this life for rent

1.) Just in time for the first night of Chanukah/Hannukah/That Jewish holiday where we celebrate not getting killed by eating tasty fried foods, an awesome present from my friend Brina.

Jonathan and I got into a debate over what it could be.

Me: (holding unopened post) Oh! It's from Sabrina! She's making gifts this year.

::opens post, pulls out odd pizza slice shaped parcel::

Jonathan: It's a slice of pizza?

Me: There's a note. ::reads note about Hannukah/Chanukah/More latkes please holiday present::

Jonathan: Ah, so it's Hannukah pizza.

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With the winter holidays just around the corner, I decided it would be a logical act to knit not one, but five presents.

(This is not counting the chainmail tunic I am knitting for Jonathan or the wedding shrug I am knitting for my wedding attire.)

This first project is different from what I am used to working with, fibre. This pattern requires the use of metal, 34 gauge metal wire to be specific.




Knitting with metal, in progress picture.




Knitting with metal, close up.

You might wonder, what does it feel like to knit with metal? I can only describe as the feeling I had, physically of playing "Flight of the Bumblebee" on new violin strings when I made first chair.

To those of you who don't play a strings instrument, I am about an hour of labor away from having calloused and bloody fingers*, damn!

It's really not that bad. My fingers are a little sore because, well, it's basically piano wire. Plus, my pampered digits are used to dealing with wool and cotton.

When completed, 16 times to make 2 sets of eight napkin rings, I should have something that looks like this.




Pattern:

http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTvenezia.html












*(I played the violin from the age of 8 until the age of 20. During my symphony years, we practiced so long and hard, there would be bloody fingers, especially on new strings.)

Harry's Scar Sock Blockers

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