Huge Ebay Week and Other Stuff

We have 62 items up on ebay this week.
Lots of yarn, lots of books on the writing craft, and some interesting knick knacks as well as some Elfquest books and other odds and ends.

The modular shawl pattern is going very well. I had to rip off the edging on the sample I photographed a few posts ago as it was waaay more ruffly than I wanted. I re-wrote the edging pattern, making it more balanced over all and am on the final stretch. I like it now, it is more wavy than ruffly. I have also worked out part of the crocheted edging for the other sample, and am aching to start on it. Then I will make the schematics, have Oscar take some technique photos (I need to make the props for those) and get some final shots of the shawls on Zelda (the dressmaker's dummy.) It is already too warm here in Michigan to put a live model through wearing wool just for photos.

After the modular triangle shawl, I will plunge into other projects that have been on the back burner; a summer shawl in cotton based on the Withig stitch pattern, a shaped (small) ruana, the pattern resulting from our Mystery Stranded KAL, some summer tank tops, and some lace shawls. And a set of hat/cowl/mitts already written. And another hat already written. Enough to keep me busy through the summer, I'd say.

The Fabulous Heftones

You may have heard that my Sis-in-love and her husband Brian are musicians.
This past weekend as they almost always do, they played at the East Lansing Art Festival. This shot made it into the paper (Lansing State Journal). From Brian's expression, I'd say he was 'Eefing'. Lynn and Brian specialize in Tin Pan Alley music from the 1920's and forward. Many of their songs are available free on their site:
The Fabulous Heftones

The Movie The Boat that Rocked / Pirate Radio

Highly Recommended. Best movie I've seen in years. Watch it.

The Boat That Rocked / Pirate Radio

Hint of Upcoming Shawl Pattern

Productive Week, and BIG Yarn destash

First, I am destashing quite a bit of yarn. I had hoped to reduce my total bin count from 11 to 5 or 6, but only succeeded in reducing the count to 8. Ah well, I will try again in a month or so. For now, though, those three bins chock full of yarn are being destashed on the Ravelry website:
HERE if you are interested in yarny goodness.

I am also pleased that I have been able to submit 6 reviews this week, 3 of them today. 
I am feeling pretty well overall, although my ankle has continued to deteriorate further, more quickly than expected. I will be so grateful to be in a new accessible home before the year's end (we hope).
Oscar is 50, and thus we may be able to move to a retirement community. We think this will give us the best possible chance of finding a lovely accessible apartment or home.

Oscar is looking into further education through programs at Work First Michigan, and has found some classes that will add quite a bit to his resume. There are various hurdles like applying for a Pell grant to get over, but once all the details are squared away, he will be able to take all of the classes online.
In the meantime, we will continue clearing the house of items we won't wish to move, and putting various things up on Ebay. We are enjoying the extra time together, and are managing very well, I think.

Bra Supports Japan on the Two-Month Anniversary of the Quake

From CNET's Leslie Katz:

Triumph International Japan model Hikaru Kawai, who's from Sendai, joins a mannequin to model a "Support Japan Bra" and matching wraparound skirt in Tokyo today, the two-month anniversary of the quake and tsunami.

(Credit: AFP Photos/Yoshikazu Tsuno)

We have uplifting news from Triumph International, the company that brought us the solar-panel bra, the husband-hunter bra, and the environmentally minded No Plastic Shopping Bag Bra, among other novelty lingerie.
Today, on the two-month anniversary of the Japanese quake and tsunami, the company unclasped the "Support Japan Bra", a strapless bustier and matching skirt covered in encouraging messages to disaster victims delivered from around the world.
Now, it's probably safe to assume novelty lingerie isn't a priority for the many people still reeling from the epic natural disasters. Still, encouraging words from the global community, be they delivered by disaster relief agencies, social media, or brassieres, will hopefully remind victims that they're still very much in hearts and minds around the world.
The bra delivers 54 encouraging messages from 36 countries, and if you look closely at the picture above (hey, hey, not that closely!), you'll notice a range of languages scrawled on the undergarment alongside images of flags from countries including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Israel, Argentina, Switzerland, and Germany.
"Japan, with you 100%" reads a message from France. Reads another from China, "Those who have already left us let us know life is so fragile, and those who are alive let us know life is so strong." The Support Japan Bra is not for sale--yet, at least.
Hikaru Kawai, a Triumph representative from hard-hit Sendai who modeled the ensemble at today's unveiling in Tokyo, said she read every message herself.
We're not sure who, exactly, penned these messages (it looks to be staff from Triumph affiliates and not foreign ministry representatives), and it's clearly a PR stunt. Still, we have to credit Triumph International Japan for donating 62,000 units of women's underwear (regular ol' undies, not the kind covered in international messages) for distribution to Japanese women in need.

