So here are some photos of the experiment of knitting with roving, so far (and a little peek at Flyte.) I like it, but I need to devote a little more time to it. This is how it's going so far:
The mermaid roving.
Aug 10, 2009
a little progress
I've never been able to stick to just one project at a time. I've been playing with the rovings bag, knitting little here and a little there. I've also been spinning on two sets of batts, and I've got a crochet project in the works, too. Project ho, here. And, I've been reading. I'm in the middle of the second volume of the Septimus Heap series, Flyte. I know, it's a kid's book, but it's also a LOT of fun. And I like fun with no strings attached. A kid's book - just what I need for these gray, damp and fungusy, dreary winter days!
So here are some photos of the experiment of knitting with roving, so far (and a little peek at Flyte.) I like it, but I need to devote a little more time to it. This is how it's going so far:
The mermaid roving.
So here are some photos of the experiment of knitting with roving, so far (and a little peek at Flyte.) I like it, but I need to devote a little more time to it. This is how it's going so far:
The mermaid roving.
Aug 3, 2009
knitting with roving
Well, today's my last day of the Independence holiday. As usual, I've been drop-kicked by a bug too small to see. A head cold. Luckily, today is the first day in a week that I've felt half-decent. I've had WAAAY to much caffeine and have too much energy for my own good. I've had a ton of projects bouncing around in my head, but so far, all I've managed to do is get groceries, get some laundry washing, and take the latest spinning project down from the drying rack and bag it up.
So I have some really gorgeous wool roving - mermaidy colors in blues and greens and purples - that I've been working with. There's a LOT of it and I'm kind of spun out on it for the time being. And I've been, of course, reading a lot on Ravelry and getting a hankering to felt something. I want to make a bag with this roving, but I'm so sick of spinning it that I've decided to go with just knitting the roving. I've pulled some down to pencil roving size, more or less, and begun to knit it on US size 11 straight needles. They're the biggest needles I've got for now. It's going surprizingly well! I had some misgivings about it at first, envisioning the roving falling apart, but this fiber still has a little sheep grease in it, I think, and it's kind of sticky. That makes it a little hard to spin, but it's making it fabulous to knit with! So far, no falling apart, and when I was pulling it into smaller sections, if it broke, I just rolled it between my hands a couple of times and PRESTO! it's whole roving again!
The only drawback to this whole process is that there's no hot water plumbed into the laundry room. I'll have to heat water in the teapot to carry to the washer for my felting process. Plus the fact that every time I pull it into pencil roving, I want to grab a spindle! This fiber is just beautiful! I'll have pictures of this experiment later. Right now, I've gotta get my overly-caffinated brain back down to the ground!
So I have some really gorgeous wool roving - mermaidy colors in blues and greens and purples - that I've been working with. There's a LOT of it and I'm kind of spun out on it for the time being. And I've been, of course, reading a lot on Ravelry and getting a hankering to felt something. I want to make a bag with this roving, but I'm so sick of spinning it that I've decided to go with just knitting the roving. I've pulled some down to pencil roving size, more or less, and begun to knit it on US size 11 straight needles. They're the biggest needles I've got for now. It's going surprizingly well! I had some misgivings about it at first, envisioning the roving falling apart, but this fiber still has a little sheep grease in it, I think, and it's kind of sticky. That makes it a little hard to spin, but it's making it fabulous to knit with! So far, no falling apart, and when I was pulling it into smaller sections, if it broke, I just rolled it between my hands a couple of times and PRESTO! it's whole roving again!
The only drawback to this whole process is that there's no hot water plumbed into the laundry room. I'll have to heat water in the teapot to carry to the washer for my felting process. Plus the fact that every time I pull it into pencil roving, I want to grab a spindle! This fiber is just beautiful! I'll have pictures of this experiment later. Right now, I've gotta get my overly-caffinated brain back down to the ground!
Aug 2, 2009
Handspinning Sunday
Superwash merino, 64 ct, Waltzing Matilda colorway, from Enchanted Knoll Farm
Superwash merino and sparkly stuff, Rough Cut Diamonds colorway, from Enchanted Knoll Farm
70% bamboo, 20% firestar sparkles, 10% sari silk. Colorway "Riot", from Butterfly Girl Designs.
The thick and the thin of it all...
Jul 27, 2009
Harry made me do it.
Well, I should NEVER go to see Harry Potter movies. The problem is that I like them too much. They get me thinking about all the little stories I told myself when I was a kid, and all the little stories I told my daughter when she was a kid. See, I happen to think that we ALL have a little magic in us, especially women. It's just that we often forget about it, what with growing up and boyfriends, and husbands, and kids and responsibilities. In fact, I think we have A LOT of magic in us, if we just slow down enough, often enough, to remember it. I've been playing with my sparkly ladybug magic wand these last two days. I'm not so proficient with it and spend a lot of time sparkling things up. Luckily, Celeste knows when to dodge the magic wand sparkles and when they're just sparkles that are falling out of my spinning batts. She's only had sparkles from one or the other on her a couple of times. Both, I might add, are equally magical!
I remember that huff and fluff that was going on in the various churches some years back, when they decided that Harry Potter stories were DANGEROUS to kids and threats to God and the church. I thought it was ridiculous then and I still do. As I was perusing the Harry Potter books on Amazon.com this afternoon, I noticed that right there, among all that printed magic, was a book that warned about the dangers of Wicca to children. Well, I have to say that Harry Potter has nothing to do with Wiccan beliefs. While listening to the hubbub about it, after my sister got kicked out of her church because her kids revealed in Sunday school that they had indeed read ALL the Harry Potter books (gasp!!!), and when I discovered Lynn V. Andrews's books, I did some in-depth digging into the Wiccan religion and investigated. Just call me "Super Sleuth".
Wiccanism's nothing to do with Harry Potter. I have no judgements to proclaim, except to say that I just can't get into it as a religion. It's not for me. It is very interesting, though, and I think that before condemning it, one should know about it.
But anyway, because Harry was so good for me this week and lifted my spirits so immensely, I ran right over to Amazon.com, as I was saying earlier, and looked for some more fun and magical books. I haven't read all of the Potter series, and intend to do so when I get home in September because, you know, those corrupted children in my sister's house have all the stories, PLUS the Spiderwyck series!!! At this point, I think I need to point out that I corrupted my own daughter at an early age with the Wizard of Oz and later, with Magyck (the Septimus Heap series opener), Phillipa Gregory's book The Wise Woman, and Monica Furlong's Wise Child and Juniper. Even later, I turned her on to Diana Gabaldon's Voyager series and she traveled through time in her dreams.
She didn't tumble headlong into Wicca because of it - but she DID name her dog Juniper.
And when my mom was alive, all the women in our family, from age 7 to seventy, stumbled into a magical store in Olde Town in Fort Collins (just to the right of platform 9 1/2) to get a price on a Nimbus 2000 and wands similar to those used in the movies. Luckily for us, they were priced WAY out of our Christmas shopping budget. If they had been more affordable, we might have spent that Christmas zapping one another. Then the Church would probably have sent us all to hell, post haste. Good thing that fate intervened, isn't it?
Back to the search through Amazon.com for a Harry Potter-like magic fix. It turns out that I only glanced through Magyck in a very cursory way and don't remember much, if any, of the story. So I ordered the first two books in the Septimus Heap series, and then pre-ordered the one that's due out in a couple of months. And then I ordered Abby Franquemont's new spindling book, too, due out in December. Sorry, Abby. I didn't order from your website, even though I'd love to have your autograph. The money I saved by not having you sign the book will go towards the shipping costs. Spindling is a magical process in itself.
There. I said it. I admit it. I blew my fiber budget for next month on frivolous magic and IT'S ALL HARRY'S FAULT.
I remember that huff and fluff that was going on in the various churches some years back, when they decided that Harry Potter stories were DANGEROUS to kids and threats to God and the church. I thought it was ridiculous then and I still do. As I was perusing the Harry Potter books on Amazon.com this afternoon, I noticed that right there, among all that printed magic, was a book that warned about the dangers of Wicca to children. Well, I have to say that Harry Potter has nothing to do with Wiccan beliefs. While listening to the hubbub about it, after my sister got kicked out of her church because her kids revealed in Sunday school that they had indeed read ALL the Harry Potter books (gasp!!!), and when I discovered Lynn V. Andrews's books, I did some in-depth digging into the Wiccan religion and investigated. Just call me "Super Sleuth".
