operaknitter

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack

2006-11-14T22:15:00.000-08:00

Oh my God! This actually works!!! I'm ashamed to say that I haven't blogged in about a year, however, have been knitting up a storm. (I know, gotta watch the hands)
So much knitting has happened between then and now. Where to start?

I've been really enjoying the Norovember challenge. Are you all as noro crazy as I am? It's official. I am am a true yarn snob. Nothing less than a shank of Iro, or transitions (actually, any Noro yarn in any color thrills me) or worse, cashmire with do lately. I figure, if you're going to risk an attach of RSI every time you pick up a pair of knitting needles then, by golly, do it in style.

Almost all my Christmas presents are done, since I'm flying out to the States next Monday. Can't wait. So, I probably won't post again until after I return.

Unfortunately, since my last posting, I'm no closer to really knowing how to work the computer (except to go on-line shopping!!! hee, hee) or upload pics. This will be my new year's resolution. :)

Happy knitting....

2006-05-03T06:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it´s only been three months. I thought I should update the blog. Where to begin?

Lots of projects on needles. I´m feeling knitting guilt. After buying all this gorgeous wool during the winter and starting all these great projects, I just got slowed down by life and catching up on all the other things I´m not doing while I´m knitting. None of the birthday presents that I had hoped to finish have been sent, but that´s ok. I´ve finally got my knitting mo-jo back and have made some progress on one unfinished project. I can feel the juices flowing again. It won´t be long now until I can go shopping for more yarn!!

2006-02-23T04:47:00.000-08:00

Back from the States. So sad...I´m down and on top of everything, sick. I hate being sick. Except for getting to knit as much as I can handle, I HATE IT.

I brought lots, and lots of great stuff back with me. Lots of Noro yarn to make a cool vest that sort of criss-crosses in front, various Debbie Bliss stuff with different degrees of cashmere in it to try out. Got alot accomplished on my sister´s aran sweater on vacation. Just need to do the sleeves. I would have loved to leave it there for her, but there was no way. Socks, socks, socks. I have so many that I´m going to try and sell them in the Opera House. Everyone whom I´ve given a pair to as presents have raved at how much better hand-knit socks feel. Sort of hug your feet. I know. I love them. Love making them, looking at them...all you sock fanatics know what I´m talking about, right or am I just nuts? I´ve converted another good friend of mine´into a sock-knitter who after receiving her pair for X-mas has started knitting them for herself and her whole family. Theyre addicting.

Hope to feel better soon (whine) and keep posting on the blog more regularly.
Bye.

2006-02-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

Wow! Can´t believe a whole month has slipped by without my posting anything. Here´s a quick update.

Lots of knitting has been accomplished. I finished the aran sweater made from the wonderful Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in natural. I HIGHLY recommend this yarn. It´s so elastic and is especially good for all the cables and bobbles in this pattern. It turned out absolutely adorable. I had never done bobbles before and now have bobble mania. Of course, I had to make Ella the same sweater in a soft "girly" pink yarn. The bobbles are so cute and add something a little different. I´ve started a third adult-size sweater in the natural color. I´m not sure if this will be my sister´s birthday present or I´ll end of keeping it.

I am flying home to the US tomorrow and have sort of gone yarn crazy. (How will I get it all in the suitcase???!!!) I ordered all the books and yarn that I´ve been hankering for here, but couldn´t bring myself to buy. Saved a bundle. My favorite sites are: Wool Needlework, Knit Picks, Yarn Market. Also have found a great site for labels to sew into finished projects: www.namemaker.com. I´ll wait until I get to the states and order by phone. I couldn´t believe what they were calculating as my shipping charges. I have to talk to a "real person" and find out what´s up. Check it out though. Such cute, cute labels.

Well, I´d better get off the computer and start throwing a few things in the suitcase. It won´t be much though, because I have got to have room for all my fantastic yarn!

Have fun!

2006-01-22T02:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry I´ve been away so long. Don´t worry, have not stopped knitting.

