Civil War Leggings

I am surely not the first to reproduce these, but I had a fun time working on this antebellum (1840s) legging pattern.

From the rolled cuff, to the ribbing, to the calf increases, they have some lovely features. On the table, it's nearly impossible to guess what they are.


On, however? They look great. I can't wait to try them out in some chilly weather.


The original text reads as follows:

Leggings.

Two ivory needles and rather fine lambs'-wool are required.
Cast on 44 stitches, knit 7 rows, then knit 2 inches, knitting and ribbing 2 stitches alternately; knit 8 rows, continue plain knitting and increase at the beginning and ending of every 4th row; when you have 60 stitches knit 4 rows, then decrease in the same proportion as you increased until you have but 52 stitches; knit 6 rows, and finish to match the top. Sew them up.

I used DK weight and size 5 needles and still had to cast on more (for a total of 54 stiches) than the pattern called for in order to fit me. So the questions is, as always, would it then have been made in a heavier yarn? The term "rather fine" makes me think, no. I put it down to my Irish dancer ankles.

Modern Translation/Leggings

Use Size 5 needles and DK weight wool.
Cast on 54 stitches, knit 7 rows, then knit 2 inches in K2/P2 rib; knit 8 rows.
Begin increase section:
row 1: K1, Kf&b, K to last 2 st, Kf&b, K1.
rows 2-4: Knit
Repeat rows 1-4 until you have 80 stitches. Knit 4 rows without increasing.
Begin decrease section:
row 1: K1, K2tog, K to last 3 st, K2tog, K1.
rows 2-4: Knit
Repeat rows 1-4 until you have 70 stitches. Knit 6 rows without decreasing.
Work 2 inches in K2/P2 rib; knit 7 rows. Cast off.
Seam up and weave in ends.

If you are interested in bartering for a pair, let me know.

New Stuff!

On Saturday, in spite of having five house guests, I set up for my annual booth at the reenactor swap meet. I never expect to sell much, largely because shoppers are there bargain hunting and I charge a fair price for my knitting.

Still, I did sell some things: two shirts, a purse, a sortie cap, some used books, and a few odds and ends. LB sold a soapstone warmer.

Unlike in past years, I forgot to take photographs of my table. I did, however, photograph some of what I bought. What? You didn't think I left without shopping and spending all my profits?

I picked up these fun buckles, from a number of time periods.


I think the brass one is my favorite.


I got these two prints, titled "The Life and Age of Woman" and "The Life and Age of Man." They date from 1848, and I just love them.


Finally, I spotted this tin box. I'd been looking for a new cash box, since for years I have been using an old tin lunch pail for my money box.


Then, the seller opened it and I saw this:

Holy Smackers! It was an original japanned tin spice box. Wow, do I feel lucky.

I also set up a barter for a Prairie Traveler bed. More on that when I get it.

Mardi Gras Swap -- Outgoing

My Mardi Gras spoilee waited to open her package until her own had shipped out, so it took a bit. Here's what I sent:

I sort of went with a cooking theme, so I sent some plates, bowl, and platter.


I got 12 cloth cocktail napkins, a wine glass charm, some teas, and a few pamphlets on Mardi Gras cookery and festivities from early St. Louis history. I even threw in some treats for her pup.


I also sent a bit of Mardi Gras bling.


For yarniness, she said she liked drawstring bags, so I sent this one as well as 3 different Mardi Gras stitch markers.


Finally, for the yarn bit, I sent a skein of Dyeabolical cotton warp. For the crafty bit, I made three things (well, 5 really): three dishcloths in purple, green, and gold, two having masks on them; a Mardi Gras barrette/brooch/clip; a Mardi Gras business card holder; and a silk lariat-type necklace I designed.


With the end of Mardi Gras comes the start of Lent, which is somewhat a time of reflection and seems somber at first. We hit up a fish fry at a Hispanic church this first Friday of Lent and it wasn't somber at all: tamale carts, teeny-tiny dancers in colorful skirts, and even a mariachi band. Hooray for Lent!

Mardi Gras 1-2-3

I should totally be grading all day today. I got about 15 done Wednesday, about 7 done yesterday, and only 6 this morning. These numbers aren't anywhere near to my goal, which was to have been done yesterday. Why? I could blame it on the five house guests, or on blogging, but the truth is that one bad sentence wrecks any grading momentum I may have established.

