ProseKnitic – of Words und Wolle

30 June 2008, Monday – Process, perfection or procrastination?
Camberley, UK

Perfection or Completion? Perhaps it is more critical an issue for those who make their living off writing or their blogs; I think it might be worth the rest of us thinking about it. I have seen discussions about whether someone is a process knitter or a product knitter and there are those who definitely fall to one extreme or other of the spectrum. In reality, it is probably another Bell Curve with most of us falling within those 2 standard deviations.

But perfection or completion is a bit different. Besides a variety of knitting, spinning and weaving blogs I dally at some tech, sci-fi and writing locations. Jason got me thinking. Does the need for perfection in writing a post mean that you take so much time that it doesn’t happen? Does the desire for perfection slow me down and insert delays? Is that why I hit procrastinating streaks on the publish button push? Is fear of failure/being ignored compounding the problem? Is a post with no comments a failure?

Blogging has gone from being a simple journal to a social discourse. In normal day to day events we get feedback from those around us and look askance at those who wander around talking to themselves. If you write something and no one comments, is that the same as talking to yourself? That post still might be read and have an impact. One of the commentors on Jason’s board mentioned Heilein’s rules of writing: write, finish what you write and sell it. If you don’t write a post every once in a while, then no one can read it.

On the old BBSs, USENET or mailing lists, lurking was the common accepted practice. Most posted only when they had something to say on content boards. A few seemed to have to say something on every topic; the delete key was useful in eliminating all those me too comments.

The importance was social community and shared interests. This carried over into early webpage development where people set up pages relating to one thing or another, most communications being email and out of sight of the rest of that website’s readers. Keeping content fresh and current was the key to hits.

With blogging, most enable comments to facilitate feedback or discussion. For any subject, there are some well known SMEs (subject matter experts) who draw a high readership and extensive comments. There are some subjects that lend themselves well to comments and sharing and others where you just find the particular fact and scoot off. Leaving a comment on a post several years old is just not always in the forefront of your brain, especially if you don’t know how their software platform handles comments to old posts.

There are those gems of posts I find on Tikkunknitter, Treppenwitz, or Widowswalk but I am as guilty as everyone else about reading without contributing.

I realized early on that blogging is one of my hobbies. It is not my life or career. I can then write what I like, track projects and life, and just try to keep page design under control. There is no way that I really want hundreds of responses to every post. I appreciate those who do take the time to write the occasional word. Those are precious gifts.

But if I put things off, because it is not completely what I wanted to say then the post doesn’t get written. If too many days go buy it would seem natural to have readership fall away.

I don’t think I have to worry about perfection, not with my posts frequently sounding like I was asleep or thinking in Gerglish while writing.

-Holly

Please remember that inspite of living the last 15 years as an ex-pat I am still at heart an American. Besides being the Boy Scout oath of trustworthy, loyal etc. I have been known to be less than flexible and have some fairly high standards about performance. I am caught in a bit of truth in advertising; I tend to believe what stores have on their advertisements, especially when it comes to pricing or opening hours.

After all, it doesn’t make any sense to me to piss off (American here, as in get angry – not drunk) your customer base by lying about the basics.

And then there is Tesco’s Extra. Big signs all over the grounds

On the buildings

The Fuel Point (aka gas station) with petrol pumps for diesel as well as the normal grades of premium and extra (what happened to regular? Did they think that it was uncool to drive somethign that took normal, ordinary octane fuel? But I digress). Was open with people at the pumps. It is also what all of us have begun to expect as a quick type stop to include various food stuffs, muchies, auto supplies, reading materials and a wall cooler full of beverages.

But what I really wanted you to see is this!

can’t see it? How about this?

What you don’t see is the store open. Those are big steel doors rolled down. Walking around – an employee headed to his job told me “10 on Sunday.”

Not Open 24 Hours in my book.

Wool

Washed some fleece yesterday and took it back outside to dry again this morning.

Shawl

Hyacinth took up much of the rest of my relaxing day.

After completing all of the repeats, I motored on through the 22(?) rows of the edging bemoaning that it was starting to feel too long for the needle.

Then I decided to add beads a few rows back from the edging. Floss threaders are great, but it still takes forever when adding a bead every five stitches across the rim while desperately hoping you have not dropped any of the yarn overs.

I like the way it looks and the pattern that developed

Now I just have to fix one small place (something about not noticing one of those mentioned yarn overs which crawled back down a few rows) before blocking.

Now – which of the UFOs should I start?

Books etc

Precious Dragon: an Inspector Chen Mystery by Liz Williams in hardback while I finished up Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty and am now on the fourth episode in South Coast. By Nathan Lowell, this book is also set in his Solar Clipper Universe.

I might have mentioned back more than a few weeks ago now that my good glasses had gone among the missing. They aren’t anything fancy, but they fit and have the right prescription. In the unfocused blur that is my world without lenses, I have searched the house more than once. I had also sent my DH looking when he was here.

In the interim, I have been wearing one of two pairs of old glasses. The script is not that far off, but one pair is scratched so badly that it is almost impossible to see through them and the other pair is crystal clear but frequently comes apart in the middle. (Any guesses on which pair originated during my Kuwait time?)

I since I can’t see without my glasses, normally I am extremely careful about where I put them down (all the usual places – any handy surface, the top of my head, the shelf in the bathroom – would that I was really as careful as I claim). The Mole has not been here or they would have been found. For years he was known as Eagle Eyes and finder of lost things.

You can see where I am going with this.

