Galway

13 degrees celsius, raining and a wicked wind. But who the heck cares? I was in IRELAND! No kids, no husband. A solo holiday with my dear friends the Professors (they both teach at the National University of Ireland, NUI).

I'm Baaack!

A glass of Guiness at Sheridan's Pub. Just a teaser.

I'm headin' on a jet plane...

Yes, I'm leaving today for 9 days in sunny Ireland. What's that? You say it's not sunny in Ireland? Apparently I've been misinformed.

Nevertheless, gentle readers, I'll be gone for a while. To tide you over, a flying haiku.

Blackest black crow flies
In crowded skies wandering
Remarked from below

See you soon!

My Girly Girl

Ponchos. Ugh. No one who lived through the 70's should be forced to make a poncho. Somewhere in a thrift store there lurks the angry orange poncho my mother knit for me when I was 11. I loved that thing, save for the fact that there were no arm holes and every time I wanted to, say, use my arms the front would flap up over my face, blinding me, which sort of negated the whole "I'm cool because I'm wearing a poncho" effect.


But when your little brewer asks for one and looks at you with those big, big eyes and says her favorite color in the WHOLE WORLD is purple (at least today it is), how could I refuse?

The Unmaking

Visiting one's parents is great for many reasons, not the least of which is finding buried treasure.

When I learned to knit the second time, I made a sweater for El Jefe. Being in college at the time, and it being the '80's, I only had access to yarn from GC Murphy. I knew he liked blue so I paired it with a lovely shade of angry red. Did I pay attention to that little voice in my head saying "uhh, do these colors REALLY go together?" Nooo. Did I swatch? I hadn't even heard of swatching. I only knew I could knit in a straight line and that El Jefe was tall. So I made this monstrosity of a sweater. Note the giant stripe that accentuates the middle! See the long, long arms that dangle like unwanted bell pulls of terror! Observe the boatneck with fear!

But it was my first sweater and I had made it myself. No pattern, no help. And this is why I love El Jefe: when I presented this sweater to him, he tried it on, doubled the sleeves *up to his armpits* so they wouldn't drag on the floor, and promptly announced that he thought it was great. It was so clearly not a good sweater that even I realized he should take it off *immediately* so as not to interfere with his natural coolness.

I found it stuffed in a closet when I visited my parents at Christmas. So I took it home and promptly began to unmake it.

Maybe the little brewers need sweaters...

The Cable Pixy

I'm almost there, almost ready to try my first cable. My first project will be a simple cable up the length of a scarf. What could be easier?

Then I saw her.
The Cable Pixy.

Laughing. Joyous even. Taunting me with her needles and smug expression. Cables-HA! You think you can learn cables? Look at me, slim and fit with needles in my hands as I run the Boston Marathon! You cannot catch me, you non-cable-person you!

"Good science cannot long persist in an atmosphere of intimidation. Political figures ought to be reviewing their public statements to make sure they are consistent with the best available science; scientists should not be reviewing their statements to make sure they are consistent with the current political orthodoxy."

--Sherwood L. Boehlert (R- NY) in a letter to NASA administrator Michael D. Griffin, January 30, 2006.

Orange?

I have nothing against orange. I just feel it doesn't personally suit me. So why do I have five balls of this in my stash? Yard sale, of course. I can't pass up yarn.

To be fair, I have tried to use this yarn twice before, once as a sweater and once as a blanket. It *fought* me both times. Clearly it had something else in mind.



I am going to try again. I found a fabuous shrug pattern that looks to about my speed.

And here we go!
[Note to self: do not photograph orange on red background, even if it is the comfy sofa.]

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2006! Only 1,038 days until Election Day.

Time for some New Year's Resolutions. But first, let's revisit Brewgal's 2005 Resolutions.

1. Learn to cable. Yes, I’m intimidated by those hooky cable needle things but I desperately want to make a sweater with a celtic pattern braid. Oh, the torture! Uh oh. Didn't do this one.
Y. Spend more time knitting (well, duh!) Done!
Y. Use up my stash. Started this one.
Y. Replace old stash with new stash. Done!
5. Photograph all finished projects for my knitting archive. Mr. Brewguy takes pictures for a living but the cobbler’s children don’t have shoes. Working on it.
6. Teach everyone in my office to knit so they can accompany me on lunchtime stash building excursions. Heh heh heh. Working on it.

Not so bad. Let's look at this year's knitting resolutions.

1. Learn to use circular needles. Carrying 100+ stitches on straights is damn heavy.
2. Learn to cable. Get over the image of cable needles as tiny stockade devices for Barbies.
3. Start Christmas gifts BEFORE NOVEMBER.

Only three. Either my standards are getting lower or my attention span is ...um...
Hey look! A birdie!

Brewgal has a birthday...sort of...

Last week Brewgal turned 40. That’s 4-0. Many special events were planned in her honor. Alas, the week turned out to be quite a saga.

Erik Njofi, son of Frothgar, leaves his home to seek Hangar the EIder at the home of Thorvald Nlodvisson, the son of Gudleif, half brother of Thorgier, the priest of Ljosa water, who took to wife Thurunn, the mother of Thorkel Braggart, the slayer of Cudround the powerful, who knew Howal, son of Geernon, son of Erik from Valdalesc, son of Arval Gristlebeard, son of Harken…

Oops, wrong saga.