Wiccanism's nothing to do with Harry Potter. I have no judgements to proclaim, except to say that I just can't get into it as a religion. It's not for me. It is very interesting, though, and I think that before condemning it, one should know about it.
But anyway, because Harry was so good for me this week and lifted my spirits so immensely, I ran right over to Amazon.com, as I was saying earlier, and looked for some more fun and magical books. I haven't read all of the Potter series, and intend to do so when I get home in September because, you know, those corrupted children in my sister's house have all the stories, PLUS the Spiderwyck series!!! At this point, I think I need to point out that I corrupted my own daughter at an early age with the Wizard of Oz and later, with Magyck (the Septimus Heap series opener), Phillipa Gregory's book The Wise Woman, and Monica Furlong's Wise Child and Juniper. Even later, I turned her on to Diana Gabaldon's Voyager series and she traveled through time in her dreams.
She didn't tumble headlong into Wicca because of it - but she DID name her dog Juniper.
And when my mom was alive, all the women in our family, from age 7 to seventy, stumbled into a magical store in Olde Town in Fort Collins (just to the right of platform 9 1/2) to get a price on a Nimbus 2000 and wands similar to those used in the movies. Luckily for us, they were priced WAY out of our Christmas shopping budget. If they had been more affordable, we might have spent that Christmas zapping one another. Then the Church would probably have sent us all to hell, post haste. Good thing that fate intervened, isn't it?
Back to the search through Amazon.com for a Harry Potter-like magic fix. It turns out that I only glanced through Magyck in a very cursory way and don't remember much, if any, of the story. So I ordered the first two books in the Septimus Heap series, and then pre-ordered the one that's due out in a couple of months. And then I ordered Abby Franquemont's new spindling book, too, due out in December. Sorry, Abby. I didn't order from your website, even though I'd love to have your autograph. The money I saved by not having you sign the book will go towards the shipping costs. Spindling is a magical process in itself.
There. I said it. I admit it. I blew my fiber budget for next month on frivolous magic and IT'S ALL HARRY'S FAULT.
Jul 26, 2009
Tour d' fleece spinning
Here's my last photo of TdF spindling. Rough Cut Diamonds:
This is about 1 ounce of sock weight singles. Unfortunately, I still have 5 ounces to go.
Rough Cut Diamonds is superwash merino with sparkles, from Enchanted Knoll Farm.
This is about 1 ounce of sock weight singles. Unfortunately, I still have 5 ounces to go.
Rough Cut Diamonds is superwash merino with sparkles, from Enchanted Knoll Farm.
Have a drinky-poo
Everywhere on the west coast of Peru, people use the diminutive when they speak. "Quesito?" (A little cheese?) When I was first learning about this phenomenon, I read that it is used to express endearment or cuteness. An example would be "tengo un perrito" (I have a cute little dog). Okay. I could understand that. But typically, I hear things like this: "Aqui estamos en el mercadito. Gaseosita? Solamente cuesta un solcito. Toma esta bebidita. Y carnecita? Come un poquitito y regresamos en la nochecita, amorcito. Llegamos a la casita en un ratito. Y entonces jugamos con tu perrito. Es presiosito!"
I translate this in the most literal way, because that's mostly the way my mind works, and because it makes me laugh. Then later, I go back and think about what the person really was saying. So at first, the Spanish comes into my mind like this:
Here we are in the cute little market. An itty bitty soda pop? It only costs one cute little sol. Have a little drinky-poo. And a little bit of meat? Eat a little bitty bit and we'll go back at nighty-poo, my cute little lovey dovey. We arrive at the housey-poo in a little minute-winute. And then we'll play with your little doggy-poo. It's so cutie-wootie!
Yeah. Makes me laugh and then makes me gag a little bitito. Too much sugar makes me ill.
I translate this in the most literal way, because that's mostly the way my mind works, and because it makes me laugh. Then later, I go back and think about what the person really was saying. So at first, the Spanish comes into my mind like this:
Here we are in the cute little market. An itty bitty soda pop? It only costs one cute little sol. Have a little drinky-poo. And a little bit of meat? Eat a little bitty bit and we'll go back at nighty-poo, my cute little lovey dovey. We arrive at the housey-poo in a little minute-winute. And then we'll play with your little doggy-poo. It's so cutie-wootie!
Yeah. Makes me laugh and then makes me gag a little bitito. Too much sugar makes me ill.
Sunday
Well, this is the last day of the Tour d' Fleece, and I've definitely bitten off more than I could chew. I managed to complete the Cabaret yarn, and filed a spindle with Rough Cut Diamonds, but only one, and I've got a private English lesson coming at 11, and a correspondence course on the puter that I've got to work on. Wah. I need to learn to stop over-committing and pace myself. I'm a non-finisher. But at least I've got 900 yards of really pretty sparkly yarn for a shawl and matching socks, probably...and the Rough Cut Diamonds is going to be nice, too. I should probably do some housework and laundry, too, before the lessons show up in a couple of hours. This apartment smells like STINKY DOG FEET.
And, I've been reading the Yarn Harlot's blog. She has a troll. Terrible. You may remember that I had a troll of my own a while back. I have sympathy for her, but Steph is lucky in that her troll doesn't personally know her, so cannot personalize her nastiness to the extent that mine did. I think, though, that she will be able to get past the ugliness by not responding to it. Delte all the ugly comments without posting a one, and not responding in any way to the comments or e-mails. I wonder what moves people to be so ugly on line. I wonder why they always feel so justified in their written attacks on others. I've had a lot of time to think about it, and I know that it has to be some kind of mental imbalance. After doing some research, I have learned a lot about Borderline Personality Disorder, and I feel like this fits my previous troll to a T. If you Google this, you will find a wealth of information on it. I can't think about this anymore - it still bothers me - so I'm moving on to another topic.
I went to see Harry Potter and The Half-blood Prince last yesterday afternoon. I loved it! I went kind of apprehensive, because all those child actors are growing up and I wondered how good it might be. I hoped the movie would still have all the charm that the first couple did. And it did. The ending is left open for the continuation, so I imagine that another one will be on the way in the next year or two. No spoilers here. I'll just say thank goodness there was no extended quiddich game. Just a short, quick match to prove the power of the mind.
And, I've been reading the Yarn Harlot's blog. She has a troll. Terrible. You may remember that I had a troll of my own a while back. I have sympathy for her, but Steph is lucky in that her troll doesn't personally know her, so cannot personalize her nastiness to the extent that mine did. I think, though, that she will be able to get past the ugliness by not responding to it. Delte all the ugly comments without posting a one, and not responding in any way to the comments or e-mails. I wonder what moves people to be so ugly on line. I wonder why they always feel so justified in their written attacks on others. I've had a lot of time to think about it, and I know that it has to be some kind of mental imbalance. After doing some research, I have learned a lot about Borderline Personality Disorder, and I feel like this fits my previous troll to a T. If you Google this, you will find a wealth of information on it. I can't think about this anymore - it still bothers me - so I'm moving on to another topic.
I went to see Harry Potter and The Half-blood Prince last yesterday afternoon. I loved it! I went kind of apprehensive, because all those child actors are growing up and I wondered how good it might be. I hoped the movie would still have all the charm that the first couple did. And it did. The ending is left open for the continuation, so I imagine that another one will be on the way in the next year or two. No spoilers here. I'll just say thank goodness there was no extended quiddich game. Just a short, quick match to prove the power of the mind.
Jul 18, 2009
names...
So, I'm on my lunch break at work now. I've been thinking about my students a lot lately. Some of their parents are sending them to study here because they want them to travel to the US and have a better life than they could have in Peru. I think they must have always wanted that, because of some of the names they give their kids. I think (and I could be completely wrong about this) that they want them to have good American or English names, so they do their best. For example....
I have a student in Basic 9 this month whose name is Buby (pronounced "Booby"). The poor guy insists that he be called "Moises" (the Spanish version of "Moses"), which is his middle name. I gladly oblige him. I can't imagine waking up with a name like "Booby" every day, either.
I have another student named Rut. I believe it is meant to be Ruth. And there's Grake...Grace? Butsy...Bootie or maybe Betsy? Parents, parents...please check your spelling!
I found out that there was a period of time, about 1960, when in Peru it was illegal to name your child anything except a Biblical name. If it wasn't found in the Spanish version of the bible, it was illegal, and the application for a name would be rejected by the governmental agency for vital statistics. Goodness...talk about control freaks. No wonder there are so many women named Maria and so many men named Jose and Jesus!
