Knit Me A Straightjacket

Spring

2009-04-13T12:38:00.002-07:00

Rachel's new dress I made for Easter:

she didn't get to wear it, because when it was finished I was not at all happy with the way the blue petals fell. I had wanted them to stick out a bit, not come straight down.

However, when she saw it on the sewing table she was alight with joy and says she will never take it off. :-)

We're having our annual Spring tea party next weekend, which is really the perfect venue anyway.

birthdays n' stuff

2008-10-15T08:13:00.008-07:00

Yep, I'm a rotten blogger - or a rotten mother? Maybe I'm a rotten blogger-mom. Whatever. Here are some pics.

From MonkeyBoy's birthday:

Some garden and cat pics:

BabyGirl's first day of Kindergarten:

From BabyGirl's birthday (yes, her hair is pink):

This lovely pink wool coat was a birthday gift from Grammy Fran:

Updates on Miniatures

2008-07-22T12:03:00.005-07:00

I have been working pretty steadily on my two current projects, and here are the results:

The Mossy Glen is complete, I think... The glue is dry and I've added a few more odds and ends to the vegetation. Here it is in its jar on the end table. I'm really pleased with this, especially since it was my very first attempt ever. There are things I'd do differently next time, but overall I'm quite happy with it.

The Hobby Room is coming along. It's not quite finished, but nearly. I've got everything placed where I think I want it. A few things need painting or finishing, and I'm still contemplating a few more items. The stripy rug is a small sample we made for Sheep to Shawl '03, I think. It represents that hobby, since I couldn't think how to make a loom. :-)

Here's my planted aquarium. I couldn't get a good picture because it's so small, but really this is my favorite thing in here. I made the aquarium, added a base of sand and then set it up just like a real planted aquarium, with some wood for structure and different layers of plant materials. Those fish were the single most difficult thing in the whole room so far.

Here's my knitting - there's a niddy-noddy full of yarn, a skein and a ball, representing all the steps in between spinning and knitting. The knitting itself is on two straight sewing pins. I did actually knit it on them, which was a pain not so much because of size as because they were too sharp and kept splitting the yarn. I made the chair, the box, and the niddy-noddy.

Here's the sewing table. The machine was purchased of course, and no I don't really use that kind. Everything else I made. The vase is a replica of a real one I received as a gift and have always loved. The bolt of fabric is some linen that I recently made a medieval gown from. The thread on the spool came from the same fabric as I was finding the grain. I love that spool. The tiny details are the most gratifying for some reason.

Here's my distaff and spindle with flax. It's actually some cashmere/silk blend, but it just looks perfect for flax. I whittled the tiny spindle and actually used it to spin the thread that's on it. I made the basket too. It's cardboard covered with a coarse yarn that to me looks kind of like grapevine.

And that's that so far! Hope you like it as much as I do!

Mini Obsession

2008-07-20T10:56:00.005-07:00

Well I've been working pretty much non-stop on this new addiction - er - hobby - of mine.

Here are some more pictures of the Mossy Glen as the glue dries. I know that sounds really stupid, watching glue dry, but you see it gets clearer as it dries, so it looks more and more like actual water. *sigh* Anyway, here they are:

In the meantime, since even I cannot simply sit and watch glue dry, I have started another: The Hobby Room. Here are the first pictures:

The box (from Hobby Lobby) represents the room. The theme of course is all of my hobbies - or at least, as many as I can fit in this room box. I bought the little books, sewing machine and cat-in-basket. The spinning wheel (hard to see in back) is actually a pencil sharpener. I made the furniture and the vase. The flowers were cut down from the stem on the left of the picture.

There's still a lot to be done, but I thought this time it would be good to take pictures in progress.

Like a Hole in the Head....

2008-07-18T13:12:00.005-07:00

...do I need a new hobby. And yet, here I go, embarking anyway. I hope you'll understand why when you see the pictures. It was all inspired by this:

You can see the whole thing, complete with story and detail shots here.

After exploring the website of this prolific miniaturist, I decided to make my own, using her instructions for the Mossy Glen.

I found the suggested dome too expensive so I picked up this jar instead. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of the process as I was so absorbed in it. Nevertheless, here's what I have so far:

The glue will be clear when dry, and will hopefully look like water. The tree is a root of something-or-other I pulled up a while back; I found it out in the yard. It was too tall for the jar, so I broke off the tip, and that became the log on the ground. I may paint the tree's foliage green later - I haven't decided yet. The ferns are made from the individual fronds of a faux fern from Hobby Lobby. I used an Exacto knife to cut the little fronds into them, then glued them to a pin to form a plant.

The flower I love. I wanted to make a lady slipper, but I didn't know how I would form the flower. The leaves came from the same fern, cut down, wired, and bent. The flower stalk is from some dried heather I had. It's not exactly a lady slipper - more like something between that and a foxglove, but I think it looks lovely.

I'll take more pics when the water is dry and after any more changes.

Cool, huh?

Sheep to Shawl '08

2008-07-18T13:00:00.003-07:00

Yep, got talked into it again. It was a month ago, so not much to say at this point but pictures were promised so here you go:

We got second place for the shawl, but won the new People's Choice award by a landslide.

