1220051241.jpg Originally uploaded by Meli K.

Fun stuff - I just receieved my first Kpixie order! The camera-phone pic is crappy, but I got some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (for when I finally get around to trying sock knitting again) and some Aurora 8 in a pumpkin color. It will be used to make Teva Durham's lace leaf scarf pattern that I ordered. Might be a good plane project for my travels to Kansas City this weekend.

Pitchfork's top 50 albums is up today. I'm happy to report that they rated one of my favorites this year as their #1 (I won't give it away here, check it out for yourself). Thankfully, they also rated the horrible "My Humps" by the Black-Eyed Peas one of the worst releases of the year.

12/18/2005 09:05:00 PM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|Enough with the PMS posts...I finished the Anthro-Inspired Capelet for my sister. It turned out pretty cute. I'm going to let my sister use her own pin to fasten it. Anyone have some suggestions for "blocking" Wool-Ease? I think this needs a bit of smoothing out. I probably should have had the photos taken against a light background so that it "pops" better, but these will have to do.

Pattern: Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease

And here's a funny one:

|W|P|113496165843629889|W|P||W|P|12/16/2005 12:16:00 PM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|Prepare yourself for a blah post...could be due to the gray cold weather here, or the fact that I'll likely be spending my Friday night sipping wine and doing laundry at home (by choice, mind you, I'm more of a Saturday night going-outer). I'm coining a new term here perhaps, but I'm feeling a little "socially isolated" lately. Here I am living in this big city with my dear husband, a few blocks away from my twin sister, brother, brother-in-law, future sister-in-law, a few miles away from great work friends, and suburbs away from one of my best friends, and it's amazing how many things I do on my own. I run/train by myself, I knit by myself, I shop by myself. Ok, I don't dine by myself or sleep by myself, but you get my drift. I think it's due in part to my loner tendencies, but as I move through my daily wake up-go to work-work out-go home-eat-go to bed routine, the time I spend with non-coworkers and non-husbands is on the decrease. And it's making me kinda sad. I guess it seems like the same is true for other people in my life, and it will probably be worse when we have kids, but sometimes I worry that it's just me. That everyone else is having fun without me. I know, this deserves a big "waaah" (insert sarcastic baby crying noise here). But then it hit me that my 30th birthday is coming up (February). Maybe this is my little getting old contemplation/freak out. Who knows? More fun stuff to come. Happy Friday!|W|P|113475783429421805|W|P||W|P|12/13/2005 09:54:00 PM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|Holiday baking is in full force at chez Meli. I've ingested way too much butter and sugar in the past two days. I'm at the point now where I'm constantly craving fruits and vegetables. Regardless, here are the fruits of my labor.

Chocolate Butter Cookies (Cook's Illustrated Recipe) and Candy Cane Pinweels

Standard Butter Cut-Outs (Mother-in-Law's recipe)

In knitting news, I'm trying to finish up the Anthropologie-inspired capelet as part of my twin sister's Christmas present. Hopefully this weekend.|W|P|113453302377580818|W|P||W|P|12/12/2005 05:24:00 PM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|It was that time of year on Saturday...time for the office holiday party. Or in my case, it was my firm's "Holiday Ball," which is a black-tie affair affectionately dubbed "the prom" by most people I work with. This was my fifth prom (dear Lord), and while I imbibed and danced with my co-worker friends, I did not scream out "this is the best fucking song" upon hearing the beginning chords of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" as I did last year. One of my friends was so observant to point out that I have a drink in my hand in almost every picture taken of me. At the beginning of the night, it was a glass of champagne, but by the end of the night I had progressed (or regressed) to a bottle of Miller Lite. Good times. I did get my hair done, which I have to say, looked fabulous. |W|P|113443022770474011|W|P||W|P|12/08/2005 10:01:00 PM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|It's colder than a witch's boob here in the windy city. Tonight, we got heaps of snow, which probably had something to do with this plane skidding off the runway at Midway Airport. Yikes! There seems to be no relief from the cold - my office is cold, our condo is drafty - perfect reason to knit myself a shawl, right? But no. Instead, I'm making my grandmother in Florida the Glaympyre Knits City Shawl. I think it's perfect for when she gets a chill from the A.C. Pictures soon. Oh, I can't stand Bill O'Reilly...I'm sitting here waiting for his interview with Howard Stern and I can barely stomach him. Stephen Colbert kicks his ass.|W|P|113410153127190412|W|P||W|P|12/06/2005 08:37:00 PM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|Coming to you live from my new laptop! Now Doug and I have dueling laptops - we're such nerds. This weekend I have to say I made the best Christmas mix. I tried for something non-traditional - all songs available on iTunes. Melissa's Kooky Christmas Mix 1. Christmas in New Orleans (Louis Armstrong) 2 The Little Drummer Boy (Johnny Cash) 3 Spotlight On Christmas (Rufus Wainwright) 4 Baby, It's Cold Outside (Mulato Beat Remix -Louis Armstrong & Velman Middleton) 5 Blue Christmas (Chris Isaak) 6 I Want to Come Home for Christmas (Marvin Gaye) 7 Another Lonely Christmas (Prince) 8 What Child Is This? (Dave Brubeck) 9 Merry Christmas, Baby (Bonnie Raitt & Charles Brown) 10 Sweet Secret Peace Neil Finn 11 Christmas With the Devil (Spinal Tap) 12 What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (Diana Krall) 13 The Little Drum Machine Boy (Beck) 14 Soulful Christmas (James Brown) 15 Last Christmas (Wham!) 16 Thank god it's not christmas (Sparks) 17 River (Joni Mitchell) 18 Christmas Must Be Tonight (The Band) And now my bucket hat in all its felted glory. I think it turned out pretty cute. Hopefully my mom will agree. The colors don't come through well here...they are pink and a brownish-gray. |W|P|113392337664346841|W|P||W|P|12/01/2005 05:10:00 PM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|So I think I might get used to this running in the cold thing - maybe even in the snow. Yesterday morning we woke up to about an inch of snow. I had planned a gym visit before work to lift weights, and I jogged the short distance in the snow. It was actually kind of fun - especially since I didn't fall on my ass! Now I just need to get the right clothes. Technical clothing is so freaking expensive, which I knew of course, but it still sucks. After visiting my LRS (local running store - ha!), I'm hoping I can probably find what I want for cheaper on-line. Did you know people sell used running clothes on ebay? Yes, I checked, and I think that's pretty gross. On to my 2nd finished Christmas present (the unfelted version):

Pattern: Chicknits Bottoms-Up Bucket Hat Yarn: Manos del Uruguay

I love Manos! The colors are fantastic! This still needs to be felted, but the unfelted version looks kind of cool too, no? The intended recipient is my mother...but Doug wants me to keep it. We'll see...I have a huge head, so the felted version might not fit me! I'm watching 20/20...the creepy CEO of American Apparel is being interviewed. Love the clothes, but he sounds like a freak. Pieces on Kimora Lee Simmons and Costco are next! Who new that staying home on a Friday night could be so exciting?

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