Hawi dreams IV

Tuesday was spent at Alicia's, knitting and dyeing a silk scarf and slurping Kona coffee. In the meantime, here are more pictures from the World Botanical Gardens.

Fan palm.

Rare jade orchids.

Hibiscus

Bromeliad

Bird of paradise

Hawi dreams III

Monday morning started with waking from a dream that I was trying to fly. I would run and try to leap into the air but couldn't fly more than a few yards. Then someone in my dream said I needed to focus on my destination before trying to fly. It made perfect sense and it worked in my dream.

I woke to the resident roosters calling to each other and met Alicia at her home. Our excursion was to take us to Umauma Falls and the World Botanical Gardens outside of Hilo. First, we picked up salads and malasadas (hot filled donuts) for our picnic lunch at the Tex Drive-In, then we headed south. We stopped at the head of the road to Waipi'o, one of the sacred sites and home to sustainable agriculture farms growing the traditional crops of the ancestors: taro, breadfruit, sugar, coconut.

The World Botanical Gardens were created over a former sugar cane field and contain many varieties of flowers, shrubs, and trees. The focal point of the Garden is Umauma Falls, a three-tiered waterfall on the Umauma River. About 3000 species are in the Gardens, viewable along a drive through the garden and on trails. Our picnic was on one such trail in the shade of tulip trees, breadfruit, and others I could not identify.

Our excursions took us through Hilo then over the Saddle Road that runs between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Mauna Kea is the location of several astronomical observatories and I had hoped that I would be able to tour one of them while I was there, but that was not in the cards this time. But the drive over the road was reward enough for we went from lush tropical rainforest into temperate forest into nearly barren lava fields. The plant life change was stark and endlessly fascinating, reminding me of the years after Mount St Helens had its eruption in 1980.

The evening was devoted toward attending hula class. Alicia is taking hula and was able to obtain permission for my being able to observe the class. The halau (hula school) is in a former military building near the beach and Kumu is the instructor, a woman in her 60s barely standing 5 feet tall with hair past her hips. I took a seat near a window to stay cool for the room we were in was quite warm. Students filed in and took their places, becoming silent as the classroom filled. At last all were there and there was only silence. Then Kumu began the class, starting with an opening chant, practice with the chant, then warmups. At last the dance practice began and Kumu was watchful and gently persistent, making sure that her students understood without singling out those making mistakes. I started working on some socks I had brought with me, but after a certain point I put them away. The dance was too fascinating and I felt that the work was in some ways violating the sacred space. The knitting itself fascinated a couple of the younger children who were on the side while their mom was practicing. The socks had a cable in them, so they were curious about the cable needle, the knitting needles, and the sock (no socks in Hawaii!!).

After class was finished, I went and paid my respects to Kumu, for it felt like I had been given a gift I will never forget. The class gave me a feeling of the community that the locals have here as well as their ancient culture. It is something that is missing in our world on the mainland. We don't have centuries of culture; only a mixture that is diluted by our desires. What traditions we practice are merely shadows of the traditions we had, changing with each generation as we grow older. So I went to my sleep feeling I had been given a precious gift that no luau at a resort could ever provide and the song of Kumu murmuring in my ears.

Hawi dreams II

Sunday's flight was uneventful. They showed "Eight Alone", the movie about the huskies left behind in the Antarctic after an expeditioner had an accident and had to be airlifted out. I didn't opt for the audio, so it was a silent distraction. Next to me at my right, a woman was playing "Pulp Fiction" on her laptop. Another woman was asleep in the seat at my left. So I was in the middle, stuck with keeping myself occupied for nearly 5 hours. It wasn't entirely unproductive. Because there were few audio distractions, I was able to get to row 43 of the Rosebud Shawl.

True to form, I decided that the middle portion of the shawl would have no rose medallions. This is to make my life bearable because it seems that every row I've worked I've had some sort of error. I could have ripped back to repair that glitch but I opted not to. This is one panel of 4 that I'm working. It looks like a twist, doesn't it? If you don't see it, then it's not a problem.

Back to the traveling.

Why are there no clocks in airports? In every airport I've been at in the last couple of years there have been NO clocks. I don't wear a watch (all the batteries in my watches are dead) and I don't have a cellphone, so I have no means of telling the time unless I carry my travel alarm with me. So at the Portland airport I'm sitting waiting for my flight with no means of telling when we were going to leave. It was frustrating because I knew I was there in plenty of time but would I have time to grab a cup of coffee? Would I have a chance to use the restroom? Can I go get a newspaper?

Alicia met me at the Kailua-Kona airport and a marvelous meeting it was. I was lei'd with a lovely lei of red and white orchids and one made of black ribbon, novelty yarn, and fun fur. The drive back on the west side of the island was startling because I was expecting lush greenery all around and saw nothing but prairie, brush, and ancient lava flows. It's due to the mountains catching most of the rain coming in, which I saw as we rounded the northern point of the island.

At the house, I presented Norma her socks, which she put on immediately. I then brought out my BIG suitcase full of goodies from the folks of the GLBT ListServe and Alicia was like a kid at Christmas. There was roving from Ted, JoVE, and Brenda; yarn from Emily, SamDuck, Ray, and Jean; books from SamDuck and Witt; Feed n Wax from Brenda; the Rubbah Slippah Mystery, a handspindle and roving from me; a swift from Unka Lou.* In return, Alicia gave me merino roving and mohair boucle yarn she will never use (way too warm for their climate!) and laceweight yarns that are too fine for her to handle.

It was a three hour difference between Hawi and Portland and by 7 pm their time I was exhausted. I went to my bed at the Kohala River Inn and dreamt wondrous dreams.

Coming up: flowers and foliage and lava, oh my!

*If I missed anyone, please accept my apologies!