I have a student in Basic 9 this month whose name is Buby (pronounced "Booby"). The poor guy insists that he be called "Moises" (the Spanish version of "Moses"), which is his middle name. I gladly oblige him. I can't imagine waking up with a name like "Booby" every day, either.
I have another student named Rut. I believe it is meant to be Ruth. And there's Grake...Grace? Butsy...Bootie or maybe Betsy? Parents, parents...please check your spelling!
I found out that there was a period of time, about 1960, when in Peru it was illegal to name your child anything except a Biblical name. If it wasn't found in the Spanish version of the bible, it was illegal, and the application for a name would be rejected by the governmental agency for vital statistics. Goodness...talk about control freaks. No wonder there are so many women named Maria and so many men named Jose and Jesus!
Jul 17, 2009
spindling Cabaret
300 yards of Cabaret; superwash merino fingering weight yarn. Only about 1.5 ounces to go.
Jul 12, 2009
Tour d' Fleece, spindling and some excuses
You may have noticed that my posts have been woefully devoid of photos this winter (summer for you up there in the northern hemisphere). Yup. I've been neglecting the camera in favor of spindling. I'm participating in the Tour d' Fleece, spinning my little fingers down to the nubs, but so far I'm just managing to complete the plying on one skein of Cabaret fiber. Wah. My 6-days-a-week job gets in the way of spinning, and what a danged inconvenience it is. I think I'm in a fail situation. I may have to concede that I have set my goals too high. I hope not. I still have another 10 days to go, so it's possible that I could still pull this off.
Even if I don't reach my goals, I'll still come away with some nice yarns, and a bit of space cleared on the shelf for more fiber stash. I'll be able to do some vacation knitting and spinning in September, when I go home to the farm for a month. Hopefully, the pair of laceweight spindles that I ordered will be waiting for me, but I'll take one with me, just in case.
What? What's that you say?? Why, YES! I've bought my plane tickets for vacation! Yeay! O is a little bummed out, because he STILL has not applied for his visa, so he gets to stay home again this year and play with Celeste and do his own laundry. Tut tut. It's his own fault. The Embassy will not give you a visa if you do not ask for one. I tut when I think about it.
And, honestly, I must confess that my camera batteries are dead again. Grrr. Must rectify that when I get groceries sometime this week.
I hope that Peru is about done mourning Michael Jackson. I'm totally over seeing the funeral and the 1980's music videos played over and over every day. You do know that there were only two music videos that Michael Jackson made, don't you? They were Thriller and Billie Jean. At least that's the way it seems here. Nothing else is shown on TV, and on the radio? The Man in the Mirror. Over and over and over. The world was fascinated with Michael Jackson, but I'm ready to let him rest in peace. How about some Nickelback or Everlast, just for a change of pace?
Even if I don't reach my goals, I'll still come away with some nice yarns, and a bit of space cleared on the shelf for more fiber stash. I'll be able to do some vacation knitting and spinning in September, when I go home to the farm for a month. Hopefully, the pair of laceweight spindles that I ordered will be waiting for me, but I'll take one with me, just in case.
What? What's that you say?? Why, YES! I've bought my plane tickets for vacation! Yeay! O is a little bummed out, because he STILL has not applied for his visa, so he gets to stay home again this year and play with Celeste and do his own laundry. Tut tut. It's his own fault. The Embassy will not give you a visa if you do not ask for one. I tut when I think about it.
And, honestly, I must confess that my camera batteries are dead again. Grrr. Must rectify that when I get groceries sometime this week.
I hope that Peru is about done mourning Michael Jackson. I'm totally over seeing the funeral and the 1980's music videos played over and over every day. You do know that there were only two music videos that Michael Jackson made, don't you? They were Thriller and Billie Jean. At least that's the way it seems here. Nothing else is shown on TV, and on the radio? The Man in the Mirror. Over and over and over. The world was fascinated with Michael Jackson, but I'm ready to let him rest in peace. How about some Nickelback or Everlast, just for a change of pace?
Jul 8, 2009
Birthday weekend
Last week I had a birthday. I celebrate my birthday in a much different style than most people here in Peru. For my birthday, I prefer to forget about parties and have a quiet day. This year, both O and I were working, so there was no party planning on any one's part. O knows I don't go for parties, but his friends are pretty determined to take advantage of any excuse to have a fling. This year, thanks to my job, there was none of that. There was, however, a birthday lunch at some one's house.
Rosa and Flover live in Rimac, which is a very nice part of town, except for the smallish area where they live. Their neighborhood is SCARY. They have no car, and they live a little too far away from the market or the grocery store to walk, so we often give them rides to wherever they need to go. They repay the favors by making lunch occasionally, inviting us to barbecues, parties, and other events. I rarely go, but now it's understood that I just prefer a quieter lifestyle.
Anyway, Rosa insisted on a birthday lunch on the 2nd. Rosa is from the highlands and her taste in food is a little different than mine. My special lunch was actually Rosa's favorite: chanfainita, a typical highland dish.
How does it look? Tasty, right? Chanfainita is stew, made from chopped potatoes and cow's lungs. Now, I know she went to a LOT of effort to prepare this delicacy, but there are just some things that I don't want to eat. Lung tissue is one of those things that I choose not to eat. I think Celeste would enjoy this stew immensely.
Luckily for me, there was plenty of picante sauce and a good bottle of dry red wine. If not for those, I couldn't have managed to eat any of it. Rosa would have been offended and I would have been embarrassed to pieces. So I poured on enough hot sauce to set the house on fire added handfuls of chopped mint, and washed it all down with judicious sips of wine. Everything ended quite well. I didn't ask for seconds, but Rosa felt well pleased.
On Sunday, O and I went to dinner at Club Sullana, where we had a fantastic steak cooked with annato oil and fried yuca and banana slices. Then we went to see "Ice Age 3" and went home.
Rosa and Flover live in Rimac, which is a very nice part of town, except for the smallish area where they live. Their neighborhood is SCARY. They have no car, and they live a little too far away from the market or the grocery store to walk, so we often give them rides to wherever they need to go. They repay the favors by making lunch occasionally, inviting us to barbecues, parties, and other events. I rarely go, but now it's understood that I just prefer a quieter lifestyle.
Anyway, Rosa insisted on a birthday lunch on the 2nd. Rosa is from the highlands and her taste in food is a little different than mine. My special lunch was actually Rosa's favorite: chanfainita, a typical highland dish.
How does it look? Tasty, right? Chanfainita is stew, made from chopped potatoes and cow's lungs. Now, I know she went to a LOT of effort to prepare this delicacy, but there are just some things that I don't want to eat. Lung tissue is one of those things that I choose not to eat. I think Celeste would enjoy this stew immensely.
Luckily for me, there was plenty of picante sauce and a good bottle of dry red wine. If not for those, I couldn't have managed to eat any of it. Rosa would have been offended and I would have been embarrassed to pieces. So I poured on enough hot sauce to set the house on fire added handfuls of chopped mint, and washed it all down with judicious sips of wine. Everything ended quite well. I didn't ask for seconds, but Rosa felt well pleased.
On Sunday, O and I went to dinner at Club Sullana, where we had a fantastic steak cooked with annato oil and fried yuca and banana slices. Then we went to see "Ice Age 3" and went home.
Jul 6, 2009
Complicated lives
While the US and the rest of the world is mourning the passing of Michael Jackson, Peru is feeling the pain of losing one of their own musical stars, Alicia Delgado. Alicia died last week, murdered at the hands of (supposedly) her chauffeur. It's a complicated tale, which gets more and more complex and twisted as the police dig further into her life.
From what I can gather, Alicia was known as the "Princesa de Folclor" (Princess of Folklore) and was a very popular singer of huayno (Peru's brand of country music.) The story is that she was married and later divorced from her husband, then hooked up with another female huayno singer, Abencia Meza, who later became Alicia's closet lover. After a time of performing together, they decided to come out of the closet. This was complicated by the fact that Alicia also had a male lover, a fact which really torqued Abencia's jaw.
Sooo...last week, Alicia was found, killed by a bullet to the brain. Several people have been arrested, and as the investigation continues, more and more people appear to be implicated, right down to Alicia's own mother, who made it known that if anything were to happen to Alicia, her mother would be able to sell Alicia's apartment for quite a pretty penny. Alicia's chauffeur claims that Abencia paid him to kill Alicia, so it's not his fault and he isn't guilty. Hmmm. That's as far as the things went last night. Maybe the news tonight will reveal still more twists in this confusing story.
