Ceallach Knits

International Women's Day

2011-03-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

So today is International Women's Day. Stephanie wrote a nice post here and it got me thinking.

Many of you will know already that I am a feminist. You'll know that I believe in choice, agency, bodily sovereignty, working outside the home, working inside the home, having children and not having them, being yourself despite and sometimes because of societal gender role expectations. You'll know that I believe women are underpaid, undereducated, underappreciated, overtaxed, and subjected to unnecessary violence every day, around the world.

You'll know that I am a gender non-conformist in a number of ways that are not immediately obvious to others. You'll know that my husband, The Rock of Ages in my life, is a gender non-conformist in ways that are not immediately obvious to others.

You'll know that I believe that American women get thrown under the Congressional bus everyday, even though women as a constituency outnumber men in this country by SEVEN MILLION persons as of the 2000 US Census.

But maybe you won't know why.

Because I believe that women and men deserve equality. As Stephanie states, equality is not sameness. It means equal. Equal is not always the same.

What do you believe?

Finally...

2011-01-31T17:39:00.001-08:00

My doctor called last week to give me some bad news. The bad news is that I have a medical condition that needs treating.

The good news is that it's easily treated and explains a laundry list of symptoms but also the complete inability to lose weight.

I am feeling fine. Or will be soon.

The sense of relief is amazing though.

Old white guys....

2011-01-28T21:59:00.000-08:00

I am NOT thankful for old white guys today.

Old white guys think that they should be able to get their rocks off with any woman they want.

Old white guys think that they don't need consent to get their rocks off with any woman they want. It's not rape.

Old white guys think that unless a woman fights back hard when they want to get their rocks off with any woman they want, it's not rape

Old white guys think that a woman should not be able to get an abortion if she falls pregnant unless a woman fights back hard when they want to get their rocks off with any woman they want. It's not rape, right?

Old white guys think that society has no responsibility to a woman who falls pregnant unless she fights back hard when they want to get their rocks off with any woman they want. Because it's not rape, right?

Old white guys that think that society has no responsibility to a woman who falls pregnant unless she fight back hard when they want to get their rocks off with any woman they want.....

Got no rocks.

Karma....

2010-12-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

After years of working hard, if a bit complacently, I have an opportunity to level up at a great firm with great people in a subject where I have significant expertise. This would be an amazing opportunity.

Then why does it feel like I am being hit by a karma??

Seriously.

Great opportunity, but a huge amount of change.

So today I am grateful for the love and support of friends who get to watch this transformation happen. Pull up a chair and make some popcorn for the show.

eat....

2010-12-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you discover something that just satisfies something in your soul. It's usually a small thing, a gentle look, a kind word.

For me, right now, it's cheese.

Every morning I have two fried eggs for breakfast as part of a plan for weight loss with a dietitian. According to her, I need to also have at least one piece of toast with my eggs. Okey-fine.

The problem is the incredible burning tedium of two eggs in the morning.

Enter cheese, stage right.

Not sure what made me do it, but I started adding a slice of Cambozola to my toast....so toast the bread, top it with a slice of cambozola, and then drop the still quite hot fried egg on top. In the time it takes to put the pans away and move the plate to the table, the cheese has gone ooey-gooey but the yolk of the egg is still liquid.

One strategic bite and the cheese oozes out the holes of the bread and the yolk oozes over that and you have a delicious mess right in your mouth.

All because of the strategic application of a blue cheese and brie hybrid.

Oh, yeah, tried this with regular bleu. Too strong.

So, big shout out to Cambozola this morning.

No Knitting to report.

breathe....

2010-12-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

The breath is an amazing thing. It may be the one perpetual motion machine in the universe. The act of inhaling flows into the act of exhaling which flows into the next inhalation. A perfect balance of in and out, accompanied by a soft sigh of the wind as it changes direction.

Yogic teachings tell us that the breath is key to life. More than they know, for some think that grief resides in the lungs, settling into the chest and constraining the breath from its full potential.

Fortunately, we can force the breath, deeply exhaling and inhaling allowing the breath to release grief from the body as it passes out.

Sadly, when we grieve, the breath itself becomes restricted, forced, and might even shudder in the body. We forget to let the breath take the full course in our bodies, allowing the body to cleanse itself through respiration.

When we swim, as I have been doing a great deal of lately, we regulate the breath. The breath must occur at a particular moment in the stroke, as the body rolls to the side allowing the upstroke arm to come out of the water. This creates a well for the breath to occur with a quick turn of the head....a small window of opportunity for life to continue.

Breath is drawn and oxygen courses through the body, paying back a small debt that could have been so much greater, only to build again. The next few strokes, the breath is slowly, deliberately exhaled in a trail of bubbles, until the next window of opportunity opens in a well in the water.

At the moment, I feel like the only time that I breathe is in the pool...swimming is literally keeping me going right now, but I can't get enough of it. I can't swim long enough, despite an hour dedicated to it each time.

Today, I struggled with my breath. I could not get enough, I could not breathe long enough. My exhale was a quick release, instead of a slow burn. It all was difficult and disjointed. My body burned with oxygen debt and muscles ached. All was out of sync because I could not catch my breath.

I am grateful for my breath and tomorrow the breath will be better.

Too many projects.....

2010-09-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

Not enough time...you see two sweaters a hat and no less than 5 shawls with one more shawl not in the portrait.

Sent from my Samsung Epic™ 4G

Operation beautiful

2010-08-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

Seen at the scale at the sf ymca. Thank you.

Knits Deconstructed

2010-08-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

I had two sweaters that knit up way too big. I know that no one else does this.

Regardless, they've been hanging round forever, and so today I deconstructed them with the assistance of a super-ball winder. I now have two really big balls to show for my effort.

I think I will carry them around in my pants. Like teh menz.

conversation at happy hour

2010-07-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

My husband and I were able to have drinks at a local happy hour tonight, sans les files. This is part of our conversation.....

Me: I need to dye this weekend.
Him: I need to dye, I want to dye, I must dye. Does this mean the kitchen sink should be clean? Are you sure you want to dye?
Me: Yes, i need to dye. Will you help me?
Him: Well, I will run hot water for you, but I will not assist you with dyeing.
Me: Oh, sure. If you loved me, you would help me dye.
Him: The kids can help you. If I do it, I could go to jail. The kids will totally get off.
Me: so you’ll run hot water, but you won’t help me with dyeing. Wuss.
Him: Hey, consider yourself lucky, I am happy to let you dye. Most guys would have issues with that.

Do you shawl?

2010-07-24T23:08:00.001-07:00

That was the questuion recently on Ravelry.

My answer is one of bear's sanitary needs in the wilderness. Recently I finished a little tunic dress for Littlest and showed it to the knit night ladies. They were shocked that it was not a shawl.

At which point, I pointwd out that the tunic dress was in fact a shawl.

It started with just a few stitches, increasing 4 stitches on every row.

It incorporated a delicate lace pattern to extend the yarn...remember lace uses about 30 percent less yarn than stockinette.

It ended with an edging that has points.

It's not my fault if she wears it like a dress...

So do you shawl?

Crashed and burned

2010-07-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I had a minor surgery. As always there's a story.

Y'all probably know that I have a thing for swimming. Especially if you're connected to me on Facebook.

So you may not know that for the last 12-18 months, I have had a white mark on my back that won't tan. Heck, some of you won't know that I can in fact tan. Suffice it to say, the white spot on my back was a concern....The Rock was asked to examine and said there was a bump under the skin. Over 18 months, the bump got bigger and I got me to the physician. Redheads and things on skin don't mix.

Off to the doctor I go. Doc says, yep, I know what it is, harmless, we could remove but it would be elective. Oh, yeah, sometimes they get infected. So he refers me to cosmetic Dermatology for the removal.

While I wait for the Dermatology department to call, the damn things bursts under the skin and gets inflamed. So Memorial Day Weekend, I am at the doctor again, yep, inflamed, infected, here's some Sulfa to take the infection down and a surgical appointment to get it removed.

Two days later I report for what is supposed to be surgery, but turns out to be a consult. So I get to my consult anxious and nervous about being cut into. ( I don't care for doctors much, because I have issues with their God complexes.) So long conversation with the excellent and compassionate surgeon, who also refers me to the Dermatology department for a discussion re: skin cancer risk. A week later, I get on the surgical schedule.

So, do you see that this thing has netted me 4 doctor appointments, when they could have taken care of it at the get go??

So yesterday I had it removed. The surgeon was excellent and chatted with me the whole time. I just wish that she had told me that the anesthetic had a stimulant in it, as pixelpurl suspects.

Why? is the reader's part.

Well, those of you who know me IRL probably know that I don't take stimulants. Yup, no coffee, no caffeine, no drugs. No stimulants at all. And you also know that my response to the coffee question is:

Have you ever seen a lemur on caffeine?

Lemurs are cute Madagascar primates. At the zoo they can be seen to be running around alot in the trees and on the ground. They're high energy for the most part. Picture them after a cup of coffee. I'll give you a moment. Yeah.

So now you know why I don't use stimulants.

So yesterday I get home from this appointment and after an bit, I am literally shaking. And then I crashed. Hard. I worked gently through my day and was asleep by 9pm.

Oh, yeah, and the doctor wanted to give me some narcotics too. Bless her heart.

Anyway, the procedure went well, I am a little hungover today, and not in a lot of pain, despite the way the doc laid it out. Turns out I really did not need narcotics.

Why yes, I was 10 at the time.

2010-06-01T21:29:00.000-07:00

Today, my husband and I celebrated 18 years together. That's right 18 years ago, we saw each other across a crowded room and that was it.

In some ways, this anniversary seems more personal, more relevant than our wedding anniversary. This anniversary is one that only we know about. Only we know what happened on that date. I can remember the look in his eyes and my sense of intrigue. He remembers what I wore in fine detail.

Our wedding anniversary was less about us, and more about society, acceptance, and morality in some ways. It's just as important but not as intimate.

And you know what, we have reached the point of quiet acceptance and affection that not all couples have. The point where you know what wine someone likes relative to your wine appreciation and you are right every time. The point where you no longer have to chat and put on pretense and pretend to be someone other than you are. The point where you realize that this is really IT, and it's not all fireworks and romantic music, and that that is really soooo much better than fireworks and romantic music.

