then last week happened.  Thursday morning I found out it was due Friday evening.  Vampire!  I got an extension until Saturday morning, and, in two days, pumped out 25 pages (I had 4 Thurs. morning).

Saturday morning we had a bar prep writing workshop with this crazy super-hyper lady.  Woah, somebody give her a sedative!  She asked what bars people were taking and kept saying, "you'll kill it."  Until she got to Cali.  Then she says, "I feel sorry for you.  I'm even afraid of that one."  She's passed 3 state bars.  Whatever, every person that graduated from Vandy last year and took the Cali bar passed.  I'm not worried.  (not a lot anyway, not yet.)

After crazy lady, Mzzzz Jones and I had an assignment to work on: our Peeps for the Washington Post's Peep Show competition.  I'll post it after they announce the winners.  You'll have to wait 'til Easter!

Peeping over, we went to the campus step show.  For some vapmiring reason, the campus felt it necessary to have about 20 security guards and the actual Nashville PD at this thing (not just regular Vandy PD) plus metal detectors and bag searches.  To watch a show!  WTV?!  I was pissed.  So was Mzzzzz Jones.  But our friend's group, the Alphas, won! Congrats :)

Returned home about midnight Saturday.  6am Thurs - midnight Sat. = 6 hours sleep.

I've been recovering.

And preparing for today's presentation.  Some highlights (that I can share cuz they don't require animation)

 

This slide was my "This is the world. This is the world on licensing" slide.  If you don't get it, one of us is too old.  [Music licensing is a mess, esp int'lly.]

Another fav part of mine was this email from Mr.Trizzle I used.  I redacted his name and then bleeped out the naughty words. :)

Group Class

Earlier this week, The Prez (see Barrister's entry for pic) arranged for an un-official BLSA event, an exercise class at a local studio.   The classes can only hold five students each, so we had to split up into two classes.  I went to an official BLSA tutoring event with My Rhyming Twin earlier in the evening, so she and I went to the later class with her roommie.  (The Prez came to tutoring too, but left a lil early to go to class.)  Somehow - she must be a miracle worker - The Prez talked Mzzzz Jones into going, too.  But, she was in the earlier class.  Ironically, I think she had more fun than me, despite her strong resistance to going.

The class was ok, but like any other dance-style class, I spent most of it frustrated.  With no arm strength and even less abs muscles, I couldn't do much.  There was this one warm up push-up thing, I couldn't even get down to the ground to push back up again!  And when the teacher said stand up, bend over and touch the floor, I almost laughed.  My body never moves the way other people tell it to. 

In fact, the only move I could do was something my sister and I used to do  in our Sunday School classroom at Tippie  (there was some sort of structural pole in the room).  Apparently, it's called a sit-spin.  The class did make me miss ballet though.  With slower movements and a more rigid posture, I can handle that well enough to at least keep up in class.  And I love leaping :)  This class reminded me of when I tried to take hip hop dance lessons.  I'm better off sticking to dancing in my living room.  Less pressure, cheaper too.

Oh well, guess I better find a new back-up plan for if this whole law thing doesn't work out ;)
(just kidding)

A Great Week in Review

  The fun began on Friday, and it's just kept going.  Friday afternoon I went to hang out with Pita and her parents.  Pita's parents are good friends of mine and I love hanging out with them.  Plus, with Pita around, there's always something interesting going on.  And Pita's mommy, besides being a good storybook-reader, is a great cook.  She made a very yummy spinach/feta/lentil/other stuff salad and even sent me home with some of us.  There are some Southern customs that aren't so bad. ;)  (Pita reading along with her mommy.)

After a great afternoon with Pita's parents, I headed across the Ville for a sleepover at Mzzzzz Jones' place.  (No relation to Mrs. Jones.)   We colored, ate yummy triscuits and watched two movies, on great, one not so good.  One of my favorite parts of the evening was when Mzzzzzz Jones accidentally made Sandra Day O'Connor look like a girl in our class. (Pics of me and coloring book taken by Mzzzz Jones.)

As you know from an earlier post, I got a lot of sewing done Saturday.  Sunday was very productive, lots of homework done and a bit of home cleaned up.  Also broke down and decided to get my favorite pizza from Papa Johns - pineapple and no sauce.  It's a been a long time since I'd had that yummy treat!

My weekends are always three days long, since I don't have Monday classes.  Usually makes for nice, happy Mondays.  This Monday was even happier.  I got a phone call for an interview - I won't say any more about it now, don't want to jinx anything!

Yesterday at school, I was a little nervous heading into class.  We were talking about sampling - and as anyone who knows me knows, I love hip hop (partly because I love finding the samples in the songs.)  But some of my classmates had some different views on hip hop and sampling, one described allowing sampling as " encouraging the creation of Hip-hop at the expense of 'established music."  Others called sampling "lazy" or "uncreative." 

Then, the professor opened class with this and this, switching between MIA's Paper Planes and T.I.'s Swagga Like Us in a way that emphasized the sample of the first that becomes the hook of the later.  And he came out swinging in defense of sampling - first order of business: establishing the creative aspects and importance of it.  Yay!

Class also brought a little pride boost.  A classmate asked me what program I use to create my assignments because they look so neat.  My answer: Word.

  (Assignment sample.)

And of course, every day was sprinkled with wonderful conversations with Mommy, Munchkinhead and Mr. Trizzle.  I think I only emailed with Alfred... hmmm guess it's time to give her a call ;)

What a great run.  I hope the next 7 days are just as great! :)