Celeste is so confused by this sordid tale that she felt the need to leave a trail of dog food pieces from her bowl to the living room...you know, just in case she can't find her way to bed tonight. Hopefully there are no crows to come behind her and eat her crumbs. She might end up missing her bed and wind up in the witch's cottage deep in the forest, with Hansel and Gretel!
Okay, now I'm the one who's confused. Anyway, here's a Youtube flick of Alicia, and one of Abencia. Don't you just love a good "Whodunit"?
From what I can gather, Alicia was known as the "Princesa de Folclor" (Princess of Folklore) and was a very popular singer of huayno (Peru's brand of country music.) The story is that she was married and later divorced from her husband, then hooked up with another female huayno singer, Abencia Meza, who later became Alicia's closet lover. After a time of performing together, they decided to come out of the closet. This was complicated by the fact that Alicia also had a male lover, a fact which really torqued Abencia's jaw.
Sooo...last week, Alicia was found, killed by a bullet to the brain. Several people have been arrested, and as the investigation continues, more and more people appear to be implicated, right down to Alicia's own mother, who made it known that if anything were to happen to Alicia, her mother would be able to sell Alicia's apartment for quite a pretty penny. Alicia's chauffeur claims that Abencia paid him to kill Alicia, so it's not his fault and he isn't guilty. Hmmm. That's as far as the things went last night. Maybe the news tonight will reveal still more twists in this confusing story.
Celeste is so confused by this sordid tale that she felt the need to leave a trail of dog food pieces from her bowl to the living room...you know, just in case she can't find her way to bed tonight. Hopefully there are no crows to come behind her and eat her crumbs. She might end up missing her bed and wind up in the witch's cottage deep in the forest, with Hansel and Gretel!
Okay, now I'm the one who's confused. Anyway, here's a Youtube flick of Alicia, and one of Abencia. Don't you just love a good "Whodunit"?
Jun 28, 2009
Hot Off The Spindle
Colorway: Catwoman, from Enchanted Knoll Farm.
Fiber: Superwash merino wool, 64 count.
Handspun on a spindle from Restlesspeasant (Ravelry ID)
Approximately 182 yards of light fingering weight yarn from approximately one ounce of fiber. Still have about 3 ounces left to go!
Jun 24, 2009
Attention deficit
Poor Celeste. These days have been extra hard for her, because it's finals week at work. I have exams to prepare for and exams to administer, then grade. Not too much time for playing, not too much time for long walks or sleeping on THE BED. And, I have been working on the Garden of Alla shawl (in hand-painted alpaca) and spinning some superwash merino, too, so Poor Celeste has been suffering from an extreme deficit of attention from me. Today, while I was grading exams, she let me know how much of a deficit there was. Whenever I reached for an exam, she bumped my arm with her nose. While I was marking the exam, she paced in circles, and then rested her head on my knee.
After finishing the exam grading, I picked up my spindle to ply the merino, and she paced in circles around the spindle. She reached out and grabbed the spindle just long enough to stop it from spinning. Hmmm. She didn't want to go outside, just be the center of attention for the afternoon. I can't afford to give her all my attention till I'm finished with these exams.
Hold on, Celeste! On Friday, I'll be all yours to go walking with, to play with, and to just give you all my undivided attention!
After finishing the exam grading, I picked up my spindle to ply the merino, and she paced in circles around the spindle. She reached out and grabbed the spindle just long enough to stop it from spinning. Hmmm. She didn't want to go outside, just be the center of attention for the afternoon. I can't afford to give her all my attention till I'm finished with these exams.
Hold on, Celeste! On Friday, I'll be all yours to go walking with, to play with, and to just give you all my undivided attention!
Jun 16, 2009
Protestation, violation, retaliation, and examination
Well, this last week has been interesting!
there has been a growing unrest among the indigenous people of the Amazon region. For years there has been a law protecting the Amazon rainforests and the indigenous people who live there. But within the last year or so, the government of Peru has opened up that area to logging and oil. This decision affects the property and lifestyles of the people who live in this area, and it was done without consulting them or allowing them to vote on it, or to express their opinions in any way. It has led to numerous non-violent protests and roads blocked with stones and people, typical of the way the Peruvian people usually express their disagreement with government actions. But, as I said, unrest has been growing, culminating in a confrontation between the indigenous and national police who were sent to clear a roadblock near Tarapoto. This confrontation resulted in several indigenous people being killed...which in turn led to police in a different area (Bagua) being killed or taken hostage, in retaliation for what happened in Tarapoto. Bloodshed there in Bagua (pronounced Bá-Wa) continued for a week, during which time the leader of the Bagua indigenous faction fled to the Nicaraguan embassy in Lima to avoid arrest.
Last Thursday, the protestors followed their leader to Lima and staged a protest on Abancay Avenue, where the Ministry of the Interior is located, as well as being just half a block from where I work. The police were prepared, but none of the local people were aware of what was going to happen until it happened. About 3:30 in the afternoon, hundreds of university students and indigenous people marched on Abancay Avenue, armed with clubs, steel pipes, and 2 x 4s, waving flags and banners, and makng a huge racket with horns, pipes, loud speakers, and the like. I was in my classroom and couldn't hear what my students were trying to say.
Then something went awry and the protest turned violent. Police reacted by shooting tear gas into the crowds and chasing a good number down to the middle of the block (where I work!) with gas bombs. Although the steel doors on our building were closed and the windows were closed to the second floor, gas still managed to enter the building. Between the noise and the effects of the gas, classes had to be temporarily stopped. And, heh, I had one student who just couldn't resist opening a window and sticking his head out to see the spectacle. He got a good doses of tear gas.
Oddly, I wasn't affected by the gas. I had several students who complained of sore throats and itchy eyes. I didn't feel anything. Huh. Musta been all those years of gas mask training in the Air Force, with real tear gas. We were locked down for about an hour, then students were allowed to go home out the back way, to avoid the remnents of the protest.
And then, on Saturday, I had to take an English proficiency exam provided to the institute by the University of Michigan. I'm not sure how I did, although it seemed to be to easy to be real, for me. I wonder if this will benefit me in some way. Every ICPNA instructor has to take the exam and pass it, but what will it do for me in the future? Nothing, probably. English is my first language, and at my age, I expect that I should be proficient in it.
All last week, I had substitutions. I'm not sure what was happening...maybe everyone was sick? I don't know, but I had 10 hours of work every day. Love the extra money, but the hours really sucked. Wah.
there has been a growing unrest among the indigenous people of the Amazon region. For years there has been a law protecting the Amazon rainforests and the indigenous people who live there. But within the last year or so, the government of Peru has opened up that area to logging and oil. This decision affects the property and lifestyles of the people who live in this area, and it was done without consulting them or allowing them to vote on it, or to express their opinions in any way. It has led to numerous non-violent protests and roads blocked with stones and people, typical of the way the Peruvian people usually express their disagreement with government actions. But, as I said, unrest has been growing, culminating in a confrontation between the indigenous and national police who were sent to clear a roadblock near Tarapoto. This confrontation resulted in several indigenous people being killed...which in turn led to police in a different area (Bagua) being killed or taken hostage, in retaliation for what happened in Tarapoto. Bloodshed there in Bagua (pronounced Bá-Wa) continued for a week, during which time the leader of the Bagua indigenous faction fled to the Nicaraguan embassy in Lima to avoid arrest.
Last Thursday, the protestors followed their leader to Lima and staged a protest on Abancay Avenue, where the Ministry of the Interior is located, as well as being just half a block from where I work. The police were prepared, but none of the local people were aware of what was going to happen until it happened. About 3:30 in the afternoon, hundreds of university students and indigenous people marched on Abancay Avenue, armed with clubs, steel pipes, and 2 x 4s, waving flags and banners, and makng a huge racket with horns, pipes, loud speakers, and the like. I was in my classroom and couldn't hear what my students were trying to say.
Then something went awry and the protest turned violent. Police reacted by shooting tear gas into the crowds and chasing a good number down to the middle of the block (where I work!) with gas bombs. Although the steel doors on our building were closed and the windows were closed to the second floor, gas still managed to enter the building. Between the noise and the effects of the gas, classes had to be temporarily stopped. And, heh, I had one student who just couldn't resist opening a window and sticking his head out to see the spectacle. He got a good doses of tear gas.
