The Book, The Knitting, The DNC & More...

 Oh my. So much going on. So I'm writing a book - well, a CHAPTER in a book. And it's done; this weekend, we finish the last revisions. Then it goes to the publisher and in October-ish, we have a book. A. Book. We're keeping the cover a closely guarded secret for right now. This is Volume 3 - and there I am - Pat Perrier...  

I'm so tickled to bring this to you, and as soon as it's available, I'll let you know. I have Volumes 1 and 2, and they're great resources to use during these chaotic times. Laura DiFranco has organized all of these for us and I can tell you that writing the chapter was a great experience. I've been writing since I was a kid. I've written stories, I've written articles. I've edited textbooks. I've written columns, both in the "traditional" newspaper and in the e-zine elephant journal (yes, no caps in the title). My dream has been to write a whole book. And I feel like a chapter is a good start. 

Maybe the whole book will come. I've looked here, and I've been on Blogger for 14 years. Fourteen. Years. So of course, Blogger just recently changed its format. 

The new format sucks. 

SUCKS.

And nobody will help or answer you. They've made it infinitely more difficult to blog. To select pictures. To manipulate the way the pictures work in the blog. 

Now, I'm perfectly willing to tell you that I am not the center of the Universe. Blogger (for that matter, Google, which owns the company) doesn't have to accommodate my process. Usually, I have a topic in mind. And I have pictures. I write the first paragraph, then dump all the pics in. Then write the rest. 

But now? I can't dump pics in; they don't play well with the text. Text doesn't wrap properly. You can load one picture. At a time. For a photo-heavy blog like this one, that's a major pain in the patoot. The "new" Blogger? FUBAR. F-U-B-A-R. 

*normally, "f'd up" but in my clean version: Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition. Anyone in the military will know this one...

I hope that they listen to the multitude of us who've used the platform for over decades - and take it back to the "legacy" version. Don't fix what wasn't broken. 

The Knitting...

It's a baby binge. No, pets -- no announcements are imminent. Though I do have a few "parents to be" - none of them are actually related to me. 

I've done a stash into the "Oddments Bag" - which is where I keep the scraps from FOs (finished objects). So, left to right, the stripey one is Encore Worsted. The center teal one is the leftovers from The Dreaded Teal Sock (bet you thought I'd burned that yarn, didn't you??) - Trekking XL. And right, the other Encore Worsted, with a lighter yellow held double there. Not sure I'm really jazzed about that, but I like the I-cord top knot. All of these are free patterns, from Rav. The two worsted weight ones are Julie Taylor's Tegan Baby Hat, which for the striped one, I just omitted the top knot. 

The teal one is Sesia Bimbo (don't even ask, I have no idea) - Plymouth Yarn's rolled brim baby hat. 

The next one is a combo from a baby blanket I knitted where the yarn was held double - but this time, I separated them and did this rectangle hat. It's from Katinka Knits, on Ravelry, and called "Easiest Baby Hat." Truth. 

The pompoms were my idea. I finally found a pom-pom maker that works. So I'm addicted to them. But not to worry - they won't show up on anything but hats! 

And the final baby hat is a pretty obnoxious green. But that's ok. I'm sure the recipient will adore it. It's the Emergency One Day Hat, which in my case takes more than one day. This is the pattern I used for the 4 Christmas hats I knitted last year. Also free on Ravelry. 

Lest you think I'm a cheapskate, I do actually BUY patterns. I've got a few Wooly Hooligan tee shirts and a few others. They're in the line for production soon. Like Long Sands, which is set aside for a minute till I finish this hat. 

I'm enjoying whacking out these hats. A few will go to definite babies. I still have to work on that one Feather & Fan car seat blanket. And Kid #2's afghan has GOT to get finished this year. In 2020, with all the crap floating around, the Kid is GETTING that afghan this year. 

I Do More Than Knit...

Which you all knew. But here is a shot of just a few of my needlework projects. And a new mask for tomorrow's yoga training. I'm futzing with the elastic and it needs work. But it'll do for the weekend training. 

So, upper left, upper right and lower left are counted cross stitch. Lower right is crewel embroidery. 

This kind of needlework had been my main crafting for decades. Of course, BB (before bifocals)...when I could bring these small projects to work and stitch during my lunch breaks. Now, not only do I have a few that are on big stretcher bars, but I don't see well enough anymore. Not like it's fatal - just being in my 60s has changed what I can easily see in "office lighting." So I keep those home, and pull 'em out every so often and put in a few stitches. 

