First, a word about our sponsors...

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

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!

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. :)

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?

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

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

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...

Pyrotechnics by Matt, photos by Jari.

Gettysburg, yet again

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

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?

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

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!

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?

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...

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

January Goals & 4th Annual Breakdown

First the good news... my goals for 2008 were mostly met. I made a beaded lace shawl, fingerless gloves, and a beret. I learned entrelac, Continental knitting, and Fair Isle colorwork. I failed to make a zillion socks or lose weight, so those are back on the block for 2009. I was greatly restrained, SeaSocks aside, and my yarn stash has decreased. I DID get my clinic going: I'm very happy with the growth in my practice and expect 2009 to be a profitable year. It's so awesome to make money by helping people. Seriously - Does it get any better?

Now the bad news. We have not escaped the Annual January Breakdown. So far we've lost Matt's iPod (went for a swim in the sink), the space heater (ai yi yi it's cold in the bedroom!). My phone, camera, and computer are all acting suspiciously, but I've got my fingers crossed. The real killer is the plasma TV. This 10 year old dinosaur was an uber-generous gift from Matt's brother Greg. Who, by the way, is a dead ringer for Lou Gehrig. Anyway, this TV has been on every night, showing us ancient history and goofy British comedy and shoot 'em up action. It's still working, after a 5 minute warm-up, but the right side is fuzzy. I think it's had a stroke. We are just crossing our fingers that it lasts until Matt can moonlight his way to some extra cash. He's just passed the Step 3 boards, which makes him an Official Grownup Doctor so as soon as the paperwork comes through he'll be able to take on even more hours (*groan*). Of course with more people coming to me for acupuncture that will help, too. :)

Holiday Roundup

For Thanksgiving we went to Maine. Nancy (Matt's sis) & Andre throw legendary celebrations and this one was no exception. I forgot my camera, so here are some terrible phone pics. There's Matt & Nancy, and her three gorgeous kids, Hunter, Juliana, & Ben all wearing holiday cracker crowns.

For Christmas we were hoping to see his kids in Oregon, but the crazy airline prices put the kibosh on *that* fantasy. He's going out this month to get some quality time instead. We didn't even make it to NYC, thanks to Mr. Peach's little excursion to the vet. An acute infection sent him into respiratory failure. He needed two days in oxygen. it was insanely expensive but I guess that's why God invented credit cards. It's so good to have him back home and doing fine now. It would have broken my heart to lose him.

Our prezzies were all hand-made this year. I spun and knit up hats, scarves, and mittens. The one project I failed to finish was Matt's kilt hose. I'm still working on them, but when you see the pics you'll understand (think tiny yarn, complicated cables, and giant legs). The red scarf there is 100% mohair spun from locks. It seriously feels like heaven... in fact I heard that it was instantly subjected to egregious sexual advances by a cat immediately after being opened. In Nae's case, a fellow knitter, I stopped at the spinning phase and made her 2 skeins of lace yarn.

Matt outdid himself with the silverwork, turning out a stunning yarn ring for me, and molecule necklaces for all the women in his life. He crafted dopamines & seratonins, the neurotransmitters of happiness, and a one-off melatonin for sister Mary the sleep doctor. Pics of all these are coming... we're going to set up an online shop soon.

Amazing stuff!

I've been too busy to blog, but I promise some catch-up posts soon. In the meantime, here are some wonderful things to see and do and be scared of.

My new favorite blog to read: Woolgathering.

A Night at the Theatre

I've been remiss on not blogging about Poe Evermore at the Mount Hope Winery. You go from room to room and see a different Poe story enacted or poem read at each stage. It was our second year and we loved it!

Last night Andy took me out to Iron Age's production of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. They had an interesting approach with the characters - Most of the actors played multiple parts to emphasize the multiplicity of the mind. The acting was great, the staging spectacular... all and all very impressive for a tiny community theatre. Andy's friend Steve McLean did the majority of the Hyde heavy lifting.

When you need a good laugh...

Try the Cake Wrecks (professionally made errors and artistic disasters, and also some spectacular gorgeous edible sculptures) or Fail blogs. Nothing cheers you up like laughing at someone else's colossal mistake, no? This video made me cry from laughing.

Yes!

Rather than add yet another ETA to yesterday's post, here's a new slice of beauty:

An anonymous black man on the “L” in Chicago put his own spin on it when he announced to a car full of strangers: “Rosa Parks sat down. Martin Luther King marched. Barack Obama ran. And my grandchildren will fly.”

History, today!

"This is your victory!" President Obama told us, and he is absolutely right. I am so proud of this country... so proud that people overcame those ridiculous lies and their racist fears to choose a man who stands for hope rather than fear. I literally felt that heart-swelling sensation in my chest. Still do! Yes, I cried when it was announced last night. It was a Great Day, and I'll always remember it.

ETA: A great little blogpost by Christopher Buckley

ETA: Tragically, it was not all good news today. California's Proposition 8 was approved, depriving same-sex couples of the rights that hetero couples enjoy. I can't understand this. The conservative argument against these loving, long-term relationships are based on religious dogma. Aren't we supposed to have a separation of Church and State? How are personal lives any business of the government? There's bad news from FL, AR, and AZ, too.

Autumn Cowl

I love cowls - all the warmth of a scarf, but hands-free and no chance of catching it in the car door. And no need to take it off before cleaning the litterbox.

This one was a quick knit, just random rows of different stitches.

Halloween 2008

Last night was pretty low-key. Debbie is visiting from Phoenix, so we went for a nice dinner. Somehow I didn't get around to decorating the house this year, but Mother Nature took care of that for me. This is our back yard! We had a fantastic picnic out there today and fell asleep looking up at the leaves.

Tonight, we join Nae at the Mount Hope Winery for their Poe presentation. We went last year and it was fantastic.

Also, some bold squirrel or bunny enjoyed our front step pumpkin.