START AGAIN.

Sunday 12/11
11:00am. Brewgal gets a facial, manicure and makeup to look beautiful for dinner at the Four Seasons. Babysitting for the little brewers is arranged.
11:45am. Little Brewer #1 runs a fever of 102. Dinner plans are cancelled.
On the plus side, the little brewers sang a wonderful rendition of Happy Birthday in cherubic voices.

Monday 12/12
Brewgal’s birthday. She receives present of two lovely hanks of New Zealand wool, a subscription to Interweave Knits, and a pair of pajamas with pink dogs on them. Brewgal is more of a cat person, but Little Brewer #1 picked them out so, of course, I love them.

Wednesday 12/14
Consolation birthday celebration planned. Brewgal convinces Mr. Brewguy to accompany her on Thursday to lunch at Mon Ami Gabi and a showing of Pride and Prejudice. Costumes! Drama! Romance! Sweeping shots of the English countryside!
3:30pm. Little Brewer #2 runs a fever of 102. Lunch/movie plans for Thursday are cancelled.

Except for a rather bizarre tendency to refer to myself in the third person, Brewgal has had a pretty good 40 years. And so, a birthday Haiku for me.

Turn to face the wind,
Feeling the thrill of seeing
My life reach forward.

Bad blogger. No cookie.

Where the heck has the time gone? Clearly Brewgal needs to devote more energy to this incredibly useful and life-changing activity known as blogging. *kidding-- I'm kidding!*

Here are my dilemmas:
1. I need more photos
2. I can't post photos of my projects because they are gifts and the gift recipients read the blog
3. I can't take photos because my digital camera is dead from Mr. Brewguy constantly using it and not charging the battery
4. I spend all my blog time removing spam posts *you know who you are*

So in honor of the cold weather, a winter haiku.

Car lights show the trees
Stretching slender branches up
To catch fading sky

Seedy Border Town Scarf

It's holiday time so that means... last minute scarf mania! I was stash diving and came up with two balls of Jiffy in a lovely plum color. Well, after two days I've come to the conclusion that it looks nice but it is hard on your hands. After a while it feels scratchy. Oh well. One scarf down, six to go!

This is the pattern for the scarf. It's stockinette with a seed stitch border around all the edges. You will probably have to block when you're done. Mine rolled like a stack of quarters.

Seedy Border Town Scarf
Cast on 21
Row 1 Knit
Rows 2-4 Seed stitch (knit purl knit purl to end, end with knit stitch)
Row 5 Seed stitch first three stitches (knit purl knit), then knit across to last three stitches in row, seed stitch last three stitches.
Row 6 K P K, purl across to last three, K P K
Rows 7 --> continue w/rows 5/6 (stockinette with seed stitch border) until desired length
End with a repeat of rows 2-4
Last row K
Bind off

Knitting + Beer

I was just thinking I needed a beer-related post. Check out the following article about a knitting group that meets in a pub. What a great idea! Goodbye, cruel job. I'm getting on a plane right now. I'm sure this idea would have been a hit in the old Gettysburg Brewing Company. *sigh... mope mope mope*

On a related note, Dogfish Head Alehouse now has a restaurant in Gaithersburg Maryland. Yeah Baby! No more driving to Delaware for fresh Raison D'Etre!

Nerd, Geek or Dork?

Another fun little online test.

Modern, Cool Nerd 86 % Nerd, 65% Geek, 21% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd. Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)! Congratulations! Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST Apparently I scored higher than 96% of test takers on nerdiness, higher than 89% on geekosity (is that really a word?), and higher than 28% on dorkiness. I wonder if I get points just for taking the test. Am I another victim of the Hawthorne effect?

Dancing Sharks

That's what I think the design on this hat looks like, but that name is a little scary for a baby hat. I love the addition of the crab stitch border on the bottom. I made this one for a friend at work. You know the best thing about a baby shower? No, not the silly games. It's the way everyone goes "oooo!" when the baby clothes are opened. There's a collective mind that takes hold, forcing all within viewing distance to coo over teeny onesies.

*must...not....drool....*
"Oh look! It has bunnies!"
*damn!*

Resistance is futile.

Before and After

Photo 1: September 9, 2001. LittleBrewer #1 and Brewgal watching planes at Gravelly Point Park in Washington DC.



Photo 2: September 11, 2001. Our plane (US Airways Flight 29, on the left in back) and others grounded at Garden City Airport, Garden City Kansas.



What a difference 48 hours can make. Many, many thanks to the kind folks in Dodge City KS who took care of us during that time.

Another Heirloom Pattern- Baby Bonnet

More fun stuff from the family archives! This is a pattern for a knitted baby bonnet, mailed to my great-grandmother in 1940 by a Mrs. Olivia Weker. I have transcribed it below just as written.