I couldn't resist this fabric. I went into JoAnn Fabrics SPECIFICALLY to buy pizza-themed fabric for Kid #2. More masks needed for when they go back to the classroom. Right now, that district is remote for the first quarter. But eventually, there will be a wardrobe of masks. 

I'm doing that for myself, too. Because it looks like we'll be doing this for a while. Our rate in our county is 7.9% and 8% is the threshold for going back a phase or two. Time will tell. But I'm not happy about the prospect of closing my yoga studio again. 

Ahem. Back to masks. So I saw this flamingo fabric and got a half a yard. I already had the plain muslin for the back and I did a "ring" of elastic. I need to tighten that up a bit. It has to sit kind of high on my head. But that's ok. I also bought seam binding, which I can stitch up and use as ties if I need to do that. 

They're not exactly heirlooms. And I'm still making the 3-pleat ones for a fundraiser. I believe the fabric is multiplying in the dark because the pile doesn't get shorter. But then, I need to stop shopping... 

Perception is Everything...

I love chocolate covered graham crackers. If I have a "vice," this is it. So I bought some and I didn't pay attention to the package. Normally, I don't buy Keebler - the store brand is usually good, but they didn't have any of those. 

Look. A scandal. Normally, they're about 2.5" square. 

These are not. They are tiny. They aren't "grahams" -- they're "snippets." You can see my index finger as an example of scale. What kind of trickery is this? What bamboozle is being played on unsuspecting fans of chocolate covered graham crackers?

Reminds me of sugar. Used to be, you'd buy sugar in 5-pound bags, but about 5 or 6 years ago (could be more, I'm not sure), they squidged the bags down to 4 lbs. Same price, of course... just less sugar. 

Just didn't make my day. In spite of the fact that they were, actually, pretty good. I really love the dark chocolate ones I can find at Starbucks, but I don't love the price. So, these were a good choice, because they "fixed" my craving. But still. The size. 

Size matters.

The DNC...

For the first time in a long, long time, I actually watched most of the Democratic National Convention. Full disclosure: Biden/Harris wasn't my dream team. Warren/Harris was. Or Warren/Duckworth... 

But. It is a ticket I can live with. Like you read on social media: This isn't a marriage. It's a way to get us from Point A (#MangoMussolini) to Point B (actual reality, rule of law, and progress). 

It's COVID time, so of course it wasn't IRL (in real life). So while that took away some of the energy, it substituted something better: You could actually concentrate on the platform. On the speeches. You could hear everything. 

Some highlights, in my opinion: Tammy Duckworth's speech. Just listen. And of course, Michelle Obama's speech. And Barack Obama's dire warning. It's not "over-done." It's right on target. And if you're not scared, you're not paying attention. Listen here.

Then there was the music. John Legend and Common. The Chicks. The kids singing the anthem. Jennifer Hudson. 

Joe Biden did the best job on his speech. Ever. I've heard him speak for years. But this? He nailed it. 

Kamala Harris did a good job doing what she did: introducing herself to us as a human being. A friend said, "I was afraid they'd label her An Angry Black Woman if she went after anyone." Yeah, she could have. But Barack did it for her. So she could show us that she wasn't just a prosecutor. 

And besides... She made Brett Kavanaugh cry. That's perfect. She doesn't have to prove herself as "the attacker." She's proven that with Barr and Kavanaugh. I'm good with it, and I'm anxious to watch the show over the next 70-some days. 

Please check your registration. Vote. Our democracy depends on it. Go here to do that. Takes less than a minute. Do it now; I'll wait...  

Random Picture...

So in the spirit of a new day.... This is a picture out the back door of the studio from 2017, of a beautiful rainbow. 

During the Obama years it was about Hope and Change. 

Then, it was about .... I'm not sure, but hate and discontent happened and then the rich got richer. Then xenophobia. 

Then a pandemic. And chaos. 

We need a rainbow. We, as a culture, are a rainbow - a blend of people, ideas, cultures. We need to begin to celebrate that again. We've lost it and in the process lost what was good and kind about our country. 

Let's work to get that back. 

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One Down...

...far, FAR too many left to go. Hubby says I've got the worst case of SABLE that he's ever seen. And in his opinion, if I should live to work through my stash, I'll be, oh, maybe 429 years old...

SABLE: Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy. My friend Sonda, who was my "enabler" (a/k/a LYS owner and dear friend) had, in her store at one time, a club called SABLE. Many of us were members. 

But. 

I. Have. Finished. A. Thing. 

Before blocking

The Shape-It scarf, thanks to my "Snag Sister" friend, is done. It's on the blocking table (a/k/a our massage table) now. I'm bandaged (don't use dressmaker pins - find your blocking pins!), and it's done and drying. 