Hawi dreams

Whenever I thought of Hawaii, I envisioned miles and miles of manicured lawns and gardens, hundreds of tourists, and cheesy displays of overpriced crap. I had no urge to go across the water to this chain of islands in the middle of BFN. Mom and Dad went to Kauai back in the 80's and enjoyed it, but the prospect of hot days amidst the great white hordes held no allure to me.

Then Alicia and Norma went across. The stories they told of the small town they lived in and the people made me curious. At least they weren't on Oahu, I thought, though I can't imagine their living on Oahu after spending their years in the mountains outside San Diego. Then Alicia asked me to make her Norma socks and it went from no desire to potential adventure.

I was not disappointed.

Words cannot describe my experience. I can see why people fall in love with the place. It isn't paradise, but it does speak to something within you. Something deep and primeval, long forgotten in this world of electronic communication, high speed travel, and plastic environments. It isn't free. You have to work for it. You have to give up something to be able to embrace it. Some people never feel it. Some people sense it but don't know how to access it. Some people feel it and crave it, but are afraid to give up what they know to embrace it. And the ones who take a deep breath and plunge into the water live on the island with the knowledge that what they have is precious and will do their utmost to protect it.

When I sip my coffee or nibble a bit of mango, I will remember that spirit. I will remember hearing Kumu, the teacher of hula, singing her song. I will remember the blue of the ocean, the black of the pahoehoe, the colors of the flowers, and the song of the wind.

I hope my pictures have captured some of the beauty. They'll be up soon.

Less than 24 hours

And I'll be feasting in Paradise.

The packing is done. I managed to get all of my clothes in my small suitcase which I can take aboard the plane with me. My computer bag does well doubling as a knitting bag and I shrank the amount of purse junk down to fit in a small bag. The heaviest thing will be my camera, a Canon AE-1, and the accompanying macro lens. Probably not as much equipment as Franklin, but I kind of feel like I'm traveling in Franklin style. No Dolores however. Can't compete with Dolores.

I'm returning Friday, kids. I hope to get some things up here Saturday. Until then, aloha!

Treats

This is what I found when I arrived at work this morning.

In the bags were kits for these guys, a Beanie Baby Hula bear, and some fun toys. A wonderful way to start the day!

Last night, I found a package waiting for me that contained three balls of this in the blueberries/grapes colorway. At the rate I'm going with blues and purples, I may have enough to make a stash coat using the Folkwear Turkish Coat pattern as a guideline. An idea. We'll see.

In the meantime, I'm treating myself to a t-bone steak, baked potato and veg for dinner and some quiet time with a book to give my eyes a break. Ta-ta!

Shawl progress

My working on the shawl at home has helped me concentrate on the rows as they grow complex. The design isn't exactly symmetrical, but once it's completed, it's going to be beautiful. I'm doing it from the neck down and it's an open square, the opening running a diagonal line to one corner from the neck opening in the center. The color doesn't show well here because of the indoor light, but it's the design I want to show here.

Happy birthday to me!!

Laziness

I admit I can be lazy, but I at least leave my laziness at home. I drink tea at the office and make a big pot of it for the day. The department I work for provides coffee but you have to make it if you want it. They have three air pots and two coffeemakers, so it's not like you're going to run out of coffee if you keep making fresh pots. This morning I saw a woman (I want to say girl but she is adult-sized, so I'll be nice) try to get a cup of coffee from one of the air pots and found it was empty. She tried to get a cup from the other air pot, succeeded, then walked away. At the time, a pot of decaf was brewing, but the other maker was available. Now wouldn't it be nice to your fellow co-workers to take a few minutes to start a fresh pot? Most think they don't have the time. If you have the time to leave your desk for a cup of coffee, you have time to make a fresh pot. So do the nice thing. I did. Even though I don't drink the office swill.

Shawl progress

I had time last night to work on the Rose Trellis shawl and put in another life line. I'm up to 39 stitches per repeat and the next pattern line is more involved than previous lines, so I'm keeping it at home and working on socks at work. I still have the Submarine socks (I'm on sock two) and I have some Lana Grossa striping sock yarn. They and the shawl will most likely be traveling with me

Happy birthday, Steph!

Have you ever done this?

Take the current year and subtract five years from it. Then note what you were doing that year. It can be insightful. Or it can be depressing. So here's mine.

2001 - Had my first real relationship with another person. It confirmed my liking for women over men. It was also my first real sexual experience and I haven't been the same since (BEG)

1996 - Parted ways permanently with my best friend from high school. She had a mental breakdown and I had stepped in to help her, but the relationship was growing destructive for both of us. I chose to break ties with her completely, but it felt like I was going through divorce.

1991 - Started work at the company I'm currently with after a year of working temporary jobs.

1986 - I was promoted to apprentice grocery clerk and moved out of my parents' house.

1981 - Freshman and sophomore year in college. Had a roommate picked out by Housing. She had no tact but learned that arrangements can be worked through. Met Cat and Maggie, who introduced me to alcohol and letting go of my childhood.

1976 - Freshman year in high school and the Bicentennial. Was glad to be out of the hell of grade school (our schools didn't have middle school at the time) and made a few friends, only to dump them in favor of my best friend from grade school who ended up being my best friend in high school (see year 1996)

1971 - Rode down to California to visit my eldest brother who lived outside of San Diego. Dad had an Buick Electra 225 two-door with a back seat that could hold my sister and I and a full sized Coleman cooler. Spent one strange evening with a Mexican family while my parents and sister went to see "The Governor and J.J." at CBS Studios. The eldest boy of the family entertained me with drawing pictures of different characters like Frankenstein.

1966 - I attended nursery school at Westminster Presbyterian. Several who attended class with me ended up going to grade school with me as well.

Mila's Baby Sweater

I found buttons for Mila's baby sweater yesterday and was able to complete it. It makes it a little more femme but butterflies can be boys too, right?

I'm working on the cap to go with the sweater and should have it done before the week is out.

Off to work, bubbies!