What I have knitted since the new year:

Four hats, poncho, baby sweater for Jason, half a baby sweater for Ella, started Jason´s birthday sweater, starting another cool noro project for me :)

Is that enough to qualify me as an addicted knitter and writer of an knitting blog? I´m afraid so. I know my hands tell me that it is. I have to slow down and stop buying yarn that demands to be knitted. Oh, did I mention all the books and magazines I´ve purchased?

So....I havn´t had too much time to write, but I will be back........

Happy New Year!!

2005-12-31T03:19:00.000-08:00

As 2005 comes to a close, I want to wish all of the other knitters out there a wonderful, healthy new year 2006. May it be filled with wonderful projects and yummy yarn!

To be continued soon....

Knitting class

2005-12-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

Knitting class was great yesterday! I learned how to knit shoulder seams together. That probably seems obvious to all of you great knitters out there, but it was a total revelation to me. I´ve been sewing them together all this time. The seam isn´t nearly as thick and the shoulder lies down nicely. The amazing thing is that once you learn a technique you realize how simple it is and increases all the fantastic possiblities to knit other projects.

Besides all the great things we learn in our class, I really enjoy sitting around and catching up on all of the other ladies´ projects. It´s really inspiring to see what the other women have tackled. (Of course, there´s always all the new books and yarns to look at.) One of our members and close friend of mine is leaving to have her second baby. I´ve splashed out on some gorgeous pink cashmere to make a little cable knit sweater for her. (pictures coming, promíse) Still working on the hollow oak Aran sweater for Jason which just needs another arm. I´m going to continue on with aran knits for awhile, although I would like to start to learn entralac.

Well, that´s it for now...off to knit a little bit before bed. :)

2005-12-09T14:11:00.000-08:00

God, my eye-sight must be really going, or I´m losing all my English language skills. I´m appalled when I re-read my blogs and see all the typos. I apologiize to all of you who have read any of them and am grateful I haven´t received any comments about how lousy my writing is.

Tomorrow we have our knitting group/class. I always really look forward to meeting and seeing how everyone´s projects have turned out. It´s also a chance to buy more gorgeous yarn and look at all the cool stuff in the shop. Although, I have to say, I was so satisfied with the stash I got from Knit Picks, I think I´m set for awhile. (Well....um, er, maybe just a couple of skeins of Noro to make a scarf with wouldn´t hurt. Early X-mas present for myself?? Am I a bad person?) I´m on the second sleeve of the aran sweater. Will ask tomorrow in class how to finish off the shoulder seams. The pattern asks for me to knit them together. Mmmm, will be interested to see how that works. Should turn out a flawless seam.

Happy knitting :)

Cute story

2005-12-06T16:12:00.000-08:00

One night while baby-sitting my adorable nephew (the little guy I knit all my projects for) we were sitting on the sofa "watching" Willy Wonka for about the fifth time in a row. (I know, not really great for his little mind) I was knitting happily away while Jason kept looking at me very concerned. Then he said in his very innocent 2 year-old voice, "To make the sheep better?" I couldn´t quite dicipher what he meant. "What, Jason?", "To make the sheep better?" "What makes the sheep better, honey?" I thought it was some part of Willy Wonka that I had zoned out on. He hopped off the sofa on his side and came over to me and touched my knitting needles. I had told him the day before that wool comes from sheep and Auntie uses the wool to knit him sweaters to keep him warm. He thought my Addi turbos were needles that he had seen at the doctor´s office and had gotten shots with. Needles with medicine in them that make him get better must make the sheep better too, right? I tried not to laugh and instead explained that they weren´t those kind of needles and gently rubbed the tip of one on his hand so he could see they didn´t hurt. How cute is that?

2005-12-05T16:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry it´s been awhile since I last posted, but I went home to the States for Thanksgiving and it´s taken until now to gather my thoughts.

