La Guaria del Bosque

Why is muñequita crying?

2008-05-30T19:00:00.005-04:00

It’s all Bárbara’s fault.

500

2008-05-28T23:07:00.006-04:00

¡A partir de hoy he tenido quinientas visitas!

As of today I have had five hundred visits!

For My Secret Pal/Para Mi Amiga Secreta

2008-05-20T23:56:00.017-04:00

Some days ago I sent off a package to Mae, my secret pal from the Intercambio Arácnido. It contains the following:

Hace unos días le envié el regalo a Mae, mi amiga secreta del Intercambio Arácnido. Contiene lo siguiente:

a felted bag (see the tutorial below) - bolso afieltrado
a CD of music in Arabic – disco compacto de música árabe
a spider stitch bookmark – marcapáginas en punto de araña
freesia perfume (her favorite) – perfume de freesia (su favorito)
a letter – una carta
yarn – lana
jellybeans – dulces
a crochet hook – un ganchillo de crochet
a crochet magazine (with plenty of charts & diagrams) – una revista de crochet (con bastantes gráficos y diagramas)

I am so excited now that it’s in the hands of the USPS. I’m a little worried that the perfume will spill and that the candy will melt or that she won’t like the color (or style) of the felted bag. Well, there’s nothing I can do now that it’s on its way to Chile. I enjoyed putting it together and hope she likes it. This was my first felted bag and I’m pleased with the end result. Might make another one for myself. We both enjoy listening to Arabic music, so I was happy to send her a compact disc. Check out her blog even if you can’t read Spanish. You can look at photos of her projects, especially her incredible amigurumis.

Estoy muy emocionada ahora que el regalo está en manos del correo. Me preocupa que se derrame el perfume o que se derritan los dulces o que no le guste el color (o el estilo) del bolso. Bueno, no se puede hacer nada ya que está en ruta a Chile. Me dio mucho gusto preparar los diferentes elementos del regalo. Espero que le agrade. Este es el primer bolso afieltrado que he hecho. Me gustó como salió y pienso hacerme uno. A las dos nos fascina escuchar música árabe, así que con gusto le envié el disco compacto. Visite su blog para que vea los trabajos que hace, especialmente sus amigurumis increíbles.

Felted Bag Tutorial/Tutorial Para el Bolso Afieltrado

2008-05-20T23:56:00.012-04:00

When Giving Knitted Gifts to Non-knitters...

2008-05-11T22:48:00.003-04:00

Canadian knitting celebrity Stephanie Pearl-McPhee said in one of her interviews that when she gives someone a knitted gift she often includes a card saying approximately how many stitches the gift contains. That way people will have a better idea of how much work went into the sock/hat/scarf/et cetera and will appreciate it more. I might borrow that idea. Of course, this need not be done when one is giving a gift to a fellow crafter.

Furry Caterpillar Invasion/Invación de Gusanos Peludos

2008-05-08T17:20:00.016-04:00

Some weeks ago I began seeing this on many area trees. I call it a caterpillar house because dozens, if not hundreds of them crawling around it. There’s a correct term for it, I’m sure, but I don’t know it. I wouldn’t mind them except that several of them are in the trees close to my balcony. I’m okay with sharing this earth with caterpillars and other insects, however, I wouldn’t be happy if they walked through the balcony door and decided to share my apartment too. Some weeks ago I began seeing this on many area trees. I call it a caterpillar house because dozens, if not hundreds of them crawling around it. There’s a correct term for it, I’m sure, but I don’t know it. I wouldn’t mind them except that several of them are in the trees close to my balcony. I’m okay with sharing this earth with caterpillars and other insects, however, I wouldn’t be happy if they walked through the balcony door and decided to share my apartment too.

Desde hace unas semanas he notado esto en muchos de los árboles de la zona. Lo llamo casa de orugas porque decenas, si no cientas de ellas viven dentro. La cuestión es que hay varias de estas “casas” en los árboles que estan cerca de mi balcón. Aunque no me molesta compartir el planeta con las orugas y otros insectos, no me gusta para nada la idea de que entren por la puerta del balcón y decidan compartir mi apartamento.

A Few Random Festival Photos and the Ride Home

2008-05-06T22:11:00.018-04:00

As I said before, the weather was gorgeous, so here are some shots taken through Whisker’s windshield on the way home.

Handmade brooms for sale, a good day to wear a kilt and an impromptu jam session.

Goats and More Sheep

2008-05-06T22:11:00.008-04:00

I was upset with the Wensleydales because they stole my hairstyle. Some nerve!

Auction of the Shawls

2008-05-05T23:41:00.018-04:00

These shawls were produced during the Sheep-to-Shawl competition in which each of eight teams must shear its sheep, hand card and comb the fleece, spin and then weave it into a shawl of predetermined dimensions within three hours. It’s great fun to watch. Although it is a timed event, the team members never seem nervous or anxious. There is $1000 in prize money at stake. Next year I’ll take photos of the teams working on the shawls. No just anybody (meaning me) can participate. This contest is serious business.

In previous years the shawls have been auctioned off for a lot of money, but this year they went for a paltry $100-200. Jane, the woman who used to run the auction, was a lively old auctioneer who could really get people to keep bidding higher (and was entertaining, to boot), but she died last year. People blamed her lackluster replacement for the low bidding and thought is was a real shame that such high quality shawls were sold for so little. I overheard one woman say, “She won’t be running the auction next year, I can assure you of that!”

Of course, those who were in the market for a hand-woven shawl (for Mother's Day next week) were thrilled at the rock-bottom prices.

I liked the pattern of the dark green shawl, but the rainbow-colored one was gorgeous. The earth-toned one can go with almost anything in one’s closet (dressy or casual) and the light green one was very appropriate for the spring season. There was a natural-colored one which I didn’t get to photograph which was quite pretty, but one had to see it up close to appreciate its beauty.

Eek! Naked Sheep!

2008-05-05T23:41:00.011-04:00

A festival volunteer does a a sheep shearing demonstration with electric clippers.

Another volunteer shears his Border Leicester with blade shears. This method is more time consuming, but less traumatic for the sheep. He also explained that in past the wool of black sheep* was practically worthless because everyone wanted white wool which could be dyed. Today, however, it is very sought-after by spinners and weavers of natural hues precisely because of its blackness.

*The English idiom ‘black sheep’ originated from the occasional black sheep which are born into a herd of white sheep due to a genetic process of recessive traits. Black sheep were considered commercially undesirable because their wool cannot be dyed as white wool can.

A Girl and her Lamb

2008-05-04T18:52:00.008-04:00

This little girl’s family has a farm in Calvert County. Her father explained that, although he did not come to the MDSW Festival with the intention of purchasing any livestock, she had nagged him all day. Her two older siblings each have one, why can’t she have one too? That very logical argument, coupled with the fact that they came across this lamb, which was priced within their budget, made it possible for baby sister to get her wish. She wanted to hold the rope by herself, but the eight-week-old lamb weighs more than she does, so Daddy had to help.

Llamas and Alpacas

2008-05-04T18:51:00.006-04:00

They often seem to be smiling.

I couldn't get a good shot of them because they kept moving around. Maybe they were nervous from all the noise and people.

Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival!

2008-05-04T01:04:00.026-04:00

When Whiskers called to find out if I wanted to go to this year’s MDSW Festival, she seemed understandably hesitant. But there was no need because the day had been reserved for just the two of us like it used to be. The weather was perfect---- blue skies and sunny with a light breeze.
There were 250 vendors of all fiber-related things, food, live music, storytelling, sheepdogs demonstrations, workshops, classes, sheep breed displays, lamb cooking contest, tools and gadgets for knitting, spinning and weaving and raising sheep.

Jess and Casey, founders of Ravelry, were at the Rabbit House to meet and greet all their fans. I’m not a shy person, and, under normal circumstances, wouldn’t have had any problem going up, introducing myself and chatting for a minute or two. However, they were practically being mobbed (I heard yesterday was even worse because it was a much larger crowd), so I kept my distance and chatted with a few of the other crocheters and knitters instead. Mouse was there acting like a desperate groupie, but I didn’t say anything to her for fear that some snarky comment escape my mouth.

Cici & CJ took great photos. Check them out.

Yarn and books galore!

Society of Creative Anachronism

2008-05-04T01:04:00.023-04:00

Members of the Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA) demonstrated fiber arts from 400 years ago, dressed in attire of the time. Most of these crafts (nalbinging, fingerloop braiding, bobbin lace, sprang and tablet weaving, to name a few) are quite labor intensive, so there is no such thing as instant gratification involved, but the results are almost always beautiful and useful. The people from SCA were very friendly, eager to explain the history behind their arts and, in some cases, allowed us (the public) to try our hand at them.

Premie Cap Jag/Manía de los Gorritos

2008-05-01T21:19:00.006-04:00

I gathered up all my leftover acrylic yarn and knitted it up into striped caps for premature babies at local hospitals. The pattern is super simple. They make me feel really productive because they only take an hour, more or less, to make.

Con todos los restos de lana acrílica he estado tejiendo gorritos para bebés prematuros. Pienso regalarselos a dos hospitals locales. Son super-sencillos. Uno se siente bastante productivo, ya que la hechura toma sólo una hora, más o menos.

MDSW Festival: The Prequel

2008-04-29T22:05:00.011-04:00

Over the last several years my girlfriend Whiskers and I have made an unofficial tradition of going to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival (MDSW) together. Last year I’d forgotten all about the festival until the last minute. Not only that, Novio, whom I was just getting to know had come to town expecting to spend that Sunday with me. I was really conflicted because I wanted to spend time with both of them and I couldn’t miss the festival. The only solution I could come up with was to take him to the festival. Convincing him to change his plans was easy, the difficult part was telling Whiskers we’d be a threesome (with a non-knitter/crocheter, no less). When I called Whiskers and explained my dilemma, she told me not to worry, that she’d go on her own. Phew! I thought.

Then as the months went by she made half-joking comments at a couple knitting gatherings about how I’d kicked her to the curb and had taken this new guy to MDSW instead. At first I felt bad because that was exactly what I had tried to avoid. It really upsets me when girlfriends ditch me whenever a new man is in their lives*, and hated that I was being accused of doing that very thing. Finally I decided that I couldn’t change how I’d handled that situation, but could certainly do my best to prevent it from happening next May.

Fast forward to Spring 2008. Novio mentions that he’s making plans to come visit on the first weekend of May. But that’s when MDSW takes place, I explain. Exactly, he says. He had such a good time last year that he wanted to do it again this year. Groan… So I had to gently let him know what sort of position he put me in last year, that I wasn’t trying to repeat it and that Whiskers would resume her role as my MDSW companion. Besides, there are other festivals I have never been to, which he and I could explore together. He was rather put out because he truly was looking forward to going again, but eventually he came around to seeing things from my point of view and apologized. So this summer or autumn we’re going to check out a couple smaller festivals on the East Coast and in the Midwest.

*a subject for an all-together separate post

Anansi Bookmark

2008-04-27T20:57:00.007-04:00

This bookmark was inspired by one I saw in the book Joanne Yordanou’s Twelve Months of Knitting. I wanted to make it for my secret pal in the Intercambio Aracnido. But later on, while leafing through A Treasury of Knitting Patterns I came across the spider stitch. Immediately I decided that I would make the bookmark, but in the spider stitch in keeping with the spider theme.

The bookmark took about 90 minutes total to make, however, it took me three days of frustration to get it done. I made the mathematical calculations, translated the pattern to a chart, made several swatches, tried three different yarns, needles, and numbers of repeats. The pattern is a 12-row repeat and rows 8 and 12 were just not coming out right. Could Barbara Walker have made a mistake on it or was there something I just wasn’t getting?

I love the mathematical side of knitting, so I don’t mind problem-solving. It’s just that I was stressed out because the deadline to send the package had already passed and I had a lot of other things to do at the same time.

The photo with the green background is the practice piece (worsted weight acrylic yarn, size 7US/4.5 mm needles). The one with the red background is the one that will be part of the exchange gift (lace weight mohair, size 0US/2 mm needles).

I’ve named this bookmark after the main character of a series of West African folk tales who is a mischievous spider.

Seeing Red (Heart)

2008-04-23T22:41:00.007-04:00

So I went to a Ravelversary (Ravelry anniversary) party at a local café. There were fewer attendees than expected because it had rained all day and some people were scared away by the weather (must be relatives of the Wicked Witch of the West). Among the planned activities were: a yarn swap, charity scarf and preemie hat drop off, games and show and tell.

The last person to arrive (whom we’ll call Dolphin) brought with her two garbage bags full of yarn to donate for charity. While she went to order something to eat, the meet-up’s organizer, we’ll call her Mouse, stuck her nose in one of the bags and said, “Let’s hope it’s not all Red Heart.” Then withdrew and ascertained disdainfully that, yes, it was Red Heart. When Dolphin returned we got to talking and it turned out that all of her yarn was 100 percent wool. The thing was that it was from the 80s, so most of it was in fluorescent colors. Don’t you feel stupid, Mouse? Come here, let me slap you with a dead fish.

