Government-Free VJJ

You know that female anatomy features prominently on this blog, so you won't be surprised when I tell you that I support the Government-Free VJJ Project:

Knitted Womb by MK Carroll. Pattern on Knitty.com

Some awesome folks got sick of politicians trying to butt into their reproductive rights and so are knitting bits of the reproductive system to send to these men-in-power.  You can find patterns here.  I kind of enjoy the "Snatchel" by the Anti-Craft.

Spring Break

I am headed to Nicaragua for spring break this week!  I'm told that it looks like this:

And that this could be me very soon:

But first I have to finish a big-ass paper before they give me my freedom.  Life is so unfair...

International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day, the day we celebrate women's achievements throughout history and around the world.  This year, Gender Across Borders and CARE are asking bloggers to describe a particular organization, person, group or moment in history that helped to inspire a positive future and impact the minds and aspirations for girls.

Last week I bought a box of Girl Scout cookies from a troop outside the grocery store near my house.  I stopped to talk to them and mentioned that I was a Girl Scout, too.  One of the moms asked, "How long have you been a Girl Scout?"  Before I could stop myself, I opened my mouth and spat out a gleeful, "20 years!"

The girls looked at me like I had suddenly become Methuselah.  Like, is anything on earth that old?  Like, how could you possibly be interested in something so long?

I skittered off before they could ask if I had ever met George Washington, or Moses, or Eve but not without first having flashbacks to most of my childhood with Girl Scouts.

The Girl Scouts have gotten accused of some ridiculous things lately (like supposedly being the "tactical arm" of Planned Parenthood).  My favorite slander ever, though, is the accusation that they are promoting the feminist agenda.  You know what, detractors?  You are right. 

Girl Scouts taught me the following things:

• mountain climbing
• which fork to use at a fancy dinner
• evidence-based, age-appropriate sex education
• basic car maintenance
• to make a camp fire and pitch a tent
• to cook
• to make new friends and keep the old
• about different countries and cultures
• entrepreneurialism
• creativity
• to make a lanyard key chain
• to shoot a rifle and a bow
• to speak confidently
• to support other women

If teaching a girl to do all that isn't feminism, I don't know what is.

I can't stop thinking of things that the Girl Scouts taught me.   I can't stop being thankful for an organization that cares enough about girls to take them seriously, teach them things, and help them achieve.  I can't stop being thankful that the Girl Scouts are a feminist organization because they have made me who I am today.

Happy International Women's Day!

Eureka!

I wanted to tell you about this really cool project my friends over at American University are doing for Women's History Month called "The Eureka Moment."

It's a place where people can submit pictures and text about when they knew they were a feminist.  This was my submission:

Please consider adding your voice to this project.  It makes me super happy to see the diversity of the stories.

Knit Along?

I am not much of a joiner.  Or rather, I like to do my knitting alone so no one can know what terrible TV I watch while crafting.  But lately I've been trying to make my knitting a more social activity.  I've started going to a weekly knitting group hosted by the Emory law librarians.*  I try to teach other people to knit when they let me.

And now I am going to do this knit along with Canadian Living Craft Blog.

No, I don't usually read Canadian Living.  I just happen to really like the pattern they are making and have a sweater's worth of purple Cascade 220 stuffed under my bed just screaming for a purpose. 

The pattern is the Classic Raglan Pull-Over by Jane Richmond.  Doesn't it look like a favorite sweater just waiting to happen?

Joining a knit-along will help me with any trouble I run into and will hopefully give me the motivation I need to get it done.  They've given themselves six weeks to do it.  A sweater in six weeks?  I can do that, right?**

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*For some reason knitting and books just seem to go well together).
**Answer: Probably not.  My current knitting project has been on the needles since last June....