For starters, I finished all my projects. The red cable sweater looks great on Jason and has inspired me to go on to an Aran sweater with a hollow oak pattern that I´m am really enjoying. The blue initial sweater was way to big for him, but he´ll grow into it. He looks adorable anyway. Ella´s little hat, scarf, and thumb-less mittens were a hit. And she looked fantastic in the the chunky pink sweater. (I will work on posting some pictures soon.)

While I was home, I picked up the orders I made from Knit Picks and Jimmy Bean´s. I was thrilled with everything!! I had yarn bursting out of my suitcases. Everything is so yummy. I ordered the merino sample kit from Knit Picks and have all kinds of cool projects in mind like lots of intarsia work, a wonderful fair-isle yoked sweater sor example also a multi-colored hat for J.Dave. The peruvian, natural wool is becoming the previously mentioned Aran sweater. I loved that Jimmy Bean´s sent me, along with the cork yarn from Rowan that was going out of stock, some hard candies. What a cute idea! I think it´s those little things that customers remember and want to come back for.

We are now working on an opera by Benjamin Britten called "Peter Grimes" at the opera house. The libretto is based on a famous poem. A dark and disturbing tale of a fisherman who takes a boy apprentice on a voyage to London who dies at sea. The village turns on Peter Grimes, and he becomes and outcast. The music is difficult and the staging is very physical. (lots of running around and up and down stairs) I´ve had an exhausting week. Unfortunately, no time for knitting in between entrances as we are on stage practically the whole time. The Aran sweater is the appropriate project during the show´s down time though. (smile)

Until next time, happy knitting.

2005-11-08T15:17:00.000-08:00

Went for my follow-up Dr.´s appointment and got a clean bill of health. The only thing he said about my hands was, "If it hurts, don´t do it." Mmm and I payed for that advise? Actually, I´m feeling alot better, but am being careful not to over-do.

Next Monday, I will be on a flight home to New York for Thanksgiving vacation!!! I am so excited. I´ll spend a few days in NYC, and then head up-state to my brother´s house for an early Thanksgiving/Christmas celebration and then to my sister´s to continue the celebrations. I am going to try to take a trip out to Flying Fingers Yarn shop in Irvington, NY on the Hudson on the Yarn Bus. For all of you that read the knitting mags, you know what I´m talking about. It should be awesome. Can´t wait to see all the beautiful, yummy yarns. Will report on everything I find.

My birthday is also coming up this weekend. I had to buy myself a little something, right? Guess what it was? I put in a fairly large order on Knitpicks that will be shipped to my sister´s house which I will bring back with me to Europe. Can´t wait to see my loot.

My husband covered all the cables, so Holly shouldn´t do anymore damage.

Happy knitting*

CAT-TAS-TRO-PHY

2005-10-29T04:37:00.000-07:00

Holly, opera cat, has secretly been chewing on all the cable in the house. So... we have lost the use of the computer and most electrical things in the livingroom. Naughty girl. My husband is working on getting things repaired and covered up. I^ve never had problems with her doing that before, nor have any of my other cats done this, so we are "baby-proofing" everything to try to cure her of destroying the cables again. Ug.

My dear friend, Chris-tenor-extraordinare, has uploaded the following pictures. Busy trying to get everything done before Christmas.

Will try to be blogging again as soon as the technical difficulties have been worked out.

Enjoy.

2005-10-28T00:01:00.002-07:00

more slippers

2005-10-28T00:01:00.001-07:00

another project

2005-10-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

ella sweater

2005-10-28T00:00:00.003-07:00

another jason sweater

2005-10-28T00:00:00.002-07:00

slippers - before attaching bottom

2005-10-28T00:00:00.001-07:00

another view

2005-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

work in progress

2005-10-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Saw the doctor today. Told him about my hands and what I thought may be RSI symptoms. He perscribed some very expensive, but I think very good, cream to rub on my wrists and elbows three times daily and some patches that have medicine on them to wear at night to bed. I should try to rest my hands for three weeks and then see him again. Ok, I´ll just stay optimistic and see what happens.

