Archives for August 2006

My friend Nakachi is a strong, lovely woman, and she’s proving it, by setting this up. Please join if you’re so moved. I think it’s a fantastic idea. You’ve seen what knitters can do….. 

All,

Many of you may be aware of the events currently unfolding
in Lebanon.  Regardless of your political positions, or lack thereof,
the devastation has displaced a staggering number of civilians.  Basic
living supplies are desperately needed.  Many of us who feel the need
to assist in the call for humanitarian aid are unable to send money.
We are not, however, helpless. 

I am the co-founder of a yahoo group created to gather those
who can sew/knit/crochet to assist in an on-going effort to provide
handmade towels, blankets, soap and clothing to those in need in
Lebanon and worldwide.  We are making these items by hand to be
delivered directly to those in crisis. 

We have made contact with relief workers on the ground in Lebanon and with the country’s Higher Relief Council to determine legitimate delivery channels and are preparing to send our
first shipments.  We have also teamed with organizations here in the
U.S. with established humanitarian programs such as  MADRE and Women’s International League for Peace.
At the end of the month cloths will be travelling to Ethiopia with an
organization called Hope for Children.  The cloths will be delivered to
an orphanage for Ethiopian children affected by the HIV pandemic.

If you or someone you know knows how to knit, crochet or sew please join our yahoo group, Loop by Loop.
Feel free to forward this email to others you think would be willing to
assist in this massive effort.  We need all the hearts and hands we can
get. 

Who else saw Knitty Gritty yesterday? Who else was amazed? Did you see this?

I know, I can hear you yelping from here. That show? It’s normally pablum for new knitters who feel an irresistible need to knit with acrylic fun fur. I always Tivo it, though, and this is what I do: I bring it up, I cringe at the project, then I see who the knitster girls (or boys) are, since they’re sometimes bloggers (but does Vickie ever mention that? No), and then I fast forward to the designer featured, just in case it’s someone I LURVE so much that I’m willing to watch her pontificate upon the knitted air-conditioner cozy. (I’m going to get found someday by someone searching for that.)

Yesterday, however, the project was lovely, as I must admit, every once in a while it is. A Moebius cowl, done in Fleece Artist sportweight cashmere. Simple, pretty lace.

The designer was Cat Bordhi. No, I know. And you’re right. But I think even with her eccentricities, she’s a genius. Not a genius like Einstein or Zimmerman, but more like your crazy uncle who bought all those boat motors and then built an ice castle out of them, somehow. She freaks me out, but man, does her brain work in an unconventional way.

Now, Moebius knitting has always seemed vaguely interesting to me, in an oh-that’s-neat-but-eh kind of way. So you cast on stitches, and then do what you normally do accidentally, twist them when you join them in a circle. I guess it always seemed like a make-lemonade kind of project. Oh, shit! Well, that’s okay, I’ll just make a Moebius.

But not this method. Has this been around? Has she/anyone been doing this for a long time and I’ve been in the dark? She casts on twice around a double-looped long needle, and then knits continually, from the CENTER of the scarf, so there’s NO CAST ON EDGE (brilliant) and the one twist is just organically there. And it’s only a half-twist! When you screw up in casting-on, you get the whole twist, so there are actually two twists in your knitting, but this is only one, a true Moebius.

I watched the whole show, people. Fascinated. Something entirely new to me in knitting. I went for a bagel later, and found myself right next to a knitting store. So I went in, and heard people discussing the show, which had only aired two or three hours before. The clerk said she’d already sold yarn and long needles to four or five people who had rushed to the store. It’s like that, really.

So catch a repeat, if you can. The written instructions are here, but you can’t use them sans episode yet, since they haven’t even finished writing up Cat’s unusual cast-on.

Me, I’m using handspun cashmere, which only increases my delight in this surprising technique. I’m off today, and I have no plans other than sitting my ass on this couch and knitting.

No, not for me, silly. Stop it. But at work, I had a boy! I get a stork award! Here it is:

Working 911 fire/medical, you get birth calls regularly, if not often. Nine times out of ten, the contractions are in full swing, but the baby is still an hour or more away. Sometimes you get the real deal, screaming and pushing, the baby almost out, and then the silly paramedics get there too fast, and you miss the new baby’s entrance. Or you get the call after the baby’s born, and they just need an ambulance for transport.

