all things ravelry

Today's soundtrack:
The Lake SkipMix

After a week down in Regina (which I will blog about at some point), I decided that I should get back to knitting. So over the weekend, I made this toddler sweater (not for me!) from Debbie Bliss's How to Knit:


And yes, I am all kinds of impressed with myself. But just as I was stitching the last seam together, my Ravelry invite arrived. I cannot even begin to describe my joy at being able to post pictures of my stash, of lining up my queue, and of describing my finished projects. I've come a long way from the scarf I made for Mom that looks like it was made by drunk house elves.

In celebration of my newly-realized skills as a beginner knitter, I cast on the Lace Ribbon Scarf from the current Knitty issue.


In further knitting news, my Knit Picks Harmony Wood DPNs arrived today. Yippee! They are quite lovely and will be put to work shortly. But as for tonight, Evelina by Burney is calling me.

sign of spring

Today's soundtrack:
The Reminder by Feist

Well, it doesn't really feel like spring here. Sure, it's a bit warmer and the snow has melted almost completely, but the ground is brown, the trees are bare and the sky is grey. In reality, this feels more like fall.

Except for the gophers. The gophers are back.

There is no more reliable sign of spring than the gopher, and I spotted my first gopher running across the entrance to Place Riel this morning. A girl was sitting on what passes for grass at this time of year, waiting for the bus, when the gopher ran past her. Judging her great leap and quick scamper away, I think this may have been her first gopher sighting.

Naturally, just as spring is about to really start, I finally put the fringe on my Ravenclaw scarf. Just in time for next winter, I suppose. But now that the socks and scarf are done (and I am not-so-patiently waiting for my Ravelry invite), my project list is shrinking rapidly. I think it's time for a yarn hunting expedition...

sock it to me.

Today's soundtrack:
The National

I did it. I knit a sock. I finally figured out, with the help of the knitty.com folk, how to properly use double-pointed needles so that my socks weren't doing this bizarre inside-out thing. Long story short, I turned the heel, picked up stitches, gusseted and kitchenered my way to my first ever sock.

Oooh I really like knitting socks rather than afghans. The near instant gratification appeals to my near absence of patience. Woot!

I would give you proof, but the Spaniard has the camera in Florence. And if he doesn't come back with a memory card full of hot Italians and the Duomo, then he's going to lose all camera privileges.

Anyway, I knit the first of two socks out of the leftover wool from the legwarmer project. But after this wool is gone (which it will be very, very soon), then I have no more sock yarns in the stash. Gasp! So, I did the only logical thing and ordered a lovely set of dpns from KnitPicks.com so that I am completely prepared. Next, when I'm done in Regina and out in the 'Mo next, I'll raid the local lys's sock yarn supply. After all, who doesn't love homemade socks? Snort.

lord of the geeks.

Today's soundtrack:
Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie.

Came across this, an analysis of The Lord of the Rings as property law.

Snort.

17 years is not an excuse.

Today's soundtrack:
In Rainbows by Radiohead.

Interesting few days on the Prairies. This video has been making the rounds. Current Tory MP Tom Ludiwski and SaskParty Premier Brad Wall have both apologised for the homophobic and ethnic slurs - although they attempt to contextualise the film by saying that it's almost 17 years old and that, somehow, intolerance was more acceptable almost 17 years ago.

17 years ago was 1991. In 1993, Philadelphia came out. It's not like homophobia and heterosexism wasn't on the radar. 1991 marked the end of the Soviet Union. The Eastern Bloc had collapsed and there was near universal understanding of the dire economic and social issues facing Ukraine. I was knee-high to a grasshopper, but I still remember the sense of desperation implicit in the images broadcast on the news. While during the 1960s Ukrainians in Saskatchewan were still viewed as inferior, Archie Bunker managed to blow apart the ethnic stereotyping facing Eastern European immigrants during the 1970s on All in the Family. Point is, 17 years ago wasn't that long ago. 17 years is not an excuse.

But what has bothered me most about this video is the sexism that runs throughout. From the cameraman asking why the two women working on the computer weren't sitting in each other's laps, to telling a woman she was "missing something" (breasts) on her chest and asking another woman to undo one of her buttons (as she was wearing a sweatshirt, this proved impossible). The reactions of the women are interesting. Either a) they agree with their objectification or b) they are used to the sexual innuendo and harassment and find it easier to put up and shut up rather than draw attention to the asinine behaviour of the future MP and Saskatchewan Premier. Either way, the shocking aspect for me is the acceptance of this sexist behaviour. Last time I checked, 1991 was after the Second Wave movement of the 1970s.

I get the fact they were drunk. I get the fact they were celebrating a debate that hadn't happened yet. I get the fact that they were probably all friends as well as fellow campaigners. What bothers me is the lack of respect shown not only to the LBGT and Ukrainian communities, but also to women.

And for some reason, that's the one aspect that the media refuses to talk about.