I´ve discovered the fun of "listening" to books on CD this week. I´ve listened to two books, "The Five People you meet in Heaven", by Mitch Albom, author of, "Tuesdays with Morrie" and "The Alchemist", by Paulo Coelho. Wonderful. Both books made me cry, but feel really inspired. I highly recommend both. I´m looking forward toloading up on other books on CD. Great for knitting.

The guys are coming home Monday! Yeah! Can´t wait. Even though it´s been kind of great having the apartment to myself, I´ve been lonely. I´ll have to clean though. Ug. I hate cleaning the house. True confession: my husband is the one who cleans the house. Thank God. I love to bake and cook, but cleaning, yuck. Still, I´ll have to figure out how the vacum works and run it over the floor before Monday. There are cat hair dust-bunnies all over the place from Holly, opera-cat. She´s beautiful, but hairy.

Good night.

2005-10-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

Why can´t things ever be simple here?

Slept in late after the premiere of "Forza" last night, had a nice breakfast and then went into town to find a zipper for Jason´s sail-boat sweater. Found the perfect red color and the right length. Got home and discovered that the zipper doesn´t open all the way down. Why??!! Now I have to go back to the store again tomorrow and exchange it for one that will open like a jacket and not a dress. Ug.

I cautiously put a few rows on the the blue-initial sweater today. I´m about half way done with the second sleeve. Decided to take inventory of all my unfinished projects. Many are just a sleeve or so away from being completed. I want to get all these projects finished up before starting anything else. It felt great to think about how many I acutually have finished and given as presents. My stash always puts me in a good mood. As does my extensive library of knitting books. Knitting is an expensive hobby.

Enjoying a quite evening in with the cats. Gotta go...Deperate Housewives is on....

Mmmm...home-made bread

2005-10-16T03:06:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you´re feeling lonely (missing my guys) and a little sorry for yourself? Bake home-made bread. Now I know what your thinking. How does a woman make bread when she thinks she has RSI? Throw it all into the bread machine, of course. Voila! As I type this, I´m smelling that lovely aroma from the kitchen and feeling all warm and cozy. Actually, my hands are better today. I´ve put some kind of sports gel on them and I think it´s made a difference. It´s also been almost a week without knitting.

Finishing work is the perfect thing right now. Jason´s sail-boat sweater (shown earlier) is getting a zipper instead of buttons. I wll go look for a red one this week. I´m reading and planning all my future projects until I go to the Doctor and get the ok to continue knitting.

We have the premiere of "La Forza del Destino" tonight. Two of our soloists are sick and may not sing. Fortunately, the star of the show, baritone, Leo Nucci, sounds fantastic. He´s a real inspiration to how one can sing even after twenty or thirty years of a demanding opera career.

I will post some more pictures as soon as my husband comes home with the digital camera from Bulgaria.

Need to check the bread....ciao

repetitive strain injury

2005-10-12T23:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, now I´m worried. I put myself on this little knitting break thinking I had just overdone it on the trip back from Germany, but hands are still aching. I am genuinely scared now. Thankfully, I made an appointment with the doctor next week for a general exam, but now I definately think I have something to worry about with BOTH hands. Unfortunately, I started looking up RSI on the internet and am convinced that I have it. I am surprised that you don´t see or hear about this more in the knitting community, and I sure wish someone would have given me a little warning that it could possibly occur. I am devastated. I HAVE to knit now. It´s become so important to me for so many reasons. ( hmmm...maybe this is what I should really look into..)

Again, any helpful hints, stories, encouragement out there???? I would appreciate it.

2005-10-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

I put myself on a little knitting break today since my hands are acutually tired and ache. I don´t want to risk the chance of developing anything serious like tendonitis. I have a doctor´s appointment next week and just to be sure will discuss this with the doctor. He´ll probably laugh right in my face when I tell him I think I´m developing a problem from knitting. Oh well. I now vow to take ten-minute breaks for every half-hour of knitting. Hopefully, that will fend off the fatigue.

