A is for Aran

About a week before Christmas when I had finished knitting all the gifts due that month, I cast on Vickie's Cardigan (designed by Marilyn King) using Black Water Abbey yarn in the color Bracken.

What a great knit this is so far! It never fails to keep me interested, but it is easy enough to do during a light conversation or through a movie at home. It was wonderful car knitting as well. The yarn is lovely both in its color and its highlighting of the cable pattern.



Some knitters complain that BWA yarn is rough, but I'm pleased with its texture and know that any yarn much softer than this one will just pill up on me. I don't know why, but I can just LOOK at soft yarn and it pills. (Could this be something about the way I knit, or about the chemicals I exude, or something?) If I am going to invest much time in a project, I want it to maintain its looks for more than one wearing. I'm pretty sure this yarn will wear beautifully for decades, just as some of my grandmother's knitting has.



Aran knitting began off the coast of Ireland in the Aran islands. When a pattern is in the classic Aran style, it usually has intricate patterns involving cables, bobbles and other designs. The style may have begun as late as 1900.

One of the significant myths about Aran sweaters is that they were originally knit for the fishermen and that each family used a unique stitch pattern so that bodies of loved ones could be identified if they washed onto shore. Although this concept appears to be false, it is a romantic one that demonstrates the power of knitters to define who we are.

As I write this, I realize how much more I would like to learn about Aran knitting. Stay tuned for upcoming posts which will discuss more of the history and the technique.

* * *

Now that I've finished the back, Vickie will have to go in the knitting bag while I go back to a knitting project still on the needles that is to be given in a couple of weeks to a special woman in my life. Details soon--perhaps in a "B is for..." post!


Check out the details!

Family Dynamics

A friend steered me to a personal essay by a man who, despite his personal commitments against the practice, wound up spanking his three-year-old daughter. She, according to her father, was beyond all other means of control.

Control seems like a big issue is his family. Cole Gamble begins the essay by saying, "I am the commander-in-chief of my house, which is to say I am a puppet set up by the shadow government that is my wife."

The author talks about his immediate response to an incident: "Teaching her to not hit by hitting her...would open up a swirling vortex of hypocrisy I'm not ready to unleash upon her just yet. Instead I point my finger to Jillian's room and shout at her, 'Go!'"

In another incident, he threatens to spank his daughter if she does not stop an unwanted behavior. When she doesn't stop, he slaps her--primarily, it seems, because he is afraid that if he does not spank her at that point, then she will realize that his rule can be manipulated.

Her response to the spanking? Does she cower before him and do as he says? No. She laughs. Laughs.

Gamble concludes that spanking doesn't work because "parenthood is not a war, where might makes right. It is a game of chess, a game of skill and patience that you can never truly master."

* * *

I am certainly not a master parent. In fact, my son is very lucky to be at a friend's house this afternoon for a playdate, given how cranky I acted toward him this morning. And to be fair to Gamble, he writes his article at least partly tongue in cheek.

But I'm struck reading his essay that Gamble casts the job of parenting as one about power. He envisions himself as a powerless despot--and although he eventually realizes that he doesn't have to beat his subject into submission, he still has to win and she has to lose.

Even his example of his acceptable parenting involves an immediate portrayal of the parent-child relationship as one that is adversarial. Although the idea of "time-out" is not nearly as controversial as spanking has become, at root it relies on the idea of punishment rather than reason.

If we really want to avoid this win-or-lose family life, perhaps we need to discard this concept of parents being right and children by definition being wrong. Imagine it for a moment from the point of view of your own child side. (When I know I am always going to lose an interaction by virtue of who I am, it simply encourages me to misbehave and do everything I can to push the issue.)

On the other hand, imagining that family life is a process of consensus allows us to build something new. Consensus does not mean we all vote until we come up with something we can all accept. It means we put in the work to allow a BETTER answer to come forth, better than anything any of us could come up with individually. It fundamentally cannot work unless we treat all members of the family with the kind of respect we would treat our spouses or our boss at work. Would you hit your spouse if s/he was out of line? Would you send the person to his or her room? If you did either of those things, would you think that s/he deserved it? Or would you know if was your own craziness coming out?

For a selection of books that can help you learn and practice this consensus-oriented parenting style, check out this list of some of my favorites.