Red Heart is not synonymous with acrylic. Red Heart is not the only (or first) company that sells acrylic yarn. For many decades Red Heart exclusively sold wool yarn and only began offering acrylic and acrylic blends in the 60s. Even today they still offer good quality wool yarn.

So irritating when people who have only recently gotten into knitting/crocheting (because it’s trendy, you know) run around acting like little experts. Worse yet, the ones who are obnoxiously vocal about their disdain of acrylic for no reason other than to show to the world that they are yarn connoisseurs so that we may be impressed by their discerning tastes. The effect they have on me is quite the opposite.

And no, I do not own stock in the company (is it even publicly traded?).

Lost and Found

2008-04-23T22:41:00.006-04:00

When someone mentioned on Whip-up blog that she was desperately seeking some of the discontinued Noro Large Tubu yarn, I offered the seven skeins I had. There was no response for two months. Then Stepho from Canada e-mailed me saying that although she was not the poster of the original request, she was interested in purchasing the yarn if it was still available. After exchanging several e-mails we agreed on the details of the transaction. After receiving her postal money order, I packed the yarn into a box and took it on the bus to work with me. The plan was to take it to the post office during my lunch period. Imagine my horror when I transferred to a second bus and realize that I had left the box on the first bus. I dreaded having to send the money order back and, worse, to send the e-mail saying that I had carelessly lost the yarn. I fretted that someone would take the box and then discard it when he or she realized that it was "only" yarn. Yeah, only $250 worth.

When I arrived at work I called the bus company and told them about my package. The woman who answered the phone assured me that the driver would drop off the box at the lost and found at the end of his shift. After work I went to this out of the way place I'd never been to where the bus company has its Lost and Found. I climbed the stairs and breathlessly waited at the window to be attended. I told the one-armed man on duty why I was there. He rummaged around in the back while I waited hopefully. Finally he returned to the window holding my box! I almost didn't want to believe it. I signed the release form and held the box tightly. The box had been opened, but its contents were intact. What a relief!

Attack of the Killer Acrylic Yarn

2008-04-20T22:42:00.008-04:00

I had two skeins of an unidentified blue yarn in my stash. It looked like wool, but felt like something else. In order to ascertain what fiber it was, I decided to administer the burn test.* One is supposed to do the burn test over a sink. Did I do that? No. So when I lit one end of a strand of the yarn and it flared up, I tried to shake out the flame. The lit end curled up and stuck to the side of my index finger. A few minutes a painful little blister appeared.

Lessons learned from the burn test are: 1) the mystery yarn is most likely synthetic, 2) said yarn gets amazingly hot when burned, 3) next time definitely take proper precautions when administering the burn test.

Since I didn’t like the feel of this yarn (it also looks like it will pill easily), it will find a new home via the thrift store. Should have photographed it before I donated it.

*Different fibers react differently to fire, therefore one can figure out the fiber content of a yarn by burning it. Some knitting books contain a chart detailing these differences.

Sex Strike/Huelga de Sexo

2008-04-19T22:20:00.006-04:00

As a freshman university student I had to read Aristophanes’ play Lysistrata. The title character, the wife of a soldier and tired o the continuous wars, convinces the women of threee Greek cities to withhold sex from their husbands in order to end the Peloponnesian War and secure peace. Wouldn’t it be great if that were to work today? Of course, we’d have to make sure that Laura was on board with the sex strike. Seriously.

En el primer año de mi carrera universitaria tuve que leer una de las comedias de Aristófanes titulada Lisístrata. El personaje principal de la obra es la esposa de un soldado que, cansada de las continuas guerras logra convencer a las mujeres de tres ciudades griegas a montar una huelga de sexo hasta que sus esposos firmen la paz. Imagínese que maravilloso si fuera tan fácil hoy en día terminar la guerra en Irak. Por su puesto, tendríamos que contar con Laura en la huelga. En serio.

Back by Popular Demand

2008-04-16T23:55:00.008-04:00

I haven’t posted in a while because 1) I’ve been busy, 2) I tend to edit and rewrite a lot before publishing (so there are a few posts that had already been written, but were awaiting editing/rewriting), and, 3) it’s a challenge to get back into the swing of things once one has gotten out of the habit posting regularly. However, certain people have been scolding me good-naturedly about my lack of new posts, so I’ll make an effort to post at least twice a week and try not to be such a perfectionist about my writing.

In case you’re wondering, I have been doing plenty of knitting and I’m looking forward to showing you some of my finished projects soon.

Live from Canada: The Yarn Harlot!

2008-04-08T20:42:00.004-04:00

Last night Whiskers and I went to see Stephanie Pearl McPhee----known in knitting circles as the Yarn Harlot. I was excited to actually hear the voice of someone whose books I had read (well, three of them) and whose quirky sense of humor I appreciated. We got there late, but still caught a good deal of her lecture (Sermon? Presentation? Speech? Don’t know what to call it…) as well as the question-and-answer session. It was very cool to see the entire second level of a mall bookstore packed with knitters and crocheters who, of course, knitted and crocheted while they listened.

Many of the attendees were wearing their handmade garments and accessories. Wow! Some of them were awe-inspiring. I was compelled to go over and compliment (and gush over) a couple women’s amazing lace shawls in particular. One, who was sitting in front of me, was wearing her circular Dragon Wings shawl which I just could not take my eyes from. Should have taken photos.

Numbers were given out to those who wanted to get their books singed by or speak with Stephanie. People were herded 25 at a time to line up at her table. Although, I wouldn’t have minded greeting and taking a photo of her, I wasn’t terribly enthusiastic about being Number 427 or whatever my number would have been. So instead I greeted other knitters I knew, ate at the nearby Italian restaurant and went home. And since I didn’t get to speak to her, I can still hold on to my little fantasy. “What fantasy?” you ask. The one of someday running into her at an airport or some random public place while I’m working on some impressive piece of knitting, she stops, we chat for a few minutes and then she writes about me in her blog. Okay, so it’s a bit improbable, but quite harmless as far as fantasies go.

My First Major Lace Project

2008-04-07T23:35:00.017-04:00

Who knew I would fall madly in love with an isosceles triangle?

yarn: Patons Kroy Sock, 75% wool 25% nylon, 2 skeins each of Flax (light brown) and Hickory (dark brown)
needles: 4.5 mm/US 7
pattern: Nancy Wiseman’s Lavender Linen Shawl
comments: The pattern suggested eleven repeats. I only made ten because I ran out of yarn. I almost went out and bought one more ball, but decided not to. Good thing, too, because it doubled in size upon blocking. I was pleasantly surprised.

I did not plan for this to be a two-color shawl, but the color I’d begun with was discontinued, so I went on with a second color. At first I was worried that it would look odd, but I showed it to a few friends and they especially liked the two-color feature.

This project was challenging, satisfying and it helped me become better at reading my knitting. It also changed the way I purl (I was a combination knitter). I enjoyed every bit of it. Even near the end when the rows got really long. The absolute best part was when I blocked it after soaking it. Pure magic. Once it dried I danced around, tried it on with a few dresses, then danced around some more. Can’t wait to make another one!

Whiskers was there when I bound off the last stitch. She tried it on so I could see how it looked and was a great encourager and cheerleader. I’m telling you, she was almost as excited as I was. It’s so important to have friends who understand and support our fiber madness. Thank you, Whiskers!

Meausrements: The base of the triangle = 90 in/228 cm. The height of the triangle = 43 in/109 cm.

[photo 1: the beginning, photo 2: shawl drying, photo 3: close-up of colors, photo4: finished, but unblocked]

still here

2008-04-01T23:45:00.004-04:00

I'll be back soon! Been busy...
¡Ahorita vuelvo! He estado ocupada...

Arachnid Exchange/Intercambio Aracnido

2008-03-24T15:29:00.008-04:00

I am involved in the Intercambio Aracnido Mujer Araña, It’s a swap among Spanish-speaking knitters, crocheters and weavers on the American continent as well as Europe. The name literally means the Spider Woman Arachnid Exchange. Why arachnids? Because we are like crafty little spiders weaving our webs. Anyway, there are about 50 of us participating. We each received a questionnaire detailing the preferences and dislikes of our secret pal and then had to get to work on our gift packages. Each package must contain the following:

• A hand-knit, crocheted or sewn purse or tote bag
• A craft accessory
• A surprise gift
• Something with a spidery design (an amigurimi or something knit with a stitch that resembles a spider web)
• One ball of yarn
• A knitting/crocheting tool or gadget
• A knitting/crochet magazine

It’s very exciting to be putting together a special gift package for someone I’ve never met and only know through her blog. I’m also very curious to know who pulled my name. I suspect she might be from Mexico or Chile because those two countries have the most participants. However, it can also be someone from Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Perú, Sweden, Costa Rica, Spain or Argentina. We shall see!

Enough is enough!/¡Basta ya!

2008-03-19T23:01:00.005-04:00

Today is the fifth anniversary of the shameful war on Iraq.

Hoy es el quinto aniversario de la avergonzosa guerra en Iraq.

80s Anti-War Songs

2008-03-19T22:59:00.010-04:00

The War Song (War is Stupid) - Culture Club

Okay, so the video is rather campy, but the the message is still quite relevant.

I Don't Want to be a Hero-Johnny Hates Jazz. Must-read lyrics.

3.1415926...

2008-03-13T23:43:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow Pi day is celebrated in the United States. I'll use any excuse to eat some pecan pie. Yum!

Costa Rican Orchid Week/Semana de la Orquídea Costarricense

2008-03-09T23:49:00.010-04:00

En Costa Rica la segunda semana del mes de marzo se celebra como 'La Semana de la Orquídea Costarricense’, por ser la época en que la guaria morada, flor nacional, está en el apogeo de su floración. Para más información acerca de la guaria morada vaya al sitio de la Asociación Costarricense de Orquideología organización que se encarga de proteger y celebrar esta espectacular belleza natural.

[Photo by Marco Mora.]

In Costa Rica, the second week of March is when the Guaria Morada, the national flower, is in peak bloom, therefore it is known as Costa Rican Orchid Week. For more information regarding the Guaria Morada go to the Costa Rican Orchidology Association’s website. This organization is in charge of protecting and celebrating this spectacular beauty. If you don’t understand Spanish, at least you can enjoy the photos of the many varieties of guaria that exist in Costa Rica.

International Women’s Day/Día Internacional de la Mujer Trabajadora

2008-03-08T23:00:00.006-05:00

According to the United Nations, today is International Women’s Day, in which the economic, political and social achievements of women around the world are celebrated. In honor of this day, I present you with a film that’s a part of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty.

The best gift we can give our daughters is healthy self-esteem.

Según las Naciones Unidas, hoy es el Día Internacional de la Mujer Trabajadora, en el cual se celebran los logros económicos, políticos y sociales de mujeres de todo el mundo. En honor a este día, les presento una película que forma parte de la Campaña Para Belleza Real de Dove.

El mejor regalo que le podemos dar a nuestras hijas es autoestima sana.

Control Premature Ejaculations

2008-03-06T23:47:00.004-05:00

It’s amazing what a difference one letter makes. When I was setting up my profile on Ravelry I unwittingly mistyped one letter. It wasn’t until CC checked out my profile and e-mailed me saying that something was wrong. The mistyped blog address was actually a website that, among other things, offered help in controlling premature ejaculations. Umm…not a problem I’ve ever suffered. Glad she caught that before too many people saw it!

How worldly are you?

2008-03-04T23:37:00.004-05:00

You Are Very Worldly

You're an international jet setter - or pretty darn close.

And while you may feel like you have many more places to visit...

Most people live their whole lives without seeing what you've seen.

In fact, you're probably going to be traveling again soon. So Bon Voyage!

How Worldly Are You?

I hope so! India is at the top of my list.

Bissextus

2008-02-29T05:01:00.004-05:00

In some cultures there was the tradition that on the 29th of February women were “allowed” to propose marriage to a man and he could not refuse (think Sadie Hawkins). I could have flown out there today and snagged me a husband. Heehee!

bissextile (adjective) Definition: "(1) referring to a leap year or (2) the extra day in a leap year." The extra day is referred to as "bissext," or "bissextus."

Etymology: This word comes from Latin bissextilis "having an intercalary day" from the first word of the phrase bis sextus (dies) "twice the sixth day," from bis "twice" and sextus "sixth." The phrase arises from the fact that the sixth day before the Calends of March (February 24} occurred twice every leap year in the Roman calendar. Thus this "sex" comes from the Latin word for "six," which shares the same origin as German "sechs," Dutch "zes," Spanish "seis," French "six," Italian "sei," Russian "shest'."