We are working on "Forza" now at the Opera House. I´m not a great fan of Verdi outside of "Rigoletto", or "La Traviata". Especially, as a female chorus singer. Traditionally, the men of the chorus have more to sing. So it´s not too bad for us. We have more time for knitting! :) I am looking forward to working on "Peter Grimes", by Benjamin Britten. That should be something special. We will have a great director from London and a wonderful leading tenor.

My guys will be away for two weeks. Which will give me lots of time to get things done around the apartment. Cleaning, sorting and putting things away. I have to organize my stash too, and make a plan for how I´m going to get all my projects done before I leave for Thanksgiving vacation. Especially, now that I have to be more careful of my hands. Hmm. Can´t wait to be home though. My birthday is around that time too. I want a "real" birthday cake this year. You can only get a decent birthday cake in the U.S.. You know, the kind with two-inch lard icing and food colored writing on it? Yum, can´t wait.

I think I have a problem...

2005-10-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

I´m back from my visit to Germany. On the four-hour ride home, I finished the front of Jason´s blue, Debbie Bliss, sweater and today finished one of the arms. I couldn´t wait to see what the new red yarn would look like cabled for his X-mas sweater and have done about three inches. It looks great and is so much fun to do!! I´m very excited about trying other aran patterns out. I find Debbie Bliss´s books so easy to follow and am shocked every time one of the projects actually comes out looking like I know what I´m doing.

I think I have a problem though. Once I get knitting, I can´t seem to put it down. I went on another knitting binge this weekend since my husband and son have gone away for a few days and there were no interruptions. I´m seriously worried about developing repetitive strain injury. I´ve decided that I´m going to have to start using a timer and stop every twenty minutes to give my arms and hands a break. What would I do if I couldn´t knit? The thought sends me into a panic. Any experiences out there that you want to share? Please comment. Help!

Visiting Germany

2005-10-06T01:23:00.000-07:00

One of my very best friends lives in Darmstadt, Germany. Since I had a few days off from work, I thought I would come visit and help out. His parents are here from New Orleans displaced by Katrina and waiting to be able to get back. Luckily, their house was spared and after being a month here, will going home soon. Since they are both elderly it's been very hard. They are in good spirits considering all they've been through.

I brought lots a knitting with me for the trip by train. It takes about four hours travel time which I don't mind one bit. Train travel here in Europe is punctual and comfortable. There's absolutely no reason to own a car. After years of commuting in the U.S., I saw no reason to renew my drivers license and ten years later travel happily by train. The commute to work only takes thirteen minutes and then a five minute walk. When I go back to the States I realize, sadly, how dependent our country has become on oil and cars. Why we ever gave up the trains is a mystery. We should try to resurrect the system and get out of our cars.

I have not heard anything about the audition yet, but it doesn't matter. Thank God, I already have a full-time singing job. It was really not about that. It was more about challenging myself to do something that would make me grow instead of stagnate. But, who knows, if they offer me the role, that would be awesome!

The chunky sweater for my nephew, Jason, is in the mail with lots of chocolates, and I found some great yarn here in Germany for his Christmas cable sweater. Oh guess what???!!! I found the Addi-Turbo needles, which are made here in Germany, here for only $7.00!!!! I bought about seven different sizes to take back with me to Switzerland. Hurray!!!

Happy Knitting!!

Audition

2005-09-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

There are those days in life when you can actually feel yourself grow inside. Something stretches, reaches out for the unknown, and your spirit has found a new dimension of being. That happened to me today at the audition.

I got there on time and was introduced to the conductor, director and agent who had brought a few of his own singers to audition. I was last and had the good fortune to be able to listen and watch each singer sing their arias before I did. This could be a psch-out except that today as I sat there listening and seeing what the judges were listening and seeing, I realized that their mind-set was that they wanted each person to be good. More than good, they wanted them to be exceptional. Something special that makes you get goose-bumps. And as I heard each singer sing just a little too loud, high notes sounding a bit forced because of all the adrenaline pulsing through their bodies, their eyes glazed over with fear and hope and desperation, I thought that it doesn´t really matter what these people think. It´s more important that I relax and tell a story instead of trying to impress them with my voice. Let them hear the humanity in the music.

