Some Assembly Required

There comes a time in every woman's life when she will be confronted by a flat-packed box of 40+ parts, an Allen wrench and a set of instructions that indicate that "some assembly may be required."  Usually a certain Swedish furniture company is involved.

This weekend is was this.  An Ashford Kiwi spinning wheel.

I don't know why, but when I finally ordered a spinning wheel after two years of saving and wishing, I, for some reason, thought that it would show up on my front steps, fully assembled, oiled up and ready to go.  All I would have to do is gently place the drive band on the wheel, touch foot to pedal and be creating beautiful, even, perfectly plied yarn almost immediately.

Not the case.   I had to wait in line at my apartment building's office to pick up the package.  Open it up to find...

...a million little parts and instructions entirely in pictures (helpful pictures with a cute little Kiwi bird leading the way, but pictures nonetheless) and a suspicious lack of tools in my household.

I managed to scrounge up a hammer and a screw driver and, knowing that I could either study for a ConLaw exam or become a do-it-yourselfer spinning wheel style, I tackled the project.

I messed up a couple of things, but fixed them.  Once, I was absolutely stumped.  I couldn't find the answer online.  YouTube has NEVER failed me like this before.  So I called my dad.  He suggested I just "hit it with the hammer."  Unlike when I have computer or toaster problems, this really did do the trick.

As I was finishing up, the lovely Laura stopped by (also avoiding ConLaw, I suspect) and rewarded my efforts with the perfectly appropriate amount of enthusiasm.  Taught her the basics of the wheel (the very few that I know...) and she spun a little yarn.  Perfect!

Now if only I could figure out how to keep the wheel from distracting me from work...

Procrastinating

Here are three things I know about criminal law:

1. Burglary is the unlawful entry into a dwelling at night with the intent to commit a felony therein
2. Depraved heart murder is murder committed with an abandoned and malignant heart (that certainly clarifies the matter, doesn't it?)
3. I should know a whole lot more about Crim if I am supposed to take a closed-book exam tomorrow....

It's not looking good for me, is it?  And next week is going to be even worse with Administrative and Constitutional Law Exams waiting for me.  AND people keep sending me interesting things in the mail.

My mom sent me the Free-Range Knitter, the 2008 book by the Yarn Harlot/Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.  I don't get all the references to the perils of trying to raise kids, but still makes me laugh out loud.

Jha sent me this one for my birthday.  I had never heard of it before.  The patterns in it are nothing super-exciting, but the discussion of knitting's juxtaposition with feminism is pretty thoughtful.  I'm enjoying it.

Basically, my friends and family want me to fail at school.  Thanks, guys.

My Sis Awesome

My little sister is awesome.  She is an amazing artist, extremely smart, and a badass feminist.  She produces an art magazine, too, if you wanna take a look here.

She saw some graffiti on the side of a building near where she lives that was, um, sexist bullshit.  The bar owner refused to wash it off or paint over it, so she went a little renegade and fixed it herself.

This was she painted over it.

And here she is with her work.  Looks just like her, right?

Note: I don't usually condone graffiti, but when I have to choose between sexist graffiti and my sister's artwork, it isn't a hard choice.

She sent me a copy for my birthday...any suggestions on how to display it?

Weekend Update: Stitches South

This weekend I went to Stitches South, a big knitting convention in Atlanta.  Given the fact that exams start this week and I haven't done nearly enough studying yet, I could only stay for one day, but it was spent productively.

First up was a class called Design Your Dream Sweater with Leslye Solomon (can I just say, I love this lady).  I learned the basic skills for designing my own sweaters.  Seemed pretty intuitive, but doing that much swatching doesn't sound like much fun.

This is a sweater chart.  It's hard to see here, but each little grid square represents a stitch.  You do calculations based on your gauge, translate that into how many stitches to cast on/cast off and then draw out what you want your sweater to look like.

Over lunch I visited the market area.

Hundreds of booths hosting all kinds of knitting related items from yarn, to bison fiber to baskets and yarn bowls, to knitting needles and patterns.

I got some silk mawata, which are squares of silk cocoons stretches out and layed in layers.  You pull the layers apart and just knit them like any other fiber or yarn.  I resisted jumping on the mawata band wagon  a la the Yarn Harlot but now it might be time to try it out. They were dyed by Fiber Charmer, a local Atlanta dyer.  The colors are a lot more interesting and complex in real life. 

This yarn bombed bike was in the Atlanta area knit shops booth.  I wonder if it works...maybe my bike needs an overhaul...

In the afternoon I took a class on entrelac, the process of knitting in a cool diamond shaped pattern. 

The practice project was a beer cozy.  I feel very proud (of the knitting, not of the heinous color choices).

The teacher, Gwen Bortner wrote the book on entrelac.  Very, very smart, if intense, lady.

Great day.  Now I am hitting the books REALLY hard.  Property exam Wednesday, followed by Crim on Friday.  Whew....

Birthday!

Folks!  It's my birthday!  Feel free to celebrate in an appropriate manner!

Purple Sweater in Progress

Hey guys, I apologize.  I mentioned that I did this knit-along almost two months ago and then never said another word.  Here is my progress in a series of progressively worse photos.

Blurry

Awkward

Dark

It's also a nice study in the disaster that is the haircut I am trying to grow out.  And in how to use your head to cover up the inappropriate art work you have hanging in front of the only mirror in your house.

It's the Classic Raglan Pullover from Jane Richmond in Cascade 220 in colorway "Regal."  I am working on that left sleeve.  It's taking so long, I am considering just making it a short sleeve.  I cast on fewer stitches under the armpits than the pattern called for.  Makes it wonky at first glance, but once I put it on it seems alright.  Also, I might make it a little longer, but I will block it first and see if it grows at all.

Also, I might have signed up for another knit-along.  I never learn.

GA Statewide Knitting and Crochet Day Saturday

Yesterday, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal issued an executive proclamation naming Saturday, April 14, 2012 as statewide knitting and crochet day.

Picture from the Atlanta Knitting Guild at http://akgknits.blogspot.com/2012/04/meeting-governor.html

There is going to be a rally this Saturday, April 14th at the Georgia State Capitol.  Learn more here.  And the Facebook page is here.  The Georgia Knit and Crochet Day Rally will be from 11 am — 2 pm.

Bring your needles. Let's confuse some muggles.