Operation: Rock the Casbah

Just a quick post today, and one with no knitting content. I recently received this footage from a friend in Iraq, and I have to say, it gives me hope. Imagine if there were more dancing and less gun-toting machismo in the world. His words:

"Sometimes when a man undergoes the constant stress and strife of this place, he turns inward and reveals the only thing left in his personal arsenal to fight back with. For myself and others with me, it was doing this operation. This is all I have left to give to try to make this a better place.
Or perhaps, we've just lost our goddamn minds."

Either way, its a step in the right direction. Funny that this comes up today, after a class period where we discussed the book, One Child (by Torey Hayden). If there is nothing else that you learn from this book, I don't see how anyone could not read it without taking away the lesson of human connection and communication. Insurmountable odds have been overcome by these two simple tasks, which no one seems to remember how to do anymore. Jonathan Franzen wrote an interesting essay, later published in his collection How to Be Alone , in which he discussed the social and personal effects of living in a postmodern, consumer-driven world, where he asserts that despite the growing fear that our privacies are being invaded upon, we are actually more cloistered than ever. Humanity has become fragmented, cold, and fearful.

And to top it all off, it's blizzarding in April.

Clear the calendar, curl up with a blanket, a pot of tea, and Babel. Knit. Read the essays in How to Be Alone. Turn off Oprah and ignore the corporate megalocracy. When the sun comes out and the flowers push up through the snow, turn your music very, very loud, go into the streets, and spread Operation Rock the Casbah. (Preferably sans camo and creepy guns.)

Not dead....but almost

First and Foremost, A Congratulatory Notice: My lovely, loving, fantastically intelligent, unbelievably generous and kind boyfriend got the results today from his Methods Comprehensive Exam. It's this really big test that PhD candidates have to take before they're allowed to write a dissertation. And, sshhhhhh, don't tell anyone, because for some reason this is a secret: Not only did he pass, he passed with distinction! I'm so proud of you baby, and love you like whoa. Seriously. CONGRATS!

So in other news, it turns out that this semester has kicked my ass in just about every way imaginable. But I have one month left, I'm still here, and almost through it. Due to an unreasonably high workload, I have barely been able to pick up the needles. It's funny though, how a few measly stitches here and there can add up! I completed the entrelac scarf, but I really don't like it. The colorway is just totally and completely whack. I think it's safe to say that I'm over my love affair with Noro. Maybe I'll post a picture of it, but I need to think about it.

I do have some pics to show, however!


Budding Lace


Close-up of stitch pattern and proof that I need a new camera


Lily of the Valley Border (with lifelines!)


Bobblicious!

( A note on the bobbles: Yes, I broke a needle. So here you see sl2 p3tog psso. Can you tell the difference from p5tog? Hell No!)

Swallowtail is rows from completion. Yes rows. Six to be exact. Hopefully we'll have blocking pictures soon!

I loved loved loved this pattern. It is an excellent introduction to lacework. Being that this is my first lace project ever, I am feeling particularly proud over this one. Granted, I had to rip rip rip numerous times, but I got it figured out in the end. The biggest thing that I learned from this project is how to read my stitches. Once you no longer need to look at the charts, not only are you able to work faster, but you don't make any mistakes either!

I have to say that I completely understand the love affair with Lorna's Laces. This is high quality stuff. At first I was disappointed because it seemed splitty. But I quickly got used to this, and I have to say, the yarn is soft, squishy, and man does it hold up. I have ripped this project back so many times that I lost track, and the yarn still looks gorgeous. I'm utterly and completely sold. I will say however, that I think I may be one of the few people out there who isn't crazy over the handpainted yarns. I own quite a few, mind you. The thing is, they look so pretty in their hanks, with all their coordinating colors, but knit up, I often feel that they are distracting to the patterns. Unless of course this patter is simple stockinette, but who really wants to do that? I'm going to try out a few more, and see if it grows on me, but I think that I'm partial to the "nearly solids." I like the visual interest of a hand-dyed yarn, but I prefer it all one color. But that's just me.

I also have a FO! I'll save that for next time, but for now, here's a sneak peek:

A Special Thanks to Crispy Ben Franklin

...because public libraries are mad sweet. Seriously. The public library is one of the greatest, most liberal advances in 'recent' (the past 250 years is pretty damn contemporary if you really think about it) history. The public library makes knowledge accessible to anyone willing to look for it, regardless of race, creed, gender, socioeconomic status, age, ability, or sexual orientation. Think Good Will Hunting, "You wasted $150,000 on an education you coulda got for a buck fifty in late charges at the public library."

I just got my library card. And it rocks my world.

They have books about KNITTING. I don't know why it never occured to me that all those books with one or two patterns, the ones that have pretty pictures and hard covers and cost more than your weekly grocery allowance, THEY HAVE THOSE BOOKS AT THE LIBRARY.

You know those books, the one you think that you'd like to have in your collection. They seem like they'd be good books, and maybe they have some nice patterns, maybe they're full of good "reference material," but you're hesitant after spending 40.00 on a book that you have subsequently discovered you have no interest in owning, because it teaches you nothing that you don't already know. YOU CAN TRY BEFORE YOU BUY AT THE LIBRARY.

I love the library. So what did I check out?