I´ve never sung better. I had a wonderful conversation with all three gentlemen afterwards. I don´t know if they´ll offer me anything, but it doesn´t matter. I won the prize. I had, and gave them, a musical experience in that audition. Communicated something rather than doing tricks like a trained poodle at the circus.

p.s. Managed to get a few rows on the blue sweater for Jason and steam out the pieces for the chunky sweater. No matter what happens, there´s always knitting!!!:)

What a day!

2005-09-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

What a day!!Busy, busy, busy. It started with an early morning Dr.´s visit and didn´t stop all day. I may not have had time to knit, but I did have time to buy another knitting book and yarn for my next project for Jason!! Rowan has a gorgeous pattern for a vintage-style, cowboy sweater that is going to look so adorable on him. Can´t wait to start, but it must wait until I get the chunky sweater put together and in the mail. I really need to finish up these projects that are just a sleeve away from being done. (pictures coming soon of all)

Tomorrow, I have an audition for a possible engagement in the opera, "Don Giovanni", by Mozart. I haven´t done an audition in a few years, and am sort of excited by the challenge, even though I´ve already been told that they would prefer to hire a Swiss national. No one bats an eye to this sort of discrimination here. You can actually see it written in the classified ads: "German speakers only". Politely put, if you´re a foreigner, don´t apply. Since I don´t really need a job, the pressure´s off. If something comes of it, hurray! Cross your fingers!

I love Mondays

2005-09-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

The premiere of "Katharine Ismailova" yesterday, seemed to be a success. We, in the cast, felt that it went well and the public seemed to be very moved by this tragic story. On to the next show which will be "La Forza del Destino" by Verdi. We have just begun to stage it. Meanwhile, we have three performances of "Katharine" and "The Magic Flute", so I should get alot of knitting done this week.

I finally have the neckline done on the silk sweater, but not that happy with it. Reserving final opinion until after I have the arms set in. I have to get back to Jason´s chunky sweater today and will have to pull out another unfinished sweater of his to get ready for bringing home in November for Thanksgiving.

I love Mondays! My husband and I go grocery shopping in Germany, have a nice lunch and then I have a solid evening of knitting while I watch "Eastenders" on BBC Prime.
Any other "Eastender" fans out there?? Peggy´s back in the square! She´ll get to the bottom of who killed Den. Can´t wait!

Dress rehearsal

2005-09-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

The dress rehearsal for "Katharina Ismailova" went really well. It´s what I call a good "knitting opera", since the womens´chorus have a two-hour break between entrances. I´m working on the neckline of the silk sweater. (sorry no picture) Going slowly, but will be worth the extra time I´m taking to do it right.

Our knitting circle keeps expanding as the others watch us keep busy and make the adorable little sweaters, hats, and mittens for our children. It´s great because it keeps everyone from getting bored and gossipy. It feels productive. The woman have a sense of community as we watch each other knit up beautiful things.

My prayers go out to all the people in the path of Hurricane Rita. Be safe, and God bless.

2005-09-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are the pictures of my LYS. (local yarn shop) It´s so jammed packed with stuff. I just love it and wander around for hours touching and drooling over all the great yarn. When I know what I want to knit (something from Debbie Bliss, naturally) Silvia (see pic of woman behind the teddy bear curtain) goes into some magical corner of her shop and pulls out something heavenly to knit with. When I´m in a bad mood or feeling a little down, all I have to do is go to the LYS and look around at all the yarn and the world is alright again.

I finally got a good picture of Roxy (the black and white oriental cat). She is my dear old friend. Thirteen and still going strong. Holly, the supermodel Burmese, just loves to pose for the camera because she knows she´s a stunner.