For example, did you know that Shakespeare wrote in Victorian English? Or that Romeo and Juliet was written over 500 years ago?

Anyhoo.

In the midst of incoming and outgoing Mardi Gras swap packages, I got an unexpected bonus package from my best friend from college.

Years ago, I had asked her to make me some Mardi Gras tags. She sent some beautiful ones, which I hang up every year. Somehow though, they didn't feel Mardi Gras enough for her, since she had improvised the designs.

All these years, she has been on a quest for the perfect Mardi Gras stamp set, which she finally found.

Look how beautiful!


There were three tags (yes, I know I only took a close-up of two)


plus a bookmark and blank note card.


She even included a journal, a fan, and some delicious comestibles, which the house guests promptly ate.


Yay for Mardi Gras lagniappes!

I Used to Work at a LYS

Let me begin by stating the obvious. Given the number of people involved, there are at least three versions of this narrative. This is mine.

I used to work at a yarn store. For years, in fact.

I liked the job, and really liked my co-workers, although the relationship with one employee grew progressively more "difficult." Eventually she posted threats on Ravelry, followed by accusations that I was mentally ill (again on Ravelry).

When I protested to my employer, I faced pressure to keep quiet, to pretend that she hadn't really been talking about me, to accept what all three of us knew was patently a pseudo-apology.

For a long time, I did keep quiet, but I had been here before. Years ago, a fellow grad student became a boyfriend, then an abusive boyfriend, then an ex. All along, I had faced pressure from my department to keep quiet. Eventually, he assaulted me (even after he was an ex) and I had to turn to the school's judicial system.

Keeping quiet in the face of threats of violence is never the right choice.

This current time, I finally reached out to LB; my sister, a former criminal attorney; and two social worker friends, one of whom specialized in troubled teenagers. By talking to all four, I was able to keep my concerns out of the local knitting community and I got some great advice.

I asked my boss not to assign me to work the same shift as this employee. I explained why. Several times. Several times, because I kept being assigned to work the same shift as someone who had threatened me.

The end result was that my boss elected to keep the other employee instead of me.

This pressure to keep silent, about the threats, about the online accusations, about a lot of other behavior, and then finally about the loss of my job, has been tough. And like I said, keeping silent in such situations is never a long-term solution.

So I'm not.

That's my story. I used to work at a yarn store.



Thanks for the comments everyone. I have (for now) taken them down, since like I said, this post is my version only of what happened and I don't want those employees whom I really cared about have to experience negative consequences of someone else's online behavior like I did. If you want to comment on this post, I will definitely read it, but won't post it. I can't thank you enough for the positive messages and encouragment though. It has meant the world.

Mardi Gras Swap -- Incoming

I've been having voice issues, literal and metaphorical, of late. Having done some damage at a rock star gig on Thursday, and experiencing real moments of terror that I could not afford whatever surgery it was that Adele got, I spent yesterday resting my vocal chords in preparation for another rock star gig tonight. So, don't talk to me, okay? Not until I cash the check anyway.

This would all be easier if I didn't love cheese so much.

Yesterday, when I was resting my voice, my Mardi Gras swap package arrived from Maine. Why Maine? Because this year, not a single member of our swap lives in New Orleans. Three are ex-pats who have been exiled to MA, ME, and KS, while I only went to New Orleans once when I was a young teen. I am pretty sure we rode a trolley, but I mostly remember that our campground was a parking lot next to a train tracks. Really.

My neighbors are expecting a baby, so all week I have been getting delivery of packages for them, but this time it was for me! All me! Mine! When I picked up the box and shook it (because I couldn’t help myself) I heard a jingling noise that I am sure drove the mail carriers crazy.

When I opened the box, I actually got totally distracted by this beautiful mask pattern and nearly forgot to open the rest. I can’t wait to try this out. I think my crochet skills are up for it. If not, I have just joined a new crochet group and I know I can get help if I get stuck.


There were delicious things to eat, including a custom-made, salt-free Cajun spice blend. Just that morning, I had eaten a huge batch of popcorn seasoned with the creole seasoning I got in the last MG swap, or I would have whipped up some popcorn right away. Steu and I have been eating a ton of popcorn lately, so the seasoning will come in handy. There was also a wonderful chocolate snowman made of some very high quality chocolate. I know it’s high quality because I have already bitten his hat off.