The Jury is Out...of her mind

On New Year's Eve, I had jury duty. Although I was excited about the possibility of actually getting to be on a jury (I've never even been called out of the waiting room), I was thrown for a loop when I heard from a friend that in this county, knitting needles were not allowed--not only in the courtroom but in the whole building. She passed on that crochet hooks were allowed.

I don't crochet at all, but I have a couple of hooks--a super-tiny steel one for beading and a moderate-sized one for picking up dropped stitches (although in reality I only use my knitting needles for this purpose). I also own the fabulous Kids Crochet: Projects for Kids of All Ages. I was all set to take the book, my medium hook, and some random yarn and see if I could finally figure out that alien craft.

The night before jury duty, I called the number I was supposed to call in order to get final confirmation that I was to show up. There was a statement that we should bring enough stuff to entertain ourselves all day. There was also a statement that no metal knitting needles or crochet hooks are allowed in the building. So my crochet hook would not pass through security--but I was allowed to take my knitting! If you are not an addicted knitter, you might not be able to imagine the relief I was feeling.

I packed my bag full of diversions. Although I threw in a book and also a notebook and pen, most of what I took was knitting. Two projects with very different yarns so I could swap back and forth when my hands began to hurt. At the last minute, I threw in yarn, pattern, and needles for the second Twisted Stitch Gauntlet. I could not imagine casting on for it while I was waiting for my name to be called. It requires a bit more concentration than my slightly hard-of-hearing self wanted to spend when I knew I had to be watching the front of the room.

So I got to the courthouse and merrily put my bag through security. The guard opened it and spotted one circular bamboo needle with nothing yet cast on.

"No knitting needle."

"Oh--but it is fine--it is not metal!"

"No knitting needle. I take care of it."

"It's WOOD. It's OK!" I felt my voice going up about an octave.

He held up the very blunt and very skinny little size 4 needle that would break if you even knit too tightly and mimed stabbing himself in the chest. I could not believe it. You could kill someone with a pencil stub more easily.

He did not ask for any other needles. I kept my mouth shut. Usually I am a ridiculous follow-the-rules type--but I was desperate.

But the guard continued to rifle through my bag, perhaps set off my all the yarn and patterns. He found the needle with the shawl attached and snatched that out for his little collection. He then picked up the tiny pack of double pointed needles meant for the gloves. I held my breath.

"What are these?"

"Um.... Um.... DPN's?" I paused.

"What are they for?"

"Um.... Um.... You, um, use them when you make gloves?"

"OK. Knitting needles will be here when you are finished."

I feel like I got a reprieve! What is it about courthouses and guards that makes me want to disobey so frantically??

Breakfast on the Road

I think I realized food could be a form of prayer while we were on the road. The billboard before the exit in Dunn, North Carolina proclaims:

"Triangle Waffle House. Jesus Christ is Lord."

Every year on our drive to my family on the eve of Christmas Eve, David and I and our son stop here for breakfast after spending the night in a $20-a-night motel in Rocky Mount. (If their waffles are good enough for Jesus, they are good enough for this Jewish family.) This year, December 23rd was on a Sunday. We were very disappointed to find the restaurant was closed. (Check out the above links. They are thrown in sort of randomly, but they are both doosies.)

We searched for an alternative. Nothing was quite as inspiring--but when we got to South Carolina, we ran across a few interesting choices. We knew all about International House of Pancakes--but we passed the Southern Pancake House, the National House of Pancakes, the American House of Pancakes, and even the Pan-American House of Pancakes.

We also passed a gun and ammo shop that had a big sign saying "Happy Birthday Jesus"--but they didn't serve breakfast....

Happy New Year!

Many cultures celebrate the turn of the year with special foods. Food is sometimes the way we pray.

In Japan, you eat unbroken long noodles and mochi to ensure a long and sweet life. Greeks eat cakes with coins cooked into them. Italians swear by fat pork sausage and lentils, celebrating the richness of the new year while hoping for the pennies at the same time. In Spain, you savor 12 grapes. And of course, the French find my favorite use of grapes: champagne.

If you grew up--black or white--in the American South, you probably eat a meal very similar to the one on our stove right now. Some people say that the collards in a traditional New Year's meal stand for dollars and the black-eyed peas stand for the coins. Others say you get good luck from eating beggar's food on the first day of the year.