This book is awesome, and has quickly made itself a home on my holiday wish list. I picked it up so that I could make my father some nice socks, and I've seen others out in blogosphere raving about it. When I got home and really began looking through it, I felt a bit selfish. I don't want to give it back! Granted, I have an affliction for all things historic. Not really retro, or vintage. Historic. Like, it must be at least older than a century to qualify. But when those things come near me, oohhhhh, take my credit card away from me. If you're not familiar with this book, totally go check it out.

I've seen Nicky Epstein's "Edge Series" (for lack of a better term) all over, and have convinced myself that one day I would own this book. There have been more than a few occasions when I've had it in my virtual shopping cart but decided at the last second that I couldn't afford this book at this particular time. THANK GOD. For me, this book was a total bust. Looking through it, the edgings fell into 3 main catagories. 50% of the book fell into "WTF?!" These were the things that will never ever ever find a home on any garment or accessory that I might fashion. 35% of the book fell into the "Eh...." catagoy. Just didn't do it for me, though not because of fugliness, but rather just for being uninspiring. The other 15% of the book seemed to be things which I liked, and will definately be incorporating into my work, but are so mainstream that most of them could be found for free by googling it. Ex: Argyle chart. In my opinion, save your money.

This one is tricky. I don't want to buy this one because it contains no technique, or building blocks for learning, but damn is this woman amazing. Would I wear most of the stuff in this book? Probably not. But damn is the construction interesting. I'll definately be making some photocopies from this book for future use, but will I buy it? Let me just say that Ms. Teva Durham, you are brilliant, and by far one of the most innovative and intriguing designers out there. I may just buy this book after all if it encourages more of your work to be published. Beautiful, esoteric, a bit emo. These designs listen to Bright Eyes, the Smiths, and Regina Spektor. They drink Yerba Mate Latte, and read postmodern literary theory. They are great fun in doses, though they can seem tiresome and pretentious after a while. I am still considering this one.

I have never designed anything. But this is the book I have been looking for so that I could try. Want a basic recipe for a mitten which you can adapt into a stellar entrelac sensation? This book gives it to you...with instructions for six different gauges, and up to 8 different sizes. This book, along with its counterpart, The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns, are both high on my wish list.

Next post: Swallowtail. I promise!

I voted...did you?

Happy Election Day!

"...and now i've drawn closed the curtains
in this little booth
where the truth has no place to stand
and i am feeling oh so powerless
in this stupid booth
with this useless little lever in my hand
and outside
my city is bracing..."
-hello birmingham, ani difranco

I have mixed feelings about today. On one hand, it almost seems anticlimatic. You spend weeks researching candidates, judges, proposals, etc. If you're on a college campus like I am, you are bombarded with stickers, pins, and flyers. Some instructors will spend class time discussing ballot proposals and initiatives. And then, on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, you stand in line, connect some dots, and bam! It's over.

It's odd how a day of such hope and empowerment can be so simultaneously defeating. When you start tallying the number of pro vs. con stickers you've seen today, a dull weight seems to settle in your stomach. And when you went to your voting site, did you notice how many unhighlighted names were on the voter's list? Somehow we've lost the notion that we have a civic obligation to participate in our lawmaking process. When I think about how many people have given everything for a voice in their own government, and I see all those unhighlighted names in front of me, I feel defeated. I wonder how many of those names are women, minorities, or youth between the ages of 18 and 21. Meanwhile, the debate raging among two girls before class today revolved around a certain tanning salon's new appointment policies. So telling, don't you think, that such egocentric-bodyconscious-women could be so blasé when it comes to actually protecting that body, both physically and legally.

Anyway.

Rant over, I voted.

In other news, I finally have pictures! Two projects are chugging along nicely. I've discovered the joy of knitting on busses. Sure you may only get bits and pieces finished, and it seems that as soon as you get into your groove, you've got to reach up and pull that sticky cord while awkwardly trying to rebundle your knitting so that no wayward stitches slip off. But then you get home and you pull your project out of you bag to discover that in those bits and pieces of time, you've managed to get three inches done!

Making her debut, the Noro Entrelac Scarf.

Sorry for the crappy picture. I've resorted to using my roommate's webcam until I can get a new digital camera. I'm hoping to get one for the holidays. I'm actually about three inches past this now, and it's shaping up nicely. This picture was taken at the end of the first ball of noro. I'm using Noro Kureyon #92, and knitting the entrelac on size 9 needles. I started with 8, but it was coming out too stiff, so I frogged it and moved up to the 9. I actually think that it's just a little bit stiff now, but I'm hoping that a good blocking will soften the fiber a bit, and give it more drape.

I'm really happy with how enjoyable this is to knit. I literally can't put it down! Entrelac is deceptively simple...and I admit that the first time (uh....first TWENTY times) that I tried it, I just could not wrap my head around it. Then, miraculously, everything clicked, and I simply can't stop! I've decided that I'm going to knit a matching entrelac hat, and possibly mittens, though I'm not sure how feasible this would actually be. Anyone have any insight? Would I be better off just doing straight stockinette? Or would that look stupid with the woven looking hat and scarf? Maybe I should just scrap the mittens altogether. Any thoughts?

In related news, I've joined NOROVEMBER, a wonderfully punny name for a wonderful KAL. Lots of entrelac going on, that I can see. But I'm curious to see what else people choose to do with their noro. I'd love to see a lizard ridge.

Sometime in the next couple days, Swallowtail Update.

Just a little something to leave you with on election day.
This guy is hysterical. Unfortunately, the tool interviewed is more concerned with establishing his own political legitimacy than actually discussing anything remotely interesting.