Afterglow

The concerts went very well Friday and Saturday. Friday Reid and I left Portland around 1 pm to avoid the traffic that starts picking up in mid-afternoon and reached Corvallis around 3. The church wasn't open so we hunted for a bookstore as Reid hadn't brought a book with him. We found the bookstore that sells Confluence concert tickets so after inhaling that particular smell that bookstores have we went browsing. Reid found this for a friend of his and I found this. Armed, we headed back to the church with the expectation of waiting for someone to unlock the door. But to our pleasant surprise the door was unlocked for an aerobics class, so we parked ourselves on a sofa to wait. Soon the production crew arrived with the risers and we were busy with staying out of the way.

After the concert, we went out to McMenamin's in Corvallis for dinner, then headed north to the outskirts of Albany to spend the night at Sam and Clark's. There's a subdivision that is out in the middle of all this farmland a few miles outside of Albany that is just a little strange, for you don't expect to be driving along and find a small neighborhood of houses amidst the fields and pastures. It's a nice quiet neighborhood very conducive to snoozing and loafing, and Sam and Clark are fabulous hosts. Outside of one of their dogs being extra vigilant and barking at nighttime wildlife, the night was peaceful and we slept well.

Saturday we played pinochle after breakfast, then Sam and Clark had to go run some errands. Reid took the time to read and I set to work on the Rose Trellis shawl. The last two pattern rows had been giving me fits because I'd count and come up one stitch short. I finally resigned myself to having to frog the thing back four rows and dug out the dental floss to put in a safety line. The cotton has a tendency to ladder very readily, so I wasn't going to take any chances. It took me a good hour to frog out the four rows and put in my safety line before resuming any knitting. After that, I was ready for a nap, which I did until Sam and Clark returned.

The second concert went very well. There were a couple of songs that we had had problems on in rehearsal, but in the concert we pulled it all together and made our director proud. Ray is not a diva director. He's patient and fun and really encourages us to perform for him. So we worked hard to make it come together. It was also a concert where I could stretch my range. I had a solo that put me in soprano range for a few measures, then later I had one that was in mid-baritone range up to alto. I'd been working hard to get that, so it was very satisfying to pull it off. I don't have any formal training except for a couple of workshops, so I'm pleased when I'm able to stay on pitch at the extremes of my range. It's not easy as it requires a lot of breath control, awareness of where your voice is coming from, and strength in the chest and abdominal muscles. So when a fellow singer who was in the audience came up and commented well on my soprano solo, I was very pleased (I sing tenor).

So this morning starts the week prior to going to Hawaii. I'll be gathering my things and preparing the house for my time away. Today will be quiet time with a quick trip to find buttons for the baby sweater and working a few rows on the Rose Trellis. I didn't get my WWKIP shirt in time from Cafe Press for Knit In Public Day but I'll have it for the trip. I was working on my cap while waiting in the green room concert days, so I did do some semi-public knitting. If I was home, I probably would have been in one of the parks in the city or at an outdoor table at a cafe. Oh well. Every day for me is Knit In Public Day.

Voices

Tonight Confluence Chorus is singing at the UU Congregation of Corvallis, so I'm leaving work early, hitching up with Reid, picking up programs and heading south. I'm just a little superstitious so I hope the burn I acquired from a spilled mocha this morning isn't an indication of how the day will be. We'll go to the church and sing, then spend the night at Sam and Clark's in Albany where tomorrow we'll have a lovely breakfast and a few rounds of pinochle before we go sing at Chemeketa Community College in Salem that evening. If I'm up early I'll have some quiet time for working a few rows of the Rosebud Trellis shawl and starting a baby hat to go with the sweater.

Since the brouhaha earlier this week over the proposed amendment banning gay marriage, this concert's music has acquired more meaning to me. The songs are based on a theme of the many voices of our community. There are voices of song, voices of generations, voices of the dispossessed, voices of the oppressed, voices of solidarity, and voices of strength. Those voices speak for those with no voice. One solo speaks of the voice of "the old and the fearful who hope for a new day." Another solo speaks of transition as we discover our true spirit and embrace it.

If you're in the area, come and see us sing.

The wearing o'the pink

Lest we forget there were others who suffered persecution at the hands of their government because they were "deviant". I call for a day of the Pink Triangle as a day of protest against the Religious Right before they become the Fascist Right.

Lace temptations

Even though my birthday isn't until the 15th, I received a lovely gift of laceweight cashmere/silk blended yarn from Emily in the UK. She's so sweet! Thank you Emily!!

But it will have to wait. I've broken out the Blue Heron and the Rose Trellis Shawl pattern. Oooh pretty pretty!!

I am not a criminal

I don't even play one on TV. I'm talking about Bush's expression of the need for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Instead of dealing with current domestic issues like the incredible increase of gas prices over the last two years, the efforts to control Internet content (see this), or the cutback of funds toward law enforcement and local services while giving tax breaks to those who don't need them, our fearless leader is spreading the fear of homosexuality to the masses.

Now I ask you what is the danger of two people of the same sex who are in a monogamous relationship sealing that commitment with a contract that provides the same financial gains as two of the opposite sex? I have no problem with people who don't want to condone a same-sex marriage in a church because of their faith. I have a problem with denying the right to a contracted agreement as defined by financial institutions. You don't want gay marriage? Then do away with filing joint taxes. Take the estate laws that give preference to a spouse of the opposite sex off the books. Alter the custodial laws that give preferential treatment to genetics instead of time spent in raising the child. If I choose to marry a man, I am guaranteed that my spouse will inherit my estate, be accepted as the custodian of my child in the case of death or divorce, and have the right to make decisions on my behalf in case I'm unable to make them regarding my health care and finances. That would not be true if my spouse was a woman.

If you are a fiscal conservative Republican, take back your party from the social conservatives. This is not the party of thirty years ago. I grew up with fiscal conservative Republicans. They werent' this way. I became a Democrat and refuse to be a Republican while the religious Right has control of the party. But I'm a fiscal conservative. Since the current administration took control of the White House, the US economy compared to the rest of the world has gone to hell. And we're paying for it now. You think gas is high? Wait until those petroleum prices travel up the chain to food, clothing, and basic amenities. And all those imports we're getting from China thanks to our dollar's value going down the toilet.