–Dr. Language, YourDictionary.com

I did warn y’all that I’m fascinated by etymology, didn’t I? Go ahead, call me a Word Nerd, I don’t mind.

Blame it on the Albinos or How to Fritter Away Several Hours

2008-02-27T22:59:00.009-05:00

Yahoo - checked mail

Yahoo - read news article: Ten Worst Video Dating Profiles

YouTube - Watched dorky guy’s video. He wants to meet a redhead because he once dated a special redhead. One of the commenters pointed out that he had “that powder” disease. I responded that it’s called albinism. Before posting the response, I checked wikipedia.com to make sure I’d spelled albinism correctly. Read article on albinism. Noticed list of famous albinos, had to click on each one, of course.

Read about albino rapper Brother Ali. Visited his MySpace page. Watched a couple of his videos on YouTube.

Read about musician Edgar Winter, who's a scientologist. Read about scientology and its founder L. Ron Hubbard and his successor David Miscavige (who was best man at Tom Cruise’s wedding). Read about the Sea Organization. Read about Operation Snow White and Operation Freakout. Read about ex-scientologist Bob Minton. Read about scientology critic Mayor Gabriel "Gabe" Cazares. Read about Lisa McPherson, who died while in custody of scientologists who refused to get her psychiatric attention (they don’t believe in psychiatry).

All very interesting, in a disturbing sort of way. After reading this stuff, most conspiracy theories seem plausible. There is something very suspicious and sinister about ultra-secretive organizations (governmental, religious or otherwise) that can wield that much power.

Then clicked on actor-comedian Victor Varnado’s name and read his bio. Checked out his website and watched his stand- up comedy and short films (much-needed after all that creepy scientology reading) had some good laughs. Checked out his blog. He’s learning how to knit! Left an encouraging comment on his blog.

Tried to go to bed before the sun came up and/or the birds outside my window start getting really loud.

Aiurophile: That’s me!

2008-02-27T02:40:00.009-05:00

ailurophile (noun) A cat fancier; a lover of cats.

It is amazing that in a land of so many ailurophiles, the word is used so rarely. Cat-lover may be a more straightforward term but it is also ambiguous and potentially misleading. Play it safe and use this: ailurophile. Don't like cats? Well, we have something for you, too—you are an "ailurophobe," someone who hates or fears cats. The adjective is ailurophilic, unless you mean "cat-like," that's ailuroid. Etymology: a concoction of Greek ailur-os "house cat" + phili-os "friendly, fond of."

—Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

Most cat owners can attest to the fact that if you put an empty box on the floor, the cat will decide to turn it into a nest. This box contained documents and miscellaneous papers. While looking through a pile of papers I’d removed from it, Duquesa, ever the opportunist, jumped in. Can you read the newspaper? It’s a personal ad that appeared in an old edition of The Hartford Advocate. It says: “Stop the clock, come be my love.” Attractive SWJF, 47, of very sound body and mind in search of a man for all seasons. I wonder if that single, white, Jewish female found ‘a man for all seasons’ or just a seasonal man. Hee-hee.

Traducciones al Español

2008-02-26T03:23:00.007-05:00

Mi intención desde el principio fue de publicar todo en inglés y en español, pero me dio pereza y nunca llegué a hacerlo. A estas alturas tomaría demasiado tiempo traducir el blog entero. Sé que no todos entienden bien el inglés, así que si hay algún post en particular que usted quiere que le traduzca, lo haré con gusto.

A propósito, puede encontrar los pocos posts que sí están en español cliqueando “español” en el menú a la izquierda bajo Temas. Intentaré añadir más muy pronto.

Will you make me a hat/sweater/etc.?

2008-02-25T22:59:00.002-05:00

This started out being part of the previous post, but when I began writing the response I realized that it required its own post. Most of my public knitting and crocheting is done on the bus or subway. I usually sit near the front of the bus. Invariably, bus drivers will strike up a conversation with me. Sometimes they flirt and want to exchange telephone numbers (not happening). Half the time they will ask, “Will you make me a hat/sweater/et cetera?” I usually say, “Sorry, I don’t have the time.” And that’s the end of that.

The last time a bus driver asked me to make him something was two days ago. His exact question was, “When you gonna make me a sweater?” It took me a moment to formulate an appropriate answer. You see, homeboy weighs at least 400 pounds (almost 200 kg). I wanted to say, “Where do you get off? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? You could blow one week’s salary just on the purchase of the yarn.” Instead I said, “I only knit for myself and for my friends’ babies.” His response? “I’ll be your baby, if that’s what it takes.” I couldn’t help it, I laughed out loud in his face.

FAQs while KIP

2008-02-25T22:52:00.004-05:00

I do most of my knitting and crocheting in public because I have other things to do when I get home. It serves as a sort of ice breaker because people who otherwise don’t have one word to say to me use it to strike up conversations. Here’s a list of frequently asked questions and comments that people make when they encounter me engaging in my craft. My actual and imaginary responses are in brackets.

-Is that knitting or crochet? What’s the difference? [If I’m knitting I pull out a hook or vice versa.]
-What are you making? How long will it take? [Answers vary.]
-What can you make? [Hats, scarves, sweaters, ponchos, muzzles…]
-Why don’t you make stuff to sell? [Because most people are not willing to pay for the labor involved in making something. If I’m lucky I’ll barely recoup the cost of materials.]
-My aunt/grandmother used to do that. I still have the quilt she made me. [Is that right? She probably made you an afghan. Quilts are sewn.]
-I used to know how to crochet/knit when I was little, but I forgot how. [It’s not hard to pick it back up.]
-I didn’t know people still did that! [Raised eyebrows.]
-I couldn’t do that. I’m so uncoordinated. [It doesn’t require as much coordination as you think.]
-You must save a lot of money. [Quite the opposite. It’s more expensive to make my own sweater than to purchase one that was machine-made in Asia from the local big box store.]
-You must be really patient. [No, actually, knitting/crocheting makes me more patient. I don’t get antsy when I have to wait around for something.]
-Aren’t you too young to be doing that? [Your question implies that only the stereotypical grandmother knits. That idea is not only tired, it’s flawed because almost all the older women who knit/crochet learned how to do so when they were little girls. As if something magical happens to a woman the moment she turns 65 and poof! suddenly she’s endowed with the skill. Give me a break.]

Ravelry: I’m in!

2008-02-24T00:00:00.004-05:00

I’d heard about the hundreds of people who were on the long waiting list, so I was totally surprised when I received my invitation to join a mere ten days after signing up. Now I see what people were taking about. I’m in such big trouble. I already spend too much time online. This is going to make it worse.

In the Bag

2008-02-23T23:59:00.010-05:00

Al principio de los años 90 a veces cuando entrevistaban a algún artista en MTV le pedían que mostrara lo que llevaba en los bolsillos. Algunas de los blogueras que leo han estado hacienda algo parecido. Le toman una foto al contenido de sus carteras y lo postean para que todo el mundo lo vea. Por supuesto, ahí voy yo. En mi mochilita llevo:

In the early 90s sometimes during interviews on MTV artists would be asked to show what was in their pockets. Some bloggers I read have been doing something similar. They take a photo of the contents of their purses and post it for all the world to see. So, of course, I’m jumping on the bandwagon. The contents of my little backpack are:

agenda – date book
lapiceros – pens
celular – cell phone
llaves – keys
brillo para los labios – lip gloss
monedero – coin holder ($1.37)
alarma personal – personal alarm
pastillitas de menta – mints
tarjeta de metro – subway pass
paquetito de almendras – packet of almonds
algo de tejer – some knitting

La bolsita roja fue un regalito que nos dieron a todos los que dimos clases de tejer en el último festival de tejido que hubo en Washington, DC. Contenido: licencia de conducir, tarjeta de crédito, billetes ($8.00), tarjetas bibliotecarias, tarjeta bancaria, varias tarjetas de presentación.
The red pouch was a gift given to all those who gave knitting/crochet lessons at the last Knit Out that was held in Washington, DC. Contents: driver’s license, credit card, cash ($8.00), library cards, bank card, various business cards.

Schadenfreude

2008-02-21T00:00:00.004-05:00

While grocery shopping recently I ran into a coworker from my old job. She told me that the principal has been removed. In the middle of the school year. Yes, the one who was unprofessional, inexperienced, overpaid, and generally incompetent. Not only that, the equally inexperienced, overpaid, and incompetent head teacher who was my supervisor has suffered a demotion of sorts.

Boys and girls, the word for today is schadenfreude.

Leave it to the Germans to come up with such a delightfully wicked word.

Overheard at Tonight’s Knitting Gathering

2008-02-19T23:40:00.015-05:00

The Silver Spring Knitters had their weekly meeting at a restaurant in downtown Silver Spring. While we were eating, knitting and talking, a little girl came up to the table holding up a pair of circular needles, “Does this belong to any of you? I found it in the bathroom.” Jennifer, who’d been wearing them around her neck reached for them and said “If they’re size 3’s they're mine. They must have fallen off my neck.”

A knitter from across the table comments, “There’s a lot of needle sharing going on around here. At least it’s not too dangerous. Usually you wouldn’t want to pick up needles you find in a public bathroom, much less share them.”

************************************************************************************

“I’m friends with a couple who got pregnant late in life. It was all so unexpected that they couldn’t decide on a name for the baby, so they named him after the cat.”

Books/Magazines/Patterns for sale

2008-02-18T22:55:00.006-05:00

Just did my taxes and discovered that I owe Uncle Sam $659.52, so I am thinning out my knitting library to raise some of the cash. Here are the items available for sale. Make me an offer.

Books
Baby Knits – Debbie Bliss 1988
Bucilla Sweaters 1976
Caps & Mittens for Everybody from Bernat 1962
The Encyclopedia of Knitting Techniques – Debby Robinson 1987
KniLit – Linda Roghaar & Molly Woolf 2002 SOLD
KnitLit Too – Linda Roghaar & Molly Woolf 2004
Knitter’s Lib – Lena Maikon 2006
Knitting in America – Melanie Fallick 1996
Sweater-Jacket Fashions from Bernat 1974

Magazines
Craft: 01 (2006) SOLD
Craft: 02 (2007) SOLD
Family Circle Easy Knitting, Spring/Summer ‘00
Family Circle Easy Knitting, Winter ‘00/’01
Interweave Knits, Summer ‘97 SOLD
Quiltmaker No. 80 July/August 2001
Quiltmaker No. 67 May/June 1999
Rowan Book Number 4 (1988) SOLD
Vogue Knitting, Winter ’92/’93 (international edition)
Wool Gathering #64, March ’01 SOLD

Patterns from the 1970s & 1990s
Columbia-Minerva # 2528 Men in Belted Sweaters, Four Styles to Knit
Columbia-Minerva # 2548 Shawls in New Skylark Yarn, Six Styles to Knit
Columbia-Minerva # 2562 Plaid & Argyle Vests, Eight Styles to Knit
Pace Setters # 482 Cardigan, Vest & Pullovers
Duplicate Stitch Spring Garden & Hummingbird DS 06 by Stoney Creek
Bouquet Timberline & Fjord (5 adult & 2 child sweaters designs) snowflakes, flowers, hearts & Fair Isle

I don’t yet have electronic means for accepting payment, so I’ll only be accepting checks and money orders for now. Books will be sent via media mail unless you specify another method of shipping.

If you are interested in a particular title, send me a message.

Knitting in Public

2008-02-17T23:54:00.003-05:00

One day I knitted in a café while waiting for some friends. An older black gentleman came up and asked if it was okay to share my table. I said yes, although I thought it odd that he wanted to share when there were plenty of free tables. After a while I looked up from my knitting to notice that he was staring at my hands. I smiled. He said something like, “I hope I’m not making you uncomfortable. My mother and aunts used to knit around the kitchen table at night when I was a boy. Seeing you knitting at this table brings back such memories…” I said that I didn’t mind and he got lost in a blissful reverie. Some minutes later he got up and said, “I’ll let you be now. Thank you for letting me sit with you. Keep up the good work.”

Are you a romantic or a realist?

2008-02-14T23:23:00.005-05:00

You Are A Realist

When it comes to romance, you tend to take a realistic approach.

You believe that love takes time, and it's something you have to work hard for.

A bit cynical, over the top romance tends to get under your skin.

Your heart is difficult to win ... but it's totally worth it.

Are You Romantic or Realistic?

Yes, much to the chagrin of my boyfriends, I am a realist. And because of the unexplainable way the world works, I’ve often ended up with ultra-romantic men. Since women are supposed to be the romantic ones, this has often caused friction. Sigh.

