Etiquette - For Moviegoers

Last Sunday I went to see Iron Man 2. While the movie was awesome, my fellow patrons were not. Inspiration struck once again, so here are my rules regarding movie theater etiquette.

1. If you have a big head, big hair, a big hat, or prefer to stand while watching the movie, please choose a seat that is NOT in front of people who are already seated (when available).

2. If you decide to sit in the end seat, do NOT shoot people dirty looks when they ask to get by you. If you don’t want to move out of the way, don’t sit at the end of the row.

3. Do NOT rest your feet on top of the seat in front of you if it is occupied.

4. If you have brought an infant into, say, Iron Man 2, and that infant begins to cry, TAKE HIM OR HER OUT OF THE THEATER! No one wants to listen to your kid scream. And besides, is a movie theater the best place for a baby?

5. School your young children on proper behavior BEFORE visiting the theater. Let them know that it is NOT ok to talk, yell wrestle, throw food, or kick the back of the seat that is in front of them.

6. Regardless of whether you have or haven’t talked to your children about proper movie theater etiquette, you should still supervise them. I don’t believe that you are so engrossed in the movie that you cannot hear your kid(s) misbehaving.

7. Do NOT accept phone calls once the movie has started. (Yes, I’ve seen this happen more than once!)

8. Do NOT throw anything into the audience. (Yeah – I’m talking to you, teenagers.) It’s not funny.

9. Do NOT make out (or worse) during the movie. It’s disgusting, and I bet you have a perfectly good car waiting outside in the parking lot.

A Whole Bunch of Nothing

There’s not too much to report on the crafting front. I did finish the sock I was knitting. (Gentleman’s Shooting Stockings with Fluted Pattern) As it turns out, my mother reported my grandfather’s shoe size to me incorrectly, so I ended up shortening the foot a bit so that the sock would fit me. I have yet to start the second sock, but that’s probably because I’ve been working feverishly on the Double Pineapple Doily. I’m past the first set of pineapples and about 3 rounds from starting the second set. I thought for sure this doily would be huge. I am, after all, using a bigger hook and bigger thread than called for in the pattern. Presently, it’s not big at all. I bet it’s fooling with my mind and will grow considerably towards the end.

Last Sunday I placed an order with Knit Picks. (I know, again?!) I wanted more sock yarn, bigger double pointed needles, and yarn for two fingering weight sweaters I’d like to attempt. While I’d like to start knitting one of the sweaters right away, I know I should finish my sock and start my grandfather’s pair. (His birthday is July 12th…I think.) And I’ve begun to think about Christmas knitting, though I’m not sure I want to go there. Last Christmas was pretty stressful with all of the deadlines. I think I might make some ornaments, perhaps some doilies, and possibly something bigger for my mother. (Can you say Trilobite Hat?) I’d like to start concentrating on “home items” a little more. I want to be able to decorate the instant I move, not months or years later. I’m slowly but surely filling my craft drawers with decorative objects.

Oh wait! I did have something to report! Tuesday morning I awoke to a strange sensation. Something was crawling on my legs. I got out of bed and inspected the sheets. Lo and behold, a freaking SILVERFISH was in the bed. Gross! I did a little research and discovered that they like to eat pretty much anything including all kinds of yarn. Thank goodness I moved all of my yarn into tubs a while ago. I bagged everything I own in a panic, and I can only hope that no damage has been done. I alerted the apartment complex, and supposedly they are sending out an exterminator tomorrow. Here’s to a successful extermination!

NJ Politics

In most instances, I side with the Democrats when it comes to politics. And while I don’t agree with a great many of Chris Christie’s (NJ Governor – R) policies, there is one that I do agree with, and I feel it’s been a long time coming. A while back Christie asked the members of the NJ teachers union to forego their scheduled 2010-2011 school year raises and contribute 1.5% of their salaries toward their benefits in order to close a budget gap. To put this in perspective for any out-of-staters who might be reading this post, most teachers in NJ are covered by (all-expenses-paid) Cadillac health insurance plans, receive paid holidays and a summer vacation, enjoy extremely generous pensions, and are entitled to free health insurance even after retiring. All of these benefits are compliments of the NJ taxpayers. Of course, when asked if they’d be willing to give up their raises for ONE YEAR and contribute a measly 1.5% of their salary towards their OUTRAGEOUSLY GENEROUS benefits (you know - in light of the current state of our economy), the union shot back a haughty “no.” In response, Christie didn’t budge, and massive layoffs ensued.

