Occasionally Accountable?

On my summer vacation...

2008-08-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

I'm on facebook more than my blog nowadays, but this past summer needs to be recorded.

-My Father and his dog moved in with us
-We found a house to buy
-Went through genetic blood test for breast cancer mutation common in Ashkenazis
-Stayed married ;)
-I cleaned condo to rent out
-We dirtied up condo again
-We moved into house
-Found out I don't have "that exact gene"
-I found a new job
-Moved into new house
-(Mother-in-law in town for five weeks, incredibly big help)
-Preparing for Linear Algebra
-Preparing for a very consuming new job

Help me, oh help me! Still standing, but wondering how.

When the going gets tough

2008-06-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

...the tough pull grasshoppers off their windowsill.

When women molt

2008-06-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

They get haircuts.

I bought a cheapo digital camera, and should now be able to share more projects and things on Ravelry and here.

Two Prescott stories

2008-06-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

*Gasp* I mentioned the town I live in, which you need to know is at least %40 retired. This used to be a non-issue to me, but lately I've had some experiences.

Sunday: I'm checking out at the grocery story, and a woman in her late 70s or 80s comes behind me in the checkout line. I'm loading my cart, my daughter is standing quietly and using her punching balloon under control. This bitch yells at my kid, "Excuse Me!" She is clearly destined by decree to own every inch of the belt she's loading her banal groceries on, and I ignore her and let my child ignore her, too.

She loads the groceries, and does everything she can to inch her way into our existence while I'm still conducting my transaction. She squirts out another nasty, acidic "Excuse me!" I ignore her and let my child ignore her, too.

I'm collecting my receipt and putting my wallet away, when I notice that she's Literally Pushing My Child With Her Goddamn Fucking Shopping Cart because my daughter, who's waiting for me to finish shopping, is also trying to get her shoe on so we can both leave.

I lose it. I'm not one for public spectacles, but I say in an elevated voice, "Will you stop? You are hitting my child with a shopping cart, and she's trying to get her shoe on!" (Flip flops slide off from time to time, let's live with it.)

She says to me, "I'm sorry your child is such a brat." The woman that's been obnoxious, aggressive, and intolerant is calling my child, who's been quiet and patient and hasn't yelled at this lady (I instructed my child to do so next time), a brat. I can't believe I let that slide. Instead, I go for a personal attack: "I'm sorry that your life is so damn rotten!" I think I hissed, man was I ticked off.

__________________________________________________________________

Monday: I do something drastic. I get my eyebrows waxed and all of my hair cut off. The lady doing my eyebrows is nice enough, and I'm guessing from how she speaks that she's an immigrant from a Spanish speaking country somewhere South of Arizona. We get talking, and it's clear that I'm the one with the immigrant accent. It winds up she's done her geneology back six generations in Monument Valley, she's Navajo, and her grandfather a famous interpreter.

In case you were wondering...

2008-05-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

when one is totally pissed off at their spouse, and exhilarated yet anxious about the imminent arrival of their elderly and not entirely well moving-in Father, a perfect cocktail, my dear colleague, is Jack Daniels cola, w/ alternate sips of Earl Grey tea. I'm not much of a drinker, but should have thought of increasing my levels long before tonight.

How Children See The World

2008-05-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

We were driving by the church I voted at during the AZ Primary months ago, when Cassie asked, "Mom, how come we can go to that church to vote when we're not Christian." Even for a kid that goes to a church school, somehow it goes deep that "going to Church" is something only some people do, rather than a community center.

What's that swiping sound?

2008-04-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

It's me, stealing the Yarn Harlot's copyright for self-effacing posts. I don't know if I have insomnia or "aging sleeping habits" *snort*- but I have to air my irritation w/ how the past four hours went.

First, I finished "The Book Thief." Shed a few tears, will think of these characters from time to time. Being Jewish, we have "Never Forget" flavored on our pacifiers, and that's just where Holocaust education begins. It's good to see a book like this (note: it is a fiction title), where never forget includes the precious souls that said Fuck You to Hitler And His Germany, regardless of the personal cost.

