The Adventures of NeedleGrrl!

More Singer pics

2011-09-08T16:21:00.001-07:00

1929 Singer Model 66

2011-09-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

For those of you not on Facebook, here's my newest project (because sure, I have "extra" time!).

Found at a local Salvation Army. The machine seems to work well (the wheel turns silky smooth, and the needle goes up and down), but I don't have a power cord for it or a pedal. Did these even HAVE pedals? I haven't done much research yet - I've only had the thing for a few days. And it's living at my friend's house so I can't look at it now.

She has a garage, and we're doing tandem woodworking projects. She's into "shabby chic" so quick and dirty is working well for her. Sadly, I'm more of a perfectionist. So far I sanded off the horrible cracked varnish and did some wood fill for the worst chips. Next: stain and re-varnish. I am considering ebony stain with a hint of gold trim.

As always, click on pics for a bigger view. Thoughts? Info?

No more Blogger...

2011-07-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

The migration is complete! In addition to my personal Facebook page, my acupuncture clinic has a fanpage too. Come play!

Migration

2011-06-06T15:20:00.001-07:00

Hey there! I've kind of forgotten about this blog. In case you were actually reading it, I apologize. I hang out on FL and Facebook more now. I don't play any of those games (Farmville, etc - UG!) and I promise not to update you on my breakfast choices. Come Friend me!

In other news, I've been hard at work with my clinic since it opened in my new location November 1st. 3806 SE Belmont St: I'm part of Earth Body Wellness. And mere blocks from a great set of food carts. :)

SuperHamm & Headbutts

2010-10-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

There's a rumor flying (cape and all) that Jon Hamm will be the next Superman. Two of my "mad" crushes colliding... this is definitely Dwarf Kryptonite in the making.

Movie: I was dressed for the FrightTown haunted houses (highly recommended) and Figgy gave me the head-butt of approval. :)

Babbling on about Bicycles

2010-10-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

Ancient languages still live online ! You can listen to some Babylonian here.

Also (MAN I love the PacNW, and Craigslist), I scored an awesome tiny bike. It's difficult to find a ride with adult features that fits a dwarfy inseam, but thanks to my two-wheeled advisor Wayne I am pleased as can be. Finding a used one makes me even happier. I want my wallet fat and my hips slim, and this bike should contribute to both goals!

Language

2010-09-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

The new Knitty came out yesterday, and I'm one of the featured designers. It's a warm fuzzy feeling to see people "hearting" and "queueing" my work on Ravelry. I've even gotten some sweet fan mail! Thanks for the encouragment, everybody!

Meanwhile, my inner linguist is tripping the lights fantastic ... Studying Latin has sparked up a whole new part of my brain. I'm remembering French I haven't thought of since college. I'm fascinated by how the words we use change our way of thinking.
Read this, and this! Comic by xkcd.com.

PS - this is cool too. Fluid dynamics are so beautiful!

Rose City Acupuncture

2010-08-22T19:59:00.001-07:00

New website for work! RoseCityAcupuncture.com: It looks pretty much identical to the old one. I don't have a location yet, so that info is still pending. Waiting on my OR licensing, but please spread the word that I'll be open soon!

PS - for those who don't know, Portland is the City of Roses!

2010-07-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous Nae! Pic by Matt.

First-of-Many Tea/Crafty Parties!

2010-06-25T00:06:00.000-07:00

Left to right: Linda (also seen showing off her new market bag), Fran, Dianna (maker of vast quantities of Cthulu masks), and Paddy. The first group shot: Birthday girl Dianna being surprised with her (and my!) favorite: Carrot cake. As you can see we did not lack for sustenance. Homemade scones, quiche, and even cucumber sandwiches were featured in the feast. And yes, there was tea at this tea party. Linda and I supplied prodigious amounts*, which were both consumed on site and packaged in little DIY teabags for later. You should have seen us - it was a cross between a wine tasting and an opium den. "Ooooh... smell this one! It's smokey!" "Oh my god... the lavender is so subtle!" "This orange one would be perfect iced!"

We even did some knitting and crocheting. It was, as they say in the Pants, totally awesomesauce.

I followed it up with a sushi dinner with a different batch of buddies, then collected Nae at the airport. You'll be seeing lots of her in the next week. :)

*Props to AJ for being my personal tea hook-up.

LOLCats at home

2010-06-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

Tubecat aka Cubecat is on a restricted diet and has been losing weight. We're very proud of his progress. Still... he's got some more work to do.

Puella Amatur. Puella Beata Est!

2010-06-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

More Roses

2010-06-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

Back to the Test Rose Garden, this time with the girls. My next camera will have smell-o-vision. My favorite variety today: Rainbow Sherbert (pale pink with yellow inside), which actually smelled like orange sherbert!

Surprise Catting!

2010-06-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

We stumbled onto a shockingly good zoo today, hidden deep inside a carnival at Portland's Waterfront Park. The fair was the usual collection of traveling ring toss scams, wretched vaudville, mildly thrilling rides, and greasy food. We were wandering around killing time before collecting Maddie (junior year finals today - woo hoo!), and were about to leave when I saw the pony rides. The ponies were clean and not underweight like most at these things. Next to the corral was a petting zoo consisting of sheep, goats, a mini bull (yes, intact, and loving on the kids petting him!) and a potbelly pig that was so happy to be getting attention he was actually wagging his tail! Next to that was a reptile tent. Tiny crocs and lots of snakes (which for some reason had "Prohibited in Oregon" on many of the cages). A handler was wearing a giant iguana.

Then I turned the corner and nearly plotzed. "Oh my god! There's a tiger here!" He was about 5 feet from me, gnawing away on a raw piece of meat. He was so beautiful... I'd never been that close to one before, not without thick glass between me and those teeth. In fact, his cage was sorta flimsy... thin metal bungied together, and the gate had drop hinges! Anyway, I was looking at the white spots on his ears, and that broad, gorgeous forehead, and I wanted to touch him... He totally heard me thinking that. Stopped eating, looked up, and said very clearly "No, you don't touch me." He was angered and offended that it would even cross my mind. I slunk away to the next cage...

There were all sorts of fun creatures. Patagonia cavies, a lynx, a bobcat, a lion, a porcupine, etc. They all looked healthy and happy. The cages were clean. I usually hate zoos because the critters look miserable if not downright insane (don't get me started on elephants), but this place impressed me.

Then we got photo ops with Nala, a 7 week old lion kitten. She was very sweet and playful. Her fur was rougher than I expected, more like wire. What an experience! She was playing with my finger, just holding it in her mouth, and I was loving it until I realized I shouldn't let her do that.
Even brand new she had a formidable amount of muscle and giant claws.

The Rose luck strikes again. Random wonderfulness around every corner. :)

Gillie turns 14!

2010-06-10T21:43:00.001-07:00

See the candles? 1 and 4. The Mommies are so clever. Traditional birthday red velvet cake by Maddie.

Rose pics (both types)

2010-06-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

At the International Rose Test Garden.

Rain damage from our recent spate of record setting storms is most apparent in the lighter roses. As always, click to embiggen. If you want *really* big versions for your desktop or whatever, email me. I have 40 more. :)

The kid isn't one of ours. I just thought she was adorable.

Plus

2010-06-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

Bonus mini pic (sorry, I was too far away and it was dark in the arena) - but I had to show off Bridget's excellent posture. She was ON and posing the entire class, while the other girls (and one guy) slumped and slept. Bravo!

I love my camera!!!

2010-06-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

Last week I finally gave in and got a new charger for my camera. The original is packed somewhere and I was trying to hold out... but Matt found me one on eBay for $8. So... Yay! I have photographic capability again! These shots are from a McMinnville horse show, starring Bridget (in sparkly black) and Starbuck (in gleaming chestnut). Also: Seamus escaping from a locked horse trailer, Tommy "doing his girl impression," Paddy washing Darby (the paint), all the girls washing Darby, and Matt hugging our own sweet Gillian.

Return to Slobby Island

2010-06-03T16:22:00.001-07:00

Sauvie Island is great place for pick-your-own, fishing, hiking, and generally sucking up the green. Matt & I had a great picnic today. The blackberry bushes are just blooming. We'll go back in August to harvest their tiny delectables. Raise your hand if you want to come along!

Farm Day, Kids Edition!

2010-05-15T21:52:00.001-07:00

Picnic in the Park

2010-05-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today Paddy called up and asked if we wanted to do a last-minute picnic. How could we turn that down? We did a drive-by at Subway, then escorted her energetic and hysterically funny kids to the nearby skatepark. Matt had to prove he could still do a forward roll and come up standing. Pretty good, considering his last roll was 7 years ago at age 40! As he said, the cerebellum is an amazing thing. We nearly convinced him to borrow Tommy's skateboard and hit the half-pipe, but sanity reigned supreme for once.