This was done with alpaca lace-weight, using Addi needles about 6 sizes up from what lace-weight calls for. Size 9, to be exact. And they've been really slippery little buggers. The lace weight has threatened to slip more than once. 

If you recall, I had a HUGE snag. I was having a fit because it was down in the "point" of the scarf, and I didn't really want to rip it all back. I initially thought I'd dropped a stitch, but it wasn't looking right. 

Eucalan soak

I just stuck it in time-out for a month or three, and figured I needed to calm down before I tackled any kind of repair job. I needed to contemplate. And then an opportunity presented itself. My friend "R" asked me to come over and help her get a top-down sweater started. You remember, she gave me that amazing Mongolian lace-weight? Anyway, before I went over, I had a brainstorm. She's a talented seamstress in her own right, as well as being an amazing musician and teacher. 

She looked at it, and grabbed a needle. "Oh, it's just a snag. Let's work it out." And...she did. Whew! 

Soaked and rinsed

This is a Sally Melville pattern - you start at the point, increase to a certain number of stitches, and then make "wings" on either side. You can pretty much fudge this pattern left, right, and center! The woman at the OLD Wool & Co. who clerked there told me about the pattern and ok'd this yarn choice when they were having their close-out before they turned over the keys. 

She had a beauty on that was a tape yarn. I liked this alpaca, because I wanted one out of this and I have about a half-ball left. Maybe a little shawlette left in there - it's amazing how far this stuff goes! It's definitely shawl or wrap yarn - not hat yarn for sure. 

I'm no expert, but let's go through the steps. I bound it off (probably a tad too tightly) and then stuck it in a Eucalan soak for about 15 minutes. Even though they said to not rinse it, I rinsed it anyway. It didn't hurt. The trick to not felting the crap out of this stuff is to absolutely let it soak without agitating. 

Tepid water, a plish of the soak, gently lower your garment into the water, and then GENTLY squish the liquid through the garment. Then set a timer and walk away. Go knit something. Have a cup of tea. 

When your timer goes off, GENTLY (are you getting this???) lift the entire garment up with two hands, so as to not let it droop. Squeeze gently. Then, if you want, rinse it under cool water. Squeeze. Gently. 

Have a large towel ready, lay out your garment, loosely patting it into some sort of shape. Roll it up. Put it on the floor and then step on it. Seriously - step on it to squish out the excess water. Have your blocking stuff set up.

Find your blocking pins. I mean it. I didn't. I paid for it! Regular sewing pins have teeny tiny heads on them. So, when you forget to turn your pole lamps up to "high," you will inevitably stab yourself. Which I did. It was stupid. But I had "Finish Fever" and wanted to get this done. 

I pinned the top center out first - about 4 pins to anchor it. Then I pulled the point down. You can really open this up - and I probably could've gone further. 

This is where the "slightly-too-tight" bind off hurt me. I should've loosened up or taken it to a size 10 needle. But perhaps this will give it the structure or foundation it needs. 

Blocking pins offer you a little more anchoring, though this is my first time with lace yarn. So maybe blocking pins wouldn't have mattered. I could've used my lace wires, but the way the wings lay out, I didn't have the right configuration. Maybe if I do another one, I'll try it. As you can see, it's pretty open, and I really did need another set of blocks. My lace wires are all straight, and I could definitely have used a curved set to pull the point out correctly and get the definition in the triangle part more appropriately set up. 

Unfortunately, since Kid #2 still has his stuff in my one room, I have no floor space where dogs are unable to tread. If I had a dogless household, I'd just stick it in the hall, since it's just me and Hubby - we can walk around a blocking board, maybe! 

Get the point

Anyway. It is what it is. So after anchoring the top, I pulled the point down even more. I ran out of space, so I stuck the needle into the sheet covering the table, and wrapped the excess yarn, which I didn't cut off for this particular reason, by the way, around the needle, to keep that point very obvious. As you can see, there's a slight ruffle along the sides of the triangle part. I'm living with it. According to the schematic, it should be more deliberately straight. But the original pattern also called for something like sock-weight. Not lace... I can deal with the ruffle. It's now a design element. 

So in a day or so, I'll have this ready and will figure out how to model it. Here's more of a close-up for the point. At that time, I hadn't finished pinning out the sides of the triangle. I did tighten up the bound-off edge, but I really wanted to keep the point just as it was till I was done. It won't hurt to weave it in later. 