Back to knitting. Attempt #2 at the Mananita cast on. We left off with me spending three hours trying to figure out a way to invisible cast on, and then kind of getting the hang of it, w/ the realization that I need smoother joins on my circulars and in my brain. On a whim I ordered the needles and a Schoolhouse video for Mananita. They arrived, and it's a different Mananita, lo and behold, w/ a different (long tail) cast on method. After looking at that video, back to the web for video and written tutorials, back to the book, I've got 80 stitches of invisible cast on that are too damn tight. I'm just not getting how to do this w/out twisting the hell out of my waste yarn.

I decide to bag the invisible cast on, and use the long tail cast on. Who cares, right? Long tail cast on, I've used it for seven years. I NO LONGER REMEMBER HOW TO DO IT. Forgive the caps lock. But that's what happened in one evening of this try and try again. Do I make an albatross for myself, or look for some finger candy like finishing some sweater sleeves.

I picked this silk out w/ pure love and weak knees, and just may walk into the Yarn shop someday soon (anyone volunteering to take my kid?) and pay for a tutorial, something I've just not ever considered doing before. I love those ladies, hope it's true on the other end of help.

Oh yeah

2008-04-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

And there was a finished project this week. This kid had picked out a bamboo/cotton/silk/sparkly blend, and I turned it into a drawstring back w/ a svelt ribbon (called a bonk in this house, by she) that held her bday present. I need these knitting in the round projects that pass quickly, and as soon as one is over, it's a little bit of a rut to get the next one going. Next, the Pi shawl, w/ that crochet over a loop cast on I need to sit down and do.

How funny to find me here

2008-04-06T08:10:00.001-07:00

Natalie commented that I don't have pictures (yet). It's true, and I need to not tell anyone, walk out the stinkin' door, and buy myself a digital camera that would do the simple job, probably even cheaply. Sorry, pal. It's hilarious to revisit this thought. In Summer 1998, when I was living in Scottsdale for an internship with Motorola, I accidentally got involved in needlework. (Listening to NPR instead of t.v., came across a cross-stitch kit on my walk home from work, and was on usenet in 1.7 seconds learning of different embroidery resources.) It was the first time in my life I walked away from text and into technicolor, and obviously there is no looking back. Here I am, reporting on my technicolor in monochrome.

Report: Yesterday a.m. I took out some solid Merino top, and started testing for a 4-ply "over balanced" Merino yarn, something like a Koigu. I'm trying to barely twist the singles (1/4 done), and we'll see where this goes. I'm spinning slowly, and love my wheel best (Lendrum folding) when operating it like this. (Love laceweight for the cadence and meditative feel.) Funny how the time goes: I dived through one pound of Wensleydale top in the past month or so (including some weekends off), and this little skein of a few yards and barely an oz will probably take me much longer. 5 oz. of Corriedale took me almost two years to hand card and spin up (it's 450 yards, sitting on my shelf, and I cannot believe I spent two Fucking years on it, why?). Why do we spend our time the way we do.

Time is running short for me nowadays. We're househunting today, and my Dad is supposed to be here in about four weeks. The school year is running out, and somehow I feel like a certain chapter of my adult life is, too.

Courtesy of Occasional Insomnia

2008-03-30T06:33:00.001-07:00

I don't know if this is more or less personal, but this post was going to be an email to my spinning knitting pal, and I thought I might share w/ the rest of yas. (All 2. :)

I just spent three hours trying to figure out the invisible cast on for Meg Swansen's Mananita. Well... I got it, but the join on the needles isn't cooperating w/ this amazing silk laceweight (Claudia's handpainted) I bought myself as a booby prize (virtuous head on the shoulders, life swimming like a sewage pool around my ankles this week) for being Lauren. Plus, I felt no guarantee that my happy 80 stitches would really fit around my neck. I'll be ready for attempt #3 w/ new needles, I'm sure.

In the meantime I'm getting started on a "bonk." My daughter made up this name for a little bag w/ an i-cord that carries everything. I made one out of Lambs Pride Bulky for her a couple of years ago (it was a trike basket), this one will hopefully be done, and a little more refined (bamboo silk blend, sparkly), holding the box w/ her bday present (a locket). This one will have a picot cast on.

That's what's live. I've got a Morning Surf scarf in Alpaca, a few rows done. And one sweater body, plus 85% of one sleeve.