And it only took 18 years to get here.

Why, yes, I was 10 at the time, and he was 21. Really. Why do you ask?

Handspun shawl is complete

2009-10-31T21:10:00.001-07:00

It's done....I am very happy with the edging...its a icelandic single for the center and cross patch creations for the border.

Littlest's socks

2009-10-30T14:58:00.001-07:00

I am knitting sock for the family for the upcoming Midwinchristmahanakwanzakkah holidays....this is that old tube sock pattern.

Handspun shawl is almost done!

2009-10-26T08:04:00.001-07:00

I have been knitting on this a fair bit lately...this pic is from last night. I since bound off the edge and picked up stitches along the top edge for more blue border. Another day or two and it will be done.

Creativity Identified

2009-08-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me, know that occasionally I think about Creativity Itself. Sometimes I think about it alot.

I've been at it again.

I picked up a book called Living the Creative Life (Freeman-Zachery) and have been reading it bit by bit in a room of the house I will not mention, because I am struggling a bit with a busy life which I felt was disconnecting me from the creative aspects that keep me alive. Yes really, they are that crucial to my happy life.

I also bought the book because I have been thinking alot about how to make my creative space work better for me. I have two main spaces that I use. Our living room is cordoned (ok, not really, but I have a line that I observe) off into living room and sewing/yarn/creative area. The problem is that my creative area is inescapable, just as my office feel inescapable, since I am working at home so much at the moment. I also have what my son called the dyeing yard (great name) this weekend, which is the side yard of the house that I keep my dyeing storage and tables in. There is a chicken wire fence closing it in, which is nice, because it gives me a space in which to contain the process. I would really like to move the sewing area into the side yard with a studio building of some kind, we are working with the city on this, but I don't think I have too many options at the moment given the restrictions of city ordinance, existing buildings and the flow of chi through the yard.

But here are some things that I have realized in the intersection of focusing on this topic and living my life:

One of the best places for me to think is in the car driving. I know that Bezzie takes showers, and Kverulantinnen takes long walks and generous timelines. Long walks and timelines also work for me, but require time which is in short supply right now. But this weekend, I went to the South Bay to sell some yarn and the ride back was very creative, just driving on the freeway and thinking, even with my mom in the car, which made me remember this. Why did I have to do this to remember this? Because I have been doing lots less driving than usual, due to telecommuting etc. So this is an important revelation for me, that when I am feeling dry to go for a bit of a drive.
I have periodic slumps that feel like the end of the world. I know this because I blog about them. You also know this because I blog about this. I also forget about them every single time. Amnesia.
I also like to putter about in my studio area before I get started. It's a bit of a ritual of initiation. The putter can include getting out materials, putting things away, or just moving things around. The important point is that I am in the studio space, I am touching things in the space and things are moving.
I also putter in the midst of creating. It's a distinct process that I go through. Stopping periodically to clean up a bit, get a snack, putter around the house/studio with mundane uncreative tasks, etc. I do this while painting, writing, sewing, quilting, anything that is a long drawn out creative process, but not while dyeing, interestingly, probably because of the segregation of materials that I observe while working with chemicals of any kind. I also do this at the day job, when writing or working on a document of some kind.
I like to clean up my space between projects or foci. So for instance, this weekend I wrapped up a long run of dyeing, skeining, and labelling of yarn etc for Ceallach Dyes and Sock Summit. Before I could rest, I needed to put everything aright, meaning yarns got boxed, labels, inventories and other paperwork got stacked, auxiliary furniture got stored, and the living room furniture got restored. The sewing machine and serger went back up on th desk and the swifts went over by the skeiner. By the time I was done, most everything was put away and the space is ready for the next gust of Ceallach. Maybe it's more of a flood. Who knows?

Another area that I am interested in, and hoping this book will help is trying to find or strike a balance between a day job, a business, writing of books (which is becoming a force in my life) and maintaining creativity, maintaining my health through diet and exercise, and dedicating time to my family.

So here are some questions for my readers:

What kinds of things do you do when you are creating?
What rituals do you have around creating?
What is your space like?
Do you have some of the same struggles?
Would you be interested in a cohesive group of people where you might discuss this and related topics? This could be on Ravelry, a dedicated group blog, a web ring or the like.
Do you already know of something like this?

Dye prevents Spinal Tissue Death?

2009-07-28T09:01:00.011-07:00

I came across this article today which links the injection of a blue dye already FDA-approved for food use into the bloodstream of someone just having had a spinal injury.

It turns out that one of the biggest problems in a spinal injury is the rush of ATP to the injury site which leads to subsequent tissue death of the nerve tissue. The injection of the dye stops that process. I don't pretend to understand all of the science. But having a quadraplegic father-in-law does give one an appreciation for these kinds of medical advances and the incredible impact that they can make.

The fact that it's a dye that I may in fact be using on yarn. Well, life don't get any better than that.

Musings on mountains

2009-07-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, Ravelry is having a dye contest in conjunction with the Sock Summit in August. This has me thinking of socks and summits and series, which leads me to muse on mountains I have known, but one in particular.

Mt. St. Helens and I first became acquainted in 1994, and we are probably the best acquainted of any other I have known, with the exception of my own local Mt Diablo.

In 1994, I had arrived into Portland with no money to my name, having spent the last 11 dollars to layaway some turn of the century Japanese hair sticks in Seattle. I was able to get some money from family, enough to stay at a youth hostel downtown where I met two women who were planning to conquer the summit. It sounded like fun, even if I was sure at the time that mountaineering is not my thang. That day we barely made the summit by mid-afternoon, ate lunch on the edge of the crater and then sledded down the glaciers on our butts.

Without ice axes.

Not my brightest moment, but a good thing that we did slide down, because as it was, we hiked from the tree line down in the dark; I, without a flashlight.

I remember though seeing the other mountains in the neighborhood from the edge of the crater. It was amazing. I have no pictures that I can remember, but see it clearly in my mind, not as you would in this picture, but as a gravel cone that we climbed in tennis shoes. I remember my feet slipping down the gravel, and the main image is looking up from the slide of the gravel cone to the edge of the crater. We were above the tree line, but that's what I remember.

It seemed impossible.

Sometimes, when I think of that day, it helps me remember that if I can summit St Helens, I can do anything. Even if I am scared out of my mind or just plain lazy.

Ceallach Dyes at the Maker Faire

2009-05-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Ceallach Dyes, the dyeing arm of Ceallach Knits, will be at the Maker Faire this weekend. We will be dyeing and demonstrating and generally having a blast at this fine event. If you have never been to Maker Faire, take a day and go! It's an amazing, mind blowing and preconception shattering event.

We will be on the West Lot near the Diet Coke Mentos fountain, the HomeGrown Village with Beekepers, Permaculaturists, Composters and other Greenies out to save the world. Join us for a demonstration if you're in town or the area.

Please also tell your friends about this event.

What do you do for inspiration?

2009-05-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

I know that many of the folks that consume my blog are creative. I am curious, what do you do for inspiration?

Inspiring minds want to know.

The deadline is done

2009-04-30T14:38:00.001-07:00

I amd exhausted...my deadline is done and so now for the crash. I had the hot date with Mr. Ambien last night and another tonight but can't wait for weekend when I can do nothing at all.

Mind you, I will probably cram a bunch of stuff in but if I did want to do nothing, I totally could.

It's time to spin

2009-04-26T23:36:00.000-07:00

I have not been spinning that much lately. My poor wheels are like the latest additions to the sultan's harem, lazing around the hammam waiting to be called into service with the Sultan who is now old and unable to treat all his wives and concubines equally because there are just too many.

An odd metaphor to be sure, but I have been reading a bit lately.

But I digress. I am still working on my article for the Green Non-Profits Handbook, which is due on Thursday at 3pm my time. The deadline looms which is of course why I am doing everything but putting my head down and cranking it out. I know naturally that distractions are part of my creative process, as is taskswapping between the task at hand and other things like message boards, browsing the interwebs, seeking out sweets, making tea, bread and cookies and any other number of things that are unrelated to the task at hand.

Ergo, I blog.

Today, I am thinking that it is time to start spinning again, since I have been on a kind of hiatus. I have been mostly knitting, but am thinking that I should switch it up a bit. I am also thinking that I should start taking the wheel to knitting group, since I can actually spin and talk without making mistakes. That might actually also slim down the stash of wool as well.

It's interesting, because my interests seem to ebb and flow between the various interests. Does this happen for you as well?

From the mouth of Littlest

2009-04-25T23:52:00.000-07:00

Those of you with kids know this to be true: Kids say the darnedest things. Well, we had one of those moments today.

After picking up the kids from the local Pump It Up after a birthday party for one of Littlest 4yo friends, it became apparent that the mom in question created goody bags that were oriented by gender. Littlest's goody bag contained several bracelets, but was sans the small lizard that was in Little Hill's bag....things escalated from there, culminating in Little Hill very graciously sharing his lizard with Sis. We had, in the midst of this, been reassuring Littlest that she had plenty of various lizards, reptiles and dinosaurs in her prodigious collection of toys. This led to the following exchange:

The Rock: "Littlest, what do you call it when all the dinosaurs are gone and there aren't anymore?"

Littlest: "Dead, Daddy." The Rock had been looking for the word 'extinct'.

This of course sent us into giggles and hysterics, because well, Dead is true, too.

Victory Garden

2009-03-31T06:42:00.000-07:00

Since the Obama Victory Garden is all over the news right now, I thought I would post pics of my own.....But first pics of my flagstone garden....we planted wooly and lime thyme, ajuga, knotweed and sedum between the rocks....they have to grow a bit, but hey, we got thyme! I also planted some California poppy seeds in the cracks in a couple of spots. The goal is to have plants that will do okay without a lot of water, keep down the weeds and fill in the cracks.

Here is some corsican mint and star creeper in the not so sunny spot.....can't wait until the mint is a bit stronger and takes over a bit so that we can smell it. It's nummy when the leaves are crushed and the creeper has tiny white flowers.

So here is the bed with the new beans, eggplant and onion plants in, as well as some lettuce in between rows. The corn that I have not yet put in is there in the foreground.