PS: Interview today went ok, we'll know in a week! *crossed fingers*

Life is Magical!

2010-05-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

Lots of fun stuff... Mom came to visit. The pic here (pretty flowers!) was taken by her boyfriend, Dave, who couldn't join us this trip but was there in spirit. :) We took her all over the greater Portland area, including the falls, Powell's and Saturday Market. We had a little party to introduce her to our friends, including Paddy and Tom and Patrick (isn't he handsome?). She saw the kids. We made sushi at home. We watched some silly movies. A good time was had by all.

We've been spending a lot of time out at Paddy's farm, too. In fact, Magic loves me so much that her kids very generously gave her to me. I can't take custody until we get our house, but it still gives me a warm glow. :)

I'm a super-happy girl these days.

Nothing to report.

2010-04-28T12:13:00.001-07:00

Finally found the perfect house, which we will make an offer on, as soon as Matt signs a contract. It even has a room for a dedicated library, something I've wanted since I was a kid. Visited Paddy and her critters (2 and 4 legged) again. Magic and I bonded some more. I'm down a belt hole. :)

Silly me!

2010-04-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

Forgot a fun pic Matt took at Paddy's farm... This is Magic. She's a mini-Rex. Instead of being sleek and shiny like Blackberry, her coat has a velvet texture. Crazy soft! Also, she liked me, and stayed in my arms for 20 minutes or so. When I put her down she turned around for more love (unlike Matt's bun, which flicked him off).

Farm day!

2010-04-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

Paddy (holding lionhead rabbit) and Tom are our new friends with a farm. Horses, bunnies, and chickens, oh my! They have 3 creative and fun kids (that's Bridget painting with her friend Indigo) in the same range as ours, so we're going to get them together soon. We went to a competition in Salem with them, where we watched Bridget cattle cutting (pick out the three cows with the right number stuck to them, and get them - only them - into a pen on the other side of the arena, under a time limit) and other horsey fun.

Track Meet

2010-04-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

I didn't get any pics of Maddy's choir concert (WOW - there were some state champs there - one girl did a Mozart piece that made me cry), but just trust me and imagine Joan Jett turned elegant in a sweeping aubergine strapless gown, on stage with 25 or so of her peers. The girls looked (and sounded) tremendous, but I have to say that's a pretty awkward age for boys. *laugh* The hair alone was cracking me up. Huge fluffy white-boy Fro's, long stringy mops, BeeGee cuts, it was all there.

Man, did we get lucky with these brilliant, interesting, gorgeous girls. Madness writes some killer fanfic, and Gillie is a social butterfly. We've taken them out for dinners and such, and the next big event was Gillian's track meet. She ran, leapt, and threw the hurdles, high jump, and javelin. Waiting for her turn next to Dad she was giggling like, well, a schoolgirl, but when she stepped up to the line she turned all business!

Soundtrack for this post: Danielle de Niese, the Mozart album

Happy, happy girl!

2010-04-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

Life is superbly, extraordinarily, exceptionally good.

I love being back home in Portland. It's so beautiful here, and we're getting lots of good friend time, and the kids are truly awesome, and we're house hunting!

I'm drawn to cozy nests with verdant views, while Matt prefers large spaces for entertaining. Our search has led us to quite a few amazing places, but none have been "just right," as the 3 bears say (within our price range). We have only started, though, and we go back out Thursday to look at another batch. We have an incredible realtor, Norm Rice, who I recommend highly. I'm sure we'll find the perfect abode. In the meantime, check out these pics of a house apparently built for dwarves like me. That doored hole in the staircase is the coat closet! No trench coats allowed.

PS - I cheated a little. The mini clawfoot is from a different house.

*This post created while listening to Schlesische Weihnachtslieder, Transeamus, thanks to Patrick. :)

Shop til you drop?

2010-04-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Matt and I went out to the Saturday Market today. It was amazing, as always, but chilly and rainy. I wound up acquiring a new hat to stay toasty. :) We also spotted some fantastic chain maille bracelets and necklaces. These were different in that they were made with finer wire (20 gauge) so they were more ornamental than industrial. Eventually Matt's hands were turning blue, so we headed for more hospitable lands: Pioneer Place Mall.

We discovered that the economy is so bad, even the mannequins are resorting to desperate measures to grab your attention. The seated one has her head thrown back, her toes splayed in ecstacy, she's about to drop her teacup... and she's bare below the waist. I love how the other two are looking at her. *grin*

Home, Home, from the Range

2010-04-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

Made it! Wensleydale developed a little glow plug problem, which meant she didn't want to start for the past three mornings. Today she absolutely refused to budge until I recruited some old truckers to help me with a starter fluid trick. Will order new plugs tomorrow. :)

Other news... Matt had a very promising interview today. We discovered that Round Table Pizza delivers to the apartment. And the boys are glad I'm home. Matt's lying across me, Figgy and Tube are within reach, and Peachy is gazing at me lovingly from the cat tree. His throat is puffed up with that abcess again, so he kind of looks like a pelican. A tabby pelican.

The writing is coming along surprisingly well (meaning I'm having fun doing it, not necessarily that it's good prose) given that I haven't written any fiction in nearly a decade. :)

Day 5: Baker City, OR

2010-03-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

So close! Almost home... but there's serious snow and sleet on the next leg through the Oregon mountains, and I didn't want to do that in the dark.

Today I was surrounded by thunderstorms. They are AWESOME on a plain like that where you can see acres and acres getting hammered by rain... pic just flatten them out. They don't translate at all.

Anyway, I saw a trucker's travelcat sitting happily on his dash. Pretty sweet. Also spotted: A guy working on powerlines while perched on a helicopter's skids! This is not a job for a windy day.

Day 4: Lehi, Utah

2010-03-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm a little off track. :) I'm staying with Fignations, an internet knitting buddy, just south of Salt Lake.

The driving today was VERY challenging. Wensleydale is big and square... basically she acts like a sail when it comes to the 50+mph wind gusts that plagued us all day. So, two hands on the wheel at all times. And a death grip for most of that. Plus, between the winds and the insane grades through NE, WY, and UT, she's topping out at 35-40 on the bad uphills. Which means I can't drive after dark (black cab, small taillights, not so easy for a trucker to see as he's steaming up a hill). Which means three short days to get home instead of 2 longer ones. Thus stopping here... which means I get to meet a longtime friend for the first time. :)

No new songs to report. I did write a story, but that's not for public consumption.

Julie: I DID think of you - but too late - I felt it would be rude to announce I was in town and you had to put me up in an hour. :)

Song from yesterday:

Oh Scilla You're so light,
You’re so light that it ain’t right.
Hey Scilla (Clap clap)
Cinchilla (Clap clap)
Oh Scilla You're so light,
You’re so light that it ain’t right.
Hey Scilla (Clap clap)
Cinchilla (Clap clap)
(Repeat)

Oh Scilla, bad bad kitty
Can’t you understand?
We want you safe inside,
Not out stalking thru the land
Oh Scilla, bad bad kitty
Can’t you understand?
It’s cats like you Scilla...

Day 3, Laramie WY

2010-03-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

Wrote a bunch more "songs" but they'll have to wait. Found myself singing (non-ironically) America, the Beautiful across that last bit of Nebraska and Wyoming. It really is a pretty hunk of land.

Day 2 (Again)

2010-03-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

655 miles today. Chased the sunset, loving that dark blue band over the last strip of light at the horizon. The giant Iowa windmills were turning lazily... really pretty. But hard to capture by cell camera while moving. :)

Today's song is for my wonderful husband, to the tune of "Home, Home on the Range."

Matt, oh Matt he's strange.
With Corgis and Pez he does play
He seldom wears pants
but he makes the cats dance.
How he craves Japanese eel fillet!

Matt, smarter than Tina Fey,
He swears he's really not gay!
Has a hot tattooed bod,
Never sans his iPod,
And he makes up new words, but that's k!

Matt, hip, hip, Hurray!
On the couch with his headwrap he'll lay.
Used to make things for war,
Now he soothes blood and gore,
Sends me clever texts about his day!

Day 1 (Again)

2010-03-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

I've done plenty of cruising around this big gorgeous country, and I love roadtrips, but not this one.

I've already done the route (what, a week ago?).

It's not a pretty route.

I have no partner or music.

As I always do, I have used this time in the saddle to compose new songs. Well... new lyrics to old songs. To the tune of "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" I give you "When You Already Know the Way."

