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You got a problem with it?

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test_nipple.JPGThis is a nipple. I test knit the pattern for a friend for a forthcoming project to reclaim the nipple. She’ll explain her reasons for the project on her site, but I’ll give some of mine here.
I was astounded by the reaction to the Janet Jackson nipple incident whenever that was, I don’t remember, but I was shocked by the rediculous outcry and all the letters to the FCC. People in this country (USA) seem to completely equate nudity with sexuality. Why this is, I don’t know, but I am sure it has to do with the Puritan beginnings of the country. But it really is strange since this place is such a melting pot (or salad bowl for the Gen-Y crowd) that this sex/nudity thing persists.
I am convinced, by the types of letters I read on The Smoking Gun (letters sent to the FCC in protest of CBS) that women are completely ashamed of their bodies to the point that they can’t even see the bodies of other women, maybe even their own. I know that I am ashamed of some of the attributes of my body, I wish it were smaller, for example, but not of the fact that I am a woman. I think there is a difference between the two.
Is this why there is such a high number of Breast Cancer victims? Are women so afraid of their sexuality that they can’t bear to touch their breasts to check for cancer because someone might think they are, what, getting off on it? We are going to have another generation of women that will go back in time to the Victorian age if we let it happen.
The other side of the problem is men. This goes for men in countries that cover up their women as well as women here. Men who can’t control themselves have a need to control the objects of their desire instead of themselves. If a woman appears sexy to a man, well, you better cover her up, because there’s no telling what might happen. It’s going on right here in our country too. Women whose nipples poke through their blouses are tittered at behind their backs, and told to return to their offices to get a sweater. My husband has told me of it happening in places where he worked in the past. I have a co-worker who wears padded bras so her nipples won’t show if she gets cold.
Why is this? Everyone has them, we all know what they look like, what happens when we are cold. Why do they have to be hidden behind bras with “maximum nipple coverage” as described in the latest Victoria’s Secret catalog? There is no reason why a woman who wears a size DD bra should also have to have it padded so some passer-by won’t be offended.
You got a problem with it? Excercise your right to look away, don’t keep staring and then complain about what you are looking at.
Some other thoughts on my mind today:
You can’t legistate morality.
You do have a right to free speech, but not a right to not be offended by someone else’s speech.
Rants for another day, eh?

Some Lacy Things

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P9300080.JPGI’ve been feeling like some lace, as I mentioned a few entries back. This is the scarf I am working on for the “Knit in the City” event that is happening in a few weeks. I am about at the halfway point, and will be starting from the other end and grafting in the center so that it will look the same from both ends. When it’s blocked out, I am sure it will be even more lovely.
P9300082.JPGThis is some KnitPicks Shimmer in Turquoise Splendor. I’m not sure about this yet, I thought the colors would be a little more subtle, but when I get to it, I’ll find out for sure. I don’t have a specific pattern in mind for it, but it will probably be a Fiber Trends shawl (one of the triangle ones they have) or maybe something from Folk Shawls?
I’m in no hurry, because I also bought some Koigu in shade 1020 which is a nearly solid. I think I may crochet a lacy shrug with it, if there is enough, otherwise, it’ll be a scarf, I guess. And there’s more, I’m afraid. I bought the whole box of KnitPicks Pallette, it’s their “fair isle” yarn. It’s lovely and I am sure I will have fun coming up with something to do with it. There was a cool bag in Folk Bags, I forget the name but it’s the Welsh version of a sporran and I’ve wanted to knit the dragon on there for a while, so maybe I’ll have a go at that and use it somewhere else, or maybe I’ll make the bag, minus the furry loopy bits.
It’s funny, I did all this shopping over the course of two weeks and didn’t even notice how much I ended up with until putting it all in this entry. I guess I should slow down a bit, eh?

Shiny!

