Stupid full moon

What a day! My Baby Girl is being a nightmare tanrtum-throwing three-year-old from Hell; my Darling Boy insists on teasing and provoking her repeatedly; my life is a mess in so many ways; and then I get into a fender-bender with Captain A**hole of the US Marine Corps.

I know a coupla marines - they're decent people. I have nothing against Marines. This guy was such an unbelievable jerk, and he happened to have a USMC license plate, that's all. I thought they were supposed to teach them respect? Or does that only apply to superior officers? Women and children may be disdained and insulted at will?

Yeah, I'm mad. How could you tell? There wasn't any damage - I have a red car, his was white. If there'd been damage, it would have showed. The car was parked and unoccupied. No one was hurt, no damage was done. I apologized immediately, it was an accident - I clipped his front bumper trying to parallel park head-in in front of him. No reasonable person would have made a big deal out of it. This guy was not reasonable.

I am not stupid or incompetent (yes, he called me both.) That is so absurd as to be laughable, as anyone who knows me will attest. So why did it make me so mad? He was an old guy - maybe he's one of those who think "women drivers" are morons? Remember that expression? "Woman driver!"

So glad to know the enlightenment level of the general population is in no danger of improving any time soon. Wouldn't want to have any actual *progress* toward improving the human condition after all - then who would we blame for all our problems?

And can someone please explain to me why my children are eating each other alive?

Just friggin shoot me now.

note: I changed the title of this post - yes, I know it's a full moon. It was a rhetorical question.
;-P

Knitting already!

Debbie said I had to post pictures of my knitting, so FINE! Here they are....

Oh Goddammit! I had all these pictures loaded and then I lost the damn thing. Now I have to start over. Someday I'll get the hang of this - either that or find a host that's more intuitive. *sigh* One more time:

Here's the baby blanket I made for a friend, the pattern for which can be had for free at Nancy's site: http://www.knitfoundry.com/freestuff.html

Go buy stuff! It's cool!



Here's the heraldic pouch I knitted - yeah, I know I already posted it, but it's knitting, dammit! I used 0000 needles and 12/2 Gemstone silk from Halcyon. The gauge is something ridiculous - can't remember off the top of my head.



The sweater is one I test knit for Judy ages ago, but I just gave it away (to the same person who got the blanket.)

I just finished sock #2 of this pattern, another test-knit for Judy's sock-of-the-month club from a coupla years ago (can you say backlog?)
http://theknitter.com/sockofmonth.html


Here's a little Dale of Norway number I start ten years ago. It's been in the stash for like 9 1/2 years lacking only a second sleeve. I just want to get it finished, because it's a really cute sweater and it bugs me to leave things unfinished. I have no babies in my immediate future, nor does anyone I love enough to give this sweater to - seriously, you have no idea how much money and work have gone into this thing already - but that's beside the point. Does this make me a "process" knitter, or just obsessive-compulsive?

Bonus Point: Spot the error in the pattern on the body...

Not knitting:

Here's my Baby Girl on her first day of preschool (like a month ago - I'm such a rotten mother, I know.) That's her attempt at a smile for the camera, btw. I don't know why, but my kids seem to freeze up in front of a camera for some reason. I either get this kind of a face, or they look like they're at a funeral. Go figure.

(Yes, she dressed herself. How did you know?)

Also Not Knitting

This is the dress I wore to the event on Saturday. It's based on an image from the Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. It's one of the most famous illuminated manuscripts there is - chances are, if you've seen only one in your life, it's this one. This particular gown and sleeves are from the August calendar page.

The hood is a very popular accessory from the period. The green belt indicates that I am an apprentice (in the SCA.) I made it - it's tablet woven, in a pattern derived from an extant piece, with more Gemstone Silk. I don't remember what grist it was - maybe 8/2?

For everything there is a season...

Kinda cheesy, I know, but I'm terrible at coming up with titles.

I decided to retire as head of the Textile Guild, and I feel really good about it. I've been "done" with it for quite a while, but I kept at it because I knew it would fizzle and die without me, and that outcome was unacceptable to me at the time. I feel differently now.

It's not that I don't care, because I do care, very much indeed. However I feel very serene about letting go of it now. For one thing, I think odds are at least 50-50 that someone will step up and take over, and it won't die without me. If it does go dormant for a while, though, that's okay. I did what I set out to do, and that feels damn good. But now I'm tired, and I need a break.

For the last year or so I've been too busy with SCA stuff to see my knitting/spinning buddies, to go to our regular gatherings, to spin or knit anything for myself or just for fun. I also stopped designing and test-knitting for the Sock-of-the-month club. http://theknitter.com/sockofmonth.html

All my creative juices went elsewhere, and that part of me dried up. Frankly, I had been doing a little too much of it, and it was becoming stressful, so the break was good for me, at first.

Then I went back and discovered how much I missed it, how it rejuvenated me, how important it was to spend time with those particular friends in an atmosphere where there was no judgement, no expectations, no performance.

I got through the obligations I had with the SCA for the end of the year - somehow I got it all done and aquitted myself well, but now *it* had ceased to be fun. I turned back to my knitting friends and found renewed energy and enthusiasm, and a connection that nurtures me.

That is why I am retiring from the Guild. Too much of a good thing is no longer good. It's time for a break.