In Honor of Ex-Boyfriends

2008-02-14T23:22:00.005-05:00

Often, when we think about our romantic past, we tend to dwell on the jerks we’ve dated----you, know, the ones who acted like it was their job to load us down with emotional baggage. But today I’d like to honor two men whom I truly loved (still do, but in a different way, now) and for whom I have fond memories: Sapito & Choufleur.

With them I had trust, respect and love. They were also intelligent, hardworking, witty, handsome, sensitive, yet manly. We remained friends after the breakups. I knew that they would someday become good husbands and fathers (and they did). Three cheers for good men. Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray!

On a fiber-related note, the first hat I ever crocheted was for Choufleur (as per his request). I made my best effort considering that it was the first time and I wasn’t using a pattern. When I presented it to him he laughed. Not tee-hee----more like a guffaw. Several loud guffaws followed by a fit of giggles. Seeing my annoyance, he said “Thank you, honey,” and then pranced around the house like a clown with it on. Granted, it looked afflicted, but, dude, couldn’t you have held the ridicule ‘til a little later? Anyway, I forgave him.

Chesapeake Primary Day: Vote

2008-02-12T23:42:00.007-05:00

It sucks that only those registered as either democrat or republican can participate in the presidential primaries. This forces anyone who is registered with a third party to temporarily switch just so she or he can have a say in the primaries.

The United States would probably be better off with a parliamentary system of government because then other political parties would have a voice (however limited) in the running of the country.

Sex Education

2008-02-11T00:03:00.024-05:00

Today I dropped of a couple bags of yarn at the thrift store. It felt great. I walked around to see what was new and came upon this book. I immediately recognized it as a book my parents had used to teach my brother about sex when he finally got around to asking questions.* I especially remember this illustration of the rooster and hen mating because I had seen my Tía Raquel’s hens and roosters doing the same thing when I visited her out in the country.

I couldn’t resist, I had to have it. Upon rereading it I realized that it is a surprisingly good book considering that it was published almost 30 years ago. The original price was $8.95, but I paid a whopping 27 cents for it.

The text that goes with this illustration is: To send the sperm into the hen's body, te rooster climbs onto her back and places his opening against hers. Then his sperm move into the opening in her body.

*He was seven or eight. I, on the other hand, asked when I was three. My mother said that when she said something like “When a mommy and a daddy love each other, their love makes a baby,” I looked at her and said, “Solo usted sabe eso.” The literal translation is “Only you know that,” which means something like “Yeah, right. Tell me another one.”

Stash Organization and Reduction

2008-02-07T23:33:00.010-05:00

In keeping with knitting resolution 1, I’ve spend several days sorting through my yarn stash. Duffle bags were unzipped, plastic bags unknotted and tote bags emptied. Every last piece of yarn I own was spread out on the bed and bedroom floor for inspection, evaluation and categorization into one of the following:

cottons
wool blends
1-5 skeins of the same yarn
yarn to donate
sweater’s-worth quantities
yarn to sell exchange
yarn for charity projects
yarn to teach with
sweaters to be felted or unraveled

Everything was placed in clear plastic bags and, whenever possible, with a little note saying what project(s) I had in mind for the contents of said bags.

I discovered yarn I didn’t even remember having. I’m realizing that a lot of it was bought because it was on sale, not because I needed it for a particular project. That should not be the sole determining factor for acquiring more yarn, but it’s a difficult temptation to overcome.

Had I more space, I would display my stash in all its colorful splendor, but that spot is reserved for my books, so it has to go back to the closets. I feel less guilty about that now, though, because there is more room for each skein, ball and hank to breathe.

Pictured is a ball of chunky cotton yarn I donated (along with her seven sisters) to the thrift store. It was photographed atop a CD case so you can get an idea of what a huge monster it is. At the time, the purchase seemed like a good idea, but after sitting in my apartment for over a year, I’ve realized that whatever I made with this yarn would become very pilly in no time. Why bother? So it was very liberating to take that and another bag of yarn that had lost its original enchantment to the thrift store. There’s more stuff on its way out soon.

Late breaking news: There are two balls of yellow sock yarn missing. They were a gift for participating in a charity knitting event. Where on earth can they be? I thought I had been through the entire stash. Come out, come out, where ever you are!

Small World

2008-02-04T23:26:00.013-05:00

Yesterday I went to a charity knitting event at a local yarn shop. As each person walked in, she was handed a small ball of yarn and a pattern for a preemie hat (we brought our own knitting needles and crochet hooks). We sat around talking, knitting and munching on the snacks that were provided. Here are a couple things I overheard:

On perfectionism ...
Knitter A: Oh, no! I’m one row off [in sewing up the hat]. Should I pull it out and redo it?

Knitter B: I was a preemie and I don’t remember what they put on my head. Only a knitter would notice that mistake.

On UFOs...
Knitter C: There’s a sweater I started making for my son when he was ten years old. He’s now in college and it’s still not finished.

Knitter D: I can do you one better than that. I have a sweater I never finished for my husband and he‘s been dead 13 years!

***********************************************************************
One hour before the event was over there was a contest (which was really a fashion show considering almost everyone who entered won gift certificates). When it was over I chatted with the two women who were seated on either side of me. They mentioned Ravelry and I told them that until recently I thought one had to have a knitting blog in order to qualify for Ravelry. Then one said, “My sister and I have a blog together.” Just two days before I had been reading a blog written by two sisters. It was all so fresh in my mind that I remembered their names. “Are you Cici and CJ?” Yes, they were! I was so excited. I felt as if I should get their autographs or something. It was like bumping into someone whom you previously only knew from television.

Then they asked if I had a blog and what was the address. I told them the address, but since I know it sounds quite foreign, I offered to write it down. A quarter of an hour later I hunted down a pen and wrote the address down for them. When Cici read it her eyes became wide. “I was just reading your blog this morning! I left a comment on it.” Then turning to CJ she said, “Her blog is the one I was telling you about on the way over here!” For a second I had trouble believing her, but then she told me things she had read on my blog and I was blown away. “We should get your autograph!” They remind me of my aunts. When I was leaving I wanted to give them each a hug, but I didn’t want to weird them out, so I didn’t.

In the end the event netted over 30 preemie hats to be donated to the neonatal unit of a local hospital, but meeting Cici and CJ was the coolest thing to come out of it. I was really wishing my friend Cabbie had been there (she had to work) because she’s the only one who would fully understand the total coolness of this meeting.

Finished Objects

2008-02-03T23:20:00.003-05:00

Apparently this morning I woke up in a finishing mood because I finished the sweaters you see below. I don’t know what bit me, but I’m glad it did because it brings me a couple steps closer to fulfilling knitting resolution 6.

cotton baby sweaters
yarn: Mandarin Soft 100% cotton
needles: 3.5 mm/US 4
pattern: mine
comments: These were knit in 2005, but didn’t get ends woven in and the buttons added until today. It should fit an average five-month-old. These weren’t made for any specific baby, but that’s okay, because all I have to do is wait five minutes before I get a call from (yet another) one of my friends saying that she’s pregnant.

Although the yarn has an English-sounding name, the whole label is in Norwegian. I got it at a yarn swap where everyone brought in yarn that they didn’t want and put it on tables and then went “shopping” for yarn that others had brought. It was great fun. This cotton makes a very nice garment, but it can be a pain in the neck to knit with because it’s very splitty (the yarn is made up of 15 individual little threads). Notice that the white/blue sweater has seed stitch where the pink/blue sweater has ribbing. The hat was made from the leftovers.

striped baby sweater
yarn: worsted weight acrylic
needles: 4.5 mm/US 7
pattern: mine
comments: In 2005 I was in a baby sweater knitting frenzy and it was all about the process, not the product, so I only just got around to sewing the pieces together, weaving in the ends and attaching the buttons. This one is going to RJ’s baby brother, who will soon be turning six months.

Yes, we can!

2008-02-02T23:05:00.005-05:00

Which presidential candidate should you vote for? VoteChooser will ask you 10 questions and based upon your answers it will suggest which presidential candidate you would probably want to vote for. It's fairly accurate, try it out.

For information about your preferred candidates go to VoteSmart.

If Senator Barack Obama is your candidate, watch the video below, if not, skip it and read my next blog post.

It is detrimental for singles to read articles about the benefits of marriage.

2008-02-01T19:17:00.000-05:00

Back in 2000 I read an article that said that married people have better health than those who are single “Well, we better hurry up and jump the broom,” I joked to the guy who I was sort-of-but-not-really-dating.* Since there were no eligible young men around, I figured it was my fate to just die the (early) death of a solterona.

As if that were not enough, now there’s an article that says that married people are better for the environment than those who live alone. So now I’m responsible for earth’s ecological demise? Dang, I might as well just jump off my balcony and end it all. At least, as a decaying body, I’ll be doing something good by fertilizing the soil. Ha!

By the way, let it be known that I do not want to be buried when I die. I want to be cremated. Yes, throw all 160 pounds of me into the old incinerator. I do not need to be taking up space and wasting money when I’m dead. Use that money to help educate Sobrino & Sobrina. I am dead serious.

Speaking of death…not to be morbid or anything, but death is a fact of…er…life. Here’s some useful information to help prepare for it. Hope you won’t need it anytime soon, if you know what I mean.

Avoid Common Mistakes on Your Will

Save money on a funeral

*Soapbox moment: Girls, women, sisters…do not allow yourself to get tangled up in a sort-of-but-not-really relationship with a man. An undefined relationship almost always benefits the man and almost always screws over the woman. Learn from my mistake. ‘Nuff said.

Knitting Resolutions 2008

2008-01-31T00:03:00.000-05:00

Since I’m in a resolution-making mood, I’ve made a fiber-related list.

1. Purge my stash. My clothes are having a turf war with the yarn stash. The clothes won the hall closet, but the stash seems to be winning the bedroom closet.

2. Knit a lace shawl/stole. I’ve wanted to do this for months, now. I have the yarn and recently found a fantastic pattern.

3. Knit something from a pattern by Elizabeth Zimmerman. It’ll be nice to try something new.

4. Knit something from a pattern found online. I’m one of those renegade knitters who rarely uses patterns, so this one is to keep me a little disciplined.

5. Attend at least two knitting gatherings per month. I really enjoy these, but whenever I get really busy, I stop attending. This year I plan to attend no matter how busy I become.

6. Finish six unfinished objects by the end of February. I’ll feel relief and accomplishment and have some new things to wear.

Resolutions 2008

2008-01-31T00:02:00.001-05:00

Today, yes, the last day of January, I present you with my resolutions for 2008. I was ambivalent about making a list this year, because, honestly, I’ve had pretty much the same list for the last five years. However, I’ve decided to make a brand new one. Here it is:

1. Be punctual.
2. Procrastinate less.

Why only two items? Well, I already know what my goals are. The two items on the list are the major deterrents keeping me from reaching my goals. So if I keep the above-mentioned items in mind, all other goals will be reached. That’s the plan, anyway.

Cough, Sneeze, Sniff, repeat

2008-01-27T23:58:00.000-05:00

You haven’t heard from me in a couple of days because I’ve had a cold. Nothing serious, but enough to knock me down for a couple of days. Yesterday I spent the day in bed. I find it difficult to sleep in the daytime, so I basically just lay there half awake thinking a billion thoughts. One thought that came to mind was that I should capitalize on this down time and knit the remaining sleeve of my black cardigan, but I felt so weak, that I couldn’t make myself get up and grab my knitting. My knitting was one meter away from the bed.

Hooray for knitting groups!

2008-01-23T23:53:00.001-05:00

Last night I went to the Silver Spring Knitters (SSK) group. I hadn’t been in several months, so it was nice to see old familiar faces as well as some new ones.

I really enjoy attending knitting circles. Three or four years ago I knew when and where all the DC area groups met and attended five or six per month. Yes, I was obsessed, but soon realized that I simply couldn’t go to everything.

There are tiny and huge groups, groups made up of people in their 20s and 30s, groups made up of middle-aged women. They meet in homes, cafés, libraries, bars and parks. They can be socially, racially, ethnically, economically homogeneous or heterogeneous groups. Some are all female, mixed-gender, all male…. In short, there is a group out there for any type of knitter.

Although the groups made up of younger people are fun and hip, I prefer a more mature group because older women are a treasure trove of skills and experience in both knitting and life. Besides, older women also tell the best dirty jokes. Yeah, the sort that will make you blush then roll around on the floor laughing. Their company can’t be beat.

The best sort of venue for a knitting group has good lighting, food that is inexpensive and tasty and comfortable seating (preferably sofas). Even when a venue doesn’t have all these things, the people who attend are what make it good.

There are very few knitting groups I wouldn’t visit again. One such group is held at a yarn store whose pushy proprietress tries to sell you something the minute you walk through the door. I’ve been to a few places in the world where pushy sales clerks are the norm, but in this woman it’s something bordering on desperation. Leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

One other type of person that can be a downer at a knitting gathering (or any social situation, really), is the one who takes over the conversation. He or she usually speaks much too loudly and deems him/herself an expert in every topic. These tiresome jabberers seem so have some sort of self-perceived lack that they feel must be camouflaged by incessant talk to the point that others don’t get a chance to participate in the exchange. With these people I usually just try to be patient, because they’re not being malicious, they just have unresolved issues that manifest themselves in an obnoxious way.