Yep, I'm really pissed off. And I'll probably end up with a file if I don't already have one somewhere. After I send a few letters to Congressmen, I'm going to go knit. I'm not a terrorist nor are my friends.

Treasures

While I was hunting for a zipper for my toothbrush bag, I came across this little prize. My grandmother knitted this edging for a pillowcase and my mother saved it when the pillowcase wore out. It was a little stained from age, but I cleaned it gently first with Dawn then rinsed it in a vinegar rinse. That's a nickel there beside it. It's cotton, probably done on size 000 needles. And so perfect!

It's a lovely Sunday morning and the last thing I want to do is tackle the pile of dishes in my kitchen. But when you're out of clean spoons, it's time to do the dishes around here. Ick. At least my neighbor got my lawn done so that the dandelions won't be blooming.

Comments

I've had a number of comments appear recently. Thanks everyone for the positive feedback on the stranding work entry. I tried to make it as clear as I could without having to build a bunch of diagrams. I promise I will follow up with an exercise once I build the charts for those. JoVE mentions this as a source for knitter's graph paper. There's a link to the .pdf file you can download and print out for your own doodlings. So get out your crayons kids!

Leigh commented on the uses of glucosomine/ chondroitin/ MSM supplements for rebuilding cartilage. I was initially skeptical at first but I found that the gluco/chondro combination was the most effective in keeping my joints fluid. It's staved off surgery a couple of years, so I consider it efficacious for my particular condition.

Ted, I've decided to go ahead and use the Blue Heron for the Rose Trellis shawl. Thank you for your support and encouragement; it means a lot to me. I don't know if I'll ever do something like the Princess shawl (unless it's for my wedding), but the encouragement from you and our fellow GLBT Knitlisters ensures that I'll continue to take on challenges to further my knitting skills. Smoochies!!

Kitty Carnage

Buster, aka Studboy, decided to gift me with a dead sparrow this morning. At least it was in one piece, not like the last gift he gave me. He doesn't do this often, thank goodness. He's already got one couple up the street annoyed with his lurking by their bird feeders. I caught him going after pigeons on a roof a month ago. One time he stalked a crow. It's why I put fifty bells on his collar.

Real knitting content! Honest!

That's right, kids. Pure and unadulterated knitting content and a few tips as well! I hope you come away feeling like you can push the envelope a bit.

After my Memorial Day moment of what-to-do-next-itis (don't tell me you don't get those or I'll slap ya), I started the commission sweater for Mila, a gal in my office who's expecting in November. She wanted a baby sweater but didn't know what the sex of her baby was and didn't want something that was particularly tied to the baby's sex. I finished the body of the sweater last night and I'm very pleased.

Now one of the things that I take into consideration when I do a commission is expense. It would be nice to take advantage of someone who tells me "Buy what you want to use!" and get some really spendy yarn that while it's incredibly soft would cost an arm and a leg to the client. I also like to play with color and the sweater I had chosen had a yoke with stranded colorwork in it. But the original pattern calls for 6 colors: the main color for the body and 5 for the yoke. Now if this was an adult sized sweater, it wouldn't have been any big deal to get the 5 colors. But a baby sweater? I didn't have scraps of DB Baby Cashmerino lying around. I would have to buy 5 skeins of yarn from which I would probably use 10 yards or so each. So I decided to change the yoke pattern to one that took 4 colors, including the main color. This worked out well and Mila was very pleased with the result.

There are times when you have such a situation. Say you want to make a pair of mittens for your niece and you have the yarn but only in 4 colors instead of the 7 that the pattern you picked calls for. You have a few options:

1. Bag the pattern and hunt for something else.

2. Go buy more yarn.

3. Change the colorwork design to use 4 colors instead of 7.

If you have oodles of money or the yarn wasn't that expensive, options 1 and 2 are viable options. But they don't give you a challenge that 3 does, nor do they make the item unique.

The tools you'll need are graph paper and coloring markers (if you can find one of those sets that has more than 28 colors, you're in good shape. Or get crayons.). If you buy graph paper, try to find the kind that is designed for knitters, not engineer's quadrille paper. Stitches tend to be tall and narrow, not square, and you want to be able to see your design as it would appear stitched up. What I do is use my spreadsheet program (I use MS Excel), take the blank grid and alter the cell sizes so that they resemble knitter's graph paper (I do a 2:3 ratio of width:height). I print out pages for playing around with designs.

The next thing is you want to take the pattern you have and figure out the repeat. In the pattern for Mila's sweater, the repeat for the yoke pattern was 12 stitches in a 15 row section. The pattern should show a graph of the motif you're doing with the repeat and the ending stitches. Mark that dimension out on your graph paper and add two repeats of that dimension. For Mila's sweater, that would be three sections of 12 columns and 15 rows one right after the other in a row.

Look at the colors you have and see what colors pop out when put against the main color versus those that sort of hang back. For the sweater, the darker salmon color was the most vibrant against the green whereas the butter yellow nestled next to it comfortably. The yellow against the salmon also made the salmon color pop. So I opted to make my main motif the salmon color. Do the same with your colors. As a general rule, oranges and blues pop when placed against each other; so do violets and yellows together and reds and greens together (aha! Salmon Red against Sage Green!).

Now look at colors that like each other. In this case the green and yellow work well together. So do the yellow and orange and the orange and salmon. I could have put the salmon around as the border but then the stitch colors would be fighting each other and drawing the eye away from the main motif. Instead I placed the yellow, which gently draws the eye up to the yoke and toward the motif.

