lead in the soil

If you've been reading my blog for a long, long time, you may remember this post back in 2006, where I mentioned lead contamination in our yard in Kentucky.  This is a snapshot of our yard, including my Professor husband, setting out the paths in our very 'fancy' lead remediation so we could have a garden.

Around this time, in March 2006, I'd written a long, detailed article explaining how to deal with this lead contamination issue and what it meant for safety.  I could not get anyone to buy it!  However, I tucked it away. For years it bugged me because I really did want people to know about these issues.

Sad to say, heavy metal contamination isn't rare...it's relevant to Winnipeg, too.  My article came out today on the CBC-Manitoba website:
Time to stop kicking the can down the road on lead levels in Winnipeg's soil

I'm hoping someone in power will read it.  There's somebody at the U. of Manitoba in the School of the Environment who has the right equipment to test lead. There's plenty of public interest and people want to fix this problem so school kids can play during recess.  If they must sample more, they could dig samples, cover the costs of running the tests at the U of M, and have the answers very quickly.  If they can't afford a real remediation team with diggers?  I bet if you gave concerned citizens a chance, well, we'd be out there with our shovels to start the digging and we'd wear masks to avoid ingesting it.  This is just an unacceptable thing, to keep children from playing on their school field and to leave for someone else to deal with later.

In other, happier topics:  The sun was shining for a moment and we caught photos of a new design today!  I am excited about beginning to write it up.  No big reveal yet, but it solves the problem of portable knitting for those on the go but who want to make sweaters.  Hint: It is knit in seven (totally portable) pieces. There is sewing up at the end, but I don't mind sewing, so it works out ok!

Last but not least--please don't forget:
the Pembina Fibreshed is sponsoring my Spinners' Tasting class--it's a chance to sample mohair, silk and alpaca (and maybe more...)!  It's on Mother's Day, in the afternoon.
  Please consider signing up if you're a spinner in Winnipeg!

I'll leave you with a photo from Fiber Gathering so you can think about camelids (alpacas and llamas are camelids!) while you rush to sign up!

Here's a cashmere buck (that's a boy goat!), for good measure....

Seek peace and truth in 2019...

Sometimes things happen because of luck or good timing.  Canadians don't observe Martin Luther King Day, but as a dual citizen, I can't help but think about it, even as it's not an official holiday here.

The Jewish Independent just ran my piece:
Seek peace and truth in 2019

And this hearkens back to many things I've learned from studying Dr. King's words over the years.

(Note: Jews come from all over the world, and therefore we're a people of all colors.  Also, historically, in some societies, Jews have been seen as "People of Color" regardless of their skin colour.  We share this issue of discrimination and prejudice with King, and many others, even if the country, time period, and context sometimes differ)

An important and interesting conversation has sprung up in the knitting world about race, inclusion, and diversity.  It's all over the knitting web right now, but if you're on Ravelry, the knitting database with 8 million members, there's a good summary and discussion here. 

When I wrote Fiber Gathering and Knit Green, beginning in 2007, I was insistent that the models and designs address diversity--in women's sizes, skin color, and more.  This meant that my first book deal fell through, as that publisher didn't agree with me. I wanted to include models whose sizes looked more like the average woman's size 12.  I wanted to include People of Color.  I wanted the books to look representative of what I saw in our fiber arts communities.  When Wiley & Sons (the 2nd publisher) chose and published my books, they helped with this goal.

Unfortunately, what I noticed, over time, is that some of my favorite projects, when featured as Ravelry ads, did not seem to sell patterns.  For whatever reason, those designs were not selling.

Maybe the adverts or designs weren't good.  Or, was it because of the diverse models who represent what we see around us,  (beautiful knitters -and people- come in all colors)--but don't acknowledge--every day?

When I redid the advertisements so that skin color was less apparent... Guess what?  More people clicked through to see the designs.  To me, this informal ad campaign showed me that sadly, the knitting community, like all of us, still has lots to work on when it comes to loving and appreciating diversity.  Change and inclusion takes time.

This week, I chose to buy an ad on Ravelry again, to support their efforts in a small way.  The photos in this blog post are the ad images I am running.  This time, in 2019, and on MLK weekend, I hope more people click through.

Designs featured in this post:
Bandana
Tank Empire
Spire Smock

Busy times!

