10 on Tuesday: 10 Things I Did Last Week

Some days, I feel like I've nothing to say when I update my journal, but I actually did manage to do quite a bit last week.

1) I've started helping to teach an Irish dance class, focusing on the ceili dancing. It was my first dance form, but I haven't had to break it down to teach before. I'm slowly discovering the vocabulary I need.

2) I posted a poem on my Facebook page every single day for National Poetry Month. Some have personal resonance for me, some don't. I have enjoyed them all.

3) I drank a deliciously chilled retsina; a mojito; and many, many hard ciders, one of which was a locally brewed raspberry. This week I may rest my liver a bit.

4) I cooked several palatable meals for vegan houseguests. Vegetarian is easy. Vegan is much, much harder.

5) I napped, probably an average of two a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. I'm starting to think my current insomnia jag is age-related. We'll see. I'm feeling surprisingly functional and sane for so little sleep, which is odd for me.

6) I met a friend to walk our dogs in the park. I need to do that much more often than I do.

7) The dog and I finished up our final tricks class with a private lesson from the trainer. After a month, I came away with 3 or 4 new tricks to work on and a renewed love of working with my boy.

8) I'm not saying. A girl gets to have a few secrets here and there.

9) I took apart and cleaned a 1910s banjo.

10) I was a rock star.

Hot Springs

Last month I was down in Hot Springs for a couple of rock star gigs. While the band was rehearsing, I explored the town. LB swears we spent a few hours there on our honeymoon, but I have no recollection of ever being there before. It was a lovely honeymoon, but there's no way I was that starry-eyed as to forget the awesomeness that is Hot Springs.

Anyhoo, with the assistance of the internet, I managed to score six pressed pennies, but totally without the use of the internet, I managed to find a relatively new yarn store, Knittin' on the Corner. I'm amazed I even stumbled across it because it's not on a corner; it's tucked up on the back of the second floor of a little shopping complex.

It was a lovely, airy shop, with heavy stock  in Feza, Plymouth, and Tahki.

After looking and looking, I came up with this wildly exciting skein of brown yarn.

I actually am excited about it as I had been looking for a worsted weight in a natural sheep color for a thrummed cap.

Also while there I checked out a Civil War exhibit and spotted this beautiful dolly.

Family history says she came from France to Memphis in 1850. Later, the owner gave the doll to her niece in Pine Bluff, Ar. Check out the wee knitted hose.

The weekend gave me the chance to do my thing is this gorgeous ballroom. Here's hoping I get to go back next year.

Scenes from a Rock-Star Weekend

Having managed to score exactly 5 1/2 hours of temp work this summer, I am essentially making a living as a rock star. The last time we did this, I finally had to turn to a food pantry and only got through it because I was hired to be a rock star on a reality show. We're okay so far, just barely, and the few lucrative gigs I've got fall just before the mortgage is due at least.

This weekend, minus gas, I probably made about $10. At least I got these photos.

Ranty Pants

Because I have been living a particularly insular life of late, I haven't been able to vent much. Whining is bad, but the occasional vent is good. Releases pressure and all that.

Trouble is, much of my internet life is observed ... by my parents, now both of them; by co-workers or even supervisors; by potential clients, etc. I've had to hold back on quite of bit of venting.

The pressure having built to a critical mass, however, I'm going to allow myself one tiny rant.

At one of my rock star gigs this weekend, people kept coming up to me to tell me about oncoming storms. I was at a reenactment, where there were tents and horses and such, but our part of it was indoors and the people with horses always have someone on picket duty. It had rained heavily earlier in the day, and at that moment we could also all see the gathering clouds out the window.

Here's a typical conversation:

Guy comes up to me at the microphone between tunes (never a great time) and holds his iPhone up for me to see.
Me, noticing it's not on: It's black.
Him, thinking he's actually showing me something: Yes, I know, scary isn't it.
Me: No, your phone is black.
Him: Yep, that's quite the storm coming.
Me: Yes, I can see the clouds.
Him: Oh, my iPhone is off. Hold on. [fiddles with iPhone]
Me, in my head: [Dude, I'm trying to run a dance here. What do you want me to do about it?]
Him: Here you go! [shows me the radar on his phone, which confirms what we can all see out the window]
Me, just to get rid of him and get back to my job: Thanks, I'll make an announcement.