For some unknown reason, I awoke this morning with an interest in cleaning. I had two choices – go back to bed with a book till the fit wore off or give it a try. Looking around my bedroom, it would do one of my teens proud. So I got up and started to organize. The whole process got out of control. Before 1100 I managed to scrub the kitchen including the floor, two bathrooms, and vacuum the house. This included that bedroom together with the living room and dining room. The excavating unearthed the laundry basket necessitating three loads of laundry after adding in the towels, tablecloth and bed linens.

While this was going on, my neighbor had been left on his own by his wife who was out for the day with friends. He came charing over with the riding lawnmower and ran down the back lawn again.

Amazing what?

the lawn has been completely mowed

Honestly cut lawn without the benefit of horses.

But the most important thing? I found my glasses, the missing pair. They were tangled up in the server cords under the night stand next to my bed. The cords are black, both fat and thin. The frames are a steel grey and have been there, just about a meter from my face for weeks but I just didn’t see them.

Shawl

Have six repeats completed on Hyacinth.

We Rogues of Wool

I rarely go to YouTube, but you need to take a few minutes, all ye pirates and knitters, to go here or here if you want author’s comments. If you want to see the rest of the strips along with the Charles Balwin’s blog go to LittleDee

Podibooks

Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty. A world of ordinary people, strange superheros and some minor players who are heros after all.

I was being so good. Thought I had all of the UFOs, but I missed one.

You see, there was this baby sweater that I was going to knit for a baby. In fact the eldest was going to help me.  Out of a lovely cotton yarn, it was a simple hooded pull over.

I thought I was being smart when I picked the larger size to knit since they are small for just so short a time.

I don’t even remember why it got put aside for a few days with the seaming just started and only the hood left to knit. The Eldest went off to college.

But those days turned into weeks, months and we probably moved a few times.

That little boy is well over 10 years of age and I don’t think he would be interested. Mano I think would forgive me in any case.

I can’t find the blue any longer which leaves me with a quandry. Finish it up with a red hood although the bottom and ends of the arms are blue? Finish it up with just red around the neck and hang the hood so that another baby gets a bright soft jacket?  Or just frog the thing?

One way or the other, I think that bamboo needle has been out of circulation long enough.

Not taking any chances yesterday afternoon, I wandered around looking for a ride today.

There is this conference (but we can’t call them conferences because apparently regulations don’t allow funding of conferences. One can fund exercises, so large scale meetings where you try to stay awake through speakers and powerpoint presentations are labeled EXERCISES and so are funded. Go figure, I can’t).

In any case, this one was being held in South Hampton. That is not where I am working. In order to have secured billeting (and thus have been expected to be at last night’s social gathering plus tonight’s formal dinner) I would have had to know about this months ago. Billeting is full. The Force Development crew decided that commuting was better as that involves sleeping in one’s own bed. Since I don’t have to drive, it really works for me. Add in that I have knitting and I can be a happy camper going to and fro.

Except for the small matter of dropping stitches if the ride gets too bumpy….

Now if I had only remembered my MP3 player, my day would have been complete.

I managed three pattern repeats on the Hyacinth today. That is an increase of 60 stitches per row just today and I still have somewhere from 4-6 repeats (each 10 rows long) to go. I still want to find a shawl that is all decreases instead of increases. Then each row would feel like it was going faster rather than taking ever longer.

And I have to decide which of the UFOs I should tackle next.

It won’t be tomorrow – I am off to Gosport to a meeting. We are meeting up at 0600 in order to be there at 0800. I don’t have to drive, and perhaps I could even sleep. What I do know about this arrangement is that it gets me out of staying for the formal dinner as the four I am riding with are sensibly interested in getting back to Camberley to get some sleep before we turn around and do it again tomorrow.

Perhaps I can take pictures from the car window? Nah – I am not bringing a camera, it is not that kind of meeting.

Books et all

Listened to the first 15 episodes of Discovered Country by Nora Fleischer. It seems to be a time traveler/post holocaust type story and I still haven’t gotten the point so I switched to Mur Lafferty’s Playing for Keeps.

In hardcover, I just finished the latest Sookie Stackhouse.

Of this, of course, was between getting some work done and cruising other people’s blogs.

Picking up the idea from Kattwings via Amanda, I decided to be honest about what I have here for UFOs. I am not counting the Viking Ship Sweater since I am still working on it.

I can’t see what is in Germany, only those items which I physically have to knit/finish/frog will count in this list. That might it a bit shorter. OTOH, I think I rounded up just about everything in progress (except for one aran), so here goes:

First there is Sakiori from Folk Vests.

The vest and some of the edgings are finished. But I ran out of handspun. I need to either find some acceptable roving or frog the thing. Probably need less than 100 yards of worsted weight. Problem of course is that I haven’t spun anything closely resembling worsted for ?10 years?

Next comes a Mosaic Pattern Vest – A Walk in the Words which I believe originally came from an issue of Knitters.

I don’t have a clue where the pattern went. Since I do have graph pattern, one of the two fronts is finished, and the back is done except for a couple of inches, it just should not be all that hard to figure out the pattern.

And actually, the original pattern might not help since I substituted yarns and gauge anyway.

Finally – there is this Norwegian Roses Vest from one or another of the Till Fjells on my shelf.

It really only needs the finishing. As in sew down the facings on the front and bottom as well as the arms and the same on the neck. And blocking, it needs a good blocking.

In case you are wondering – all three projects predate Spring of 2003. In fact, I am pretty sure that at least two were UFOs when I moved to Heidelberg (2001). Since the publication date in Folk Vests says 2002, that puts the early limit on the one vest. I did pick up the Norwegian Vest at some point to do the steeks after I came back from downrange in 2004.