Two new articles went live over the weekend...and today my twins don't have school.  Busy times here!  The good news is that it's been warm, the front yard is open for chalk drawings and sand box, and Sadie the new dog likes squeaky balls and can play with them by herself. --I almost wanted to make a video of this very funny squeaky ball play, but could not leave twins and two dogs alone in the front yard to get a phone or iPad.  Instead, I did some spindle spinning.  Retro, and much more relaxing... :)

Here's an article featuring Winnipeg Animal Services Agency that went live on CBC-Manitoba:
Doggone lucky Winnipeggers: Animal Services adoption process reveals a system that actually works
Subliminal message from Joanne: Adopt a shelter dog!
Here's a fun Irish setter photo (not our black and tan Gordon setter mix dog) that went with the article.

And another article came out in Vancouver in the Jewish Independent:
Civil Dissent: A Jewish Value 

I am slowly working up a new knitting design, new dogs take a lot of time!
In the meanwhile, maybe you need to knit a little Sumpin for spring?  Or a lightweight linen Nanodistal?  Don't need clothing? How about a bug finger puppet or two? :)

Sfinj and other delights

My kids are preparing for their big Hanukah concert at school.  They go to a special public school--it offers a Hebrew/English bilingual program.  I have been (mostly) keeping up with their rapid increase in new vocabulary...but it is a bit random.  I never know what words they are learning in Hebrew.  Our dinner table is full of surprises in conversation these days.  The Professor (who knows a lot of other vocab, but not in this language) is often stunned and surprised by what comes out of our mouths.

In order to refresh my memory (It's been years since I studied or spoke Hebrew regularly), I signed up for a 'word of the day' email.  Yesterday, I found myself deep in conversation with one of my twins about the Hebrew word for "circle."  I must have known this word when I was a teenager; I spent a year abroad in Israel and my high school there was an odd mix of English for 'international' students, as well as French and/or Spanish and, of course, Hebrew.

Many of the things I learned that year have been sort of lost in the mists of time...or sleep deprivation, since having twins?  I remember how frustrating it was,  28! years ago, when I came home, to find no one knew what I was talking about when I mentioned Sfinj.

My "kibbutz sister" (adopted family for kids living away from home) was part Moroccan and for special treats, she would fry us Sfinj.  To my surprise, there was a big article this week about this "Hot Israeli treat" like it was a new thing or something.   Well, there's nothing new about it, but Sfinj is sure good.  It's also good to know others are getting a chance to enjoy it.  (Imagine a hot, light doughnut, fresh from the fryer, dipped in sugar water or honey.  We stood near the stove, dipped the pastries, and ate them as soon as they cooled enough in the honey to eat.)

To go with this post...one of my all-time, most successful patterns has been for a knitted Kipah.  The first version of this pattern appeared in Interweave Knits in 2002.  Then, the magazine sold out, and the design needed fine-tuning.  I worked on it, changed it, and came up with a new version...a Yamulka. (Note: Kipah, Yamulkah, yarmulke, yarmukah...this is all the same headcovering.  The word can be spelled any way you like in English; it's a transliteration from Hebrew and Yiddish)
  I have always sold it for a small amount of change; enough to pay for expenses.  To date, it has sold probably a couple hundred copies or more.  This pattern has also been newly updated on Loveknitting if you're curious about it.  

For my kids, I eventually developed a "stay-put" version which has not been published but probably should be---some day.

A very common (if not popular) present on Hanukah when I was a kid was a night where everyone got new socks and underwear.  Yup, some of presents are small and not glamorous...but there is still time to knit a pair of socks for someone (especially a small person...) if you hurry!

Check out the Molly Baby Socks on Ravelry or here on Loveknitting.  For bigger feet, try the Mary Jane Socks...and here's the link on Loveknitting, too.

This is a time of year when I am like a bear in hibernation.  I love staying indoors, cooking, and making things...I hope this week's series on 'small things to knit' has inspired you some, too!

New Pattern and new eBook!

Here's a portion of what's been going on behind the scenes here!  This announcement will hopefully be going out as a press release today...and these have already been (quietly) launched on Ravelry, too!

Introducing a new Yarn Spinner Story + Pattern --Riverbend Garden Hat. The new Yarn Spinner Story + Pattern series allows readers who knit (or knitters who read) two pleasures at once: downloadable short fiction on Ravelry, accompanied by a pattern that stands on its own. This is a sweet combination for thinking knitters, particularly ones using a tablet or smartphone.

An adult learns his mother’s biggest secret.