While we were visiting my parents, brother, and extended family in coastal South Carolina, we picked up cow peas (a New Year's tradition even older than black-eyed peas) and rice from Carolina Plantation. Growing along the Pee Dee River are crops that have been grown on this land for almost three hundred years. We're thrilled to discover a local source--or at least local when we travel to my parents--for dried beans, rice, and grits. Time to stock up!

2007 Gallery

1. November Sweater:



Click on the above link for many additional pictures.


2. Tomten:




3. Baby Surprise:




4. Purple Swallowtail:




5. Hemp Forest Canopy:




6. Skeleton Scarf



Pattern: Skeleton Scarf from Arctic Lace
Yarn: Prime Alpaca in Silver Gray--one ball


7. Kiri Shawl



Pattern: Kiri Shawl (free online pattern)
Yarn: Kidsilk Haze in Liquor colorway--two balls plus enough to bind off with
Needle: 6


8. Diamond Fantasy Shawl



Pattern Designer: Sivia Harding
Yarn: Helen's Lace, less than one ball
Needle: 3


9. Seraphim Shawl



Pattern Designer: Miriam Felton
Yarn: Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere in the deep denim colorway, slightly more than two balls
Needle: 5


10. Adamas Shawl



Pattern: Miriam Felton via Knitpicks, with one extra repeat
Yarn: Claudia Handpaint Silk in the Ink colorway, less than one ball
Needle: 3


11. Shetland Triangle:



Pattern: Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style, with 11 pattern repeats
Yarn: Handmaiden Sea Silk in Ivory--one ball plus enough for the final bind off.


12. Michigan Scarf:




13. Montego Bay scarf (picture coming soon)


14. Multiple Socks which can be seen in the linked post.

Happy Holidays!

The blog will be on hold until the new year. Hope you all enjoy the holidays--and get plenty of time to knit and cook and catch up on all the blogs you haven't read in months. (Oh--those are my wishes for myself....)

* * *

BTW: My cowriter and I got a YouTube review!

Too Much Stuff

Watch the whole spot of The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard here.

Hysterical--and depressing too. This was made by the same people who made The Meatrix: Free Range Studios.

Hanukkah:

...a big powerful group's conquest of a little people, and its winds up that it is all about oil. Haven't we heard this story recently?

Time for Champagne!

Susan and I were interviewed on NPR radio today. While my cowriter can say beautiful things totally spontaneously, I have a great deal of trouble talking off the cuff. (I don't talk--only write.)

We sat in a the NPR studio in DC--apart from our interviewer, the phenomenal Frank Stasio. It takes a great deal of effort to follow purely verbal discussions because hearing takes so much effort. I really can't hear and think at the same time. (Stasio did have to call on me to make me talk.)

I told my partner and son that the interview would be a success if I managed to make it home tonight alive. It would be a smashing success if I had not thrown up.

I survived. Hearing the interview now, I know that my beating heart does not even show up on the soundtrack...

Browsing...

Playing around on Ravelry, I found THIS (which I hope it is OK to print here:



I'm blown away by this sweater, knitted by a young man named tycho. There is a little about the sweater on his blog.

Phenomenal. Also check out his other sweaters including the two-color Henry VIII (Starmore). Beautiful.

* * *

And while you are on Ravelry, don't miss Feral Knitter's Sashiko Jacket:



* * *

I'm off to clear my head with miles and miles of garter stitch. Wowza!

Happy Hanukkah!

To celebrate, we are making gingerbread Stars of David from my new favorite (and relatively healthy) gingerbread cookie recipe:



5 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp each of ground cinnamon and ground cloves
3 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter or coconut oil (vegan)
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup molasses


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

After putting all dry ingredients in a bowl, stir well with a whisk (or sift them together if you prefer).
Blend butter, honey, and molasses.
Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until all is wet. You may want to use your hands to incorporate everything. If you need to, add a few drops at a time of water or milk to make the dough form a ball.
Roll out dough to .25 inches thick between two pieces of wax paper.
Cut with cookie cutters of your choice
and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes.

Gobble them up!

Bodies in Art

Son and I have been studying art for homeschool. Right now we're talking about the Renaissance and the rise of humanism.

Today's fresco:

Andrea Mantegna's 1474 “Ludovico Gonzaga, His Family and Court”
in the Camera degli Sposi, Palazzo Ducale, Mantua, Italy.



I'm especially intrigued with the artist's portrayal of bodies often left out of great art. Instead of an image of dwarf as one of humor or pity or childishness, the vision is a real person, a proud adult woman.

