November | 2010 | Eclecticitee

Archive for November, 2010

Smart-Ass Knitters Take Over

November 30, 2010

For quite a while I have wanted to check out Indigodragonfly‘s goods – she sells both hand dyed yarn and fiber, as well as accessories. Kim and her minions are based in Canada. She describes herself as a lifelong textile maven.

Besides what looks like beautiful yarn, I really love the names she gives to her colourways, like “One Turtle Short Of A Pond”, “You Got Peanut Butter On My Trout!”, “Flamingos Are Not Munitions Experts”, “This Is Your Brain On Cookies”, “In The Study With The Candlestick”, one interesting black/brown/pink yarn called “Hammer – Meet Thumb”, and more. Oh, and of course “I Like To Mauve It Mauve It”.

I have joined her newest yarn club, so I will be able to give a full report this coming month when I get the first shipment. I really wasn’t planning on joining a yarn club right now, but how on earth could I resist joining one called “Smart-Ass Knitters World Domination Club”?

I mean, seriously, come on. (~_^)

Each package will contain 1 skein of Indigodragonfly yarn, a pattern for that yarn and swag (usually knitting related and always handmade by artisans). The only requirement stated for the club is that you have a sense of humour and are not easily offended.

I do think – with some confidence – I can meet that requirement. And I have a long history of being a smart-ass. One of my father’s favourite responses to first my teenage then my young adult “wit” was to point out that that is why we don’t send donkeys to college. (We don’t need any more smart asses around…) And I found a fantastic t-shirt this summer:

that I love to wear…which usually gets a sigh from partner and a giggle from kidlet.

So…..shall we lock arms and advance?

Tags:indigodragonfly, Smart-Ass Knitters
Posted in Family, Pointy Sticks and Yarn | 3 Comments »

Pass the Echinacea

November 29, 2010

During the infamous day I was without my Perseverance shawl, I finished up the Red Plait Scarf that had been sitting patiently in my WIPs.

There wasn’t much yarn in the end, and my attempts to find more of the deep red Soul Wool were not successful, so it was much shorter than I wanted. But soooooo smooshy and soft! I will probably pin it as a fancy cowl/scarf.

The silver shawl pin is one I found in a little shop on Santorini on our last cruise to Greece. I’m still waiting for weather cool enough to wear a shawl so I can show it off!!!

This is post number 200!!!

I thought about doing something significant to celebrate, but somehow somewhere I have managed to pick up a cold and I’m feeling pretty miserable. Dragged myself into work anyway. So we will have to be satisfied with a hearty huzzah (unfortunately with a sniffle and a cough and a sneeze) and that’s it. Hip, hip!

(Which do you think is worse, a cold when it’s cold out, or when it’s warm? I can’t decide….)

Tags:colds, knitting
Posted in Here's to your health!, Pointy Sticks and Yarn | 1 Comment »

I wasn’t kidding about endless…

November 28, 2010

And summer continues through the end of November.

We visited kidlet on the kibbutz yesterday. Lovely day, temperatures in the 90s F. We had lunch with kidlet and her housemates, then wandered about the kibbutz.

The kids keep goats – the pen is right outside their door. We went to say hello. Some were quite aloof

while others rushed up to be patted.

We sat by a pond in the shade of the trees, and I spotted more wildlife…

We continued on our little trek, snapping pictures as we went.

We ended up at the kibbutz restaurant for tea/dessert, a quiet spot with an organic vegetarian menu and a little shop with lots of handmade things out of natural materials. They did have some roving, but it was course, not soft, to be used for needle felting, not spinning. Partner bought some glazed mugs made by a local potter. Kidlet had some homemade ice cream that was sooo good. I had tea from their home grown blend of herbs.

Back at kidlet’s house, the knitters joined me to inspect the Perseverance shawl, which is again sailing along, none the worse from the day it spent away from home.

On the way home – and indeed on the way there – the subject on everyone’s tongue is what is going on with the weather. Everywhere else winter has arrived, we haven’t yet had autumn. No rain in sight in all the forecasts. The damage to the agriculture is going to be immense.

And if we don’t have winter, when can I wear all my lovely knitted things?????

Posted in Family, Pointy Sticks and Yarn, Wandering but not Lost | Leave a Comment »

Prize from a livid bitch

November 27, 2010

Most people who read knitting blogs know Steven, he of the knitted neon hotpants, fantastic projects, and his blog Bitches Get Stitches. (Link over on the blogroll….) Last week he posted:

i am currently reading what can only be described as the most offensive “men’s” knitting book ever written.

it is page after page of stereotypes that only serve to fulfill themselves!

He was livid, and before revealing the name of the book offered a skein of yarn to anyone who could guess what it was.

He did get quite a few comments, including my suggestion that it was “Knits Men Want – the 10 rules every woman should know before knitting for a man” by Bruce Weinstein. We had already torn this book to pieces in the “This is What a Feminist Knits Like” forum, and I didn’t know of any other book that would elicit such a response from Steven. It is truly offensive, condescending to both men and women. There were other guesses as well, but many of us commenting went with this book.

Well, turns out I was right, and Steven emailed me Thursday to tell me he would be sending some yarn from his stash this week. And since the fellow has quality stuff, this is exciting news!

His full review of the book – including his “10 most offensive excerpts” is definitely worth reading, right here.

Just one example:

2. “Men and women behave differently; we all know this to be true. In general, women cry and men don’t. Women share their feelings and men don’t. And women try on clothes and men don’t.”

sneaky bruce! using “we” as a rhetorical tool in an attempt to put the reader on your side by including them grammatically in your argument. unfortunately all i did was scream, “HOW ARE PEOPLE STILL ALLOWED TO WRITE THINGS LIKE THIS?!”