Riverbend Garden: A Love Story, features a middle-aged man as he rediscovers the familiar is not what it seems. A mid-20^th century teacher, a loving mother, serious gardener and knitter, Dickie’s mom lived an unremarkable, but lonely life. Yet, she has time for one last story; of a dappled river bend garden, an empty marriage, a widowhood, and a student whose love transforms all boundaries.

This story pairs with a hat to fit everyone, from a small child to a grown man. It’s a fast project; knit with super bulky or a doubled worsted yarn. Make an extra to keep others warm; Dickie’s mama would want you to pass one on.

Want more stories?

Three Ply, the first Yarn Spinner Story+ Pattern eBook, is now available for Ravelry download!  It includes three patterns, for a hat, mittens and a cowl, and three stories: Riverbend Garden, as well as The Hole Inside and Knitting for Mother Earth. All three patterns are also available individually for download on Ravelry.

The Hole Inside offers unrequited love from an independent knitter. On a business trip, she’s invited to a knitting group. Settle into a coffee, a college town, and an unsettling surprise from the past.

-Paired with a stranded mitten pattern in 7 sizes, from 2-4 years to XXL

Knitting for Mother Earth catches a young woman on a commuter train. She alerts a fellow passenger to potential danger…and in the aftermath of attempted terrorism, builds a strong bond through knitting.

-Paired with a super bulky cowl pattern, ideal for hand dyed or handspun one-of-a-kind skeins.

If you'd like to check out this new eBook deal right away, click on that "buy now" link, below!  ($15 for three stories + patterns--a discount of more than 25% off the price of the individual patterns.)
As always, thanks for checking out my new design. :) Joanne

Passover and a CBC opinion piece

Today is the last day of preschool before a two week Passover vacation.  My twins are bursting with excitement, revved up by the teachers, about the holiday.  I could do with just a little more time to, say, work and get ready/cook for the holiday...without two three year old helpers!  However, "it is what it is..." and I'm going to see how we can all work together to get ready. (Note: Passover is only 8 days, so this is just a REALLY long school vacation...)

In the meanwhile, this piece just came out on the CBC:
Time to make nice after True North, Bowman brawl

For those of you who aren't in Manitoba, there are some struggles over how a new hotel development will work in downtown Winnipeg.  Right now, it's a big hole in the ground, but after all the wrangling is done, it's going to earn folks a lot of money!  We drive by that hole every time we take our boys to dance class at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, which is right near there.

Before anyone thinks we are pushing our boys into something too young or inappropriately... I should mention that the RWB has creative movement classes for preschoolers in their professional studios, and to encourage boys to dance, it's something like $80 a boy for the whole academic year.  (yup, everything is X 2 for us, so that sounds good!)  Both boys love it. We like the 45 minutes when we can sit quietly on Sunday mornings and they are in the studio without us!  We all highly recommend it!

One last knitting-related note.  I've had my patterns for sale up on Loveknitting.com (as well as on Ravelry) since the beginning of January as a sort of experiment.  I haven't done any promotion to speak of, and to my surprise, a few patterns sold anyway.  So, if you're reading this, could you perhaps leave me a comment and let me know--if you're a knitter--do you prefer buying patterns in one place or another?  I'm curious...  Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

Hope you are enjoying spring!  We're finding lots of puddles and muck to stomp in.  It's great.

Radicalism article on the CBC online

Here's a link to my latest CBC piece--it just came out:

Terrorism, Radicalism, and Reaching Out

This essay was inspired by a family friend's link to an article online.  That original article is not worth sending along--it was reductionist and offered crazy generalizations.  (For instance, if you refer to Islam as a singular, monolithic world entity, you are oversimplifying in a somewhat scary way.  Just saying...)

 At moments like this, I feel lucky that I went to graduate school in Religious Studies and learned about the subtlety and diversity of one of the big world religions...it never landed me a job, but it did help me with a deeper understanding.  When I responded to the friend about this, he also was kind--but belittling.  This is when I am glad I too can speak out.  No, we can't solve all the world problems ourselves.  Of course not...but I have the luxury of a first world situation--a house, food, heat, electricity, internet--in which to think about these issues.

So, to point out the absurdity of the contrast... 

It's March and I hear someday winter will go away.  It's a bit hard to believe this morning, as it was -15F without the windchill.  Most recent morning temps indicate -28F windchill, about -36C.  I took a little time this week to revisit a pattern I wrote a long time ago, Bug Finger Puppets.