Oddly, I wasn't affected by the gas. I had several students who complained of sore throats and itchy eyes. I didn't feel anything. Huh. Musta been all those years of gas mask training in the Air Force, with real tear gas. We were locked down for about an hour, then students were allowed to go home out the back way, to avoid the remnents of the protest.
And then, on Saturday, I had to take an English proficiency exam provided to the institute by the University of Michigan. I'm not sure how I did, although it seemed to be to easy to be real, for me. I wonder if this will benefit me in some way. Every ICPNA instructor has to take the exam and pass it, but what will it do for me in the future? Nothing, probably. English is my first language, and at my age, I expect that I should be proficient in it.
All last week, I had substitutions. I'm not sure what was happening...maybe everyone was sick? I don't know, but I had 10 hours of work every day. Love the extra money, but the hours really sucked. Wah.
Jun 7, 2009
After a long pause...
...I'm back. I've been swamped, then run down, and consequentially got sick. Now I'm back on my feet again, and although still swamped with work, not sick anymore. I apologise for the tardiness in posting and meeting my commitments, but rest assured that I am back in commission and in gear once again.
See you on Monday!
See you on Monday!
May 18, 2009
An Afternoon with Celeste
Oh Mom, I'm so bored. Can't we play? No, not the camera.
Really. I'm serious. Listen to me. I W A N T T O P L A Y. Should I speak more slowly? No, not the camera. I didn't say get the camera. I said I want to play. P L A Y.
This is my best side. If you have to snap that photo, get this side.
While I'm chewing my toy? Is there no privacy around here?
Can we go outside? O U T S I D E. Can you say "OUTSIDE?" Okay. Let's try this: "vamos fuera de la casa." V A M O S. Better? Sheesh. You just never know with people. Could be one language, or it could be another.
YEAY! You got it! You understand! I'll get my leash! Mom, you're a good girl! 
...and we have winners!
So, I had to get Celeste to help me with the drawing. I had three drawings - one for the mitts, one for the yarn, and one for the fiber. I put the names for each drawing in a bowl and let Celeste stick her COLD, WET NOSE in the bowl. The name(s) that stuck to her nose were the winners. The first time we did it, she ate all the names (sorry about that), so we had to re-draw. For the yarn, two names stuck to her nose, so I will honor that.
Fiber: Iron Needles
Yarn: Jude
Kim
The mitts: KitKatKnits
Please send an e-mail with your mailing address to fuzzknitterATyahooDOTcom so I can get your loot to you.
Fiber: Iron Needles
Yarn: Jude
Kim
The mitts: KitKatKnits
Please send an e-mail with your mailing address to fuzzknitterATyahooDOTcom so I can get your loot to you.
May 15, 2009
fruits from the tropics
Here in Peru, we have fruits that I've never heard of anywhere else in the world. For example, chirimoya. It's often called Guanabana, too. The flavor is kind of like tootie-fruitie, and it makes a great sorbet.
Maracuyá is another fruit that I've not heard of outside of Peru, either. It has a sweet and sour flavor and is popular in ice creams, sorbets, and drinks.
We love both these fruits for breakfast! They are quite common in this area, along with giant mangoes and avocados. I'll be looking for some other unique fruits and veggies from around here, too.
Maracuyá is another fruit that I've not heard of outside of Peru, either. It has a sweet and sour flavor and is popular in ice creams, sorbets, and drinks.
We love both these fruits for breakfast! They are quite common in this area, along with giant mangoes and avocados. I'll be looking for some other unique fruits and veggies from around here, too.
Sunday's the last day!
Wow! Thank you for all the responses! The last day to enter your comments will be Sunday, May 17th. Then I'll have a drawing for names and post the winners here on the blog. Good luck!
May 13, 2009
The Loot
Handspun, handknit beaded fingerless mitts in superwash merino.
3 ounces of soft black merino, gold bamboo, and sparkly stuff.
100% alpaca yarn, mill-spun, approximately 250 yards per skein. Three skeins.
OMG, or It's a giveaway!
OMG! We've surpassed 15,000 visits here at A Bag of Olives! Time for a giveaway! I'll take the pictures of the prize and get them up this afternoon (hopefully. You know me...always on the late side. But this IS Peru, after all. We are always fashionably and frustratingly and irritatingly late.)
You will have your choice between 3 ounces of merino/bamboo/sparkle spinning fiber, a couple of skeins of lovely mill-spun 100% alpaca yarn (enough for a pair of socks, and have some left over!), or a pair of beaded handspun, handknit fingerless mitts (superwash merino) in fun colors. To enter, just post a comment and let me know your preference.
You will have your choice between 3 ounces of merino/bamboo/sparkle spinning fiber, a couple of skeins of lovely mill-spun 100% alpaca yarn (enough for a pair of socks, and have some left over!), or a pair of beaded handspun, handknit fingerless mitts (superwash merino) in fun colors. To enter, just post a comment and let me know your preference.
May 12, 2009
June's socks
Click on the pictures to enlarge them.
Pixie pick-up stix in action! They work pretty well, but I suspect that these are not the genuine PPS, because the finish on a few of them is terrible. I need to take the sand paper to them for a snag-free knitting experience.
Pixie pick-up stix in action! They work pretty well, but I suspect that these are not the genuine PPS, because the finish on a few of them is terrible. I need to take the sand paper to them for a snag-free knitting experience.
May 11, 2009
Cabaret spun up (mostly)
Here are the pictures of Cabaret, posing in her colorful glory: (click a photo to enlarge it)
May 9, 2009
Socks and the Peace Corps
On Monday, I have an appointment with the Peace Corps. No, I'm not joining, but they are in need of people to help with their training program. They need to practice evaluating people who are coming to work with varyinig degrees of fluency in Spanish. My fluency in Spanish definitely varies from subject to subject. I can talk about the house, the market, and work with fair proficiency, but I have absolutely no technical vocabulary at all. So, I'll give themm someone to practice evaluating and they'll tell me what my Spanish fluency level is. I think it's a fair trade, and it should be interesting and fun.
I've been spinning and knitting up a storm this week. Remember this?
Well, I'm in the process of turning it into socks for my dad's girl, June. June thinks her feet are ugly, so she refuses to wear anything except some big clunky tennis shoes, which realy ARE ugly. I'm hoping that with some colorful socks, Junie will wear some sandals or something nicer. Anyway, another pair of handspun, handknit, sparkly merino socks never hurt anyone.
And I've been spinning up "Cabaret" for socks, too. I'm hoping for knee socks. Sparkly, dazzling, jewel-toned knee socks. I'm in the process of plying about 3.5 ounces of it now. Two and a half ounces are still left to spin. I think I'll have enough! :o)
I've been spinning and knitting up a storm this week. Remember this?
Well, I'm in the process of turning it into socks for my dad's girl, June. June thinks her feet are ugly, so she refuses to wear anything except some big clunky tennis shoes, which realy ARE ugly. I'm hoping that with some colorful socks, Junie will wear some sandals or something nicer. Anyway, another pair of handspun, handknit, sparkly merino socks never hurt anyone.
And I've been spinning up "Cabaret" for socks, too. I'm hoping for knee socks. Sparkly, dazzling, jewel-toned knee socks. I'm in the process of plying about 3.5 ounces of it now. Two and a half ounces are still left to spin. I think I'll have enough! :o)
May 3, 2009
El Mercado Negro
On Friday, O and I went to a place called "Polvos Azules" (Blue Dust). It is knock-off heaven. There are copies of almost everything you can think of, as well as originals, from sunglasses to tennis shoes to music and videos to Waterford crystal. Some of the copies are licensed, but most of them are not. Every year the police go through and seize illegal copies of dvds and cds, and almost immediately after, they start up again.
In Polvos Azules, you can find some very good deals, but you also have to be careful. Buying illegal copies is illegal even here in Peru, and often the copies are of poor quality. You could buy a pair of tennis shoes, thinking they are original Nikes, only to find out after you get them home that they are cheap imitations. After they fall apart the first time you wear them. Professionally done logo, but substandard workmanship.
The black market is very big here, too. Usually the stuff on the black market is stolen. When our car was broken into, we lost three headrests. O went down to the black market (yep, it even has a building where everyone knows they sell black market items!) to see if he could find them. They didn't have them, but offered to "acquire" what we needed by the following day. The strangest thing for me is that while it is illegal to sell anything on the black market, the building is well known and even patrolled by Peruvian National Police.