Even when you run into a person who lacks social graces at a group (and that’s not often, since knitters tend to be some of the nicest people around), you can still end up having a good time. I must make an effort to attend more often. I always go home feeling inspired by other people’s projects and invigorated by the conversation.

Martin Luther King Tribute at the Kennedy Center

2008-01-21T23:50:00.001-05:00

So I left my house early and made my way to Foggy Bottom Metro Station where I’d be picked up by the shuttle bus to the Kennedy Center. The shuttle runs every 15 minutes. After waiting for 30, I reread the sign. The shuttle runs all day everyday except for federal holidays. Slap myself on the forehead, today is a federal holiday. I, who am often late to my destinations had been proud of myself this morning for leaving early, and now was going to be late anyway. Grr! By the time I took an alternate route, I arrived one hour late. Grr!! Thankfully, I hadn’t missed anything.

I’d wondered why we had to be there at eleven in the morning when the program wouldn’t be until six. What were we going to do for six hours? Well, we had breakfast, rehearsed in the practice room, then rehearsed with the soloists and orchestra out on stage, then rehearsed just with the orchestra, had lunch, received instructions, got our robes and got ready to go on stage.

I’ve been in that building many times before, so I know that it’s large. I wasn’t aware of how large until we had to walk from the practice room to the stage and back. It was the most labyrinthine route of hallways and staircases ever. If we didn’t have a guide leading us around, we would have taken days to make it out of there. I was dying to take photos of everything, but I wasn’t sure if I was allowed, so all I have is a couple shots of us getting on this enormous freight elevator (40 at a time, moo!) which was clearly marked NO PASSENGERS, ha-ha.

The program itself was a success. I could have done without the 35 minutes of speeches, but what can one do? We sang:

All Good Things Will Be Added Unto You (with soloist)
The Battle Him of the Republic (with soloists)
Done Made My Vow [my personal favorite]
We Shall Overcome

Mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves sang four Negro spirituals of her own (she wore a gorgeous gown I can't even begin to describe) and violin duo Nuttin’ but Stringz played a couple pieces.

When we sang We Shall Overcome I was looking out into the audience and saw a man whose white hair reminded me of my father. The thought of him being there listening to me live, along with the emotion of the words we were singing and the very lush orchestral accompaniment made my eyes well up with tears. Most of the pieces were arranged and orchestrated by Nolan Williams, Jr, our director. He is talented, professional, witty and handsome, to boot. I was very impressed by him. If he has all this going on and he only in his 30s, watch out world!

We had a wonderful time and the audience loved every minute of it. Hopefully I can participate again next year.

As soon as the program is available for viewing I will add a link so you can watch the video.

She’s a maniac, maniac...

2008-01-19T20:43:00.002-05:00

maniac legwarmers
yarn: Red Heart worsted weight Fabulend 60% acrylic, 40% wool, two skeins, 3.5 oz/99.2 g each
needles: 4.5 mm/US 7 circulars
pattern: 1x1 ribbing
comments: I knit these about four winters ago when I was wearing mostly dresses and skirts to work and needed to protect my legs from the wind and cold. At the time, I was the only one wearing legwarmers, so I like to think that I brought them back into style, but probably not. I wear them folded down indoors and pull them all the way up outdoors.

This is old yarn, I mean, like, older than me. The label actually said “60% virgin orlon acrylic.” It always cracks me up when I read yarn labels from the 1960s that say that the yarn contains “virgin acrylic.” What’s that supposed to mean? Was there a black market of recycled acrylic yarn from which they wanted to disassociate themselves? Did they think that by adding the word ‘virgin’ it would somehow make people more likely to purchase such yarn? Were they trying to convince crafters that this was more than just plastic fiber made from petroleum?

I like the fact that the name of this yarn is Fabulend, because I do feel quite fabu when I’m walking around school in my legwarmers and some of the girls exclaim, “Ooo, Miss! Where’d you get those?”* Hee-hee. It’s not often the students think I’m stylish and hip.

*(the rest of the conversation)

“I made them.”

“Whaaat?? Could you make me some?”

“No, but I’d be glad to teach you how to knit after school.”

“That’s awight. It ain’t that serious.”

Destashing Sale: Noro Large Tubu

2008-01-18T01:45:00.016-05:00

19 meters per hank

100 grams

7 hanks available

Color L47 Lot B (burgundy, brown, lavender, tan, blue-grey)

Suggested needle size: 10-19mm/15-35 US; Suggested hook size: N-S

Noro Large Tubu, a discontinued yarn, is an i-cord of exquisite hand-dyed colors. This 100% wool yarn can be knit, crocheted or it can be sewn to finished garments as trim. Stored in a smoke-free environment.

edited to add: THE YARN HAS BEEN SOLD.

Knitting books, magazines and patterns also for sale here.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

2008-01-17T02:16:00.001-05:00

It snowed all morning. Only three inches fell, but it was enough to transform the drab winter landscape beautifully. It’s slightly amusing (and irritating) how the people in this area react whenever there is snow in the weather forecast. Yesterday, when the meteorologists predicted yesterday that 2-4 inches of snow were expected to fall, half the people ran out, mobbed the supermarkets and bought up all the bread, milk, bottled water, et cetera. One would think that the blizzard of the century had been predicted. They act as if 2-4 inches is going to keep them housebound for days. And even if we had a substantial storm coming, does this mean that nobody had basic staples in their refrigerators and cupboards to hold them of a couple days? Man.

Some time during tonight’s rehearsal with the Let Freedom Ring Choir at Metropolitan Baptist Church, I saw a fur coat walk in. When it unwrapped its owner I realized that it was our soloist, opera singer Denyce Graves. To his credit, our choir director did not act like a fluttery sycophant the way some of the others did. We (the choir and Denyce, that is) practiced together and sounded great. Since there was a lot of down time in certain parts of the rehearsal, I had my knitting. I was a bit nervous that the director would tell me to put it away, but he didn’t. Maybe he didn’t say anything ‘cause he didn’t know my name or maybe because I never took my eyes off his face while we were singing (it was plain stockinette). Whatever the reason, I got half a sleeve done!

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

2008-01-15T23:58:00.001-05:00

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, however there won’t be any celebrations until Monday because the Powers That Be took it upon themselves to move that day’s observance so that they could conveniently have a three-day weekend. They also do that with a couple other holidays. The result of this practice, which began sometime in the mid-90s, is that many people can’t tell you the date of these holidays because they are now celebrated on the nearest Monday that will produce a longer weekend, thus the date changes every year. Although I enjoy three-day weekends as much as the next person, I also enjoy a day off in the middle of the week. If King Day were celebrated on the original day, we’d still get two three-day weekends in every seven-year cycle. Why not do that with Independence Day or Christmas? Things are probably not going to change, so should I even waste my time talking about it?

Anyway, every year the Kennedy Center, in conjunction with a local university, organizes a program in tribute to the civil rights leader. This year I was among those invited to sing in the choir. It’s very exciting because when I was a kid I used to listen to classical concerts on the radio in which the announcer would often say, “Live, from the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC…” And next week I will be singing there! Tonight I went to the first rehearsal. We must learn four pieces well (and by heart) in less than a week. We will be singing two of the pieces with mezzo soprano Denyce Graves. How cool is that?

On the bus home from choir rehearsal I was working on my black cardigan. An older gentleman sitting across from me asked what I was working on. Then he asked, “Why not red?” The truth is that I already have a red cardigan and what I really need is an everyday black cardigan that goes with everything. I didn’t want to get into all that, so I told him that black yarn is what I had, so that’s the color the sweater will be. Then I asked him if red was his favorite color. He said, “No, but I like red on women.” At that point I thought to myself, “Well, I’m not dressing for you. Am I, Gramps?” Then he asked my name and what I had studied at university. Just as I was about to pull the cord to notify the bus driver of my stop, he told me his name and that he wanted to invite me to a French restaurant in Georgetown. When he saw me get up he said, “We’ll talk another time.” This little exchange illustrates the story of my life (or the story of my last ten years or so). The only men interested me tend to be under the age of 22 or quickly approaching retirement age. Those in their thirties and early forties seem completely oblivious to my existence.

On the upshot, if I were to take him up on his offer, I’d know what color to wear! ;o)

Here Come the Brides

2008-01-13T02:58:00.000-05:00

I’ve recently received two wedding invitations which will both take place on Memorial Day weekend. At first I thought I’d only be able to attend one, but it turns out that they’re one day after the other. I’m especially excited about the first wedding because it’s of my Pakistani friend and there will be a mehndi ceremony. I’ve read about them and watched them on film, but this will be my first time participating in one, so it's is special. In Morocco I had my hands decorated in henna, but it was not as part of any ceremony, just for aesthetic purposes. This will be the real deal.

The second wedding is also something to look forward to because many old friends will be present there. This couple has a really nice wedding website. There are many new trends in the wedding business, most of which I don’t care for, but this is one idea I really like. In it the couple shares how they met, how he proposed (with video of the proposal), introduces the wedding party (with lots of photos), gives address and directions to the church and reception hall, tells at which stores they’re registered, lists recommended hotels and local attractions, et cetera. I imagine this is especially convenient for out-of-town guests. The other advantage is that all the information is in one place and the couple doesn’t have to repeat everything a million times. All they have to do is hand out cards with the address of the website on them.

One-month Anniversary!

2008-01-12T23:54:00.001-05:00

Don't worry, I'm not the sappy sort who will commemorate every month of the blog's existence (I don't do it in relationships, so why do it here?). The next celebrations, barring my death or something, will probably be the compulsory six- and twelve-month anniversaries. Nevertheless, the first month is special, so I'll send up a little cheer: Yay! Okay, I'm done.

In honor of the above-mentioned anniversary, I present you with the results of a quiz I took recently. Fairly accurate assessment, I think.

70%

Take the quiz.

untitled

2008-01-11T01:30:00.001-05:00

Because there are people who are always crying wolf, I am very cautious and reluctant to label a person or situation as racist.

Two days ago I had an encounter so blatantly racist that there was no doubt or ambiguity about what was taking place. I was so taken aback that I wasn’t even able to come up with an appropriate response to the bigot.

It sickens me just to write these few lines, so I won’t go into it now.

To date or not to date?

2008-01-10T23:43:00.002-05:00

I’m trying to decide whether to include start and finish dates in the specs of my completed objects. You see, I have the terrible habit of knitting quite conscientiously and sometimes obsessively on a project, almost finishing it, then setting it aside and starting a new, exciting project. That means that I would end up writing stuff like: Purple Sweater: started February 2004 – finished February 2008. It’ll prompt people to wonder if I was knitting it with my toes…

Case in point: there’s one sweater I started when I was a beginner and used to knit twisted. If I were to go back and finish the sleeves, they would look different from the body because I have since corrected my knitting and don’t remember how to knit twisted. And I don’t really feel like re-knitting the body, so it sits patiently in my closet doomed to live forever in UFO-land.

What do you think? Should I include start and finish dates or not?

basketweave scarf
yarn: 1.5 balls of loden Woolease 80% acrylic, 20% wool
needles: 4 mm/US 6
pattern: basket weave with seed stitch edging comments: This scarf was originally meant for Novio, but considering his aversion to wool, I may keep it for myself or give it as a gift. I’m pleased with the result. Might make a matching hat with the remaining yarn.

Ten, Five, One Year(s) Ago

2008-01-10T00:34:00.001-05:00

Ten years ago I’d just completed the most challenging and fulfilling year of work to date. Having just returned from two months of backpacking through Europe (preceded by a month-long stay in Morocco and three weeks in Costa Rica), I was dealing with reverse culture shock. Being back in sleepy old Connecticut after experiencing so many thrilling adventures was a bit of a downer. The one thing that made things interesting was that I was preparing to move into my first apartment.

Five years ago I was experiencing the most excruciating post-breakup heart pain. (How could I have made such an idiotic choice? I knew better! I wish he were dead! Will I be able to love again?) Imagine someone ripping your heart out of your chest, throwing it on the ground then kicking it with steel-toed boots while his friends laughed. Add your father shaking his head sadly with that “I told you so” look on his face.

I finally packed up my things and moved to the DC area (yay!).

One year ago I was in my highest paying, most stressful job EVER (Incompetent administrators deserve their own special little torture chamber in hell. They almost managed to suck all the joy out of a job I love.). I learned, again, that not everyone can be trusted (i.e. incompetent administrators who smile in your face and stab you in the back). On the positive side, I survived the ordeal.

Says Marnie, Not Me...