 I designed these, long ago, for Knit Picks and eventually the rights reverted to me and it is now for sale on Ravelry.  Alas, I had to send away those original finger puppet samples for the photo shoot and they never returned home.  By then, I'd also given away all much of the original yarns I'd used...because back then, I did not have twins who would enjoy them!  (What's that about the cobbler's children going barefoot?!  I can't hear you...)


Anyhow, I came up with a couple new Ravelry ads to remind me that spring would come.  I think sometimes when winter drags on, a little whimsy is a good thing.  Sure does help distract me from all the bad stuff in the world news.

So as the three year old super heroes playing hard at my house would say (while wearing pillow cases as capes):  "TAKE THAT-WINTER!  I'm going to get you!!"  If you're a knitter, use up some scraps.  Make some puppets!

Wishing you all good things.  I'm off to chase small super heroes in Penguin and Monkey costumes for the next few days...
:) Joanne

what I've been up to...

The last few days have been a whirlwind.  The professor has a very busy term, teaching two upper level classes, so he needed to do work on the weekend.  Didi (my mom) came from the US to visit and play with twins.  One of the twins has a whopper of a cold, which means it is likely only a matter of time until the second one gets it, or the grown-ups get it.  Oh, and nobody ever sleeps through the night, have I said that before?! :)

Meanwhile, my essay, Building Jewish Identity -- for preschoolers, came out.  Suddenly, I had people I did not know (at preschool pick up, of course! where else do I go?) telling me that they were reading my work.  This was a surprise.  To be honest...a lot of the time, I write something, and I never hear a thing afterwards!  Sometimes there are negative comments, but this was totally different.  It was positive. 

Then, Maclean's magazine published a truly game-changing piece about racism in Winnipeg.  The author of that article quoted me, based on this essay I wrote for the CBC back in November.  More than anything, I am so glad that people "heard" what was being said in that important article--and I see lots of discussion about racism in the media here, in emails people send, --and who knows, maybe out on the street.  (I haven't been out much, what with the twin preschoolers, the cold virus, the lack of sleep, etc.)

The most interesting thing about all this is that I haven't been especially worried or afraid.  Back when we lived in Kentucky, if I wrote a piece with anything political, controversial, or religious in it...I often heard about it. I received hate mail, or weird phone calls.  It was really disconcerting and scary sometimes.  It did not stop me from writing or wanting to make positive change, but it did make me wonder if it was safe, if it was worth it, and whether I should keep writing. Who knows, maybe I am just too busy to worry here, but luckily, lately, the positive feedback has outweighed anything else.

Recently, I've felt like it is worth it to keep doing this writing thing.  At the same time, I've been working on a new knitting design.  This has been fortunate, because when somebody wakes me up every 2-3 hours, I find it much harder to formulate any kind of argument or point...hence the delay in posting here...but knit?  heck yeah.  I can still knit.

Even if I didn't design, this always has benefits.  People in Winnipeg will always need woollies. :)  
 

DIY Winnipeg?

Here's my latest article (note: I do not choose the titles!):
DIY Winnipeg: coming together to fix the city's problems

I'm really proud to have an opinion piece up at the CBC!  It was posted online late Friday afternoon, so not many people saw it before it just became part of another news cycle.  What I meant about gaining grassroots involvement in Winnipeg is not that everybody go out and fix the potholes themselves. However, my hope is that educated and intelligent people try to help fix city problems by offering city officials suggestions, help and expertise rather than throw up their hands after electing these folks to political office.

(We've got a long winter ahead--so maybe we can use the time to come up with better ways to fix infrastructure?!)

Stay warm...it's woolly weather now.  For all my knitting, weaving, spinning,crocheting (etc) readers, check out this cool website, Wovember, for more warmth and fibery goodness this month. 

Last but not least, if you're feeling cold now that frost has settled in here in Manitoba, remember, you can always knit yourself a sweater! :)

Transitions

(thanks to Didi and Bop, grandparents, for this photo...)

We're in the midst of a big transition over here.At the beginning of September, our three year olds started to go to preschool for a much longer time...nearly matching a regular school day.  It has been both wonderful and exhausting for us.  On one hand, I will never forget the Wednesday after Labor Day this year.  It was the longest time I'd been by myself, in my own house, without the boys, since they were born.  It was both a huge relief...and a shock.  I almost didn't know what to do with myself!

