I've Made Up My Mind - I love it!

I finally finished my Make Up Your Mind racerback tank from the Spring/Summer 2011 issue of Knitty, and was super-excited to wear it today. It is the second top I've ever made that actually fit.

The first top I made was a really simple tee that I found in The Yarn Girl's Guide to Knits for All Seasons, which, incidentally, was written by the two women who formerly owned the yarn store where I currently work. They're mastermind knitters and were wonderful bosses to have - you can find them on ravelry under the group The Yarn Girls. I shopped at The Yarn Company for my first few yarn purchases a good year and a half before I tried to get a job there, and the book was a freebie for spending a certain amount of money (never-you-mind how much). I held on to the book until they hired me, and then scrambled to make the top before my first day this past September - I had exactly a week. Needless to say, I was about three days late in making it, then I felt like a huge nerd for making one of their patterns and wearing it in to work. Nerd? Brown noser? I don't know. It seemed lame, so I wore it other places and only recently, about two weeks ago (now that they're no longer there), did I wear it in. I'm sure they would have been flattered I made and loved one of their patterns, but I'm a nervous nelly about people thinking I'm lame. Because I kinda am.




Here's a terrible cell phone photo of that tee; at the time I hadn't even seamed up the other side of it, but I was so proud I made something (other than a hat/scarf) that I could wear, I had to take a picture with my cell phone - you can clearly see my hand clutching the other side closed.



After that, I made Petrie from last year's Spring/Summer Knitty, and it was an utter disaster. I finished it about 2 and a half weeks ago and it was HUGE on me. I don't know what happened. My gauge was fine initially, then something... happened. It ballooned. My chest was too small for it and it made me look really, really big, which is something I don't need help with. I made it out of a beautiful milk cotton and was totally bummed. Then my mom tried it on and despite the fact that she's shorter than me (albeit bustier, I suppose) it fit her like a dream. So rather than rip it up, I gave it to her. And resigned myself to Make Up Your Mind. I'm glad I did. I'm also glad I took a chance on making it in the multi-colored Noro Taiyo sock yarn, rather than a solid. It's super-cute as a multi.

The Doo takes really nice iPhone camera pictures. 

The Doo and I met up after work today for our first date night in a long time and went walking along the Highline in NYC - what better place to snap a few shots of my MUYM tank for the ol' blog? I think wearing it today was pretty a propos given it's cheery, bright colors and the groundbreaking news about gay marriage in New York. I made a resolution a long time ago that I didn't believe in marriage if it were some privilege that could be denied to my friends and loved ones, and The Doo and I have agreed that unless everyone in the country can get married, then we don't want to. It's a reverse Groucho Marx: I don't want to be part of any club that wouldn't have my best friend as a member.

Equality from the Highline

As the sun went down on the Highline, I turned around and saw the rainbow colors of the Empire State building (it was then I realized that it sorta matched my tanktop) and felt pride for my city and state. I  hope we can be a beacon of change for the rest of the nation. I hope this is the beginning of the end.










After a generous serving of Emack and Bolio White Pistachio ice cream (while it is a delicious ice cream chain, I can't help but think that Emack and Bolio sounds like some terrible disease from the 1940s every time I hear it), The Doo and I got on the train to head home so I could write and he could play some much-needed Call of Duty Black Ops. He snapped this picture of me on the train and modded it on the way home. I told him to take out all the color except for my knitting, as the color of the yarn is a clue as to which project I picked from the last three I posted about in It's Too Damn Hot.

Can you guess what I'm making?