2008-01-09T01:10:00.000-05:00

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Goddess. You are constantly giving and are unconcerned with reward, you simply want others to love knitting as much as you do. If someone wants to knit miles of novelty yarns, you are there for them. If someone wants to learn short row shaping, you can help. There are no taboos in knitting, only opportunities to grow. Everyone should have friend like you around if they want to learn to knit, and there's a good chance that your passion has rubbed off on a few others.http://marniemaclean.com
Take this quiz!

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Knitting Goddess?? Short rows? Not even! If you ask me, I’m somewhere between advanced beginner and intermediate (or tangy and piquant, for you Knitty-philes). I may have goddess-like qualities, but not necessarily in the knitting realm.

25 Things About Me (general)

2008-01-08T23:55:00.000-05:00

1. My mother and I were born in the same hospital.
2. My favorite sports are swimming and bicycling.
3. Never been on a diet.
4. Love desserts that include nuts or caramel or berries.
5. There’s always a liter of vanilla soymilk in my refrigerator.
6. Have no tattoos or piercings.
7. I like chocolate, but dislike chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream.
8. Have never sung karaoke (but I’d like to).
9. Have never bungee jumped (I almost did once, but the line was too long).
10. In the 1990’s I used to dye my hair reddish brown.
11. Dislike rollercoasters.
12. I prefer going to the cinema alone.
13. I’d rather play baseball and golf than watch (zzz…).
14. My earliest memory is of when I was three.
15. Up until my teens I often dreampt things that later came true. It rarely happens now.
16. I’m fascinated by etymology and geography.
17. I do not believe in love at first sight.
18. My father taught me how to drive when I was 14.
19. Hate when people can’t (or don’t care to) park properly.
20. My first car, a Nissan 200SX, was a graduation (university) gift.
21. I used to sing and dance to my mixed tapes at stop lights (in the car, that is).
22. During my clubbing days, I was always designated driver.
23. Since I wasn’t there to drink or hook up, I was often first on the dance floor.
24. I am taller than my parents and brother (no, I’m not adopted).
25. Since I have no sisters, I cherish my girlfriends.

25 Things About Me (fiber related)

2008-01-08T02:56:00.001-05:00

1. Taught myself to crochet at age eleven from a library book.
2. Bought a pair of knitting needles ten years before I actually learned to knit.
3. Tried to teach myself with a library book, but couldn’t get past casting on.
4. I finally learned at the Washington, DC Knit Out & Crochet.
5. I really enjoy attending knitting circles.
6. My favorite casting on method is the knitted cast on.
7. My favorite yarn to crochet with is worsted weight cotton.
8. Yarn snobs (and snobs in general) really irritate me.
9. Ditto for knitters who snub crocheters
10. Rarely knit at home. Mostly knit in public (bus, train, grocery line, etc.)
11. Taught my six-year-old nephew how to knit (upon his request).
12. My niece was uninterested.
13. Have never used the yarn specified in a pattern.
14. Thus, I almost always make a swatch before beginning a project.
15. I knit for pleasure and relaxation.
16. On the one occasion I knit for money, I did not enjoy the process.
17. I like working with mohair, but don’t like to wear it.
18. I like the smell of sheep.
19. The first non-accessory I knit for myself was a cabled top in cotton.
20. Don’t know how people write lists of one hundred things about themselves.
21. Have never knit mittens or socks (would like to soon).
22. Have never knit on double-pointed needles (might, at some point).
23. I have a spindle that I forgot how to use.
24. Need to relearn so I can at least spin all the roving I bought in 2004.
25. Was taught English style, but switched to Continental style two months later because it felt more comfortable.

* Today is the last day of a glorious four-day January thaw (73F/23C!).

Old Finished Projects

2008-01-07T23:38:00.002-05:00

crocheted scarf
yarn: Peaches & Creme 100% cotton (two balls)
hook: 3 ¾ mm/US F
pattern: nine rows of double crochet
comments: When I first moved to the DC area my only scarf was a red, yellow and green one I had crocheted in honor of my Guinean dance instructor. African men on buses and trains would see me wearing it and use it as a point of conversation. Most African men I have come across tend to be very persistent and won’t take no for an answer (huge turn-off), so, to avoid unwanted attention, I bought yarn and a hook and crocheted this scarf and retired the old one.

I was an intermittent crocheter. I’d have a few months of frenzied activity followed by several months, or even a couple years, of inactivity. Making this scarf was the beginning of a new period of crocheting activity during which I learned how to knit. Now that I have two crafts to choose from, I can switch off between the two and haven’t had any more periods of craft inactivity.

first (second, third, fourth) hat
yarn: 100% hand-painted wool
needles: 5 mm/US 8
pattern: 2x2 rib in the round, crocheted tassels
comments: This is the first hat I ever knit. It’s beginning to look a bit worn out, but I still wear it. I knit it without a pattern and without making a swatch, therefore had to pull it out and re-knit it three times (too small, then too wide, then too pointy). This explains why I never wove in the end at the bottom. I wasn’t sure if I was going to have to re-knit the fourth attempt, so I just let it hang.

From this experience I learned the importance of swatching. I still rarely follow a pattern, though.

Mystère, et Boules de Gomme

2008-01-06T04:31:00.001-05:00

In 2003 I developed a serious crush on Frodo. When I say serious, I mean the kind that I hadn’t had since high school. The sort of crush that, when he walked into the room, I’d get all flustered, didn’t know how to act or what to say. He was witty, intelligent, professional, well-read, artistic, handsome, Christian, well-traveled, tall, of color, urbane, and belonged to Generation X—in short, he seemed to be the complete package. Problem is, although he was aware of my existence, he showed no interest in me whatsoever.

This past autumn I ran into Frodo at an event and he was all extra-friendly as if we were long-lost friends. I was like, “What the hell?” Now that I’m not interested (though I still find him fine as all get-out) he decides to show me some of the attention I craved a few years ago. What gives? Oh, and that day I was not looking extraordinary. My clothes were plain and my hair was barely cooperating.

I don’t harbor any hard feelings. Who knows what was going on in his life back when I was interested in him. I’m just perplexed. Talk about bad timing. When I would have melted at just a few words directed my way (and he had a three-year window), he barely spoke to me. Now that I have a boyfriend he seems interested. There must be a name for this sort of thing--Murphy’s Law doesn’t quite fit. Any ideas?

2007 Highlights

2008-01-05T03:19:00.000-05:00

January
-My collaborating teacher (the one who whined, complained, blamed and did as little work as possible) quit
-I found jeans that fit me well (in the men’s department)
-I took a day off from work (second time ever in four years of teaching)
February
-I told one of my supervisors what I thought of him (the schmuck was sweatin’ la gota gorda)
-Went to visit family during holiday weekend
-Began talking to Novio
March
-Spring, my favorite season, arrived
-Mi bosque flourished
April
-One of my supervisors (the one who enjoyed playing head games) left
May
-Went on first date with Novio
June
-Novio had a boquet of flowers delivered to my job
-My contract at that cur-sed (yes, two syllables) job ended
-My first summer with central air conditioning began
July
-Unpacked (sorta) my living room
-Sobrina & Sobrino (niece and nephew) came to visit (such a good time!)
-I went to spend time with my tías (they spoiled me to death)
August
-SmoothBrownEarth (one of my best girlfriends) came to visit
-Sobrina & Sobrino came to visit (again!)
September
-Got high-speed internet
-Novio asked me to be his girlfriend
October
-Began teaching an evening English as a Second Language class
November
-Participated in a Christian women’s retreat
-Hermanito (my brother) did not get the job he’d applied for in Iraq
December
-Sang Handel’s The Messiah with the chorale
-Started a knitting blog (woohoo!)
-I reconnected with Fola through Facebook
-Papi came to visit (a major coup, y'all)

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

2008-01-05T02:27:00.000-05:00

I read somewhere that in Russia it is considered good luck for snow to fall on New Year’s Day. Well, if Michigan were Russia, it would be one very lucky state. Did I mention that it snowed every single one of the five days I was there? And would you believe that I was tromping around in this stuff without boots? It was quite pretty and reminded me of my years in New England. It also reminded me of why I moved away. Brr!

It appears that one of Duquesa’s New Year’s resolutions is to be more cooperative, as evidenced by her willingness to sit still for a little photo shoot (which I’ve been trying to get her to do since November). Or perhaps she has decided to be on her best behaviour lest I abandon her for another five days. Who knows what thoughts run through a cat’s mind.

What I Did During My Winter Vacation

2008-01-04T05:58:00.001-05:00

1. Flew to Michigan. I used to LOVE flying. I used to get happy just going to drop someone off at the airport. Homeland Security has totally ruined the experience. There is no joy or excitement about it. I just grit my teeth and wait for it to be over: surly TSA workers (most of whom seem to be a hybrid between automatons and a trained monkeys), the three-ounce rule, taking off your shoes, half a dozen checkpoints before boarding the plane, the mentality that every passenger is a potential terrorist, et cetera. Travel used to be a complete experience comprised of the journey as well as the experiences at the destination, not anymore.

2. Dealt with pressure. I have mixed feelings about visiting Novio because about 90% of his friends are married and have children. When I visit him we spend time with his friends, who are nice people, but I feel this (usually) unspoken pressure to hurry up and join their club, which I will do when I’m good and ready, not because they’re in a rush to see us hitched and procreating. Novio is of no help either. He wants it so badly, he can taste it (he tries valiantly to seem nonchalant about it, but it’s too obvious to ignore). Furthermore, some time ago I had made friends with the possibility that I may never marry or give birth to a child. I was cool with that because, as they say back home, “Mejor sola que mal acompañada.”

3. Did some knitting. At the last minute I decided to make a hat for Novio because the machine-made ones he wears are so…let’s just say they insult my eyes. Then I worked on a cardigan. Yes, I know I had promised not to embark on any new significant projects until I had halved the UFO pile, but I really do need a black cardigan.

4. Gawked at random strangers. I spotted an interesting scarf on an airport escalator. The man wearing it thought I was checking him out and got all happy. A few minutes later I caught myself trying to figure out the zigzag design on another man’s hat. Had to look away before he too thought I was checking him out.

5. Met up with an old acquaintance. It just so happens that Fola was going to be spending a few days in Indiana--about 35 minute’s drive from where I was in Michigan, so we met up. It was very nice to see her. She has developed quite a British accent, which I don’t remember her having ten years ago. It’s cute. As I left she said, “I hope it won’t be another ten years before we see each other again!” I promised that it wouldn’t. And what do you know? I kept my promise sooner than expected because I’d left my cell phone behind, so the next day she came by to drop it off (yay!). While separated from my phone, Em-hijabi, whom I haven’t spoken to in months called (boo!) from England. I hope she calls back soon.

6. Did something green. I finally bought rechargeable batteries for the greedy little digital camera. I’m pleased to discover that I can charge my new NiMH batteries in my older NiCd charger. The downside is that it’ll take 63.6 hours to charge.

7. Smiled. Brief comic relief was provided by a flight attendant who was a chubbier, effeminate version of Philippe Noiret. Also, another flight attendant cracked me up when she said, "If you are sitting in an exit row you may be asked to insist the crew." Insist?

8. Felt grateful and hopeful. A year ago I was miserable, stressed out, sleep-deprived, frustrated, irritable and just plain unhappy. All because of the incompetent, inexperienced, manipulative administrators at my job. I made more money than I ever had before, but that did not do anything to make me want to stay there. I feel sorry for those who are so deep in dept or are living such a life style that forces them to stay. Live within your means people! Not making much money now, but thank God I no longer work there. My life has improved markedly. Here’s hoping that 2008 is all the more better. I wish the same for you.

Música de Fin de Año (Year-end Music)

2007-12-31T21:56:00.000-05:00

Same Auld Lang Syne - Dan Fogelberg (1951-2007)

Read the lyrics.

****************************

Un Año Más - Mecano

Lea la letra.

Do They Know It’s Christmas? - Band Aid

2007-12-25T15:11:00.000-05:00

This song also has an interesting history. Read the lyrics. Watch the ‘Making of’ video.

Christmas—a good time to raise awareness about world hunger. In Ethiopia, Appalachia or anywhere else.

Happy Xmas (War is Over) - John Lennon & Yoko Ono

2007-12-25T15:03:00.000-05:00

This song has a very interesting history. Read the lyrics.

Christmas—a good time to protest war. In Vietnam, in Iraq or anywhere else.

Which Sesame Street Character Are You?

2007-12-24T06:06:00.000-05:00

One, ha-ha-ha! Two, ha-ha-ha! Three, ha-ha-ha!


	You are Count von Count. You are down-to-earth (mentally, not physically), mature, and precocious. You have many talents, and many friends that appreciate your quiet level-headedness.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Dance with me doing the Batty Bat!

There is Only One Way to Do Things (NOT!)