Something to Blog About

2008-04-23T12:52:00.002-07:00

I was asking myself the other day, What do I have to blog about? Well, I figured it out. Duh. The Garden. *sheesh* It's only the LOVE OF MY LIFE!!!

Don't mind me, I'm a little slow sometimes. Anyway, consider this the first of many posts about The Garden. I capitalize it because it's not just the vegetable beds I'm talking about. I am working towards creating a Garden of Eden, using the principles of permaculture, gleaned primarily from this book, Gaia's Garden. I could, and definitely will, talk in the future about the beauty of permaculture, but right now I want to revel in the joy of Spring, and if you'll forgive me the uncharacteristic behavior, share some of that with you.

Excerpted from a recent email I wrote:

...the gardening and yard work is in full swing and I am flush with spring. As my friend Karen put it, "the sap is running."

I think about it night and day, literally. I read up, make plans and drawings, dig, mulch, plant, mulch some more. I've already used a ton of planting mix (literally - got a truckload) to amend the garden beds old and new. Last year I started preparing a bunch of new beds by digging up and turning over the grass and/or laying a base of cardboard, dividing my kitchen compost between them, and finally mulching them deeply with leaves over the fall & winter.

I'm *very* pleased with the results. The one I did the most with, for the longest, last year is *perfect* - it didn't need any amendment. The shovel went right in and brought up beautiful dark soil full of fat worms. Doesn't get much better than that, especially considering that our native soil is about 95% clay hard-pan, utterly devoid of microbes and invertebrates and so hard some people actually use jackhammers on it. All that from piling scraps on it! Yay for
permaculture.

I find that I can't wait every day to get outside and do something with the yard. While I'm working I don't feel tired or hungry or hot or depressed. I totally lose track of time and have been late to pick up my daughter more than once because I was so absorbed in digging holes or
some-such.

I built another trellis onto the patio next to the front door, so that side is mostly enclosed now. It shades more of the patio and also shields some of the mess of kids' toys and things from the entry. When it comes to my landscaping, I'm not afraid of heights or power tools, of work or sweat. It's all a joy.

Pictures coming soon...

Woo hoo! A new post!

2008-04-22T16:05:00.006-07:00

Okay, need to catch up a bit.

There was this play at school, and MonkeyBoy was all excited to be in it. I signed up to help make costumes, and here they are (the play was the Little Mermaid):

Alas, the pressure turned out to be too much for him, so this is how he spent the performance, instead of being on stage:

We all had a good time and went out for ice cream anyway. :-)

Next: Easter, aka Spring

So you know I'm pretty much an agnostic/pagan/Jew/humanist, right? As you might imagine, this makes holidays, um, complicated. So I talk a lot about celebrating the rebirth of the Earth, all the plants coming back to life and baby birds and animals and all that jazz, but we still call it Easter, because that's what everyone calls it and it's just easier that way. So anyway, the new tradition in the last couple of years is that we hunt for eggs, both dyed ones and plastic ones with candy or money, and we have a tea party, and then we do something fun.

This year we went to the plant nursery to see the flowers and to the feed store to see the chicks on the actual equinox, then on that Sunday went to a park playground and had a great time. I especially enjoyed playing with the toy plane and the bubble stuff. Ahem.

Anyway, here are a few pics of the day:

In other news, MonkeyBoy decided that the Shag of Doom hairstyle (see above) was getting in his way and making him too hot, so he asked me to shave his head. Seriously. Check these out:

That's not even all of the hair. There was more, lots more. Then he wanted it shorter. We ended up at an eighth of an inch. He said no one, not even his teacher, recognized him at school. He thought it was hilarious.

Thanks Dad

2008-01-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Dad, I was finally able to get a new digital camera. The problem with the old one was simply that it was huge and heavy and I therefore never used it. I've been wanting a "mom" camera - small, easy to use, with good picture quality. Here it is!

The Canon SD1000 digital ELPH. It's exactly what I wanted, and I love it.

For size reference (not my pic) that's the camera, a pack of gum, a matchbox, and a quarter. It's actually a little smaller than a pack of cards and fits comfortably in my purse. What this means, of course, is that I am now carrying it with me all the time and can therefore snap a pic any time I want.

So here's for you, Dad:

Halloween Finally

2008-01-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry they're late! Here are a few pics from Halloween '07. I really wish we'd taken more of the yard decorations - they were really cool if I do say so myself. Ah well. Here you go:

I managed to make costumes this year - yay! Monkeyboy chose a classic, old-school vampire, and BabyGirl chose a mermaid. The coats and jeans don't add much, but that's okay, they're kids and it was cold, as usual.

Here are a couple of shots of decorations: there were a lot more, but alas,they didn't get recorded for posterity. The skeleton lights up, btw.

These pumpkins were volunteers in the garden - no doubt the seeds were in the compost from the Halloween before. The big one became a Jack O'Lantern (the large one in the center in the picture above) while the little one was a decoration. Pretty cool, huh? I've never grown my own pumpkins before. The big one's vine was HUGE - it took over the whole garden. I hope we get more this year.

