Monday, February 27, 2006

Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa

I often wondered, in the classic nature vs. nurture sense, whether my cheery and pleasant disposition is the result of the horrible torment of my youth (dishpan hands, ring around the collar, etc.), or the tragic result of genetics.

Now that I watch my 8-year old, whose hands are soft and collars bright, riddled with existential angst and self-loathing, I've come to appreciate that it is all my fault. Of course, I could throw my hands up and say, "I have no control over the genes I gave her any more than I could have controlled the genes I inherited, so why worry?" But then, what kind of self-loathing individual would I be? What kind of example would I be giving my children?

Honestly, Dear Thing 2 is having a wicked hard time dealing with 3rd grade. She has a very high IQ and cannot understand the illogical actions of the other humans in her class. Then she internalizes it - "They are all acting illogically, so perhaps I am the one whose behavior makes no sense. There is something wrong with me." It breaks my heart because I grappled with the exact same feelings at her age (OKAY - I grappled with them until well after college, but I don't want to tell HER that). I don't have an answer for her.

Kildowed, Not Kwanned

Remember when I was whining about stranding, but noting how it was better than the evils of intarsia in the round? Well, I was wrong (there's always a first time). My stranding was sooo bad and sooo tight, that the darn thing couldn't fit over my daughter's waist. I had to frog all of my little jackalopes and begin again in intarsia. The bottom picture shows my progress as of 2/17/06, before I ripped the stitches.

But, I did not give up. Even though I had little chance of winning the gold, I put on my game face, learned a new knitting skill, and persevered. The top picture shows my progress as of the closing ceremonies.

Like fellow Staten Island girl, Silvia Fontana, my Olympic moment is defined by my noble effort, not by any medal. I can say with pride that I met the Olympic ideal of higher, stronger, faster. (Cue olympic anthem.)


My Silvia Fontana Moment Posted by Picasa


Look at all those strands. . .  Posted by Picasa

Friday, February 17, 2006

New Olympic Sport

Is it me, or do some of the new Olympic sports seem like they were cooked up in a lab two weeks ago? While watching snowboard cross last night (which was funny as hell, BTW), I invented the following sport: Freestyle Board Biathalon Cross!

Target shoot and shag some gnarly air as you race to the finish line! Blow a 900-degree inverted spin on your Burton as you operate a firearm and jockey with the other boarders for that golden inner edge.

Some inconsequential touching by contestants is expected in a sport such as this. But if you shoot anyone, that's a DQ. Unless, of course, you are the Vice President of the United States.

FREESTYLE BOARD BIATHALON CROSS - coming to a mountain resort near you!

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Ominous Clues

First, Rufus the Bull Terrier beats that adorable Golden Retriever. Next, I come to accept that I have to frog 4" of excruciatingly slow stranding work on my KO project (taking me back to Day 1 progress). Now, Thing 2 -- the one for whom I am making the KO project -- picked yet another fight at school over some perceived slight and is suspended tomorrow.

I need a glass of wine. Or two. And a massage. And a vacation. And a job.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Evil Unfeeling Wench

That would be me, BTW. Just finished reading my law school reunion weekend invite and it managed to pick the scab off something that ticked me off back then.

One of my classmates is the granddaughter of Ethel & Julius Rosenberg. Why do I know this? It is not because we were tight and in some drunken confessional, I revealed my years of torment and pain* and she revealed her family's dirty little treasonous secret. No, I don't think I even spoke with her in three years. I know her geneology because she practically had it tatooed on her forehead ("Ask me about my dead grandparents"). She appeared, as granddaughter of E&J, as if this gave her cred, on every panel she possibly could to bear witness to the horror and injustice of capital punishment. I'll concede that she was probably sought out for this.

To put this in perspective, remember that E&J were executed in 1953 -- long before the Annointed One was conceived. Yet, her having dead grandparents = Automatic Cred. Couldn't argue in favor of capital punishment because we have a victim of the fallout from capitol punishment on our side.
I don't mean to sound completely heartless, but this thought echoed in my mind: Maybe they should have tried NOT spying for the enemy.
OK, this was law school and most of my classmates were freshly-scrubbed, idealistic 24 year olds, rather than bitter old hags like moiself. I never attended any of her panels because I was certain they would not be balanced. As anyone who attended law school would know, the point-counterpoint of 99% of the discussions of law school go as follows:

POINT: "[Liberal cause] is really bad, and discriminatory, and should be stopped by the implementation of [program with great expense to the evil corporations, which make so much money anyway]."
COUNTERPOINT: "I disagree. [Liberal cause] is tantamount to Jim Crow, eugenics, and smeary wax build up, and MUST be stopped by having the United Nations implement [program with great expense to rich and evil United States, which has so much money anyway.]"