The union cried to the public through commercials, which by the way I grew very tired of watching. They claimed that Christie was a kid-hater and didn’t care about education. Boo hoo. The only kid-hating I’ve seen has come from the selfish teachers union. If the union members were truly in the profession to educate, they would have given up the little that Christie had asked. Had they done that, the kids would not have been affected. After all, what do they think the rest of us have done? Give up nothing? I am afraid the teachers have lost touch. When you are employed in one of the few remaining professions that offers benefits, YOU SHOULD NOT COMPLAIN. I would LOVE to collect a teacher’s salary and benefits. Heck, I’d contribute 5% of my salary to my benefits. The NJ taxpayers are tired of watching their hard earned tax dollars go toward educators’ extremely generous salary+benefit packages. The NJ taxpayers are struggling. Most of us can only DREAM of enjoying the same salary+benefit packages that the union has obviously taken for granted.

I could go on and on about this topic, but it’s probably best that I don’t. I will part with this: The teachers union deserved this big, fat reality check. I truly hope more is to come, and that the public schools’ priorities return to educating children, not fattening the wallets of redundant administrators.

Etiquette - For Train Commuters

The musings in this post are the end result of a series of events that took place this morning in the train station. Perhaps it would be more appropriate of me to write that it was a series of unfortunate events. For the sake of brevity, all I will say is that an extraordinarily inconsiderate person caused me to become incredibly enraged…and late for work. The following is a list of rules that all who ride trains/subways/etc should follow:

1. If you are in the station or on the platform to take in the scenery, please be aware that you are, without a doubt, the only person who wishes to do so. The rest of us would prefer to NOT be stuck behind you while you meander through the walkways at the speed of darkness. (Haha, get it? The opposite of the speed of light!) If you insist on walking slowly through the station, please move to the side and let others pass. Or, better yet, go sight-seeing in a park or something.

2. If an entire train’s worth of people is exiting the platform, and there is only one staircase available for leaving the platform and entering the platform, do NOT attempt to push your way through the masses of people who are trying to exit. The flow of people ceases completely as you try to climb over everyone. Believe me, the mere fact that you’re going against the grain will ensure that you will not make it to the platform in time to catch the train from which everyone is unloading. The only thing you will accomplish is infuriating the people who are trying desperately to get out of the station. Be polite and allow everyone to get out of the way.

3. Speaking of allowing everyone to get out of the way – do NOT push through people who are exiting the train in an attempt to procure a prime seat. Doing so slows down the loading/unloading process. However, this rule goes both ways. If you are taking your sweet time exiting the train, I will be the first in line to push you over.

4. Once you have boarded the train and are looking for a place to sit, do NOT, as a first choice, pick the seat next to the person carrying the most baggage. While I fully agree that people should take precedence over baggage when it comes to seating, it is highly uncomfortable to sit underneath all of your belongings for the entire ride – especially when there are plenty of open seats next to people who are carrying nothing.

5. Most trains have certain seats set aside for the elderly and people with disabilities. Usually these seats are clearly marked. I am all for sitting in these seats when there are no elderly or disabled people in the car, but if you are sitting in one of these seats and an old man with a cane boards the car, offer him your seat! Don’t wait for him to ask. Most likely he won’t, and he’ll struggle with his balance for the entire ride.

6. If you are going to eat and/or drink on the train (which is against the rules), do NOT leave your trash on the seat. There are trash receptacles inside the station and on the platform. There is no excuse, you tactless slob.

7. If you cannot find an open seat (or you just feel like standing), do NOT huddle around the doors. People who huddle around the doors are so in the way and a great annoyance to anyone trying to enter or exit the car. Plus, people who hang around the doors make the car look as though it is full to the max, and that deters polite people (who don’t want to squish everyone) from boarding. Either sit down or move to the center of the car.

8. Please refrain from entering a different car while the train is in motion. Not only is partaking in this activity detrimental to your well-being, the door you carelessly left open that is now swinging back and forth came this close to smacking me in the face.

9. When passing through the ticket gates, do NOT wait for the gates to close completely (after the person in front of you has completed their transaction) before presenting the machine with your chosen method of payment (paper ticket, card, etc.). It is completely unnecessary to do so, and the 500+ people behind you do not have the time to wait around while you watch the gates flap.

10. And finally, when leaving the platform to venture out into less than perfect weather conditions, DO NOT OPEN YOUR UMBRELLA IN THE STAIRWELL. Not only does this present an incredibly dangerous situation for the eyes of everyone lucky enough to be standing near you, it makes the mass exodus take ten times longer.

