first sock mojo

Voodoo The UberMutt is so excited about my first sock project, she’s passed out.

They’re STRIPED. By THEMSELVES. (the SOCKS, not the DOG)

I’m nearly out of control with the sheer joy of knitting stripey socks. It not only keeps me off the streets, but my feet will be warm if I ever get the second one done. It’s Lana Grossa Meilenweit colortweed on 2.5 mm bamboo needles. It’s like knitting with toothpicks – another surreal addition to the giggly glee of knitting socks.

And the magically appearing stripes and the many needles? Both are highly impressive to the non-knitters when we lunch, sit in waiting rooms, and other such places where knitting socks eases my mind from frustration of waiting. And y’all should know that I just love to leave an impression!

Now, will that second sock ever be done? Only time and my ever growing urge to return to the pottery wheel and play in the mud all summer long will tell. I’m afraid my knit will suffer for my pots will suffer for my charcoal will suffer for my patio-dwelling will suffer for the dog park will suffer for the knit. At least I have a loooong drive to Yellowknife in mid-July to knit. And needle-stab my road-mates. And knit some more. Mental note: pack band-aids.

Should be a crafty summer – what are you working on?

typity type type

I really like Kate. I will continue to like her even after she mercilessly tagged me with the question: “Why Do You Blog?”

Simple and complex: I’m a narcissistic, catharsis seeking, order loving recorder of history.

I’m really really narcissistic. I assume that you all wait, breathless, for the latest paragraphs on that I’m thinking. I make eye contact and know that everyone would love to hang out with me me me. I am so sure that you love my poor grammar, spelling mistakes, overly adjective-d descriptions and hyphenation madness. Face to face I also tend to be loud, attracted to making people laugh, but also more prone to involving myself in opinionated discussions about anything from toilet paper (spend the extra money for quality, people), the housing crisis (I have politically correct AND incorrect solutions), what actress would play me in the eventual movie about my life (I’m torn – any suggestions?) and why trying new things is a Good Practice. This blog is a small sample of that loudness. It is brief snapshots, short sentences on what I want to share when I arrive at this keyboard, sending off thoughts to my family and friends as a big Letter Home, keeping y’all in the loop and seeking advice.

The Internets have allowed me to broadcast myself to THE MASSES – the success of my plan for total and complete world domination is on the horizon!

I’ve written written written my confusion into organized rows since learning to use a keyboard in my dad’s high school typing class. As a teen, I dragged an old electric typewriter up to my attic room and just typity type typed until my head was clear. It was a catharsis then, and since I’ve started online, it’s had much the same effect. The words stream from my head to the keys, dusting the cobwebs from the far corners on their way out. I write, publish, then often read and change my mind completely about what I’ve sent into the universe – but I leave the original words up because it seems dishonest to take them back. These words are what I was thinking at that moment in time, regardless if I still agree or if the thoughts are even applicable anymore. I hope to return to these entries in the future, surely a slightly different person and be able to remember and revisit the person I was. Self time travel.

I’d forgotten about my love of typing ordered rows from chaotic thoughts. It’s much like the knitting I do now – turning chaotic collections of animal hairs and creating something meaningful and ordered by repeating patterns of rows.

I guess in the end, it’s about creating order from chaos. Order in cyberconnecting, communicating, clarifying my thoughts. I write to create order from the chaos that surrounds me and is me.

Don’t you?

show and tell

They’re sprouting!

These are the first daisies to come to the party. The oregano and tomatoes are showing signs of wee life as well but are still too small to show up on a photo without circling, highlighting and zooming in on the bits of green – you’d have to squint uncomfortably while I wait eagerly for you to agree that you see the exciting spots of yellowy green newness. I’ve already demanded that the Sparer Oom inhabitant, Noodle, give much wonder and nodding to the sprouting kitchen table. My thumbs remain green and I can’t wait to compare tomato seedlings with my dad – his front window is usually overflowing with plants by the time the garden is ready to accept them.

Maybe we should put some thought into a Family Business plan – I wonder if the government medicinal marijuana greenhouse contract is still up for bid?

v-day – until the violence stops

The Husband and I are so amazing we’re even hotter than this.

Happy Valentine’s Eve, peeps

I shoulda posted earlier (smack forehead) – V-Day:Reclaiming Peace 2007 is performing all over the world from Feb 1 to March 8. Colleges, community activists, four gals with a hankering for theatre, and other such volunteer groups produce a benefit performance of The Vagina Monologues to raise $$$ for local anti-violence organizations. According to their website, last year there were over 2700 V-Day benefit events around the world. I got to hang out with a group in Vancouver for a couple of years and it was powerful good stuff. Freaking cool, man. Are you going?