Read more

Rising of the Dreaded Germy Monster

Blergh. I have been sick for about 3 days now, although I AM getting better each day. I am still sleeping 10 to 12 hours a night (My normal cycle is 6-7 hours) and still feeling tired enough to hit the hay at 9 p.m... after getting up at noon. I figure if my body wants sleep, sleep it shall get!
 During my limited awake time I have been making progress on the modular triangle shawl and working on ebay stuff, as well as helping Oscar with mutual decisions on what to keep (very little) and what to shuffle off to ebay/friends/charity/trash (everything else).
I like this kind of thing, and Oscar has really developed some great skills at the task.
Since a visit home when I spent too much time on my feet, my "foot time" and "sitting upright time" has been cut back even further, but we have adapted.
I hope to have this latest bug kicked in another few days, and be back at full speed again.

My Sister-In-Love; The SOCK STAR!!!!

LynnH of Colorjoy is my beloved Oscar's sister. Back when it was first sinking in that my abdominal surgery wound was not healing as it should, when my long-term disability was ending and we were learning my ankle was no better despite THAT surgery Lynn asked if I would work through one of her patterns. My memory is faulty, but it may have been for First-TimeToe-Up Socks. Perhaps it was the Wristwarmer Pattern, or maybe one of her wraps. At any rate, as a rank beginner, I would be the perfect person to test the directions. If I could make her pattern, ANY one could. Back then, although I didn't know it, I was knitting every stitch twisted, Eastern style. Not surprising when the most recent time I'd learned knitting was from looking at diagrams in a book when I lived in Japan.
At any rate, Lynn was the one who got me started knitting again, and just in time, too. As the rest of my life was falling apart, this renewed fascination with sticks and string helped me focus on the positive. The internet was at my fingertips which allowed me to learn something new every day, almost any question was answered and each answer led me down a trail to a new piece of the puzzle and a new area of interest.
As the months passed, Lynnie asked me to help out on other patterns, which gave me a sense of purpose, and a feeling of being useful. Having the yarn and needles helped me feel in control of my life while my health was destroying some of my dreams. I am not sure she really understands the gift she gave me. The gift I rely on to this very day to help make my life a million times better than it would be without it.
Lynn is achieving a dream this July, and it couldn't happen to a more deserving person. She has been tapped to be an instructor at Sock Summit 2011, and will be teaching five (FIVE!!!) classes. Her name is listed among other heroes of mine: Cookie A., Cat Bordhi, Anne Hanson, Stephanie Pearl-Macfee and even Anna Zilboorg! She is in good company. Her lucky students will be able to experience Lynn's excitement and enthusiasm first hand, and I know no better teacher if one of them is learning a new technique.
I am so proud of Lynnie, I wish I could be there in person, but I know SHE knows I will be there in spirit.

Yay!!!!!!!!

The State of Michigan has ruled that Oscar's employer does not have sufficient cause to block his unemployment insurance.
This means we will have enough to cover the bills until Oscar gets his further certification and finds a MUCH better job!

Knitcircus Magazine Summer 2011 #14

I just got my Summer issue of Knitcircus Magazine and there are several very neat patterns in the issue, but the shawls in particular caught my attention. (BTW, that link is to the main magazine site which has 119 pages of fantastic FREE articles and some free patterns as well. I look forward to delving into the interview with Keiran Foley as soon as I post this.)
The first is Fanette (pg 66-670) a sweet little shawlette that looks like the perfect knit. Not too hard but with plenty of interest to make the knitting a joy. It also looks like it would be a great pattern for hand-painted yarn, and uses just one 437-yard skein of fingering weight.
Then there is Keiran Foley's Mughal, (pgs 64-650 which uses two colors of Madelinetosh and a leafy lace pattern to create a long luscious rectangular stole inspired by Mughal paintings. 
If that weren't enough, there is also a shawl from another of my favorite designers, Susanna IC where she uses her skills to recreate the shape of and orchid in her Orchidea. (pg 50-51).
This issue also has patterns for summer tops, socks, bags, pillows etc. I swear Jaala (the editor) manages to cram more goodness in every time.
This issue also features a video aimed and children who knit all about the purl stitch, An article by Wendy Johnson on knitting at full speed and more.

Still Spring, Still Jaunting

One of the huge positives of this whole period of time is that Oscar and I can go for jaunts every day there is sun. Yesterday we noticed the cloud cover had cleared enough to let some sunshine through so we scrambled and got out there even though we could still hear thunder in the distance.