Fitted Cardigan

Last Saturday I started knitting the Short-Sleeved Cardigan with Ribbing from Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel. I asked for the book based on my love of this cardigan. It’s an incredibly quick knit, but I ran into some issues with the pattern and my gauge. First, my gauge was a little larger stitch-wise (row-wise it was spot on), so I decided to knit the 34” size. I was looking for something fitted, but not so tight that I couldn’t wear a shirt underneath it. I knit the yoke as specified in the pattern, but when I tried it on, it was way too short. (That’s definitely the pattern’s fault because my row gauge was fine. Personally, I think the raglan shaping should have started with more stitches for the sleeves and less for the fronts and back.) I ended up having to knit 4 additional increase rows (and each increase row’s corresponding plain rows) to get the required length. In retrospect, I probably should have knit those extra rows without increasing. Hindsight is 20/20. Anyway, all of that increasing resulted in sleeves that fit nicely, but the bust turned out elephant-sized. (Interestingly enough, the back fit fine - it was the fronts that were too big) I started to panic. I didn’t want to rip out the whole thing, and even if I did, I’d still end up with the same problem. According to the pattern, some decreasing was to take place on the back part of the cardigan, so I figured I could salvage it by decreasing 5 times instead of 3. (5 decreases = 10 stitches = 3ish inches) Content with this plan of action, I knitted along and decreased 5 times on the back. I tried the cardigan on again, and it was still too big. Ugh! It was then that I realized the culprit might be my choice of yarn. I am using Peaches and Creme Double Worsted Cotton in Persimmon. I wanted to use a yarn that wouldn’t cause me to break out in hives – hence the cotton. Apparently this particular brand is quite stretchy. I’d like to think that a hot wash will tighten the garment back up, but it could also cause it to become short and fat - not a good look.

After much thought, I decided that before I do the button bands, I’m going to fold back both fronts and tack the excess to the inside of the cardigan. Hopefully doing so will produce a fitted knit. I’m a bit worried that my tacking will be noticeable. I am a horrible at sewing, and the fabric is so thick that it might produce a visible “line” along the button bands. Maybe I can call it a design element? Whatever the case, adjustments will be necessary. I doubt I’ll wear it without them.

Works in Progress Update:

Gentleman’s Shooting Stockings with Fluted Pattern – Turned heel of first sock, working on the gussets.

Double Pineapple Doily – Completed the bottoms of the first round of pineapples.

Snailmania

I thought it might be time for a snail update. My little buddies are doing great. They grow a little more each day, and I’ve been doing everything in my power to help them grow faster. I’m thinking about feeding them fish pellets, which probably are a bit more nutritious than the random lettuce I’ve been throwing into the jar.

I am going to try to move some of the bigger snails into the critter keeper I bought a while ago. The jar is kind of crowded. I’m still concerned they’ll get out through the slits in the top, though.

Here are my babies approximately one month since hatching:

The green bits are lettuce

I’ve been semi-productive on the knitting front. I finished my cousin’s Baroness Beret last week. Overall I’m pleased with how it turned out, although I wish my dinner plates were just a tad smaller. Jacqueline may have to wet this one and throw it in the dryer, because the brim grew mucho after blocking.


1 skein Sugar n' Cream in "Ecru," size 5 and 7 needles

I started the Gentleman’s Shooting Stockings with Fluted Pattern last Saturday. The going is slow, but I expected that. The pattern calls for size 0 (2mm) needles for the entire sock. Unfortunately, my row gauge is way off, so I decided to do the ribbing on size 0 needles (so the socks don’t fall down) and the rest of the sock on size 1 (2.5mm) needles. When adding my needle stats into Ravelry for this project, I noticed that Ravelry dubs 2.5mm needles as size 1.5 and 2.25mm needles as size 1. However, both Knit Picks AND Nancy Bush say my 2.5mm needles are size 1. Ah! So confusing! Next time I place an order through Knit Picks, I’m going to buy the 2.25mm needles. I bet that with my unique tension, they’re just the right size for all of these size 0 vintage sock projects.


Once again Darby's in the picture!
I decided to use Knit Pick’s Stroll Sock yarn in “Forest Heather.” I found the yarn to be a bit splitty when casting on, but after that it seemed to behave better.

Well, that’s all folks. I’m going to go scrub the toilet now. Ciao!

Works in Progress, Finished Objects, and Future Projects

Cool post title, eh? As it suggests, I have some crafty things to share. First – some finished objects. I finished the Lace Tam last Monday. I LOVE how it turned out. I should have added an extra repeat to the bottom since I used thinner yarn, but I think it’ll be fine. I’m contemplating making another for myself, but I’m scared that if I start another, I’ll never finish it. It was kind of boring to knit, and the thin yarn didn’t help.