Maybe that's a lie.  I've been working myself into a frenzy, trying to clean up 3 years of messes...both in the household and in my work life, which has mostly been on "pause" for a long time.  It is both exhilarating and hard!  I've submitted a grant application, articles and ideas and even sent off my resume to one (very long shot) editor job.  It's been exciting. 

Part of that blitz was re-issuing this pattern for sale: Wrap-Around Cardigan 

 

I'm excited to say it is now again available!  It was briefly a Knit Picks exclusive pattern, but copyright returned to me...many moons ago. 

 

The other hand--going back to the metaphor above--is the hard part.  We are all still very tired out here.  It's hard to learn to nap at school (and my boys are not great sleepers still, being exhausted during the day doesn't mean we sleep through the night!).  When the dudes come home, they are exhausted and fussy, and I don't blame them.  I too am out of sorts, trying to juggle some sort of new/old work life, the household, and two three year olds in transition.  In a sense, we're all navigating one of those overgrown late summer/fall gardens.  The flowers are over our heads.  We're trying to find our way....and the bees are busy, the flowers fragrant (all good things) but we're a bit lost still.

 

On that note, I wanted to make sure to wish my readers a happy Rosh Hashanah--happy 5775!  Happy New Year.  May it be a sweet, productive, happy, healthy and fulfilling one.

Wishing you all good things,

Joanne

Dog days

I want to thank everyone who left a comment or mentioned to me that they still read my blog.  Thank you...I clearly needed to know that this was still worth doing.  As a thanks to the knitter folk who have hung in here with me, I wanted to let you know that have a 20% off pattern sale for the dog days of August going on until the end of the month…this applies only to the patterns available on Ravelry.
The Ravelry coupon code is:
dogdays2014

This is a good deal on some of these downloadable patterns!

  In order to honor one comment, most of the photos of this post feature Sally, my pointer-mix.  She came to us at around 8 months-1 year in 2005, which makes her 10 this year.

Remarkable. 

Sally has always been hard to photograph.  She is a very bright, skittish, high energy and loving dog.  Since my boys were born, the dogs get less time to laze about outside...because if the dogs get to barking at people beyond the fence, neighbors could complain.  So, we call them in quickly most of the time.  (and juggling 2 3 year olds and 2 dogs in August, by myself, has sometimes been tricky.)
Sally likes to sunbathe, and she likes to roll in the grass or snow to clean herself.  She comes in smelling good, either way, and watching her relax and roll is a real pleasure for those who know her.  (She's wary of ever being caught in a submissive pose.)

Most of the time, she is "on guard."  When my boys were infants, she would act as a dog nanny, guarding them.  She'd also rush over to their diapered bottoms and bark when they needed changing.  This wasn't ideal; it sometimes woke the boys up, but mostly it alarmed anyone who was trying to help me with the babies.  Sally did not really trust the nervous, non-dog people who tried to help, and she let them know she was worried about her babies.

Sally had to be taught a new command--"upstairs"--so she would have a way to be off duty and rest on my bed while others were over.  This summer, both boys have been home alone with me a lot, or with one or two other people Sally trusts.  As a result, she's often right near by these days, and I feel like she's back where she belongs, resting on a rug in the living room or patrolling the yard as we play.

Although I am really worn out from being on constant "mom" patrol with few breaks, I did have a couple of surprises.  One is that when there is no one to help, I HAVE to sit around with the boys in the playroom or in the yard.  I have to be the one who takes them to the park or the wading pool.  As a result, I've had more time both outdoors and sitting down--time to "rest" as compared to rushing about behind the scenes to get things done for the household or my work.  I often bring my spindle out to the yard to spin...and it can be surprising to see how much yarn gets made while they play in the sand box.  (nothing sweater-worthy, but better than nothing!)

In other news, we are in the midst of transitioning to "big boy beds."  These are really toddler beds, but the amount of chaos twin boys can cause when loose in their bedroom, alone, is unreal.  We have created a sleep time chart (color coded for boys who don't read!) and they get stickers and prizes when they settle down to sleep quickly and quietly.  That means--no yelling or sitting on or hurting your brother, no taking apart the furniture or destroying your bedding...you get the picture.  Naptimes go smoothly, most of the time.  We're still working on bed time.  As always, sleep is still a challenge here.  I am still up with somebody 1-4 times a night.


