Well, I'm short on digital family photos, but imagine this one with one of those sticky giftwrap bows plopped on that baby's head, and well, I'm almost certain you've got my 1st birthday:
(Mom? Think that's right?)
And 28 years later, it's #29! That's right folks, today is the first day of the last year of my twenties. It's my birthday! I've always got mixed feelings about it, but no matter. Chris bought me a beautiful bouquet of roses and ferns, and some tickets to modern dance at BAM, and so everyone's feeling allright.
So that's that. 30's right around the corner. Maybe I'll feel bona fide by then.
Onward and upward:
Mittens! These are EZ's Norwegian Mittens, from Knitters Almanac in Knitpicks Telemark. They're not finished, but who knows how long it will take for backup provisions to arrive. They do not stray far from her pithy instructions and chart, as I was just looking for something mindless as entertainment on the plane and during the wedding rehearsal. My colorwork is rusty, so this is a good refresher.
The queer thing about mittens (also booties, in my experience): my gauge ALWAYS changes significantly between the first and second mitt. I usually end up knitting three mitts and frogging the first, and #s 2 and 3 always match. There are other little differences between mitt 1 and mitt 2 I'll fill you in on in my FO report, but let's just say that in the spirit of EZ, there will be no pair exactly like this one!
Okay, thanks for the pâté, but I gotta motor if I'm going to make it to that job on time! (sorry for the hurried post!)
[Cross-posted at
:) Happy Birthday! As a matter of fact, the first day of the last year of my twenties is this Saturday, so I can relate... I feel like 29 is somehow intimidating whereas 30 doesn't seem too scary to me... What is up with that?
Have yourself a lovely day and enjoy those roses and ferns and some bday hugs from your mister :)
PS - those mittens are gorgeous!
Posted by: Sarah at October 5, 2006 9:58 AMHey Jess -
Happy 29th! Hope you get some celebratin' in this weekend.
-Val
Posted by: Val at October 5, 2006 10:12 AMHappy Birthday! And those are some gorgeous mittens, there. How do you like the Telemark?
Posted by: Whitney at October 5, 2006 10:15 AMHappy birthday! Best wishes and many happy returns!
Posted by: Esther at October 5, 2006 10:19 AMHappy Birthday! I am with Sarah, turning 29 made me anxious...like I had to fit in all of the "stuff" you are supposed to do before you turn 30....I am not sure what all the "stuff" is, but I have almost 8 more months to figure it out and do it... I think 30 will be a relief, actually.
Marvelous mittens, by the way.
Posted by: nova at October 5, 2006 10:35 AMHappy Birthday!
You've got two years up on me, so I can't really offer advice about the "last year of the twenties" thing, except to sayt that it's always been my belief that one's thirties are some pretty good years. The twenties are so full of flux... for some reason, I'm convinced that my thirties are going to be good, solid years. or so say my parents.
the mittens are beautiful... I've got a bag of telemark in my stash, but I'm worried about how harsh it feels. How does it knit up?
Posted by: Jennie at October 5, 2006 10:35 AMHAPPY 29th B-DAY! Hope it's a good one!! :)
those mittens look awesome! what type of yarn is that, btw??
Posted by: Sandra at October 5, 2006 10:49 AMI turned 30 on Tuesday and it's not so bad. Really...just a number. Make 29 a great year! HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY day!!!
Posted by: Amanda at October 5, 2006 10:52 AMA very happy birthday! Nearly everything I've heard about the 30's are good- feeling more confident, secure, etc. I personally am looking foward to my 30's if they're really as great as everyone says!
Posted by: Kelly B. at October 5, 2006 11:06 AMHappy birthday! The mittens look great!
Posted by: laura b at October 5, 2006 11:10 AMHappy birthday!
I hope work is not killing you!
At first glance, your mittens looked like booties to me. See how the perpendicular 2nd mitten looks like a leg and the 1st mitten like a foot? :)
Have a wonderful day and fantastic year! My thirties were far better than my twenties; you have lots to look forward to!