The book also claims to have “the only ten patterns she’ll ever need”… so that’s it, women, we are commanded by the self-proclaimed expert on men (and women) to knit the same ten patterns over and over to please our men. And this will fulfill us.

Feh.

Tags:bitches get stitches, knitting for men, sexist
Posted in Pointy Sticks and Yarn, The Printed Word | 4 Comments »

Gentlemen Callers

November 26, 2010

Had a lovely dinner last night with special visitors from Sweden. Went to a restaurant we hadn’t yet tried – food was good, the wine flowed. There was live music (very loud…and progressively louder as the hour got later). We met some of the owner’s family.

Our friends Reuven and Stefan have one of the most famous gardens in Stockholm, check out their site. Stefan tends the garden, Reuven is the chef (recipes on the site). They brought us some of their greeting cards, I got the Art Collection!

Today they travel on, we will see them again when they pass back through Haifa.

Shabbat Shalom.

Posted in Family | Leave a Comment »

Turkeys

November 25, 2010

It’s Thanksgiving today in the US. A day to stop and reflect on one’s blessings. Some say it’s a celebration of abundant consumption (because of the lavish meal, I suppose), but most people I know seriously take pause and consider all they are thankful for. Which should happen on a daily basis, or perhaps weekly, but to set a day aside for the purpose once a year is a good start.

Me? I’m not in the US, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t reflect too. I have much to be thankful for. I’m thankful for my family. I’m thankful for our relatively good health (just a few age-related glitches, but it happens, and it could be a lot worse…). I’m thankful that we found kidlet the best framework for who she is and what she needs. I’m thankful for a satisfying job that puts food on the table, books on the shelf, and yarn in the stash. I’m thankful for friends, thankful for all those I love and for all those who love me. I’m thankful I got my Perseverance shawl back!!

I’m thankful I don’t work on a turkey farm. This after reading author Ellen Byerrum’s blog post about Turkey, Thanksgiving, and Reasons To Be Thankful.

*tip: when you read her story, and you really should, don’t be drinking anything….

What are you thankful for? Other than the fact that you, too, don’t work on a turkey farm. (And to my American friends and readers, enjoy your feast!!!!)

Posted in Holidays and other significant occasions | 2 Comments »

Eek! Time for Karma check?

November 24, 2010

I worked the usual long day yesterday, was tired. On the way home, I knitted a few rows of the Rainbow Perseverance, then put it aside to just listen to some lovely piano music on the iPhone (Margie Adam‘s Naked Keys – instrumental). Got home and dragged myself up the stairs to get ready for SnB.

Guess I was more tired than I thought, because I dozed off on the couch for a while, woke up to see that whoops, I was late. Whirled around getting ready to go, and suddenly noticed that my knitting bag was strangely…empty. No Perseverance project bag. Stunned, I realized that I must have left it on the bus seat where I was sitting on the ride home. And we hadn’t been with our usual driver, rather a substitute for the day.

Uh oh. I did not want to contemplate what could be happening here. I sat down and phoned the fellow in charge of all the transportation for my company, apologized for bothering him at home in the evening, and he gave me the number of the car company. I then phoned them, apologized again…and got the cell phone number of the substitute driver. When I got a hold of him, he said he hadn’t seen any bag in the (mini)bus, but that he would look for it and, if he found it, would pass it along to our regular driver who would be back today. Nothing more I could do, but it left me edgy…

So I grabbed a couple of other WIPs and headed off to SnB. Good times, good knitting, good people. We stayed later than usual, my tiredness was gone. Then we headed home. I usually get a ride with Roberta. We strolled over to her usual public garage – only to discover that they had closed and her car was now locked in until morning! Egads, zounds, and insert your favourite expletive here.

I was starting to worry about my karma by now, did I do some harm inadvertently? We each snagged a cab and parted ways.

Today dawned and I was still worried. Would the driver find my bag? Did he have other passengers after he dropped me off, was my project safe? To boost my luck I wore my “I knit, therefore I am” necklace that was a birthday gift from Roberta from Galia’s etsy shop. (Yes, of course it’s purple…)

I was good. I waited until a reasonable hour this morning to phone the driver again. Yes, he found the project bag, and he will give it to today’s driver. I can breathe again. Stress levels have dropped. But they will only be back to the normal level of hysteria when I have my Perseverance back in my grasp.

Despite having several (*ahem*) WIPs on the needles, it happens sometimes that you get into a flow with one project, the mojo is strong, the juices are pumping, and that’s what you have to work on. It’s what was going on with the Perseverance, and I think that’s why the disruption has bothered me. I love my other projects too, but…

Does this happen to you with some projects? Not necessarily knitting, it can be any task or project. (Or is it simply a peculiarity of mine??)

Posted in Music to my ears, Pointy Sticks and Yarn | 2 Comments »

Tuesday Evening Sky

November 23, 2010

Posted in Random Observations | Leave a Comment »

A Special Evening Out

November 23, 2010

The setting: Historical stone house, a maze of intimate little rooms joined by stone arches, armchairs and little sofas surrounding tables, interesting posters on the walls.

A café with good food and a laid-back attitude of take your time. And a chai latte that is out of this world – perfect spices, and an experience to drink.

The plot: Friends who were once together daily, sharing lives, and who now live on different continents and see each other about once a decade, getting together for one evening. Covering all the news. Families – especially kids, because lots of things happen with kids in a decade – jobs, health, politics, memories, shared friends, maybe a few dreams. Different dreams than we had 20-some years ago. Now living in very different worlds, but sitting together now, it’s like nothing has really changed.

Walking to the train station through an evening that has finally decided to be chilly enough for long sleeves. Hugs, messages, promises to be in touch more, things we still need to communicate.

Too little time. But a happy heart at the little time there was.