Finally, here are some calaveras (sugar skulls) from an exhibit at our local museum for Dia de los Muertos. The kids made little ones of their own, too (nope, no pics, sorry.)

OKC

2007-11-20T01:59:00.000-07:00

(That's Obligatory Knitting Content for you non-knitbloggers.)

Yep, I blocked the pirate sweater; yep, it's much better now. I kinda like it.

The Sherwood sweater from Knitty, along with the hat & mittens I improvised to match:

Here's a little sweater I made back in 1997 for our nephew, who was born a couple months later. It's now been used both by him and by both of my kids. *sigh*

Here's the MIL sweater for my baby girl: right front done, working on back, left front next.

Here's the pattern:

Also working on a basic mitten for all the kids on my holiday list. We'll see how far I get.

That's all I have to say about that.

2007-11-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

Americans Announce They're Dropping Out Of Presidential Race

Too good not to blog.

2007-10-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

The latest from our friends at Lion Brand Yarn:

"New Plush Throw Remakes

Plush Throw in Wool-Ease Thick & Quick
Plush Throw in JiffyOur original plush throw was so popular, we decided to make it in two different yarns, using two fashion-forward colors. (emphasis mine) These throws are perfect for curling up on the couch on a cool autumn day. So easy, you'll want to make one for everyone you know. "

Wait for it.....

Why am I suddenly having flashbacks? Anyone?

And another one

2007-10-04T17:15:00.001-07:00

My BabyGirl had her fifth *sniff* birthday party recently. She chose a theme of "Pink, pink, and more pink!"

It nearly killed me. Yech. I hate pink. But hey, it was her party and she and her little friends were ecstatic, so it was worth the sacrifice.

Anyway, check it out:

The Tinkerbell cake (name blurred for privacy.)

The assembly.

Opening gifts, princess-style. Hey, at least she knows what she likes.

About damn time

2007-10-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

What can I say? My life is like a box of chocolates....

Anyway, here are some knitting pics for your viewing pleasure:

The ever-popular Li'l Devil Baby Hat, always well-received (so far) from here: http://www.kittyville.com/knit/devil_hat.html Yeah yeah, so I've already posted this. Tough. I really like it and it's my blog so there. :-P

A little something on-the-needles for my Firstborn. I'll try to post a finished pic on the model soon.

And finally this one, for my BabyGirl. I consider this one something of a miracle. One day I was itching to spin, so I went into my stash and picked something pretty. Next thing I knew, it had all turned into yarn. Pretty soon it magically morphed into a finished sweater. I have no idea how this happened, but I did three things that I almost never do:

1. I used something from my stash

2. I finished it.

3. I designed, started, and completed a garment BEFORE the child outgrew it.

Doesn't three miracles qualify me for sainthood or something? The fact that they all happened together kinda makes it a hat trick, too. Weird.

Saying Goodbye

2007-04-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

My cat died. I know, I know, who cares. I hate it when people blog about their cats. So call me a hypocrite and bite me while you're at it. He was my friend for a long time, and I miss him.

If you don't want to hear about it, stop reading now.

He was with me for ten years. I got him before I was married, and before I had kids. He was my surrogate baby before I was ready to have real ones. He helped me get through the baby cravings that were gnawing at me. You moms (and others) out there know what that's like.

One time when my husband was out of town, and I was feeling really sad and lonely, he curled up on my pillow and let me rest my head on his flank. He stayed there for hours.

When I did decide to start a family, he was the first one who knew I was pregnant. His behavior changed, he followed me around, and at one point put his paw on my arm and looked deep into my eyes as if to say: "Do you want to talk?" I went to work the next day and told my friends: "I think my cat is trying to tell me something." Sure enough, I was pregnant. The day I went into labor, he knew. He stuck to my side and wouldn't leave me. That night, labor started.

He never really forgave me for having human babies, but eventually he transferred his resentment from me to them. There were conflicts, but it was still worth it. He still gave me something special that I couldn't get anywhere else.

He used to go on walks with me. If I went out, sometimes he would come along - not like a dog, more like a friend.

He slept with me every night, under the covers, curled up in the nook behind my knees. His fur was so soft on my bare skin. He was warm, and I could feel him purring.

He was old, and he was sick. I bought him 16 mostly good months by giving him subcutaneous fluid injections, special food, and at the end, medication mixed into baby food and hand-fed.

The last time he tried to tell me something was Wednesday morning, yesterday. I was holding him like a baby, his head resting on my breast. He looked up at me and asked me to let him go. He was done. We went to the vet and she put him down. It was quick and painless (for him) and I was with him to the end. I brought him home and washed him, with baby soap in the sink. I dried his fur and clipped his nails. I laid him down in a box on soft towels, and let the other cat say his goodbyes.

The kids were upset - this is their first conscious experience with death. My son wanted to do something nice for him, and came up with the idea of making a nice soft pillow for him to rest on. He chose a beautiful red velvet and some fancy trimmings, and I made the pillow - more like a little mattress. We stuffed it with wool, because he always loved to nest in my wool. The pillow had gold fringe all around and gold trim in a window-pane pattern on the top. It turned out really lovely. I'm glad I did it for him. We covered him with another piece of the red velvet, put the lid on the box and tied it with ribbons left over from our wedding nine years ago.