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LOVED the movie. Typical Joss, which I can’t elaborate on without spoilers, but the surprises were not surprising. It was much like ‘Firefly’ but richer, with more color and depth. Mal even changed his shirt a few times! Was Zoe wearing her wedding dress at the end of the movie? Is that woman gorgeous or what?
I have to admit that it started off a little stiffly, the dialog had a strange cadence that I didn’t notice on Firefly, but as the movie went on, it was like, the actors got their rhythm back and it was part of them again. I loved the opening credits scene as a single ‘Citizen Kane’ flyover and intro to all the characters (including Serenity). Well done.
One thing I love about the Whedonverse is that Joss can take some actors and put them in these great roles, then turn around and cast them for a season long ‘big bad’ in the Buffyverse, and then when they are back in the big damn movie, you don’t even remember that they were the big bads of elsewhen, because they are such loveable, likeable characters that you perceive the characters rather than the actors playing the roles. I hope that makes sense. As and example, whenever I see a movie with Tom Cruise in it, I never remember the character’s name or get very engrossed in the story because, whether the fault is his or the director’s, he never stops being Tom Cruise. (I do have an opinion on that but since he is one of those types, I’ll just hold on to that.)
Anyway, back to the movie – I wonder where they can go next? I have so many questions. Will we ever find out what the deal was with Shepherd Book? Will Inara stay with Serenity? What’s holding them back? Is it because Mal can’t ask her to give up her profession to be with him? It certainly would impact his income if she did but he’s managed without her for a while, could he keep doing that? Would she never allow Mal to ask her to give up her profession? If he asked, would she do it? All the other questions will have to wait until after everyone’s seen the movie, I wouldn’t want to be a spoiler.
And can I say thanks to everyone who saw the movie over the summer for not spoiling it for me? I’ve been a lurker on many a board and haven’t seen anything about the MAJOR events that happened in the movie. Considering that Harry Potter 6 was spoiled on the morning news only 3 days after it’s release, I am really happy that those who saw the movie early were kind enough to keep it quiet.
I can’t wait for the big damn sequel!

Thanks Secret Pal!

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THANKS2.JPGLook what I got! Some gorgeous alpaca from Blue Sky Alpaca, which I haven’t seen in person before but always wanted to. This looks much nicer than the yarn I used for the leaf cravat, so I can’t wait to use it for an “in the office with too much A/C scarf”. And a lovely silver charm of a ball and needles. How perfect that it’s silver and not gold, I am totally a silver person. How did you know, Secret Pal? Some (fimo? I think) beads that will be great for my new hobby of beading. A kacha-kacha, which is one of those gadgets that I have had on my “I need to get one of those” list, but never got around to buying, so now I don’t have to. Cool! There’s a postcard with a Poo, Piglet and Christopher Robin picnic, and a Burt’s Bees starter kit. I LOVE Burt’s Bees, in fact, that’s what got me started on learning to make my own soaps and getting together with a friend at work and making lotion bars and cool stuff with Beeswax. The coolest part is that out of this whole kit, I have only used the coconut stuff before. All the rest of the stuff is new to me, so I get to try all kinds of new stuff. I have the lemon cuticle cream in my knitting toolbox because that kind of stuff always comes in handy when you have a rogue cuticle or dry patch. Now I get to pick a new scent!
Thanks!!

It’s about freedom

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Thanks to
Creazativity: I was reminded of an important week we are in right now: web_generalbutton.gif
Here is a list of my favorites from the books challenged during the 1990s:

  • Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
  • The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
  • Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
  • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
  • The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
  • The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  • The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
  • A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
  • Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  • James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
  • Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
  • Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
  • Lord of the Flies by William Golding
  • The Dead Zone by Stephen King

100 Things, Finally

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For those of you who don’t care, you can skip this one. I’ve been working on this for so long, I finally was able to come up with 100 things.