But tonight, I got the whole deal, answered the phone and Almost-Dad-But-Not-Quite-Yet was screaming almost as loudly as Hang-On-Just-A-Second-You’re-Almost-A-Mom. "It’s coming out! The baby’s coming! Oh my god!"

In the length of time it took me to verify his address and phone number, to get her age and vital stats, the baby was all the way out. We got through the whole thing: making sure the baby was breathing and crying, cleaning the baby, wrapping the baby, tying the umbilical cord, delivering and wrapping the placenta.

Then I asked Now-You’re-A-Daddy, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

He said, "It’s a boy." Pause. "It’s a BOY!" You could hear that he hadn’t really fully realized it until he said it out loud for the first time.

"Congratulations, daddy." I said.

"Thank you! It’s a BOY!"

Dude. That was cool. And okay, I gave myself the stork award, since we always talk about them and no one ever really gets one, but I wanted it. So there it is. Woot! Happy birthday, kid. It’s a good world. Welcome.

of my little avatar over there? Courtesy of Meez, it was fun to play with. Does it look like me at all? I mean, add sixty pounds to her bones in your head. I’d like to feed that girl a decent meal of, like, thirty-seven virtual milkshakes a day. Give a girl some curves, wouldja?

I am itching to knit cables. I’m………

Oooh! Have you ever tried Paul Newman’s fig snack cookies? They are soooo chewy and good.

I was thinking about knitting. But now I’m not, sorry.

My brain is fried. Exhausted. Too much work, too little sleep, and the added stress and excitement of getting a lot done in a short amount of time. Yesterday I gave the key to our new tenant, and I left her there. In my condo. Which is now her apartment. I don’t live there anymore.

I don’t WANT to live there anymore. But it’s weird to sell the space to someone. She’ll be cozy there. She’ll be one taking the baths in the clawfoot tub. (Why didn’t I take my last bathe while I still could?) She’ll be listening to the traffic. I hope she loves it. She certainly seems like a doll.

I was all, like, professional and stuff. I said, "I want to be the best landlord EVER!" and then I did a little hop to emphasize the point. "So call me! For anything! If anything breaks, I’ll fix it!"

She said, "I’ll really keep it nice for you. I promise."

"But I’ll get things fixed! Put nails in the wall! You’ll scratch the hardwood floor like I did, and who cares? Shit happens! Just call! I’ll help!"

She said, "I used to manage an apartment building, so I’m pretty handy."

CALL ME! I wanted to scream, but I nodded coolly and stopped jumping up and down. "Sure, that’s cool. I get it."

Then Clara and I left and went to the beach where I felt very grown up and weird, and she felt like a border collie who wanted to herd waves (she’s very good, thank you for asking).

I forgot I had these cookies! Hang on.

Yep. Still as good as they were ten minutes ago.

See, me back on midnight shift lets you in for this kind of thing. Saintly Lala was great yesterday morning when I got home. I’d been up and running for more than 24 hours following a sleepless PMS-insomnia night. I got LOST going home. Seriously. I was trying to get through Pleasanton on surface streets, avoiding a pile-up on westbound 580, and I totally twisted myself up. I couldn’t call work for directions home, because I would have cried. I didn’t have a map. So I literally headed for the hills, knowing Oakland lay that direction.

Yeah, wrong hills. I was almost to Fremont (got to Sunol) by the time I figured out my mistake. Timesaving, not so much.

I got home and dissolved into those big tired sobs that don’t make any sense. Also, I needed to make the bed right NOW, with Lala still in it. This is true.

She just kept saying shhhh.
Shhhh.
Shhhhh.

She left the room to take a shower so she could go to work, and when she came back in, I was dead to the world. Lovely, lovely sleep.

I’m at work now, dreaming of sleep. And eating the best fig newtons. And deciding that I really don’t care for knitting lace. But I LOVE cables. I must do cables soon. Very soon. Screw all this other stuff I’m working on and can’t seem to finish (except socks. Finishing lots of boring socks lately).

I hope you’re sleeping now, well and deeply. Or if you’re east of me, I hope your coffee is strong, and the sky is clear and cool. That’s what I wish.

Also, hello to reader Linda, who spotted me and Miss Idaho at the Bulb today! Actually, all the dogs were with me, but Clara was being a spaz, and Miss ID was the superstar. Thanks for reading, Linda (who is not Marie-Claire, and I have no idea why I thought you said your name was that — that doesn’t sound ANYTHING like Linda) and Daughter.