He's in the ground now, wrapped in velvet in a pretty box with ribbons on it. It hurts to think of him down there, in the cold and dark, but I know he can't feel it. I'm just glad I got to give him a loving and peaceful end. It was the least he deserved for ten years of friendship and love.

I'm so glad I got to know him, to have him in my life. I'm richer for it, and I will never forget him. I miss him so much.

Pictures & stuff

2007-03-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

Here's what I've been up to lately:

This is the Lil' Devil baby hat from here: http://www.kittyville.com/knit/devil_hat.html

I've made two of these recently as baby gifts, and both were well-received. Both recipients are first-time moms. They thought this was a funny hat. HAH! Suckers!!!

Here's one for the foodees: it's an apple gallete I made (aka apple tart.) It's a recipe from Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen. I signed up for this thing where you test new recipes at home, then fill out a survey about it. It was pretty cool (and this thing was awesome.) Here's the link if you want to sign up:

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/otherdoc.asp?otherdocid=526&bdc=6312

And finally, here's my firstborn in his new Karate togs. You cannot imagine how excited he is about this. We're hoping it will help him in a lot of ways - concentration, for one, better physical awareness and control, and of course, being a little tougher would be good, too.

Yes, that's my arm. No, I'm not caning him. ;-> He's demonstrating a blocking move. How 'bout that punching stance? I can't believe how grown-up he is. *sniff*

Aquatic Garden

2007-01-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry it took me so long to get these posted!

First I put down the soil underlayer, then contoured it and added a layer of gravel...

Next I put in the wood and plants, then slowly filled up the tank.

Et voila! Here she is 5 weeks later:

My secret garden. Nice, huh?

snow day

2006-12-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

Say yes to mess

2006-12-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

Check out this piece from the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/21/garden/21mess.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5087%0A&em&en=00238cd5e983e54a&ex=1166936400

Who knew? I must be a genius...

"An anti-anticlutter movement is afoot, one that says yes to mess and urges you to embrace your disorder. Studies are piling up that show that messy desks are the vivid signatures of people with creative, limber minds (who reap higher salaries than those with neat “office landscapes”) and that messy closet owners are probably better parents and nicer and cooler than their tidier counterparts. It’s a movement that confirms what you have known, deep down, all along: really neat people are not avatars of the good life; they are humorless and inflexible prigs, and have way too much time on their hands. "

Tip of the Day

2006-12-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

Always keep your mouth closed while carving styrofoam. *hack*

Overheard in the Living Room

2006-11-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

6-yr-old boy to 4-yr-old girl, while building with blocks:

Boy: "Willy Wonka's dead, so we get to make up our OWN candy machines!"

Girl: "Cool!"

hehe

more pictures

2006-11-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures I promised:

the six gallon tank

the 30 gallon hexagon tank

The funny-looking extra-long tools

Me and Jeff on Halloween.

The new hobby

2006-11-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

So Nancy said I should put up some pictures, so you all would know what I've been up to and where all that yarn money is going...

Aquarium gardening. Google "Nature Aquarium" if you're curious.

Here's an example:

Now you see why I like it, right? It's so absorbing. It engages me on many levels - intellectual, aesthetic, emotional... However, since I'm not independently wealthy, I'm having to be creative in order to finance this. Hence the yarn and fiber sales. I managed to pick up a tank on the cheap ($10 for 29 gallons), and a used pine cabinet stand for $45. I paid retail for a glass lid, then went on Ebay and found a high-output light fixture for $50 (retail about $175), a Fluval 204 cannister filter for $20 (retail $125), extra long tweezers and scissors for planting and pruning, about $150 worth for a total of $25, A carbon dioxide injection system with accessories for $35 (at least $75 worth), and I'm bidding on a high-end digital heater and thermometer. *phew*

I still need filter media (the stuff that goes into the canister and actually does the filtering), as well as substrate (gravel, soil, clay, some combination thereof), hardscape - rocks and driftwood, and *then* I can actually get some plants.

All in all, I think I'm doing really well at bargain hunting, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. I've added live plants to the other tanks I already have, and am learning a lot and experimenting on a small scale, which I think will be useful when I finally get the new tank going. Nancy gave me a cute little five gallon all-in-one tank, which she'd retro-fitted with a 13 watt power compact bulb, making it perfect for plants. Think that's too small to do anything with? Check this out:

That's a one-gallon cube. ONE gallon. (No, it's not mine. I wish!) Pretty incredible, huh? Here's Nancy's little five gallon today (sorry for the crappy photo) :

I'm still developing this aquascape - it's not finished yet, but I think it's a good start, and I'm really enjyoing it. That betta (fish) is Fabio the Fabulous, btw. You can't tell with the light behind him, but his body and part of his fins are violet, while the rest is deep red.

I was going to take a picture of my six-gallon, but the batteries on the camera died. I'll post 'em later.

Anyway, that gives you a taste of what I've been so absorbed in. Now I'm off to read up in my new book: Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist ***does happy geek dance***

Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat...

