Sold

If you belive the New York Times and this story, I'm about to become a McClatchy employee, after spending a mere six months working for Knight Ridder. If it's true, it's a relief, if only for this reason: The sale of my paper from Gannett to Knight Ridder happened while I was on vacation in July. I didn't want a repeat sale while I'm in Tokyo in April.

And in knitting news, I've stalled a bit on Jaywalker after having to redo the heel flap and cup because, once again, I felt myself too smart to closely read the pattern. Yeah. I'll never learn. (Don't tell the people at McClatchy).

It's ANTM time

So don't go expecting some long post from me. I'll be spending my evening checking out the ANTM web site then actually viewing the long-awaited start of cycle 6.

In case there are any snobs left out there who haven't jumped on the reality show bandwagon, now is the time to do it. Yes, AI is the ratings juggernaut, eating up the precious collective viewing time with its bad fashion, bad vocals and bad boy Simon. If you think you can't commit to both of these all-American shows, well you need to get to your Best Buy stat and order yourself up Tivo.

BTW, I'm going into ANTM tonight rooting for Mollie Sue. One of my coworkers likes Kari and Sara (and I say to the latter, do all ANTM Sara's have to have massive lips?). Another coworker is in the Jade camp. There's no telling who will be the catty girl we love to hate from the fairly boring pictures on the web site. Who'll be stealing granola bars this season? That, kittens, is something only time will tell.

And, knitters, just so you know, I only knit during the commercials when this show is on.

Jaywalking

Here's an Oscar's worth of work on my first pair of Jaywalker socks. It's gift knitting, which means it's okay that the tube top spent Sunday night packed away in a bag in the yarn room. There's nothing wrong with it (other than it's boring as hell to knit), but I feared the olive green may have clashed with the beauties on screen. Pinky stripes seemed much more appropriate.

On the whole, knitting the sock was the highlight of the annual awards show. It was a bit of a stinkeroo, with it's uptight celebrities, spinach-y best picture nominees and complete lack of streakers and swan dresses. For more dish, go here.
 

In Like a Lamb

A sign of spring -- and the cycle of life: The lamb.

The lamb heralds the beginning of a new season and a new crop of wool beginning to grow, waiting to be sheared later on, while at the same time signaling that spring is here, which means an end to the winter/wool knitting season.

For you meat eaters out there, the beginning of spring, the birth of the lamb, means the farmer's market is just weeks from opening. At the market here in Boise, you can buy that lamb, locally grown, sans antibiotics and hormones, from Meadowlark Farms. Go here for a recipe on how to serve said lamb (as well as plenty of reasons to buy local).

Spinning Right Round

The knitting continues (you didn't really think it would stop, did you?), but it's boring as hell so no pictures and no details but this: It's a tube top. Just knitting k2 p2 around and around and around. There's no anticipation of shaping (but there is of a fair isle section). No sleeves to contemplate. No buttonholes. It's great for relaxation or meeting friends in a coffee shop to talk about our respective encounters with poet Billy Collins. But it's not much good to write about. So I won't.

Instead, consider this lucky and enterprising woman who captivated the stars with her Diapees & Wipees idea.

Or perhaps you'd like to see what you'd look like if you, like Tim Allen will in movie theaters everywhere this month, turned into a dog.

Or maybe more to your liking is a moment to ponder why Japanese men are snapping girdles. Men. Girdles. I thought that was supposed to be one of the great things about being man. No girdles. No plastic surgery. Not anymore. Those silly men want to take on all the unpleasant trappings of womanhood (sorry to anyone I offended by disparaging the girdle).