Telling the Truth--and Listening Hard

Last night at the Garden of Lights, I got in a conversation with the friend of a friend with whom I always enjoy talking. In the course of a conversation that rambled amiably and casually through subjects of great intensity for both of us, he asked if I knew this poem. I did not, but came home to look it up. It resonates so deeply with me--making me think of recent posts as well as all the things I want to write about that stayed buried in my darkness.


"A Ritual To Read to Each Other"

If you don't know the kind of person I am
and I don't know the kind of person you are
a pattern that others made may prevail in the world
and following the wrong god home we may miss our star.

For there is many a small betrayal in the mind,
a shrug that lets the fragile sequence break
sending with shouts the horrible errors of childhood
storming out to play through the broken dyke.

And as elephants parade holding each elephant's tail,
but if one wanders the circus won't find the park,
I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty
to know what occurs but not recognize the fact.

And so I appeal to a voice, to something shadowy,
a remote important region in all who talk:
though we could fool each other, we should consider—
lest the parade of our mutual life get lost in the dark.

For it is important that awake people be awake,
or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;
the signals we give—yes or no, or maybe—
should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.

--William Stafford
published in Every War Has Two Losers

Cozy Morning

David is away for a meeting this weekend. Son and I took advantage of the quiet morning and made banana-pecan pancakes with local maple syrup for a late breakfast. We built a fire and cuddled on the couch under blankets for a morning of reading.

I have not knit in 24 hours. I guess that is what finishing a sweater under a deadline can do to you.

The book I am reading constantly challenges me. At moments, I love its argument and am totally enamored with its energetic style. At other times, I want to set it afire and throw it out the window for being so ridiculous. The other book on my nightstand seems to address many of the same fundamental questions. So a debate is occurring right now in my head. Details soon.

Tonight we're meeting friends for dinner at our favorite Ethiopian restaurant. Then we're off to look at the extravagant seasonal light display at Brookside Gardens. It is somewhere between amazingly cool and totally kitschy. Always a lot of fun!

The End of November

Knitting a sweater in the month of November (NaKniSweMo) is now a tradition for me, as is the exercise of posting every day this month (NaBloPoMo). This year's sweater also meets the requirements for Norovember. This afternoon during a lovely walk by the creek, I got to enjoy it:

Leftovers

Still eating our local Thanksgiving feast--this time as pot pie. We chopped up some turkey, added some steamed mustard greens and cauliflower from the farmer's market, and dumped in the detritus of the pumpkin soup. After mixing a bit of leftover gravy with some milk, we poured that over the casserole and topped it with whole wheat biscuit dough (not from a local grain source, unfortunately). After heating in the oven for about half an hour, it was ready to eat. Easy and delicious!

Still Knitting

I finished the ribbing, etc., for the NaSweKniMo project and put it on to block. Pictures as soon as it is dry.

That gave me permission to start working on the Twisted Stitch Gauntlets I've been plotting to knit.



I love the way they are coming out so far--and they are absolutely addictive to knit. Rather than the luxurious baby cashmerino the pattern calls for, I'm knitting with inexpensive Filatura Di Crosa's 501--a perfect match in both weight and yardage. Although my gauge was spot on for the stockinette swatch, my actual glove is a little longer than the pattern calls for. And, for this very long-fingered person, the called-for length for the fingers is a little short. But it all sort of balances out....

* * *

Meanwhile, Son found a cricket in the bathtub (!) and gave him a ride on his Lego raft:



Shudder!

Got an April Birthday?

All these come out that month:

Lisa Lloyd's A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns



Joan Tapper's Shear Spirit: Ten Fiber Farms, Twenty Patterns, and Miles of Yarn



Maggie Casey's Start Spinning: Everything You Need to Know to Make Great Yarn



and, last but not least,

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Things I Learned From Knitting (whether I wanted to or not)
(no pic yet)

I'm clearing my spring for some good reading time....

Let me not to the marriage of true minds...

...admit impediments.
--William Shakespeare

Isn't it funny that the people we argue with most intensely are also the people we love most deeply?

Feeling Icky...

...lying on the couch with the blankets and a sock filled with microwaved grains of rice clutched to my abdomen...

...but, courtesy of the men in the family, have another puzzle for you. Look for a two-word phrase of 15 letters: