Excuse me Pam, your feminism is showing

There is an interesting series of posts over at the University of Chicago Law School Faculty blog. The posts are taken from a journal article written by Martha Nussbaum entitled "Women's Bodies: Violence, Security, Capabilities". It get a bit dense in the later sections but is definitely worth a look. For me, it laid out a issue that's been in the back of mind since...forever. Women are not safe and will not be until the world believes they are equal to men. Be sure to read the comments, the reactions are typical of what gets said any time this issue is brought up.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Books, etc.

63. The Lady and the Unicorn - Tracy Chevalier. Same author as The Girl with a Pearl Earring, which I avoided because it seemed like it would be a heavy read, lots of pausing to decipher the language and paging back to check obscure plot points. Apparently I was wrong about that. The best way I can describe The Lady and the Unicorn is 'Danielle Steele meets the 1400's'. And that genre didn't do a whole lot for me. So once again I find myself in the position of disliking the book club book that everyone else in the group loved.

64. The Interruption of Everything - Terry McMillan. Stella loses her groove once again. Poor Marilyn has every possible Sandwich Generation thing happen to her at once. Caretaking for the older generation, caretaking for the younger generation, caretaking for the no-good sibling and a husband with a mid-life crisis. I really enjoyed the book up until the last chapter, and then I hated it.

Yarn-wise, I'm still working on the red socks that have been batting around for 4 months or so. Hopefully, they will be done by Christmas. I need to start the sleeves to the Anika sweater again. I have an idea for a present but it could be a lot of work.

The blanket is going to my sister. After I show it to the SnB crowd tonight I will be boxing it up and mailing it off. Hooray for finishing something.

Melanie gave me some beautiful homespun for watching the menagerie. I still need to take a picture of it.

Lucy and I are both missing Myriah. It seems weird not to be peeking under the bed once an hour to see if she ok...

Puppy Love

The dogs have bonded. Which makes sense because Myriah goes home tomorrow :( .







Please excuse the state of my floors. It's falling leaf season here and Lucy's been bringing them in by the coat-load.

I'm beginning to think Lucy will be asking Santa for a puppy this year...

Thankful

A day late but I wanted to list some things I was thankful for.

My family - on the other side of the country.
My friends - knitters and bloggers and others.
My dog - who is mad I didn't bring her leftovers.
Sarah inviting me to Thanksgiving dinner so I didn't have to eat a turkey hoagie.
Surviving this year with some degree of grace, or at least not ending up catatonic in corner somewhere.

But what I'm really, extra-specially thankful for?

I finished this.



A full bed sized blanket.



Made of tiny, little squares.



I believe I said I'd tell the tale behind this creation. Our story begins almost 3 years ago, with Christmas preparations. I was a young(er), naive crocheter who had yet to discover the joy of non-synthetic yarn or even a LYS that wasn't a chain. As you'll remember from previous family photographs my father is follicularly challenged and, as such, often wears hats indoors, especially if he's hanging out in the chilly basement. So I purchased a couple of skeins of Lion Brand Homespun from Joann's to make hats (because if my dad isn't worth $12 minus a 40% off coupon, who is?). Two simple, tube-type hats were made with a quarter skein of each color left over. When I arrived in DC on the first stop of my Christmas journey, my sister tried on one of Dad's hat and immediately asked for one of her own. On the way to Lancaster, we stopped at a Michael's and picked up a skein for her. After exchanging gifts, my Mom tried on one of the hats and claimed it as her own (playground duty and a coat match trumped Dad's chilly pate). So it was back to Joann's to get another skein for a replacement for Dad. And then when I got back home I made one for my dogsitter who was heading back to cold climes. End result = 5 hats, 5 quarter skeins of Homespun, 5 different colors.

At some point I had bought 2 or 3 skeins of Homespun in a green color that matched my couch. I had no idea what I was going to do with it but, c'mon, it MATCHED.

And an idea was born. A scrap afghan! These leftovers would be perfect! And since there were going to be such a mishmash of colors, little multi-colored granny squares would be the perfect pattern. And so many little squares were made. And along the way, I had some type of mini-stroke or something and decided the blanket should fit my bed. How cool would that be?

Many 40% coupons later, much Homespun had been purchased and transformed into tiny, little granny squares. A large plastic tub was also purchased to hold said tiny, little squares. A full size sheet was laid on the ground and covered with tiny, little squares until the quota of tiny, little squares was met. And then all the tiny, little squares went into the large plastic tub and sat for about 9 months.

During a parental visit the tub was extracted and Mom and I spent a happy hour or so placing the tiny, little squares on the sheet and rearranging them into pleasing color configurations. Then Dad got involved and each row was neatly piled up, placed in a baggie, labeled with the appropriate row number, stapled closed and, you guessed it, back into the tub. After my parents left, rows one and two were seamed and I completely lost patience with all the tiny, little squares and the tiny, little pieces of yarn that sewed that tiny, little squares together. Tub.