A quote from "Professional Travel Guide", http://www.professionaltravelguide.com/Destinations/Lima-Peru/See-and-Do/Shopping/Stores/Markets/Polvos-Azules-p1835405
"Completely overlooked by the higher-ups, Polvos Azules is Lima's largest, thriving black market. Almost all goods, such as DVDs, CDs, video games, electronics, clothes, shoes and luggage, are pirated or cheap knock-offs. The place is a maze, and you can visit 10 times before seeing everything. Daily 9 am-8 pm. Ave. Paseo de la Republica (2 blocks from Plaza Grau, downtown), Lima."
So weird. I've always heard of the black market, but never thought to find it so conspicuous and well-used by the average citizen. When I think of "the black market", it always conjures up thoughts of clandestine meetings to pass banned firearms and stolen cars, usually between hardened criminals. This place is three stories with a parking garage in the basement, restaurants on the rooftop, and an ATM conveniently located in the middle of the first floor, owned by one of the foremost banks in Peru, Interbank.
I almost said, "Only in Peru," but I suspect this might be more common throughout Latin America than I care to imagine.
In Polvos Azules, you can find some very good deals, but you also have to be careful. Buying illegal copies is illegal even here in Peru, and often the copies are of poor quality. You could buy a pair of tennis shoes, thinking they are original Nikes, only to find out after you get them home that they are cheap imitations. After they fall apart the first time you wear them. Professionally done logo, but substandard workmanship.
The black market is very big here, too. Usually the stuff on the black market is stolen. When our car was broken into, we lost three headrests. O went down to the black market (yep, it even has a building where everyone knows they sell black market items!) to see if he could find them. They didn't have them, but offered to "acquire" what we needed by the following day. The strangest thing for me is that while it is illegal to sell anything on the black market, the building is well known and even patrolled by Peruvian National Police.
A quote from "Professional Travel Guide", http://www.professionaltravelguide.com/Destinations/Lima-Peru/See-and-Do/Shopping/Stores/Markets/Polvos-Azules-p1835405
"Completely overlooked by the higher-ups, Polvos Azules is Lima's largest, thriving black market. Almost all goods, such as DVDs, CDs, video games, electronics, clothes, shoes and luggage, are pirated or cheap knock-offs. The place is a maze, and you can visit 10 times before seeing everything. Daily 9 am-8 pm. Ave. Paseo de la Republica (2 blocks from Plaza Grau, downtown), Lima."
So weird. I've always heard of the black market, but never thought to find it so conspicuous and well-used by the average citizen. When I think of "the black market", it always conjures up thoughts of clandestine meetings to pass banned firearms and stolen cars, usually between hardened criminals. This place is three stories with a parking garage in the basement, restaurants on the rooftop, and an ATM conveniently located in the middle of the first floor, owned by one of the foremost banks in Peru, Interbank.
I almost said, "Only in Peru," but I suspect this might be more common throughout Latin America than I care to imagine.
Apr 28, 2009
The answers
Okay, so I took my concerns to my supervisor and other teachers to get an idea of how things like this are handled, and basically what I got was "Do Nothing."
Most people who spend a lot of time sleeping on the street and in various states of undress are considered to be mentally ill. If their families cannot take care of them, there is nowhere for them to go until they become a hazard to themselves or others. Then they go to prison, where they either improve or die. Although Peru seems to have socialized medicine and is actually quite advanced in their medicine, there is no long-term care for anyone unless some money is provided. There is no state funding or social security of any kind (that I can find out about) for poor people with chronic mental illness. There isn't even a state mental institution. So the treatment for poor, mentally ill people in Lima is to turn them into the streets and ignore or avoid them until they die or commit a crime. Street vendors feed them when they can, and their diet consists of whatever the vendors can spare - soda, candy bars, and potato chips usually. I don't know where they go when it gets cold, but I imagine I'll find out one of these days.
These are not good answers for me, but I don't know what I can do to make things change. I hope someone will read this and tell me that I'm mistaken here. I hope they'll tell that there really is someplace that people can get treatment when they are at their worst and have hit rock bottom.
Most people who spend a lot of time sleeping on the street and in various states of undress are considered to be mentally ill. If their families cannot take care of them, there is nowhere for them to go until they become a hazard to themselves or others. Then they go to prison, where they either improve or die. Although Peru seems to have socialized medicine and is actually quite advanced in their medicine, there is no long-term care for anyone unless some money is provided. There is no state funding or social security of any kind (that I can find out about) for poor people with chronic mental illness. There isn't even a state mental institution. So the treatment for poor, mentally ill people in Lima is to turn them into the streets and ignore or avoid them until they die or commit a crime. Street vendors feed them when they can, and their diet consists of whatever the vendors can spare - soda, candy bars, and potato chips usually. I don't know where they go when it gets cold, but I imagine I'll find out one of these days.
These are not good answers for me, but I don't know what I can do to make things change. I hope someone will read this and tell me that I'm mistaken here. I hope they'll tell that there really is someplace that people can get treatment when they are at their worst and have hit rock bottom.
Apr 27, 2009
I wonder if it's the heat.
Saturday and today presented me with social challenge that I haven't figured out yet.
On Saturday, I walked around the corner of the block on my way to work to find a woman lying on the sidewalk, apparently taking a nap. She was an older lady, I think she might have been in her late 50's. And standing next to her was a policeman. I wondered what was going on, but really, there are many people in this city who simply drop down wherever they happen to be and take a nap. I stepped around her, asked the policeman if she was okay and, getting a curt, "Yes lady. She's fine," I continued on to work. Everyone else stepped over her or around her and didn't worry about her.
Later that day, I went to have lunch in the local Metro supermarket comedor and stepped over this lady again! She was awake this time, lying in a different part of the block, in the middle of a busy sidewalk, stripped naked to the waist and apparently taking in some sun. She smiled and waved to me and I waved back. But I was and still am confused about her. People stepped over and around her and basically ignored her.
This morning while on my way to the bus stop to go home for lunch, I crossed paths with a woman who was completely naked, save for her woven shawl that she wore around her shoulders. She was apparently in no mood to talk and marched resolutely on, bare-footed and bare everywhere else, except, of course, for her shoulders. People and policemen did nothing, said nothing and simpy ignored her.
I wonder what happened to these two women. If I were in the US, the policeman wouldn't have been standing idly by while the first woman caught a nap in the middle of the sidewalk. He might have called for an ambulance or some other kind of asistance, and let her know that there were other places to doze. Later, people might have suspected that both women been assaulted because of their states of undress and called 911, or at the very least offered to help them find some clothing.
Is it the heat? Is it strange that no one else seems to think it's strange to see the isolated naked and half-naked women on the sidewalk in a modern city, regardless of how dangerous or overcrowded it is? Doesn't it bother people to see others like this, especially in dangerous places like this inner city area?
It just frickin freaks ME out. I think need to go talk to my supervisor about what I should be doing in situations like these. Maybe doing nothing like everyone else is the correct thing to be doing, but it sure doesn't feel right to me.
On Saturday, I walked around the corner of the block on my way to work to find a woman lying on the sidewalk, apparently taking a nap. She was an older lady, I think she might have been in her late 50's. And standing next to her was a policeman. I wondered what was going on, but really, there are many people in this city who simply drop down wherever they happen to be and take a nap. I stepped around her, asked the policeman if she was okay and, getting a curt, "Yes lady. She's fine," I continued on to work. Everyone else stepped over her or around her and didn't worry about her.
Later that day, I went to have lunch in the local Metro supermarket comedor and stepped over this lady again! She was awake this time, lying in a different part of the block, in the middle of a busy sidewalk, stripped naked to the waist and apparently taking in some sun. She smiled and waved to me and I waved back. But I was and still am confused about her. People stepped over and around her and basically ignored her.
This morning while on my way to the bus stop to go home for lunch, I crossed paths with a woman who was completely naked, save for her woven shawl that she wore around her shoulders. She was apparently in no mood to talk and marched resolutely on, bare-footed and bare everywhere else, except, of course, for her shoulders. People and policemen did nothing, said nothing and simpy ignored her.
I wonder what happened to these two women. If I were in the US, the policeman wouldn't have been standing idly by while the first woman caught a nap in the middle of the sidewalk. He might have called for an ambulance or some other kind of asistance, and let her know that there were other places to doze. Later, people might have suspected that both women been assaulted because of their states of undress and called 911, or at the very least offered to help them find some clothing.
