I go away, I come back.

And where have I been, you ask? Why,

New York City, of course!

I had to include this image of Beethoven in Central Park here--I'm photobucket'ing the rest, and I may include the link here later. Beethoven is placed in a very odd location: Alongside the Grand Mall, facing a tree trunk. Literally. The Mall (and main walkway, actually) runs alongside the tree there. Who thought that was smart?

Anyway, I did get some knitting done while walkabout. A helpful tip: If you've ever had problems with motion sickness (thank you, I have) or haven't slept in over 24 hours (thank you, I hadn't at the time) or are slightly dehydrated, DON'T knit on take-off. Really, you'll regret it, quite athletically, either in the handy air-sick bag at your seat or in the miniature bathroom at the back of coach. Urgh. I won't be doing that again anytime soon!

To return to point:
This is a gaiter I began in the airport at far, far too early on the morning of August 31. It's the yarn my friend sent me, and it's soft as kitten fur. Just about as easy to deal with, too, but I imagine I will love it when I'm done. Probably not until then, but when I'm done, I will love it.

This is a hat I began right before I left and took up again last night when I realized I wanted to knit while watching Clarissa (oh, the things I will watch for Sean Bean. Sweet baby Jesus, Clarissa is a twat! I've seen the first two episodes, and so far I hate her only slightly less than sulfur in my water. She goes on and on about how virtuous she is and how she hates Lovelace for being an absolute rake, cad and bounder, but she keeps writing to him! Granted, he's Sean Bean in knee hose and frills *feels faint*, but honestly. Hypocrite much, Clarissa? Then, she writes him frantically begging him to save her from a forced marriage to Smallpox Survival Boy With Bad Hair, and gets pissy with him when he shows! WTF!?!?! Make. Up. Your. Mind. Personally, it's no contest for me. Ruin myself with Lovelace so SSBWBH won't marry me and retire to a life of genteel poverty. I'd be his doxy if he ponied up nice jewelry I could sell and invest the proceeds. Then the gentility might not be so impoverished, but whatever. I'm hoping they left tons out of the television version, because it makes. No. Freakin'. Sense. What. So. Ever., and if this is literature, I'll take schlocky novels any day. Then again, if I wanted the literary version, I'd have read it, but it seems very short of Sean Bean in the print version. Unfortunately.) It's that stupid homespun crap, and it's still twisting up tight as I knit, but I'm trying to knit looser than I usually do and it helps. If I finish it without garrotting someone with the circular needle, it will be a miracle.

Yes, it's a ball of yarn. I plan on making a pair of Cleaves with it and several friends of the same ilk. The funny thing is, I got enough yarn for the pattern, but realized a couple of feet in that there's one of those awkward break/tie ups. Not cool, imho. So I sent my mom, the Nieceling and Nephew off to get a couple more just in case there are tons of those knots in there. They bring me enough to make a whole 'nother set of Cleaves! I'm sure I can find something to do with it, if I can cope with the double pointed needles long enough to actually knit the Cleaves. Meh. Some people prefer them to the circular needles, but I can't understand why. If I could find a set of circulars short enough to do a sleeve, I'd be all over that like white on rice. Oh, well. Like I need more needles!