14 months pass. While stewing over a sweater sleeve that was determined to make me loco, my eyes fell upon the large plastic tub full of tiny, little squares and something miraculous happened. I started to seam. During the marination period, a superior method of seaming was created in my brain resulting in many less little pieces of yarn. And I seamed. For about 2 weeks.

Yesterday morning I finished the last row while watching the Thanksgiving Day Dog Show (which reinforced the desire for a Boston Terrier) (the dog show did the reinforcing, not the blanket) (just in case you were confused about the power of the blanket).

Last night, after a great dinner at Sarah's, the edging was begun (yes, I schlepped the blanket across town. The end was in site and Sarah told me to bring my crochet). Two sides were finished and the remaining two were completed while sitting on my couch, watching MST3K and digesting. And then it was done.

An uncounted number of tiny, little squares came together to make one very big blanket.

I do have a few leftovers, 2.5 skeins of couch-matching green to be precise. Which, oddly enough, is remarkably similar to the amount I had when I started this madness. I've hidden the leftovers in the bottom of my stash so it can't whisper in my ear while I'm asleep and convince me that pillows made of tiny, little squares would be a good idea.

Mission aborted

I got my order in from Kpixie yesterday! A whole bunch of allhemp3, sportweight from Hemp for Knitting. Deep Sea, Foggy, Sapphire and Licorice, all destined to become a random stripy sweater. And dig the leaning tower of yarn I created.



Thanks Melanie!

The canine concentration in the house went down by one yesterday. Murphy is off to a relaxing vacation where he won't have to hear me yelling "NO!" every time he tries to eat Myriah's food. Which happens frequently. I think he left just in the nick of time, here they are wondering if they can get into the fridge from the back. Murphy's acting as lookout.



Lu and Murph will miss each other. Once they figured out they could both fit on the bed (with me acting as a buffer) everyone was happy. Here they are saying "see you soon (and remember not to move on the fridge until she's asleep".)



Myriah is still here. She is the most social anti-social dog I've ever met. As long as I don't look at her or acknowledge her existence in any way, she follows Lu and I from room to room. Last night she spent under the bed. Of course she's still there now (I peeked at her to make sure all was well).

What cracks me up about this picture is not Lucy's hinder but the fact that Myriah is only slightly larger then my frickin' shoe.

Required Reading

The ALA website has a list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000. I can't remember what blogs I saw this on but here's the list with the books I've read in bold.

1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
8. Forever by Judy Blume
9. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
10. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
11. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
12. My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
14. The Giver by Lois Lowry
15. It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
17. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
18. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
19. Sex by Madonna
20. Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
21. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
22. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
23. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
24. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
25. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
26. The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
27. The Witches by Roald Dahl
28. The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
29. Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
30. The Goats by Brock Cole
31. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
32. Blubber by Judy Blume
33. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
34. Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
35. We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
36. Final Exit by Derek Humphry
37. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
38. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
39. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
40. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
42. Beloved by Toni Morrison
43. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
44. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
45. Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
46. Deenie by Judy Blume
47. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
48. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
49. The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
50. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
51. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
52. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
53. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
54. Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
55. Cujo by Stephen King
56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
57. The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
58. Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
59. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
61. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
62. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
63. Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
64. Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
65. Fade by Robert Cormier
66. Guess What? by Mem Fox
67. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
68. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
69. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
70. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
71. Native Son by Richard Wright
72. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
73. Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
74. Jack by A.M. Homes
75. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
76. Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
77. Carrie by Stephen King
78. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
79. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
80. Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
81. Family Secrets by Norma Klein
82. Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
83. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
84. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
85. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
86. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
87. Private Parts by Howard Stern
88. Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
89. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
90. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
91. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
92. Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
93. Sex Education by Jenny Davis
94. The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
95. Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
96. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
97. View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
98. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
99. The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
100. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

I make that to be 48 of the top 100. I remember some of these books from my childhood, some from required reading in school and some that I read just because. Some of my favorite books are on this list. And I think I'll be printing this out to take with me to the library next time. Do you think I'll end up on any FBI list if I check out Sex by Madonna, The Anarchist Cookbook and Mommy Laid an Egg all at the same time?

The plotting begins...

Now do you see why I haven't left the house?

3 Dog Night

One apartment. Three dogs. What could possible go wrong?

I'm dogsitting this week and due to some unexpected issues there's an extra dog in the mix for a few days. One will spend the week under the couch so she's not much of a problem. The other one? When teamed up with Lucy they are way too smart for their own good. Earlier tonight I took Lu and Murphy for a walk and felt like I had just finished the Ididarod, they raced each other the whole way to the mailbox and back. And they just finished barking in tandem at that %&*$%&(*& black cat that likes to taunt Lu. I think the sudden appearance of a second dog may have scared it off, hopefully for good.