  1. I was born in Boston, grew up in New Hampshire, and now live in California.
  2. I am a registered Democrat, but don’t subscribe to all their agenda items.
  3. I learned to knit when a teenager, but promptly forgot when Grammy went back to Canada.
  4. I like red wine, and white wine bothers my asthma.
  5. I’ve never had a pet,although my brother had a dog when I was a teenager.
  6. I have a half-brother and half-sister, neither of which I have spoken to in about 20 years.
  7. Instead of the family I was born with, I have another family with no blood ties who I consider my sisters.
  8. My husband was born in France but recently became an American citizen.
  9. I don’t speak French, but I try.
  10. Chinese food gives me nightmares, but I eat it anyway, when I want to.
  11. I watch too much TV. If I listed all the shows I watch, I would have to make another list of 100 things.

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A lazy Sunday Drive

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Yesterday, I went down to San Diego to meet my new nephew and see my niece! He is such an adorable little man, and he even modelled the sweater I made for him earlier this year. I also gave mom the hat and mittens I made for him and heard that he loves to go outside, so I am sure he will get some wear out of them. And then my niece, she is getting big and is just beautiful. And what a daddy’s girl.
Huz and I spent the night in San Diego and took our time driving back to Long Beach in a really round-about way. We went through Poway and Ramona to Dudley’s, a bakery in Santa Ysabel and got some pie (didn’t go all the way to Julian, but the pies at Dudley’s are good) and some Mission bread. Then, instead of going by the Wild Animal Park, we went back on the 79, which is the road to the desert, if you decide to go that way. We did, but stopped in Temecula and did our grocery shopping. Then up the 15 to the 91 and a quick stop at Trader Joe’s for yogurt (they are the only ones that have the FAGE greek yogurt, to die for!) and then finally home.
Not necessarily a good idea when gas is so expensive, but it was nice to just drive with no schedule, something huz and I rarely do.
I started working on a scarf last week that I am going to donate for the “Run for the Cure” race/sale/auction thing. I keep choking on the lace pattern, dropping a YO here or there, and it’s really annoying, but I think it will look nice in the end. I am using LB Micro Spun. I know what you are thinking, you yarn snobs, but I am not sure of the audience of the completed scarves and wanted something really soft, and this yarn qualifies.
Once I finish this scarf, it’s back to Kyoto. I am going to frog the whole stockinette portion and reknit at a looser gauge. Why? Well, have you ever had that feeling that something was wrong, but you don’t really want to give up, feeling like if you keep going it will just work out? Yeah, I was feeling something was wrong, and then Monika (yes, that crazy Monika) said “Isn’t that a little tight?” And of course, she is right, it is, and I just needed to hear it from someone else. So I have been ignoring poor Kyoto since early August because I was too close to it. But now, enough time has passed and I can move on, this time at a looser gauge. I’ve done all the math, so I am ready to go when I do.
Right now? I having pie.

A Practice Run

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P9130067a.JPGI’ve wanted to try creating wire/bead jewelry for quite a while, but have never been able to get the wire parts right. They always looked so unprofessional. Over the weekend, I came across a book that explains it all nicely, and so I had a go with some copper wire I had leftover from a project of my husband’s. Here’s the result.
You may have seen a similar gadget mentioned here. While it wasn’t the inspiration for my attempt, it was a motivation since in the past I would just link those split-ring plastic stitch markers together, and they aren’t that pretty, are they? So I thought combining a need with a desire to learn a new skill would work out nicely, and I like the result.
I bought some silver wire to play with once I am done practicing with the copper, but I think I will keep this one together and use it for now. I added some split rings in the middle so that it can be lengthened or shortened depending on the requirements of the pattern repeat. I plan to try it out on a nice splitty yarn tonight and see how well I filed the wire ends smooth. I used an emery board instead of a jewelers file, but plan to pick up a file asap since I enjoyed what I’ve learned so far.
The book is well written and is somewhere between “I know nothing” and “I already know everything” so that for me anyway, it was a great jumping off point for more bead-y creation.