I tell the dancers that a storm is coming and that they may want to tend to their tents. A few people glance at the window, but no one leaves. Not five minutes later, another guy (why is it always a guy?) comes up to tell me a storm is coming with quarter-size hail.

Really? Because I just announced a storm. A storm we could all see out the window. Clearly, because you didn't hear me announce it, another announcement probably won't alert anyone, let alone prevent the storm. What else do you want me to do?

The hail, btw, never materialized.

Prezzie Post

I've been meaning to do a prezzies post for ages, as people have been really kind about picking up some ephemera and other things they know I like.

First, my friend Mrs. B made me this beautiful punched paper bookmark at a Civil War workshop she attended. I adore punched paper crafts and love doing them. I can't wait to use this.

This spring, LB went to Shiloh and bought this reproduction needle case for me. My friend Miz Lawson sent me this USSC towel.

Silvana picked up this little pamphlet of square dance instruction for me. I actually used it last week when I wanted to check for a different version of a dance I was calling.

Rachel gave me this little notions bag, which holds a blue ton of stuff. Right now, it's hold the swatch for my Rivulet Shrug and some scraps of the custom dyed yarn she made for it.

Finally, my friend Dr. Knitter did some shopping for me at the Brimfield show and bought this wonderful Reward of Merit card for me. Love it!

In fact, I love it all.

Wedding Quilt

Our friends Andy and Hope got married earlier this year in a wonderful ceremony on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. Everything was just beautiful--low key but full of love.

Weddings are tough for me, largely because of the expense of a gift. I usually can't afford to get something off the gift registry. I thought and thought and thought about what to get Hope and Andy and finally decided to make them a quilt.

I used five pairs of jeans. Four came from LB and one (the darkest) from me. I particularly like the hickory stripe jeans border. That particular pair had been ripped down the front of one leg, so I really had to do a lot of piecing, especially on the last strip in order to get enough fabric. Still, I love to see piecing on a quilt--to me, it tells a story.

Here's the story of this quilt:


I went with a long cabin pattern because Hope and Andy bought some rural property in the foothills of the Ozarks and are developing it.

Andy plays the stand-up bass, so I inserted a little scrap of vintage square dance fabric.


He met Hope at a dance, so I put her in too. Hope is prettier though.


Finally, I put a block for the two of them dancing at the center of the log cabin.


I didn't use any batting because the denim is already fairly heavy. Hope works for an environmental firm, so I knew she wouldn't mind some paint splatters and spots on LB's jeans. I hate the idea of working so hard on a project only to have the recipients decide it's too nice to use.


For the backing, I used some vintage blue and green fabric (circa early '60s, I think) a friend gave me. I've got lots and lots of this fabric, so I expect it to show up in future quilts too.



On the back, I signed the quilt by appliqueing on a pocket from the hickory stripe jeans.


I wish them both much happiness.

The Edge of the World (Part 1)

I recently stumbled across the 1937 film, The Edge of the World, filmed on the island of Foula. Like Roan Inish, it has fabulous knitwear but in this case it's real, not vintage or costumey.

The plot is fairly weak, but the scenery is breath-taking and worth slogging through the film,which is only 1.25 hours anyway. There's also a bit of fiddling and dancing if that's your thing. As far as I can tell, it's not on Youtube but is on Netflix.

There are some great ganseys for the men.

Andrew, the love interest


Robbie, the twin brother of Ruth


and John, the clergyman (and also the fiddler)


Andrew also wears that look I love, the belted, tucked-in sweater. So hot! Seriously, I am not joking about how weak in the knees this look makes me. Plus, he looks like my Irish boyfriend (the immigrant, not the one who stayed) complete with receding hairline.


There are many scenes involving sheet herding, sheep dogs, and more, including an odd one where the sheep are all gathered and shorn (seemingly by plucking the hair).


There's also an illegitimate birth that gets absolutely no moral commentary. The child is warmly welcomed by the villagers as the first birth on the island in many years.

The baby is swaddled in a lovely blanket


and also wears a sweet, lacy layette.



More on the women's wear in a second post.