Making food in August has been hard.  With no summer camp and only a mother's helper some afternoons, it is difficult to find 20 minutes to make a meal.  I have developed a loving relationship with my slow cookers and Stephanie O'Dea's books...
365 Slow Cooker Suppers and

 Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking. 

These two books have enabled me to throw together a lot of dinners in a hurry, and everyone seems to like them.

Last but not least, I succumbed to something I swore I would never do.  I started baking bread as a 12 or 13 year old, and when I went to college, my mom bought a bread machine "to replace me."  I really love the process of baking bread and miss it dearly.  However, it is really hard to manage rising times and a hot oven between the competing needs of two very different preschoolers and two dogs while by myself.  Also, flour is very cheap in Manitoba (on sale, I can get 22.5 lbs of white flour for $6.50 CAD, and whole wheat is not much more), but decent wholegrain bread with no preservatives is expensive by comparison.  So, I got this bread machine on sale, and it has been churning out 2 or 3 loaves a week for us.  I was lucky; my bread baking experience meant I concocted my own whole grain recipe straight away and have been innovating since.  Sometime when I have more time, I will post some of those recipes.

I posted this marathon blog entry on a rainy Sunday morning while the Professor took the boys out to visit with the turtles and fish at the Assiniboine Park Conservatory.  This is the first time I have been alone, without twins, for any length of time, in 16 days.  I shared it with you.

A little Sumpin Sumpin

I have finally found summer.  Here.  In Winnipeg.  A couple of days ago, we could even shut our tap off and it isn't dripping anymore.  (yes, frozen pipes were still a concern until after Canada Day.  Oy.)  Even though I am thrilled to see flowers, greenery, heat, all of it...we're still very covered up here.  You see, we've had torrential rains, massive flooding in the Province (but not in my basement, thank goodness...) and now--MOSQUITOES.  One of my 3 year old boys (the smaller twin, for those who know us in person) has a terrible allergic sensitivity to the bites, which is not surprising, given that the Professor and I are both allergy-prone.

Well, he has had three bad bites near his eyes since the beginning of June.  Yucko.  This requires lots of "loopy sleepy medicine"(kid Benadryl) as well as "sauce"(cortisone cream) in order to keep from having the yucky antibiotics, which he had the first time he got a bite.  Anyhow, the boys wear long pants, socks, shoes, button down long sleeved shirts sprayed heavily with bug spray, and Tilley sun hats, also perfumed with bug spray...and even so, they get bitten on their hands, their wrists, their faces...it's bad.  The city will start spraying tonight and to be honest, I am just grateful.  It is terrible when you can't play in the sandbox, enjoy a slide, or try out your new tricycle because of bugs.

Also, morning preschool ended...camp (mornings) doesn't start 'til Monday, and our mother's helper went away to visit her family.  So, we are having 10 days without any childcare.  In order to sell this to the boys as something fun and not an alarming sentence (which is what it sometimes seems to us--3 year old twins, without any help or breaks or anyone willing to watch both of them while they are awake but us...and oh, did I mention they still don't sleep through the night too often?!)...anyhow, I sold it as a "Holiday with Mommy."  Every day, we tried to do something fun together and I tried to tire them out.

Meanwhile, I relied heavily on precooked food from the freezer, the slow cooker, and deep calming breaths to get through all the potty breaks, accidents, tantrums, and random assaults on one's brother...

OK, on to the good stuff.  At night, when I should be sleeping, I was working on this.  As one of my brothers would say, with a sort of mischievous smirk, a little sumpin sumpin.  Here's a link to Sumpin, my latest knitting design.



It's an easy cellular lace pattern, only 4 rows long, and absolutely lightweight and airy in something like silk.  (This is Handmaiden Sea Silk, in Ivory)  It's meant to dress up a t-shirt, or, in my case, to cover up stains!  If I ever have to look nice again, I might want to wear/knit/own something like this.

The Professor shot these photos of me outdoors one evening after the twins were finally asleep.  It is light here until 10 or 11 pm this time of year and our twilight lasts a long time.  However, the mosquitoes were also thinking that this scarf was "sumpin" and our photo shoot was actually very fast.

This shot of me with my face all crinkled up and laughing was really like "Get on with it!  Hurry up!  Do you want to be eaten alive?!"