Again, with the corn. But down below there is the new strawberry bed. We just dug out the ugly bare dirt this weekend and then built up that little wall of stones. It looks so pretty like that, and if the strawberrries don't perform, well, we put something else there. There is another stretch of dirt on the other side of the sidewalk that is where the corn will go. It is well populated with poppies at the momnet, with a scattering and then one good clump....the one good clump will stay and I might try transplanting some of the others.
And here is my peas, my sprouts, some early lettuce and some onions in between it all. The sprouts already have itty bitty little sprouts on the stalks. You can't see them but there are also some tomatoes in between the two stands of peas. I am not sure that they will thrive in that exact spot, but they do like this bed in general.....and the little bit of shade from the fence may not be a bad thing as it heats up.

So are you also planting a garden this year to ease the grocery bill?

There's a hole in the fabric of time and lace

2009-03-30T14:49:00.001-07:00

I discovered it this morning.

It looks like one stitch broke and now there's a hole.

I still have some yarn left over to do a graft to repair it.

But what a pain.

On the plus side, I got a bunch of strawberries in this weekend along with zuchini, other squash and some eggplant. And my peas have pods....here's hoping they get more and grow more......

Don't understand

2009-03-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

If I can put on 5 pounds in the course of a day, why can't I take off the same 5 pounds in the course of a day?

One of the mysteries of life.

I hate cold calling

2009-03-24T11:12:00.001-07:00

You know, like I am having to do on the day yob today.

'Nuff said.

Going to the garden show!

2009-03-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

We are going here tomorrow:

http://www.gardenshow.com/

The goal is to show the dear lovin' husband various types of gardens to help him VISUALIZE what to do in our garden.

The husbeast is somewhat visualization-challenged.

Wish me luck

Guess what the cat dragged in?

2009-03-18T12:00:00.001-07:00

Well, no, the cat did not drag him in, but I understand that if I could get close enough, it would smell like it.

That my dear readers is a turkey vulture. He is a raptor that eats carrion and is protected by federal law for that reason. Our friend here landed first on the car port of the house right behind that telephone pole, smack in the middle of the 'burbs. He stands about 2 feet high, near as I can tell from the stuff around him.

Because they are carrion eaters, they like a cologne that we would detest. I believe it's called Eau de Rotten Flesh, and is not generally available on the open market.

Darkest before the dawn

2009-03-11T18:05:00.000-07:00

So I guess things are always darkest before the dawn.

This week, I managed to tip the 15 lb mark on my personal wieght loss....leaving me 30 pounds to go. Since I have lost the 15 lbs in about 2 months, I guess that I can figure to be at goal weight maybe in June, which is way cool if it comes about.

Also, the sun is up, the nights are brighter thanks to a little human manipulation of the time-space continuum, which most people call Daylight Savings Time. When I get home there's a spot of daylight to play with, which is not a bad thing.

I just yesterday received two BIG boxes from Mr. Brown.....they are right now sitting in my garage. Three guesses as to what is in the boxes.....anyone? Bueller?

an unbearable sameness of being

2009-03-07T20:55:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me, know that occasionally I post something about the unbearable sameness of being. That feeling of one day being very much like the next and life being very predicable. That is where I am right now, partly because of feedback in a review that amounts to my being asked to minimize my strengths and maximize my weaknesses to make things easier on those whose weakness is a fear of speaking up.

Now, I happen to feel that everyone should work to their strengths, because we can learn to use those better, but our weaknesses will always be weaknesses. We can't change them, but we can a way to not have a problem with our weaknesses, kind of like going around our shortcomings, as opposed to breaking our bones trying to surmount them. One can be effective and fun, the latter just gets you a heck of a hospital bill.

But I am very clear on a couple of things....we had our issues in the current economy early on and I am thankful for not having issues right now with my job, insurance, mortgage etc.

I am also thankful that my husband is now working for the Census, which is interesting in the sense of how DO you count over 300 Million people with accuracy and equanimity? The extra income will be good and allow us to save some extra money for us and for the kid's educations.

I am lastly thankful that I have not been sick once yet in 2009. This may in fact be borrowing trouble, but given how much I was sick last year, this is real cause for celebration! I think that deep chocolate ice cream and hard apple cider are in order.

I guess at the end of the day, I just feel a bit adrift. For three years, I was working toward my certification, and now that it's done and the book is done, I don't know what I should be doing with my self. Of course, spend time with the kids and husband, although he's focused on the new yob so that's a bit odd right now. And I also want to work on the business etc, but don't know where to start.

So when you are experiencing the unbearable sameness of being, what do you do?

Projects on timeout

2009-03-03T07:50:00.001-08:00

My projects are on timeout.

It started with Vebjorg getting all tied up in knots in the cable pattern. There was the sound of ripping.

Then mermaid got her tail in a twist because apparently, I was supposed to decrease on the neck edge every 4th row....not every other. More ripping is in order.

And the hoodie went all covert

So I pulled out a garter stitch shawl, because apparently I can't knit when I am suffering from insomnia.

Ah sleep, perchance to dream

The doctor called....

2009-02-25T19:16:00.000-08:00

And he says it's really bad this time. You guessed it, I have startitis again.

On the needles at the moment, I have:

Vebjorg-an Elsebeth Lavold cardigan. I have the back and sleeves done and am now working on the part with the knitted knotted bits. It's not going well.

A hooded hoodie for Little Hill, in red Cascade 220 SW. The hood is halfway done, the rest, not so much.

I just cast on for Mermaid, by Hanne Falkenberg, last night. I cast this on because work is getting a bit more challenging and suddenly knitting a patterned whatsit on the commute train does not seem a good idea. Garter Stitch, that's the ticket!

And I have a new version of my own Camisoul on the needles, done in Waikiki. I got the boob parts done and then winter struck California and suddenly the prospect of making a tanktop was not quite so interesting. Go figure.

Oh, yeah and a little cropped sweater on the needles, due to a yarn quantity challenge. Thank goodness, Stitches West is THIS WEEKEND. So I might just finish something in the near future.

So that makes 5 sweaters on the needles at the moment. Part of me wants to be really quite bad and cast on a bunch more, just in case.

It's Raining, it's pouring....

2009-02-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

...and somewhere someone is probably snoring.

It's totally blah here as a result....there's nothing on Tv, no dyeing today (refer to weather report), and there is nothing going on.

I hate boring days like this.

Fabulous and getting better!

2009-02-18T16:03:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine from the day-yob once told me that this is how her father answers the How are you? question, that I always have trouble with....can't lie, can't tell the truth, what's a girl to do??

But today started out fabulous and just got better....

Imagine my surprise to find out that I am a confirmed author for the Green Non-Profits Handbook by email this morning, after I had decided that it was not going to pan out... So yay for a good writing opportunity.

Then I went to the outdoor pool for the first time in months....and swam. The water was wonderful and warm and it felt great to be in it. The best part is that I decided that it would be good to swim about 1000 yds, but then decided a mile would be good. When I got to a mile, I decided that I was so close to a 2K that I would just do it. I got to the 2K and still felt like I could go another 1K, but decided to get out instead and not overdo it.

What a difference a spot of sun can make. Today it gave me an extra kilometer.....

So you could say, give me an inch and I take a mile.....and you'd be right!

I can't stand the rain!

2009-02-17T20:02:00.000-08:00

**sung in a deep Tina Turner voice**

It's raining here....like really raining, like the monsoons, but the drops are less fat and way less likely to put out an eye.

We have gotten about 7 inches in the very recent past. Our reservoir levels are still at drought level, most of them showing levels indicative of Severe to Extreme Drought.

Oh, goodie.

Did I ever mention that my solar-dyeing process is a low-water immersion process? Good thing, too.

The Springing of Spring!

2009-02-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Bezzie, it's cold here, which means 40s, and very wet. We have an exceptionally long growing season, and I do try to put in the plants in early spring for an earlier yield as well as to allow the plants to get those spring rains for a bit before the heat sets in. They seem to do better. Also I only put out the cold crops this weekend, the tomatoes need a bit more heat to thrive. I am considering cutting terraces for tomatoes on the hill, even if there are no stones to hold the wall, so to speak.

I forgot to mention that my daffodils are up and blooms are incipient! When they do open, I will snap some pics and post them.

I also have a bunch of lettuce that I started from seeds in December in my kitchen window, as well as a number of recent seed starts, including about 4 eggplant, 12 tomatoes, 6 cukes that are ready to break free of the seed starter, 12 sunflowers, and a tray of various flowers for Littlest's cutting garden, that I still need to find a home for.

I am hoping that my seedlings do better than last year's seedling, and I will probably also find a place to put in some potted tomatoes from the nursery, since they will be further along than the seedlings in my window.

I am determined to get some good harvest this year, but am not sure where to put all of it. The plants, not the harvest. I know what to do with the harvest....yummmm!

For the record, many of my co-workers had the same horrified reactions when I mentioned the planting. I think I am a wee bit early this year, but the weather has been unseasonably warm so I think it's appropriate.

Oh yeah, I treated my restlessness and fatigue with a bit of Wyder's and some plum wine....made me feel better.....I am considering a proper bender today after the errands are done.

It's quiet

2009-02-07T13:21:00.001-08:00

It's Saturday in early spring, and the book is off for edits, the all clear was sounded on the day job, I am certified in my profession and there's not enough sun to dye, even if I had yarn to dye. We put some plants in this morning into the first bed in the yard already. The girl-child is at a party, the husbeast took the boy-child off to do manly things somewhere else and I have the house blissfully to myself. And it's quiet. Very quiet, the type of quiet that pushes against you and whispers of quiet, pre-reproductive weekends where there were not childrens to farm out to achieve this kind of quiet.

And I am enjoying it. I'd be a fool not to. Napping sounds good, but then I could not enjoy the quiet, since I would be asleep. Ah for the days when I knew what to do with quiet time.

But for now, a tour of the garden....

Sequoia Strawberries....I put in a dozen, all lined up in the new bed I put in last year.

Red leaf lettuce, you know, to feed the puir hungry slugs.

Brussel sprouts, for the manses who like to steam them and eat them dipped in balsamic vinegar. Apparently, I may be planting them at the wrong time, but we shall see.

Peas for the whole family. They even have a jungley gym to climb, Lawd knows they wuz trying to climb out of their flat.