Time for Some Vegetables

Dots:

• All the grades are done and submitted. I read some amazing in-class final essay exams. One student correctly used the adjective "Brechtian" twice and mentioned "the fourth wall." Why the hell didn't he speak up more in class?
• The dance workshop and gig went reasonably well as did the post-gig dinner for 30+. Next gig is not until 1/8. My throat held out until halfway through the third set, and I was able to cover up the fact that I could no longer speak.
• The student, he-who-never-had-turned-in-any-writing, never did turn in any writing.
• House guest has gone home, but left a tray of homemade baklava, which may or may not have been my primary form of sustenance for the last two days.
• I need to make a homemade red velvet cake tomorrow and because I am an icing snob, I also need to make cooked icing (cream cheese is too obvious).
  
• I still have a million things to do before Xmas, and my friend has pressured us into leaving a few days early, but I think I can reasonably knit without guilt once again.
  

In Which Our Heroine Gets Stuff (Part 3)

Something must be in the water, because right as I decided to write a post about how our heroine gets stuff, more stuff arrived. Much more stuff. Thank heavens I love me some stuff.

On Halloween, when I was being a rock star, my friend Joe gifted me with this smiley. I'm not sure why, exactly, but it definitely makes me smile.

Joe welds for a living, and a few years ago started using scrap from his job to make things of beauty.

He made our bottle tree, which I think he drives by and visits from time to time.

When LB and I got married, Joe made us a rock star yard ornament.

There's a fiddler,

a guitarist,

a banjo player,

and one little ol' rock star--complete with microphone and index card.

LB was home for less than 24 hours, but when he left I found this book (and a pile of cash too, which is good because I like me some cash).

I think it may be from my sister, but there was no note.

Each page tells the story of the "real" Princess Alyss and her adventures in coming to London. Many of the pages have tiny envelopes with mysterious missives (ephemera!!! squee!). I have been treating myself to one page an evening before I go to bed. Last night, I was wicked and read two.

Thanks Bunchie!

Then at knit night, the lovely and talented Sharon gave me these awesome Day of the Dead stitch markers. I now have nearly as many Day of the Dead stitch markers as I do Mardi Gras ones, which is good because I love me both Day of the Dead and Mardi Gras.

Definitely feeling the love!

Halloween around the World

Of late, I've been beavering away on a Day of the Dead swap package. Inspired by the iconography, I made a few batches of sugar skulls to give away

and crocheted a Kahlo-esque headband for myself for Halloween.

I debuted it at Ann's Halloween party. Her neighborhood closes off the Saturday before Halloween and all the neighbors have house parties. There are hayrides, fabulous costuming, and tons of candy. We looked at the line to go on the hayrides, but I was still being teased about body blocking the little kid last year when he wanted to jump in front of me. The line was long, so I decided to let the little kid have his turn this year.

Rachel gave me a bionic apple, a St. Louis delicacy.

Last night, when I was being a rock star, the morris team came in to perform the Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance, a dance that's likely a thousand years old. The dancers dress all in black and each carries a large set of antlers. It's spooky and just about perfect for the season.

Happy Halloween!

Dots: because that's just how it's got to be

On my way back from KC two weeks ago, I stopped at Hill Creek yarns and bought tons of Catania on 50% off. I've already started working it up into Civil War purses.

While in KC, I picked up a spool of knitting silk, which will probably become a miser's purse.

Next up, in the I-totally-can't-believe-these-are-legal department. A few weeks ago, I noticed the liquor aisle in my grocery store sold single-serving frozen drink mixes (unfrozen). I didn't pay too much attention until I spotted them again in the freezer aisle. Frozen. And on sale. For $1.49. The packaging makes all sorts of enticements like "The alcohol is in it!" or "Great on the go!" or "Drink straight from the pouch!" I couldn't stop laughing. I've laughed so hard that I've bought three of them. What a great idea; by the time you get home from the grocery store and put away your groceries, it's just slushy enough to drink. Or to pose on the dog. We have a choice of two options:

• The guilty averted glance
  

• The sheepish, you-caught-me admission

LB and I hit the yard sales this weekend and picked up a few odds and ends. Nothing was mind-blowing (dog dishes, feed sacks, some vintage lawn chairs) but then I spotted this scherenschnitte. I can't convey all the detail. Each dancer is doing something different. There's a schuhplattler (boot slapper) and even a little tapped beer keg. You can see all the ribbons and moustaches. I love it.

Also while out junking, I spotted this amazing building. It's calling out my name like you would not believe.

I've done a bit of researching and found out it's called the Futuro House.

I've gone back to visit it twice. The way this thing is calling to me, I may have been brainwashed by aliens.