I put it on a dinner plate to block. The thin yarn dried really fast!

I also completed the Two-Tone Doily.


Peach and white size 10 cotton crochet thread, size 7 hook.
Second – works in progress. I’ve got the Baroness Beret (available on Ravelry) on the needles at the moment, and I’m working on the Double Pineapple Doily here and there. The beret is for my cousin, Jacqueline, and the doily is for me! I’m tired of working with basic black and white (Double Pineapple Doily - black, Lace Tam - black, Baroness Beret - ecru, Spring Beret - cream) and want to add a little color to my knitting – which brings me to future project ideas. I’d like to make a pair of socks for my grandfather and a pair for me. I’m a little nervous since these will be my first adult socks. I want to do some basic ribbed ones for me (I’ve got some rainbow–colored self-striping sock yarn), but I need to do something a little more adventurous for my grandfather. I flipped through Knitting Vintage Socks in search of something understated, but classy. First I thought about the Gentleman’s Sock in Railway Stitch, but I figured that wouldn’t be a good choice since I already have yarn picked out for that pattern, and chances are I won’t want to knit it twice. Then I considered the Gentleman’s Half Hose in Ringwood Pattern, but it just wasn’t calling to me. I finally decided on the Gentleman’s Shooting Stockings with Fluted Pattern. Why? Because I’m a copycat (Sara’s making them)…and I think the pattern would show up nicely on a dark-colored yarn. I need to root through my stash and pick a manly yarn. I’m leaning towards green, but we’ll see.

On another note – I received yet another shipment of Knit Picks goodies. This time I ordered a pattern book, Pure Knits, solely based on my love of the Orchid Sweater. I also ordered some size 13 needle tips for my Harmony Wood Set and a bunch of sock yarn. Here’s the yarn:


That's Darby's nose in the picture. Something/someone other than her was getting attention, so she had to investigate. Starting with the brown yarn and going clockwise we have Stroll Tonal in "Kindling," Stroll Tonal in "Blue Yonder," Felici in "Rainbow," Felici in "Positively Pink," and Felici in "Green Veggies."

I fell head-over-heels for the Kindling the first time I saw it. It reminds me of a tree trunk. The Blue Yonder didn’t look too great on the computer screen, but once I saw it in Knit Picks magazine, I knew I had to have it. It’s very attractive, and I think it’ll make for an interesting pair of socks. Since the Felici yarns are limited edition, I chose to splurge a little and buy three colorways before they are gone forever. I don’t know what it is about that Rainbow Felici, but I freaking love it! I am intrigued by Knit Picks’ blurb on the Felici Sock Yarn page that says Felici yarns will be replaced with new ones once the current colorways sell out. Does that mean there will be new colors??? I should start saving immediately!

Maine

Last weekend I traveled to Maine with Kai and had a lovely 48 hours worth of vacation. The weekend was jam packed with activity (thanks to Maija’s ingenious scheduling skills), so I’ll have to share the abbreviated version here on my blog.

Day 1 (Technically Friday night)

-Maija and Jared picked us up from the Boston Airport. We headed to Applebee’s where Kai ordered spicy food and threatened to destroy Maija’s new sheets with explosive diarrhea. It’s a wonder they took us to their apartment.

-Watched Iron Man in HD on a huge TV.

-Went to bed. Kai didn’t stain the sheets.


Day 2 (Saturday)

-Had breakfast at a local diner.

-Went 4-wheeling. (I drove for a bit!)

-Went shooting. (I refused to use any of the guns save for one – the one that made the least noise.)

-Went to Uno’s.

-Went to bed.


Day 3 (Sunday)

-Had breakfast at another diner with Kai’s dad.

-Visited the zoo. (Kai’s dad is the director of the York's Wild Kingdom Zoo.)

-Had lunch from a local convenience store.

-Played Scene It!

-Hopped onto a plane.

-Returned to NJ.


I took lots of pictures and videos. I should probably set everything up on Webshots for easier viewing. Here are some highlights:

Leaving Philly!

Kai and Maija pose with a statue in Kittery

Shooting at some targets

Kai shooting a rifle!
Kai’s dad said we should return sometime in the summer when the zoo’s in full swing. I’d love to go back, especially when all the animals are present. Plus, we’d get the backstage tour. Kai’s going to look into getting some time off for another trip. I hope he can work something out. Maine is SO much nicer than NJ.