Standard pattern use rules apply. Credit the mysterious Olivia!
------------------------------------------------------------

Cast on 96 stitches.
Work ribbing K2P2 for 1/2 inch.
Work stockinette stitch for 5 inches.
Bind off 32 stitches at each end.
Work on 32 stitches in center for 3 1/2 inches (stockinette stitch).
Pick up 30 stitches on each side, and work in ribbing K2P2 for 2 rows (on bottom of cap).
Next make beading - K2* yarn over, K2 stiches together.
Repeat from * to within 2 stitches of end of row K last two stitches.
Work 4 rows of K2, P2, and bind off, knitting the knit stitches and purling the purled.
Join seams.

And a little note at the bottom of the letter,
"Hope your mother can follow this. I certainly do think she is a remarkable old lady- you must get your energy from her!"

Enjoy!

Wish it ran in the family...

Check it out! My cousin is going to release a record. Doesn't she look FABulous? And she can sing, too! :-)
http://www.josiwails.com
She's the sister of the Engineering Goddess. Gosh that family is talented.

Heirloom Cape Pattern

Brewgal has inherited a box full of her Grandmother’s crochet and knitting patterns. There are some very cool patterns from the 1960’s and 1970’s (I see some of Smarty McYarnpants’ relatives in there). I’ve just come across a crochet pattern for a cape.

The handwritten date on the envelope is 12/26/79, but I believe the pattern is older than that. In the notes on the outside she has written Brewgal’s waistline measurement (27”- geez!) and IBM, EXXON and Coca-Cola. Grandma was a stock market guru in her spare time.

Grandma D’s Heirloom Cape Crochet Pattern

Starting at the neck, chain 72 loose stitches. Make 1 double crochet in 3 stitches from hook, *3 DC in next st, 1 DC in next 4 stitches; repeat from * across row, ending with 3 DC in next stitch.
1 DC in last 2 stitches. Note: hereafter when working do pick up the back loop of the stitches, and when increasing use both loops of the st. on the row below.
Chain 3, turn.
Row 2: Skip 2 stitches, 1 DC in next st., 5 DC in next st., 1 Dc in next 2 st, *skip 2 sts, 1 DC in next 2 sts., 5 DC in next st., 1 DC in next 2 sts,* repeat from * 12 times. Chain 3, turn. You now have 14 sections or pattern.
Row 3: Skip 2 st., 1 DC in next 2 st., 3 DC in next st., 1 DC in next 3 sts., *skip 2 st, 1 DC in next 3 sts, 3 DC in next st., 1 DC in next 3 st, Repeat from the star 12 times. Chain 3, * turn. [Brewgal’s note- I believe the star in this sentence should go after the 1 DC in next 3 sts, not after the Chain 3]
This just repeats itself, as you can see on the sample. Your chain 3 counts as a DC.
Row 4 would be 3 DC in 3 DC, 5 DC in next DC, 3 DC in next 3 DC. Skip 2 in next DC; 3 DC in next 3 DC. Skip 2 DC and repeat.
Then it’s 4 Dc in next 4 DC. Skip 2 DC and repeat.
Do this until you make 11 DC in 11 DC, 3 in next DC, 11 in next 11 DC. Make as many rows as you like, with no increase till you have cape as long as you want it.
To make arm holes, start about 20th row.

Use hook 5 or F- or 8.
Takes about 5 skeins 4oz 4-ply yarn.

Then on the next page there was a very interesting transcription of this pattern done in my Grandmother’s crochet shorthand:

Row 2 2-5-2 skip 2
Row 3 3-3-3 “
Row 4 3-5-3 “
Row 5 4-3-4 “
Row 6 4-5-4 “
Row 7 5-3-5 “
Row 8 5-5-5 “
Row 9 6-3-6 “
Row 10 6-5-6 “
Row 11 7-3-7 “
Row 12 7-5-7 “
Row 13 8-3-8 “
Row 14 8-5-8 “
Row 15 9-3-9 “
Row 16 9-5-9 “
Row 17 10-3-10 “
Row 18 10-5-10 “
Row 19 11-3-11 “
Use 11-3-11 until desired cape length.
-----------------
Standard pattern use rules apply (see Brewgal’s hat pattern). Grandma would have been happy for other people to use the pattern provided she got appropriate credit for it. I haven’t tried to make this cape pattern yet. If any of you do try it, post me a comment and let me know how it turns out.

Field vs. Asphalt

There was a story in yesterday's Washington Post about development encroachment on the corridor between Gettysburg PA and Monticello VA.

Read the whole story at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/02/AR2005060201761.html?sub=AR

Development has become sort of a fact of life here in Maryland, but I still cling to the hope that something of the historical character of the area can be saved for my children.

Then I read quotes like this...

Joe Paciulli, whose land surveying and engineering firm, Paciulli, Simmons & Associates Ltd., is involved with many projects in Loudoun County, had the following to say: "I understand historic sites, and I understand natural beauty and all those things, but when you are dealing basically just with endless fields and endless terrain, it's hard for me to relate to a statement like that. It sounds rather extreme," he said.

Endless fields and endless terrian-- that's the POINT! UNDEVELOPED! When you put a shopping mall or a road or a housing development on a battlefield, you can't get it back.

Sometimes I think I live on a different planet.