I have to be patient with myself. I know that I'm bored w/ a lot of the "same ole" in my knitting, but it's the garter stitch projects I'm most likely to knock out (and enjoy in time). But spending so much time on technique is kind of frustrating, but hopefully temporary. I've got to work out how to devote good mental time to more complicated and rewarding projects. While still getting things done like the incessant responsibilities I feel.

And on the spinning front: just finished plying 1 lb. of Wensleydale. I'll wash it this week. Next up: some Merino, Ashland Bay in colors, for the Northern Lights Bohus hat in the Handspun Homeknit IP book I look at so often. I wanted to try something different w/ the yarn, inspired when Pal Up the Hill and I were talking about "spinning ruts" earlier this week. Lo and behold, Spin Off arrived the next day, and an article by J M-K (ha! that's a funny initial coincidence) had an article on cable yarns, but it's the 4 ply Merino she contrasted it w/ that caught my attention. That should be something of a technical challenge, and it sure is purdy.

On the fiber front

2008-03-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

I just finished two months of knitting for a baby surprise sweater. It's a washable synthetic, from Sildar, so nice enough to handle, but: I've resolved to enjoy me fancy schmancy natural fiber yarns more, and do less of my "obligation" knitting for a while. I'm burned out. Two months felt like an eternity, somehow.

Spinning: a pound of Wensleydale top, and it's lovely. It's going to be a two-ply, I'm guessing about 700 yards of it. I've had it for years. Almost every Saturday morning I wake up, listen to Scott Simon (I love you, Scott!), and spin for a couple of hours.

My resolution to use what I have has been incredibly motivating, I've got a ton of projects I'm dreaming up, and a ton more I'll start on as soon as I seam up the damn baby sweater.

Books

2008-03-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

Nat talked about how The Time Traveler's Wife rocks. And it does. Some stories take over and make their own life with you, others don't. I finished "Thousand Splendid Suns" last week, and when I walked away, it was over. Yet Wicked, with all of its long and boring passages, should somehow be an American classic, set on high schoolers that will never understand, as meaning it does have.

What sayest y'all? Which stories stick?

Our book club chose The Book Thief for next, I'm looking forward to it.

February

2008-02-21T10:01:00.000-08:00

Groundhog Day resolutions:
Every year I have Fiber and Personal resolutions. I felt no need for that this year, until Groundhog Day hit. I got a couple of minutes to myself, organized me yarn and mind, and came up with only a few:
* No buying yarn for the next 12 months. Unless I finish one special orange and rust sweater, then I will allow myself the yarn for another sweater, as one should always have a sweater in the queue.
* No book purchases, except for book club.

The above two have motivated me to read and knit what I have, like no other. Don't ask me why, but it's working. I have too much. I need less. I need more money. (We are inundated with education and medical bills.)

The third:
* No sweets, unless I make them. I've broken this tons of times already, but am eating less crap than I used to. Largely influenced by the books I've been reading about food lately.

Just spent the weekend in Las Vegas, a dear Aunt was visiting my newly relocated cousin there. My Aunt, my Father's sister, has had Alzheimer's for at least four or five years. It is heartbreaking, but with tears, I squeezed her hand and told myself that this was good bye to someone special. Growing up was hell. For many of us, right? This Aunt and Uncle were the ray of light. No matter when or how I was in contact with them, they left me in love. I never realized how important that was until this past few weeks, when I had to weight our health vs. going and saying good bye. (We're home with the flu now.)

The end. Lots of tidbit thoughts about Hebrew education, more yarn, food, etc., that hopefully I'll be motivated to post as time presents itself. Being home sick for three days definitely facilitated this posting! (On day 3.)

January

2008-02-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

No classes this spring. Just some time for sanity. I hope. We have a pile of medical bills to pay, and I found that one class plus working full time was more than I could handle. Our first weekend off in January was more relaxing than the entire XMas break. I'm really into cleaning and minimizing right now.

November & December

2008-02-21T09:56:00.000-08:00

We had seven straight weeks of houseguests, first my Father, and three days after he left my Mother-in-law arrived. On one hand, we survived. On the other hand, it was a difficult time. It culminated w/ a Friday morning, when I had to take a final exam, and decided that I had worked too damn hard and taken care of everyone else, threw in the towel, put my Mother-in-law on duty (old man out of town), called into work (I have an amazing co-teacher) and spent a few hours studying at me Starbucks before acing the final. On one hand, grades have never mattered to me. On another, I was fighting for this one, baby. I felt like I had some type of personal transformation moment that Friday. Dammit. I got an A. Wouldn't have otherwise, and it was my way of rising above a very taxing Autumn.