There was a book on the history of MG, which LB immediately absconded with. I roped him into taking some photos of my swap box and then he just disappeared with the book.


For fibery goodness, there was a beautiful skein of handspun from Sunwest Yarn and a selection of fun cocktail stitch markers. I know this yarn will bloom just beautifully and am plotting what to make with it. I have a really nice purple alpaca in mind and am envisioning a cowl of my own design.


Best of all, there were two (not one, but two!) different knitted gifties. And technically, since one was for my hands and one was for my feet, that made FOUR knitted gifties. First were these gorgeous mitts from an alpaca blend. Look at the beautiful fleur-de-lis buttons! In the last week or so, I mislaid last year’s Mardi Gras mitts, so these are really coming in handy already.


Finally, I discovered the source of all the jingling: fuzzy Mardi Gras slippers! I love them and wore them most of the day. I keep taking tiny, mincing steps just to make them jingle more. They're back on my feet this morning as I type (although I did hand carry them out of the bedroom so as not to wake LB).


Thank you Tracie! LB, Steu, and I are having a wonderful Mardi Gras thanks to you!


_____________

As for the metaphorical voice issues, I have been working on that too. I've been helped by some kindred spirits. I've been practicing, and I'm nearly ready to speak up.

Nightmare Abbey

I've launched an online reading club, with the idea of reading nineteenth-century pieces and then just chatting a bit online about them. For now, my goal is that they all be available on Librivox so that we can listen while knitting or sewing.

For the first month, I've picked Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock. Free audio book is here. I'm about six chapters in and it's a pretty fun read. He really pokes fun at universities.

Feel free to join in. In future months, I hope to cover some slave narratives, women's diaries, and more fiction. I'm open to suggestions.

New Knit Nite/Old Knit Nite

Last night, which was a Wednesday if it matters (it does), I checked out a brand new (as in this was the inaugural meeting) nineteenth-century craft group. It meets at the Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion, which is just about as gorgeous a setting as can be.


Built in 1848, the mansion is one of my favorite places in the city. Fourteen crafters showed up, and I was so impressed to watch Katherine teach a room full of beginners how to cast on. I've always given one-on-one lessons, or at most two people. She got ten-plus folks up and knitting in no time.

I started in on a hood edged in swans down, but have serious suspicions that the original pattern is error-ridden.

Next month's meeting will cover hair work, so I'm looking forward to returning. Check it out if you're free.

Yarn and Stuff

I spent the weekend making sortie cap after sortie cap (no pix yet). I knitted four in fact, including fringe. I only stopped because it's crazy to make so many sortie caps when I have no customers lined up for them.

Last week, I went to a neighborhood crochet group, partly to work on my crochet skills and more as a way of forcing myself to interact with other human beings. I made two crocheted flowers out of Mardi Gras yarn and started in on a hairpin lace boa, also in Mardi Gras yarn.

A few years ago, the lovely Tammy and Fiona had given me this gorgeous, core-spun camel, which they said they "just knew had to come home" with me.


I hoarded it for ages, since there were only 60 yards, then decided it would work in the boa, which has 5 different yarns held together. It is working beautifully, but I ran out of one of the others. Sigh.

Drama Llama

The Oscars are at the end of this month, and I'm getting ready for our annual bash. You are invited, of course. Unless you are the type of person who shows up already drunk. Then, no.

This year is somewhat unusual in that so many of the nominees are out on DVD. If you need to do a bunch of movie watching to prepare, check out these films: Anonymous, A Better Life, Beginners, Bridesmaids, Drive, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Hell and Back Again, The Help, The Ides of March, If a Tree Falls, Jane Eyre, Kung Fu Panda 2, Margin Call, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, Puss in Boots, Rango, Real Steel, Rio, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Tree of Life, and Warrior.

Seriously, that's a ton available (a few aren't quite out yet but will be by Oscar time).

Speaking of fabulous, glittery bashes, I have been knitting for my friend Matthew of the unceasing fabulosity. He's going to some sort of concert/art happening in Chicago in a few weeks and commissioned some costuming.


I made him these gloves and a ruff and another friend made him these fur pants.


My stuff for him is kind of a one-of-a-kind design (plus I suck at writing down patterns as I go), but I would definitely make more of these if the yarn just fell into my lap.