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Author: Kris

  • Snook’s Hipster Cardy

    Snook's Hipster CardyAs my knitting buddies know, this has actually been finished for more than a month but I’ve only just now gotten around to documenting it. This was my entry to the 2011 Sydney Royal Easter Show, where it didn’t win anything. The pattern is “#17 Man’s Cable Cardigan” by Josh Bennett for the Winter 2009/2010 issue of Vogue Knitting. (Many thanks to Reecie for lending me the pattern.)

    The Snook was not initially receptive to the idea of a cardigan, because they seemed either a) too daggy and “grandpa” or b) too hip and trendy. That’s when I started calling it the Hipster Cardy. I told him that as a bicycle-riding, bearded I.T. nerd from the Inner West it was his sacred destiny to wear an ironic grandpa cardigan. So I knitted it anyway, knowing he’d like it once he had it on. He’s worn it several times now. We’ve had some fun staging photos where I tell him to “Look supercilious! Like you think my favourite band is crap!” and stuff. “More condescending! Sneer at my carbon footprint!”

    Snook's Hipster Cardy Snook's Hipster Cardy Snook's Hipster Cardy

    It’s actually a very nice cardy and he does sincerely like it. I was worried about the ribbing along the buttons, because I had seen others that came out very wavy and ripply. The instructions say to cast off as loosely as possible, which seems INSANE. That would just make it more ripply! I did a sewn cast-off, and I’m mostly happy with it. He tends to only do up a couple buttons anyway, which means you can’t really tell.

    The wool is Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in “Pumpernickel” (a nice dark flecky brown). I actually knitted on the recommended needles (4mm and 4.5mm). The buttons are vintage men’s buttons I got at All Buttons Great and Small. (Ravelry details)

    And as always, the Easter Show judges can suck it. 🙂

  • Shared today on Twitter

    @imdominating Wait, the wedding is DRY? Oh lordy. I didn’t know that. HAVE FUN.

    @imdominating You should slip @carbolicious some cash to work a little alcomahol into the cake frosting or something. LIVEN IT UP!

    Picnic for my nephew Kurt’s birthday! (@ Victoria Park) http://4sq.com/iWeEvC

    Going to dye my Feb Lady Sweater. Anybody have experience with Jacquard dyes? Just got some from Granny Square. Tips & advice welcome!

    @lahondaknitter Knit up. It’s this: http://flic.kr/p/5fLfhW. Alpaca/wool blend. I just don’t wear cream cardigans!

    @lahondaknitter Thanks for pointing me to @cloudynatknit! Got good tutorial link to adapt. Will use Snook’s big homebrew pot.

    @drkknits Ooh, that’s different from what I was planning. I was going to use vinegar and cook it in a pot?

    @drkknits But it’s a whole cardy. Not even sure I have a microwave container big enough!

    @drkknits Will email you and Ailsa now… 🙂

    It’s 6:03pm and the Snook and I are still here. Not a big surprise. On the plus side, we get to go to our CHEESE-MAKING class tomorrow!

    @Opheli8 Once I am indoctrinated into the ways of the cheese, I will be spreading cheesy joy to all my friends. Unless I eat it first.

    @drkknits If you mock us, I won’t share any of my fancy artisanal organic Chippendale Cheese with you! 🙂

    @drkknits THINK OF THE CARBON FOOTPRINT, YOU BOURGEOISE NITWIT! (I had to google how to spell “bourgeoise.” Rather ruins the outrage.)

    @drkknits Oh, you’re gonna get another visit from our Red Scare bot friend…

    Actually, we’ll learn to make mozzarella, ricotta, and “labne”. The hipster part will be because we’re wearing hats and carrying iPhones.

    @drkknits Like they could KEEP ME from blogging it. 😛

    @kunaal84 All the people you know are Hindus and atheists. What did you expect? 🙂

    @drkknits @kunaal84 I spent an hour last night working out how to play “Makin’ Whoopie” on the ukulele. #hipstercentral

    Going to try a “rally car” strategy for tonight’s Jamie meal. Snook will cook while I shout out instructions and take photographs…

    He says: “If a man’s not makin’ a mess, he’s not makin’ anything.” http://twitpic.com/50homc

    Post-Rapture WIN! Tonight’s Jamie meal: Crusty Cod, Mashy Peas, Warm Salad. 32 minutes and 10/10!! http://twitpic.com/50hqod

    Normally our bedtime, but we’re headed to an Enmore pub to wish @henrytapia a happy birthday! #hardlyhipsters #sleepynerds

    @drkknits Holy crap, you are so far ahead of me on that book! No more chatting about it til I finish…

    @imdominating You haven’t been to Manly Beach yet. God is clearly from New South Wales, Australia. 🙂

    RIP Bill Hunter. “You can’t stop progress!”

    @imdominating Gorgeous!!

    Heading off to Cheesemaking Class! Sadly, the Snook rejected my suggestion to wear a beret.

  • Shared today on Facebook

    It’s 6:03pm and the Snook and I are still here. Not a big surprise. On the plus side, we get to go to our CHEESE-MAKING class tomorrow!

