What (K)not to say

I do believe the best thing about Ravelry is the community.

It's not snarky like some online communities. It's not full of little old ladies sitting at home alone with 40 cats like some people may think. And it is definitely not as placid as the design would have one think.

So what is it?

From ravelry :) See the joy?

It's all of that and more (well... maybe not the cats... at least, not for one person). It's a place where we can ask for advice, whether seasoned knitter or newbie at the craft. It's where you can garner medical advice that eventually culminates in "See the doctor!!" (But we'll always ask to see if everything is alright.) And it's where yahoo articles get dissected, not necessarily for the content, but for the knit scarf in the picture embellishing the model's neck.

Just as other social media sites have different groups, boards and topics, so does #Ravelry. On this particular board, I skimmed through the topic titles until I found one that seemed suitably humorous for the end of the day.

What not to say to a knitter...

Truly, how could I resist? Opening the thread was like opening a can of worms. See for yourself some of the comments which graced the article itself.

Now, I cannot say that her reaction was the most appropriate. Nor can I say that the continued insistence on the statement being a compliment was completely necessary. However, let it be noted, she has some good points.

I believe her last point is the one that speaks to me the most -  "emotional connection." Not only that, but it reminds me a great deal of Mastercard commercials.

Yarn - $20
Needles - $5.49
Glove pattern - $3.99
The look on their face when they unwrap the box - Priceless

We all have our stories, hers involves her husband, yarn from another country and the search for the perfect pattern. Mine generally involve the people I love as well.

My first scarf took me three months to knit. It was 1x1 rib in a worsted weight wool on size 10 straight needles and a heathered forest green. With tassels. My second scarf took me just as long. Not only that, but I made a rudimentary pattern from a stitch dictionary and even wrote it up and offered it up to other beginning knitters. That was the beginning of a trend.

I knew from that day on, seven years ago, I would never again knit a scarf unless I loved them. Why, you ask? Because a proper scarf must be a minimum of 5 feet, or the recipient's armspan. Because a proper scarf must be able to wrap around their neck twice to offer the most amount of warmth. Because the same pattern gets just the teeniest, tiniest bit boring by the time you reach two feet, 3 balls of yarn, however you wish to quantify it. I even went so far as to proclaim that I would knit a laceweight shawl before I ever knit a scarf again.

To look at the recipients of my scarves would be indicative of the place they hold in my heart. My best friend from high school. My mother (she got a scarf AND a shawl... and a hat...). My grandmother. My brother.

But to be fair, any recipient of a knit or crochet item holds a place in my heart. From the time I choose a pattern, match the yarn and cast on... to the weaving of ends (which I hate - another sign of love if you don't have dangling bits of yarn), I knit a little of my heart into each piece. Memories soak into the fabric, reminding me of the past. Pictures of the final product with their new owners fills the hole that was left behind when gifted. And stories of their use, misuse and garnered compliments remind me why some people will always be knitworthy.

True love <3>

Deep Reading

Social media has taken the place of many a newspaper during early morning routines, paired with a flaky pastry and takeaway cup filled with cream and hot coffee. And it is that medium through which numerous articles on life and love, relationships and relativity come to play.

Which would you choose?

A recent reposting of an article in Elite Daily entitled "Why Readers, Scientifically, Are the Best People to Fall in Love With" piqued my interest the other day. Not so much for the romantic sentiments of being able to truly understand your feelings or the association with possessing the knowledge and experiences of 1000 souls (which really is quite creepy in truth...), but the idea of deep reading.

Coined by American writer Sven Birkerts in his compilation The Gutenberg Elegies (1994), he claims

"Reading, because we control it, is adaptable to our needs and rhythms. We are free to indulge our subjective associative impulse; the term I coin for this is deep reading: the slow and meditative possession of a book. We don't just read the words, we dream our lives in their vicinity."

Birkirts continues

"The printed page becomes a kind of wrought-iron fence we crawl through, returning, once we have wandered, to the very place we started. Deep listening to words is rarely an option. Our ear, and with it our whole imaginative apparatus, marches in lockstep to the speaker's baton."