And my very woody Rosmarin which is in beautiful purple splendour....Sadly, Rosmarin may have to go, since she is just in the wrong place....not looking forward to pulling her out, since her trunk is about 4 inches in diameter.

It's not cancer

2009-02-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

I don't know that I thought it might really be, but with my history, I dare not take a chance, and so I got me to the physician. According to the doctor, the sore on my lower lip is atypical, but does not look cancerous. She gave it a bath in liquid nitrogen and told me to come back if it does not heal properly in 3-4 weeks.

So when I look at the list of risk factors for skin cancer, the only risk I don't have is that part about having had skin cancer. I have had bad sunburns, even 2nd degree sunburns, bad sunburns as a child, fair skin, light hair and eyes, and some family history of skin cancer.

But today, it's not skin cancer.

Nighteh-night!

2009-01-30T16:04:00.001-08:00

MMMMMM! Kitteh likee teh yarns!

That is 6 skeins of Cascade 220 for Sweater #2....Vebjoerg by Elsebeth Lavold.....I think I have skein winding in my immediate future. I wonder if I can chain the boy-child to the ball winder and get him to do it.

It's official

2009-01-29T20:51:00.000-08:00

As of this past Tuesday, I am officially a PMP, as certified by the governing institution for project managers. PMP, for the unenlightened, means Project Management Professional.

Now, as a Project Manager, I frequently get the opportunity to engage in the activity of developing new acronyms for projects or systems. The most important aspect of this is to ensure that the acronyms under consideration do not offend or are easily perverted to cause offense.

Which makes one wonder why PMI decided on PMP, which is easily perverted into Pimp (and has been by some of my co-workers), which is really more of a discreet recruiting and sales job then one of managing discrete work efforts in a finite time frame. Although I guess if you get paid by the hour...

And so I provide some other Unfortunate Acronyms I have known and loved:

FIONA--who was frequently referred to as a Witch, but with a different first letter.
SNM--The Systems and Network Management group.
PMS-- Project Management Support (This could have been Group, but oh no....)

One can see how this can easily get out of hand, if one is not careful with the acronyms. After all, it's all fun and games, until someone calls Human Resources to complain of their hostile work environment.

I don' write, I don' call!

2009-01-27T00:21:00.000-08:00

It's a New Year, and I don't write, I don't call. Yes, I know, and rest assured my guilt over this is profound. But in all fairness, I have my reasons, which I could go into in 3 part harmony, but won't, because really, mostly folks don't care.

Let's just say that there's been a lot of things shaking up round here and I have not felt bloggy as a result.

But it's also a brand new spanking year, and I have a lot to be grateful for, such as a yob, a business, a book, 2 healthy children and a man who clearly loves me to death, or at least to dyeing.

New years are nothing without the occasional goal (a.k.a resolution) to look forward to. I have accomplished two of mine already, one accomplished yesterday, when I got my professional certification. You may now call me Ceallach, PMP. That was a huge deal, for which I have been applying, audited, studying and examined thoroughly. I swear that the testing center stopped just shy of a cavity search before they would let me sit for the exam. I get the whys and wherefores, but wow, it's easier to get on a plane, let me tell you.

I am also doing the 12 Sweaters in 12 months challenge on Ravelry, for which I am almost done with my 1st, right on time. The next one is a toss up between a heavy and challenging sweater like a cabled something, or something more simple, like a camisole knit with Ceallach Dyes' Lace yarn to wear under my workee sweaters, which would be helpful.

So what are you up to?

Welcome!

2008-11-04T21:30:00.001-08:00

I want to just take a moment to welcome the man from Illinois to the White House.

Knit the Vote!

2008-10-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

If you've read me for a while, you know I have strong feelings. About politics, the environment, responsibility and any number of topics. And I don't post HALF of what gets me hed up because I do try to stay fairly neutral. No, really.

But you also know that I think everyone should vote because I post before every election that my readers should vote. I don't care how you vote, or who you vote for, but damnit, if you don't vote, if you don't take responsibility to exercise your right to steer our country on the stormy seas, damnit, you can't complain about the state of things....You just can't if you don't do your duty to this country. It takes, what like 10 minutes, to vote.

And despite what the political parties will tell you, patriots do their duty and vote. In every election. Really.

If you still aren't sure, here are a few of my friends to tell it how it is.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

And here is the link if you want to post this or send it to friends:

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1832128

Please do.

Paybacks are a bitch!

2008-10-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

Fuld, the CEO of Lehman Bros, recently appeared in front of Congress. What most folks don't know is that the margin call that caused the company to fold was 8 Billion dollars, and last years bonus pool for the company was 9 Billion dollars.

Now on the Street, everyone knows that if the company does not do well or the market does not do well, bonuses don't happen or don't happen well.

Well, apparently Lehman went ahead with the bonuses, and now they are gone.

But the Sweetest and smoothest icing on the Lehman Brothers cake is that Fuld got decked and knocked out by a fellow employee in the Lehman gym after the announcements of the failure.

I imagine that he kind of pissed someone off.

Imagine that.

The article is here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/3150319/Richard-Fuld-punched-in-face-in-Lehman-Brothers-gym.html

Knitting along...

2008-10-06T18:04:00.001-07:00

Minding my own business on a little dress when I realize that something is dreadfully wrong....

Often there are signs before you get to this point...the well-intentioned knitting projects strewn along the road you knit on....the growing warmth of the air around you..the knitting baskets cast aside....

Yes.

You've arrived.

In knitting hell.

No wool socks needed here. No nice addi lace turbo needles....nope just miles of stockinette knit with itchy scratchy grey wool with the occasional thorn that sticks in your fingers raw from the large unsanded dpns you have to knit on.

Devil's orders.

I knew I should have swatched.

I need to Wal-Mart!

2008-10-03T19:55:00.001-07:00

Wal-mart (v): To stop at a Wal mart to use the restroom facilities only, in a conscious commentary on their business practice. Derived from the ubiquity of Walmarts in small town America and coined in College Place, WA, where Walmart single-handedly destroyed the economy of the town, now home to their very own strip mall.

Usage: Can we stop soon? I need to Walmart.

Okay, it's a road trip thang.

Long time no post

2008-10-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

But I had to post this. It's a compelling story and one that I have referred to again and again on various fora....you give a girl an education and she can change the world.

Think about that.

Herding foxes

2008-09-21T13:01:00.001-07:00

Fox games by sandy skoglund

2008-09-18T07:51:00.001-07:00

Msg from the ice cap..can we call the ice cap in front of a congressional hearing on global warming

2008-09-18T07:49:00.001-07:00

Message from the lake

2008-09-18T07:46:00.001-07:00

Notes from the lake....

Desperate Knitting

2008-09-10T10:05:00.001-07:00

Do you ever find yourself knitting crazy desperately?

I am knitting crazy desperate because of stress and because there was a shooting not two miles from my house. Some psycho had went after his wife who had left him for the abusive batard he was and he wanted to kill her and their three kids.

Instead he killed a local STAND! Volunteer and a police officer and then was gunned down like a mad dog.

I am working with STAND! To do some volunteer work and it turns out that the cop used to work at my old yob.

And I had to call a friend to make sure it was not another friend he was gunning for...it wasn't thank god.

Is it any wonder I am knitting crazy desperately?

Ceallach Dyes Lace colors....

2008-08-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hey cowboy!

2008-08-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

So on my way to Austin, I got a wild hair.

I wanted to go shopping, get me some jeans (since I did not pack any) and some boots (ditto) and go find me some cowboys.

After all it's Texas and they have cowboys. And cowboys have country music and usually country manners like holding doors and pulling out chairs and country dancing like the two-step.

I guess sometimes a girl needs those things.

Especially when she married a different kind of man.

You know, like the kind who tucks some money in her bag when she gets a wild hair and tells her she's beautiful, even when she can't see it for herself, and takes care of the kids and house when she travels on business.

Like the kind who knows how she picks up new stuff like knitting and runs with it, with nary a word when she brings home more wool or cotton or the selvages from Pendleton's jacquard looms.

Like the kind who is The Rock that her stormy seas can break against.

So Austin can have its cowboys.

I'll take my man.

You have new Picture Mail!

2008-08-08T17:31:00.001-07:00

Meet ceallach's new phone. The old one was murdered. The new one is shiny and pretty

Veni Vici Finite

2008-08-06T12:42:00.001-07:00

You know how sometimes you go into the yarn store and there is yarn that calls to you.

....ceallach, ceallach, you know you want me....take me...

And mostly you ignore it. Until finally one day, the siren call gets to you....and the yarn comes home with you?.

....ah, it feels so good....

That's what happened with this yarn.

.....just like that....

It came home with me and I admired it. I put it on the shelf in my textile corner, and looked at it for a good while. But the siren song continues.

...take me, i'm yours....

Until finally you cast on, not even knowing what you are doing. It's just getting it on the needles. And it's really good even with the uncertainty.

.....just like that....

and you keep knitting, just hoping that inspiration will strike.

...you know you want to....

And then it does, and you start to knit in earnest to get the pattern right. And then it's right and the going gets good.

.....oh, that's really good....

Until you weigh in. And you realize that the everlasting skein of Jojoland Harmony really is everlasting, because you have been knitting forever and have not even gotten halfway through the skein.

....oh, my.....

And finally after a little time away from each other, you knit on it again and decide that you don't really need to knit the entire skein up, because really the shawl that you have created is good-sized. And so you mix it up...change the pattern and carry on.

...i am sooo close....

And then you cast off. It takes all night, but you persevere.

cigarette?

And you wash the shawl and lovingly block it before going to bed. Just you and the shawl alone on the living room rug.

...it hurts so good....

And the next morning you wake up and take up the pins and try the shawl on.

ahhhhh

Yeah, it's like that.

Score!

2008-08-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

Think back to last week wherein our writer whinged and moaned about clothes and the way that she looks in them at the moment and being unable to find a good pant to save her, well, you know.

Fast Forward to Saturday afternoon wherein she located not 1 not 2, but 4 excellent lengths of fabric for well-fitting pants. Note that said lengths were navy, black, rust and a lovely neutral pinstripe plaid with a green streak in them.

Said green streak will work quite nicely with the green sweaters that are fair to bursting out of our heroines closet which has somewhat more room of late.