    He says: “If a man’s not makin’ a mess, he’s not makin’ anything.”

    CONGRATULATIONS to my cousin Megan Baker and her new husband Tad Hite! Looks like a gorgeous wedding. We were very sorry to miss it!

  • Shared today on Twitter

    @randomknits Totally getting deja vu from that. 🙂

    My new foam roller has arrived! @seanchadwick immediately had to try “planking” on it. http://twitpic.com/4zvhtz

    @AusVintageGrrl @randomknits There’s nothing much to get. I’ve just heard her make that specific rant a couple times in the past few wks 🙂

    @MiscMarci You love me! (I actually made Rodd watch that movie recently, as he’d never seen it the whole way through.)

    @FlavourCrusader THAT’S AWESOME! Was it the photo of me and the fish? Because I can eat some more fish if that’ll help. 🙂

    If you’re gonna break your diet, break it HARD. #nachos #beer #happiness

    The Snook is raiding on WoW in another room. Me: “Did you just tell someone ‘Take your pants off?!” Him: “Actually, yes. It’s a tank thing.”

    “Not only did you miss your pre-rapture orgy window, you spent your last night on earth playing Warcraft. I hope it was fun!” #actuallysaid

    Matching Starmores at the Farmers’ Market @ Eveleigh Markets http://instagr.am/p/EfhT9/

  • Shared today on Facebook

    My new foam roller has arrived! @seanchadwick immediately had to try “planking” on it.

    Nice easy 3:1 with @rajsingh & @kunaal84 at lunch!

  • Photo Post

    Matching Starmores at the Farmers’ Market

    Matching Starmores at the Farmers' Market

  • New Adventures in Cat Parenting

    Recently I stumbled across this fantastic MetaFilter comment by a veterinarian advocating feeding your cats ONLY canned/wet food. The Snook and I discussed whether it would be a good thing to do for our furballs. They’ve both had UTIs, so anything that gets them ingesting more water is a good thing. The only thing we’ve ever fed them has been Friskies, and they both seem to like that. Amy begs for the occasional bit of chicken fat or bacon rind, but Petey’s never shown any interest in meat or human food. (We even put out raw chicken wings for him a few times, but it’s like he didn’t even know what to do with them.) Anyway, a couple weeks ago I saw that the grocery store had a sale on a case of cat food pouches. I checked the ingredients to make sure that it was high in protein and real meat, which it was. “Why not?” I went for it. We’ve been augmenting their daily food ever since.

    We started with just a tablespoon of the meat. Amy woofed it up before Petey even got a sniff. For the first few days, that was the biggest problem – we couldn’t get Petey to eat any because Amy would get to it first. We eventually resorted to locking her in the bathroom so we could try to get him to eat some. Eventually he seemed to realise it was good stuff. Now we’re up to giving them a whole pouch each morning. I divide it into two bowls so they don’t have to fight. We’re still giving them dry food as well, but a smaller amount. The really weird thing is that they both seem to LOVE the gravy. Like, they’ll lick all the gravy out of the bowls and leave the meat chunks. They’ll eventually eat most of the meat, but only if the dry food is gone. Still, getting more water into them is a good thing, right? And I’m sure they’ll eventually transition all the way to the wet, as long as we keep restricting the dry.

    To my surprise, we’ve seen some immediate behaviour changes! Especially in Petey. He is being way more playful and affectionate, even going so far as to rub my legs while I’m prepping his breakfast. (Previously he’d never come into the kitchen while we were in there.) Last night we even got him to chase the laser pointer, which is something he’d shown no interest in before. He’s actually behaving like a normal cat instead of nervous, socially-awkward ‘fraidy cat! Amy also seems to be a little more energetic and demanding of cuddles. The experiment is going so well that I picked up another case of the food while it’s on sale. I’ll keep you posted…

  • Shared today on Google Reader

  • RunningBlog: Week 20

    I am very, very happy to be recording my highest distance week EVER, and the first over THIRTY MILES! I had my marathon run on Sunday, then I took Monday off to recover. I went for a very gentle run/walk at lunch on Tuesday, and I could tell my legs felt better. Wednesday I had a session at Spudds where I recorded DOUBLE HUNDREDS on the rower! Surprised the heck out of me. Thursday was another rest day. Today I went for a 3:1 run/walk at lunch with some guys from the office. I think overall recovery is going extremely well, and so far there’s been no sign of taper madness. Only 3 weeks to go! CAN YOU TELL I’M EXCITED?

    May 15: 42.25km
    May 17: 4.32km
    May: 20: 5.68km
    Total this week: 52.25km (32.6 miles)
    Total in 2011: 519.27km (324.5mi)

    Goodness! My goal is to run 1100km in 2011, and I’m nearly at the halfway point way ahead of schedule. Maybe I should revise my goal to 1200km?

  • Unsung Heroes: Wilma Rudolph

    Unsung Heroes: Wilma Rudolph. Awesome blog post about a female runner I’d never heard of.