Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Going visiting

Well, I must say that "more of the same" does not make for good blog fodder. I'm over halfway through with the Hip in Hemp skirt now, and still going strong although the rows are now getting longer (we've all heard this song before, eh?). I'm getting a little less than one repeat an hour at this point, and have 16 repeats left to go. The length and width are still looking right, so I'm feeling on target. But the pictures look the same, so it's not like I have anything to show you, alas.

Look! Our jacaranda tree is in bloom, finally.
They're all over the neighborhood now -- I'll have to see if I can get a picture. From the hill where we were hiking the other day, we could look out over parts of Vista and see clumps of purple everywhere. I love how truly exuberant jacarandas are. You can't see it in this picture, but they don't leaf and flower at the same time. They carry their leaves all year round, right up until they're about ready to bloom, and then they dump all the extra baggage so they can put everything into flowering. I like the attitude.

Aside from that, I've been slowly plugging away at my paper for this conference in early July. I really need to have made some serious progress on it before going to a workshop in Berkeley in a few weeks (make that ten days, eek!), so that I'm not fretting too much. I want it nailed and put to bed before I get on the plane for the conference (no, I haven't said where I'm going yet; it's an exciting happy thing, so I'm saving it for its very own post at some point soon) so that I don't have to think about it until just before I need to present, when I can have a small panic attack and practice it again four or five times in a deserted hallway (yes, I've done this before, why do you ask?)(I'm just proud that I've gotten the panic attacks to within an hour of my presentation, instead of days and days in advance; it ruins far less time this way). I have a huge stack of articles to read, but I also have something resembling an outline, so that's good.

And, I have a lovely visit to look forward to tonight! Rachael is in Torrance for a conference, and I'm driving up there tonight so that we can go to dinner. Really, it's so that we can get our raven stoles (formally known as Simurgh) together for a playdate. When we both started knitting the pattern with Anne, we emailed back and forth about how fun it would be to see them side-by-side, and promised that if either of us could ever make it to the other coast, we'd see what we could do. Well, she's here, so with luck we'll get a couple of good pictures of the stoles together (and maybe us, too?). That should be some excellent blog fodder!

All right. Articles call, and I must get a few read before I take Tilly to get her stitches out. One thing after another...

11 comments:

Stell said...

I to am looking forward to seeing the two stoles together, as will their creators and the designer. There is something about calculating how long a project will take to finish - some how it always goes quicker when you have an idea of when it will be done. Sort of -hurry up and finish. Warm mittens sounds just the thing for a cold weather jaunt.

Mary Lou said...

Let's hope they play well together and don't get drunk and disorderly

Anonymous said...

Good productive paper vibes your way. (I'd rather you be writing it than me, I must say. Even though the charting will only end when I die.)

What?! More of the same is all I have for blog fodder! Ruminating on that dratted sweater, with nary a picture in sight.

Love the jacaranda. I never remember what they're called. I remember a lovely tree all over Guadalajara in the summer with big flame orange blossoms (with leaves at the same time). Exuberant!

I don't mean to ignore the Meeting of the Two Stoles. Is yours quivering in excitement?

knitspot anne said...

oh MAN! i wish i was there too! give rachael a great big hug from me!

Anonymous said...

I get it now! Your jacarandas are my lilacs! Lovely.

At least with papers for conferences you don't have to go through 3 or 4 revisions (until after the conference when they decide to publish the proceedings!). good luck!

EGunn said...

It's so hard to find blogging material with big projects. And an hour a row? I hope you're getting a good row gauge!

Good luck with the paper. You'll be glad later that you spent the time to work on it before your trip. But it is a slog, isn't it?

FUZZARELLY said...

What lovely trees!

My one knitting project, the cashmere shawl, never seems to grow even though I knit on it just about every day for an hour or more. So, no pictures of that purple sack until it is complete.

Just keep writing, I like reading you.

Anonymous said...

I want to see the stoles together too.

That cubbyhole bookcase is fabulous! Talented hubby you've got there.

Berkeley soon?

Willow said...

Wishing you open freeways to Torrance and back!

I'm looking forward to seeing the photos of the shawls!

Bea said...

Wow the Jacaranda is lovely. We have green here, lots and lots of green, but no flowering things!

Your meet-up sounds like it will be really fun! THat will make for good blog fodder even if knitting big projects do not!

Good luck with your paper!

Alwen said...

That's good to be able to slot the panic into a certain period of time. I know all about the ruining of days beforehand!