The idea of deep reading is a foreign concept to many, as claimed by the above article. Can it be said that the ideas put forth are a proper representation of the culture and ideals of the age? That the entire website, both contributors and readers, are a reflection of the Millenial generation? That as a group, we have become so entangled in technology that words of ink and pressed pulp are no longer commonplace?

I hope not. For otherwise, my existence and those of many friends will be among the minority. A dying breed.

Birkerts argues against the technological tentacles grasping at our lives, claiming that reading through a device is not the same as holding spine of a book beneath your fingers and he is right. There is nothing like the smell of a book, the feeling of the cover caressed by your fingers and the rigidity of a perfect spine, still yet uncracked, pages unopened. And yet, the idea of deep reading, I contend, cannot be disregarded merely because of its electronic replacement, whether a reading device such as a Nook or an application like the Kindle.

However, Birkerts rightly believes that

"When we read with our eyes, we hear the words in the theater of our auditory inwardness. The voice we conjure up is our own–it is the sound-print of the self. Bringing this voice to life via the book is one of the subtler aspects of the reading magic, but hearing a book in the voice of another amounts to a silencing of that self–it is an act of vocal tyranny. The listener is powerless against the taped voice... The collaborative component is gone; one simply receives"

The popular concept of bringing books to life through the movie screen has long irked me. How can 600 pages of prose be condensed into 90 minutes of screen time? Or even 180 minutes as with more recent adaptations of classics? Instead of skimming or using Cliffnotes, students zero in on film adaptations, occasionally not realizing the errors in translation. While I cannot say I am a proponent of the former, the idea of reading a simplified version is far superior when the objective is to form a literary basis. Now, it is not to say that an actor has not performed well, but in deference to the original authors, we must separate ourselves from the text, appreciate both forms of diversion for their own merits.

Yet, I digress. For this was to be on the immersion of the self into a book, not a social commentary. And so I pose the same questions.

When was the last time you read a book cover to cover without skimming?

When was the last time you sat down without music or a movie to the silence of rustling pages or the tapping of a button?

Have you ever felt the cool drip of tears down your face unexpectedly? Or startled yourself with a shout of laughter?

For me, it was only last night when I felt the pain of deep reading. The heartbreak of giving myself to a world the author created, investing myself in the characters and their desires. The feeling of losing all I held dear because of one harsh word. And the disappointment mirrored in their eyes. I do not speak of pain in the literal sense, of the sharp stabbing sensation of being impaled or the crushing substernal pressure of a myocardial infarct. No. This was the pain of loving too deeply, of reading so hard that reality slipped away and nothing existed but for the world I dreamt of.

Is this the reasoning behind why readers make the best people to fall in love with? Or is it the other way round? That in losing ourselves to worlds which only exist in writing, we learn to love so unconditionally, giving away bits of ourselves without consciously thinking of the repercussions. The salient points of the article show what the reader can bring to the relationship, but what of their other half? What is it they offer to one who loves so deeply, cares without thought and brings wisdom to light? Seems a bit one sided, no?

And therein lies the truth. From the hands of Poe, "for all that we see or seem... is but a dream within a dream."

Knit a Story

Each ball of yarn has a beginning and an end, just like a story, just like life.

I posted about this project at the beginning of the year and here it is in its entirety now. These boot cuffs can be a bright addition to a gloomy winter outfit of blacks and browns and greys and are an easy knit to boot. Yes, yes, terrible punning. Truly, there are times when I cannot help myself. But I digress.

The Old English Lace Boot Cuffs are simple yet elegant in appearance. The addition of a bow adds a special flair of femininity without being overtly flamboyant. And best yet, they take less than a skein of sock yarn. So for a bit of stash busting (we all know there are skeins languishing in the back closet waiting to be knit up and not enough for gloves or a pair of socks) pick up your needles and click the link above.

Another finished project this year is my Date Night. So I exaggerated a slight bit upon posting it two weeks past on another social media network; however, I do believe that this project was very much like creating a newborn.

Close up

First off, it took over 30 weeks. True, full term would be 38-40 weeks so my dress was a bit premature. But thankfully needed no bethamethasone for fetal lung maturity, seeing as it was never truly alive... (Sheep don't die when their fleece are shorn). And I luckily did not have to gain a pound a week beginning halfway through my second trimester, but instead was lucky enough to gain only 200 grams in plied wool for the endeavor.