This can be worn front-wise: place the point over your sternum, drape the bound-off edge softly and then wrap the wings around the back and bring them to the front. It's not as long as the one in the original design, but maybe that's a fault of my bind-off. Though I don't mind. I'm not a big person and I don't want to drown in my knitting. 

More Knitting...

The silk scarf is coming along nicely. I like the sheen, and the lace is really something I could use in a small car-seat blanket or even the bottom of a sweater? Who knows? 

This one is supposed to be about 35.5" long. I don't know if it'll get that long, but anything over 30" will keep me warm. If I can get it to 36" - I'll be even happier. 

This is the first time I'm using this yarn bowl. I haven't been able to use it for the baby stuff or the socks. The bowl is actually quite small, even though it's beautiful. So sock yarn comes in oblong balls, which don't fit well. And the baby yarn is DK-weight, which is too big for the bowl. 

I'm still looking for the perfect yarn bowl. When I find it, I'll let you know. If you find it, please let me know. We knitters have to stick together!

The Perfect Egg...

Probably doesn't exist, but these came darned close! I was given these eggs as a gift. They're from someone who raises chickens locally. Unpasteurized, unhormoned, unchemical-laden. Grass-fed chickens. Local. Small - micro-farm small. 

As I had them handed to me, I realized that, while they're the same size as the dozen or so I have in my fridge, these felt heavier! 

So the other day, when I got home from teaching yoga, I was starving. I had done two classes, back-to-back, and maybe lots of people do that. Well, I know for a fact that many yoga teachers, in an attempt to make a real living from teaching, if they don't own a studio, go from studio to studio teaching classes all day long. 

I'm fortunate enough to not have to do that, but I do sub for my own teachers a lot. Which I did Saturday - an active a.m. class and then my own garden class. I was tuckered out and hungry. 

So I fried these up with some hash. Yum. 

That's all. Just YUM!

Hubby just found a fundraiser where a local animal rescue is selling chicken and duck eggs. Who knew that the person who's allergic to chicken eggs can actually eat duck eggs? That's kind of cool. 

So we'll be saving the link and when we need eggs, we'll see if they have some to sell. Again, the buying local thing.

Yes, I buy from the grocery store, but if I can find a local source? I'll try it at least. 

The Eclipse...

I didn't see much at the eclipse. My brother and SIL went down to Carbondale and she got some beautiful shots. I didn't. This was as close as I got... It was cloudy. 

I will say though - they were right. The texture of the light changed. I was sitting in my office, and noticed that the light changed. Not that "green" stuff you get when a tornado is looming. But it was gold. A shimmery, opal-like gold. I walked outside and looked up, and this is what I saw. 

I'm sure if I'd had a filter, I could've seen more, but I wasn't really sure what we'd see up here anyway, and I was on lunch anyway, so I was monitoring the whole thing on the internet. 

Then there was this... as I was prepping for teaching, I heard a pretty nasty batch of thunderstorms... But I couldn't see clouds. Seriously, out the studio windows, it was sunny. "Thundersun," right? 

So it was brief, but it did rain for about 10 minutes. Then, as the sun continued to shine, I had a brainstorm - which was remarkable, since I was up half the night with the elkhounds and THAT thunderstorm! 

I ran to the back door of the studio and I saw a rainbow. Well, a partial one. It never really did get too intense, but it was there. 

A rainbow and an eclipse all in the same day. Quite a Monday after all. 

I told Hubby that we needed to plan for the next total eclipse. It's 2024....so we have seven years to get the appropriate equipment and plan. I'd love to see it over Niagara Falls, which is in the trajectory. But likely, we'll end up in Indianapolis. First off, it's closer, so Hubby could bring his telescope. Second - Niagara Falls, while I've never seen it, will likely be horrendously expensive. 

We have time. 

Random Picture...

So I'm a member of the Southwest Suburban Activists. One of the group members has a GoFundMe to print these signs, as well as yard signs and car magnets. I bought several of them, and will spread them around as much as I can. 

I've put one at the studio. I'll bring one to church and see who wants to get them, and then I'll arrange to pick more up. 

Is it a game-changer? I don't know. But perhaps if enough of these signs go out and up, people will start to think more about the message. I'm hoping to find an event where I can participate. Peaceful protest is the way to combat the hate and anger. 

It's the only way. Violence begets violence. And unless you're in imminent danger, you don't fight like that. 

I'm not Pollyanna. I'm mad. This isn't the world I wanted for my kids. Crap - it's not the world I want to retire in! But I know I don't want to fight. I want to change people's minds so that we all learn that we can coexist. It shouldn't be that hard.