2006-11-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

My baby girl found her brother's old bat costume in the Abyss (I mean "office") this morning. I couldn't resist taking a couple of pictures:

She also found a frilly dress-up hat, which she added to the outfit, saying: "I'm a girl bat, so I need a hat."

More Yarn for Sale

2006-11-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

All prices are for _everything_ in the picture. You get the whole lot. Feel free to make an offer...

Stars - Buff/beige color - $10

Skacel - SOLD

Colinette - assorted greens - $40

Annabel Fox SOLD
Terra Cotta wool SOLD

Sinfonia cotton - $10

Perle cotton - $10

Dale Kalibri cotton - $10

Katia Mississippi - cotton, odds and ends left over from baby sweater. $5

Sugar n' Cream - kitchen cotton. tons of colors, both solids and variegated. $15

Cotton Classic - $5

Cascade Fixation - $5

Crochet Cotton - $5

Lion Brand Chenille - $10

Cotton Chenille - $10

Lion Brand Chenille Thick n' Quick - $1

Lion Brand Polarspun SOLD

Shiny pink cord SOLD

Lion Brand Jiffy - warm brown. $2

Lion Brand Jiffy - variegated autumn colors. $5

Caron boucle - grey. $2

Caron boucle - blue. $5

Grey acrylic, fingering weight. $2

Sold

2006-11-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start removing things that have been sold from the list. Anything new will be listed in a new post.

Inventory List

2006-11-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in any of these items, please leave me a comment or contact me via email. Feel free to make an offer!

Lion Brand Autumn Throw kit:
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/khs-autumnThrow.html

Includes the needle and a print-out of the free pattern. Some of these yarns are discontinued, and I had to hunt for them. One of themI couldn't find in worsted weight, so I got twice as much in fingering weight to use doubled. The retail value of all this is over $100. I'd like to sell it for $50 or best offer.

Interlacements Toasty Toes sock yarn - SOLD

Lopi - 100% Icelandic wool, bulky weight, 110g/110 yds, Color 0431 (brownish burgundy)- approx. 2.5 skeins. Retails for $5.95/skein, will sell all for $5.

Brushstrokes Cotton - SOLD

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock - SOLD

Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Ultra - 100% wool, fingering weight, 50g/175 yds. 1 skein each of Raspberry, Peacock, & Iris. Retails for $9 each. Will sell for $6 each or all for $15.

Cascade Fixation - 98.3% cotton, 1.7% elastic, fingering weight, 50g/186 yds. Solids Retail for $4.60, variegateds for $5.50. Will sell for $3 each or $15 for all 6 skeins.

Colors:
#6178, magenta, 1 skein
#5104, light minty blue, 2 skeins
#9816, var. neutrals, 2 skeins
#9970, var. pink, green, peach, white

Cascade Indulgence - SOLD
Plymouth Sockotta - SOLD
Trekking XXL - SOLD
Unknown variegated sock yarn - SOLD
Socka -SOLD

Fortissima Cotton - 75% cotton, 25% nylon, fingering weight, 50g/210m. Color black, 2 skeins. Retail $4.95/skein, will sell both for $5.

Mohair Boucle - No labels. Definitely Mohair, probably nylon binder. Electric blue color. Total weight over a pound. Asking $10.

Pacific Dye Concepts - SOLD
Bonte - SOLD
Alpaca - SOLD

STASH REDUCTION SALE!!!!

2006-11-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

Coming soon....pictures of the fabulous yarn, fiber, and miscellaneous stuff offered for sale.

Watch this space!

For the moment...

2006-10-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

...I'm here. For the moment, one moment at a time, because that's all there is.

Started knitting again - little things. Second socks, scarves - mindless stuff. Can't do more than that these days. I so often get interrupted, or lose interest and wander off. Still, it's good to have something to do with my hands, and I like the feel of the yarn. I find I am motivated by color and texture more than anything else. I like to feel soft, sensuous yarn in my hands, and to fall in to deep, dark, rich colors. It soothes me, this in-the-moment aesthetic hedonism. It seems worth noticing. It asks nothing of me - I needn't finish it, nor even start it. The yarn itself is lovely and pleasing to touch and look at. Its needs are simple and few, and that is a relief.

Went to knitting on Saturday, and felt rejuvenated. I've missed you guys so much, you have no idea. I've been so disoriented lately, lost my anchors, gone whirling off into space untethered and alone. There are people around me, of course, but ultimately we are all alone. There's only room for one in here, and sometimes not even that much.

All exploration is solitary. All growth comes from within. I'm changing, but into what? Only one way to find out.

Remember me?

2006-08-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been a long time since I've posted. So sue me. I've been busy.

We went to Yellowstone with friends at the end of June. You can see the pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/67083237@N00/sets/72157594247088776/

I've been sick for a couple of weeks - I'm finally getting better, but it was pretty bad there for a while. That's a big part of why no one's heard from me lately. I had a nasty kidney infection that I let go waaaaay too long before going to the doctor. It knocked me on my ass and kept me there for a long time. Needless to say, I have learned my lesson. Right now I'm focusing on trying to rebuild my health - getting more sleep, eating better, and of course no alcohol for a while.