If you're curious about how I could possibly be designing or knitting now, well, I wonder that too.  I shot a photo of a chair in my bedroom...stacked with my knitting bag, a copy of Knit Green so I could answer somebody's question, and this last project, this silk scarf.  Knitting gets done in the tiny windows of space when I'm a passenger in a car, when the boys are drinking their milk before bed, and in the few minutes during naptime or before bed when I am trying to calm down and stealing sleep time to do it.

It is a time that is hazy around the edges, just like these shots...but a few minutes of knitting (or spinning) a day really keeps me feeling just a little bit sane when trying to sell 10 days without childcare or playdates or any local family or even any babysitting while someone is awake as...umm, a holiday with Mommy. :) 

Mary Jane Socks + ModeKnits yarn= Fabulous!

It might be hard to believe, but in Winnipeg, one can wear wool socks this time of year.  Today, for instance, we were wearing cardigans outside...a high of about 65F.(17C)  This is a great excuse to post about a collaboration about which I am excited.  ModeKnit Yarn is a brand new yarn company, producing hand-dyed yarns in really artistic colorways.  Annie Modesitt, a longtime knitwear designer, is the dyer extraordinaire, so the yarns are truly something to see.

These folks kindly provided my friend Deb with some of their yarn so she could knit up my pattern for Mary Jane Socks.  This is the result!  What I love most about it?  It is a colorway I could not have imagined and a dyeing, knitting and designing collaboration that went right across international boundaries and many years.  Deb is a friend I made at a special spinning guild, still in existence, in North Carolina.  I left North Carolina in 2002, but some of those folks are still in touch with me.  This project gave me the chance to connect with Deb a bit more often....and a whole new way of seeing one of my patterns from my book, Fiber Gathering.  All good. :)  Enjoy the photos--they remind me of kicking back on a sunny cool day like today.

(At my house, we spent a lot of time today playing outside, walking around the neighborhood, and enjoying the sunshine.  Hope you did, too!)

 

3 cheers for spring!

A week ago, we had a lovely day--warm enough to wash and hang out almost all our winter woollies...or at least all the (mostly handmade) mitts, scarves, and hats that the twins and I had piled up.  The weather has been unpredictable...everything was in use just a few weeks ago.  In fact, it sometimes flurries in May, and our kitchen sink is still dripping, as the ground is still frozen 8 feet down.  While it is warm on top of the soil, there are still reports of properties whose pipes are frozen.  (522 properties without water, last I heard)

All of Winnipeg is rushing around in practically no clothing to enjoy the short season of warmth...and I have finally gotten to wear short sleeves. :)

Here's a series of shots of the warm day, the clothes on the line, and the bits of green as we begin spring.  It's all a celebration for me as I used to wash wool and sweater type things every spring, before twins.  Clean woollies, packed in airy, sunny places and rotated frequently, are best for avoiding moth damage, as per the advice of my Professor husband, who does actually study butterflies and moths for a living...

Right after the twins were born, I tried using the clothes line, but it was too hard.  I had not recovered sufficiently healthwise, and I could not manage carrying heavy things up and down stairs or outside.  I also could not bend and stretch too well, and it's all even harder to do while wearing a baby.  (or two) 

So, the clothesline has not been out in quite a while.  Of course, doing extra spring cleaning was also not on the agenda.

I am surprised by and enjoy small things these days.

The last bit of news was knitting related.  In April, I was surprised by wonderful online pattern sales on Ravelry.  I have no idea why.  I'd done no advertising and only one new pattern in the last several years.  The only different thing was posting those new pdfs from Knit Green and Fiber Gathering.

So, I seized upon the opportunity and decided to do a small notebook ad on Ravelry to see if good sales continued.  As May closes, I can conclude that it did absolutely NOTHING and I have sold almost no patterns in May! 

I am trying to embrace unpredictability.  It goes against my nature, but then, life with almost three year old twins is different from one moment to the next.  (Potty training, for instance, is a truly unpredictable enterprise--different with each kid and from day to day.)  Time to try to enjoy any small positive change...like the first cherry blossoms and flower bulbs blooming this spring.

The catwalk: age two and a half

Here's the new Lett-Lopi cardigan, my own design, finished on our trip to Virginia.  It's a size 2 body and size 4 length--and it's swimming on the bigger twin.  (We're still small guys here.)

Here's Mommy, coaching behind the scene.  ("Bring this car to Daddy, please!")

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Photos courtesy of the Professor.  Zipper installation courtesy of Didi, my mom, who had her sewing machine at the ready!