Anyone else have projects this old that they actually intend to finish?

Shawls

Forget-Me-Not is almost dry

I like both the pattern & the beads.

As I think I mentioned – Evelyn Clark’s Hyacinth is on the needles. For some reason, both the designs and pattern instructions just seem to work for me. There are a couple of other wonderful shawls out there, but either the instructions don’t lend themselves easily to size adjustments or they don’t have charts. I am not knitting lace without a chart.

Books

Murder most Crafty – ed. Maggie Bruce. A fun collection of mystery short stories by a number of authors I like, all revolving around crafts. Published in 2005, I found it on BookOverstocks for cheap.

Not wishing to wait for the promised sometime next week we will come and mow, I borrowed an organic horse powered lawn mower from another person who lives on post.

Truly horse powered.

If you can’t see him clearly, perhaps this will help?

Otter was supposed to come with a buddy. Said buddy had an injured hoof and won’t be along for a couple of days. Never the less, this one horse made a valiant effort to eat down as much grass as he could chew. That thing on his head is a mesh fly protector. He can see out, and it is insect repellent impregnated. Not a bad idea.

I expect to see him back over the next several days. The post engineer says that they will come with a mower and really take care of the grass. That I will believe when it happens.

Shawls

The Forget-me-not is complete.

I like the pattern and I even managed to add some beads to the edge. I don’t have tiny crochet hooks. But with the miracle of floss threaders – I was all set!

Now I just have to get it blocked (and one section repaired. Nothing like finding out you have dropped a stitch back a few rows after the binding off is completed).

Tubey

Ok, this is how much yarn I had left after completing Tubey. Now I really need to do something with it. But at least it does not count as a UFO.

Podiobooks

Moving on – I started Geek Fu Master by Mur Lafferty but didn’t get through more than a few episodes. Being one of the old geeks (it takes more than having done some web page design and RPG authoring to qualify as a geek in my book), I found her humourus in her observations of life. A bit too Gen-X for my taste, but I think she would appeal better to the 30s crowd than this late 50s geek for 40+ years…..

In case you are wondering why I seem to be breaking the cardinal rule of “if you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all” it is because I know that what does not appeal to me may well resonate with one of your. And if you don’t haunt weird places like the Balticon Podcasts, you just might miss these.

-Holly

I wasn’t one of the 30,000 people who are reported to have greeted the sunrise (0458) this morning at Stone Henge (BBC Article here) with a lovely series of pictures starting here.

Nor did I join Cheryl and the rest of the crew from the nearest drop zone in their plan to overfly Stone Henge on their way to an early morning jump. I’m not sure if they actually managed this morning as the weather was a bit of an issue.

Instead, I made an early airport run to drop off a colleague. On the way back I went by the site of last night’s excited and was comforted to find my hubcap just sitting there upside down on the corner. All critical jobs for the day completed, I just relaxed for the duration listening to books and knitting.

Shawls

I made significant progress on the Forget-me-not shawl.

The pattern is a 16 row repeat. I figured out that I can probably manage 7 repeats along with the edging out of one skein of sock yarn. As the day progressed, I got better at reading the stitches to figure out where I was but still kept up a simple chart and checked off every row.

I like the way that the pattern is developing, even if my colour choice seems to be a bit odd. You see, I am going to make the eldest a shawl to go with her wedding dress and I am trying out patterns in small sizes. The youngest (aka Ms Copper) happens to love pink/green. So I know that I will have a taker for the scarf when it is finished.

Podiobooks

Full Share- the third in the series by Nathan Lowell.

I also listened to the first couple of Episodes of Red Panda. I find the basic story line funny and appreciate the author’s sense of humor. However – I find the production by Decoder Ring Theater so strident and their barker so unpleasant that I am skipping the rest of the episodes. Apparently most of their voice actors haven’t figured out that there is a difference between emoting and shouting. I am sure that it will appeal to others. Just not me, since I don’t want to have to sit right next to the computer and skip over all the intros and adds.

All in all, a nice quiet day. It is nice to have a downday.

There is the good, and the bad.

Let me do the challenging part first.

After finishing up my errands at RAF Croughton, I stopped by Windsor Great Forest on the way home. One of the other US exchange officers lives in the area. I dropped off a bag from the commissary and stayed a few hours to knit and chat. Sally had been making noises about learning to knit socks. Her challenge was getting the hang of double-pointed needles.

So far so good – right?

Think just getting dark and 2145 as I come around the Jolly Farmer round-a-bout and head down the Maultway aka B3015. There are no lights on this road, it has a lot of curves and the left turn that I need is marked on the right. Directly across from the turn, leaving almost no reaction time.

As I start to slow down looking for the turn this idiot comes screaming up behind me and starts to pass. Did I mention that this is on a short curve and that there are not street lights?

Yes, thought I had.

Picture me sweating as a car comes roaring up from around the curve ahead of us.

Does the idiot pull back in?

No, he speeds up and starts to cut right back in. Only issue is that I am already occupying that space.

Wrenching over to the left, I hit the curb, then pop up on it while the idiot pulls away into the dark. I didn’t get his license plate number. As I drive shakily on, I realize that I now have a front left flat tire.

Why should I not be surprised? Good thing that I am only about 200 meters from my destination.

It is now 2200 as I come knocking on John’s door. Luckily, they were not yet in bed and had a flash light. John is taller and out weighs me by a good 30 kilo. Maybe I should have objected more when he took over the majority of the tire changing, but I was pretty well wiped at that point.

After all of that, I had hardly anything for mail.