The future is a bit brighter as a result of the prospect of the wearing of the green. Now if only our heroine might find the time to sew them up....naturally she must sew things in the order that they are cut, not because sewing uncut pants is a bit challenging, but because too many cut things lead to chaos.

(Chaos is bad.)

But also because our heroine is fresh out of navy blue thread. The current cut things are navy blue, and while having been serged to within an inch of their last thread, finishing will require navy blue thread. Of which, there is none in the market today. Not even for ready money.

Perhaps our heroine will kill two pants with one spool of thread by walking to the big Taj Mahal of Fabric in SF to....

buy a spool of navy thread.

(Note that our heroine will not go for a walk to reduce her cholesterol and body weight, but will apparently go the end of Sutter St for navy blue thread.)

Oh, the irony.

Are you just dyeing to....

2008-08-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

learn the secrets of solar dyeing?

That's fabulous, because I am just wrapping up the photography for the seminal work on solar dyeing that will disclose all the secrets of this art for you to delve into!

No, really, I am just wrapping it up, although there is still a lot of work to be done, and then there's editing of photos and incorporating it all into an actual book.

And may I say that it really is amazing that books ever get written because they are a hell of a lot of work.

But I guess it's kind of like birthin' babies.....you forget the pain. At least that's what everyone says about birthin' babies, so it must be true, right??

So keep watching for the announcements, unveilings etc.

I may even post some teasers for those of you very astute and forward thinking readers to drool over right here at Ceallach Knits. There may even be contests or things.

Cheers.

Back in action

2008-08-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

So I am back in action. What have I been doing?

Well, trying to get the book done. I really need to spend a day just working on the book without interruption, but I am also really wanting family life back.

By that I mean that I have been working fulltime, commuting three days a week, telecommuting 2 days. On Saturdays, I get ready to dye and shoot on Sunday morning. It does not leave a lot of time for family and knitting and whatever else a working mom of two needs to do. Including exercise.

I have now managed to put on 20 pounds (or damn close to it) in the 7 months on new yob. Vacation did not help to be sure. It's to the point where I am embarassed to go to work, because I look awful in my clothes and have not been able to find some new pants say.

I cleaned my closet out ruthlessly last weekend, and have fabric out to sew, but little time to do so.

The worst part is knowing that I need to lose the weight, not because of the way I look so much (I am beyond thinking I will be a skinny minnie) but because I feel slow and my clothes don't fit right (and I know from experience, that buying new ones won't help) and my cholesterol is up a bit.

Mama said there would be days like this

2008-07-07T23:01:00.001-07:00

She did not however say that the days may stretch out into weeks or months.

You know how sometimes in life, things are clicking along just fine, work is going good (fabulous actually), the book is coming along, you just got the bills paid off, and took a long vacation wherein despite taking 12 knitting projects, plus two extra yarn packs, just in case, but still there is something disquieting about it all.

Not a slump exactly.

Not depression.

Just things tripping along, almost without you in the driver's seat.

What is that?

Well, ladies and gentlemen, that is where I am. Things are tripping along, and it's all good.

I think that I am waiting for the shoe to drop. You know, the other one that They hold in the air until you relax, sigh a deep sigh and relax ever so much. Then They let go and the shoe drops whistling through the air until

BAM!

You guessed it. The other shoe dropped.

Now you're in for it.

It does not even matter what It is.

It will be bad. Unpleasant. Less than enjoyable....really take your pick of your descriptors. They all mean the same thing.

Are you with me?

Yeah, that's the kind of day it is. The worst part though is not knowing.

You have new Picture Mail!

2008-06-26T09:35:00.001-07:00

The price of gas in Walla Walla, WA.

2008-05-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

This is my new patio.....for 8 years we have had white glaring gravel or hard pan and just a bunch of stuff that has made being in the backyard untenable. Now I have this....I will be planting small plants in the cracks and we have a bunch of extra flagstones that I have plans for.

For two days, we have eaten outside and enjoyed the new patio, which is just fabulous for me and the kids.

The Rock was so fabulous at this, and got all those huge stones from the front to the back mostly by himslef on a dolly, which is definitiely not as easy as it might look.

I am so proud of him, and this is the best thing he ever could have done for me.

Cali Rocks!

2008-05-15T14:37:00.001-07:00

At risk of placing myself on the political spectrum, California rocks.

California rocks for upholding the rule of law, not bowing to pressure from special interest groups driven by hatred and bigotry, and for making a landmark decision that will once again provide equal protection to everyone.

That's all I am saying here.

But California, pat yourself on the back today.

You rock.

You are welcome!

2008-05-13T07:59:00.001-07:00

Sign seen on BART on Tuesday.

If you can't read it easily, it says,

Thank you

Knitting, needlepointing and crocheting

Riders

It should be noted that I almost did not see the sign as I was busy on some stretchy sockies from Elann's Esprit Print. They might be finished this evening, depending on the train service.

Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen

2008-05-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

So with riding the BART to and from the day job, I get to watch folks do all kinds of things on their commute. Let's see, there's the women that put on makeup, like the one that put concealer around her lips before applying lipstick. Then there is the one that was plucking her eyebrows on the train....which is just gross.

Mostly though people read on the train, there is the occasional knitter or crocheter, the computer workers with their laptops on their knees, the sleepers, and the ones that just stare into space.

I have been yelled at by some rude woman who thought that she needed an extra seat next to her because it was JUST TOO MUCH for her to collapse her stroller....it was rush hour and there were a ton of folks standing up on the train. I had many folks pat me on the shoulder in sympathy on that day. (for the record, this woman was absolutely vile, nasty and completely rude, and was swearing profusely in front of her 2yo child.....)

But today, someone took the cake. Someone was reading Skeptic magazine next to me, and was reading an article about anthrogenic CO2. Now I have not read the article yet, but was understandably surprised by the idea that folks were still doubting this. I mean, my understanding is that the scientific community is agreed that global warming is happening. They are not agreed on the extent of the damage or which model is the right one. My thinking is that this will remain debatable until the results are done, which is too late.

The thing that keeps coming to mind though is this:

Are you willing to bet the planet that global warming does not exist??

Howdy, y'all!

2008-04-26T23:54:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile, but things are coming along....I am running kind of on empty these days, and find that I don't sleep very well....I realized this am that I am dreaming of the stuff going on in life right now, which means that I am either dreaming about client authentication or solar dyeing, or both....How does one authenticate a client for solar dyeing anyway?

But the book is coming along, I am dyeing alot every weekend, with Janet of Pixel One Purl Too snapping photos all along....she's been fabulous and I just could not be doing this without her. The Rock could be doing the photos but I would probably have killed him, dyed his body and been serving time by now. And then where would you all be, dear readers, desperate as you are for the seminal work on solar dyeing to come out and guide you on your solar dyeing journey.

So the manuscript, you may recall, was sent off to the editor who seems to be enjoying the editing of same, and we work on the photos. But just tonight, I have started to throw the photos into the manuscript so that I can start to see it all develop again and that is exciting. So Janet and I will chat a bit tomorrow about new direction and approach and I think it's all good.

So you will forgive me if I don't post really regular. I am not neglecting you per se, just running out of time in my days, and limiting certain things, like knitting, spinning, reading, and anything else that might distract me from this work that I am doing.

Life intervenes sometimes

2008-04-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Y'all have noticed that I have not been blogging much lately. I thought that I would do a quick update for everyone, so that they know that I am alive, hale and hearty....

The business is cooking along, and there will be some changes this month to the way it's done, keep an eye out for those. I will send an announcement to the mailing list when the changes are done, so be sure that you are on it. Registration is here for the mailing list:

Ceallach Dyes Mailing List

I am spending most of my time, dyeing for my book, and getting very generous help from Janet at Pixel One Purl Two on the photography....the daisy and lavender pic on yesty's entry is from my garden. The manuscript is with editor for her probably and hopefully not so tender ministrations, while I do the dyeing, some of which is experimentation at this point, but off we go.

The new day job is going fairly well, although I tire of the baggage from the last two showing up at the oddest and most awkward moments. This too shall pass, yes?

The Rock is quitting the night job as he has been treated like dirt on shoe there, and I tire of my dear husband coming home humiliated by managers who could not manage their way out of a paper sack. He has a freelance copyediting job lined up that he can do from home, which may replace the salary, but will also allow us to have some family time, which has been totally lacking for 4-5 years in our house. We plan on doing some home improvements, which have been totally neglected.

As a result of everything going on, I no longer knit at home, but rather on the train two days a week, that allows me 2 hours on commuting days....that is really good, and I have gotten a lot of work done on Cheryl Oberle's Kasai Vest in the last few weeks, which is a great pattern, because you do 3-5 rows of pattern, and then 2 rows of plain stockinette. I tend to get one repeat done on each train trip, which is really gratifying. And I am focussing on one knitting project at a time right now also, because I find that I can see the progress easily. I just did the steeks for the armholes on the vest last night, and so should see the progress speed up a bit with 60 fewer stitches, so the end is in sight.

So I hope that all are well, and the knitting is good.

Earth Hour 2008

2008-03-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

This Saturday evening at 8pm PST, my family, my business and my new employer will be marking Earth Hour, to signal our commitment to the need to take action against global warming.

I encourage you and yours to do the same.

For more information, go here:

http://www.earthhour.org/

or here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_hour

It's a small way to honor our home in the global sense. My family will be turning off the TV, lighting some candles, since it will be dark and spending a little time doing quiet unelectric activities.

It might be a good time to give the kids a new lesson on spinning and knitting.

Just one more small action that can help the earth. Imagine everyone not using electricity for 1 hour on the entire planet.....a small action like that could spawn a revolution.

Its Official!

2008-03-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

I am going to the Maker Faire in San Mateo Ca in May, as a vendor to show them the miracles of Solar Dyeing.....WOOHOO!

I just the email today and need to figure out how I am going to do this and how to show folks this little miracle of solar!

I am stoked!

You have new Picture Mail!

2008-03-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Green cotton just in time for St Pattys...left is the fiber, right the seeds for my garden.

A funny thing happened on the way to knitting last night...

2008-02-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

The Earth ate the moon and I have photographic evidence to prove it.

Here it is at the start of the drive to knitting group.

And from the top of the parking garage somewhat later.

