Wednesday, April 29, 2009

J O B! JOB!!! JOB!!!


Weaverknits is now the proud owner of a shiny new full-time job baking bread during an early morning shift at a Cambridge bakery, where everything is made from scratch. The loaf on the right is from my new job; the loaf on the left is one of my traditional Bread for the People loaves.

No more working for morally revolting boss men! No more cubicle! No more dress code! No more condescension! Don't worry, though, I'm still getting all that retroactive Unemployment pay after my hearing wraps up on May 19. Oh yes.

I start May 11. For 2-3 months my shifts will be 3 am to 11 am. Pray for me.

Knitting soon. Love, Ann

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Weaver Women Field Trip

to New York City this weekend!

Today was especially good because I turned this:


Into this:


Maybe you're wondering what's happened to the Recession Series of Free Patterns. So deadlines are approaching, and being met, and with flair, but I promise a free pattern is coming out in June, and another, handspun-based free pattern will follow. The supplies:


Time for bed... 7 am bus departure tomorrow.

Monday, April 20, 2009

April 16 to May 19: A Month Overflowing with Great

With the warm fuzzy feeling of support from all of you, I have decided to enjoy every day of the next month until I get my Unemployment. I'm taking my cue from these guys:


Total bliss. There's lots of designing going on... I biked over to a nearby coffeehouse and spent the afternoon doing math for a new pattern, and even an obnoxious gaggle of high school kids all sugared up on a big pail of malted milk balls did not bother me enough to make me leave, or even to go complain to an employee.


Do you like my notebook that looks like a Dell notebook? I got that from jobjob and use it for my knitting calculations. Oh jobjob, why did you have to go all evil on me?

More socks, too... check out this colorway from Spunky Eclectic (can't find the ballband, sorry).

Even pedicured my own feet. Every day a Great day.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Holding Pattern! But Fear Not!

Hello to everyone who's been wondering about my appeal: The appeal is going to take longer than the hour allotted, so it will be continued on May 19.

Bad: I will have no real income for another month.

Good: My former employer is done with testimony, and they have nothing. On May 19 I get to tell my story, calmly and truthfully.

So I picture myself on an airplane, on a journey. My plane is circling my final destination and is in a holding pattern, but not an uncertain "weather-related" holding pattern; rather, a holding pattern that is the result of several other planes that need to land before my plane can. My plane will land safely at my destination, just later than I would have hoped.

In the meantime, enjoy this nice shot of some yarn I spun the other night that is now in the shop:

Monday, April 13, 2009

It all goes down on Thursday

when I have my unemployment appeal hearing. Send positive, righteous thoughts of justice throughout the afternoon.

Until then, I HAVE been knitting: A Wham Bam Thank You Lamb cowl for a present, made from my own handspun merino.


I've been spinning, too: Some fun, bulky thick-and-thin 2-ply (80 yards), also for a present, made from Traveling Rhinos batts. I've never spun from such an interesting mix of fibers (wool, locks, sparkle, silk, alpaca) and it was fun. I think the yarn will make a very cool hat or cowl.


I promise that there is awesome handspun for the etsy shop on the way!

Another recent project was a day-long baking bonanza with the Bergh family, resulting in lovely, individually-sized desserts for Easter dinner: Lemon chiffon and carrot cake shooters. You can see the complete photographic record of the project on Flickr.


I'll be trying to distract myself until Thursday, but I anticipate a lot of wandering around the house with a pail-sized cup of coffee and a lot of knitting round and round in the glow of bad TV. Good thoughts! Righteous thoughts!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Deadlines and Court Dates

I have an appeal date for Unemployment, and I chortle in Deadline #1's face! Har har hargh!

The knitting around here has been challenging but fantastic. You'll have to trust me. However, I am taking a "gauge break" (I find that knitting a bit in a different gauge than your main project when my wrists start to ache can provide some relief) to start the sock parade that marks every Mothers' Day in the Weaver-Bergh family (Mothers' Day, the Holiest of the High Hallmark Holidays):


This one is the Child's French Sock from Nancy Bush's book "Knitting Vintage Socks " (it's sized for a woman, and I'm not telling you moms and grandmas which one of you this pair is for) worked in Zen Yarn Garden Serenity sock yarn (if you knit, check out her roving. I've used several colors of the merino, and it was The softest I. Have ever. Felt. Just going over there and looking at the colors brought a little tear to my eye because I just want to gather them all up and bring them into my loving home).

And check out the seed pattern on this pepper. That's a must-knit texture for sure!


Okay, time for bed. I've been running my butt off at my restaurant job hostessing these past two nights (oh, and for those of you who were curious, a "Facilitator" is like a barback, stocking alcohol and glasses at the bar, bussing tables, dragging ice buckets and serving drinks. On one of those little round trays. I balance it on one hand up high and try to walk with class in my paratrooper jump boots and the-smallest-they-make-but-still-hillariously-large-on-me Dickies black work pants).

ETA: Shelly, you wrote me a comment a few posts back about my Tempest leftovers... email me if you are interested in a trade (weaverbergh13@verizon.net)!