The Package

There was, however a package from Roseann, marking my death in Sock Wars III.

there were of course, the Detonators -

along with a lovely hand woven pouch, some knitter wristlets, tea bags and the balance of the yarn.

I tried them on. They are lovely. Knit so tightly that her fingers must have bled. I have narrow feet and I have never had a pair of socks fit that were knit on 72 stitches (usually about 56 is my number). The toes are a bit big but this is an issue with the pattern. Since they are a lovely cotton blend sock yarn, it won’t matter in summer sandals a bit. They are bright, cheerful and a great pair for summer.

Podiobooks

On to Full Share by Nathan Lowell.

Arches

And sometimes it is just a whimsy of seeing a bit of brickwork set into a regular hedge that gets my fancy. Made ordinary by the usual refuse containers. Even if it is located in Windsor Forest – whic is property of the British Royal Family.

-Holly

It has been a long time since I muttered around about spinning. And normally I go no where near fleece, washing fleece or processing from the beginning.

But lately, as the price of roving seems to have sky rocketed to the point where painted and dyed roving is more expensive than commercial yarn, I have been reconsidering. I don’t begrudge the Indies for wanting to make money, but when I am looking for sweater/vest amounts of yarn it starts becoming a bit dear.

Please also remember that I am now living in wool country. There may not be as many sheep here as in the UK, but some of the rural areas seem pretty close. One of those areas is the Shetland Isles. You have heard of Jamiesons, right?

As essentially the processor on the Shetland Isles, fleece is available for less than half the price of roving. In turn this seems to be about half the price of yarns (which can be purchased on cones). I liked the price on the fleece, especially since all grades are the same price. Shetland fleece are small, so buying by x number of fleece or I want y kilos are both possibilities.

My fleece appeared at the back door yesterday.

Opening it

I found this sturdy plastic bag containing neatly rolled fleece in exactly the colours I had requested.

Each fleece was already decently skirted. The rain in the Isles must contribute to the cleanliness as these were nowhere near as dirty as I expected.

I think I am going to plan either this weekend or one in July as fleece washing.

Knitting

Doesn’t look bad blocked at all

And I have taken a skein of J-Knits in colourway Maryland

and am going to test drive Forget-me-Not by Evelyn Clark as a possibility for the Eldest. The colours are something that would appeal to the Maus (Ms Copper by any other name) so I know I will have a taker when it is complete).

Podiobooks

Half Share – Nathan Lowell.

Both my headache and meds have finally worn off, just in time to crash.

-Holly

This morning we drove to Upavon for a meeting. Since I had nothing portable on the needles, I read trash and slept for the ride. This is the time in practically forever that I can remember where I have absolutely no portable project underway.

I just found it impossible to get excited about starting anything else with long term projects just sitting there. Coupled with the fact that most of the sock patterns in my queue are not mindless knitting. Horrible to say, but I might actually have enough pairs of regular socks.

Tubey

Which leads me to Tubey, my March Madness project. After a long avoidance, Tubey is finished. It had been sitting there in pieces/parts for a month.

I took a breath and bound the back to the arms -

did some messing around to get the front part attached -

and then decided that the neckline really needed a finish, which I did with I-cord.

It is surprisingly comfortable on, but way too warm for this time of year. Figures.

Viking Ship Sweater

I also staked out the Viking Ship Sweater to see what I have

Normally, I would block at the end, but I am sorely tempted block the body now, before I cut the front steek. I think it would be easier than basting the front together later. I could do the same with the arms prior to finishing them.

What do you think?

-Holly

Managing to get through the say, download a few software updates and stay away pegged my fun meter until afterwork when it was back out to try and catch the few rays peaking through the crowds.

Diamond Fantasy Shawl

Completing the shawl, I went ahead with the I-cord edging

which went rapidly. I guess there were not quite as many stitches as I had thought. It just seems like purling back takes forever.

After a nice 30 minute soak in the sink following the end weaving in,

I proceeded with what was referred to as severely block the scarf.

Not having any fancy blocking equipment, I had to settle for my Clover daisy headed pins and an old mattress pad.

Would you believe I had almost 10 yards (of the 367) left over. Guess I should have knit two more rows!

Podiobooks

On Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell. He has joined the Podiobooks forum on Ravelry, which has added to my interest. Tells a nice tale.

-Holly

The most exciting part of my work day was finding myself the only one at breakfast in the Mess.

Knitting

Rapid progress on the Diamond Fantasy Shawl brought me to this point –

with only a pattern repeat to go. I took advantage of the five minutes of sunshine.

Digging through my patterns – all the Chameleon Colorworks ones are still in Germany. I have no socks on the needles at all and am not sure what to start next. I might head back to frog the Mingus and use the yarn for Firestarter.

PodioBooks

I finished up Nina Kimberley the Merciless and moved from fantasy to Science Fiction.

Nathan Lowell has an interesting series based on space travel. Starting with Quarter Share, it is one of those lovely tales that absolutely works the best in first person. Reminds me of some Heinlein stories (young adult lose in the galaxy seeing ordinary situations with fresh eyes).

-Holly

It is amazing how quickly you can get over yourself. All it takes is a deep breath, a thought back to the signs that have been posted for weeks and a realization that no one else thinks you are the center of the Universe. In fact, you are probably not on anyone’s radar screen.

So it really is your own fault that you forgot that today was Heritage Day. No one deliberately set it up so that you could not drive out of your road, do your grocery shopping or fill your car with gas. I knew about this somewhere in the back of my mind. But I just hadn’t had it settle through with the implications.

Think open house with military displays. People, strollers and dogs are everywhere. Certainly there is no way to easily drive a car through the milling crowds.

