Michael Jackson: From Vinyl to iPod

Like the rest of the world, I can't believe he is gone. I was stunned when I heard the news on Friday the Michael Jackson had passed. I was even more stunned to find out that he was 50- years-old; like his music he was a timeless fixture in my life. I was watching a VH1 special today that chronicled his musical library. Michael Jackson made music for nearly 45 years. Can you believe it! His career started when vinyl was the only media available. He was there for the 8-track, cassette tape, CD and digital. And now he is gone. It would take hours to chronicle all the life events I associate with Michael Jackson. I am grateful for his gift of music.

Eryka

Writing: The Color of Procrastination

As mentioned in the previous post, I plan to re-engage my creative writing brain. Part of it of course means writing on a regular basis. I had planned on writing every day, but that lofty ambition proved to be too much and I missed writing yesterday. But I promised myself i would keep this commitment, so tonight, I will do my first one. I will write for five straight minutes on the topic " What Color is Procrastination" Since this is free writing, I will not edit it, so here I go:
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The Color of Procrastination: Brownie
Procrastination, like a muddy lava of batter with distinct, intricate strands of sienna memories, filling the mind with seductive thoughts of relaxation and days when you didn't have to.

It is a brownie of your sweetest moments: a chunk of satisfaction after the sweater is all finished, a chewy center where there are no more heels to turn, and don't forget the crunch of a nut confirming there are no more stitches to bind-off. It is done... there is nothing more to do. You can relax. You don't have to any more. It is that freedom that is so hard to let go.

But it is that memory, a surprise crumb that hid in the corner of your smile, waiting to jump out and surprise you with its chocolatey goodness as you start your next project, that gets you every time.

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Ok, I lied, I did edit it and I feel good about that. So, moving forward, I will be editing the writings so that I am comfortable sharing them with my readers. Also, as you have noticed, I will try to keep each the writings about knitting or crafting related as much as possible. I look forward to your thoughts and comments!

Ta,

Eryka

The Writer Within...

When I was younger, I wanted to be everything. Specifically, I wanted to be a nun, waitress, doctor, and a writer (in that order please.) And anyone who knows me can see some aspects of those professions in my personality. I took to the writing the most. I even when to Columbia College, an art school in Chicago for a semester, which I LOVED.

But as I have gotten older, the passion seems to have drifted from my writing. I'm sure you know what I mean. Our personal passions drive our professions, but some how, the shine gets rubbed off, so that it is just another skill set, nothing to get excited about.

Now don't get me wrong, I love PR. Especially the thrill of getting it done against the odds, or connecting with a hard-to-reach reporter. But there are limits to how creative one can be. How often do you get to create a whole new world in corporate America? Or explore the essence of the color green? In short, I miss creative writing.

I feel as if I have lost my voice to the confines of corporate speak. So, I have decided to bring it back using a combination of activities from Dorothea Brande's pivotal work "Becoming a Writer" and a wealth of writing prompts from Creative Writing Prompts. And since I have not been keeping up with my blogging the way that I want to, I will use this space to rekindle my love with the English language. More to follow.

Ta,

Eryka

Spence-A-Long Update: on the next sleeve!

Hi,

I've made a lot of progress on my Spencer--I'm now on the second sleeve. Well in my case it is the fourth sleeve, but it is the only the second one on the garment. But it seems to be coming along nicely. However, I find that I have to be very careful. I had to rip back the second sleeve, when I first started; the decreasing on the second sleeve, didn't match the increasing pattern on the first sleeve. Anyway, I am making progress. I hope to get started on the ribbing soon. Although I do have a question. In the pattern, Annie suggested that we steam iron the body before moving on to doing the waist ribbing, collar, etc. What would happen if I soaked it in wool wash instead? Would that mess it us? Would it come out over blocked?

BTW, here is a picture of Kobe with a mohawk... it was a rainy day. When I dried him off, the fur on his head did interesting things. Enjoy.

Ava's First Birthday: She Chose the Pencil

Hi,

A couple of weeks ago, I went to California for my niece's first birthday party. As I mentioned in a previous post, this was a really special occasion. However, while the ceremony was great (check out the photos below), what was really amazing was spending time with my family. I got to connect with Jane's family as well as, building a stronger bond with my niece. And I must confess, my nephew Avery is just the perfect little man.


Of course, my favorite moment, was when Ava expressed interest in knitting. Yes, you heard right.

I was sitting there working on my Spencer (that is a whole other post) and she got quite curious about what I was doing.

So, I let her play with until people panicked about her touching the needles.

But she seemed to have things under control. What do you think?


Eryka

Trip Album

Finished! Lime Wrap (Vision Interruptus!)

Hi all,

I finally finished my Lime Wrap. Actually it has been like 90% finished for over a month now, I just need to add some embellishments. I was trying to figure out how to incorporate the Burgundy in a creative way. I looked at adding crochet motifs in strategic locations, but that didn't fit. I considered using an elaborate stitch pattern, but given the weight of the yarn, it was not appropriate either. So I did the trim in a basic single crochet.

Body: Blue Sky Alpaca Bulky Weight - Lime

Trim: Twinkle Soft Chunky - Burgundy

Closure: Not Buckles (blast!)

Then I saw buckles! I wanted to add like three sets of metal buckles for the closures. Unfortunately, after I blocked the wrap in wool wash, it had decided it didn't want buckles. So....no buckles. I have been longing to use the buckles on a garment forever, and I have tried to incorporate them into like three garments to no avail.

But I promise you one day, I will post something and there will be buckles....yes there will be buckles. Ok, enough jiber-jabber. On with the pics! Enjoy!

Ta!

Eryka

HOW DO YOU KNIT?

Morning All,

Quick question: How do you knit? Do you knit lively? or contently? how about festively? Personally, I like to knit sexy!

Ta!

Eryka

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