2007-12-24T05:42:00.000-05:00

A pet peeve of mine is when certain knitters insist that there is only one way to do things (such as cast on, purl, hold the needles, etc.). It usually means that these people only know one way of doing things and therefore believe that it is the only way. These people of limited scope do nothing to encourage beginners. Often, they’ve been doing things their way for years and years, so they feel justified to run around telling others that they’re doing things wrong.

For example, I was once teaching a student how to knit. A math teacher (who’d learned how to knit in Eastern Europe in the 1950s) saw the girl working on a garter swatch during lunch and undid everything. “You’re supposed to slip the first stitch, why are you knitting the first stitch? To hold the yarn in the right hand—how bizarre! That’s not how to knit.” Of course, she offered no help, only criticism. She only succeeded in confusing and frustrating the girl and making my job more difficult. I wanted to knock her down and step on her neck.

Since then, whenever I teach anyone how to knit, I always tell them, “There are a dozen ways to do this. I’m teaching you one way to do it. You may come across someone who does it differently. Your way is not wrong, it’s just different. As you become more experienced you will learn different methods. Try to learn as many as you can so you’ll have more options to choose from.”

As deBolsillo said in her knitting podcast:

“Una de las grandes verdades del tejido es que el tejer es una cuestión cultural. Se hace de diferentes maneras en diferentes sitios. No hay una manera correcta de hacer las cosas. Simplemente hay un resultado correcto. Pero a ese resultado se puede llegar de muchas maneras. Se teje en muchísimos lugares del mundo. En cada lugar se teje de una manera.”

Translation: “One of knitting’s great truths is that knitting is a cultural thing. It is done differently in different places. There is no correct way to do things. There is simply a correct result. One can arrive at that result by many different ways. People knit in many parts of the world. In each place they knit a certain way.”

If you understand Spanish, I especially recommend the first two episodes of her podcast.

P.S. Check out knittinghelp.com, an excellent resource, and proof that there are a multitude of ways to approach certain tasks (for example, they demonstrate 14 ways to cast on--seven English and seven Continental).

Scarves for Charity

2007-12-24T03:27:00.002-05:00

Here are some scarves I made for Food and Friends, a nonprofit organization that prepares and delivers healthy meals to more than 1,300 people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses throughout Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland. Every winter they deliver a hand-knit scarf to each of their clients. Area knitters make the scarves from donated yarn. I started out as a volunteer (in their kitchen), then ended up knitting for them.

reddish ribbed scarf with black & tan flecks
yarn: Phildar Dundee 75% acrylic, 15% wool, 10% mohair (two balls)
needles: 4 mm/US 6
pattern: 3x3 rib
comments: Very soft. Nice stash-reducing project.

mustard yellow & grey flannel ribbed scarf
yarn: Britania Shetland-type 100% wool (two balls)
needles: 4 mm/US 6
pattern: 3x3 rib
comments: These two colors were hideous individually, but the combination of the two is quite nice. Nice stash-reducing project.

Another Blanket

2007-12-24T02:56:00.003-05:00

This is RJ, son of my friend Lorraine. I credit him with helping me improve my beginner knitting skills considerably. When he was in utero I decided to make him a sweater. At that point, I was too intimidated by knitting patterns, so I found a very easy crochet pattern and modified it for knitting. The sweater you see him wearing was my first attempt. That little project gave me the courage to try making sweaters for myself. Also the first blanket and booties* I ever made were for him. Of course, looking back at it now I spot things like the curled edges (which I now prevent with seed stitch or ribbing), nonetheless, I hold a special affection for this, my first sweater. [That thumb belongs to his great-grandmother, who's around 95 years old and has hair that resembles snowy roving.]

Lorraine hated that yarn, so she gave it to me. After I began working, or rather, wrestling with it, I hated it too. It was an acrylic imitation of mohair. I was able to tolerate it just long enough to finish RJ’s projects and dutifully returned the twelve balls that were left over to her. This massive purchase of horrid yarn was the result of bad advice given by a surly clerk at Smiley’s whom we suspect doesn’t even knit or crochet. I’m not telling you not to shop there, just don’t take the advice of the shrews who work there (especially since they have a no refunds-no returns policy). Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh. The purchase was made a few years ago. Here’s hoping that they have hired more pleasant and knowledgeable clerks.

RJ is now a big boy. In fact, as of this summer, he is no longer an only child. This blanket is for his baby brother. By the way, Lorraine is an excellent crocheter (Isn’t it nice to make something for a fellow crafter? Then you know they will appreciate it.). I hope to feature some of her creations in the future.

You must be thinking, “Guaria seems to have a really fertile bunch of friends!” The fact is that most of them are in their 30s, which for professional women of Generation X means baby-making time. What I think is odd is that they have all given birth to boys, even the one who was just dying to have a girl.

*Thanks to a pattern from Clare of the Teaism knitting group. I tell you, knitters are some of the most unselfish, giving people around.

JJ's Blanket

2007-12-24T02:42:00.002-05:00

I knitted it this summer, but didn't weave in the ends until yesterday. It’s for JJ, son of Chrysolite. I'm not a fan of pastel colors for babies, so these colors (and their combination) really pleased me.

yarn: 100% worsted weight acrylic (15 ounces/140 grams)
needles: 4.5 mm/US 7 circulars
pattern: Plymouth Yarn Company
comments: When I was a beginner knitter I attended a knitting gathering at Union Station where I mentioned that one of my best friends was pregnant and I was trying to figure out what to make for her. Robalee, one the attendees, mentioned that she had a free pattern for a blanket that was easy and would make a great gift. She took my address and a few days later I received a photocopy of said pattern in the mail. I was not only grateful, but also awed by such a kind gesture from someone who was practically a stranger. The pattern was, indeed, easy. I ended up altering it because I was using yarn different from what was specified. Also, I added wide stripes of color. I was really pleased and surprised by the results. I have since made five blankets based on this pattern, but they all look different because of the yarn and colors used.

Rants, a Healthy Outlet for the Opinionated

2007-12-24T02:36:00.001-05:00

One of the many reasons I had to start a blog is because, as mentioned in the second post, I’m an opinionated person. I don’t expect you to agree with me, but I must feel like I’m being heard. That was a great source of strife and misunderstanding between Herr Sowieso (an ex-boyfriend) and me. He thought I was trying to convince him when all I really wanted was to make my opinions known so he could have a more accurate picture of who I was. Not only that, among his other flaws, he was lazy—not academically or careerwise—he was interpersonally lazy. He preferred to learn a tiny bit about people and then promptly put them in box. Since I defy categorization, that was another source of contention between us. He’s out of my life now, and good thing too, because I dislike who I was becoming when we were together. Anyway, this post is not about him. If I ever get in the mood I can tell you more about him some other time. Back to the subject at hand…

As an opinionated person I have 101 rants roiling inside me on any given day. My friends have heard their fair share of them. The problem is that sometimes I forget whom I’ve already told what and repeat myself. I figure that if I write down my rants it will quiet the roiling and I won’t feel the need to voice them because they will be ‘out there’ already. We’ll see if it that works.

Motivation

2007-12-23T16:52:00.000-05:00

I’ve been wanting to make a lacy shawl for a long time, but just hadn’t found a pattern that inspired me enough to jump in. This summer I fell in love with Rachael’s shawl and started scouring stitch dictionaries at home and at the library so I could make my own. When I finally found what I wanted, I started swatching. Before I could go any further I stopped myself and said, “Since you’re so fascinated with this shawl, how about finishing the unfinished projects? Then you can begin work on the shawl as a reward?” So that’s what I’ve been doing.

Of course, another great motivator is this blog. Lest you start believing that all I knit are scarves and blankets, there are some pretty fabulous sweaters (if I do say so myself) that just need sleeves to be attached or seams to be sewn. I hope to post them soon. ¡Manos a la obra!

What City Should You Live In?

2007-12-21T23:01:00.000-05:00


	You should live in Paris. The city of lights will appeal to your appreciation of beauty and romance. You are a lover and a poet by nature, and Paris' sensitive charms will be a perfect match for yours.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

As it happens, Paris is one of my favorite cities. In fact, I did a study abroad stint at La Sorbonne - Université de Paris, so the outcome of this quiz really tickled me. I'm not so sure about all that romance and lover business, though. J’aime Paris. Ouais!

Christmas Season Faves and Rants

2007-12-21T21:41:00.000-05:00

My favorite things I like Christmas lights. They put me in a good mood. I’m talking about a few strings of lights tastefully placed on a house or shrubbery. I do not mean those gaudy monstrosities (complete with plastic light-up Santa Claus & reindeer suspended on the roof) that quadruple the electricity bill and cause traffic jams from all the gawkers.

I like Christmas music. It makes me happy. I listen to it all year. ‘Joy to the World’ sounds good to me whether it’s in a classical setting, a jazz arrangement, gospel rendition, instrumental interpretation, et cetera.

One of my earliest memories is being about five years old and singing ‘Venid Pastorcillos’ (Away in a Manger) for the children at an orphanage.

Rants I hate the crowds at stores. I hate the stressed-out state people whip themselves into trying to have a perfect Christmas. They are the same ones who get frustrated because happiness cannot be purchased with a credit card. Christmas should be about spending time with family and counting your blessings, not trying to impress people with expensive gifts they do not need and you cannot afford. Fewer people would dread the holiday if it were approached differently.

The Carol of the Drum has got to be one of the most unrealistic songs ever. What woman in her right mind would allow some dirty street urchin to come and bang a drum in the presence of her newborn baby? I can’t possibly be the only person to have ever thought of that. Were I Mary I’d be like, “You want to do what?? No, I’m trying to get Jesus to fall asleep. Thanks anyway. You’re making the animals nervous. Don’t be startin’ no stampede. Run along.” And if he insisted I would be forced to throw a dried goat turd at him or let loose some colorful language. Must have been a childless hermit (male, of course) who wrote that gem.

While we’re on the subject of music, Jingle Bells, Let it Snow, Frosty the Snowman, Sleigh Ride and Winter Wonderland should be sung from December until March because they are winter songs. Not one of them mentions Christmas sacred (Christ’s birth) or secular (Santa Claus). Don’t believe me? Check out the lyrics. They should not be restricted to just the first 25 days of December.

Ooo, two rants in one day! For whatever it’s worth, these Christmas rants have been rolling around in my head for quite some time. They didn’t just pop up today because I’m cold and crampy.

Oh, and for Papi, Toad, SnowBaby84 and all those weirdos--I mean, people who prefer cold weather, winter officially begins tomorrow at 1:08 in the morning. Happy winter!

Things that make me go “Hmm…”

2007-12-21T20:10:00.000-05:00

Things that make you go “Hmm…” What’s up with everyone being so concerned about the news that Britney Spears' 16-year-old sister is pregnant? Why do people care? It’s all over the media. I even saw two news anchors having a serious (!) debate about “what example this will set for young girls who see her as a role model.” What? They’re acting as if this is the first teenager ever to get pregnant. Are they completely ignorant of the fact that approximately 750,000 teenagers get pregnant in the United States every year? It also makes me wonder: are people upset that she was sexually active or that her sexual activity resulted in pregnancy? Would they have preferred if she’d just had an abortion and acted like nothing had happened? Either way, why does it matter to them?

Let’s rewind three years. Remember when Beyonce’s 17-year-old sister had a shotgun wedding (and subsequently gave birth to a ‘full-grown preemie’)? Aside from the gossip columns covering the story, nobody was concerned about what message this would send to her millions of fans. No great debates took place on television about the moral example this was setting for young girls. Both of these siblings are equally famous. What’s going on here?

And another thing, what ever happened to parents being their children’s role models and instilling in them the values they want them to have instead of waiting for some dysfunctional celebrity to show the way?

The Marvels of Facebook (part 2 of 2)

2007-12-20T15:42:00.000-05:00

There is a guy who developed a crush on me last year. I never gave him a chance because he’s 20 and I’m in my 30’s. I don’t mind younger men, but five years is my limit, and the age difference between us is much more than that. I mean really, the year I graduated from university he was probably in kindergarten. “Age ain’t nothing but a number,” he says. Yeah, whatever.

This autumn he sent me an e-mail inviting me to his network of friends on Facebook. Although I’d ignored several invitations to join social networking services from others before, this time I decided to go ahead and do it. As expected, I didn’t know any of his friends. However, I did find one of my former piano students through one of his friends’ networks, which was nice. I didn’t do much else with Facebook after that.

Two days ago I received a one-line message through Facebook that read “Did you visit Vienna during the late 1990s?” It was Fola! I was shocked. It turns out she did a search for me in Facebook and found my name. Although there was no photo (haven’t uploaded one yet), she went out on a limb and sent the message. How cool is that? To reconnect after ten years! I am really looking forward to this new-old friendship.

The Kindness of Strangers (part 1 of 2)

2007-12-20T15:31:00.000-05:00

In 1997 I spent a couple months backpacking through Europe. You know, traveling to a new country every week with my rail pass and staying in youth hostels. One evening I got on a tram in Vienna. An attractive African girl greeted me as if we were old friends. She asked if I spoke English and where I was headed. I told her that I had just arrived from Budapest and was on my way to a hostel. Fola was on her way to the first year anniversary celebration of the Black university students’ organization and invited me to come along.

At the party there was music, food, drink and lots of friendly people. In the middle of it all she called everyone’s attention and said something like “My friend here just arrived in Vienna and needs somewhere to stay for the night. Can anyone accommodate her?” My embarrassment was soon replaced by surprise when I saw the hands of three or four willing volunteers go up. It was then decided that I would go with Mara because she lived closer than the others.

It turned out that Mara lived with her aunt. When we got to the door she said something like “Hi, auntie, this is Guaria. She needs somewhere to stay for the night.” The aunt did not bat an eyelash, as if this sort of thing happened all the time. They gave me a warm, comfortable place to sleep and fed me breakfast before I went on my way the next morning. I was in awe and disbelief at their kindness to me, a stranger.

After I returned to the United States, Fola and I exchanged a couple of letters and Mara and I exchanged a few e-mails, then we lost touch.

Gatita Bonita (Pretty Kitty)

2007-12-19T04:16:00.000-05:00

Somehow the subject of cats came up one evening at our monthly Savory knit meet-up and we discovered that almost everyone present had at least one cat (we also noticed that about half of us were wearing Dansko clogs). Also, it seems that the vast majority of knitting bloggers out there have cats and/or dogs. I often browse knitting blogs from around the world (even if I can’t read the language) and have discovered that the same is true in Finland, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Canada, etc.

So I shall now post the requisite pet picture. This is Duquesa. She is a ten-year-old tabby. I got her when she was 1.5 years old. She’s a wonderful, if occasionally crazy, companion. After my first cat died at two years old from liver cancer, the apartment (my first) felt desolate, so I waited six weeks and then went to the Connecticut Humane Society in Newington and adopted Duquesa. She had some unimaginatively generic name, so I asked Mami (my mother) for help and she came up with ‘Duquesa.’ Of all the cats available at the Humane Society I chose her because she was female, she purred and she was really friendly.

She enjoys El Bosque because there are plenty of birds and squirrels there to keep her entertained with their comings and goings.

Fell off the drinking wagon

2007-12-18T03:55:00.000-05:00

There are dozens of benefits of drinking water. Although I’ve known this for most of my life, I never thought to do anything about it until four weeks ago. My friend, Ms. G de K, mentioned that she used to have a lot of skin breakouts, but after she started drinking water regularly, her skin cleared up. I took a look at her skin. It was, indeed, pretty flawless. That both inspired and convinced me. Besides, a woman in her 30’s really should not have the same skin issues she had back when she was a teenager. So began my two-liter-per-day habit. For the most part, I was surprisingly easy. The difficult part was having to pee what seemed like every five minutes.

I was really proud of myself for starting something new and sticking with it. Then came this weekend with its busy schedule and out-of-town guests. I fell off the wagon. I barely drank one liter each day. It’s okay, though, I’m not going to stress over it because tomorrow is a new day. I have all the incentive I need in the mirror. My skin has been looking better lately. Okay, so no one is going to stop me on the street and beg me to sign a modeling contract, but there are very few new pimples! I’ll drink to that!

Find below a few of the benefits of being properly hydrated:

Enables internal organs to function properly
Keeps skin looking fresh and healthy
Controls weight
Increases energy
Flushes out waste and toxins
Maintains overall health
Improves digestion
Increases metabolism
Cushions and lubricates joints and muscles
Regulates the digestive system
Reduces risk of disease and infection
Regulates body temperature

Update: I’ve jumped off the wagon. Forget about the two-liter goal. It’s inconvenient to be running to the bathroom every five minutes (or worse, to be holding a full bladder all the time). So I’ll be drinking one liter per day. If I drink more, fine. If I don’t, fine.

Whirlwind Weekend

2007-12-18T03:39:00.002-05:00

The weekend was super-busy. Papi (my father) flew in from Connecticut to hear me sing in Handel’s The Messiah. Let me tell you that that was a major coup, because in the five years I’ve lived in this area, this is the first time he has come. It’s not that he doesn’t love me or want to see me. It’s that he’s a workaholic and thinks that the world will stop turning if he takes a couple of days off. Anyway, I was thrilled to have him here. We talked and laughed and surfed the web(!) together. I hope he comes again soon.

Also, Novio (my boyfriend) flew* in from the Midwest to hear me sing. This has been the busiest Christmas season I have ever had in terms of singing. I’ve had three performances of The Messiah in three different churches (Capitol Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church in DC, Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church in Maryland and Northeastern Presbyterian Church in DC). The second and third performances took place this weekend. I’m relieved that I don’t have to attend any more extra rehearsals! Although I sing all year, I like Christmas time because it is one of the few times we sing with a full orchestra (instead of just organ or piano), which is quite thrilling.

Lest you begin to think that I have this fabulous coloratura voice, let me set you straight. I have an average voice and I did not sing any of the oratorio’s solos. With that out of the way, I must say that Georg Friedrich Händel was some kind of genius. So talented, so inspired. His music is both fun and challenging. It would be difficult to tire of his music. I look forward to singing some more of his work.

*On long distance affairs: they’re not my preference. In fact, my two previous relationships were long distance. And no, I did not meet any of them via the internet. The last one lasted three years off and on. It dragged out that long because of the distance. Had we been in the same state or, say, time zone, it would have been easier to see what was what and it would have ended much sooner. Because of that, I’d decided not to get involved in any more of those. Fast forward five years. The only serious contender worthy of my time turns out to be someone who is over 1000 kilometers away. And that’s how I’m back in a situation I had tried to avoid.

Speaking of Novio, he proudly wore the scarf I had made for him last month. I already dislike it and want to replace it. The grey yarn is already pilling. And when his stubble rubs on it it comes off on his chin. He doesn’t mind, but I do. Didn’t get a photo of him wearing it, but here's one I took before I sent it to him.

ribbed scarf in green & grey stripes
yarn: 100% worsted weight acrylic
needles: 4 mm/US 6
pattern: 3x3 rib
comments: This scarf (and its colors) was requested by Novio. He reiterated several times that it must not be wool—he’s allergic. Nice stash-reducing project.

navy & celeste diagonal rib scarf
yarn: 100% worsted weight acrylic
needles: 4 mm/US 6
pattern: mine
comments: This scarf is for Novio’s roommate, who’s Cape Verdian and spending his very first winter in midwestern US. Brr! Wasn’t sure if he too had a wool allergy, so I erred on the safe side.

Good & Bad News on the Bus

2007-12-18T03:34:00.002-05:00

BAD On the way to choir rehearsal I left my handmade mittens on the bus. They were the second pair I’d ever crocheted and were made of this awful, awful acrylic bouclé yarn which I loathe, but they were mine and they kept my hands relatively warm. Let us now pause for a moment of silence in remembrance of my wonky grey mittens.

GOOD Last week, on the way from choir practice I finished Em-hijabi’s blanket. The one I worked on on the road to nowhere . That I finished it is no great feat. The impressive part is that when I got home I wove in all the ends. I have only once in my life ever woven in ends on the same day I finished knitting a project. Part of the reason I have so many UFOs is because I don’t get around to that last chore: weaving in the ends. Don’t know what possessed me to do it, but I’m thrilled. Maybe this will be the start of a new trend.

As for the blanket, it was made of variegated worsted weight acrylic yarn. Em-hijabi, a friend and colleague, had started learning how to crochet a year or so ago, but it didn’t stick. When she fell in love and decided to move to the UK she gave me her bag of yarn. Lovely color, but since I’m trying to reduce the stash, I promised her a baby blanket. I doubt she’s pregnant now, but considering that all her friends seem to be chasing after toddlers, she’ll probably soon join that club. This is an advance gift for that as-yet-unconceived baby.

The specs for this project can be found here.

Picot!

2007-12-14T01:28:00.000-05:00

I’ve always liked the look of picot (pronounced pee-COH) edging, but hadn’t found simple instructions for it. Recently, while browsing through knitting books at a DC Public Library, I came across Domiknitrix: Whipping your knitting into shape, and found some easy-to-understand instructions. I borrowed the book and made a swatch. I can’t begin to tell you the amount of glee and accomplishment I felt. For days I would pick up the swatch from my dresser and admire it. It was too ridiculous. What can I say? Some people get high from drugs, others from maxing out their credit cards. I get high from learning new knitting skills. It's safe to assume that mine is the healthier way to go what with no financial or medical consequences.

Árboles en niebla

2007-12-13T06:23:00.000-05:00

“On the road to nowhere…”

2007-12-13T05:49:00.000-05:00

Since it had snowed last week, my good friend, Toad, decided that it might be a good weekend for the first ski trip of the season. So on Sunday he packed his car with the necessary gear, picked me up at my apartment and we hit the road. It was a drizzly day, but we hoped that, as we neared higher elevations, the drizzle would convert to snow. The entire three-hour trip was foggy and drizzly. No conversion took place. Shows how much we know about meteorology.

When we got to the ski resort it was still drizzling and the snow was slushy. Although they were having deeply discounted prices ($7 for all-day ski lift tickets, $17 for ski rentals) it just didn’t seem worth it. Surprisingly enough, there were lots of people on the slopes. The miserable weather just didn’t put us in the skiing mood. I’ve skied in snowy and sunny weather, at night and in the daytime, but rain just didn’t inspire me in the least. To make matters worse, we were supposed to meet up with our friends, the Baltimore Crew, but since neither of our cell phones were getting any reception on the mountain, we weren’t even able to contact them. So we hung around for a little while, then jumped back into the car and drove back home (yes, another three hours). Toad kept singing “On the road to nowhere.” Couldn’t tell if it was the heavy metal or country western version.

The only consolation was that Toad is great company, so we talked and snacked and knit (or I knit while he drove). Although the fog made for very poor visibility, some of the views were hauntingly beautiful. Sadly, I was unable to take advantage of that because the camera sucked the batteries dry after a mere five shots. Toad thinks that someone should invent an automobile charger for digital cameras . I agree.

What’s in a name?

2007-12-12T13:33:00.001-05:00

I really wanted to name this blog “The opinionated knitter” because, well, that's what I am, but I was afraid that a horde of hardcore Elizabeth Zimmerman devotees would accuse me of sacrilege and show up in the night waving bludgeon clubs and burning torches.

How did I decide on La Guaria del Bosque? Well, I am originally from Costa Rica, where the national flower is the Guaria Morada, an orchid which grows in great abundance all over Central America (there are approximately 1,400 orchid species in Costa Rica alone). I now live in the Washington, DC area. Outside my balcony there is about half an acre of trees that look like a little forest. I absolutely adore my balcony view. And so, I like to think of myself as an orchid of the forest, thus La Guaria del Bosque. [Photo by Oscar Chacón.]

By the way, if you have any questions, requests, advice, complaints, compliments, please leave a comment.
Español - También me pueden dejar comentarios en español.
Français - Vous pouvez m'envoyer des commentaires en français.
Italiano - Capisco l'italiano, ma non lo parlo bene.

When I lived in Connecticut I used to be on the local board of directors for Hostelling International. One of my fellow board members was a German woman who learned how to drive after she moved to the United States, therefore, despite being a fluent speaker of German, she only knew the parts of the car engine in English. Likewise, since I learned how to knit in the U.S., my knitting terminology is mostly limited to English. I hope you’ll understand.

“The time has come, let us begin…”

2007-12-12T12:48:00.000-05:00

“The time has come, let us begin…” After years of lurking around other peoples’ knitting blogs and especially their finished object galleries, I’ve decided to do some sharing of my own. Actually, this autumn the yearning to have a blog became so overwhelming that I had to succumb. I do this with a bit of trepidation because there are so many knitters out there who are ten times better than I, but putting my knitting out in the public may actually push me to challenge myself and add to the skills I already have. I might/should have done this a long time ago, but I thought that one had to be the techie sort to have a blog. Not so, I discovered. So here I go! I’m giddy with excitement!

The purpose of this blog is to 1) talk about knitting and crocheting (and any other fiber arts I wish to dabble in) and 2) rant about various topics that may be rolling around my head. Another reason I thought it would be good to start a blog is because I have knitted/crocheted and given away so many things over the years. A blog would force me to document what I’ve made before it disappears out of my hands. (Photos will be posted soon!) Also, it might force me to tackle some of my Unfinished Objects (UFOs) once and for all.

I'm not always a consistent person. So I will try my best to post regularly (six times per month for starters). I hope to enlighten and entertain without boring you too much.