Fresh outta the dye pots!

2008-02-16T14:47:00.000-08:00

Fresh out of the dye pot!

This is a new yarn, which does not yet have a name---it's 125 yards per approximately 100g skeins.... The latest lace colors, although the pics are not so great....some of these are the tried and true colors, like Tanzanite Mist, Recycled Bricks and Mystical Forest. And some more!

Knitting and Dyeing

2008-02-15T11:09:00.001-08:00

The circular shawl is done, finally, here it is blocking.....It is actually dry as of this morning, but I am going to leave it there on a late timeout. I think that it will be called Waterlily, because it's kind of shaped that way. It will be a free pattern with a purchase of Ceallach Dyes Lace at Stitches West, so see Hollis Bischoff at the Full Thread Ahead booths-numbers 621, 623, 720, 722. This shawl is knit with the Lace Gradations colorway called the Blues.

Gradations is a new type of Lace, where there are actually three skeins of lace semisolids in a gradated scale. The idea is that the knitter can use them for stripes, a gradation or whatever they like. Look for more patterns using the Lace Gradations.
Here is the latest yarn emerging from the dyeing process, waiting to be skeined. I will be a skeining fool this weekend. And finally some of the new colors here at Ceallach Dyes. See you at Stitches.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

I want to say that I dislike VD for the main reason of the expectations that it creates and usually fails to meet. So in the last few years, I have suspended all expectation. This is usually okay, until I see the beautiful long-stem roses that a newlywed in the office got from her husband or something.

To be clear, I don't want long stem roses, becuase they cost a lot of money and then they die. There is only so much jewelry that a woman can wear, and really, how much lingerie does one really need? Of course, the Rock could get me some yarn but again, I am really set with yarn through oh, I don't know, 2032?

But last night, I came home to this. The Rock went to a party supply store, and decorated a bit, and made a nice dinner for the prodigal wife (that would be me).

The evening continued with a roast lamb dinner, that included my husband and the kids, my father, stepmother and half brother. It was such nice meal and very enjoyable evening. No pressure, no obligation, exactly the way that a holiday should be.

Testing a new widget

2008-02-14T14:29:00.000-08:00

Fabulous news!

2008-02-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the universe is looking out for you and serendipity assures you that she is alive and very well indeed.

That is what has happened this week. An old colleague of my husband's thought of him when an incredible opportunity arose in the amazingly exciting world of Arabic publishing....and it's perfect for DH. He would be a copy editor for a very old and illustrious publication that is going online, only the third edition in over 100 years.

He would be able to work at home part-time to full time as he is able with the kids, and at any hour of the day, and since the company that publishes it is located in Europe, he would be paid in Euros, which are converting $1.56 to 1 EUR, at the moment.

So we have an incredible opportunity, contract in hand, and I am just bursting, because it means that DH and I are finally realizing some of our dreams, and we will also be able to spend more time together if he is not working nights and weekends.

Can you say giddy?

Grok this, baby!

2008-02-11T18:39:00.001-08:00

You're Stranger in a Strange Land!

by Robert Heinlein

Most people look at you and think of you as a Martian, even though you
were born on Earth. Silly Earthlings, er, people. Anyway, you've been telling people
about free love and relaxing like it's some radical idea. Most of them want you to go
back to the '60's (or Mars), but others are in your groove. Grok on!

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Busking the hurdy-gurdy

2008-02-05T17:37:00.001-08:00

At the train station this evening, there was a guy busking with a hurdy-gurdy.

Busking is singing or playing music on the streets for tips.

In this case, with a small instrument that looks like a cross between a kanoun and a mandolin with a handcrank on one end. The musician cranks with one hand, plays with the other and gets something that sounds like a harpsichord.

I never tip thes guys, although to be fair usually because I don't carry much cash. But the spare change went into his cap!

KDC

Ball Busters

2008-02-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

Now, it has come to my attention that some of us have been collecting balls.

Of yarn.

Normally of course this would not be a problem. Many of us have big balls of yarns, that are new and exciting and full of promise.

(What WERE you thinking?)

But sometimes we find ourselves in the unenviable position of having small balls of yarn. Lots of them. Rolling around the house and just generally gettin' all in trouble and making a mess, leaving strands of yarn behind. I, for one, have a particularly annoying herd/flock/gaggle of 27 small balls running around the house. It is the remains of the Adagio shawl kit from C. E. Strick where you take 9 colors of yarn and do a gradated knitting project with the yarn tripled and change out the yarn periodically. The result is gorgeous. However, I was left with nearly a half pound of small balls which I had fenced in with little plastic bags.

I have a solution for you of course.- the Ball Buster 100. ***drum roll please***

The Ball Buster 100 is designed to reign in your small balls and make them more manageable. We will come back to that with clear directions on how to do this.

How does it work you ask? Well the first step is to gather your small balls into one place, enclosed with electric fences is best so that the rogue balls don't get away. At this point, your balls of yarn may get agitated and snarl up with the other balls. Not to worry, it will soon be over and it is completely painless.

Next, you will take 2 or 3 ends from some balls, and load them into the BB100.

Now carefully wind until one or more of those balls is completely gone, and then knot another ball onto the end. Continue in this way until all of the balls are gone.

You will now have something like this:

It looks like an ordinary ball of yarn you say? Well, until you flip it over and expose the soft underbelly, showing this.....a gorgeous single big ball of yarn with which to make your next project. The best part is that these larger balls are much more docile than the small balls and easier to transport.
So then you can knit or crochet to your delight, as you can see here, where I am starting a Mile a Minute scarf.....it will have ruffles and will use up dang near all of that big aforementioned ball above.

Naturally, not every herd of small balls will be easily managed by the BB100. Some herds will call for the Ball Buster 3000, which will easily subdue errant herds of many many more small balls into quite large balls, which again are more docile and easier to subdue.

Just look at the spindle on the Ball Buster 3000.....now that ladies and gentlemen is a work of sheer genius.....just think of the balls you can tame with this beauty.....

My Little Reindeer

2008-01-28T16:22:00.001-08:00

Sometimes the best Christmas presents are the ones that are cheap and silly.

Where in the world is Ceallach?

2008-01-25T07:27:00.000-08:00

In case you were wondering about me, and the noticeable lack of blog posts, I am still alive, just incredibly busy between starting yet another new job, commuting, knitting patterns for the business, running the business, volunteer work, and other kinds of things that are just crazy.

I can't actually access the blog and the email at work, so you will be seeing some occasional posts like the last three with phone snapshots of things, so that I can post.....they post initially with the header of You have Picture Mail, and then I can edit them later.

I also want to try email blogging, which means more text, and fewer pictures.

I do get to telecommute 2 days a week, so those days I can do more, simply because I will have more time.

Honestly, I have not even been able to think about New Years Resolutions.

But I do have a question for folks out there. What do you do to survive and make commutes better and less hectic? I am knitting on the train, but the getting to the train etc thing is crazy and I am barely coping about half of the time. So any assistance would be fabulous.

You have new Picture Mail!

2008-01-24T14:49:00.001-08:00

This is the view from today's desk. Pretty cool, huh?

Knitting on the Edge of my shawl

2008-01-23T15:45:00.001-08:00

And here is the bottom edge being bound off with a lovely Van Dyke lace which is taking a long time despite learning to knit backwards. I now can knit and purl both forwards and backwards.

Update: 10 points are done, but dang it, it looks like I might fall short with yarn. But I knit on, in case there is really enough. If not, I shall be taking a dip in the frog pond and looking for a new edging to use.

The Shawl neck!

2008-01-23T15:39:00.001-08:00

Here is the top center to my current project OTN. This is working up for a free pattern to include with Ceallach Dyes Lace.

The Poison is in the Chalice with the Palace!

2008-01-15T10:29:00.001-08:00

Note that this lovely coffee mug has a sticker on the bottom that says it contains lead and cadmium known to cause birth defects and other reproductive harm in the State of California.

I have since seen the same sticker on the red mug that you can get from Tully's Coffee.

Cameras in custody

2008-01-11T21:55:00.000-08:00

So the cameras have turned up at Grandma's house....don't ask how they got there. But I do think I overheard them talking about a digital photo of a remote control plane as a mode of transportation.

No pictures yet, as I started a new job on New Year's Eve....it's a good one, and the bestest part EVAH was that I get to telecommute 2 days a week. It has not settled down to that yet, but it's been two weeks. It's a lot to take in, new commute, new city, new company, new schedule, new business. So I am trying very hard to take it easy, but it is killing me. I wanted to be past that whole noob thing, so that I can refocus on the business and the book.

Although have ya noticed the decided lack of sunlight lately....honestly, what is it? Winter or something??

Tomorrow I am off to lovely downtown Long Beach to check out TNNA. I may be vending there in the near future and so I am on a reconnaissance mission. I understand that they will teach me the ultra super duper secret handshake when I get there.

The cameras though will stay at home.

I don't wanna blow my cover.

Ceallach Lives!

2008-01-06T19:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, she is alive, despite many rumors to the contrary. It's been cuhrazy round these parts, what with starting a(nother) new job, adding a new client to the business, and other events surrounding this time of year, including something called Christ Mass.

Oh, and if anyone sees my digital cameras, they are AWOL. Please drop me a line and I will send the Yarn Police round to take them into custody.

Would you believe that 2 digital cameras have disappeared in the last fortnight?

Meet Miss January!

2007-12-16T17:10:00.001-08:00

Meet Miss January.....

Miss January likes moonlit walks on the beach, exotic dancing with feathers and fans, and the color purple. She would like to be either socks or a cozy scarf when she grows up, but she is perfectly happy to work in a yarn store like Full Thread Ahead in Los Altos, Ca or to pose in blog centerfolds as the latest yarn p0rn star.

If you would like to meet Miss January in person, she can be found at Full Thread Ahead during her month. Please feel free to contact Hollis about dates and special events where Miss Jan will be in attendance.

There is no sin in yarn.

2007-12-07T12:17:00.001-08:00

Forgive me, readers, for I have sinned.

It's been 22 days since my last blog post, and my sins have been legion. I have engaged in all manner of sinful activities, including spinning yarns, knitting to exclusion of all else (well, not really, but it sounds good, yes?).

