non-knitting thoughts on the world.

It's not often I jump into a subject publicly that is likely to push a lot of buttons. I, in fact, tend to avoid controversy wherever possible. Other people's beliefs and lives are not my business to comment upon. However, sometimes things pass by me that make me realize that I am one of the few left that feel this way.

I read a news story this morning covering the controversy about Kathy Griffin saying 'suck it Jesus' at the Emmy's. Christian groups across the country have taken up arms against her and E! Television for not censoring it. Full story here.

What god I believe in is irrelevant, and I would not have said what she said. But not everyone in this country believes in Jesus. Atheists do not believe in Jesus. Jews do not believe in Jesus. Muslims do not believe in Jesus. Scientologists do not believe in Jesus. Why is it that there is a section of the Christian population in the US that believes that everything should be scrubbed of anything that smacks of non-Christian beliefs? (Please note that I am not including the entire Christian population of the US in this. Those that belong to the live-and-let-live school that I myself belong to have my utmost respect and admiration.)

It sounds trite, but this country was founded by those escaping religious persecution. In our laws are the rights to free speech and freedom of religion. If I could get up in front of an awards show audience and say, "I would like to thank Jesus for this award." There should be no reason I can't get up and say, "I would like to give no thanks whatsoever to any deity or demigod at all for this award." Which is, more or less what Kathy said, only perhaps a bit more crassly. She's a comedienne, who has made her career from being crass. The fact that she said something crass should not surprise us or be limited to certain venues.

I just think that more people should think about the fact that everyone's beliefs are different before opening their mouth. Including Kathy. But censorship is not the answer.

Peace.

(Knitting content will be following soon)

Getting into this...

Slowly but surely I am working my way towards more consistent posting. For now, forgive pauses between posts. Since my last post I have gone on vacation to Bar Harbor with my husband and the in-laws, canned 50 lbs of peaches (fresh peach salsa) and 150 lbs of tomatoes (tomato sauce) with my canning partner in crime, and oh yeah did I mention I'm working on my PhD?

Knitting has been extremely plentiful recently, and I finished (and gifted) the 'baby shower object'. It's a beautiful baby blanket, all in white with purple and pink animals added in duplicate stitch, a modification of a vintage pattern (bedtime story from FreeVintageKnitting.com) I fell in love with. Only problem is, I finished it whilst on vacation, and blocked it the night before the shower...and *gasp* forgot to take a picture of it. As soon as the recipient gets a chance, she's going to take a pic for me. That's what best friends are for.

I have also finished my first ever sock for me, knit from the universal toe-up sock formula on Knitty. I'm using sport weight acrylic (I know, 'ewwwwwww') because it's washable and cheap and I've got a ton of it. (Did I mention it's cheap?) But the first sock is done, and the second one is in progress.

I have also...ok, if I've accomplished this much knitting, it's been too long since I last posted....nearly finished my Caroline from Berroco. I am working on the neck now, and I am totally in love with this sweater. It's cute, it (so far) fits well (I tried on most of it whilst seaming), it was easy to do and the material that the Zen yarn makes is so fascinating. So far I love love love it, it will be interesting to see how wearable it is. Ribb

Finally, I am super excited because I finally bought Charlene Schurch's 'Sensational Knitted Socks' book. I have read it cover to cover at least twice. I want to make every possible combination, I want to make pairs of socks for me and pairs of socks for friends. I want to start now Now NOW! But I am forcing myself to do a few other things first. Until then, I just leaf through it and look at all the things that could be.

I promise pictures and more details on all of the above in the next few days.

What's next? Binary from Knitty - for my dad for Christmas. (Shhhh, don't tell him) Then, maybe, I'll let myself knit a pair of socks from Schurch's book. With *real* sock yarn. yay!

For now, I should head back to my school work.

FO

Don't get too excited, it isn't a recent FO - but, being new to this blogging thing, I thought a bit of picture practice was in order.

So behold, my first pic.

This sweater was my very first non-scarf project. (Now to be fair, there were a few other non-scarf projects cast on, and finished, between the cast on for this and the finish of this...)

Pattern: Sonnet (from Knitty, fall 2003)
Yarn: Caron, Simply Soft, color?
Cast on: Approximately Sept 05.
Finished: Approximately Sept 06.

I really like this sweater, maybe just because it is the first sweater I made for me. It's a little big, but really comfortable. and all told, not so bad for my first go.

Coming soon... more FO from my past, and more pictures!

Maybe I just haven't learned the hard way.

So my plans for this evening are simple. Learn and practice duplicate stitch on the swatches I made last night. It is the technique called for in the pattern for 'The Baby Shower Gift", and I've never really done it before. (I have done a moderately successful facsimile when weaving in the ends on my last project.)

I do this to myself alot. I choose a pattern/recipe/subject matter for my PhD that as a vital component includes something I know NOTHING about. Then I dive in with both feet and assume it'll turn out fine. (Hey, blogging probably falls under this category too.)

So far, so good (the jury is still out on that PhD thing...), but duplicate stitch is the most recent addition to the litany of things I decided would be no big deal.

Let's wish me luck.

Is the pattern ever inviolate?

I admit I have a problem.

I follow rules. Often to the letter. I find them hard to break, or even bend. I am sure my parents appreciated this fact a great deal, but occasionally* this habit just makes my life more difficult.

For instance, when I'm working along on a pattern and I realize that by repeating the motif 6 times instead of 8, the finished product turns out just as nice, and I will be done two weeks sooner. 'Great!' I think to myself, 'I'll do that, and give myself twice as much time to do all the fancy finishing work before the gift is due.'

But then the little Lawful demon shows up on my shoulder, 'But is that cheating?'

I think, in the end, this particular project is going to be modded. But how do I tell the little demon on my shoulder (the one who insists I follow every rule ever written) to shut UP? Does anyone else have this problem?

-Mel

*ok, more than occasionally, more like daily.

Welcome Visitors.

My first post.

What to do with your first post?

Should it not reflect the nature of the blog-to-be? But what if I don't know what that is yet? I need to find my voice...my story...my reason to inflict my views upon the world (or at least the slice of the world that chooses to visit these pages.

For now, an introduction:

I have wandered (and trolled) the knitting blogosphere for several months now, and have found the people who share their stories and FOs (you, I suppose) a charming and disarming lot. So here I am hoping to join the fun. My name is Mel, and I'm a self-taught knitter, a wife, and a graduate student, among other things. I hope in the future to post WIPs, FOs and general knitterly thoughts along the way. But first I must learn the basics of the blog...

Check back in a few days, you never know what may pop up here next.

Let's see what happens.