Is it the heat? Is it strange that no one else seems to think it's strange to see the isolated naked and half-naked women on the sidewalk in a modern city, regardless of how dangerous or overcrowded it is? Doesn't it bother people to see others like this, especially in dangerous places like this inner city area?
It just frickin freaks ME out. I think need to go talk to my supervisor about what I should be doing in situations like these. Maybe doing nothing like everyone else is the correct thing to be doing, but it sure doesn't feel right to me.
Apr 26, 2009
This face
This is the face of a schemer.
This is the face of a manipulator.
And this is the face of a blackmailer.
I think Celeste lays awake at night, laying her plans, scheming how she will control us through the day. This may be the beginning of the Dog Mafioso is our apartment building. All the dogs in this building bark their plans and accomplishments to one another as they leave or return to their apartments. I think they are planning something big. Maybe a blackmailing scheme for bones. I can't be sure, but I see Celeste looking at the other dogs with THAT LOOK in her eyes...hmmmm...
Apr 22, 2009
Thorn Rainbowfly, at your service!
Your fairy is called Thorn Rainbowfly
She is a fortune bringer.
She lives in brambles and blackberry bushes.
She is only seen at midday under a quiet, cloudless sky.
She wears purple and green like berries and leaves. She has multicoloured wings like a butterfly.
I'm sure by now, everyone has tried the Fairy Name generator. So this is the name of my inner fairy, my true self, and who I am in my dreams (yeh right...) I wish I could find a picture of her, but I can't seem to come up with one, so I officially declare my next project to be devoted to creating my inner fairy. I hope I can find some fiberfill stuffing for her body!
Apr 19, 2009
The week in review...
This week has been pretty uneventful. I spun a couple of spindles of some black merino/silk fiber and plied it. It's had a bath and is now hanging up to dry. And I'm working on two more spindles of it. I only have 4 ounces of it and have spun half of it so far. I thought I was getting it pretty thin and would have some good yardage, but so far, I've got only 148 yards of 2-ply out of 2 ounces. But it's spinning pretty fast, so I should be finished with it by the end of this week.
And, I've been looking for some double pointed needles for a long time. There are no well-stocked yarn shops here, like there are at home, so knitting needles are pretty hard to come by. I only have one set of size three DPNs and they are occupied with a sock that I stalled out on for lack yarn, so I've done no sock knitting for a few months now. Yesterday, I decided it was time for decisive action. I marched myself into the local Metro supermarket and went straight to the toy section, looking for something, something, something that would do for DPNs...and I found it!
PIXIE PICK-UP STIX, 30 each in bamboo. They come in a metal box that is just perfect for crochet hooks and DPNs. The pick-up stix are size 3s, just like my single set of metal DPNs. I haven't started knitting with them yet, but I have high hopes. Anyway, for a buck and a half, if they don't work out, I've still got a game and a cool metal storage box for my crochet hooks. I'll let you know how they do as knitting needles.
And on Wednesday, the electric company sent a man out to cut off our electricity because we didn't pay our bill. The catch was that we HAD paid our bill well in advance of the due date. Luckily, I was home when the doorman called up to tell me. I went downstairs to find out how this could possibly be, with my receipt of payment (we don't send payments through the mail here...you have to go pay in person) and the electrician told me that I should have paid by the 11th of the month.
Well, yes and I'd paid on the 5th.
But Señora, you had to pay by the 11th. I have an order from the company to cut off your electricity.
But Señor, I just showed you my receipt that said I paid on the 5th.
Profound silence. Electrician thumbs through his notebook for a few moments then clears his throat.
OH. There must be a problem with the system, Señora. I'll reconnect your electricity now.
Muchisimas gracias.
Such is life.
We went to see Monsters and Aliens at the movies tonight. I must not be that much of a kid anymore. I was bored through the whole thing. It was cute, but just not my style. I did, however, totally LOVE Inkheart and Twilight, even though Inkheart was in Spanish.
Apr 12, 2009
camping, anyone?
This weekend was a long one...we had 4 days off for Easter...and decided to go camping for two of them. What I had in mind was a quiet weekend in a tent, hiking some, reading, spinning, maybe some knitting, and a swim - just generally doing what I wanted to and escaping the noise of the city and escaping people. What I got was just the opposite.
We started out well enough - we packed a few things for just two days, Thursday and Friday. Celeste was going to stay with her buddies and we could play without worrying about where she was. On the way to drop Celeste off, O told me that we were going to take Landeo and his family with us. So much for escaping the noise. The Landeo family has three boys who pick on each other, whine, cry, yell, and generally make life miserable for everyone around them. The mother, Rosa, spends her time yelling at the boys and giving orders to whomever happens to be close. Landeo himself usually spends his time at work, so he doesn't have to deal with the family too much at one time. So, the 2 hour ride up to the campground was kind of miserable for me. By the time we arrived, I had a headache from all the racket going on in the back seats (we have a minivan, so there's always plenty of room for others.)
The campground was well-populated by the time we arrived, but there were places to put up a tent. I have never understood why people say they want to get out of town and then basically bring everything from town with them. Maybe I'm too much like my mother in this respect. O and I brought a tent, sleeping bags, and a change of clothes. On top of tents and sleeping bags and clothes, Rosa brought a boombox, toys, candy, soda, an iron, 6 blankets, a different bottle of shampoo for each boy, an umbrella, a curling iron, make-up, an evening gown and heels, a suit for each boy and her husband, and 4 pairs of socks and shoes for each of them. I guess you just never know when you will encounter a formal party during a camping trip.
Half an hour after we arrived, several of O's friends from work also arrived and pitched their tents right next to ours. Okay, I as glad that O had some other friends to talk to, because I knew that I would be a boring partner for him, just hiking and spinning, and maybe doing some knitting. But not long after they got to talking, a crate (12 liters) of beer arrived, and then a bottle of pisco, and by dark, these people were completely wasted. I took a walk for a few hours, then went back to the tent to sleep, but the party continued for a few hours more. Then I heard our car start up and O and Landeo were off on a joyride down the mountain. CRAP. Two drunks in a car on a mountain road. Not the best of situations. O and I have had NUMEROUS discussions about this and he promise me that he would NEVER drink and drive. By the time he returned, I had been worried, scared, and furious by turns. I heard the car arrive and was on my way out to talk to him, when he cranked it up again. ARRRGH! I flew to that car, pounding on the window and screaming for him to open the door. He did and I demanded the keys. He handed them over, in shock, I think. I took the keys and slammed the door in his face. Yup, in shock. I had never lost it like that, but this time, along with the way the weekend was going, to have O pull something like driving under the influence was just the limit of my endurance.
I later heard him asking his buddies what MY problem was, and resisted the temptation to march out there and attack him verbally. I know that talking to a person who has been celebrating and drinking for hours is pretty much a lost cause. No point to it, because he wouldn't remember it in the morning anyway. And it was true - the next morning, he couldn't find the car keys (because I had them) and didn't remember that I had almost crushed him in the car door after I got the keys away from him. We still need to have a talk about that. We did talk that night - he came into the tent crying and upset that I treated him badly and why and it wasn't his fault, and what had happened that I was so mad, and so on and so forth. I was straight with him and told him exactly what the problem was, which made him cry more, but...like I said, the next morning, he didn't remember. All he knew was that he had a massive headache and a terrible hangover, and he spent a good part of the day sleeping it off.
We left the campground about 6 pm on Friday. We dropped off the whining, crying, and yelling at their house, then went to pick up Celeste. At that house, we were offered a little to eat, ate and got sick later that night. I spent Saturday in bed, feeling like crap.
But today is a better day. It's the last day of the weekend, and I have time to spin, knit, and go for a walk, which was all I really wanted to do in the first place.
Okay, now I'm done fussing and whining. No more of that, I promise.
We started out well enough - we packed a few things for just two days, Thursday and Friday. Celeste was going to stay with her buddies and we could play without worrying about where she was. On the way to drop Celeste off, O told me that we were going to take Landeo and his family with us. So much for escaping the noise. The Landeo family has three boys who pick on each other, whine, cry, yell, and generally make life miserable for everyone around them. The mother, Rosa, spends her time yelling at the boys and giving orders to whomever happens to be close. Landeo himself usually spends his time at work, so he doesn't have to deal with the family too much at one time. So, the 2 hour ride up to the campground was kind of miserable for me. By the time we arrived, I had a headache from all the racket going on in the back seats (we have a minivan, so there's always plenty of room for others.)