Shapes are another thing to consider. In stranded colorwork, the general rule is to not have more than 2 colors going in a row. You also don't want to have more than 5 stitches between color changes without doing something with the yarn floating on the back. In this motif, I've broken the stitch rule, having 6 and 8 stitch runs going between the arms of the salmon pattern. I could have woven the strand in the back of the motif but I've opted not to. I wouldn't have a long float if this was a sleeve but since this is a yoke on a sweater, I figure this won't be a problem as fingers won't be getting into the floats. But that is something to take into consideration, especially if you're not experienced in doing colorwork. Long floats tend to make the fabric tension difficult to maintain and easily snag.

There are sources of pattern motifs from books to websites. You can search them out, or you can play with simple motifs like X's or O's, zigzags, checkers, waves, or flowers. What you want to consider in your design are simplicity, continuity, and harmony. Start with a central motif as your focus first. In my case, it's a flower motif. Then consider what you want to have as the background of the flower. Do you want the flower to stand out vibrantly or gently? Then consider what you want as a border. You want a very simple motif for the border. For this pattern, I had to also consider the points where the yoke is decreasing. Those points I made in one color except for the one where I'm changing the needle size.

Fill in one repeat of your pattern in the center section of your graph. Then fill in the next repeats on each side. Set your graph paper where you can see it from a distance, like 5 or 6 feet. What's happening to the pattern? Is your motif staying the same or is it changing to a different pattern? Is that something you want? Play with another repeat. Is it doing what you want it to do? Don't be afraid to discard an idea for another. Sometimes it takes a few doings to find the right combination. If you're stuck, set it aside and go looking at sweaters and other items that have been done with stranded colorwork. Observe what the patterns are doing and how they happen. What colors are being used? How are they being placed? Why is a particular color being used in one place? What would happen if it was moved to a different row of stitches?

Any questions? I'll answer them in a future posting. I'll post an exercise as well on color placement.

It's nearly Rose Festival time

Rose Festival starts the first weekend of June in Portland Oregon. The weather has been good for the roses. A hot period there got things really growing. The rain cooled things down and gave all a good watering. Now we have a dose of warm weather to perk things up. My roses have loved it. The rain stopped long enough for rose pictures.

A rose with a marvelous scent: Prospero

I've lost the tag on this one, but I call her Princess.

Red Matador, my two-buck clearance climbing rose that has graced my garden for over 10 years.

A gift from my eldest sister: Joseph's Coat

And one of a pair of extra thorny roses that I've planted under my most accessable ground floor windows. I call them the Beasts. Very pretty security.

Hey! It's COWTIME!!

The opinions expressed on this blog are solely the opinion of the writer and do not in any way reflect the state of the world, its subsidiaries, or the few who actually make the decisions for all of us.

To provide an emotionally balanced entry for you, the Reader, I will balance a rant with a positive observation. Consider this good; the hormones are a'swingin'.

ARRGH! Why is it when you shop for shoes that you will find a multitude of wonderful styles but the ones that will actually fit your foot widthwise number in the single digits?

SIGH.... Birkenstocks and New Balance will always be in my size.

ARRGH! Last Sunday, which was in the middle of a 3 day holiday weekend, my carpool partner and I experienced more than the usual traffic going back and forth from Portland to Salem for choir practice. The majority were going over the speed limit like they had someplace important to go to. Like what? A barbecue? Dammit, drivers, SLOW DOWN!! It's not worth risking your life and others over! It really isn't! Trust me on this: whatever is waiting for you at the other end isn't going to go away if you're five minutes late. Amazing to watch on a holiday for remembering the dead.

SIGH..... I started the Debbie Bliss Fair Isle cardi Monday and I'm already up to working the yoke. Love the pattern, love the color, love the yarn! I want a sweater in it. Or two. Or three. Debbie Bliss, don't you EVER discontinue Baby Cashmerino!

ARRGH! I swear that ever since the cellphone became a ubiquitous tool in American society the basic idea of private space has been discarded. People have been complaining about how people will pop out their cellphone anywhere: the movies, public transportation, the store, the bathroom. The bathroom? Kids, if I wanted to talk to you on the phone, for gawd's sake I don't want to hear your or other people's bodily functions at work. And don't get me started on drivers using cellphones while driving, having been nearly plowed down by some broad in an SUV who was too busy dialing to pay attention to the fact she was going to jump the curb at 35 miles an hour until the very last minute and three feet away from me. What the hell did you people do before cellphones? How did you communicate to your kids? Your husband or wife? Your lover? HANG UP, dammit!

SIGH.....(breathe deeply)..... My roses are in bloom and beautiful to smell and see. I have several from Heirloom Roses. If you're ever in the area of St Paul Oregon (45 minutes south of Portland), stop there and smell the roses. They are incredible.

Heebie jeebies

I don't know what has come over me. I love making lace. I've picked up some lovely lace yarns like this and this. I've found some wonderful patterns like this , this, this and this. I've done shawls and figurines and scarves. What is stopping me from starting a lace shawl?

I finished the Rubbah Slippah Mystery and Zora needs half a leg, hair, and embellishments to be completed. I'd work on Zora except it's making my hands hurt so something that is easy on my hands is perfect. Like lace. But I'm having a heck of a time deciding what I want to do and getting started.

I could do a doily. That would satisfy my urging. But which one? There are so many to choose from. I could do one of the patterns (I'm leaning toward the Rose Trellis in the Blue Heron cotton), just to practice the pattern.

Or I could just work on the commission I picked up for doing this baby cardi.

While I'm thinking about it, I can work on the toothbrush bag I've been wanting to have for the office. It's going to be a cylinder with a zipper made from kitchen cotton for storing my dental tools. Something simple that should be in every desk.

To those who serve

When I was younger and idealistic, I was definitely a pacifist. I grew up with the images of the Vietnam War on television and the division of the country between the pro-war and anti-war factions. Today I am less idealistic, but I'm still in favor of exercising every diplomatic avenue possible before resorting to force. I protested against the invasion of Iraq, even though there was evidence that Saddam Hussein and his government were holding that country's people prisoner through terror.