How cute! I remember being knee-jerk when I was a pup. I figured I'd ignore them until they started paying taxes on their $150K+/year salaries and discover that $800 suits are NOT deductible, even if they only wear them for work.

What brings up all this bile, 4 years post graduation? The Annointed One is appearing on a panel about the horror and injustice of Guantanamo Bay during The Law School Reunion Extravaganza. She works for a constitutional law center of some sort, so she appears to have credentials for the panel. Still, I just may attend and see if her dead grandparents are mentioned among her list of accomplishments.
_____
* Ring around the collar, hard water stains and dishpan hands.

Monday, February 13, 2006


Day 2 - note tangle of strands. Posted by Picasa

Day 2 Progress and Unrelated Rants

I ended Day 2 of my KO project with the jackelopes half-done. I'm sick to death of stranding. Have I mentioned that I hate stranding? And this pattern is chock full o'stranding. Why not use intarsia, one might ask, particularly for the hearts and "M"? Because I'm knitting this in the round and would rather fight stranding than the whole intarsia-in-the-round.

I take comfort knowing that in 7 rows I shall be free from stranding for 10".

Unrelated rants: Our VEEP seems to get himself in trouble while hunting and I wonder if he shouldn't give it up. First, there was the whole duck hunting with Scalia thing. Most recently, he shot his friend while hunting for quail. Perhaps he meant to shoot Quayle, but, like that other fine Bush VP, he can't spell fer shit.

I suppose we should be glad that Cheney wasn't quail hunting with Scalia. We could do much worse. (I realize that the liberal knee-jerk reaction to the word "Scalia" is to attempt to swallow one's own tongue in order to save one's self from the further horrors of Scalia's judgment. I often thinks he writes his wacky dissenting opinions because they aren't law and he can write whatever he wants. His majority opinions are much more even-tempered. Anyway, the longer he serves, the closer he comes to retirement. We can hope to have a Democrat in the White House by then.)

Sunday, February 12, 2006

12 Years of Bliss

Today is my twelfth wedding anniversary, and much like the day of my wedding, it is snowing like a bitch outside. I understand that it is up to Thing 3's chin, but I am warm and inside, so I haven't seen it.

Below is my most recent attempt at knitting a sweater for DH. Note the particularly LOOOOONG sleeves. This is to make up for my last attempt, which featured oh-so-fashionable-on-men 3/4 sleeves.

I post this mostly for my family. Of course, I haven't hipped them to this ego trip yet, so they may never see it. But, to the extent any of my family does see it, we're good. DH got an unexpected day off when the dude he was to relieve said he couldn't get home anyway, so he'd work a double. I have to go join the kiddies in the snow now before I am officially disavowed.

Much kisses,
Francoise


DH modeling fab-oo IK Winter '04 Old Way Gansey Posted by Picasa


New, Improved Jackalope pattern.  Posted by Picasa


Blurry picture of old, forward-facing jackalope swatch Posted by Picasa


Day 1 Progress Posted by Picasa

Pix of Day 1 Knitting

After 24 hours of knitting, I completed the first 3.5" of my Olympic entry. Once I started working the jackelope pattern, however, I noticed that my count was off - mon dieu -- and I had to rethink the pattern. How many hours did I spend working on that darn thing? To be humbled by an extra four stitches???

So, a little frogging and graph paper fun, and . . . Voila! Back to knitting.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Knitting Olympics

Let the Games Begin! I cast on Mauracita's jackelope sweater at the stroke of 2 p.m. yesterday (pix to come). I'm using size 7 (US) needles with Manos Cotton Stria, which recommends sizes 4-6, so I'm a little concerned about space between stitches. But Hey -- What are the chances that anything I make for my kids won't end up in the dryer? One wash and voila - no holes!

I had been working on the design for the jackelope sweater on and off for about a year, but the Yarn Harlot's Olympic challenge gave me the final push to get the darn thing done. All the better for Maura, though. I was never 100% happy with the old design (jackalopes facing forward), and I had a rush of inspiration in January (jackelopes in profile). She and I are both happier with the new design.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006


What EVERY girl wants . . . Posted by Picasa

Monday, February 06, 2006

Ay Caramba!

Not sure what I just did. I tried to comment on someone else's blog and created my own?