Cast On Knitting Scout Blog Challenge: Homecraft

Please note, I am not entirely sure if this is how Madam D wants the Knitting Scout Essay submitted, but here it is all the same.

Knitting to keep warm. Traditionally, this is the reason that people knit, I guess. When most people see knitting or think of it, they think of mothers knitting socks for their children, wives knitting ganseys for their husbands, aunts and grandmothers knitting mittens and hats to keep their nieces, nephews, and grandchildren warm. When most people think of the recipients of knitting, they see children out in the snow, brightly colored hats with those pom-pom tops weaving in and out of snow-ball fights, pastel scarves flying behind ice skaters. Grown men talking at the corner, clad in cabled, cream colored sweaters.

Perhaps this is the cause of the number one question people, especially transplants, ask me. “This is Florida, why the heck do you need to knit?!?!” I’ll admit, it was a little awkward this summer, knitting a bright wool scarf in 98+ degree heat. The humidity does make working with almost any material out of doors unbearable unless it is below 80 (commonly known to us natives as “cold weather”).

Those people, I guess, think that the only definition of warm has to do with the temperature. I knit to keep others warm on the inside. One of my first projects was to knit my mother a beanie baby sheep I found in a children’s book, to keep her pig and duck company. I then designed and knitted an 8 inch snowman out of fluffy white yarn as a present for my sister moving to college. My father, a traveling advertising coordinator, has a pair of socks that I made him. He may not always put them on his feet, but they keep out the chill of lonely hotel room nights.

I knit to warm up spaces. No matter how awkward my early attempts were, my mother takes my “learning lace” squares and puts them under knick-knacks so that they do not blend in completely with the shelves

I knit to warm me. Like many natural born fidgeters, life was full of frustration and destruction. Not only do I have a positive way to channel that energy, but a creative one at that. Long waits at the doctor’s office has yielded socks, scarves, even an afghan. Bank lines are no longer the enemy. I don’t weep when I have to wait in any line, for that matter. I rejoice, because now I can get a few more rows accomplished. Every time I bind off a project, I have pride that I completed a project.

Once in a while, a ball of wool does cross my path. I look up a pattern, knit away, package it off, and send it to a women’s shelter in North Carolina. And I remember, there is more than one way to warm someone up.

BTS

So, friends, the summer has come to a close. I will once again return to being a bad blogger (no cookie) and blog when I can.
Just so you know:

- I have finished the Never-Ending Wavy Gryffindor Scarf of doomy-doom.
- I am working on Andrea's Birthday Wish. I can be a bit more open about this than other gift projects (ie: Miss's Memoriam, A certain loved one's gift) because not only do I highly doubt Andrea reads the blog, she requested it. I am STILL working on her red Ipod cozy that I have been working on on and off for the past year or so. But, I have put my foot down. No more hesitation, no more frogging to see if a different cable looks cooler. It may be a free-form cable, but enough is enough. The poor woman asked for this centuries ago, and I WILL give it to her for her birtday this year. I am already half way done (after only two houre and three rows of frogging) and I coulkd have it done next week. Just no more frogging. what is done, will be done.
- I have put the sock on hold to finish Andrea's gift, and possibly to do a simple hat for my ex-roomie's daughter.
- Still reading Pride and Prejudice. The more I read, the more I like.
- My birthday last week was craptacular. I kinda figured it would be, though. Since it always is the first few weeks of school, it gets swept under the rug easily. I have learned to not mind this so much. This is why I went to California three weeks in advanced and celebrated it that way. There were a few things that I got out of it well. Mom and I split a fantastic brownie the night of, and last Friday, Miss and I had a pizza and Shakespeare night. Which, to be note, if you are wiped out after your first week of school (or, in our case, work, since we both work for the school system, our first week back at work), no matter what your level of fanness, it is not a good idea to watch Shakespeare. Your tired brain just cannot do it.
- Classes seem doable. They always are. And Neilgirl is in them. It is always good to have a fellow knitter in class, as well.

See you on the flip!

HOLY FLYING SAUCERS BATMAN!!!

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much news in these past few days....

Knitting
I am on the toe of the Walking in Sunshine socks. They look amazing. I do have to say, though, the foot part of the pattern is a bit on the baggie side. I ask you, fellow citizens of cyberland, should I soldier on, or worry about ripping back and begin experimenting with decreases and the like?

I love birthdays. Especially the part when you know that there is a package coming just for you!!! Such a package came Monday. It was the yarn that Raven and I ordered for my sweater. Incase you are keeping tabs, it is 9 skiens of Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton in the colorway "pickle." It is sooooooooooo soft and it is a fantastic shade of medium green. I like to snuggle it and fondle it and hug it....

Now, if only I had managed to REALLY steal Raven's yarn umbrella and ball winder, rather than just joking about it......

The scarf is not really being knit on right now. I am blaming the heat.

Books

As soon as I have the time to play with html, there will be a list on the right of the books I am currently reading. In the mean time, I'll just tell you about it. I am still reading Pride and Prejudice. It is getting more interesting by the read. Plus, being that I like all things femanine (except for make-up, but I'll rant post-modern about that some other day), this book is just fabulous, like my favorite skirt.

