my heart belongs to the snows of Buffalo and Chicago, and all the dirty cities along the way

Eric Johnson and the Fruit Bats returned to Chicago for a show at Lincoln Hall (Schubas' slick new larger venue) last night. I'm just enamored of this band -- this is my 3rd time seeing them this year! Johnson's also in the Shins (which don't get me wrong, I quite like), but the folk-rock-melodic pop vibe from Fruit Bats is just amazing.

Here's the band playing "Tegucigalpa," a song Johnson wrote when he was homesick for Chicago:



for more, see here and here

Their best show I've seen took place at Schubas in March 2009, and you can download the whole thing at archive.org. Enjoy!

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It really was quite the weekend, as we also hit the Chicago Beer Society's Day of the Living Ales yesterday.

crammed into the loading dock of Goose Island Wrigleyville

44 types of cask-conditioned ale! In my book, the big winner was Surly Darkness, a complex Russian Imperial Stout, a bit reminiscent of 3 Floyds Dark Lord, but maybe even better. And where's Surly Brewing Co. located? Minnesota, of course. ;-)

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Cocoa Swap 3 just drew to a close! Elizabeth sent me the loveliest parcel:
Such soft and cheerful red merino yarn, along with delicious cocoa from a local coffeeshop, chocolate covered hazelnuts, among other goodies. She knit this cute little creature for me out of her own hand-dyed yarn! What a nice treat at this time of year. Kate sent me a book and some awesome glittery Dream in Color Starry yarn, too:
Many thanks to both!

anticipation

First, the knitting front...

Pattern: Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl, by Sarah Bradberry
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden #269, 4.75 skeins
Needles: US 8

Notes:
I accidentally grabbed size 8 needles instead of 9 when I left for my knitting retreat last month. D'oh! This pattern has more drape when it's knit at a little looser gauge. The subtlety of this natural/white Noro colorway really appeals to me. It does seem a little less soft than my other Silk Garden projects, though.

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I ordered this very cute handcrafted fabric cat basket; as soon as I opened up the package, each cat took a turn in it. Here's Kylie:

Yep, both girls are a little too "robust" for the basket; neither has given it a second try. No matter, I'm repurposing it into a knitting basket:

P.S. That's my Debbie Bliss drop collar cabled jacket in the works. I shouldn't have worried so much about the yarn. The cables are popping quite nicely, and it has a wonderful, nubby, but still soft, texture. Mmmm... Beaverslide.

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I've got an awfully good feeling about this weekend...

- seeing Neko Case at the Chicago Theatre tonight
- walking down the lakeshore to the Green City Market, where Alice Waters (!) has a book signing tomorrow morning
- heading to the 3 Floyds Brewery in Munster, Indiana, for the annual release of their award-winning Dark Lord beer tomorrow afternoon

Hey, it's a pretty good weekend already, as I've already gone for a walk with a friend along Lake Michigan in the sunshine, enjoying this unusually lovely, warm day (80s!). I also got to try out the air conditioning in my new-to-me Jeep -- it actually works! [The Malibu's a/c hasn't worked since 05 -- stupid GM -- I don't really want any taxpayer dollars funding their lemons, although I feel awful for the workers, the state of Michigan, and the related industries. Also, now the Malibu's windshield wipers have gone haywire -- they won't turn off!!!]