In spite of being wrung-out by my illness and still pretty weak, I went to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers last Friday. There was no way I was going to miss that! I was fortunate to have a friend whose company has a suite at the Pepsi Center invite me along - so not only did I get to see the show *for free,* I got to do it in comfort and style. Thanks man!!!

My firstborn started first grade today *sniff* He's been so excited about it for weeks. I was worried about getting him out of bed on time, but he came in and woke me up half an hour early. :-)

Here he is in all his big-boy glory:

email is down

2006-06-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

so if you've sent me email in the last couple of days and I haven't responded, it's not personal. You can leave me comments here if you like, I'll be checking. I have no idea when email will be fixed....

*sob*

For Deerbourne

2006-06-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

So, you think you've got me on the run, do you? :->

Honey, you aint seen nuthin' yet.

*formulates evil plan*

There is light...

2006-06-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

...and it's not a train!

I'm coming back. Slowly but surely, I am returning to the world of the living after my sojourn in the underworld. It was recently pointed out to me that I'm a "Persephone," and it fits so I'm going with it.

Where have I been? On a deep dark journey into the psyche. I've learned, I've grown, and I'm stronger, healthier, and more truly *me* than I've been in a long, long time. You may notice some changes. I think they're all for the good. This is who I am.

Best compliment ever (so far): "You have a clue and you're not afraid to use it."

That one makes me smile every time.

Out To Lunch

2006-05-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

...and not even sorry!

:-P

I have not picked up knitting needles in at least a week. I haven't spun a single hair. I haven't woven or sewn or ironed or done much of anything productive in the material sense.

However. That is not to say that I haven't been busy. On the contrary, I have been extraordinarily busy with some seriously heavy, complex, intense personal stuff. Rest assured, my friends, I have not forgotten you, and I *will* be back, just not quite yet.

What I'm doing right now is really important, and I hope you don't take it personally.

Love to All,

R

Cucina per Campagna

2006-05-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday May 6th I was busy all day cooking over an open fire with my Mistress and some SCA friends. That's Mistress Lijsbet in the green by the fire. This is her set-up, her medieval camp kitchen. We were teaching her class "Cucina per Campagna: Beyond Re-creating Period Recipes."

She is an accomplished cook and researcher, and has amassed a kit of period-correct (or very close) equipment, tools, and containers with which to make period-appropriate food using period-appropriate techniques.

It takes the recreationist cook to a much higher level than simply trying to reproduce period recipes in the modern kitchen with modern tools. One is truly transported to another time when working in the period camp kitchen. There is almost nothing to remind one of the modern era, and it's a magical experience.

I am not in any of these pictures, because I took them. If I get pictures from anyone else I will add them.

The best way to accurately re-create is to make and do. We have found that if something doesn't work well, we're not doing it accurately, and that the more accurately we do things, the better they work. Take Marjorie's clothing, for example, in the red:

She's wearing a wool gown, which is fire-resistant and protects her from the heat of the fire. Her heavy linen apron protects her gown from sparks and soil, and she can use it as both a hand towel and a pot holder. Finally, her head-wrap keeps her hair clean and out of the way, and also keeps her head cool. Her sleeves are loose in the shoulder, allowing for freedom of movement, but narrow in the forearm, so that they do not dangle or get in the way. This is an example of how doing something accurately makes it work better, and how actually using it the way our ancestors would have used it, doing the things they did in the way they did them, tests our theories and our skills and either proves we've got it right, or highlights problems where we may have misinterpreted something in our re-creation.

Finally, we get to enjoy the fruits of a day's labor. It is very, very satisfying to spend the day in good company, sampling the food (and the spiced wine!) and making something with your hands, which you then get to enjoy, and watch others enjoy, eating together. Of course, then someone has to clean up!

We prepared the following dishes this day:

Fish with wine & sage sauce, roast beef, roast pork loin, roast chicken stewed with spices, fried fava beans, spiced sauteed turnips, home-made sausage with pork, sage, and spices, three different sauces for the meats, fresh pasta with cheese and spices, pottage of apples and raisins in almond milk, figs stewed in wine and spices, and red and white spiced wines. Everything was prepared on-site by hand, using fresh herbs and hand-ground spices. It was a wonderful meal!

Kingdom Arts & Sciences Competition

2006-05-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

On April 8th I attended the Kingdom of the Outlands Arts & Sciences competition. This was only the second competition I've entered. I was both an entrant and a judge - in different categories, naturally.

This is my entry - the pouch in the center of the picture. It's made from commercially-made 100% silk brocade fabric, which I folded in half and then tablet wove the side seams and strap with 100% 60/2 silk. It has silk tassells and silk drawstrings made by fingerloop braiding. It is closely based on extant pouches excavated in London and documented in the books _Textiles and Clothing_ and _Dress Accessories_, both published by the Museum of London.

I scored very well, and got very positive comments. I didn't win anything, however - mostly due to the relatively low complexity of the piece, and the fact that it was my only entry. I didn't have other scores to average it with.

Nevertheless, it was a good experience and I learned a lot. I learned that my work and my documentation compare very favorably with what others in the kingdom are doing. I learned that if I want the championship next year, it is within reach.