I met the Luscious Gracious crew at City Cafe this morning and I was in a bit of a destructive mood. I frogged the citrus socks because they didn't fit right and I haven't ever worn them because of that. And also because they were cursed. And I frogged the poncho because I could never figure out the fringe/no fringe question and also because...hello? Poncho? And after I was done all the ripping I left, didn't crochet one stitch.

The project for the rest of the weekend is the year-old afghan, which is probably even older than that. The Homespun is allowing me to seam it quickly because it's hiding a multitude of mistakes, which is nice for a change. There's a good chance I'll finish it this weekend, especially because I don't think I'm going to be out gallivanting around. I fear if I leave the Dynamaic Duo alone for too long they will figure a way to open the refridgerator and then some sort of pyramid scheme to get to the cabinets. They're sneaky little buggers.

Backwards Progress

The Anika sweater has stalled. During SnB Tuesday, more then halfway through the first sleeve I realized I had been alternating between using the large and extra-large numbers in random order. So the whole sleeve was frogged and is sitting on the couch reflecting on what it did wrong.

Instead I am working on brainless projects: the ribbed cuffs of the red socks that have been following me around for 2 or 3 months and seaming a huge blanket. If/when I ever finish that blanket I will tell you the sad, true tale of it's conception and long, painful birth. Here's a hint: Homespun. And another hint: 3 inch squares. Are you seeing the potential problems yet?

I have found some time to read:
62. Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson. Very good. Very long (1100+ pages) but very good. There are a number different storylines, some during WWII, some present day and they all intersect. It's about codes and gold and technology and it's pretty damn funny. I will be looking up more of Stephenson's books.

My History

A few days ago Lady Linoleum wrote this post and it started my brain on a historical tangent.

My family contains some amazing artistic talents. [Remember, you must always call them "domestic" arts because they are mostly done by women and women can't make "real" art. Especially not in their homes with children running around.] Unfortunately, I don't know who all these talents were.

My mom quilts and sews and I've been the recipient of many wonderful things.

Included in that pile are: a fleece jacket, a wall hanging, 12 quilted calendar squares, quilted coasters, a triangular bag with my name hidden in the decorative embroidery, a bandana for Lucy, a hair scrunchie, two rice heating pads and a very cute Easter bunny. And that's just things I had in easy reach.

My maternal grandmother sewed, crocheted and knit (I believe). I remember lace-up toe shoe slippers and a hat with a humongous tail as well as numerous barbie clothes. I know some of these things are around but I can't lay my finger on them immediately.

My paternal grandma was a school teacher. She was a great cook and one of those Italian grandma's that always wanted you to eat more. I don't know of any crafts she did but from her I got my love of reading and my big feet.

And from both my grandma's I got my blue eyes; the only pair in the next two generations on both sides.

My aunts on both sides sew or crochet. A zig-zag afghan from my Aunt Peggy sat on the end of my bed for years.

My Great-Aunt Amelia crocheted and was an excellent baker. Her apricot cookies are still my absolute favorite cookie.

Great-Aunt Inez made the world's best fudge.

My Great-Great-Aunt, Mania Lucy (Mania is a family word for aunt, pronounced Mon-yah)was a professional seamstress and a wonderful cook. No family reunion was complete without her baked spaghetti, which she continued to make well into her 90s. And I've always loved Mania Lucy's story of coming to America. Great-Great-Uncle Pete had been here for a while and went back to his village in Italy looking for a wife. He basically asked "Who wants to come to America?" and Mania Lucy said yes. In her late teens, she picked up and moved across the ocean, away from everyone she knew because she wanted to have an adventure. I can't imagine being that brave.

Great-Aunt Dot didn't have much time for domestic arts, she was too busy being a Navy WAVE (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service)and then serving with the Navy Nurse Corps until retirement. We always received the best birthday presents from her, collected from around the world. She's the one that inspired my mom to become a nurse.

If you look back at this list you see a lot of past tense. That's because many of these women have passed away. I was lucky enough to know all of them at least for a short time.

Since I've started crocheting, family members have given me items made by other relatives. Sadly, the creators of these items remain unidentified. We have some guesses as to who made what but no certainty. My mom had a quilt top that her mother found in the attic, best guess is that someone from the generation before that made it. And I have all these things.



The only items I can identify are the butterfly magnets and the owl potholder, all made by Aunt Amelia. The crochet-edged pillowcases, the thread potholders and the table runner are all unknown.









I come from a line of wonderful, talented, strong women on both sides of my family. And I hope they all know how much I appreciate them and what they did.