I lived in and around Chicago for the first 28 years of my life. And if you count the year spent in Urbana, 29 years. Of course, there were bits and pieces in there spent elsewhere, but the longest away period was about seven months, and even then my real home was always back here.
Now that I've lived away from it for (again, depending on whether I count the Urbana year) 5 or 6 years, every time I come back I'm hit by a strange combination of familiarity and shock. It's a little trite to say that cities change enormously, but it's so true of Chicago recently, especially in some places.
You can see it on the web, of course. Google's satellite images of the city are a bit out of date, sometimes in obvious ways, sometimes not.
The number of condos that have been built all over the city never ceases to amaze me. And the number of old houses in old suburbs that have been torn down and replaced by mega mansions (in some places, at least) is also deeply strange.
I was down in Hyde Park last week, meeting friends by the University, and then later for dinner. Some parts of that neighborhood are so the same as when I left. Bookstores, restaurants. I ordered something I thought a bit at random for dinner, and as soon as the plate came I had such a strong visual and then taste memory of having exactly that meal there at some point in the past.
An odd personal landmark for me out in the suburbs has always been Sawa's Old Warsaw. It's a restaurant I've never actually ate in, but which I've passed by countless times. I've always been intrigued by its logo, by the fact that it's a "Polish smorgasbord," and...well, I don't know. It's still there, and looks much the same as always, at least from the outside (and from the website, it looks unlikely that the insides have been updated recently. But now it does have one new feature: free wireless internet. Which just brings up so many questions. Do enough people bring their laptops to the Polish smorgasbord to warrant such an innovation? How long do people usually stay?
Anyway. Here's another bit of something new. My finished Oz socks. Yarn: from Australia. Pattern: basic toe-up sock, with figure 8 cast-on, short row heel, and an eyelet rib pattern to make it interesting.
I can't remember when I started them. After I moved to Toronto, I know. But exactly when... I'm clearly not a good knitting blogger, as I fail to keep track of such things.
They're quite comfortable, and the all-over rib is nice and snug. They're also 100 % wool, I think, and I also think non-machine washable. But the label is back in Toronto, and I'm here in Chicago, and won't be back there to check on it until... July. Crap. Crazy.
So, basically, yay for the socks.
I'm, less sanguine about the future fate of another project, however.
In some ways I'm very happy with my top-down, raglan sleeve, black alpaca cardigan. The fabric's quite nice, heavy, but not too heavy. I did a turned under hem for the first time, and although it needs a strong blocking, I'm more or less happy with it. It might be a touch too heavy, but I think probably not. The first sleeve is just about done, and it's a good cardigan size; just loose enough to go over things, but not overly floppy.
The problem? I'm not sure I want it to be a crew neck anymore. I started it as a replacement for my beloved black cashmere cardigan, which started out as part of a twinset. But in the course of going to after-Christmas sales, I've replaced that. So now I'm thinking maybe I'd like this better as a v-neck.
Decisions, decisions.
In the meantime, Happy New Year! С новым годом! Best wishes for good luck, happiness, and health.