By Popular Request

2008-02-21T09:48:00.000-08:00

Natalie, for you, darlingka:

I've been not typing very much. It hurts, tendonitis and all. I don't respond to emails as much as I used to, but am knitting more than I should and could, now that I'm taking a semester off from classes. I'll post my activities in segments, so as to not risk losing anything:

Barely Awake, Barely Asleep

2007-12-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

We just had my Father here for three weeks, we get three days off, and then my Mother-in-law arrives for three weeks, so between that and wrapping up my semester I've been busier than a... you know, there just aren't good metaphors for how busy one can be. Not like "as cold as a well digger's ass," one of my favorites (from Tom Waits).

Anyway. Up for air. See you all on the other end of '07, maybe '08. Happy Everything.

It´s almost Ten Fifteen on a Saturday night

2007-11-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

...and I´m still listening to The Cure, for twenty freaking years now. The difference is that I´m folding laundry while my kid´s taking a bath, and reality can seem just as surreal as it did when high school reports on existentialism were at hand.

And for the record- I´ve sat at my wheel for two mornings this past week, after carding up some Corriedale rolags. I´m motivated to finish the Corrie, as I´m itching to order a Shetland fleece for a traditional pattern for Stitch.

Many bizarre decades to us all,
Lauren

Quote of the Day, a priceless Mastercard moment

2007-10-14T08:15:00.001-07:00

I heard this while chilling at the LYS:

(My Pal from up the hill is knitting w/ a ball of yarn contained in a plastic fishnet accessory, it's called a yarn bra.)

"What's that?" asks someone in the store.
"Well, that's a yarn bra," replies pal.
Inadvertently, another at the table replies
"It keeps your balls together."

Dear Melody, does yarn have karma?

2007-09-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

This post is in honor of my pal Melody, a knitter and spinner in Baton Rouge I would consider an expert in all things yarn and karma. She would allow me to come into her home when I contemplated just how hard it could be to a young Mother, a crazy wife, and an obsessed inadvertent spinner of dog hair. ;) If you can't meet Mel, read "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell," and come for a walk up a mountain with me, or a walk through the streets of Edinburgh.

This morning a few minutes were spent packing some prezzies for shipment, and contemplating how I'm flirting with "superstition as valid?" more as I get older.

We have an interesting social not-coincidence in our family. My Mother, now deceased, was graced with a beautiful (gorgeous in every way) friend as they raised their children together for 27 years. This friend's daughter is a mere fifty days older than me (and a year older right now, ha!, old lady!), and we've been growing up together for quite some time (for 32 years, since nursery school). Mom's friend is an amazing knitter, recently swiping a mess of top ribbons at her local county fair (in Rhinebeck, folks!). I packed up for her an extra skein of Socks that Rock I can't use, a skein that was meant for a friend, but as one friend wound up not fitting in the niche of "sock recipient," the yarn lay fallow (she moved, can't measure the feet, but she regrets not having learned to knit, ha!), and seems destined to return to my homeland (Hudson Valley, NY).

[Note: I can see how Stitch gets tired of my stories, as the above does seem like too much information as I was simply trying to get to the point, "yarn destined for friends is destined for friends" regardless. This karma seems to balance out.]

I was given some the high-end sock yarn (Lorna's Laces) by another friend years ago, in the relationship stage when knitting friends are forging new friendships, learning each other's favorite ice cream flavor, needle brand, and discipline technique for malcontent toddlers. I started knitting up Jackie E-S's Frienship Circle socks out of this colorway last June. Somehow the colors, the pattern, the relationship (no longer active, everyone has moved) don't fit in the fabric I consider the backdrop of my life. I reballed up the yarn, and sent it to a different knitting friend that seems more in parallel with the colorway. But does the baggage of an extinct friendship get passed over to a different friend when you rewind the yarn? God, I hope not.

And my pal up the hill played sock fairy with the most gorgeous skein of Socks That Rock, in a shade of pale Orange that radiates like the sun, the warm sun you feel from the inside. No longer able to stand the skein inactive (regardless of what else is on the mind and on the needles), I wound up for a pair of socks this morning. This yarn has energy and radiance I don't think I've experienced in a yarn before. I hope to give it grace, and feel like the knitting will be a significant experience reflected in this most recent stage of my knitting life & relationships.

