And then there are days...

>

...when you just can't face the world.

This Friday furball moment brought you by Figaro, Gateway, Blogger, and a lack of 9 pm movies.

The "Lucy" Bag is on the needles

Project name: Lucy Bag
Project Start: July 20, 2007

This project looks like it's not going to be long on the needles. The bag, which I bought as part of a kit from the Lion Yarn website, is more or less a knit version the pattern I've used to crochet hats. Easy and quick to knit. I hope the strap set up will be as easy.

In other Knitting news,I've finished a little less than 1/4 of the ends-weaving on the argyle scarf project.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Maybe it was all the hype, but after finishing HP 7 this morning, I'm feeling a bit let down. The end of the series was somewhat anticlimactic and I felt like I was wading through quicksand while trying to read it. Maybe in a year or so I can go back to it and reread with more enjoyment, but my first impression is that it's definitely lacking the enchanting sparkle of previous books in the series.

Caught in a Cultural Rip Current

I swore just before the first Harry Potter movie came out that I would never read "those" books that everyone was so crazy about, but like everything, one should never say never. Stuck at work at the Waldenbooks calendar kiosk on a slow day before the start of the holiday shopping craze, I picked up the first Potter book from the display out of boredom. From page 1, I was hooked and I've followed the series since then; dropping $20-30 for hardcovers on the day of release and even going to the midnight release party for HP and the Half-Blood Prince (while on crutches with an orthopaedic boot and painkillers). On Friday, I'll be repeating this to get my 2 copies of HP and the Deathly Hallows, book 7. And for the second time, I'll be doing this lamed. But I'm not complaining. It's been worth every ounce of pain and every penny spent. I'm not so caught in the rip current that I'll be dressing in costume like hardcore fans do (Star Wars and Star Trek fans come to mind), but I have been Sorted (twice. First into Slytherin and then into Ravenclaw five years later), I do own a house scarf which I knitted myself. It was, in fact, the project I used to learn knitting, and I am seriously considering the purchase of a wand from Alivans. Speaking of which, just for fun, here's the "perfect wand" for me.

Your Score:

12"Holly Wand with core of Dragon Heartstring

You scored 42 wisdom, 44 bravery, 10 emotional, and 11 martyrdom!

Holly is a powerful protective wood that good for use against evil, but it also represents dreams and fertility. Your dragon's heartstring core makes your wand very effective in hexes.

Link: The Harry Potter Wand Test written by sputnik845 on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Pretty generic really, but I haven't found a better quiz. Potter will go down in history with the Wizard of Oz and other such cultural icons. But no matter what, me and my knitting will be traveling with the rip on Friday rather than swimming across. I hate it when my geek shows.

A Legacy of Senseless Hatred

When LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964, it was another nail in the coffin of the KKK, however, watching a documentary of the history of Klan on the History, I'm reminded forcefully that they and other groups that preach senseless hate, terror, and violence are not completely dead. The image of a newborn baby wearing the iconic white hood with a cheerfully printed flannel sleeper at a rally made me violently ill. How dare they use an innocent child who knows nothing of hate and intolerance as an excuse for their bigotry. How dare they warp and indoctrinate a child? "You people see what I got in my arms?" says the purple and gold robed, ruddy man with a backwoods accent. "This is what this organization is about. OUR CHILDREN. Our children's children. Each and everyone of yez take a look at this pure white baby. It's the most beautiful thing in the world."

Pure and white, huh? Have they done extensive genealogical research and genetic testing to be certain? We're all mixed. There is not such thing as "pure, white" or "Aryan". Science now believes that all humans are descended (maternally) from a single small group of women known as the Seven Daughters of Eve.

The most beautiful thing in the world is the diversity that this planet has been bestowed with because so long as the mostly hairless upright chimp species doesn't completely eradicate life, that diversity of color, shape, size, ability etc will ensure that life continues.

Bigots seem to blame all their problems and the problems of the world on everyone but themselves. To them, naturally, it must be the fault of the [Insert black, liberal, female, Muslim, Hispanic, Jew etc.] But worst of all, I think, is that most of these people haven't the courage to espouse their intolerance honestly. They hide behind their hoods and robe, their politics and their religion like all good cowards do. If you're going to be a bigot, at least have the guts to do it openly.

Makes me ashamed to be a kitsune in hairless chimp clothing

Project Argyle Update

It it with tired fingers and much relief, I announce that the knitting portion of the argyle scarf is finished. I now move on to the finishing phase which entails weaving in hundreds of ends, stitching in the fourth color(golden mustard), washing and blocking, and seaming the sides together to form a tube. I still haven't decided on fringe or a decorative edge. The scarf is approximately 76 inches and 16 pattern blocks of argyley goodness. I'm quite pleased with the results but I'll hold the "Huzzah!" until the project is completely finished. This is the stage where most of my projects get (permanently) stalled. Finishing is tedious and difficult for me.

I still don't know who this scarf is knitted for. It's definitely not for me and definitely for a guy although none such person exists in my life at this time. I've read a few cases of knitters who make things and without a clear idea of where or who they'll go to, but I've never read of being inspired (compelled?) to knit something for a specific person that you don't currently know. I guess I'll have to trust that the giftee/owner of this project will come along and I'll know it's them.

Sionnach --one very tired knitsune

Tithing the Cat

Things to Do:

1. Catch up on my reading
2. Finish my current knitting projects
3. Learn to cross stitch
4. Actual work... *sigh*
5. Morning tithe to the cat

A tithe (from Old English teogoþa "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a (usually) voluntary contribution or as a tax or levy. Historically tithes were given in kind, taking the form of agricultural products, trade goods, or occasionally labor. Paying a morning food tithe to Lord Figaro greases the proverbial wheels lest he decide to be a pain in the neck in his lordly rage. Although, the cereal milk tithe is not one that he receives as often as he would like due to his vassal's lactose intolerance. Still, as long as it's offered, it keeps him happy.

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