Ísn´t the gift from D.B. wonderful? I´m saving that project until I finish my brown, raw-silk sweater. Going a little slower than expected because I kinda screwed up the neckline and have to do it again. (boo, hoo) I hope to have it finished this weekend.

At work tomorrow, we have the final dress-rehearsal of Katharine Ismailova. It´s been going really well. Best of all, we have a two-hour break between our first and second entrances. You know what that means, don´t you? Work on that sweater! :)

2005-09-22T09:12:00.003-07:00

another view of store

2005-09-22T09:12:00.002-07:00

cute idea

2005-09-22T09:12:00.001-07:00

another view of store

2005-09-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

local knitting store in zurich

2005-09-22T09:10:00.001-07:00

the come hither look

2005-09-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

on the sofa

2005-09-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

the kids

2005-09-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

home sweet home

2005-09-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

Rehearsal wasn´t too bad tonight. We ran the show with no stops which is very unusual for a KHP (main piano rehearsal). The director was pretty pleased with the way things went and then we were released.

Put a few more rows on the silk sweater. I´ve almost got the first sleeve done. It won´t be long now. Acutually, my least favorite part it the finishing off process. It´s not as fun as the knitting, but makes the all the difference as to whether or not you wear the sweater in or out of the house.

Knitting Question of the Day: If you could only have one book on knitting in your library, which one would it be?
(my answer: "How to knit" by you-know-who, Debbie Bliss)

knitting binge

2005-09-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

The weather has turned cold here and that always inspires me to make a nice cup of tea and get knitting. To tell the truth, I went on a bit of a knitting binge today. I have four different projects going and just can´t wait to see how they´ll all turn out. I also like to knit several things at once going between the different projects in one session. My theory is that if I keep switching projects that I will reduce my risk for carpal tunnel syndrome or something. I like to switch between the small needle and big needle projects to give my arms and hands a break. Also reduces the boredom when doing alot of stockinete.

This week at work will be the run-up to the opening of "Katerina Ismailova" (Lady Mcbeth of Mtsensk) by Dmitri Shostakovich. Wonderful soloists, but the story and music are so heavy and depressing. It´s going to be a busy week. Will still try to get the silk sweater finished though. Just can´t wait to wear it.

Question of the day: What´s your favorite type of needle? Wood, plastic, metal, bamboo; straight or round
Personally, I´m starting to prefer metal rounds. Haven´t worked on the Addi´s yet. "They" say they´re the best.

2005-09-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

classic shot of facade of theater ... you can check the season schedule ( in german ) at www.opernhaus.ch ...

2005-09-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

interior view of the theater ...

2005-09-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

where i work when i am not knitting

Join the club

2005-09-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

I´m so excited!!! My thank-you gift came from Debbie Bliss for joining "The Club". You get an autographed copy of her newest book, "Simply Soft" and a kit to make a cravat and beret with her alpaca silk yarn that it just to-die-for-soft, in a gorgeous baby blue color. Of course, I started knitting it up right away. Yummmm. Definately Christmas present material. I just can´t say enough about Debbie Bliss´s stuff. The books are absolutely wonderful as well as her yarns. I haven´t knit a dud yet. She´s especially great for beginners.

As you can see by the pictures from my previous post, I have alot of projects going at once. (Don´t all knitters, I suppose?) The idea for "Ballerina Bear" came from Debbie Bliss´s "Teddy Bears, twenty-five irresistible designs for knitted bears". I have knitted bears from scratch with cashmere (so soft), but took a little bit of a short-cut purchasing these really cute "naked" bears from IKEA (pronounced here: ( ee-kay-ah) . The plan is to make them all clothes appropriate for the occasion and give them to my two muses as gifts. Ballerina Bear is going to Ella so that she can dance a pas-de-deux in her matching outfit, and the next two bears will be "Pligrim Bears" to be given to J.Dave at Thanksgiving.

Well, got to get back to knitting up the alpaca silk. Cioa for now!

2005-09-16T08:45:00.002-07:00

Ballerina bear for Ella

2005-09-16T08:45:00.001-07:00

Raw silk sweater in progress for "moi"

2005-09-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Christmas socks for presents ...