There was music -

There were people milling around everywhere

Military Toys and Demos

and more fun for small children

With my fun meter pegged, I went back to the laundry and my knitting not returning for the 1600 musical finale. It didn’t rain, but close.

Shawl

As it grows, rows take longer and longer. I had forgotten that about shawls. I think I would rather cast on hundreds of stitches and have each row grow shorter. You can’t be in doubt about your amount of yarn, but still….

And tomorrow is back to work, clean clothes but no mowing or vacuuming.

This is the time of year many of us have reunions, celebrate the graduations of various off spring and friends and otherwise reflect on where we came from and where we are going. What started me thinking about this was the Knitigator’s post on her college reunion. She mentions friends doing well and seeing members of the Class of 48.

I am not a fan of reunions. I have been to exactly two in my life – a high school reunion five years after I graduated and a 25 year medical school on. The first was a total disaster and the second was attended by hardly anyone that I knew.

Let me explain. I graduated high school in a rural small town with a consolidated school district. Five years later, out of 118 in the graduating class there were only five of us still involved in obtaining an education one of whom had just returned to school after serving in Viet Nam. My average classmate was divorced with two small children. Various class members were working on the family farm, in the family store, packing pickles for Gedney or shoveling sugar beets. College, much less graduate or professional school was not the norm. Five years out, a single nerdy woman, I had even less in common with anyone than I had while attending the school.

I left early and promised myself that I would not do that particular number again.

It was a promise I managed to keep for 27 years. Then 2000 rolled around and I was lulled into thinking about seeing how the University of Minnesota had changed. There were a number of good things about the trip. I spent time with old friends not related to school. I got to gape at Mall of America and I even found some clothes that fit. None of my close classmates bothered to come. Many of them are local to the area and probably saw no need to attend.

The only tolerable part wound up being my table companions for the dinner. I managed by some fortune to sit with mostly prior military scholarship folks. As a result, we actually had something in common. Since I was pretty anti-military going through school, I really knew almost none of them (in case you are wondering – there were over 230 who graduated with me. Since the group consisted of both 3 and 4 year program students, there was little to no chance that everyone knew everyone else).

Since I went to a large state university that didn’t particularly foster school spirit or camaraderie outside of sports or the fraternity/sorority scene, attending a reunion is just outside my realm. I have no idea what has happened to the hundreds who graduated with me.

In 1948 my parents graduated from University of MN and got married. My father after having served in WWII, my mother having spent most of her growing up years in a small town. Reunions? Not likely there either.

I am fascinated by the lives and experiences of others, but I am too old to want a do-over and regrets can waste a lot of energy.

Shawls

Perhaps the Internet is not such a good thing. I was able to cruise around and buy a couple of shawl patterns from Sivia Harding and Evelyn Clark. After one false start with Misti Alpaca – I tried the Diamond Fantasy Shawl
The first few rows looked fine.

and the pattern clearly shows in a closeup

The yarn is STR medium weight; a skein of Bella-Coola that I got in the 2007 STR Club. I like the fact that the edging is part of the shawl. You should know me by now, lots of making up is just not my thing.

AudioBooks

Did a small bit of damage today at AudioBookStand. They had a number of kids CDs on sale. I have a tendency to buy and then donate to my local military library. They have plenty of cases, but no money to enlarge their collection. Plus free shipping and a couple of free audiobooks just made my day.

Podcasts

I don’t listen to fiber related podcasts. Rather, I spend that time on other subjects that interest me. Currently, I am listening to Spider on the Web. After hearing the first eight tracks of Variable Star I decided to download and catch up with his older podcasts. He has a nice combination of talk, music and personal opinion. I really wish he did a decent job of broadcast notes. Trying to write down URLs while knitting is fraught with errors.

-Holly

Goals and Priorities for the summer. Hummm.

The KnitWit brought up the idea of setting some knitting and spinning ones for the summer.

It is summer out there, isn’t it? Given that it has been cloudy and a whole 15 degrees. I really need something to concentrate on other than the back garden which is rapidly going to seed.

Unfortunately, my goals for knitting and spinning may need to take a backseat to three work related tasks that have actual deadlines.

I had submitted for a couple of presentations at an August Conference. [Un]fortunately, they were both accepted and I now have to put them together. Unlike the good old days where you could finish up your talk the morning of, the new rules require that all presentations have been vetted by the security folks and are uploaded by 25 July. Takes the pressure off me at the last minute, but I really should have more than the abstracts at this point.

The other project is a bit larger. Several months ago I became involved in a review of materials for teaching Catastrophic Medicine and Disaster Operations to Military Officers. As a side bar, I half jokingly suggested that I turn the work into a thesis for a Diploma at Apothecaries. I have to write the requesting letter (which pretty much commits me to the project) and then have it finished by the first week in August so that I can sit Parts I & II of the exam in Oct (on my birthday no less). The High Holidays don’t even interfere this year.

See the problem?

Work or knit? Or perhaps work and knit. But all my outside reading is going to have to stop along with design work, housework (hey!) and the garden.

Never mind about the garden.

Arches

From last Saturday at Winchester

-Holly

I didn’t touch my knitting needles at all today.

If you want a beautiful sweater – look at Sylvia’s Shawnee Parkway Cardigan

Me? I read, listened to some audio tracks and thought about names. Place Names, people’s names.

It really seems that those names you hear regularly as a child seem totally normal to you no matter how they sound to others. As an adult, the unfamiliar can be strange. I would say it is not a function so much of language, but that might not be completely true.