[Note to all friends and family: I've become incredibly sappy lately. Sorry about that.]

That's all for now. Whaddaya think? Can the karma of a yarn be passed down, for better or for worse? Textiles create a most understandable nexus: the tactile, the intellectual, the social, the spiritual, and, well, stitch them together. (As trite as that sounds, said one thousand times before, I have to say it outloud regardless, so thank you for induldging me.)

You'll see me more

2007-09-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

because I'm taking an online course right now, so I'll be on the computer more. The end of July, and August, have been absolutely insane, what with teaching full-time and a grad class starting, and hopes for a rekindled exercise routine. I put me own new spanky nobbly tires on my touring bike. But I have homework to do, so for now I leave you with a poem I cannot get out of my head. I found it in a children's poetry book, and it resonates after delightful time in San Diego.

e.e. cummings is one of my favorites. Maybe I'll post others for fun discussion from time to time.

maggie and milly and molly and may
by E. E. Cummings

10 maggie and milly and molly and may went down to the beach(to play one day) and maggie discovered a shell that sang so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and milly befriended a stranded star whose rays five languid fingers were; and molly was chased by a horrible thing which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and may came home with a smooth round stone as small as a world and as large as alone. For whatever we lose(like a you or a me) it's always ourselves we find in the sea

You know that you're raising your kid in

2007-08-27T20:12:00.001-07:00

the Southwest, when you have the following conversation:

[Background: some homemade ice cream I created over the weekend was supposed to be caramel flavor, but was not exactly a big hit in the house.]

Child: I have an idea, Daddy! Let's make some bad ice cream for Mommy!
Those two had a field day with this- suggestions for flavors included toenail ice cream, cat whiskers, dirt, rocks, etc., until...

WE SHOULD MAKE MOMMY JAVELINA BARF ICE CREAM!

A celebrity sighting!

2007-08-25T05:11:00.000-07:00

Meet Ali. With his kindred spirit niece (Cute kid, I know, but she's not mine. Ask Stitch.)

Don't worry, Al. I wont out you, if you ever post again. :)
Here are a couple of other people I don't know:

Ali, we knitting bloggers are a dime a dozen. I'm just special because I'm lame: too few pictures, too little time to fool around nowadays. I've been fooling around with beading some: fiber optic beads, bought a jewelry hammer, some other metal insanity. Warning! There are bookmarks looming again for Christmas this year!!!

Ok, back to woyk.

Sheep in their Birthday Suits

2007-08-25T05:05:00.001-07:00

OK, I meant to follow up on my bitching about the search for natural Shetland colors down below with the information I found. In short, Jamieson's color card offers 19 natural Shetland style yarns, but apparently they have been selling only two of these for years. Yes, I think it's time their color card is changed. Or not sold. Or the customer is warned. But anyhoo, I've been meaning to write about this for the past month- about the greatness in spinning a unique fleece. But the past two months of my life have been some of the busiest (and most wonderful), so I'll just leave you with a couple of notes:

1) I'm up in the middle of the night. The only reason I found time to write is because a pack of coyotes were sounding off, upsetting my dog, and consequently me. In the past three hours I have managed to knock off 40 pages of Suite Francaise, a really great book I need to finish by 5:00 p.m. tomorrow night for book club. I've also managed to prep two homemade ice-creams: a citrus sorbet and a caramel. On to the Moroccan chicken. Guess who's hosting?
2) The following is a post I just made to the dearest Yarn Harlot (yarnharlot.com will bring you there):

Hold your head high. I recently ruled out handspinning the yarn for a sweater intended for the beloved Mr. Grumpy of the house, and wanted to see a few samples from the Jamieson Natural Collection. Their color card shows 19, but only 2 are now available. This made me appreciate handspinning even more: down to the hue of the fleece, our handspun is a unique gift. (From nature, to us.)
Happy Washing/Prepping/Spinning/Plying!(From someone that chided you for not flicking from the lock in the middle of this project),:) Lauren

People that live in glass houses

2007-08-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

shouldn't throw stones. And people that say they are not buying more sock yarn shouldn't walk into yarn shops.