April's Knitting Projects

Someday I might have to start a blog just for knitting, but not today! I finished a couple projects in April. First, I've been working on a perfect gift for Steve - biotech entrepreneur extraordinaire, always elegant in pin-stripes and always, always a pink shirt or tie or pocket square (or all three!). So what to knit for the man who has everything? Yes, at last I got the opportunity to knit the DNA scarf that Michael Hehenberger turned me on to years ago. Yup, I've been meaning to get around to that one! So perfect - I knit it for Steve in pink silk/alpaca DK weight yarn from Valley Yarns. What a beautiful feel to that yarn, so soft but shows off the cables quite nicely, I think. Here it is - after I finished it I thought of two other people who deserve this scarf as well! I love how the double helix has bars across in garter stitch that represent the base pairs. Thanks to June Oshiro for the great pattern!

Next, another pair of socks, these for Hayden to say thanks for all his help. I found the self-striping superwash wool yarn for this in my favorite yarn store in Chardon (the ONLY yarn store in Chardon), Knitting on the Square. Decided the pattern would come out best if I just knit stockinette stitch, so nothing fancy - but I liked the contrasting blue heel, which came out very soft and cushiony.

And last, but not least - and also not finished, is the baby blanket I'm making for my almost-born new grandson. When I'm knitting for someone it helps me to think of them while I'm knitting - I feel it puts a lot of good karma into the garment for the recipient. But how to think about this unborn, as yet un-named young man? Michael suggested they name him Vincent, as he thinks it would be humorous to have a nephew named 'Vinnie Valentine'. Especially since he'll be from New Jersey. Anyway, young Vinnie is getting a slate blue blanket of Lion CottonEase, with a nice pattern that is sort of open-work leaves. I'm liking the pattern a lot, so much that I just decided the heck with other stitches, we'll make it mostly these leaves - here's the work in progress. Don't you love the nice undulating pattern - its very textural. Anyway, if Vinnie doesn't show up on his own before then, we are expecting him this Thursday, early afternoon. David and Claire are incredibly organized!

Inherit the Wind

A new production of "Inherit the Wind" opened on Broadway this week and Don and I went last night. The timing is perfect for this play - as our country increasingly is involved in a debate between rational science and fundamentalism, and this debate makes its way into our state legislatures and our schools (where it surely does not belong!), it is good to be reminded that this is a fight we had (and won) some 80 years ago. As the Clarence Darrow figure says to the defendant right after he is convicted by the jury, "You don't think this is over, do you?" I guess not.

Anyway, as a lover of theater, it was great to be at a play. The cast was led by the redoubtable Christopher Plummer as Henry Drummond (for the defense) and Brian Dennehy as the fundamentalist Matthew Brady (for the prosecution). Plummer was outstanding, in total command of the stage and of his role. Dennehy, who I think is a wonderful actor, unfortunately missed it, with a performance that lacked the fire and passion of the fundamentalist and failed to be the dramatic foil to Plummer that the role really demands for a crackling performance. The staging was well-done, with audience members seated as if in the courtroom ( a nice touch I thought, although I declined the option when I bought our tickets, thinking it might be hot under the lights) and a wonderful gospel quartet. The jewel-box of a theater (the Lyceum) gave an intimacy to the production that served to draw one in to the debate. Other performances I admired were the cynical reporter (pseudo-H.L. Mencken) played by Denis O'Hare and the fundamentalist minister played by Byron Jennings. Actually, it would be interesting to see these two in the main roles, considering the skill with which they played their 'seconds'.

The Times review was fairly critical. But I definitely say its a play worth seeing for both the performances as well as the topical content. And to see Christopher Plummer one more time in his element!

April Update

Some collections of random musings, taken together might justify a post:

For news and more pix of Easter at Villa Mir Farm, go to the VMF Blog. We had a great time, with 2 feet of snow (!!) and lots of friends and family to help shovel. Here, Jack eats strawberry-rhubarb pie - I have to try eating pie with my eyes closed, wonder if it tastes better that way? That white stuff out the window is not over-exposure, by the way!

I am not the worlds most tech-obsessed person, who has time for it!! But there are a couple of sites that I've started to use fairly often which help me get/stay organized (or at least as organized as I ever get!).

First one is a social networking site I want to recommend to all of you - its called HiveLive, and its a very cool, easy-to-use place you can store stuff and collaborate with friends and family in a private way. Once you sign up (its free) and log in, you can create as many 'hives' as you want. A hive can be a place to keep notes, a daily diary, a personal space or a collaborative space for anyone you choose. Or, if you want to get frisky, you can make a public hive for the whole community on HiveLive (like Facebook). Its a bit like blogging, but maybe more like a digital file cabinet that's easy to access. I've been using it a fair amount to keep all the random notes and stuff I collect on travels. I have hives for: recipes, book reviews and recommendations, favorite quotations, restaurants. I can share them with other members, so if you do sign up, please let me know and I will add you to my group hives. If you have trouble signing up, either email me or post a comment here and I will assist.

Second one is a cute little free thing called the Pocket Mod. Its a customizable planner, which you create on their website, print on a single sheet of paper, then it folds into a little booklet that easily fits in your pocket, purse, whatever. With a clever, origami-like folding scheme, you get 8 pages which can have a daily, weekly or monthly calendar, note space, tables or graphs, all kinds of stuff. I make one every week, then carry it around for a week to jot down a note or so, keep track of travel expenses, see my schedule at a glance. I guess if you're really into a Blackberry, that's better, but I have a Blackberry and I still use this little thing. There is just nothing like a piece of paper sometimes! (For my green, sustainable friends, you can print it out on paper that's used on one side, and when it folds all the unwanted stuff is hidden - thus a good way for 'double-recycling' all that extra paper we wind up with!)

OK, let me know if you like these - and feel free to make some recommendations of your own!