I grew up speaking a variant of American English know as Mid-West. Not all that many contractions, few abbreviations and a clear but occasionally flat diction. No extra dropped or added syllables, not an extra “r” in site. This has carried on to the present, unless I spend too much time around other regional accents. Give me a few days and my speak slides toward their norm.

But it doesn’t mean that I understand the localities naming conventions like I understand and think that Anglicized Native American names are normal. I can better deal with some German place names, since I never translate them than I can with Martin’s Heron, Canadian Water, or Middle Wallop.

I think I should start a meme about interesting or nonsensical place names. Even worse, I could add the issue of those poor children whose parent’s name them after a place. (Would you really want to grow up with a first name of Arizona, Dallas, Montana, or Kentuck if you were not a country and western singer?)

Books

Since I have obviously not been knitting, these are some of the books in the pile from the last week or so.

Beyond Reach – Karin Slaughter. Absolutely hated it. Too ugly, too violent and a really nasty ending. She is an excellent writer, but her grittiness, realism and lack of my type of ending means this is the last book of hers that I will read. I want to enjoy to a book, not to be horrified. And I want an ending that has the good team winning.

I think I have already mentioned some of the following:

Iron Kissed – Patricia Briggs. A quick and good read.
Predatory Game – Christine Feehan. Like a couple of her other series, the story is the same retold with new characters. Getting repititious..

Grimspace – Ann Aguirre. Great new SciFi voice with an origirnal character and plot twist.

Shadowing Ivy - Janelle Taylor. Female Police Officers simply aren’t this helpless and stupid. The plot and development are fine. Too much effort is put in to make this a romance and not enough research into police procedures.

And then there is

A Curious Affair – Melaine Jackson. Actually understanding cat speak? Unquestionably a mixed blessing.

Heart of Stone – CE Murphy. A new series featuring a kick-ass attorney and a gargoyle. Not bad at all. For some reason, probably being asleep while ordering, I have two copies. Anyone want the extra?

em>House of Cards – CE Murphy. Second in the series mentioned above. The action keeps moving and the character development is both believable and clever.

Cast in Secert – Michelle Sagara. I like the series for fun escape reading. Perhaps the middle book is better. In any case, this book really can’t be read as a stand-alone. But I would recommend the series, especially when they are finally released in paperback. No clue as to when that would be. I would not recommend any of these in electronic format. The publisher just doesn’t get the concept of lower prices for electronic distro.

I am trying very hard not to think about the garden. The grass has gotten really long.

Trying to mow it with a push-mower takes more than a bit of effort and results in something looking pretty chewed.

I hung it. Much better that I go and knit!

SKP2008

My SKP2008 second socks are done. The pattern was a 16 row lace that I did not ever manage to memorize. As a result, I was something like the 86th person to finish up the socks, rather than in the top 10. I also will admit not having started them right away. The yarn is Austerman’s Step. It is lovely, and considering that I only paid 6,95DMEuros a ball, it was a great deal and I wish I had purchased more when I was in Munich. Now why am I thinking in the wrong currency?

On the feet and an attempt at detail

Books and Audio Books

To tell you the truth – I have been mostly reading rather than listening. And reading junk. So I am not going to share the list unless something turns up that you really might want to read.

Projects

- do I want to do knit this one? Wicked is looking pretty good to me. Quick, simple and a chance to use up some more yarn (grin). It might be a break from all the 3,00mm stranded colour work or the 2,5mm socks on the needles. Or from all the cardigans with steeks. It would really great over a turtleneck…

- do I want to get started on a shawl for the eldest? I have been thinking about Swallowtail as one possibility but there are a lot of lovely choices. I don’t want a pattern so complicated that I can’t memorize it. And this is certainly not the time to take on a mystery shawl.

- do I want to start one of the vest/sweaters that I have been planning.

Or should I be a good kid and start the sleeves for the Viking?

Or put Tubey together?

(and I finished up the arms quite a while ago.) Somehow I am having a block about this. In actuality, it probably would take me under two hours to have the whole thing put together, ends woven in and on the blocker.

Have you ever gotten stuck on a sweater, just not able to do that last couple of hours of knitting and finishing?

I am wondering if it is because I am worried about the fit, whether or not I will like it. Or maybe I have just gotten too bored with the project?

Or maybe I am just looking at too many wonderful new projects out there to be interesting in completing anything that I can’t wear now. Startitis is a really bad disease. All of you really need to stop tempting me with all your wonderful projects; it makes mine seem so boring.

You have to wonder at people. There they are,sitting on the train, totally public and carrying on conversations that would be best kept private.

Last week when I was on the train between Birmingham and Reading, Coach A was designated as the quiet car, with all cell phone usage prohibited. The car was packed, needless to say, so I know that I am not the only one who prefers not to know what business the man next to me is conducting. Or would rather waive the opportunity to hear the opinions of the woman six rows back. Whinging loudly at her boyfriend for clubbing this upcoming weekend, she followed with calls to three of her girlfriends to report on the previous conversation.

Inanities that I would have preferred not to hear. Frankly, I can see the boyfriends point. Who would want to spend time with this chick?

That is not to say that there are not times when a phone call is not needed or useful. I have no problems with the quick calls that let family or friends know arrival times. But to take the train car and turn it into an office? Please, get a driver or a private compartment.

Oh, these are British trains without private compartments? How about that computer plug next to your seat? Why don’t you just plug in and be quiet?

I like the idea of a bubble helmet over a person’s head, containing both them and their words. Colour me old fashion, but manners might just be important, and we all pay for our seats.

And now there is talk of allowing the usage of cell phones on airplanes, the last travel refuge.