Making your way cross the USA
Can be cold, it can be hot;
Mountains to look at, trees to shade
Sure can help a lot.
But it's no fun when you know the way

If you go South, you get Waffle House,
If North, Badlands countreeee
But driving due west,
It ain't the best
There isn't much to seeee.

You don't need a map,
or a phone with an app,
Cuz you've done it all before.
Seventy-Six, Eighty, Eighty-Four.

Ok, not my BEST work. Tomorrow I'll give you "Front Door" and maybe "Home." By the way, Wensleydale is getting 27.7mpg at 70-75 mph. Love that cab. :)

Faces to Names

2010-03-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

Left to Right: Stephen, Tammy, Nicole. This was at a McMenamins (the one on NW 23rd), which is a local chain of pubs / breweries / restaurants. Some have theaters or hotels or other fun extras. They are often in historical buildings which are revamped and throughly decorated with whimsical paintings. God, I love Portland.

Note the intruding fingertip as I learn my new phone... It's red and flips open to a QWERTY and I can access my email now! I feel so high tech! I even got a Bluetooth thingy so the GPS lady can whisper guidance in my ear.

Settling in

2010-03-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

So... we're here. Settling in nicely. Or at least we will be when our stuff arrives, tomorrow. It'll be great to have furniture again. Right now we have a blow-up bed but no chairs, so we eat sitting on the floor. With paper plates. :)

Our temporary apartment is wonderful: Very large, very open, with tall ceilings, a fireplace, and a cat window. Within 2 miles we have not one but TWO Fred Meyers (think Target + grocery store), Home Depot, Target, a great yarn store that carries roving, and Uwajimaya (sort of a Japanese Fred Meyer)... and it's half the rent we've been paying! It'll almost be a shame to move when we find our house.

Even better is reuniting with our friends. Nicole, Stephen, and Tammy have made us very happy. I went to a big social event this weekend and was surprised to see so many old friends from my previous life here. We've all evolved... gained and lost weight, or hair, and one even changed gender. I'm also busily making new friends. :) The one thing that hasn't changed is the love... I feel so at home and comfortable here. *sigh* It's good to be back.

I do have to make a quick trip back to Philly this Friday. The transport company finally admitted they had failed to even pick Wensleydale UP - they were supposed to collect her on the 10th. So I am flying back and will drive her home.

Diane, this pic is just for you. :)

whoops

2010-03-19T09:40:00.001-07:00

I'm here! Sorry I forgot to tell you. Not that anyone reads this blog anyway.

Anyway we finally have internet but the TV is still on the moving truck which means I was forced to watch LOST on the laptop, not ideal but James Ford as a cop, about 12 inches from my face, not so bad at all.

I need sleep, can you tell?

The Road, Day 2

2010-03-12T23:11:00.000-08:00

We're somewhere in Nebraska. Highlights of today: Um... Flat. Not the prettiest part of this incredible continent, especially in winter.

The best part was when Figgy's carrier came apart as I was bringing him into the hotel, and he ran for the car, but hesitated before diving under it so I caught him. *whew*

Road, Day 1

2010-03-11T18:29:00.000-08:00

Today started with a mad dash back to PA from NJ (we had to drop Preston off at a holding site- he's going to live in NC), a whirlwind clean-up (THANK YOU!!!!! to Denise, who saved our butt soooo many times over...), professional carpet cleaning, walk-through with the landlord, and WHOOSH (at 12:30) we... were... outa there!!

We just checked into a hotel in Indiana. Time to lie down!

Movin' on out

2010-03-09T03:46:00.000-08:00

Today is our last big packing day. The moving truck comes tomorrow. Wensleydale gets a lift tomorrow, too. Then there's the final scrubdown, Stanley Steamer, and the walkthrough with our paranoid landlord. If all goes as planned, we drive away Thursday AM. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Remember we won't have internet after Wed am, so call if you want me!

Things that happened in Portland

2010-03-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

a) [before we got to Portland] Another airline clerk fell in love with Matt's legs and bumped us to an exit row.

1) We saw the kids. Lopey Lou suddenly resembles Audrey Hepburn (when she's not grinning ear to ear), while Maddie is channeling Joan Jett. Laura and Ann (the Mommies) both looked happy and healthy, too.

2) Matt's interview went swimmingly. More importantly, he really liked the clinic and the staff and feels he'd be happy there. It's pretty far out (Firwood) but he says that gives him more time to enjoy his car. :)

3) We saw friends Tammy, Nicole, and Andrew. Bad pics, great conversations.

4) We rented an apartment!! No mean feat, since we were hunting for a month-to-month while we buy, and have 3 cattle! The place we found is full of light and has a perfect cat window - superwide and looks out on bird-filled trees. The boys will be ecstatic. It's a little further west than ideal, but only 10 minutes from downtown. And it's half the rent we're paying now. :)

5) No Burgerville this trip. But I did have a Redneck Benedict (poached eggs, country friend chicken, biscuits & gravy), which firebombed my work on the Wii Fit Plus for the past month but was still worth it.

6) Matt liked his breakfast bacon so much that when we couldn’t finish it he stuck it in his beef jerky bag for later. My husband is weird but assures me it will be consumed before it becomes a health hazard.

We will be headed out on the 10th, most likely.

Preston on the block

2010-02-25T19:39:00.000-08:00

Preston is for sale. We need to trim the fleet before the big move. He's on eBay and CraigsList.

Sick of me yet?

2010-02-10T13:29:00.001-08:00

Check out the difference in the two "from the front door" shots. One was at 8am, after I shoveled our walk and the neighbors'. By the time I got back and took the pic, there was a half inch of accumulation by the door again. The second was taken at about 4pm. There's another 5 inches on top of the walk now. The tree branches are so weighted down they hide the car. I went out and shook them clean so they wouldn't break after seeing this.

It's still snowing. Hard. :)

I swear this is true!

2010-02-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

Just have to share this: We were waiting in Atlanta for the second leg of our flight home, when a desk clerk waved us over. She started by asking questions about Matt's kilt, then asked if he was my husband. She was clearly enamored with him and kept sneaking peeks at his legs (I completely understand - it was those stems that first got my attention when I saw him on the campus at GCC!). She beckoned us to follow her and headed for the gate. "You can go on ahead." We were momentarily confused - nobody was boarding yet. We got on the plane and even the flight crew were shooting us quizzical looks. It was a good five minutes before the 1st class and screaming kids got on.

Matt said it was the best thing he ever got for having great legs. I reminded him it was the second best. :)

Snowed in and loving it

2010-02-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

Matt taking the cats' place in the bay window.

Tucson Gem Show 2010

2010-02-10T09:39:00.000-08:00

My Mom, her boyfriend Dave, Grandpa, and his wife Alisha paid me the honor of a visit two weekends ago (see how I'm slowly catching up here?). A pending snowstorm chased them out earlier than expected but we still had time for a dinner, a brunch, and some terrific conversation about the past.

Last weekend Matt & I headed for Tucson. The annual gem show there is always a unique backdrop for a Rose family reunion. Dad looked good despite his recent heart scares. Mom was chock-full of energy. My favorite piece this time: A fossilized mammoth femur, with mammoth ivory carvings of a smilodon VS. the woolies. Two adults are hurrying a baby out of the cave away from danger. Of course I didn't have the $4400 to take it home, despite the seller's offer of a payment plan (!). My sisters Nancy (black opal & mammoth ivory rabbit playing a flute by Steven Ruse - his ears bend down along the back of his head) & Mary (gold & silver peridot ring) each generously treated me to lovely shiny prezzies. There was the usual complement of giggling and rolling our eyes at Fox news (to which Dad is weirdly addicted). We watched awful movies and ate Chinese too late and had a great time. I was absolutely neglectful in terms of family portraits, but here are a few snaps of rock and pearl sections of the show. I really wanted to get pics of people but I kept forgetting I had my camera. That's the only downside to my pocket-sized Casio.

Owl Puke is Awesome

2010-02-10T09:10:00.000-08:00

One of the prezzies I got Matt for Xmas was an owl pellet. We (me, Matt, Nae) dissected it that day but I forgot to post the pic. It was incredibly cool. Check out the tiny shrew jaws, bird skulls, femurs, ribs, etc. Right in the middle (above the glare) you can see two vertebrae. Pull out a penny and look again at the scale. :)

Okay, also, I don't generally do the PSA thing but this is freaking awesome.

Here's what we know...

