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.

Hooked on Crochet

Wow, I haven't written in awhile, eh?

I have previously tried crochet, only to fail or lose interest. Well, I must have finally found a simple enough pattern for something worth crocheting and it all clicked. I made the Little Ditty Bag for my tape recorder (I use it to tape record my voice lessons. Yes, I am finally owning up to taking voice lessons. La la la la -- here that? It's on pitch and I had breath support for it, baby). Anyway, my poor little tape recorder was getting bumped around something fierce, so when I saw this little purse, which strikes me as too little to be much use to me, I thought it was just the thing. Did I mention it was easy? Very easy. Pretty much all single crochet with some increasing. I love it.

I've been pretty much trolling for simple crochet patterns and making stuff. Some are successes



others, less so


There's a weekend I won't get back. It didn't fit and I decided I liked the yarn too much for a hat that didn't fit.

what's wrong with the doll's hat? you ask. Let's just say that it was not supposed to be a doll's hat. And the back looks like Frankenhat.

Anyway, most of my on-line time has been spent on Ravelry.

Flower Hat - success

Pattern: Flower Hat, modified. Yarn: Patons Melody, super bulky, acrylic. Needle size: 13

I figured I did not have enough yarn (85 yards) to complete the hat so I researched patterns for top down hats rather than attempting the gathered top in the pattern. I decided to go with a pattern I'd read for the Jamaica Pouch. Not a hat at all, but one member on Ravelry showed her daughter wearing the bag as a hat and I thought I'd try it. In the course of this research, I also came across a cast on for circular knitting that I thought I'd try. Can't say it worked out great but it wasn't a flop, either.

I followed the JP pattern for 6 rounds (42 stitches) and then did simple knitting until hat measured about 7" inches and then began ruffle instructions for flower hat. For the second increase in the ruffle, I decided to knit front and back of each stitch to increase, I found it to be less holey-looking. I did the bind off with a crochet hook because I didn't have enough yarn to bind off in the usual manner. I read about the crochet hook bind off in Stitch n' Bitch Nation, p. 113.

This is a perfect size for my younger daughter (5 1/2), too bad it was knit for my older daughter (8).

Flower Hat - failed

Pattern: Flower Hat, modified. Yarn: Patons Melody, super bulky, acrylic. Needle size: 13

I figured this would fail because I was using the wrong sized yarn. I was bored with my current project and needed to do something. It's a hat, it's a small commitment. It's acrylic and leftover from a poncho I made. I was not afraid of having to frog this.

I started following the pattern. Casting on 60 made the hat way too big (even for me) and this was for a child. I also learned that I would run out of yarn and wouldn't be able to make the ruffle.

The hat is knit top down, so what you see as the brim is supposed to be the top. The holes are for a cord to be used to gather it together. See the pattern picture, it's really cute. I thought I could salvage the hat by turning it upside down and doing a simple finish for the crown. I figured I would weave a ribbon through the eyelet holes and make a bow. It would be lovely and help tighten up the large hat. Since this hat was for my daughter, I asked her whether she would like me to do that, or to rip it and make the Flower Hat with the ruffle. She went for the Flower hat, so you can read about that here.