Pick yo own!

8 pints of raspberries and 4 pints of blueberries are now two batches of jam and a few bags frozen for future pies.


Tomorrow I begin to learn the "morning mixer" job at the bakery, a big step up in knowledge and responsibility. Have to be in there at

2:30

AM

for the next two weeks.

Picture me there hovering over one of those industrial-sized slowly turning mixing machines wrestling dough.

How tired do you have to be

to knit the second sleeve of one of your own designs (the pattern for which has been fully written, test knit, and tech edited, by the way) with a smaller-sized needle than the rest of the sweater?

And not notice that the sleeve you produce is FAR TOO SMALL? Like 2/3 the size of the other sleeve THAT YOU ARE MEASURING THE SECOND SLEEVE AGAINST AS YOU KNIT? Until you are wet blocking the pieces to sew them together?

I suppose the fact that I caught this before stitching it together and trying to get my Dud to model it next week is a good thing.

Plan for next week: Sleeve. Family visit. Photos of The Dud in New Sweater. New Weaverknits pattern!


Until then, new hair and a big plain Pi Shawl out of Evilla 8/2 yarn from Wollsucht that I can't possibly mess up, right?

Dishcloth Army and Good Reads

Behold, the Dishcloth Army, including A Round One! A relaxed brainless knitting spell can be seen as a head start on holiday and birthday knitting.

Below, some good reads. One of my current projects is to read all of the Man-Booker Prize winners (hence The Sea and Amsterdam). I got the inspiration from Meg, who reads the Man-Booker prize short list every year.


If you make things, I highly recommend Shop Class as Soulcraft; it's a practical investigation into the inherent value of working with one's hands to make and maintain physical objects. Think mechanics and steelworkers. I put knitting in the same category, with the unfortunate difference that it is not possible to make a living by handknitting alone as one can by welding or, say, baking bread. In any case, read it. Then pass it on.

Hello from the walking dead!

The past week has included a tap dance recital (two regular classes, one dress rehearsal, one recital with afterparty), a crazy week at the bakery including the "Hi Rise Bread Company Thursday Death March," which I hope does not become a weekly event (9.5 hours without any breaks, and we weren't anywhere near finished when I had to leave for my tap recital dress rehearsal (I was still 45 minutes late for that), a night working at the oyster bar at my other job, and a Father's Day dinner. Oh, and did I mention that I am now commuting by bike to and from my job with Chris every morning? It's only about 10 miles each way, nice when there's sun, more interesting in the sort of constant rain we've had around here.

I tried to do some pattern writing. FAIL.


I tried working on my Queen of Diamonds Fingerless Gloves. (Free pattern, just follow that link and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page). Couldn't deal with it, even though this pattern is exceptionally clear and well written.

Ballband dishcloth. Yes.


So, what do you knit when you're so tired you've caught yourself nodding off while people are talking to you?

Tap Dance Recital Photos: My Mom Bergh (left in the first photo below), Aunt Paula (right in the first photo below), and I danced to "It's Raining Men" to shouts and hoots of appreciation.


Yes, we were the only adults in the program. Those are indeed gold lame raincoats, and yes, we did some high kicks in our routine. It was awesome.

Happy

Some fingerless gloves knit in Saffron Merino/Tencel from Minds Eye Yarns.

A large Huron loaf, a complex wheat bread, from my bakery. I'm done with "baker's hours" as of yesterday, at least for a while! I did it! On to first shift, 7 am to 3 pm, and a more normal life!

Chris bought a suet feeder for the birds outside our porch so that Chinaski can watch them all day.

So for all of this I made a celebratory vodka and tonic.

Accidents will happen

Fell down the stairs at the bakery yesterday, while carrying a heavy tub of lime-blueberry muffin batter.

Took the day off from the bakery, took some muscle relaxers (I ached all over by the time it really set in last night), lots of Advil, 14 hour sleep, and I think I'll be back at it tomorrow.


Meanwhile, in a break from designing work, I've finished the last of the Mother's Day socks. Pattern is my own, knit in Reynold's Soft Sea Wool on size 2 needles. Cast on 56 stitches, knit round and round in 20-row stripes with 2-row stripes on the heel.

Thanks for all your good wishes... I got all my Unemployment $$$ in the mail yesterday!

Know Your Rights

"The claimant is not subject to disqualification and is entitled to receive unemployment benefits."

IT CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY! I won.

But I didn't only win my retroactive Unemployment money, which, honestly, is not that much is the scheme of things. I won a new job, a new perspective on priorities, a greater sense of justice and fairness. I wish things had been easier, but there's something empowering about fighting something that is so clearly wrong straight-on and coming out the winner.

And for that I'd like to thank Former Employer, whose actions, though hurtful, indirectly brought me to a much happier place in life.