But I also understand that there is a layer of society for whom the military is a way of life. Generations of men and women in countless families have gone into the military because it was a way out of poverty. They have served in many jobs, not only in combat but also in maintaining the peace. Many have died on the job doing what they felt they must do.

May we remember those who served in our military and died doing their duty. I don't agree with every reason we send our military, but the people who place their lives in danger deserve our respect.

Knit In Public Day

The first thing I want to do is promote Franklin's shirts that he worked so hard to put together for this year's Knit In Public Day June 10th. He's gone so far as to put many cities on the shirts, so there's a great selection to choose from. Go buy a shirt dammit! Then on June 10th go out, get your knitting friends, and wear your shirts in public while working on your favorite projects.

My own weekend

Usually on Memorial Day weekend I take off for the coast and visit my eldest sister for days of cribbage and good food. This time, I've opted to stay home to play pinochle with friends, run around yarn shops, rehearse with my friends, then spend a day loafing. This morning I'm off to Carlton to visit Woodland Woolworks to pick up a few things. Later I'll be stopping by the Yarn Garden to hunt up some Wick yarn from K1C2 (special request from Alicia). Then it's off to Unraveled to sit and work on Zora.

Get off your knees!

In 1997 I had surgery done on my knees because of a couple of conditions that was creating bony scar tissue and arthritis. I was told after the surgeries to expect to have another knee surgery within 7 years. Well, I've made it up to 9 years since then and after the long choir rehearsal last weekend my knees told me it was time. There's muscle ache and tendon or ligament ache. But it's Thursday and my bones still ache, even with anti-inflammatories. So the scar tissue has built up under the kneecap enough to require that I have it checked out. It will most likely be arthroscopic surgery to clean out the scar tissue, but if my knee's cartilage has degenerated enough I may end up with a knee replacement. My appointment isn't until July so it gives me time to do some rehab on my quads and hamstrings. It sucks because I'm supposed to be exercising to get off some of this fat. Aquatics isn't an option unfortunately (my knees go out of joint if I move them the wrong way, which in the heat of exercise is all too easy for me to do).

I'll get by. It's only a speed bump in my life. On a positive note, Zora now has a leg and is getting another tomorrow. And boy does she have boobs!

Variety Pak

Moo

It's been a while since my last cow but there really isn't much to have a cow about that you haven't heard already. I could rant about the insane drivers going through my neighborhood while the main thoroughfare is undergoing construction (sewer line repairs), the self-centered maneuverings of the current administration, or the horrific price increases of fuel (I can hear the Europeans going 'nyaah nyah nyah nyaah nyaah' in their individual inflections). But there are other places where if you're interested in these rants you can visit. Just Google it!

Just an ordinary day in Oregon

It cracks me up to hear people complain about the weather around here. Not long ago the state went through a heat wave of 90 degree F weather. Now it's raining and in the 60's. I've heard plenty of whining about both. Well, the natural state of things around here in May is that you get these periods of heat followed by periods of rain. It happens every year. The heat gives you the chance to check on the barbecue and the A/C to see if they're working properly. The rain gives you the chance to make repairs and take a break from mowing the lawn. It's not going to stop raining until after the 4th of July. Get over it.

Knit Night Out

Wednesday night, Close Knit keeps their doors open until 9 pm for Knit Night Out. An interesting group of knitters ranging from experienced to novice come in for chatter, help, and cameraderie while working on fiber projects. Beer is fetched from a nearby pub, adding to the atmosphere of fun. They got to see the RSM and made suggestions about what I could do later on to pass on the silliness. A good night for laughs, which for me is the best tonic, especially listening to nurses in training talking about being poked and the mind going directly into the gutter: "He kept missing and it stung. Before I knew it there was this big blob." "I was poked 3 times in 15 minutes." "She kept poking and poking; we were at it for over an hour." **snort snurfle snort snuk snort**

Current projects

I've started working on a doll and writing the pattern while working on her. The boob shaping has been the trickiest as they aren't merely bobbles. I've tried doing increases and using short row shaping and I think the short rows will be the best in the end. I'll have to do some sample swatches to see before I work it out on paper.

This doll is already named. Six years ago, I was going through a period of intense stress and was desperate for an outlet. This was before I took up knitting. My escape ended up being a series of novels about a woman who discovers she possesses powers and belongs in a parallel world to ours. Her name ended up being Zora Pickstone. She learned her parents had been criminals in the parallel world and that she herself had been smuggled to our world to keep her mother from killing her for her powers. The stories were her discovery of her power, her learning how to use that power, and coping with living in a world so different from ours (for example, the chief mode of transportation is a platform similar to a flying carpet). This doll is Zora, comfortable with her power now and not afraid of being who she is. She will be done in time for the trip and will accompany the RSM.

Pictures later children!

One way to get exercise

This afternoon I was feeling the effects of not enough sleep due to the heat we've been having in Portland. The temptation to go home and take a nap was great. But something else lured me to pursue exercise.

Shoes.

After trolling the mall for an hour and a half, I came up with these.

Hey, it's worth it if it means I move and treat my feet.

More RSM

I can show you a teaser pic of some of the work I'm doing on the RSM. Like to do this on #1s?

Mom

Virginia May Brown was born September 25th, 1918, the youngest of 3. Her brothers were much older than she--nine years separated her from Delmar, the younger of the two--but they loved her dearly and were very protective of their baby sister. Her parents were well-educated descendants of Oregon pioneers and were active in the small town of Silverton, founding the telephone and water companies and her father at one time serving as mayor. Their house was bordered by Silver Creek; her childhood memories were full of days playing in and beside the water with her friends.

She went to the University of Oregon in 1939 and majored in drafting and interior design. At the time, women were a rare presence in the sciences. Ginny was the only woman in the School of Architecture during her studies and had to endure the taunts of her fellow classmates. But others supported and defended her, for she held her own. She graduated with her Bachelor of Sciences in 1944.