The campground was well-populated by the time we arrived, but there were places to put up a tent. I have never understood why people say they want to get out of town and then basically bring everything from town with them. Maybe I'm too much like my mother in this respect. O and I brought a tent, sleeping bags, and a change of clothes. On top of tents and sleeping bags and clothes, Rosa brought a boombox, toys, candy, soda, an iron, 6 blankets, a different bottle of shampoo for each boy, an umbrella, a curling iron, make-up, an evening gown and heels, a suit for each boy and her husband, and 4 pairs of socks and shoes for each of them. I guess you just never know when you will encounter a formal party during a camping trip.
Half an hour after we arrived, several of O's friends from work also arrived and pitched their tents right next to ours. Okay, I as glad that O had some other friends to talk to, because I knew that I would be a boring partner for him, just hiking and spinning, and maybe doing some knitting. But not long after they got to talking, a crate (12 liters) of beer arrived, and then a bottle of pisco, and by dark, these people were completely wasted. I took a walk for a few hours, then went back to the tent to sleep, but the party continued for a few hours more. Then I heard our car start up and O and Landeo were off on a joyride down the mountain. CRAP. Two drunks in a car on a mountain road. Not the best of situations. O and I have had NUMEROUS discussions about this and he promise me that he would NEVER drink and drive. By the time he returned, I had been worried, scared, and furious by turns. I heard the car arrive and was on my way out to talk to him, when he cranked it up again. ARRRGH! I flew to that car, pounding on the window and screaming for him to open the door. He did and I demanded the keys. He handed them over, in shock, I think. I took the keys and slammed the door in his face. Yup, in shock. I had never lost it like that, but this time, along with the way the weekend was going, to have O pull something like driving under the influence was just the limit of my endurance.
I later heard him asking his buddies what MY problem was, and resisted the temptation to march out there and attack him verbally. I know that talking to a person who has been celebrating and drinking for hours is pretty much a lost cause. No point to it, because he wouldn't remember it in the morning anyway. And it was true - the next morning, he couldn't find the car keys (because I had them) and didn't remember that I had almost crushed him in the car door after I got the keys away from him. We still need to have a talk about that. We did talk that night - he came into the tent crying and upset that I treated him badly and why and it wasn't his fault, and what had happened that I was so mad, and so on and so forth. I was straight with him and told him exactly what the problem was, which made him cry more, but...like I said, the next morning, he didn't remember. All he knew was that he had a massive headache and a terrible hangover, and he spent a good part of the day sleeping it off.
We left the campground about 6 pm on Friday. We dropped off the whining, crying, and yelling at their house, then went to pick up Celeste. At that house, we were offered a little to eat, ate and got sick later that night. I spent Saturday in bed, feeling like crap.
But today is a better day. It's the last day of the weekend, and I have time to spin, knit, and go for a walk, which was all I really wanted to do in the first place.
Okay, now I'm done fussing and whining. No more of that, I promise.
Apr 8, 2009
just blabbing
Whew! I just realized that I'm almost back to normal again! Still about 10 pounds lighter than I was before going into the hospital, but with a higher energy level and NO PAIN. That's the biggest thing. And I can think now. And clearly, too. That's a HUGE difference for me.
So while I'm still spinning yarn, I'm now spinning thoughts now, and have some to share.
I've been reading about this new April Fool worm threat that was supposed to do something on April 1st. I wonder if my computer is infected or if our new anti-virus software eliminated it. Or whether our computer is too old for the worm to bother with. I haven't had any trouble with anything yet, but am taking the precaution of using the computer system at work to check on my important financial and banking things. I noticed while I was using the system in class the other day, that a message was sent saying that the worm had been removed. So I think that might be a safer place to access bank records and whatnot. And luckily, I got my taxes done before April first, too. Has anyone else heard anything more about this worm?
I've got a small group of students this month - again - who smell so bad that my eyes water every time I get within 10 feet of them. This morning, I went to my supervisor to ask for advice on the best way to approach this. They are good boys - enthusiastic, motivated, and interested in learning. I don't want them to feel intimidated or embarrassed, and I don't want to shut them down by telling them that they reek. So my supervisor said that the administration would handle it, and that they had had many cases like this before. That's load off my mind. I don't want to hurt any feelings in my classes or make them embarrassed to come to class.
Last month, I had a young lady in my class that had deformed hands. Both her hands were enormous and had only a thumb and two fingers on each hand. They resembled claws, actually. She was so self-conscious about them that she kept her hands hidden in her purse and wouldn't raise a hand to volunteer for about two weeks. I did my best to put her at ease, and really, none of the other students said or did anything rude about her hands that I was aware of. About 2 weeks into the class, she began to participate. I was thrilled! I moved her around to different groups of students and put her with different partners and she seemed to gain confidence and flourish. She did great on her exams and passed the course.
But if I had it to do over again, I would have gone immediately to my supervisor and asked for some advice about how to bring her out of her shell a little sooner. Two weeks into a 4 week course is a little late to decide to participate. It's very difficult to catch up and get up on everything that was missed.
Has anyone ever had experiences similar to this? What would you do to help a student like this gain confidence in a shorter period of time?
And one other thing....I see that I've got over 14,000 visits to my blog! Woohoo! I'm thinking about a giveaway or contest thing to happen when the visit number tops 15,000. Could be some fiber to spin, maybe a spindle, maybe some of my funky hand spun yarn, maybe a crocheted skirt...I think I have plenty of time to figure it out! Whatever it is, it will be a surprise!
So while I'm still spinning yarn, I'm now spinning thoughts now, and have some to share.
I've been reading about this new April Fool worm threat that was supposed to do something on April 1st. I wonder if my computer is infected or if our new anti-virus software eliminated it. Or whether our computer is too old for the worm to bother with. I haven't had any trouble with anything yet, but am taking the precaution of using the computer system at work to check on my important financial and banking things. I noticed while I was using the system in class the other day, that a message was sent saying that the worm had been removed. So I think that might be a safer place to access bank records and whatnot. And luckily, I got my taxes done before April first, too. Has anyone else heard anything more about this worm?
I've got a small group of students this month - again - who smell so bad that my eyes water every time I get within 10 feet of them. This morning, I went to my supervisor to ask for advice on the best way to approach this. They are good boys - enthusiastic, motivated, and interested in learning. I don't want them to feel intimidated or embarrassed, and I don't want to shut them down by telling them that they reek. So my supervisor said that the administration would handle it, and that they had had many cases like this before. That's load off my mind. I don't want to hurt any feelings in my classes or make them embarrassed to come to class.
Last month, I had a young lady in my class that had deformed hands. Both her hands were enormous and had only a thumb and two fingers on each hand. They resembled claws, actually. She was so self-conscious about them that she kept her hands hidden in her purse and wouldn't raise a hand to volunteer for about two weeks. I did my best to put her at ease, and really, none of the other students said or did anything rude about her hands that I was aware of. About 2 weeks into the class, she began to participate. I was thrilled! I moved her around to different groups of students and put her with different partners and she seemed to gain confidence and flourish. She did great on her exams and passed the course.
But if I had it to do over again, I would have gone immediately to my supervisor and asked for some advice about how to bring her out of her shell a little sooner. Two weeks into a 4 week course is a little late to decide to participate. It's very difficult to catch up and get up on everything that was missed.
Has anyone ever had experiences similar to this? What would you do to help a student like this gain confidence in a shorter period of time?
And one other thing....I see that I've got over 14,000 visits to my blog! Woohoo! I'm thinking about a giveaway or contest thing to happen when the visit number tops 15,000. Could be some fiber to spin, maybe a spindle, maybe some of my funky hand spun yarn, maybe a crocheted skirt...I think I have plenty of time to figure it out! Whatever it is, it will be a surprise!
Apr 5, 2009
Apr 3, 2009
and the spinning
These two photos are my latest spinning project. It actually took me about 6 months to get this all spun up. It's 8 ounces of pink, purple, white, and brown cotswold and merino, with some sparkles, spun in two-ply worsted weight. About 400 yards. No idea yet of what I should make with it.
New Spindles
These spindles are handmade by Heidi, on Ravelry, her name is RestlessPeasant. They are quite light, made for spinning laceweight yarn. They are so well made that they make spinning a breeze!
Apr 1, 2009
hmmm...
Well, here I am in an internet cafe up the street from the apartment. Yesterday afternoon, we lost both telephone and internet. So hmmmm. I don't know what the problem is and I don't know when it will get fixed. Just hmmmm.
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