A blog about my life, knitting, and other stuff.

January 29, 2012

Okay, the Cruise

I can't believe I've been home for almost a week now. The Weezer Cruise was amazing. We all had a great time. We paid a huge sum of money to leave a day early and we are so glad that we did. Seattle got socked with snow then an ice storm. We took a red eye Tuesday night and arrived in Miami early on Wednesday. We got to our hotel around 7:30, I think, to drop off our bags. Check in time was 3 pm but by some miracle our room was ready. We went up and all fell asleep for a few hours then spent the day exploring a tiny bit and grabbing things we forgot or didn't have time to buy at home. We even snuck in dinner at Joe's Stone Crab which was a favorite of my family when I was little.

Thursday we had breakfast and got ourselves checked in for the cruise right at noon. Rooms were not ready yet so we explored the ship. The stage on the Lido deck was already set up and people were staking out spots for the Weezer show that was set to begin at 5 pm just after we cast off. Then they announced that we would all have to leave anyway for the safety drill so we relinquished our spot and explored more.

The cruise was set up like a music festival. There were four stages, the Lido deck which was open-air, the Criterion Lounge, the Palladium Theater and a very small stage next to the casino. Weezer played a great opening night concert on the Lido with lots of favorites and the Blue Album in its entirety. They did a midnight screening of Young Frankenstein on the Lido hosted by Brian Bell of Weezer, but we were all too tired.

Friday we were at sea so there were shows going on on multiple stages all day plus activities with a rock show twist. Yoga was hosted by Star of Ozma. Bands hosted bingo, a flip cup tournament, taught people how to make a martini, etc. We just floated around all day catching performances. This was the day we found Wes's favorite band, Yacht Rock Revue. It does them a disservice to say they are a 70s/80s cover band. They are more like reenactors. They performed pitch perfect renditions of the most delightfully terrible music. Pina Colada song, Hall and Oates, Billy Joel. Great stuff.



Friday was the Ugly Sweater theme night. The sweater I posted for Thursday was created for this event. There was no contest or anything but let me tell you, I totally won. People stopped me and complimented me on how hideous my sweater was all night. At 10 pm we and half the guests on the cruise got our second Weezer show. This one was inside in the Palladium Theater. We had seats in the first balcony RIGHT NEXT TO THE STAGE. Truly, the best seats in the house except for the few lucky fans who got to stand right next to the stage. The did B sides, favorites then the Pinkerton album in its entirety. Weezer frequently performs covers of other bands songs. I've heard them do Nirvana, MGMT, Lady Gaga and Radiohead before but this night they made my whole year by performing Wheatus's Teenage Dirtbag. It's my go-to at karaoke and they were so great with it. I can't find any video of it but a search on Youtube shows they have performed it several times in the past year.



Saturday we spent the day in Cozumel. We did a little snorkling and swimming and got lunch at a cheesy restaurant. Then Dinosaur Jr. took the stage as we cast off.

Older son and I looked on as J Mascis rocked the hell out.



Saturday was also 80s Prom Night.



Those shades I'm sporting are vintage 80s purchased in Greenwich Village when I was in junior high school.

Sunday we saw the Doug Loves Movies podcast record. It was a very funny show and a really good time but I don't know if I would have taken the children if I knew there were going to veer so off color. The kids loved it. You can hear our show via iTunes (1/24/12 episode).

Wes and I also got to renew our vows in a ceremony presided over by Scott Shriner, Weezer's bassist. Younger Son grudgingly filmed us and stopped the camera the moment he felt the ceremony had ended. It's a bit shaky but I think it's pretty sweet.



Sunday's theme was mustache night. At the last minute I asked the kids if I should knit them mustaches. Fortunately I had some brown yarn with me. I made two seed stitch trapezoids and sewed them to chop sticks. Use what you have, right? This shot is before they were entirely done.



Then it was over. We had so much fun and rocked so hard. All while rubbing elbows with great rock stars. We got to have a family photo taken with Weezer. I wore my ugly sweater. The children were horrified. Wes got to chat with Josh Freese while getting a glass of water about how great it was that he sat in with Yacht Rock Revue for a rendition of Steely Dan's Peg. It was so cool seeing all these artists coming to check out each other's shows. I saw the bassist of Ozma taking pictures of Dinosaur Jr. I saw Dinosaur Jr. shooting video of Yacht Rock Revue. Hell, J Mascis saw Wes sing a Spandau Ballet song at 80s karaoke! It was a big, squishy lovefest of rock and I'm so glad we went. Others may have partied harder but we all had a blast.

There are many more great videos from the cruise on Youtube if you're interested. There's also a great photoset from Weezer.

January 26, 2012

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

When the Weezer Cruise announced an Ugly Sweater theme night I thought to myself, "I have been studying for this moment for years." I pulled out a giant crochet hook (N) and collected an even larger bag of every novelty yarn I could find. And I began. Sleeves two different sizes? No problem. Ends not woven in? Who cares. One sleeve sewn on inside-out. You got it. The result. The ugliest sweater I could conceive.