At the time, the US was deep in World War II and the need for draftsmen in the shipyards was great. Ginny obtained a job as a draftsman with Kaiser Steel in Portland after her graduation and worked on the Liberty Ships being built on Swan Island. At the same time, she held a job at Baker Lighting translating the artist designs into working blueprints for the craftsmen.

In the evening, she would go dancing with her friends in downtown Portland. One of those gatherings happened at the Press Club, where she was introduced to an advertising space salesman named Earle Stephens. He was ebullient and friendly, but Ginny was shy and careful. Her girlfriends convinced her that he was a gentleman and insisted she dance with him. It was the beginning of their courtship. They married March 2nd, 1945.

When they married, Earle insisted that Ginny didn't work, but it didn't mean Ginny wasn't going to let him make all the decisions about the money. The sale of the family-owned Silverton telephone company left her with money that she then put into a trust that Earle had no say on. Ginny had learned business from her parents and brothers so was not intimidated with dealing with contractors, bankers, or lawyers. It was with dividends from that trust that she was able to provide the extras that made the Stephens house comfortable and later provide funds to have the kitchen remodeled, provide loans to her children for house purchases, and help in sending her youngest to college.

Ginny loved art from her childhood on. She wanted to use her artistic talent to provide a career; later it gave her an outlet from the ennui of being a housewife. She learned rosemaling and went to painting class every Wednesday where she said she and her friends "solved the world's problems" while creating intricately designed pieces. She would make up her own designs for items she found at garage and estate sales and antique shops, stripping the item of its original label or paint and repainting them with Norwegian designs, flowers, and scrollwork. She also drew with colored pencils, experimented with water colors, and sketched the flowers that she lovingly grew in her garden.

Family necessity drew her to learning fine sewing and tailoring, making the clothing for her children and husband so that they would look decent. She also knitted, though not as much as she sewed. She didn't limit herself to making clothes for her children; her daughter Shirley's Barbie dolls had a fine wardrobe of stylish clothes as well, made from the leftovers. When clothes wore out, they were recycled. Braided rugs were on the floors, made up from old coats, suits, and blankets. The only thing she didn't do with fabric was quilt.

Ginny never spoke of regretting her choice to not work in her chosen career after marriage. There were days when she spoke of wanting to have gone to Europe or being free of the burdens she had been given. But she loved Earle very much and loved her family, even though she liked to have her children entertain themselves as much as possible and leave her to her pleasures. In her last year, she found herself free to do what she pleased in her own home and reveled in it, experimenting with different techniques and media.

She died of cancer March 16th, 1988, six days after Earle died of a stroke in his sleep. She left behind her painted plates and boxes, pictures of teasel, camellia, and hosta, and cabled afghans. She also left memories of a woman who treasured beauty around her.

This Mother's Day, I remember my mom as I knew her. I may be erroneous in my writing, but this is how I see her. She and I grew very close in her later years. She would be 88 this year if she was still around. I miss her, but I know her spirit is with me. Because of her, I do what I do.

Birthday stuff

An anonymous commenter asked if a nice card and heartfelt wishes would be good for my birthday? Certainly. I'm not so shallow that if I don't get a gift from you I'm not going to accept a card and heartfelt wishes.

There's something about a birthday that for me it brings out the little kid. I had few friends growing up and I sometimes had to share my birthday with Father's Day, which really sucked. My birthday never fell in the school year except on the second day of Finals my senior year and nobody decorated my locker. I don't say this for pity; it's so that you understand where I'm coming from. This may be a date for you but it's my day to me. And I'm going to party. If you want to party with me, come along. Some want to really party with me and maybe they're looking for ideas. So I'm not shy to let them know what I want. I don't want a picture for the wall; I have no wall space. I don't want a Hickory Farms sausage pack; the last thing I need is fattening food. I sing and I knit. Since you don't know what kinds of music I like (and I have very varied tastes in music), I choose to mention fiber books I want. Like Norah Gaughan's Knitting Nature. Or yarns that I like. Not Red Heart or Lion Brand; good yarn like Lorna's Laces or Cascade. Or if you're at a loss at what I want, what stores I like to frequent so that you can opt for a gift certificate.

But such mentionings are considered rude, so the gift giver is at a loss at what to give. Think about it. When was the last time you got something you really wanted for your birthday and you didn't have to say a thing? Or got something that made you go "Wow! I didn't want this but this is so perfect! Thank you!"

So on June 15th, you can send a card and heartfelt wishes. Just be sure to sign the card with your name, not Anonymous. I'll be celebrating my 44th birthday and will want to thank you for the nice card.

Patch Toe for Knitted Socks

When I picked up the needles again in October 2002, my knitting experience consisted of scarves and a couple of hats, none of which I wore save for the exception of my "Dr Who" attempt on really cold windy mornings. The encouragement of the people I became acquainted with (and now call knitsibs) and their work via the Internet helped me gain the confidence to try out new things.

One such person was a pun-loving lady called Khadija who loved knitting on things with needles no larger than a US 5. I took a sock class from her to learn how to do different methods of socks. It was she who taught me how to do short rows, a crochet cast-on directly onto the needle, and a patch toe for socks, which I will pass on to you here. I haven't heard from her in a while and hope she is doing well. This is dedicated to her, for without her gentle guidance and sense of humor I would not be as rich as I am today.

How to make a patch toe for socks

A patch toe is exactly that: a patch of fabric from whence the stitches of the toe begin when doing a toe-up sock. When completed it's absolutely seamless. It's my toe of choice when doing toe-up socks. It can be used for any size sock; once you're comfortable with the method you can adjust the number of stitches to your liking.

Step 1: Work a provisional cast-on of 10 stitches with waste yarn (I use a crochet cast-on).

Step 2: Starting with a purl row, knit stockinette until you have worked 9 rows (ending with a purl row).