2005-09-16T08:44:00.001-07:00

Back of completed cardigan for Jason

2005-09-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

Chunky sweater in progress for Jason

2005-09-16T08:43:00.001-07:00

Chunky sweater for Ella

2005-09-16T08:43:00.000-07:00

Bears waiting to be dressed...

2005-09-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

Opera cat watching me knit....

Making progress

2005-09-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

My husband got the digital camera out today and we are one step closer to having photos of the latest knitting projects up. I HATE technical stuff. Especially since all the directions ARE IN GERMAN!!! But, we will overcome.

Tomorrow my LYS is having an open house for all the customers to see the newest yarns of the season. I can hardly wait. Honestly, I´ve already seen most of them. The raw silk that I bought and am knitting was some of her new stuff. Love it. Can´t wait!! Will bring the camera and take pictures so you can see how lucky I am to have such an awesome shop in my town. The trick will be to not buy too much yarn after I´ve had a few glasses of champagne. : )

A night at the opera

2005-09-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

This evening we performed Verdi´s, IL Trovatore. There´s really not too much to this gig for the chorus. We come in, sing the "anvil chorus" in gypsy costumes, make a quick costume change, come back as nuns, sing a little more and then we´re done. I rush to the dressing-room remove costume and make-up and head home so that I can see my family and get some more rows done on my raw silk sweater.

One of the girls in our dressing-room had a birthday, and another was leaving tomorrow to get married in her home-land of Serbia. Lots of happy, good energy. I really enjoy the women that I share the dressing-room with. The woman next to me, Rosie, who had the birthday has also begun knitting. So, as a present, I gave her the Simply Family, by Debbie Bliss. (Can´t work out how to underline on a German key-board yet. Sorry)

Did I mention we´ve only had the computer for a few months and the European keyboard is very different to the English/American one? For starters, it took me several days to figure out how to get the @ sign. Do you know how? You have to press the right alt key and the Q at the same time!!!!! Who thought of that one!!!? The letter "Y" and "Z" are in the wrong places and the "!" is alt 1, but is not marked. Ug. I´m mastering typing on this little by little.

My sister recommended photos of my latest projects to make the blog more interesting. I promise to have the digital camera figured out any day now. (all directions in German remember). I´m still very technically challenged, and I´m "operaknitter" after all, remember? Photos are coming.

Ciao for now

In the beginning...

2005-09-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

In the beginning, it was me and my mom sitting on the couch while my father and brothers watched football on Sunday afternoon on our black and white T.V.. The family had just eaten a big meal and we "girls" had finished cleaning up and washing off the spaghetti sauce from the dishes. My mother would get her current project out from the closet and hand me some plastic needles and show me how to cast on. I woud try over and over but I don´t ever remember acutually mastering the skill. It wasn´t until thirty years later, when my best friend got pregnant, that I picked up another pair of needles and cast on again.

Ella is now one year and six months and I´ve just finished an adorable chunky sweater for her. I´m starting another one for my other muse, my nephew, Jason David. My passion is knitting these two little cherubs things. As I do, I feel like I´m close to them and I say a little prayer that God will keep them warm and healthy until I see them again.

my very first blog

2005-09-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hi to all those who love to knit and listen to opera. This site is for you.

To tell you the truth, this whole thing is a little intimidating, so bear with me until I have the hang of it.

Just some info on who I am. Not one of the big ladies up front, I´m the one standing in a clump behind her. Kinda like one of the pips, ie., opera chorister. That´s me. It has its good points. But one of the definate downers is having to wait for ages in between entrances during a three-hour show. That´s where knitting comes in.

On this blog, I will try to give you the dish on which operas we are currently performing and all the juicy gossip about the stars, as well as what knitting project I will be working on to help me get through the boring rehearsals and long performances.

Hope you enjoy!! (Please excuse all spelling and punctuation errors. Not my "forte". ha, ha)

operaknitter