Posted by: Lisa at October 5, 2006 11:33 AMHAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
29 is a good year as is 30 :) i can atest to both. don't work too hard on your bday, if you can!
Posted by: gleek at October 5, 2006 11:46 AMHappy Birthday! 29 is just a number right? The 30's are the new 20's! I say this becuase in January I'll be 29 as well...I figure I'll start deluding myself now, maybe it'll stick by Jan!
Posted by: Marie at October 5, 2006 12:02 PMHappy Birthday! Boy were you a cute baby!
Posted by: Cheryl at October 5, 2006 12:11 PMHave a happy birthday! Roses and tix to a show sounds like you're on your way. Those mitts are loverly!
PS. You can always make up for lost time with family photos. I think you should post one of you at 29 with the sticky giftwrap bow on your head. How cute would that be?
Posted by: jean at October 5, 2006 12:14 PMHappy Birthday! Fabulous mittens.
Posted by: Lauren at October 5, 2006 12:14 PMYes, I had that day last month. I understand the ambivalent feelings, but what do you do? Onward onward, eh? Our knitting (and other skills) get better and better, right? And that really is something to be excited about.
And I love that country song "Older Women Make Beautiful Lovers." Not that it's all that matters or anything, and not that 30 counts for older according to his definition, but the idea just makes me smile.
Posted by: Katherine at October 5, 2006 12:17 PMHappy Birthday!!! Those mittens look great. I think those will be my first, if not the Ganomey hat, contribution to Zimmermania. Your colorwork skills still look on point to me!
Posted by: Angela at October 5, 2006 12:18 PMHappy Birthday!! Love those mittens. I think I may have to give those a try - I need a new pair for this winter!
Posted by: lisa at October 5, 2006 12:18 PMHappy Birthday! It's not the years that count - it's the mileage. Yards and yards of knitted fabric count for much!
Posted by: Nicole at October 5, 2006 12:27 PMHappy Birthday! Enjoy another year of life!
And WOW! those mittens rock-- :)
Happy birthday! Hope you have lots of fun. Oh and your mittens look really good, love the color combo.
Posted by: Shayo at October 5, 2006 12:34 PMHappy birthday! It's my birthday too! I turned 28 today. Mixed feelings as well... but October 5 is a great day to be born (I've always loved the "cleanness" of 10/5), and of course we Libras are the best. Hope your year is a wonderful one!
Posted by: Mary-Heather at October 5, 2006 12:37 PMHappy birthday, m'dear! I am wishing you a year full of happiness, warmth and joy, all of which can come from knitting a sweater!
I am SO in love with those mittens. Do you think people would think oddly of a gal in So Cal rockin' mittens when it's about 50 degrees outside?
Posted by: Skylar at October 5, 2006 1:01 PMGorgeous mittens - how is the telemark to work with? I've been thinking of ordering some - the color selection on it seems richer than some of the other knit picks yarns.
Posted by: Vicki at October 5, 2006 1:20 PMI'm so rude - forgot to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! My 30th is coming up...sigh.
Posted by: Vicki at October 5, 2006 1:21 PMHappy Birthday! I love the grey with the red and the braided-looking edge, those mittens rock!
Posted by: Julia at October 5, 2006 1:34 PMHappy Birthday! Love the motifs on the mittens.
Posted by: brooke at October 5, 2006 1:39 PMHappy Birthday! The mittens look great :)
Posted by: Emily at October 5, 2006 1:53 PMYour mittens look beautiful! I really want to tackle colourwork like that soon. I love it so much :)
Posted by: Heather at October 5, 2006 2:02 PMThe happiest of all birthdays to you! And those Norwegian mittens are the coolest bit of colorwork I've seen in a while.
Posted by: Karen B. at October 5, 2006 2:39 PMHappy 29th! Having lived through most of the last year of my 20's (4 months to go until 30!!) I have to say that -- while not perfect -- it is a pretty good age to be :)
Enjoy!
