Month: April 2008

Here’s Sparky’s real mugshot from the tag that was attached to his cage at the pound.

Have you ever seen a more pathetic looking kitty?

We are working on a new routine at my house: Sparky is indoors unless I am home to fetch him immediately should he disturb any neighbors. This also means no open window at night, so he can’t go make any stealth deposits in anyone’s yard. (It took less than forty-eight hours after his bailout for a recidivistic lapse and an angry call from Mr. Down-the-street.)

Sparky says that while he’s grateful I busted him out of the big house, this conditional parole is really cramping his style. We do OK for the first part of the night, but round about two a.m. he starts up with the chirping, which moves on to a desperate clambering onto window screens, at which point he gets sent to solitary (aka the bathroom) until morning.

I’m a bit sleep-deprived at the moment—but, really, things could be worse. He settles down quietly once he’s in the bathroom. And when he’s not in solitary, he’s cuddly and companionable. I am hoping that over time he will adjust to this new version of normal and become a true house cat.

Carol at The Golden Fleece gifted him with an absolutely lovely wad of stinky, greasy fleece, which has eased his suffering considerably. (He’s convinced he’s slain an entire sheep—the blood-thirsty, rapacious kind that likes to impale kittens on its horns—and is quite chuffed.)

I got bitten by the gymnastics bug around the same time as every other girl my age: when Olga Korbut competed in the 1972 Olympics. Four years later, Nadia Comaneci‘s perfect 10 just added to the sport’s allure. I participated in gymnastics in junior high, though I never got beyond forward rolls on the beam and walkovers on the floor. My friends and I often took our bag lunches to a little-used corner of the school grounds where a set of metal parallel bars and some climbing poles were anchored in sand. Parallel bars, of course, was a men’s event and climbing pole wasn’t even on the roster, but we had fun making up routines on them and competing against one another.

I’m not quite sure when men’s gymnastics moved into first place in my heart (none of the schools I attended even had men’s gymnastics programs), but I suspect it began with that play on the parallel bars and my appreciation for the strength demands of many of the men’s apparati. I will watch any gymnastics I find on tv, but I generally prefer the men’s competition.

At some point in mid-March I was flipping through the local paper and saw an ad for the Pacific Rim Gymnastic Championships in San Jose. A call to Melissa, an on-line ticket order, and a few weeks later (March 28, to be exact) we were watching the competition.

The U.S. gymnasts meet the judges before competing in their first event.

The Pacific Rim Championship is an interesting event in that the teams are made up of athletes from different levels. Each national team includes three seniors and three juniors. As a result, one gets to see several “name” stars, but also gets to see some of the more promising hopefuls that the national teams are willing to make a real investment in.

A Japanese gymnast on parallel bars, my old favorite.

The U.S. team was headed by one of my biggest man-crushes of all time: Paul Hamm. Lucky for me, Melissa is a very understanding woman. She even took pictures…

Paul Hamm on parallel bars.

We were surprised to find the arena only about a third full. This was no doubt disappointing for the gymnasts, but it was lovely for us as we were able to move about and sit pretty much anywhere we wanted, so we got good views of all the aparati at different times.

Rings and pommel horse.

We attended the evening all-around competition, which featured the higher-seeded teams: Australia, Russia, China, Japan, Canada, and the U.S. The U.S. took team honors. My beau, Paul Hamm, won the individual all-around.

A moment of glory.

Melissa and I both loved, loved, loved getting to see this competition in person. The physical demands of the sport were so clear up close, with the athletes’ bodies vibrating almost like piano strings on some of the difficult strength moves—particularly on the rings. Since all the apparati are in use at once, the event is a whirlwind of activity and one is constantly aware of only taking in a fraction of the surrounding action. We’re definitely ready to attend again if this competition returns to San Jose.

The event also left me thinking about the upcoming summer Olympics. Normally, I am glued to the television during the Olympic season (winter or summer). Boxing is the only sport I refuse to watch. However, I’d made the decision last summer that I was going to boycott the Beijing Olympics because of China’s human rights record. To the Chinese government or to the International Olympic Committee, little me not sitting glued to her television might not make one iota of difference, but for me the decision would represent a a real sacrifice, losing out on a rare and real pleasure, but taking a heartfelt stance.

Watching the gymnasts compete live, I found myself reconsidering that decision. The life-consuming dedication that the sport requires of them really commanded my respect, and I wondered whether it would be fair to them to ignore their accomplishments in order to comment on Chinese domestic politics. (There are also the small—ahem—issues of extraordinary rendition and Guantanamo, if I’m going to get all uppity about human rights.)

I haven’t yet decided what I’m going to do, whether my love of sport will win out or if I’ll feel compelled to take my individual moral stance. I expect I’ll be wrestling with my choice for a good while yet.

I just saw InsanKnitty’s excellent version of Grrr from Knitty and had to put it in my Ravelry queue.