2010-01-31T17:11:00.000-08:00

We know we are returning to Portland soon. We do not have an exact date. We had planned early March, but our landlord decided to ignore our verbal contact (discussed multiple times since before the last annual renewal) and now refuses to let us leave early. Jerk. Since we are stuck paying rent through April, and Matt hasn't signed yet.... *sigh* Watch this space. I am considering it tuition in the university of life. From now on, I'll get it in writing.

I have found a wonderful woman to take care of my patients, but I probably shouldn't announce it officially until we've signed paperwork (see, I'm learning!).

It's going to be interesting, financially, with no income in March. Hopefully Dr. Matt will be employed soon. We're getting great offers (financially speaking) but they are out in the wilds of Oregon. It's all about finding the right clinic that will put us near the kids. We've learned that with jobs, as with love, it's best to hold out for what you really want. :)

Well, I said "Let it snow..."

2009-12-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

Free Pattern: Tiny Tops!

2009-12-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

This is a 3 page PDF that describes two construction methods for making miniature sweaters. They are intended to be Christmas tree or Hannukkah Bush ornaments, but can be easily converted to lapel pins, finger puppets, etc. The purple one didn't photograph well, but it says "2009." It's posted it on Ravelry now. If you aren't on the Rav, drop me an email and I'll mail it to you. But if you want this pattern, you should be. Just sayin.'

Let it snow!

2009-12-17T05:49:00.000-08:00

Yay! The holidays! I don't even care that my morning walkies now mean frozen thighs or that Wensleydale *hates* starting when it's chilly. I'm having a lot of fun knitting like crazy and of course I can't show off anything until after it's all opened. So here are some pretty pics of snowflakes to tide you over.

Also - I have been run over by a freight train of creativity and now have FOUR new kilt hose patterns and an intricate lace shawl needing to make it from my head to my computer. I'll be needing some test knitters for sure! I am just far too tragically slow to make these all happen in less than, say, 2 years with my current schedule, and there are so many other things I want to make, too! Why isn't that cloning technology here yet? Haven't they been promising that for decades now?

Amazing news - the drive recovery people say they saved 99% of my stuff! I'm waiting anxiously for it to arrive to see for sure if my about-to-be-submitted pattern survived. *fingers crossed*

I lost 5 pounds!

2009-12-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

I am LOVING this Wii. Today I did basic step and table tilt. Boxing made me sore sore sore in that phenomenal "yes-I-had-an-awesome-workout-yesterday" way. Last week I did so much hula hoop I gave myself temporary hip bursitis. :) It's so hard to be sensible and build up gradually when you're having so much fun!

Thank you Sister Nancy!!!

I won!

2009-12-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Twisted (my soon-to-be-favorite LYS in Portland - I spent a fortune at their Sock Summit booth) liked my entry in their "fiber animal haiku" contest:

Fresh, newborn lamb bleats
Wobbly knees and flapping tail
Future is all wool

Lucky me, I won Cat Bordhi's innovative new book, Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters.
Hmm... I seem to do pretty well in these little challenges - I should get cracking on that acupuncture book. And maybe I should include little knitting poems between discussions of Yin and Yang...

And the winners are...!

2009-12-01T04:25:00.000-08:00

This whole process has been very educational. I realized that my epic pattern stash was no longer exactly what I needed. I'd outgrown a lot of the ideas, and my tastes changed away from some others... I was a lot pickier about grabbing patterns this go 'round. I still managed to collect about 100 (here's a hint: When you like a design, seek out everything that author has generated!) but they are all things I really want to make. No more "maybe sortas." I even cleaned out my Ravelry queue and reduced it by about 40%. It's still astronomical. :)

I finally faced the fact that I'm a slow knitter, and a busy girl (I'm supposed to be writing a book on top of running my business and working full time), so I have to prioritize. Right now I'm slaving away on a pair of kilt hose for Matt (my own design!), but after that and some obligatory Xmas knitting I'm starting on Spanish Armada. Well, the center of it. Things are going to twist south from there. Stand by for details. :)

Without further ado... Purple (who gave me the gift of a Mermaid knockoff) and Ikkinlala (who suggested Pamina) are the winners! I've emailed you - just let me know your yarn choices and your addresses. :) I'm sorry I couldn't award prizes to everyone who entered. You were all so wonderful and generous! Thanks again, so SO much! I WILL be rewarding you with two free patterns, coming soon...

No way!!

2009-11-29T17:08:00.000-08:00

I just found this on Tammy Myrold's Yahoo group. Unreal!

Thanksgiving Roundup, and Random Goodness

2009-11-29T07:09:00.001-08:00

Matt & I drove up to Maine to see Nancy (his sister) and her family. Previous visits with photos here. Somehow even though we both brought cameras the only picture that got taken is of their new rescue rabbit, MC Escher. He's an excellent snugglebun.

Nancy got me playing a cycling game on her Wii and laughing like an idiot, and next thing I knew she was getting me one as an early Xmas present! I picked up the Wii Fit Plus balance board and now I have a fun way to work out in the mornings at home. I've been losing but not fast enough... only about 15-20 pounds since Feb. Yesterday I went slalom skiing. Now I need to track down the Wii version of that dancing game...

Knitting: I've had a fun and fruitful collection of responses to my contest. Thanks to everyone who entered! One more day until it ends, and I'll pick the winners. I was intending to post a free pattern of my own, but wound up submitting it to Knitty (it came out so well, it deserved wider distribution than it would get on my blog). So that's the bad news... I can't give it to you this week. But the good news is that I'm working on a second pattern. Soon you'll have TWO freebies - be patient, young grasshopper!

Memory Lane, repaved: When I was a kid I loved - was obsessed with, really - my Breyer horse collection. They were better made, then, and the paint jobs weren't as chintzy as the ones in toy stores today. I had names and pedigrees for them all. They were my best friends - I was a pretty lonely kid. Eventually I would get real horses and human companions, but for the moment those plastic ponies were all I had.

Goofing around on eBay I found an entire world of people who scavenge, resculpt and repaint old models into unique works of art. My favorite, Tammy Myrold (click on the galleries on the left), took this basic "Lonesome Glory" model (top pic) and turned it from a kid's hunk of resin into a living, moving beauty. The emotion and anatomical detail is just astounding. I've been looking at these "LSQ" - Live Show Quality - sculptures online for hours. Yes, they have shows all over the country, and there's an entire market for their tack and other extras.

Here's why they fascinate me so much: When I was a child this is how I saw them. Each one was real and original and magnificent to me. The re-worked Breyers combine the sweet memories of my escapist past with an adult appreciation for artistry. Maybe someday I'll have one for my bookshelf. Who knows... maybe I'll even do some sculpting of my own. For now, it's just wonderful to know they're out there.

Singing Larynxes

2009-11-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

This view down four singing throats is incredible from both anatomical and musical perspectives. They look like friendly little alien faces, don't they? Cute tune, too.

Got Horses?

2009-11-13T03:54:00.000-08:00

My friend and photographer extraordinaire Annaliese Moyer has just established a new website: Equigraphics. Beautiful equine portraits and some other critters too. :)

Pattern Stash Contest / Giveaway

2009-11-12T05:59:00.001-08:00

UPDATE: PEOPLE! Please leave me a way to contact you! About 50% of you have given me wonderful patterns but no way to say thanks!

SECOND UPDATE: At the end of the contest I'll be publishing a free pattern of my own - my third one. Keep spreading the love! :)

Before The Crash, I had a truly massive pattern collection. For 9 years I have been snatching up every free pattern that even mildly intrigued me, and paid for a few more (Oh Rogue, I can’t believe I never got to you!). I had hundreds (probably thousands, actually) of them carefully categorized and tagged so I could find just the perfect thing for a given yarn, giftee, or garment need. The irony here is that I almost never follow patterns… but they are oh-so-useful for inspiration to produce my own creations!

Now that comforting safety net is gone. Thanks to Jess & Casey I still have Ravelry’s pattern search (I'm Needlegrrl there, too), but it’s not set up the same way, and … well… it’s not the same.

Here’s where you come in. Help me rebuild my stash! Send me your favorite essential / must make / most unique / “best kept secret” pattern. Please note: I am NOT asking anyone to break copyrights. I’m only looking for free stuff or notes you’ve written, please. Patterns worthy of being purchased for stash can be nominated as well, but remember that I’m a notorious cheapskate. You may email a PDF or Word doc directly to me (laughinglagomorph at gmail), or post a link. I’ll pick one winner on merit (the one that makes me say “woo!” out loud) and one by random number generator.