I also learned that judging is a bitch! Especially research papers. I'm well-qualified for that category, but at an event it is very difficult to concentrate, and there are usually no reference materials available for fact-checking or anything else. It's also hard to verbally evaluate someone - I've never done that before - tell them what worked and what didn't in their paper, and make suggestions to improve it. That was the hardest part. And of course, trying not to sound like an idiot at the same time....

A friend and I were discussing the nature of competition, and whether or not I should indulge my competitive instincts or not. He proposed that if I set my own victory conditions - that is, I define what would constitute a personal victory/success rather than using the external measure of winning or not winning - then I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It's more important to me to the best than to win. If I win and I'm not the best, it's hollow. If I'm the best and I don't win, I might be disappointed but at least I will feel good about what I accomplished.

Sock Designing

2006-04-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

Here's some recent knitting - it's the May sock-of-the-month for Judy at theknitter.com. Designing socks for Judy is always interesting - she picks the yarn and the color, so you can't rely on being inspired by the materials. It's kind of a test - you take the yarn you're assigned, and the season it's for, and any guidance on things to avoid, like "no more lace for a while" or somesuch, and you come up with something.

It has to be pretty, it has to function well as a sock (i.e.: be stretchy and comfortable and adaptable for different sizes), it can't be too difficult or the beginners will complain, but it can't be too simple or the experts will complain (after all, people are paying good money for this pattern!)

So you come up with something, and you show it to your knitting group and Judy and they say, "Oh. We just did one like that last month."

Shit. Start over.

Finally come up with another pattern that meets all the criteria, then you have to write it up. Ideally, you have been making detailed notes all along, which merely need to be collated. Riiiiight. In reality, you now have to madly try to remember what the hell you did, and what those scribbles on that napkin mean, and which needles you ended up using after all, and, and, and...

So you write it up, you take a picture, PhotoShop it a little to pretty it up, and send the pattern to Judy to be test-knit. At least, that's what you're supposed to do. However, if you are me, you then test-knit it yourself (gotta make a second one anyway, right?) and completely re-write the pattern. Then you send it on to be tested. There are deadlines to be dealt with, as well.

The test knitter gives feedback, you make changes, the sock kit gets shipped to 350 strangers and you desperately hope that they like it and that no one complains, because that would be so embarassing and you'd feel terrible if Judy lost customers because of you, and besides you're afraid someone might find out you're really just a hack. *shudder* Did I say that out loud?

Anyway, the best part is when Judy delivers the pound of luscious silk yarn which is your payment, and the whole reason why you did this in the first place. *sigh* Then you see the great pattern book and fun sock yarns she's brought along and you want but can't afford them, so you ask:

"Need any more sock designs?"

:-)

Arts & Sciences

2006-04-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been more than a month since my last post. So sue me! It's not that nothing's been going on, but rather that I've been to busy to post. Now I want to catch up - so here's something I posted to one of my yahoo groups on the subject of A&S, creativity, authenticity, yadda yadda yadda....

from March 22nd:

"That whole "slavish" copying or reproduction thing drives me nuts. There was just recently a big dust-up on one of my SCA lists about this. I'm a research geek, and to me, trying to do things as closely as possible to the way they were actually done in my period of study is challenging and fulfilling, and it's why I do historical stuff in the first place. I do modern knitting and things too, but they are a separate activity.
I have found that the people who insist that it must be changed (usually modernized) in order to be "creative" or of "artistic" value are a) incapable of making an accurate reproduction; b) have an inflated sense of the quality and value of their own work; and c) are idiots.
I know, I know - I should stop holding back and tell you how I really feel, right? ;-> Don't even get me started on the whole "Art" thing. Oy."

from March 24th:

"I should have been more specific, I apologize. In *this* kingdom, when people talk about creativity, it seems more often than not to be an excuse for mediocrity. It is frustrating to say the least to be told by a complete moron that one should "use some actual brain power" by coming up with something original, rather than attempting to be as accurate as possible. Bitter? Damn right. I'll take that one to my grave, I'm sure.

A master-level original work, expertly crafted and accurate enough that Eleanora herself would have bought it is indeed something to be aspired to - but is *not* what the people I was referring to are doing.

It seems to me that some people feel that anything hand-made or "old-timey" ought to be just as good as something carefully researched and skillfully crafted. It isn't - not in this context, anyway.

I am also baffled by the violent reaction to this discussion that some people have - they seem to think that striving toward an ideal means making perfection the minimum standard. What's with that? I've never said everyone should do everything perfectly or not bother - honestly, that's completely ridiculous. All I and others like me are saying is that the more accurate it is, the higher it should score. What's so hard to understand about that?

Oh, and on idiot judges - I have one rule: ignore them. Don't let one jerk ruin it for you. They're not worth it. The point for me is the research, the learning, the craftsmanship. Competing means sharing what I've learned, showing what I'm doing, and learning from and seeing what others are doing. If I'm lucky I might get some useful feedback from the judges, but that's not really what I'm there for. The score is irrelevant and is not a personal value judgment. Perhaps it is my Art background that has taught me to separate my *self* from the work - not that I don't put myself into it, but that the work is not *me*. Criticism of the work is not criticism of me. I guess people who aren't used to that process get freaked out by it and take it personally. I think that's really too bad. They could be learning from it and improving."