Turns out it was item number 421, and my queue has now officially reached the nine-page mark. If only my needles could keep pace with my imagination!

Not too long ago, I ordered several pattern booklets from Article Pract, all of which arrived while I was in Washington, D.C. Melissa was kind enough to pick them up for me. I have been enjoying browsing through them the past few days and wanted to share some of the highlights.

Nashua Handknits, Natural Focus (8 patterns, $14.95)

This booklet is so new that it’s next to impossible to find pictures from it on the web. You can see a few of the projects it includes at Patternworks. These patterns features lots of lacy stitches using Natural Focus organic yarns (the wool is worsted weight, the cotton is a bit lighter) to make transitional-weather garments. There’s nothing cutting-edge about these pieces, but they’re all attractive and look very wearable. I like the Lace and Rib Cardigan (on the bottom in the Patternworks photo group), with waist-defining ribbing. The Leaf Cardigan is one of the more substantial garments in the book and features both highly textured sleeves and leaves rising up out of the waist ribbing. The booklet features this piece in grey, which sort of undercuts its botanical charm; I’d love to see it in a sage or a spring green.

Classic Elite Yarns, Make It Modern (7 patterns; $14.95)

Don’t be misled by the ditsy Little Leaf Scarf on the cover; it’s the weakest piece in this group. My absolute favorite is the Soft Linen Hoodie.

Isn’t that a cute neckline? It’s hip and classic all at the same time, good for both mom and the high school daughter she’s always embarrassing (not that I’ve suddenly become a mother— just making a point). The collection also includes two lovely pieces with lacy bodices, empire shaping, and square necks, one with cap sleeves, the other with long sleeves. The Cotton Bamboo Girl Tank features two different moss-rib variations which add interest while maintaining a crisp look. You can go to Classic Elite’s web site to check out the full group of patterns in this booklet.

Rowan Classic Yarns, Summer Breeze (13 patterns; $17.95)

The cover pattern with all its ruffles appeals to my girly side. The look is a bit frivolous, but the piece is substantial enough to be of real use. A number of these knits are a bit square in their shaping—the sort of thing that bony Rowan models can pull off, but that’s apt to be less charming on your average Jane. I have a love-hate thing going with Blow.

You can’t see it so well in this picture, but the featured yarn is a marl and the color variation seems to be in an all-out battle for dominance with the lace ribbing. Even I, lover of variegated colorways, have to admit that this cardigan would look best in a solid.

Rowan Organic Collection, Pure Life (18 patterns; $17.95)

This is one of those Rowan books that you just want to move into: “Never mind the knitting; can I please just have a week to myself in that lovely cabin? Or the caravan maybe?” These knits tend to be a bit boxy, but they look practical and comfortable, the kind of things that get worn until they wear through at the elbows. I’m particularly fond of Snapdragon, a pullover that’s sort of a semi-gansey

This book features knit for women, men, and girls, making it a good choice if you enjoy knitting for others. The Knitting Garden has pictures of the full contents posted.

I’ve got no idea when (if) I’ll get any of these knit up, but they’re providing plenty of inspiration as I move back and forth between academic duties and the works currently on my needles.

Sparky spent last Tuesday night in prison. He is home now, quite chastened, and demonstrating a deeper understanding of Johnny Cash‘s music. So far as I can tell, he did not get any cellblock tattoos.

The bad boy has, for quite some time and without my knowledge, been pooping and chasing birds in a yard half a block down the street. The neighbor didn’t know he was my cat (yes, yes, the boy does have a tag; I’ve since gotten him a bigger one), trapped him, and took him to the pound. There he was scanned with a microchip reader, I was identified as his owner and notified, and headed down to bail him out to the tune of $30. (A second offense is $50; subsequent offenses are $75 each. Let’s hope he’s learned his lesson.)

The pound folks told me he had been trapped, but weren’t allowed to say who had turned him in, so this weekend Melissa and I went door to door, introducing ourselves and giving neighbors pictures of Sparky with my contact information. At the houses where no-one was home, we left a photo and note. None of the folks we talked to had any complaints about the lad—either they knew him and liked him or they hadn’t ever seen him.

Last night, I got a call from the guy “what brung ‘im in.” We talked and agreed that if Sparky starts coming over unannounced again—he’s stayed out of the yard since the whole cage-slamming-shut-getting-driven-across-town-and-thrown-into-a-cell thing—I will provide a trap, then come pick the bad boy up once he’s been caught in hopes of teaching him that this particular yard is best avoided. I’ve also agreed to buy a bell to add to his collar to help prevent his hunting birds. (To the best of my knowledge the boy has never caught a thing, but clearly he has a secret life I know little about.)

Prison does not seem to have hardened Sparky. In fact, he is more affectionate than ever. Let us hope we have no recidivism.