Jasper Fforde lives in neither Reading nor Swindon. Actually, he lives in Wales. Which may or may not make any sense at all. He is author of two of my favorite literatary mystery series – The Nursery Crimes Division and Thursday Next. Go visit his website(s).

I spent a bit of time happily doodling around. As there was a link to back issues of The Toad and came across something I just don’t think we can do without. A new version of an Epson Printer. I leave all the possibilities to your imagination.

The DH is in town and we are just relaxing after yesterday’s trip out.

Starting out like most of our journeys – we headed out the M3 toward the West to see what we could see. Approaching Winchester there was a car park. Given that most cities do not have great parking close to the center (especially for someone driving a van) we parked. As it turns out, for 2.70L you can park for the day and take the bus in.

We wandered around Winchester, looking at street entertainers, the old buildings, the castle. And yes, that is the Round Table in two views. The other end of the great hall is covered with painted calligraphic family trees. We walked past Winchester Cathedral but did not fork over the entry fee to see the inside. We had a much better time at the used book sale run continually by the Cathedral Choir as a fund raiser. I found a couple of fiber related books and George rummaged through both the German and political sections.

From there we walked along the paths to see what was left of Wolvesey Castle. As you can see from the English Heritage Site’s overhead photo, the Bishop did not have a small residence, nor did he likely stint himself on his surroundings. Present in this location since the 12th Century, it is one of the free historical sites in which you can really wander around and get an idea of the size and quality of the old buildings.

Mostly what you are going to get is a gallery of photos, hopefully in the order described above. Let me know if you need something specific clarified.

We drove home leisurely along the A30 enjoying both the countryside and not getting lost.

Around the office today was the usual collection of watchers -

and

Then there was the chance to briefly enter the Medal Room

with walls lined with paintings, photos and shadow boxes of medals. Some are originals, donated by families, others are reproductions of the military awards of various key British Army Medical Personnel over the centuries.

Sock Wars III

Sent off this pair of Detonators knit out of STR Silky Tide Pool -

toward the US while at the Mailroom this afternoon. Best I can figure, since I sent them out regular priority mail is that they will take at least a week and probably longer to arrive. This is fine with Peety, she is not in a hurry to be killed off. I admire her dedication, since she has finished up four kills. For what ever reason, I had so many flaking out around me that most of my time was spent doing little but chatting on the forums and waiting.

Arches

From Wednesday’s adventures in Bournville. Passing under the chocolate arch, there was no point in taking a bite.

Have you ever noticed the relationship between the weight of your bag and the length of time it has been over your shoulder?

Especially in the case of a back pack carelessly slung over one shoulder; the epitome of cool.

Is it arithmatic? Exponential? Or logarithmic, that increase of weight over time.

I can make a case for any of the above.

At the beginning of the day, fresh and full of energy with all those essentials packed carefully, your set off on your journey. The beverages are drunk, the snacks eaten as the day progresses. Perhaps a round or 40 are knit on that sock and a few photos are taken. The bag weighs heavier as the hours pass. Nothing has been added, no shopping, purchases or souvenirs accumulate for the return journey.

So why does that pack drag you down so much at the end of the day, heavier it seems by far as you trudge from the train station through town back to base?

Out the Windows

At work

And at home. Before you ask – all the mowers on my street seem to be non-operational. If it rains much more, the swath that the Mole accomplished when he was here is going to disappear.

Sock Wars III Continues

For the affectionadoes – Fran even developed a spreadsheet. I trust that none of you will use it for Spam.

There aren’t any Obits today. There are 700 (as of 2330) fallen knitters, they are just not posting. Waah.

I have had a lovely evening – listening to old Podcasts and knitting these socks. Took out the first toe just in case and I am now doing them both at the same time to make sure that I have enough yarn. STR is not generous with Silkie yardage. A progress picture – and I will post the completed pix before they go in the mail.

The Viking Ship Sweater

On hold for just the day – but this is the catch-up photo, you can see one half of the body completed. The second side is lacking four rows. Since I am doing these back and forth to accomplish the neck shaping, they are a bit slower (two handed purling anyone?).

Berlin Muster – SKP2008

Back to these tomorrow -

Bournville wasn’t much of anything, just a few houses and such located along Bourn Brook. Then, when a major business relocated here in 1879 from Birmingham, the name was Frenchified, because anything French was cool at the time.

The business was Cadbury’s Chocolate. Walking around there today – it appears to be the town that Cadbury’s built, or owns, or both.

Starting with the train station -

And the town with both offices and funded buildings and parks.

In their defence, the Quaker family that started Cadbury’s provided support, medical benefits and time-off, long before it was the norm for business. It might be one factor – besides good products – in why they went from 200+ employees when they relocated to Bournville to the eight thousand UK employees of today.

But as far as Cadbury’s World as a place to visit? I’d save my money. Might be decent for the under 10 crew. It is not as well set up or as interesting as the chocolate factory near Hamburg that we visited a number of years ago with Kathy and Hans.

There was actually minimal learning, heavily sweetened with self-promoting information with little for exhibits and few demos.

It ended with a ride reminiscent of Its a Small World After All (Disney). I will just share the pictures of Beanville without further comment.

In case you are wondering what in the world I was doing – my meeting ended early and I was looking for something to do before catching my train home.

I also saw a little of Birmingham; featuring modern side by side with stately buildings.

There are market halls and coffee shops

And then there is the Bullring.

It is a Mall – complete with high end shops and a Candy Bull

Sock Wars III

First, my new knit weapons. STR Silky in Tide Pool for Peety -

By the time I rolled back into Camberley I was a couple of repeats into the second sock – with only the toe to kirchner on the first sock (after checking on the shape with said victim). There are major size issues with the pattern, and I wanted to make sure these actually might fit her.

