Chickenlips Knitting

This is a musical message for the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas. I won't link to them, so if you don't know who they are, a Google search should fill you in.

Warning - not safe for work or young children.

Is it just me, or does Monday seem to be getting way more than its share of hate mail these days? I mean, something must be up with that, because an inordinate number of blogs and Facebook posts begin with "Dear Monday" and then go on to name various body parts that Monday is invited to suck. Now it isn't as though I haven't had many starts to my week that were effed up to say the least. It just seems that the whinefest is louder than usual, and in Monday's defense I have to say that it never promised you sunshine and noodle salad. And if you think Monday done you wrong, just look what it did to John Travolta. Seriously, that man's life the past few years has been cruelly tragic. I do feel sorry for him, but I admit I'd feel worse if he weren't rich and Scientologist. Yes, I know I am bad but really, I'm just trying to make you feel less bruised about Monday. No need to thank me, I do what I can.


The truth is that I don't have much going on right now. I finished a couple of big orders and am waiting for yarn to do smaller ones. While working on adding to inventory for Black Sheep, I did a couple skeins of an inexpensive wool single ply with an acrylic thread wrap that I call "Crinkle Worsted". I love green and am exceptionally pleased with the results here. All the different greens reminded me of a veggie patch, so I named it "Jolly Green". The yarn is quite soft, too. I think it would be great as a cowl, hat or scarf.

and no, he can't speak up - he's a little horse. :) Sorry, couldn't resist. But hey, great news! A beautiful colt came into the world at about 1:00 AM (Friday night/Saturday morning). I'm working on getting pics (more about that later), just wanted to share that I'm a grandma-sort of.

The photos are still in Michelle's camera. She's exhausted, having driven straight through from Spokane and only stopping to drop her friend off at home, so hopefully we can get them uploaded tomorrow. I saw them though; he's got these long white legs and brown spots on his coat, so he's definitely a paint, and it looks like he will grow to be very big. His name: Liddy Buck. I would never have known that that's a nickname for Lindsay Buckingham, if not for my daughter's passion for 70s and 80s music. Yes, in this family it's all about the music!! At first I was like, "aw come on". I mean we all loved Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, however it hasn't been 1977 for quite some time so let's move on! But when I thought about it some, you know what? It's really not a half bad name for a pony.

Liddy Buck...I rather like it.

Am whipped because we got up very early and went down to Scio for the Lamb & Wool Fair. Which was kinda fun. Not only was it a beautiful day, but also there was the quintessential small town parade going right down Main Street, past the hall where the fiber arts show and spin-in was being held. I haven't been to a parade like that in ages! Antique tractors, Shriners in mini cars, rodeo princesses - total Americana. Had no idea all this hoopla was going to happen, otherwise I would have brought my camera. Anyway, I'm going to turn in - will be back as soon as I have a slide presentation!

This afternoon was spent working on the last 42 skeins of a never-ending order...although I love my customers to tiny bits, I do need to learn to cap orders and open new ones, for the sake of my sanity. One more dye session and the whole shebang is finished. Anyway I'm working away, and with the steamers going, the kitchen gets rather swampy and the process tends to turn me into a giant ball of sweat. At those times I become a different animal...not simply engrossed in the work; it's more like yeah, I'm nasty and my back aches, but I'm in the zone-don't bug me! I don't answer the phone. I'm not quite ready for human interaction until I'm finished, the kitchen is swabbed and I've showered.

However, because campus is close to home, TAD (that's Totally Awesome Daughter, as I referred to her last post) comes home between classes to eat. Here's the exchange.

TAD: What's for dinner?
Me: Haven't figured that out yet. (continue working)
TAD: I need something to eat.
Me: OK, but can you maybe take a sack lunch next time you have morning and afternoon classes? I'm right in the middle of things here.
TAD: Gee, I'm sorry to be such an inconvenience. Imagine wanting something to eat in my own house!
Me: (silent, suppressing the oft-uttered response that the kitchen is...my...studio)
TAD: Toki pooped right in front of the door. When I opened it, it got smeared.
Me: Well, could you clean it up? I can't deal with it just now.
TAD: (huffs) I have to go back to school!! (Just to be clear though, she did clean it up.)

***

So you see, in this house, being 19 means "I'm an adult, you can't tell me what to do" and also, "you still have to take care of my needs". Nurse? Nurse??


***

She and her bff are going up to Spokane tomorrow. Yes, I worry because it's the longest road trip she's taken on her own. However, it's an exciting event for her and I wouldn't want her to miss it. Last summer, my mother-in-law bred her mare, Irish, a beautiful reddish paint horse. The foal is going to become Michelle's horse. I did not know that it takes 11 months to make a baby horse! Well, it does and the birth is imminent. It would be thoroughly awesome if the kids got to witness the delivery. I'll keep you posted and share whatever pics I can!

Back to the dyepots...

I have heard quite a few gripes about Noro yarn from my fellow knitters, such as the detritus in Kureyon, Silk Garden and other yarns; the fact that when there's a knot, the color sequence changes; the roughness of Kureyon worsted weight and sock yarn; the price, on and on. Don't get me wrong, I'm in total agreement with these complaints. Such as it is, I find myself in an ongoing love-hate relationship with Noro yarn. The color, man, the color...! So all I can do, since I'm unable to quit Noro, is just accept these quirks about the yarn and keep knitting with it. It is what it is. You may not get regular color sequencing, but you will get something brilliant and unique in all the world.





That said, here is a first look at an original design of mine: Pontocho.






Now I'm trying hard to not be driven batshit crazy by that teeny strip of brown; this is a Japan-inspired design with Japanese yarn, so I figure the least I can do is adopt a Zen attitude about it. Pontocho is actually an alley in Kyoto near the center of town; it's across the river from Gion, and both are famous as geisha districts. I found myself getting lost wandering through Pontocho one day, and although I didn't spot any Geisha (I later did in Gion), I was fascinated by this narrow, cobblestoned walkway with expensive restaurants and tea houses. It seemed mysterious and out of the way. And by now you probably know that I love plays on words, so I didn't design Pontocho as a shawl, but a triangular poncho. I used the Fan Lace stitch from the first Barbara Walker Treasury. The stitch pattern might be somewhat obscured by the bright stripes of color, but a recent stash exploration yielded up enough Berroco Comfort worsted to knit it again and really showcase the stitch. It looks complicated but is easy; after a few repeats I was able to memorize it. Which is really saying something, because I have my issues with lace knitting!

Here are the nuts and bolts, in case you're interested:

Noro Taiyo, color 9A, 3.5 balls (about 700 yards). Size 8 needles. Width: about 22". I knit the rectangular piece to 58" long but could have kept going, as I wanted the neckline bigger, however blocking relaxed it enough to fit me.

I have big dreams for this design - I'd like to have a photo shoot with a model, write it up and submit it for publication. Of course, I could always put it on Ravelry or Etsy, but I want to see if it has a shot at being accepted somewhere. For the photo shoot, the Japanese Garden would be ideal, but alas--they require a photographer's membership ($150) for any kind of portrait photography. I'm undaunted, though, because this is Portland, and there are many gardens and parks which would be a nice background.

So there you have it, the Pontocho poncho. My other WIP's will have to languish a little longer, because when I get the proverbial wild hair up my...well, you know, I just have to run with it and see it through to completion!