Hints:

1) I’m not generally into the basic beginner patterns. I like complex lace & cables & weird challenges. That said, sometimes a good simple recipe is awesome. They’re so easy to pervert. :)
2) Crochet edgings are fine, but beyond that, please stick to knitting.
3) Socks, mittens, hats, shawls, sweaters, toys… it’s all good.
4) Garments appropriate to a curvy stumpy girl are helpful. I’m 4’10” and fat. I’m losing weight, but I’ll never gain height, and even at my ideal size I’m very hourglassy. So no long skinny coats, k? And not so much with the super-bulky yarn.
5) Garments appropriate to a tall, athletic Scotsman with excellent legs are also appreciated.

Winners will get something tasty from my stash! The Merit Prize chooses first, then the Random winner. If you hate all of these glorious options I can spin you something or go stash diving again. But what's not to like? Claudia Hand Painted (the purple mash-up), Panda Silk DK in Berry Smoothie, Fortissima Socka in a wonderful olive green, and C*EYE*BER Fiber in Glacier. This last one was Swag from the Alaskan Sea Socks cruise in 2008.

Contest ends Nov 30th!

Computer Disaster (Doubled)

2009-11-08T15:20:00.000-08:00

My trusty old Mac melted down after 4+ years of service. The bad news is that it went suddenly - a massive stroke - and I hadn’t backed it up. I’ve lost everything. All my photos, all my marketing materials for the clinic, and all my knitting patterns (I had a huge collection, meticulously organized, including the three I was writing for publication).

Back up your hard drive!!!

Yes, I know about data recovery services and will try one, but the Genius at the Mac store wasn’t hopeful.

The bit that really stinks is that Matt’s went 3 days ago. He had some warning and saved all his stuff… I was literally bugging him to copy mine when it failed. We had Figgy at the vet’s, too, so it’s been an expensive week. sigh

Good news: The cat butt seems to have returned to normal function.

Whoops

2009-11-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

Forgot to give you this one, so you can get the full effect of us as a pair:

Vaguely Medieval Dwarf & Archer

2009-11-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, so you know Matt calls me Dwarf. I mean, most people think that's my real name around here. :) I started with a knit helmet with an attached beard. There was a felting disaster (knitting details on Ravelry) so last-minute desperation led us to insert bits of an old pirate hat as quarter panels. I love it - better than the original. :) My knit Mithral vest isn't showing up properly in these pics but it's a dove grey with sparkly bits. It came out really well. Matt made the the tunic. Add some knit gauntlets, my felted colonial bag, and a loot bag on the belt... voila! I'm one feisty battle Dwarf.

Matt turned heads (as usual) in his archer outfit. He sewed a quiver from pleather originally purchased to make wings for Elphaba's flying monkey. I dyed the dowels, and he fletched the arrow ends. Is there nothing this man can't do? Thanks to Loveduck Leather for the hat.
Nae was a superhot Succubus. Yowza! On her shoulder perched a movable puppet.

We went to the Henri David Halloween Ball. You know those scenes in movies and TV when the characters go to huge parties and everyone is wearing fantastically detailed costumes? I was always jealous. I wanted to go to that party! Last night I did - we were surrounded by original, beautifully done outfits. I loved that they played great music at non-earsplitting levels. On the central stage were male go-go dancers, chosen more for their quantity of muscle than their dancing ability. It was just SO much fun!! There are about 50 pics here on Flickr, but I have to share my favorite costume (a Faberge Egg and his Czar) and my favorite picture: Wolverine snapping a photo of a man at a portable urinal.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T06:49:00.000-07:00

My favorite holiday!! Okay, I know you were expecting Elphaba, but two weeks ago we shifted gears. Matt and I love doing paired costumes that play in our height differential (remember Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompa? That was the best!), so this year we're doing a Lord-of-the-Rings-esque archer and dwarf. Our living room has been a flying frenzy of fabric, paint, feathers, and clay. Full pics and details coming soon... Here's a hint: Female dwarves have beards, too!

In the meantime, have a spooky day!

Really?

2009-10-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

Work has been slow this week, so I've been home knitting on my Halloween costume and watching a lot of TV and movies. Things I've "learned" include:

1) If you get shot, just take out the bullet and you're fine. Heck, you can break out of the hospital as soon as you regain consciousness and fight bad guys hand-to-hand! Blood loss and infection don't matter, let alone damage to muscles, bones, nerves, and internal organs.

2) If you've overdosed on sleeping meds hours ago, and you're found sprawled out and un-wakeable, all you need is your buddy to induce vomiting. No matter that the pills dissolved long ago and are clearly currently working... you'll be fine in minutes!

3) Genes can change from dominant to recessive as they pass from parent to child. Isn't that clever?

Upcoming book?

2009-10-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about writing a book. It's been percolating in my head for years, actually, but now I'm getting fired up to make it happen. It would contain basic information on how acupuncture works, and how you can use acupressure at home to help yourself and your family. I have a few questions about the content and format, so I'd really appreciate it if you took this 2-minute poll - even if you aren't interested in the book - I need to know that, too!

Your answers will reach me anonymously.

(Sorry about the enormous logo - I can't figure out how to shrink it with the survey software.)

If you don't currently receive my clinic newsletter (monthly email) and would like to, sign up here. Archives of previous issues are here.

Rain Trumps Candles

2009-10-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

The Paoli Illumination, scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) has been cancelled due to rain. :(

Facelift

2009-10-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I finally got sick enough of the pink to overhaul the blog. I even updated my links over there to the right. Yay!

A Few Knitting WINS

2009-10-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

One of the “Black Mix” bags I got from the Sheep Shed was black and white swirled together like a soft-serve cone. I separated them as best I could, but there were some strips of roving that were so blended they weren’t worth the effort to separate fiber by fiber. Those went into bag #3. Which I felt strangely drawn to spin immediately. And the whole time I was spinning, I felt intensely compelled to make mittens.

I didn’t think I had enough. I was pondering doing a Fair Isle or striped section with either black or white. In fact, I was so sure I wouldn’t have enough that I nearly didn’t start them. See the ball “left over?” It weighs more than the completed mittens do. I’ve been knitting and spinning since 2001 and I still have no clue how to eyeball how much I will need for a project. sigh

Good news: The mittens came out perfectly the first time, great fit, no 28 revisions necessary. I was considering dyeing them but I believe I like them as is.

Disasters from previous post: The witch socks just got finished off at mid-calf height and I've been wearing them a lot. Very comfy and look great with pants. The cabled socks have been rescued by inserting a few more cables. They're nearly done.

And my latest triumph: A pointy felted hat for my Halloween costume (Elphaba). I just need to firm up the brim a bit.

Parking Wars

2009-10-15T17:46:00.001-07:00

Since Matt's most recent appearance on TV, the fan mail has finally died down to mere dozens a day. With his latest blockbuster, however, I expect we'll need to rehire that professional letter-answering firm again.

You can see it yourself on A&E, Parking Wars episode 42, part 2. Funny thing, though, they edited out the part where he showed up before the meter had run out - thus his confused expression when she said he got a ticket. She had started writing him up assuming he wouldn't get back in time. If you listen closely you can hear her explaining they need the car make so they can rescind the ticket. Also, he was wearing a black Utilikilt, no matter what the caption says.

That's our friend Jari in the back. She was trying to hide but her smile is simply unstoppable.

Instant Attitude Correction

2009-09-28T05:00:00.001-07:00

If I had still been grumpy when I woke up this morning (which I wasn't - I'm lucky that way and generally don't retain my bad moods for long) the sight outside my front window would have turned me around.

I'm madly in love with "golden hour" light, especially when shining through my dogwood trees while they're waving the big "Fall is coming!" flag.

Come on, October! :)

FRUSTRATION!

2009-09-27T17:11:00.001-07:00

Not one but TWO knitting projects have come to a screaming halt. And I do mean screaming.

My incredible witchy socks, which performed so well for me in the foot and heel shaping, have decided to look like crap in the broomstick area. I was trying to insert a lace design up the back of the calf (shaft starting just after the heel, with the whisk section at the calf) but it just isn't coming out well. Plus I'm running out of yarn. Plus the yarn itself has some issues (knots and weird ply-flyaways and thick felted sections) so I think I'll start these over with different yarn. But not this week.

Last night the cabled red socks also decided to laugh in my face. I needed to add some increases to counter the cinching effect of cables all around once I got past the heel, but that meant the yarn pooled in a nasty way. I understand that's all Greek if you don't speak knitter. Translation: I had to make a structural change, which created an aesthetic problem. Further translation: They now suck.

This is the problem with designing your own projects, which is better than simply copying what other people have already done. Even though that means they've already worked out all the problems I seem bound and determined to discover. *sigh*

Paoli Illumination

2009-09-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Want another chance to see me in a ridiculously unflattering costume?

Saturday, Oct 17th, from 7-9pm, is the annual Paoli Battlefield Illumination. There will be continuous guided candlelight tours, going from scene to scene. You'll learn about the Paoli Massacre from first-person interpreters telling the stories of the nighttime battle. 300 luminaries will represent the casualties of this American Revolutionary War battle. $5 per person or $20 for a family of 4 or more.

The Paoli Battlefield is located at First & Wayne Aves, next to the Paoli Memorial Grounds in Malvern.

Reading Roundup

2009-09-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more great books I've read lately:

The Thirteenth Tale: Lyrical and involving. I didn't care for the twist at the end but I'm sure others loved it. Not my usual sort of book but really lovely writing.

Under and Alone: True story of an ATF agent who went undercover with the Mongols. In case you're unfamiliar, they are a motorcycle gang that makes the Hell's Angels look like yuppies. A very honest account of how living as a patched-in biker changed him.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: I nearly didn't get this one, due to a review that said it was exactly like the movie (which was good, but not earthshaking). While it's true that the events are the same, the read is a completely different experience. It seems clear that years of research went into the project, but his knowledge leaks out in a hundred tiny ring-of-truth period details. The history illuminates rather than glares. Hansen's writing has a cadence that really brings you into his moment. This book is a freaking time machine. I'm halfway done and already dreading the end - I don't want it to be over. Sample paragraph:

Jesse, on the other hand, was the soul of friendliness and commerce, acknowledging each of Bob's remarks, letting the boy ingratiate himself, rewarding him with trivial tasks that Bob executed with zeal. Then he asked Bob to strike a match as he read the dial of a pocket watch in a gold hunting case, stolen from a judge near Mammoth Cave. The clock instructed him and he retreated into the dark and after some minutes returned with a kerosene lantern and with a burlap grain sack over his arm like a waiter's towel. "You can stick with me, but don't heel. I don't want to bust into you every time I have the notion to change direction."

Bob muttered, "I'm not a moron, for Heaven's sake," but kept his head down - one might have thought his boots had ears.

Living History

2009-09-24T04:46:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday was the colonial thing at the Plank House. It was a great day, but I was too busy explaining the sheep-to-clothing process to run around and get pics of everyone else (sorry, I'm a rotten Blogger). There was a girl making lace at an unbelievable rate of speed. Unbelievable because she was flipping her tiny thread bobbins through a complex memorized pattern like a cracked-out hummingbird, yet she says the final product grows by an inch an hour. Ug. There was also a candle maker, quill maker, blacksmith, lap-loom weaver, and lots of others, including those explaining the buildings and clothing. My costume-maker Delores introduced a little modern technology: She had clothes for people to change into, took their digital pics, and printed them out on the spot. The kids were (mostly) really adorable. I should have had her do mine, but suddenly we were slammed and then suddenly we were packing up for the day and I had a sunburned strip on the back of my neck.

Ok, I'll admit it - part of my camera avoidance may have hinged on the clothing. Multiple layers of stiff, heavy fabrics turned my already abundant figure into something resembling a pregnant mammoth. My waist wasn't just hidden - it was lurking in a cave in Afghanistan somewhere. I drew the line at the white apron that was supposed to go over all of that, and I noticed I wasn't the only one.

I started with a pile of raw, dirty fleece, explained the washing process to get to the pretty white fleece, then the carding. The Coopsworth locks turned out to be super rough when spun, so I used that as my table demo. I carded out a handful of locks into a fluffy mass, then handed some to each person. "This is sort of fun, but you can't really make clothing out of it. See how it comes apart? Now put a little twist in it...(Here I showed them how to twirl it into a few inches of yarn, with varying degrees of success)... and see how strong it is?" A few yanks on the ends and their eyes would light up. "That was pretty awkward doing it with your fingers, though, right? We need a more efficient way to do that." Ideally I would have had a spindle, but I can't use one so I just talked about it. And then I'd show them the wheel (my Kromski Minstrel), and my balls of yarn and knitted house socks I made for Matt. Then I'd get them to look at their own clothes and see the tiny knit stitch duplicated in their t-shirts.

If they were hankering for more I got into plying, knitting, weaving, and felting. It was mostly grownups who were interested in all of that. Men wanted to figure out the engineering of the energy transfer with the wheel, while women wondered how long it took to do everything. I used my bag as an example (2 evenings to spin, 3 days to knit), freely admitting that I had skipped the long and nasty process of scouring the wool by buying it cleaned and combed, and the day of boiling and stick-poking by chucking it in the washing machine.

Everyone seemed to really enjoy it. Not too many glazed-over eyes. I let some kids guide in a pre-drafted strip of wool while I worked the pedals, then gave them the yarn they made. I even recruited another knitter to the Wonderful World of Spinning - she's coming over tomorrow to learn. :)

Purse Abundance!

2009-09-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

1) I found a vinyl laptop bag that was $20 but looks surprisingly like nice leather. So now my precious Mac will be safe going to and from work.

2) I've been hunting everywhere for a medium sized, lightweight bag that stuff won't fall out of. Seems pretty basic to me, but the "in" thing now is either Big Enough to Carry your Car or Too Teeny for Anything But Your Phone. Plus I love leather but it's heavy, especially with all the extra staps and buckles everyone feels compelled to add now. I have tons of totes, but bad thing happen when you throw them willy-nilly into the back seat. Ask me how I know.

I tried Etsy (awful print fabrics) and lots of stores and finally gave up when Holly told me about Laura Bee. I picked out what I wanted - OMG! YARN FABRIC - in an oxblood Naugahyde (yeah, I know, but it works, trust me!) and convertible straps that can either go across the body or over one shoulder. I loved it, but it was pricey she was backed up and I had to wait 6 weeks to get it.

3) So I cancelled my order the next day and Matt started to make me - yes MAKE ME - the cutest purse ever, with a inside lined zipper pocket, the cell phone pocket. I picked the fabric (which didn't photograph well, but the color is better, keep trusting me) and made some of the piping. Heather did the initial sewing. But he did everything else - the design, the handles, the crazy complex top part that was patterned after my favorite bedraggled bag. It's awesome.

The carrot bag was already well underway when I heard back from Laura Bee, that custom orders are non-refundable (I was hoping that since she hadn't started it yet they'd let me off the hook, but nope). It came more quickly than anticipated, so now I have two cool purses!

1491

2009-09-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading 1491. Holy cow. If you are at all interested in history, or the interaction of cultures, or human effects on the natural world, you should read this book. It starts off pretty dry, but stick with it. About a third through it hits pure gold (pun intended).

In short, the true story is a world apart from the image we were taught in school. In both North and South America, the populations were denser than previously thought, and built extravagant architectural systems. They had a much more comprehensive agricultural impact than I would have imagined, too. I don't want to give too much away, but the lasting effects of those Amazon farmers are pretty impressive.

And tucked back in Appendix B, I found something that made my Fiber Artist soul sing: The Inkas (Incas) left behind knotted strings called khipu. For a long time they were considered a sort of abacus, but second look has revealed them to be a form of written record! They used fiber (cotton or alpaca), color coding, and different types of S and Z plying to transmit data. William Conklin says "90 percent of the information was put into the string before the knot was made." Then there's the knot itself, tied going either up or down the string, and the type of knot... wow. They are still working on the translations. I think it's going to take a while. :)

5 years of fun

2009-08-30T16:21:00.000-07:00

To celebrate 5 rolicking years of marriage, Matt & I went north to an adorable isolated B&B with a hot tub and a fascinating assortment of wildlife.
Knoebel's, established 1926, is an old-fashioned amusement park with wooden roller coasters. Friday there was was cool and rainy. Absolutely perfect, although a dino chased Matt for his chocolate mint fudge. Click on that skyride pic.

On Saturday we visited the Pioneer Tunnels, a hokey but informative tour of a coal mine, including a ride on old mine cars and a steam train. I always knew in a vague sort of way that coalmining was a rotten job, but wow... Let's just say that I'm even more grateful to be an acupuncturist now. We didn't actually get to ride the steam train, since it threw a seal just minutes before we were supposed to get on and they substituted an electric engine.

Centralia is a nearby town that no longer exists, because there's been an underground coal fire burning since 1962. The government offered relocation packages and even rescinded their zipcode. There are still 6 people living there who refused to move. Video here of steam rising from the ground.

Today we took the long way home along the Susquehanna River and hit a few antique dealers. I found a terrific milk bottle, just starting to turn purple, for $5. It'll look great in my art room holding the few straight knitting needles I keep for teaching.

We had lots of yummy food, Matt saved a baby bunny from a semi-feral cat, and we stumbled on a friendly gay bar out in the middle of nowhere. Northern Central PA turns out to be beautifully lush and green. The people are sweet. The roads are smooth. Everyone takes excellent care of their lawns and cars. It was much more civilized than the Main Line, in some ways, and certainly prettier. :)

Seattle

2009-08-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

Part two of the PacNW Tour: On Sunday I rode up to Seattle with Emma (Dragonfibers), Shannon (Sobeknofret), and Christi (Turtlegirl). That was fun although we were all a little loopy from exhaustion and wool fumes.

The next few days involved some attempted purse making (pics if it ever gets finished), but mostly aggressive lying around at Heather's place. We had a beautiful picnic at Gasworks park (more pics here) and were joined by a surprise guest - Shawn, who was a classmate at OCOM and a witness at our wedding.

I spent one night with Holly (orange hair) which meant taking the ferry to Poulsbo. Click to embiggen - you can see one of the seagulls that love to follow the boats. She and her sweetheart have a little farm out there. Llamas and ducks and cats, oh my! We made megachunky cookies for her shop, Monster Art and Clothing, which is chock-full of locally made, well, art and clothing. Really fun unique stuff. In the pic of the two of us, I'm wearing a prototype "wolf" hat she made on custom request.

Through the whole trip (starting on the flight out to Portland, actually) I worked on my witchy socks. Here they are so far... You can see just the hint of a lace pattern starting on the back. I'll publish the pattern when done.

In other leg news, Matt collided with a bench in the EMP's Jim Henson exhibit. At first we thought it was just surface damage but now it looks like separated the periosteum or even fractured the tibia. He gets an x-ray tomorrow.

Sock Summit & Portland

2009-08-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

Portland, Portland... how I love thee... let me count the ways...

It was so great to see the kids again. I forgot my camera was working again (thank you Camera Fairy!) until after we parted ways so no new pics of them, but they are gorgeous and scarily grown-up (13 and 16)! :)

We ate at Burgerville. We looked at houses (Craftsman!!). We reveled in ambient temperatures compatible with human life. We saw our friends Stephen and Nicole, and they introduced us to Rock Band.

This is a game I did not want to play. I thought it would be stupid and auditorally painful. Instead, it was an awesome adrenaline rush and really really really fun! It actually made me think about taking up the guitar again, until reality resurfaced and I remembered I was "playing" a guitar-shaped Simon Says, not an actual instrument. The funny thing is that I screwed up on the easy parts but kicked butt on the trickier high-speed bits (well, on the Easy setting). I loved doing vocals on "Spiderwebs," too, but afterwards Stephen handed me the guitar back and told Nae "You should keep singing. It's really hard to find good singers." Hmm. Message received.

I had to check out Yarnia! They have racks of cones - you pick the combination you want, and they wind them together for you into a custom yarn. I made "Money," something Rach and I were thinking about dying but we couldn't find bare sock yarn with glitz in it. I blended sage, forest, and black wool, with just a hint of green glittery nylon. 450 yards for $8! It's pictured here along with some delightfully squishy Madelinetosh yarn. 2008 was all about the autumn shades - 2009 seems to be the Year of Green. I've been trying to upload a video but Blogger is being cranky, so it's here on Flickr instead.

at the Sock Summit, I continued my calling as Bodyworker to the Knitting Stars. Hanging out with Amy, Heather, Charlene, Tess, Jasmin, Gigi, and tons more wonderful people was just the cat's meow. I took a class on vertically stranded colorwork (design ideas are exploding in my skull) and learned more about what Knitty wants. I am submitting at least one pattern: Lips sealed and fingers crossed for now...

Other snapshots of the hectic fun: Brian knitting 7 pairs of socks at one time on one ginormous needle. Rachel and AJ at the Ravelry party (AJ is a skater chick and has a superawesome new tattoo, but I didn't get to spend enough time with her). Rachel and me at the Rav party, after dark, taken by Wondermike. Replica of a 1500 year old Egyptian sock. I'm not going to bore you with tons of pics from the Sock Museum but looking at how things like heel construction changed through time was really cool.

First, a word about our sponsors...

2009-08-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

This was the Woodstock of knitting.

It may be hard for non-fiber addicts to understand, but it was massive (see the Tsock Tsarina's blog for a great representation of the nutter hilarity that imbued the long weekend). We took over the Oregon Convention Center and multiple hotels. We had the Grand Dames of knitting - major celebs, each one - teaching us classes. We had a museum of sock history stretching back 2000 years. We had a marketplace filled with hundreds - yes, hundreds - of vendors, many of them independent business owners. Oh, the handpaints! Four days of shared knowledge. Thousands of attendees. Literally tons of yarn. *swoon*

Ok, here's what's cool about the Luminary Panel. These are not women famous for looking hot, or mouthing someone else's lines. These are women who rescued creative, intelligent designs and skilled handwork. For millenia, people had to make their own clothes. Most were too short on time and resources to do much beyond the basics. Generally, only nobility and the very wealthy had decorative garments, but everyone knew how to produce the basics. After the industrial revolution, everything changed. Machines did it all. In the ever-increasingly technological age, people lost the ability to make something with their hands.

Our heroines - Barbara Walker, Elizabeth Zimmermann, etc - they brought back the ancient techniques, improved them, and turned them into therapy, into intellectual challenges, into personal expression. And they did this in a time when women were not supposed to run their own businesses, and they did it with a wicked sense of humor (Yes, Lucy Neatby is carrying a chicken purse).

Thanks, gals. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, brain, and fingers.

I still miss her

2009-08-01T05:24:00.000-07:00

It's been a year since Blackberry left us. I still miss her terribly. Our lousy landlord won't let us get another rabbit... just another reason to be excited to go home in March.

Sometimes one of Matt's giant black shoes will be lurking under the glass coffee table and just for a second it looks like Blackberry is meatloafing there. It breaks my heart. Figgy is obnoxiously bored and pesters the other cattle. She's left a huge hole here for such a small rabbit.

Socks for ME!

2009-07-24T18:06:00.001-07:00

I just finished the cutest little socks! I started with Brenda Dayne's Pembrokeshire Pathways, but instead of a wool knee-sock I wanted a lightweight summer fling so I used Panda Silk. Did a different heel and toe, just because I'm ornery like that. More pics and info on my Ravelry page.

Due to popular demand: The shoes are White Mountain brand, Mohawk style. I got them at DSW last week. :)

2009-07-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

This is so exciting - both of my haikus were selected for the Spin-Off 2010 calendar! I'll be featured in August and November.

Fibery update:
Matt's kilt hose are done and he loves them! I can't show them yet since I think I want to submit them to Knitty. But they are ultra-cool if I do say so myself.

I'm currently trying to finish not one but 2 new pairs of socks to wear for the Sock Summit. Good thing I have small feet!

Why didn't I get involved sooner?

2009-07-21T04:20:00.001-07:00

Battlefield Illumination, Saturday October 10, 2009 7 PM

"Three hundred luminaries will be set up at the battlefield representing the number of American soldiers killed, missing and wounded during the Battle of Paoli. Along the lighted pathway visitors will be able to observe seven vignettes telling the story of the battle from the military and civilian points of view. These accounts are based on Tom McGuire's book "The Battle of Paoli." Tour guides dressed in period garb will lead visitors on a 45 minute tour of the battlefield."

I'm going to be a tour guide - I even get a few lines to say as I lead the groups from station to station!

Back in Time

2009-07-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

I was recruited to be the demo spinner at the Historic Goshenville Miltown-Hickman Plank House! It's only a one-day event but I'm super excited! I'm plotting my table of explanatory props and a basketful of natural yarn to show off (they said I could sell some, so I'll be ready for visiting knitters / crocheters). I'll hide my blue hair under a bonnet, take the paint off my toenails, and *bam* I'm ready to go. They're even feeding us volunteers with accurate colonial food made on site. This weekend I'm meeting with my hook-up, Delores, for a costume fitting.

It's Saturday, Sept 19th from 11-5 at the Plank House, 352 & E Boot Rd in West Chester. There will be lots of other demos and fun historical geekery including a functioning forge. Come play!

Tucson Piggies

2009-07-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

Matt is visiting his parents and snapped these out the kitchen window. They have an amazing place on the side of a mountain, and are surrounded by wildlife. Having St. Francis hand out some pig chow doesn't hurt. As always, click to embiggen.

And the rocket's red glare...

2009-07-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Pyrotechnics by Matt, photos by Jari.