Posted by: Kristy at October 5, 2006 2:44 PMHappy Birthday. Yes, 30 feels good. It feels much better than 28 or 29, in fact. Celebrate and enjoy!
Posted by: Gina at October 5, 2006 3:09 PMHAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you have a great one.
Gorgeous mittens.
Posted by: Sarah at October 5, 2006 4:17 PMhappy birthday! hope you didn't have to work too hard. i turned 28 in june and felt weird about it, but my partner, who turned 41 (gasp!) last week tells me i'm insane. apparently 35 is the rough birthday :) i do feel this need to do, as nova said, all kinds of "stuff" before 30. but what is this stuff?
Happy Birthday!! Love the mittens!!
Posted by: Marsha at October 5, 2006 4:55 PMHappy birthday and the mitts look loverly! I admire anyone who can work that pattern. If 29 (or 30) bums anyone out, I always encourage them to think that it's truly 31 that puts you in a new decade.
Posted by: Ava at October 5, 2006 5:25 PMYour mittens are gorgeous! Really. Lovely. And I'm not just saying that 'cause it's your birthday. ;) Enjoy your day!
Posted by: Nonnahs at October 5, 2006 6:09 PMHappy beeday
I thought I sensed a fellow libran!
Happy day!
Posted by: Cathi at October 5, 2006 6:38 PMhappy birthday!
the mittens are awesome, btw.
Happy happy happy birthday! Love the blog, keep doin' what you do. Hope your day was super duper!
Posted by: Mary at October 5, 2006 8:40 PMHappy Birthday! I hope you enjoyed your day. 30 rocks. School is over (or it would be if I had been smarter when I was younger) and life has begun to settle and get better and better.
Gorgeous mittens, I would never be able to tell that your colour work was rusty.
Posted by: Dorothy B at October 5, 2006 9:30 PMHappy Birthday! Wishing you a glorious last year of your third decade!
I love the mittens. Wonderful color choice. They are such a fun knit, aren't they?
Happy Birthday! I love the mittens! :)
Posted by: natalie at October 5, 2006 11:01 PM29 is significant but not as bad as 63.
Sue and I want to wish you Happy Birthday and hope you have a healthy and happy 29th year.
Love you
Dad
Happy happy birthday! I hope you will have (or already have had) a wonderful day.
Posted by: Emma at October 6, 2006 5:33 AMHappy Birthday!
Those mittens are looking fantastic. I really must get over my fear of colorwork.
Posted by: Sarah at October 6, 2006 8:19 AMHAPPY BIRTHDAY - the mittens look great!
Posted by: MeBeth at October 6, 2006 10:55 AMI hope you had a very happy birthday and I love the mittens. I need to get that book.
Posted by: Stephanie at October 6, 2006 11:34 AMHappy happy B-day! And I L-O-V-E your mittens!!!
Posted by: Jessica at October 6, 2006 1:01 PMYay! Happy Birthday!! October Birthdays are the best! I'm an October baby too!
Posted by: Julia at October 6, 2006 3:13 PMHappy 29th! We're both in our last year of our twenties... and then we'll be thirty-somethings... eeek. :)
Posted by: Aimee at October 6, 2006 4:34 PMHappy 29th indeed! The mittens are gorgeous!
Posted by: chica at October 6, 2006 8:25 PM29 hasn't been bad at all (especially since my brain keeps playing nice tricks on me and letting me fully believe that I'm still 28 most of the time). But that other number is approaching oh-so-fast and I am freaking out about it a little.
Let's start a petition to change it's name to 29 + 1.
Posted by: KJ at October 8, 2006 8:36 AMOoh, and happy birthday to you!
Posted by: KJ at October 8, 2006 8:37 AM29 is not so bad...35 was tough, and 37 was easy! Happy (belated) birthday, and have a fabu year. Thanks for the "Heathers" reference! I love that movie, always good for the one-liners. :)
Posted by: Anne at October 9, 2006 6:35 PMhappy belated b-day fellow October baby!
Posted by: melissa at October 10, 2006 4:01 PM