But in that time, I have never ever, not even once, regretted my yarn and fiber stash. I have been quilting a bit (the quilt for DS's bed that I got fabric for **cough** 7 years ago), spinning with the fiber that I did not need when I bought it, and knitting with yarn that also was unneeded.

Unneeded, but never unwanted. Never is yarn unwanted. There is always something to be done with it, whether it is made into shawls for me or my mother, socks for anyone in house, sweaters to keep the littles warm in winter because we have not turned the heat on because of the price of gas.

I know that there are knitters out there who feel horribly guilty for purchasing yarn that is not needed at that moment, who feel that they need to diet or somehow limit their yarn purchases to only what they can knit in the next project. There is some wisdom of course in not bankrupting the country with your yarn purchases, of course, but most of us are not at that point.

I am here to allay your fears.

Buy yarn.

Enjoy the wooly squishy goodness of your yarn and fiber stash.

There may come a time when the goodness of stash makes itself known. Such as now, when I find myself unemployed in fourth quarter, when hiring is seasonally low in my field, and the job search really does not take a lot of time each week. So what to do with my used-to-being-on-the-move self in the meantime? Well, aside from repainting parts of the house (check), finishing up latent home projects (check), and generally driving my husband insane with being alternately under his feet, at his throat and on his back (check), I am knitting, dyeing, spinning, and sewing.

But this would not be possible if not for what I thought was a prodigiously large stash of yarn, built up somewhat quickly by unabashed purchases at yarn shows, vacation purchases, and things that just could not be passed up. And let's not forget the year that I gave the husbeast a list of KnitPicks sample kits as options, and he gave me every. thing. on. the. list. All four samplers, including Palette, which folks should be familiar with by now.

Really, I am surprised that my stash has not started to knit itself, which might be odd, if its project choices were strange, but would in fact save me a great deal of time.

So without further ado, here are the current projects in queue. A poncho knit in Ceallach Dyes Twist with a cable running through it. This is a pattern that will be on offer with the yarn, you will be able to get it at Stitches West 2008 or from my retailers.

Regia Silk sock toes on the needles. These will be a Holiday gift for my mother....I have 3 skeins total, and so she may get 2 pairs of socks, if I play my cards right. I am planning on trying out the Ridgeline pattern from Cat Bordhi's sock book. A Unidentified Knitted Object in progress with Sirdar Evita purchased while in Ireland. I am not sure what it will be yet, as it depends on how far the yarn goes. A shawl or shrug is my best guess. A poncho sweater from Sandra magazine. I have just knit the rib, and cast on for the poncho part, but as you can see from the markers, need to start the 'ajoure' pattern, and can't quite get the pattern marked out correctly. The yarn was purchased in a little store in Dingle, Co. Cork I believe in Ireland. It is Kilcarra Donegal Tweed, sold in the US by Tahki under the same yarn name. Some Cross Patch Creations fiber, spun up. This is two bags worth of fiber, which I plied together. Not a great picture, because Isabelle there was interfering. I got about 800 yards worth of yarn, which is very good output for me on handspun. Do not ask me what I plan to make with it. It's yarn, that's all you need to know, and sadly, all that I know.

For those of you who are curious, the weaving behind the yarn and the knitting is from Borneo. While in Singapore and Malaysia two years ago, Husbeast flew to Kuching for a day, to collect the country (I keep telling him to collect yarn or stamps or summat) and brought back this weaving along with some others. It is handwoven, natural dyed, and gorgeous work. Not silk but probably cotton and a dying art in the area.

He also brought back a tattoo kit, complete with rusty needles and safely ensconced within a carved wooden box. Beautiful work, but not the way that I would get a tattoo. If you are not sure what I mean, well turn to the Discovery Channel and put on one of the shows that talks about traditional tats. At some point in the show, there will be a wizened old man, with no teeth, no English and his chin disappearing into his face.....he will take this stick with needles in the end and tap tap tap on the skin, do the tattoo, one needle prick at a time. Okay, now look at the equipment he's using. Yep that's it.

In my home.

Help! My yarn is regressing!

2007-11-15T19:50:00.000-08:00

I have quite a bit of time on my hands, oddly enough, and so I have been cleaning and assessing, as well as working through the to do list.

A great deal of the todo list is related to the online store, getting it updated and cleaned up and generally spiffy, and that process is nigh complete. So wander over and take a look-see at the store, have a virtual squish and fun drooling over the yarn. And now through the end of the year, the shipping of all or our fabulous yarns and squishy spinning fiber is on us. So that address is:

http://stores.ceallachdyes.com/

And remember they are big skeins of yarn, so one or two skeins is all it takes to make a good sized project with Ceallach Dyes yarns.

Also on the list of Ceallach-do's was to generally clean up and get rid of the excess stuff in my life. I came across another sweater that I have now completely frogged for another project. I don't know what that project will grow up to be, but the possibilities, oh the possibilities.

So here is the yarn. I think it was Rimini something or other by Reynolds or some such. I knit into a boat neck sweater at the time, which travelled to Toronto and Niagara Falls with me on a business trip and back. Now it has completely regressed to itself.

I am thinking a very simple and quick shawl or wrap with this, because well it's bulky and boucle, and not good for much else. I originally knit it on broomsticks, plastic for the planes, and I think I might do a drop stitch garter thing instead. With fringe, maybe, for some ooomph.

Yarn Pr0n!

2007-11-13T14:23:00.000-08:00

I have been recently remiss in posting pictures of things. This is not an indication of my being really lazy and eating bonbons while watching day time television.

It is simply that I have been very busy trying to recover from some things that have happened in the last month, regroup as well as attend to things needing it. But at last, I have made it through the list to the entry marked blog entry, with a little list of things to be photog'd for the entry. So sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.

Here we have some Jacob handspun that I finally finished. There is 9 ounces there, and I got 800+ yards. One would think that there should be more yardage since it's like a DK weight, but there it is.

Ain't it lovely!?
Next we have Debby, the debouillet fleece that I finally finished spinning. This fleece was much abused, dragged through cacti in the NM desert for two years, travelled to my region of space, washed, dyed on the combs, and rose again on the 3rd year as this luscious yarn, I think that there is 400 yards, which is measley indeed for the work that went into it. I do have another ball of Debby round someplace, but I like this skein better.
Mini-shawl in Ceallach Dyes Tanzanite Mist Lace. I only have one more skein of this luscious yarn, which is better shown on the website. Of course, if you are in Los Altos, CA, Hollis of Full Thread Ahead would love to show you this yarn as well. (You may have to fight her for it, though, given how she was petting it when I left her store)

This is another sample of the lace in a new product, the big announcement to come later. The pattern for this one is the Leaf Lace shawl by Evelyn Clark.

Some cotton yarn recycled from a sweater that hid in fear in the back of my closet for several years. I pulled it out recently when cleaning said closet and ripped it back. The yarn was Plymouth Gypsy, a cotton and viscose blend perfect for California weather.

A rather fuzzy picture of the flag sweater underway for DS. He loves flags and wanted a flag sweater. Ergo the picture. Only thing left are the sleeves, one all in blue and one in red and white stripes.

Yes, there are 13 stripes, yes the blue field starts upon the correct stripe, intarsia, which was not as bad as one might think without the intarsia keyplate for the Bond, and stars will be embroidered on.

A preview of the sweater that has to be peiced and seamed.
And that is all for now.

The Rock is home wiht the chillin's and we are off for flu shots.

Give One, Get One

2007-11-12T22:13:00.000-08:00

Some of you may be familiar with the One Laptop Per Child movement, which aims to replace expensive and easily outdated textbooks in the developing world with an inexpensive easily powered laptop that can access information on the internet, as well as mesh wireless allowing students to talk to each other as well as the world.

It is developed to be fairly self-sufficient, taking rechargeable batteries, direct power from solar panels, or human power via a hand crank. And it runs on open source software, eliminating the need for expensive software to function in the world. For reference, one Microsoft product would cost the equivalent of an entire year's crop of soybeans in Brazil. For the cost of access to download, the same Brazilian can load open source and take off into the bright world of technology.

But what you may not know, is that starting today through Thanksgiving, there is a program called Give One Get One from One Laptop. For $399 US, you can give a laptop to a child in the developing world, and then get one for a child in your life. That's right, for the price of a less expensive desktop, you can give two kids a laptop that could be the key to their future.

Here is the link. I hope that you find it interesting.

http://www.laptopgiving.org/en/index.php

What does it have to do with knitting? Nothing. It does have an awful lot to do with saving the world though, one child at a time. How? Well, textbooks cost money, time, paper, and other limited resources. With a laptop though, a child can access an entire education. Less waste, more productivity, more current information about a world that is constantly changing.

And the best part? No child is left behind. Really.

Take action now.

2007-11-09T13:56:00.001-08:00

I subscribe to a number of lists on solar power and renewable energy.

I got this email today from Adam Browning of Vote Solar:

If the crushing of hope were a renewable resource, then this Congress would
be on the cutting edge of the clean energy revolution. As it is, though,
we have a red alert. Congressional leadership is dropping the ball on
renewable energy, and we need your help to get back on track.
On Thursday morning, Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi decided to drop the renewable energy standard out of the energy bill and drop the tax title. No tax title means no extension of the investment tax credit for solar, and no extenstion of the
production tax credit for wind.
Let's see: nothing for solar, plus nothing for wind, hmmm, add no renewable energy standard, carry the zero; yep, that adds up to precisely nothing for renewable energy.

Got that?
Congressional leadership is moving an energy bill with nothing in it for renewable energy. Dropping the biggest pro-solar provision this country has ever seen, just when the industry is gaining momentum and making an impact.
We've got maybe 24 hours to turn this around. We suggest calling until the Capitol switchboard melts. Can you ask your representative to pass the renwable energy message to Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi? A suggested script might go like this:

"Hi. My name is__. I, and 90% of America, would like more renewable energy. It's
not a tough call, since it's pretty clear that the future of the world depends
on it. So, please tell Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi to include a 8-year
extension for the solar investment tax credits in the energy bill. Thank
you."
You can find your representative's contact information here. Call the Washington
office. Additional talking points include: Clean energy means jobs and energy independence. America needs carbon-free renewable energy, now.
The fight against global warming will only be won by a transition to
renewable energy. The energy bill must extend investment tax credits for
solar.
Our future depends on some strong leadership. Isn't that what leaders are supposed to do?
Many thanks.