Gettysburg, yet again

2009-06-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

Me, Matt, friends Derek & Jari, their kids Jared & Jalane, and my Mom all converged for a fun day. The new Cyclorama exhibit is terrific! Crazy rainstorms evolved into dramatic skies.

Knitting words together

2009-06-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

I whipped up the following haikus for a Spin-Off contest:

Feel the Summer sun
Slipping soft through my fingers
Becoming Fall warmth

And for the lighter side :) ...

Wild fuzzy mohair
Blends with silk, just a touch of
accidental cat

These follow a spur-of-the-moment response to Franklin's limerick post:

There once was a knitter named Sharon
Used a hat to hold down the hair on
The top of her head
When she got out of bed
She knit them of wool and of Orlon.

Well... except that I wouldn't really use Orlon. But hey, I needed a rhyme and completed the whole thing in about 10 seconds.

What have I been up to?

2009-05-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

Well... Working, a LOT. I get home about 7:30 most nights and my newsletters seem to be a huge hit. Which is awesome. And reading. About elephants, and more elephants*, and various British monarchs of yore, and fairy tales, and ...

We've been hitting art museums, and I'm finding myself discovering new favorites and swooning in front of masterpieces I've seen a hundred times in books and on TV. I know it's been said ad nauseum but they are so different in person.

I've been antiquing with Matt, where we found a great bunny print that's an old Purina Rabbit Chow ad. He found an old glass bottle. I discovered a silver artist I like.

The cats and kids are doing well. Mom has had a rough time. She's dealing with missing Dad, getting laid off, and her dog's cancer. Send her some love, please.

Oh! Matt ordered me a WooLee Winder! Here's my rave on Ravelry. So yes, I've been spinning, too. The "misty forest" colorway I did with Rachel last month came out a lovely soft grey.

* Elephants are incredibly smart, social, and playful. There are two sanctuaries for them in the US where they simply get to be elephants. I've talked about this issue before here. Poor depressed & anxious Bamboo is still at the Woodland Park Zoo, despite the Tennessee sanctuary's offer to take her on their dime.

A Weekend of Color

2009-04-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

It was an eventful, artistic weekend. I went to NY to visit Rachel, dye goddess extraordinaire. We turned 2 lbs of pure white merino and nearly a pound of silk into a riot of color. It's amazing what you can do with only 10 colors! The purplish silk was an overdye job - the rest was from scratch. The other silk (so hard to photograph!) came out a perfect Monet-inspired watery blend of blues and greens. I'm planning a lace shawl for that. The rest is still a mystery.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Matt added a little panache to his already-perfect left thigh. He gently modified this ancient Lascaux cave painting about a year ago and has been waiting for the right artist. Finally! It's perfect for him, with his history of archeology, history, and art.

Now I'm working on my design... designs... hmmm. A binkying black bunny is a must, probably on the scapula. And I'd like an SPQR, but I'm not sure about where to put that one. Matt says lower back, and I actually like that, but it would clash with the rabbit. I could combine the two concepts with a reworked Roman mosaic, but they are two very different things to me.

New Books!

2009-03-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

The girls at The Spirit of Yoga were so sweet last month. I don't know if it was the stress of losing Dad or a celebration of my birthday, but they gifted me with some credit at Barnes & Noble! With my long history of cheapskatism, I tend to source my reading materials at Paperbackswap.com, thrift stores, and lending libraries. I walked in there feeling like I held Wonka's Golden Ticket... such an abundance of choices!!

Matt grabbed a Hemmings Motor News. I nearly got a picturebook of Michelangelo's work (I SO love his Libyan Sibyl) but wound up with the Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome, #6 in the Outlander series, and Battles of the Crusades. That last one should be helpful in putting together a story I've been writing in my head for a year or so, about a soldier in the Crusades. I had been thinking of it in prose form, but last night I dreamt the opening scene. Now it's a screenplay. :)

On a completely unrelated note, Want to see something impressive that'll make you giggle?

Can we get some 02 over here, too?

2009-03-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

Matt's got a nasty pneumonia, and we spent last night at the ER. He'll survive. In fact, he was home today goofing off, watching movies with titles like "Godzilla Vs. Destroyah" and "Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell." I almost wished I were sick too so I could hang out with him... but between the horrible wracking cough and the painful flicks I'd be forced to watch, in the end I was glad to be at work.

Oh and by the way...

2009-03-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

I lost my phone. My new one looks like a Star Trek phaser or a huge slick black cockroach, depending on your perspective. It doesn't know anybody's numbers and needs to be educated. Can you please call or text me, identifying yourself? Email works, too.

Fun News / Sad News

2009-03-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

Matt & I flew down to Tucson for his mother's surprise 80th birthday party. I love his family, and it was great to see them, including some new ones who had shown up for the big event. I finally met cousin Sabrina, a charmingly quirky girl who not only speaks Knitter (yes, she's on Ravelry!) but is returning to her home of Portland, OR this month! Now I'm even more eager to get back. Mom was indeed surprised - her expression when she saw us through the front door glass went Stunned... Confused... Elated!

She was thrilled to have us there, but even more astonished when we arrived at the country club for dinner and BAM there was nearly her entire extended family, past business partners, old neighbors from decades ago, etc. Even her brother was there, after her daughters told her he couldn't make it. My sisters Mary & Nancy did an incredible job with the flowers, cake, etc. Brother Greg showed some serious talent editing together a century's worth of photos and music. We all stood up and gave Mom our stories and best wishes. I told the story of putting needles in her bum 5 minutes after meeting her the first time (she was hurting from a hip replacement) as an example of her openness. Some people teased her about her early cooking misadventures, while other spun tales of her incredible brain (she worked with some of the best minds in Nuclear Physics, but her beautiful knit Christmas stockings somehow went unmentioned).

The down side: All the excitement of planning the secret shebang took a toll on Matt's Dad. He had a heart attack and missed the party. That was a real disappointment, but between dinner and the slideshow we got him on the phone and passed him around so he got to speak to nearly everyone from his hospital bed. We visited him Sunday before we flew back out and looked better (pink and smiling). Amazing what O2 can do.
He should be getting a cath today. Updates when I have them.

Dad

2009-02-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

Brilliant. Cranky. Telecommunications engineer, and a team writer of ISDN, the original Internet protocol (I'm probably using the wrong terms here, but he wrote what made the WWW work). Lover of Thai food. Husband of my Mom for over 40 years. He was sometimes abrasive, but we always knew we were loved. Cleaning out his desk I found pictures of my sister and me all over. And notes... "Tell Sharon - WWI airplane exhibit at Long Beach airport." He was proud of my flying and other adventures.

On Valentine's night he took my Mom out for a romantic dinner. Then the chest pain got worse and she finally convinced him to go to the hospital. He was told years ago that without a stint / bypass he would die, and he made his decision. Hadn't seen a doctor in two years. He coded and passed 15 minutes after their arrival. He got his way: No surgery, no ICU torture.

You did good, Dad!

Life is Good in the Pants

2009-01-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

Two of my online knitting friends became real life knitting friends last Sunday. Rachel (the one I'm hugging) and Amy met me at Reading Market. We had savory crepes for breakfast (mine was tasty turkey breast with pesto, broccoli, and spinach), walked around the market and the city, visited Rosie's and Loop, had more crepes (blanc fromage & honey) and tea in a lovely little cafe, and generally knit and talked and laughed ourselves silly. All three of us grabbed a skein of "goblin" sock yarn. Very curious to see how those come out. We saw a pig bunny, and a shop window done for Valentine's Day with giant golden fish sporting false eyelashes and lipstick! Our dark walk back to the train station was enhanced by snow flurries. The flakes were suspended dramatically in the air by various spotlights meant to color the ornate architecture. Bonus: My pedometer said 13,500 steps by the time I made it home. So, yes, perfect day. :)

Cold & Comfort

2009-01-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

My camera has indeed suffered the January curse, but my cell phone grabbed these: Beautiful ice patterns on Wensleydale this morning, and Matt using the Plushinator as a pillow. Both were fast asleep and smiling (FatBoy smiles by sticking his tongue out the tiniest bit).

Aw, crap.

2009-01-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

Our January isn't over. Gromit required new sparkplugs, ignition wires, and ignition coil. Total cost: $1100-some. Sigh.

Here's a little video to keep you from being too blue.

Bush-Whacked

2009-01-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

Here's an article that everyone should read in light of the inauguration. And yet more reasons why elephants are ultra-cool. As if you needed more! Someday I'll have one of those in my office. Um, a painting, not a pachyderm.

Knitters are mathy, too! Three pages of sciencey goodness.