Overheard from the Kids

My daughter: do you think my house is boring?

Neighbor's daughter: yes, because it's not clean like mine

I Like Knitted Flowers

I've got this thing for flowers, but it's sort of a meaningless thing because I don't have a plan. But who says you've got to have a plan? They are pretty, so I make them. They are a welcome quick hit from other long-term projects. Also, when it's hot, they are a great thing to make. I have a hard time making hats, scarves, or sweaters with wool blends in the warm weather.



I started off with knit flowers, because that's what I did, knit.

This one is the Vogue flower, from the Fall 2007 issue of Vogue Knitting. Nicky Epstein designed it as part of her Anniversary scarf.


This one comes from Pam Allen's Scarf Style, in the Floral Trellis Scarf pattern. I used this on a shrug I made.


This pattern is free, on-line, it's the Knitty Rose and I used it on another shrug.


I broke down a bought Nicky Epstein's Knitted Flowers, but I haven't made many of those patterns. I did make the Cabbage Rose, which I was most pleased with


What killed knitted flowers for me was this lame creation, also from Knitted Flowers


Now that I've taken the plunge into crochet, I'm making flowers that way and am happier with the results.

This Week in the WaPo

"Palin has made the biggest step forward in feminism since Madonna channeled the dominatrix persona of high-glam Marlene Dietrich and rammed pro-sex, pro-beauty feminism down the throats of the prissy victim-mongering, philistine feminist establishment."

-- Cultural critic/provocateur Camille Paglia, praising GOP veep nominee Sarah Palin for "redefining the persona for female authority." Says she's still voting for Barack Obama, though.

Link - it's gonna take some scrolling

Love Song of J. Sidney McCain

Dear Dems,

Here is some rope. Kindly hang yourself on it.

Hugs and kisses,

the GOP

Palin is a Red Herring

A lot of people seem very upset about the GOP VP nominee. I know this is very dangerous to say, but I think it's great. It's energized the race and certainly stimulated this otherwise apathetic Independent's interest. I don't tend to follow politics, I don't find it all that interesting, but mainly, I don't find it reliable. Maybe it's because I took Political Communication nearly 20 years ago. It's mostly smoke and mirrors and rhetoric and much of my voting often comes down to a single issue.

I read a piece in Salon.com linked by a friend. I think I've already discussed it enough with her (probably too much!) so I'll just jot down my thoughts here.

We are talking about the Vice President, right? Well, I haven't read much of history, but (other than in the case of the president dying) does the VP ever really do anything? So, if McCain were elected, do we really think Palin is going to have much influence? I can't help but think it's going to be "thanks, honey, why don't you go have some fun and stay out of the way."

Also, is there anything anyone can do about Palin being the nominee? We're not campaigning as to whether she is on the ticket. She's there. Why is she being attacked so energetically? I think these energies can be used better elsewhere and certainly more productively.

I can only see the Salon.com as a piece that will be used by conservatives as evidence of how Dems cannot control their emotions, how they cannot speak coherently without namecalling, and how they are spinning their wheels. From my view, this makes the Right look good. Why would you want to do that?

What does Palin's family have to do with her politics? Attack her politics, but leave out the Down's Syndrome baby, the pregnant teen, the 3 day maternity leave. I think there is no point in arguing feminism because it seems no one can agree what it is anyway. Say why you don't like her politically and then leave it alone and go do something else.

That's my view. I think Palin is great in some ways, but I don't agree with her politically and that is what is determinative. Not the other stuff. Though I still like her hair.

What I Love About Sarah Palin...

is her hair. Never would I have guessed that a candidate for Vice President of the United States would wear her hair in a messy updo. No longer must I feel guilty for my hair when I go to the grocery store or the park. Now, if only I can get it to look as careless as she does. Unfortunately, I've only recently grown out my bangs and I'm not ready to cut them again. Besides, it's so political.

I found a couple of interesting links about her hair. One compares it to Audrey Hepburn. Another sees Sophia Loren. You know who I see? The woman from the Adam Ant Goody Two Shoes video (okay, the glasses have been updated, but otherwise, they are pretty similar).

Clip Show

here's a shrug I knit last year. I don't think I've posted anything about it on this blog. I was so upset by this shrug last year. Knitting has led to much personal growth for me. Though I look a bit ratty wearing this stuff; I'm just trying to prepare a wardrobe for my upcoming eccentric old lady phase. I plan to be really weird.

Dr. Seamlove

* or how I learned to stop worrying and love the mattress stitch

I finished the sleeves/body of my shrug with attached scarf and have started on the scarf. This feels a lot like knitting the shrug all over again because the shrug is basically the scarf with the ends seamed up to become sleeves.

I was dreading seaming the shrug. Partly because this was begun as a different project and I changed it after I had done 10 inches of knitting. I was worried the ribbing would look really weird when the seamed the sleeves. Also, I haven't done much seaming and what I have done was on simple stockinette and I don't believe I used the mattress stitch but took more of a Swedish Chef approach. Oh, yeah, and there was that unfortunate ribbing seaming incident with another shrug. Believe it or not, I learned from that and took it into account when I began this project - the original project. When I changed patterns mid-stream my whole attempt to avoid the same mistake looked rather foolish. But I laugh in the face of mistakes these days.

I read my books on the mattress seam, picked up my needle and gave it a try. The shrug was knit in 2 by 5 ribbing. I was actually able to keep the 2 by 5 look without making the seam look bulky. I was amazed. The sleeves do get a little wonky at the upper arm where I was like "I think this is going to get a little snug" so I added a couple of stitches per alternating row over 6 rows (6 stitches added). Again, I took a Swedish Chef approach. I didn't know what the heck I was doing. So maybe the pattern changes to more of a 2 x 6 or 7 ribbing at the seam, but that's not bad. And anyone looking that close to my underarms and counting stitches has some real problems. Sicko.

May I say that the mattress stitch is blowing my mind. It really acts as it's described, you sew a few stitches and then gently pull and then -whoop- it's closed up and you can't see a seam. It's supernatural.

I've got more work to do on this shrug. Not only do I need to knit the scarf and then attach it, I want to do something to the bottom of the back of the shrug. It needs something. I'm thinking that something will involve a crochet border of some kind.

And to think this project nearly caused me to bail on knitting. Far out.