Pretty awful, right?

Just wait.



So long, good taste!

January 24, 2012

What My Last Few Days Have Been Like



This isn't my video. I was too busy screaming and jumping up and down to film anything. This was the first number of the first show just after we sailed from Miami. More on the cruise soon.

January 16, 2012

Abrupt Change of Plans

We were supposed to leave on a red eye flight on Wednesday night to head to Miami for our Weezer cruise. We have snow in the forecast. Lots of snow. And Seattle doesn't do snow very well. We were starting to freak out so we are leaving a day early. I won't have a Thursday post this week but I promise I will have a really amazing and truly unique one for you next week. Have a great week and I'll see you when I get back!

Moving a Yarn Shop

The shop move is done and went very well. The new space at 8212 Greenwood Ave N is open and light. Our customers really seem to love it and we're already finding lots of new customers.

Here's what the old location looked like before the movers arrived.



That's right. We bagged up the yarn in garbage bags. It doesn't seem very dignified but it worked well, was cheap and easy.

The movers were also able to move some small fixtures with the yarn still on the shelves. This was a huge time-saver.



Here's the new space before we finished moving in.



We had a lot of wire bins to build. We had a consultant help us a little in figuring out how to layout the new shop. The biggest issue is that our storage, though large, is in the basement and we have to walk alllllll the way around the building and go through the basement to get to it. We don't want to have to run down there a lot during the day or make customers wait while we do that so our consultant suggested we construct some double-deep bin areas. This meant a lot of building but has so far been working out very well. We can display the yarn nicely and stash all the full and partial bags behind it.



We've got a bit of yarn stashed in other hiding places too.



As we were moving in our new exterior sign arrived.



We also had lettering added to our window so that folks passing by would know what we do.



Here we are all moved in.





We still have lots of small details to work out and polish but we are thrilled with our new space!

So long, 7000 Greenwood, we had seven and a half great years together.

January 15, 2012

Another Scrap Hat



Pattern: Improvised
Needles: Addi Turbo US5 and 7
Yarn: You name it! Eco Duo, Kureyon, Cash Laine, Malabrigo Worsted, Dream in Color Classy, Araucania Naturewool, Cascade 220
Notes: These hats are so much fun to knit. Plus I can use even the smallest length of yarn. I gave this one to talkingcrow who sent me this photo.

Red Socks



Pattern: Based on Men's Grey Socks from Lion Brand
Yarn: Cascade 220 in 893 (less than a skein)
Needles: Addi Turbos US2.75mm and US3
Notes: Younger son wanted warm winter socks in his signature color. These are knit very densely so they will hopefully hold up well.

January 12, 2012

Thursdays are for What the Hell Is This?

I don't know why anyone would make a hat for a cat. And I especially don't know why they would make them look so undignified. But I do know that if you put this on your cat you had better sleep with one eye open. Thanks to reader Marcia for showing this to me.

January 6, 2012

Our New Home

The reason I've been so quiet lately is that the Fiber Gallery has moved. After weeks of planning, sifting, packing, lugging and toting, we are now in our new location, 8212 Greenwood Ave N. Today is our opening day at the new spot. Things are still a bit rough but we think our customers are going to love the new space. If you're in the Seattle area please come by and check out the new digs. Also tonight is our drop-in spinning group so bring your wheel or spindle and join us from 6:30 to 9.

January 5, 2012

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

I am having a crazy busy week. So thank goodness for Michelle M! She sent me links to the most amazing stuffed animals.



No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That skunk is, in fact, carpeted in the tabs from a zillion soda cans.



See?





Ms. Porcupine and Mr. Lion didn't want to be left out. I mean, who doesn't want a stuffed animal that is covered in jagged metal? And incorporating refuse is also high on my toy-making wish list. Well done!

January 1, 2012

Scrap Hat



Pattern: Improvised 
Yarn: Noro Kureyon (two colorways), Kid Classic (three colors), Cascade 220 (two colors), Classic Elite Renaissance, Malabrigo Worsted 
Needles: US5 and 7 Addi Turbos 
Notes: I cast on 88 stitches and knit the ribbing in stripes of Kureyon and Malabrigo then I started to knit just a striped scrap hat. I quickly realized it would look blocky and awkward so I switched to the spiral stripe method like in the Stashbuster Spirals pattern. Basically knit partway round in one color, drop it then knit the next third in a second color, drop it and knit the rest of the way in a third color until you reached the first color strand you dropped. Keep knitting up to the next dropped color. As I ran out of a color I threw another one in. This let me me use even really short lengths of yarn as I just spit-spliced them in. This was a very fun hat to knit. I meant to make it slouchy but I stopped too soon so it's a little tall but not tall enough to wilt over.