So if you feeling strongly about living well, breathing and eating, please make a phone call today.

Call me Debby

2007-11-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

Well no, not really, Ceallach is fine.

But you can call this yarn in process Debby, short for Debouillet....a variant of Merino originating in France. I mentioned that I had gotten the whole thing combed up and was looking forward to spinning it up. Yep, I have one bobbin full wound off, and another bobbin underway. I would have spun on til it was gone, but my wrists are bothering me a bit. I am overdue to see my crackin' chiropractor, and boy do I feel it right now.

Not to worry, Chris the Crackin' Chiro is hosting a food drive Saturday and you bring some canned food in to feed the poor, the hungry and the socially disenfranchised, and in return he cracks you up. Literally one bone at a time. Ah, the joys of holistic medicine!

Anyway, back to the fleece, I took a picture of the combed fiber deliciousness, and the first bobbin for you to drool over. Please don't drool on the fiber because it could felt if you give it a hot look, it's that fine.

Fluffy unspun goodness in a basket.

Fluffy spun goodness in a basket.

Oh, and to all of you thinking good thoughts for me yesterday when I was feeling, well, under the weather and under the gun, thanks so much! My head is clearing, and so are my sinuses. There is some movement on the money front, and I don't feel like I could crawl out of my skin and be the better for it anymore.

Now, if y'all could come on over and give me a kick in the pants to get some progress on the book done, please be my guest. I will even put on my shirt that says:

Betwixt, between, discombulated and restless besides!

2007-11-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

It's been two weeks now at home. My list is dwindling as we speak, it was a full page of people to see, things to do etcetera etcetera etcetera. I have cleaned out my pantry, cleaned out my closet, rearranged my living room, applied for jobs, applied for certifications, responded to certification audits, given my daughter a new bedroom, sold yarn, dyed yarn, spun yarn, knit yarn, finished Bertha and just generally puttered about. I have lunched, linked in, networked, contacted, created postcards, and written patterns. I have swatched, switched, washed, straightened, sneezed, coughed, tricked, treated and interviewed.

I have even gone to gawk at the Alhambra Creek Beaver Lodge and Dam. Real Lodge, Real Dam, no hide nor hair of said beavers, who are set to be relo'd anytime now, due to the perceived threat of flooding the entire downtown of My Town USA. I do mean flooding....think 12-18 inches of water rushing through the streets toward the river. Yeah.

And I must say, I am really quite tired. (Admittedly not in the way that Julia Roberts meant though in Erin Brockovich. Watch the movie and you will see what I mean. ) I also caught some kind of creeping crud, that is making me miserable....when I wake up I sound like Barry White, when I am usually a soprano, and by mid afternoon, I have a raging headachey achey everything.

I am done. Really done. Like retire to my bed done, and damn the torpedos.

Top it all off, I have two companies I am talking to, I know their timelines to fill positions, and so it's hurry and wait, but dang it, I hate waiting.

So anywho, just needed to vent a wee bit on the state of the things.

Thanks for stopping by. I am going to bed now.

Holy Footman, Batman!

2007-11-05T14:49:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember that I bought a Canadian tilt-tension production spinning wheel back in June, which sat for a long time while I worked on the day job before I could polish it up and get it working.

I have since then gotten it working, which involved some repairs to the footman, breaking bolts on the tilt tension assembly and adding a gasket for grip on the Mother-of-all, as well as cleaning her up and doing a new drive band.

That was done well over a month ago, but I did not give her a spin, other than to do a treadle test drive and see that yup, all was working.

But I have this morning finished combing the trashy Debouillet fleece that I got on ebay and split with LeftCoastKnitter, subsequently threw extra leftover dye on. So now that it's all combed and gorgeous, I sat down at my little Canuck wheel to spin it.

Oh.

My.

Gawd.

It's sooooo nice. Yes the fleece is nice too, but the wheel is wonderful....one kick of the treadle spins the whorl forever, and the fleece just pours out of my fingers.

The Best Part?

It's coming out as somewhere between fingering and lace weight.

Usually I do something between DK and bulky....it's my default yarn.

I shall post pics of the spun fleece for you lot to drool over once it's done, as well as a couple more little mini-shawls that have jumped off of my knitting needles.

Happy All Hallow's Eve!

2007-10-31T23:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy day. First there was the Halloween parade at Little Hill's school....wherein all the students march around and the parents ogle and click camera shutters in their general direction. Then pick up Littlest from preschool, stop at home briefly, and then back to school to show support for the class Halloween party, wherein all students were loaded up on sweets and then packed off home.

Shortly thereafter, this family friend stopped by to help out with the trick or treaters. Then, The Rock's friend Rick popped in too with the other ghouls, and for a little black magic in the front yard. You will note that Rick had a little trouble with the coordinates, and managed to rematerialize partly entombed in our dry pan front yard....don't you worry, when the rains come, the ground will soften right up, freeing him mebbe by spring.......Besides he has his cauldron to keep him warm through the harsh Cali winter.And we wound down the evening with another friend that just wanted to hang out forever.... honestly, we can never get this guy to go home..... but then, he's always saying that he can never get out the door either, so who's to say??

I have been a busy girl....knitting some mini shawls with Ceallach Dyes Lace in Opinionated Pink to prepare for a show, and give all you knitters something dun-knit-up to look at. This is a simple mini-shawl done with two strands of Lace knit together, with a simple frill on the bottom edge. (Of course, now that I am looking for the link, I see that the Opinionated Pink is not on the site, I will take care of that, but if you have to have it NOW, drop me an email, it's in stock.)

Here is Littlest's new sweater for fall....knit with two colors of Knit Picks Simple Stripes carried together....please don't ask which ones, I don't remember now, and it's a discon yarn anyway....but the two strands together makes the yarn way better. Trust me on this one.

Some handspun Ceallach Dyes Superwash Merino. This is two colorways plied together, the Blue Corn Moon and Pink Passion....I had some leftover from dyeing and it was not enough to really do much with so I tried this....I quite like the effect.

And finally, last but certainly not least.....Meet Bertha. Bertha is my new solar oven, of my own design and build, specifically for the dyeing of your yarn hopefully through the winter and early spring. I should note that Bertha here may in fact be able to withstand atmospheric re-entry with her sleek NASA shuttle heatproofing. I have not actually launched Bertha, but am happy to say that she is built with a good portion of recycled and repurposed materials, which is good for everyone.

Ain't Bertha purty??

The Living Green Bible(s) and Napkin Karma

2007-10-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

Linda commented:

It is hard, sometimes, to know the best thing to do, though. For instance,
Knitwitmama commented that she uses cloth napkins - does the washing of those
napkins (detergent, use of electricity, etc) cause as much problem as using
paper? I am not saying that it does, but how are we to know for sure. I wish
there was a "living green bible" to guide us.

Linda, thanks for your comment, and I had to post on this topic.

I have also sought out information on how to soften my step on our mother planet. It can seem a very large task indeed to any one of us. But it does not need to be a large task, which was really my point. So let's talk about cloth napkins for just a moment, and then I will make some book recommendations for you to read further. Your Living Green Bible if you will.

The point is that we have to each of us spend a moment making decisions.

You mentioned knitwitmama is using cloth napkins and you wondered if the washing of them was not just as wasteful as the production of the paper napkins.

So paper napkins are made from some kind of wood pulp, possibly recycled, maybe not. They are used once and then usually thrown into the Trash bin, as opposed to the recycle bin. One can expect that they are bleached at some point in the process of manufacture, with something heinous, like dioxin or the like.

So then let's talk about cloth napkins. The material can vary, and if I was going to move to cloth, I would probably choose linen or hemp cloth for the task. Most readily available cloth napkins though are cotton or a cotton/poly blend. So ding for cotton, unless it's organic. Cotton, particularly mainstream white cotton is very hard on the environment. So cotton karma is not so good, but I think that this could still offset the single use paper napkin karma with the positive reuse karma. I know that our family still uses paper, and the sheer volume of paper is horrendous. (my stumbling block is not the switch but my dear loving husband)

As for washing, well if you use cloth napkins, does the washing not present problems? It depends. If the washer is bleaching the napkins in very hot water and washing them alone, yes, the washing definitely would create some bad napkin karma. But if they are being presoaked with an enzymatic cleaner in warm water from your solar water heater or outside on a sunny day, probably not. I am also a firm believer in a gentle, environmentally friendly laundry detergent and a little borax for laundry, even though I have not researched the impact. There are other questions as well. What kind of washing machine, is it Energy Star compliant, does it use less water, are the napkins taking a communal bath or bathing alone?

That brings us to the drying of our napkins. There is not a dryer in the land that is Energy Star compliant, because the authority has deemed dryers to be just plain bad, as well as the habiuts of the people that use them. (They know that most dryer users will set the dryer on a high setting and not pull the clothes out when they are dry.) So here we go, if you put the napkins in the dryer by themselves on a really hot setting, and do not stop the cycle when the napkins are dry, but allow them to tumble well past their time.....you guessed it, bad Napkin drying karma. But if you hang them out to dry in the sun, Yay for you. Many napkin karma points for the sun dried napkin owner.

So Linda, the answer is that every choice that we make is made up of little choices along the way that we make with the information that we have. If we get more information, then we make changes and adjust. But even a little choice that takes us in the right direction is a good choice, because environmentalism is a series of small choices or moments. Not one big choice.

And the WORST thing that we can all do is NOTHING. Just like they tell you in First Aid: "If you don't know what to do, try something, because there is a good chance that it will be the right thing and save a life."

And quite frankly, the planet needs first aid.

As for the Living Green Bibles, take a look at World Changing: A User's Guide for the 21st Century. It is an overall excellent compendium of perspectives on changing the world, and examines some aspects of environmentalism that most of us have not thought of. There are some areas and statements that I disagree with, but I will still recommend the book for the overview of the problem and solutions in play or under research.

For actions that you can take NOW, I also recommend It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth Friendly Living. This book is fabulous because most of it is basically a checklist of small and big changes to make in your life and can allow you to check in on how you are doing later.

I have also heard great things about Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability but have not had the opportunity to read it yet. If you go with it, let me know how it is.

So knit on and enjoy.