685 knitters down and too many to go. Some people are only bothering to quit or declare themselves dead when pressed. Makes it take a lot longer. I think that they just want socks knit for them without doing any knitting themselves.

Sock Wars Obit

Posted by the mentioned Lucille -

This, written by one of my dulcimer students today:
Dearly beloved,
We are gathered here today to mourn, no, to celebrate, the feet of clay, no, I mean the feet of Lucille, who knitted valiantly through the bloody Sock Wars, of which we have heard so much. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they made here: sockssockssockssockssocksssssss……………
OK, enough of that, gang. Let’s go raid her stash before her family gets back to her house from the boneyard! We’re off!!!!!!!!
Yours in sorrow,
Sherry

Now that my ears have quit ringing – Just a collection of this and that.

Why were my ears ringing?

Taking a break in the middle of the afternoon – I buzzed home to pick something up. This guy in a suit knocks on the door. Since I am live on a secure (yah, right) base, I knew it was neither a door-to-door salesman or a proselytizer. It turned out to be the smoke detector guy. Apparently the smoke alarm system has been turned off since some time in 2006.

I personally don’t care, but what the heck?

Take it back! I take it back. For the next 30 minutes my ears were treated to shrieking alarms as he tested one detector after another. The system is set so that if anyone of the alarms trigger – they all howl. There is one in almost every room. That makes for 10 of the bleeding things.

I gratefully shut the door, the proud dweller in a house with a functioning box and lots of tested alarms.

An hour later, the alarm goes off, but quits after a few minutes.

At 1730 this happens again and I am treated to a third iteration after six. About 1930, the system goes off. And it does not quit. I have no instructions and taking a hammer to the box seems a bit drastic. I open up the box and contemplate pulling wires. I pull the fuse, nothing happens; the high pitched shriek from the box blends with the horrible warbling siren.

Wearing the nice set of hearing muffs used for mowing the lawn, I unsuccessfully search for the emergency number. Can’t find it and can’t live with the noise. My neighbor finds the work order desk number and they tell me that they will get me an electrician out this evening. 20 minutes later, the electrician calls, then says he will be out in the morning.

No way, says I, can you hear that racket?

Yes.

Well, could you sleep with all that noise?

No, and he appears about half an hour later. It takes pulling the fuse out of the walll and out of the box before the system shuts up.

At this point, my evening is shot and my thoughts are completely scattered.

This and That

Juggling for world peace is a UTube production by the partner of a fellow Sock Wars Combatant.

Elysbeth reminded me of this post -reiterating the main points by Dr Gordon Livingston.

2. We are what we do. We are not what we think, or what we feel, or what we say, we are what we do. Actions do indeed speak louder than words. If you are unhappy with a particular part of your life, take a strong look at what you are doing to be happier.

is the key in my view. Goes right along there with my make the world a better place philosophy.

Sock Wars III – Obits

The death toll rises. 662 as of the end of the day. It was a quiet day in the Obits -

I’m dead. After 2 weeks of checking the mail every day (and calling home to see if I had socks in the mail), my suffering has ended.

So – the following exchange occured -

CANDY IS DANDY
BUT A KNITTER IS QUICKER

I think Mr. Nash said, “…but liquor is quicker.”

A knitter could be quicker ….with vodka!! Is it allowed to rewrite poetry??? As long as I give credit to the original poet???? I thought the “knitter” line would be more appropriate under these sad circumstances.

Which reminds me – I have a target! A lovely person who needs to be a-sox-inated.

Viking Ship Sweater

Remember this? I actually have one side done and have only five rows to finish on the other side of the neck. Plus a small bit of duplicate stitching (in preference to multiple row messy drop down or frogging). Besides – you deserve a picture for reading this far.

Audio Books

Truth or Dare by Jayne Ann Krentz. I needed something that didn’t not require a lot of thought while I knit.

-Holly

Sock Wars III – Obits

Obviously, we are still having a good time with this. I finally heard back from my victim. Not only has she fallen to death by sox – but has major things going on in the family and is now days beyond the 48 hours required to pass on her SIP. That meant an email to the Supreme Commander in Ireland in order to be able to start on a new pair for my downstream target.

There lies Benbah
vacant orbs gazing at the stars
Beautiful socks of pink and blue (and a few more colours too)
Adorn her cooling corpse

But wait!

There in her hand
A postal receipt does stand
Her death by Yarnwitch came too late
to save NewbieSockWarrior
from the same fate

Only just!

I have been killed
By women who are skilled.
I died not of the Pox
But death by socks.

VEELAU, died happily today when she opened her mailbox this afternoon after a horrific Monday at work. She was a happy soul that loved to knit…socks. She leaves behind a stash that she never had a hope of cleaning up; not to mention a refridgerator in the same state. She will be laid to rest wearing a FANTASTIC pair of socks knit with skill by another. “When given lemons, make lemonade – then add vodka.”

HERE LIES JUDY, DEAD AND COLD
NICE NEW SOCKS, THE COLOUR OF GOLD
TOOK TWO OUT BEFORE SHE EXPIRED
ALL THAT KNITTING, SHE WAS TIRED.

Podcasts

Listing to Betty – some of those pilots sound all too familiar.

Audio Books

Rusty Nail - JA Kornrath

More pictures from Oxford.

Books

Iron Kissed – Patricia Briggs.
Grimspace – Ann Aguirre
Predatory Game – Christine Feehan

But after looking at the garden, I decided that the best thing I could do today was sleep.

-Holly