There's a bluebird in my heart that

wants to get out
but I'm too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody's asleep.


I say, I know that you're there,
so don't be
sad.

then I put him back,
but he's singing a little
in there, I haven't quite let him die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it's nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don't
weep, do
you?


(Charles Bukowski, "the bluebird")

A long time in coming, a new pattern inspired by my Dud, and brought to you with special thanks to Kate, who knit the brown Bluebird pictured in the pattern, Lorna's Laces, who provided the Fisherman and Shepherd Sport yarns for Kate's sample, and Lil' Sis Beth "Other Weaverknits" for creating the Weaverknits logo and Bluebird schematic.

Designed to fit 34 to 58 inch chests; finished chest sizes 37.5 (42.75, 46, 48, 52, 56, 60) inches. Skills needed? A bit of intarsia, cable pattern, seaming and finishing skills.

$5

No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones

I decided to get this tattoo after winning my unemployment case and getting my new job. Regular blog readers might get the Clash reference; I was born in 1977 as well!

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.