On the other side of the spectrum, I am also reading Burning Chrome by William Gibson. I picked it up at a second hand bookstore in Burbank for the fly home. It is a collection of short stories, and I am three pages to the end of the first one; "Johnny Mnuemonic." I love it. The story is esquisitely masculine. SPOILER ALERT!!!! I was glad to see the return of Molly Millions. In the book Neuromancer, she was my favorite character. When we studied this book in class, everyone hated her and her "post-modern, anti-femanistic, pro-masculine ways." I thought she was fabulous. Vintage cyberpunk IS all about the masculine, and I love how a single character just embodies that.



I guess that is not as much news as I thought it was, but important all the same.

First Attempt

Hello Citizens!

Although I am no Franklin Habit, I got turned on to photography when I took a basic class in the subject just to fullfill an art requirement in undergrad. I have been a shutterbug, however amateur, ever since.

Anways, this is my attempt at showing ya'll some pictures from California, so lets see how it goes. I did not have my monster of an old-school Nikon with me, but I think my parents digital point-and-shoot was just fine.

This was when we were in Los Angeles Friday.

Being from Florida, houses on hills and mountains are not something you see everyday.

Advertisements like these were everywhere in Los Angeles.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! We didn't go in, but my credit card is very thankful for that.

I think we took a wrong turn somewhere......

Melrose Ave.

Raven, Suzan Mischer and I in the Knit Cafe.

I am going to post now, to see how this goes.

Back to reality

So after a 1.5 hour trip to Salt Lake City, followed by a 4.75 hour trip to Orlando, I am safe and in one piece.

Now I get to deal with reality.

YAY

Thanks again to Raven and co. for all they did while I was taking up space as a mucousy, drippy, oozy mass.* Even at my worse, they never stopped being their best. L and D were kind while they got me to ride rides I would have ordinarily passed on at Disneyland, and were patient and tollerant as I squeed my way through Its a Small World and Pirates of the Carribean, and indulged my History geekness by telling me all sorts of tidbits throughout. N and T never showed me anything but pure, unselfless kindness as I hacked and coughed my way through Venice Beach. N even paid for my last meal.

And then there was Raven. Words can not begin to explain the gratitude I have for her friendship anyways, and this trip magnifies that. The debate shall shall continue to wage on for centuries here after among the factions about how to be a good Christian. Whatever your personal take is, mine shall ever be to lead by example. This, in a nutshell, is Raven, whom I feel very fortunate to be counted as among her friends. At least, I think I am.

Now excuse me while I go unpack, pay bills, and drop classes.



*For those of you not in the know, I got really, really, REALLY sick, and reamained so for 6 of the 8 days I was there. I am talking the whole nine yards; coughing, sneezing, bodyaches, tired, lack of appetite, and crabby/wussy attitude.

It is the End, my friends

On this day in August, I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. What an amazing trip it ha been, and to use a well worn cliche, it was truly a roller coaster. Though some, I am sure, didn't like it, I really did.

And speaking of trips, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Raven and all of her friends who took it upon themselves to see that I saw as much of the Los Angeles area as possible this past week. WOW. I know that they had these plans before I was coming, but the fact that they invited me to come along and their kindness throughout is what has given me the fondest memories of my stay here.

Raven especially, took time out HER BIRTHDAY to celebrate mine by taking me to the Knit Cafe in West Hollywood, where I was able to purchase Welcome to the Knit Cafe and have it signed by the author Suzanne, who, by the way, is an extraordinarily friendly and warm person. I also bought a new tote bag for my knitting that, although the colors are a touch bright, reminded so much of northern Bogota that I had to get it. I have also purchased sone new dpns, and Raven got me to order the yarn I want for my first sweater, rather than just talking about it like I have done for the past year. And she paid for part of it as my birthday gift. Also, under her tutalage, watchful eye, and tape measure, my last effort sock has blossomed into something that actually looks like a sock instead of the bulbous messes of my past two attempts. And it seems to fit very well and snuggly, too.

See how she is?

Welcome to the Hotel Raven

Hey Y'All!

Greetings from California!

Like any Florida cracker, I am wide awake at 6 whatever AM. I have been in this state since 4 whatever AM. That is because on my home planet of Orlando, it is 9 whatever AM, and I am normally wide awake and doing something. Curse the genes that made me an early riser.

So I don't completely bore you with the play-by-play of yesterday's 10 hour ordeal, I have brought you the finer details in list form.

- Orlando International Airport - Boring
- Orlando to Atlanta flight- Mostly business men, some hot. Uneventful.
- Jackson Atlanta Airport - Ate a ham sandwich, played with a dog
- Atlanta to Salt Lake City Flight - nibbled on apple cheesecake and mushroom ravioli in corn sauce (I am not kidding, though I wish I was)
- Salt Lake City Airport - Just enough time to dash to my next plane
- Saw the Great Salt Lake for the first time, as well as the Rockies. Tons of turbullance and airpockets. Did not strangle the loud little kid behind me, but strongly resisted the urge when he began to make up a song about how we were falling out of the sky and we all are going to die. And then proceeded to sing this song repeatively the entire 90 minute flight.

But I didnt kill him. Infact, no one died. And I am here safely at Raven's. Where she is force feeding me yarn. Poor me