Stupid full moon

2006-02-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-02-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

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...

2006-02-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

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.

Thanks guys!

2006-01-31T15:00:00.000-07:00

After posting my whine this morning, I received supportive messages from friends who a) actually read my blog and b) care about me. At the risk of being revoltingly sappy, that officially makes blogging worthwhile.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it!

Good Morning (NOT!)

2006-01-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

I am so beat. The kids haven't been sleeping well lately, which means Mommy doesn't sleep either. Isn't there a form of torture where they keep waking you up over and over again, so you never get any actual rest, just get to doze off and then YANK! you're awake again...

Rachel is sick, and I'm starting to feel crummy (big surprise). So far Ben seems fine, but I called him in sick anyway, because I'm too damned tired to haul him out of bed and drag him to school. Besides, he's probably carrying Rachel's germs even if he isn't symptomatic yet. *sigh* This is going to be such a fun day. Heh. I typo'd "suck" instead of "such." How appropriate.

God I'm a ray of sunshine this morning, aren't I? Truth is, I'm stressing about some stuff. That's at least half of why I'm not sleeping well. It's not entirely because of the kids.

It's this whole "in charge" thing. I don't try to do it, I don't want to do it, but I always end up in charge of things. It's just because I see something that needs to be done, or that needs help getting done, and I can do that sort of thing so I jump in and do it, and next thing you know, it's my responsibility. Then it becomes an obligation. Then I start to resent it. Then I withdraw and my brain refuses to deal with it, which leads to procrastionation which results in more stress because now I have three days to accomplish two weeks' worth of work and I'll be letting people down if I don't. *phew*

Guess I'm just gonna have to grit my teeth and blow through, again, and get it done. God I hate this. It doesn't start out as a burden. It's always exciting in the beginning. What's my problem, anyway?

Bling for the Queen

2006-01-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it doesn't sparkle, but I have to say I think the stuff we turned out for HRM turned out pretty damn cool. Cool enough that it hurt to let them go.

The little one I knitted with 12/2 silk and size 0000 needles, using elements and colors from HRM's device in submission. It's based on a small handful of extant 14th century relic purses from Sion and Chur cathedrals in Switzerland, .

The big one was a collaboration by the Textile Guild, of which I am the chief instigator (and guild head, to be precise.) It's handwoven from handspun and hand-dyed (with period natural dyes) wool, the strap is tablet woven in a period pattern from same, there are glass beads on the catch which were hand made for the project, it's lined with 100% linen fabric and hand-sewn with linen thread.

Cool, huh?

Credit where credit is due, in order of precedence:

Baroness Leonora made the glass beads
Mistress Maerwynn did the tablet weaving
The Honorable Lady Jeanne-Marie wove the cloth
Lady Savina (yours truly) spun the thread, sewed the bag, and wrote the documentation
my good friend Debbie dyed the blue and yellow wool (she's not SCA, but I love her anyway)

Gotta go - time to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - the new one. Maybe I'll post a review later.

G'night.

2005-12-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, here's the skinny on the horns:

I part my hair down the middle, then make a ponytail on either side of my head, high and foreward using velvet scrunchies.

I then wrap the hair around the base formed by each scrunchy and tuck in the ends. I then secure each horn with a comb and maybe a couple of hair pins. A hair net on top completes the hairstyle.

The linen veil is next, draped and pinned close around the horns. Finally I add the silk veil on top.

This technique works well even for those with shorter hair, as the scrunchies provide most of the bulk.

Yes, I know scrunchies aren't period. One of these days I'll get around to trying it with strips of cloth instead.

Pictures from Midwinter in Paris, 1405

2005-12-17T18:13:00.000-07:00

Friends - I fitted these gowns (and made his hat)

The Family

I'm baaa-aaack

2005-12-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

I'm back again - more-or-less. Nine months without a post could be a new record! I'm ready to give this thing another try.

Part of the reason is that I've found reading my friends' blogs to be a good way to stay in the loop with what's going on in their lives even when we're too busy to get together. I also have lots of photos I'd like to share, and this seems like the best way.

Most of my friends haven't seen me for a while, and I thought they might like to see the evidence of *why*, so here it is. (assuming I can remember how to post the damn things....)

test

2005-03-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

still figuring out how to work this thing...

2005-03-17T01:09:00.000-07:00

In my medieval garb, as a lady of Paris in the year 1400. Freaky, huh?

What's with the name?

2005-03-17T00:59:00.000-07:00

I have no clue. I was trying to think of something clever, and "Cranberry" just popped into my head. It's late and I'm tired, that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

Inauguration

2005-03-17T00:42:00.000-07:00

Well I did it. I have joined in with the latest thing, almost against my will. It just had to be done. I couldn't resist any longer.

I won't be posting daily, I don't think. I envision this as more of a personal webpage than a true weblog. We'll see what develops. Why am I talking to myself? This is a little odd. Ah well, if ten million other people can do it, who am I to complain? Yeah right. Like that's ever stopped me before!

Enough already. Here goes!