Step 3: This part is easiest worked with 5 dpns. Turn work to knit across using one dpn, then pick up 2 stitches along the side, giving you 12 stitches total on the needle.

Step 4: Take a new needle and pick up and knit three more stitches evenly on that same side. Undo the provisional cast-on to give you live stitches and knit until you have 7 stitches on your needle.

Step 5: Take a new needle and knit the remaining 5 live stitches, then pickup and knit 2 stitches from the remaining side.

Step 6: Take your remaining dpn and pick up and knit two stitches off the side, then knit 5 stitches from your first dpn. You should have something that looks like the picture below. Or if you can't see the picture, like a rectangle within a diamond frame of dpns.

From this point, I place a marker, paper clip, or contrast yarn tie on the stitch nearest the beginning of the round. I work my increases along the picked up sides so that the line of stitches remains in the same direction as the rest of the fabric. In the picture those would be at the left and right points of the diamond where the needles cross. I used to use as my increase method knit in the front and back of the stitch but now I use the backward e as it makes less of a noticeable increase.

This picture of the toe of one of the Heart Wave socks shows how the patch toe is part of the sock toe.

You thought I was being wacko

It's a conspiracy. Next thing you know they'll have us eating these instead of chocolate.

You crossed the line, my friend

It started with the warning label on cigarettes. Then they banned hard alcohol advertising on television. Then they put adult content labels on records and CDs. I thought they had done everything they could to protect the general public, but now they've crossed the line.

I found a warning label on Hershey bar.

Candy is a treat. Enjoy in moderation.

You think I'm nuts? Go find a Hershey chocolate bar with the eBay points promo on it and open the wrapper. Right above the left hand corner of the code box is the warning. And if you're really feeling weird about that, check out the nutrition info area on the Hershey's website. Now, when I'm enjoying a chocolate bar, I'm not going to stop just before taking a bite and say, "Hey! I better not eat this! It may make me sick!" And when I'm PMS'ing, moderation just ain't in my vocabulary.

Unleashing the creative half of my mind

The time spent waiting for reports to print is usually dead time for me. My mind wanders off into Fiberland. I happened to be cold and wearing my Airport Special Faux-Pashmina Shawl to ward off the chill when I got the idea of making a shrug using those dimensions. The measuring tape came out at break time along with an idea of what direction I want the potential lace to go. I want it light enough so that it keeps the chill off without cooking me--nothing heavier than DK weight (size 3 using the standard). Since my skin is sensitive, I can't have 100 percent wool or mohair, but I can do blends. I haven't tried alpaca to see if I'm sensitive to that, but I know that I can do silk blends, merino blends, or viscose. Even polished cotton. I'll have to mull this over and do some stash hunting since my purse is closed until after I go to Hawaii.

Mommy, can I have this for my birfday pleeeeeeeeeeeeze?

My birthday is June 15th, two months after Tax Day and halfway to Christmas. Of course I use it as an excuse to treat myself to goodies. This year I'm treating myself to the trip to Hawaii. I'm also open to obtaining this. Laceweight and fingering weight yarns in solids (blues, purples, rich reds) and semi-solids are also nice. I'm getting all these lace shawl patterns and have nothing to knit with. Yeah. Right.

Blasts from my past

Prior to this blog, I had set up an album of pictures of my early projects. You can go visit it here. My first lace shawls, felting projects, caps, scarves, and bags are shown there, some modeled on live people, some on the lovely Miss Margaret, my silent partner. Enjoy!

Random thoughts on a Tuesday

It's less than 40 days until I go to Hawaii and the RSM is coming along very well. It'll be done by the time I pack and head west over the ocean. People have been asking for the pattern but I haven't been diligent enough in writing down what I've been doing. I may make another one for myself if I get ambitious. For now, this will be enough. It's for my Spirit Sister and that's what counts.

I didn't win the Knitting Curmudgeon's Fib contest. I couldn't go to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival because I'm not as rich as Martha Stewart. I could save some shekels and try for Rhinebeck but I'd rather fly to the Midwest and do a run to Knitting Camp after hitting Stitches Midwest in Chicago (with a night crashing at Franklin's Stitch n Bitch group followed by drinks and dancing with Dolores. Shut up Franklin this is my fantasy not yours. Go take your cowboy to your room.) How could I be as talented as Knitterguy and Wabisabi (knit lace for another twenty years)? Or Eunny? Knit and knit and knit some more. Wait for word from Amy Singer and Jillian Moreno as to whether the Fireside sweater, nee Olympic, was accepted for Big Girl Knits 2. Wait to hear from job prospects to pay for one's knitting because after a review of one's finances I find that I have to really juggle to pay for the inn I'm staying at next month (It'll work out. Really.) because I spent my money on yarn.

I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Sleep well, kiddies. Auntie Duffy's watching over you, planning all sorts of mischief for the next day.

I'll take this, and that...

But you have to take the other. It's a set. (George Carlin)

Rubbah Slippah Mystery

"It's always tease, tease, tease." -- The Clash

Forty-two days until I fly to Hawaii!!

Give to me your leather; I'll give you my lace.

It was meant to be. The Monday after I got the lovely yarn I read in Franklin's blog that he was contributing to an online symposium on lace knitting put on by the online knitting community Knitting Beyond the Hebrides . Lace! Oh I was there! And sure enough for 5 days I was following the articles, patterns, and tips of the Lace Extravaganza. Not only was there an essay from Franklin but there were also interviews with Sharon Miller (the designer of the Princess Shawl) and Meg Swanson, articles on Orenburg Lace, Russian Lace, and charting, and contests and a sudoku puzzle. I printed out everything because there was so much information. Check it out if you're going to do lace. I don't know how long it's going to be up so go there now!

Ninety-nine balls of yarn in my stash, ninety-nine balls of yarn

This week, I took a little time away from the RSM to work on other projects. I made some progress on the Vine Lace Scarf in Suri Merino.

And some progress on the Great Adirondack scarf. Nummy!