Besides the time, the love in caring for my work in progress (WIP) followed me through to the end. I kept the unused balls separate from the project. All the supplies,  extra needles, yarn and tape measure were carted through five states, six cities and more than seven different apartments. I brought my baby everywhere,  kept her in my purse for long bus rides, in my backpack for the plane, strewn on the bed as a reminder.

Now... now she is born and there is no good occasion to wear her. For the warmth she brings by covering my body is almost too much for a sunny day. But the lace features openings for wind and fog to creep in on cold San Francisco nights. My dress is fickle but she is mine even if there is no companion for the date I made her for, her namesake, the pattern.

For more details on the changes I made to the pattern for a dress length vs. top, follow the link to my Ravelry project page. :) Happy Knitting.

The Other Side

It's been a good number of years since I participated in writing contests, HarperCollins and a number of other creative writing endeavors. I remember a time when I would go searching google for contests without entry fees, comb through author blogs and websites for inspiration and challenge myself with prompts and topics outside of my comfort zone.

But... I stopped. In truth, I'm not entirely sure why. Perhaps I have too many artistic outlets to let any one take over for too long? I entered college? I started working? I discovered a love of fiber arts?

In any case, the recent acquisition of a new phone and the pre-installed applications led me to start reading news articles again. That will be a topic for another day but to continue... Flipboard utilizes a very similar idea to Pinterest, where users "flip" articles onto their boards and create "magazines" of associated content just as users "pin" onto their "boards" on the latter. In any case, you can add a number of topics you're interested in to follow articles other users have flipped, or you can add your own while browsing the internet.

It was through Flipboard that I found myself reading about a number of free entry fee writing contests while eating leftover pizza (don't judge, I know you've done it too) for breakfast and drinking my coffee.

One entry that caught my eye was hosted by Cha. Cha is an Asian Literary Journal founded in 2007 and based in Hong Kong. They have a strong focus on Asian themed work as well as showcasing Asian writers around the world. This ties into another article I read about the paucity of female Asian American writers, but in truth, both published and unpublished authors, there are quite a few if you take the time to look. Many do not have traditional Asian names - Chen, Patel, Wong, Kim - just to name a few from different cultural backgrounds, or they use pen names, evven use their married surnames.

To take a leaf from these articles, today's challenge will be to participate in the Cha "The Other Side" Poetry Contest. Unfortunately, that also means there won't be an entry until the contest winners are announced; however, use the opportunity to think about what the phrase means to you and how you're going to interpret it. Write one, two, or even three poems, each no longer than 80 lines and submit it according to the guidelines in the link above. Until then, tap away at that keyboard, scribbling on scraps of sheet paper and perhaps you'll see a post referring back to this one in a month or two.

Will you delve into the world of science fiction/fantasy? Conjure up days of long past? Or perhaps make it a personal anecdote?

Sinful Saturdays

Between this post and the last, you will not be lacking for something sinfully sweet when you have a craving. And the best part? Not only will you get two giant cookies (or 4 in my case) but it only takes one extra large egg. Mmm hmmm, that is correct. And if you only have enough room in your tummy for one of these monstrosities, both the raw egg as well as the unbaked dough can both be stored in your freezer for one of those rainy days when you can't be bothered to lift a finger, much less a mixing bowl.

A few warnings before you continue with this #recipe. Due to the alkali nature of the cocoa powder and the baking soda, it can have quite a bitter touch to it if your measurements are off, so measure accordingly. From previous experience, I can say that a lump of baking soda is not good eats. On that end, watch the baking of this cookie compared to the previous recipe. This one takes only about 13-15 minutes and it can be quite difficult to ascertain if the bottom of your cookie is burned due to the darkness of the dough. One more little tidbit before continuing, an extra large egg yields about 4 tablespoons, which as I said about, is about perfect for two giant cookie recipes.

Giant Chocolate Cookie

2 tbl unsalted butter (softened)
2 tbl granulated sugar
2 tbl brown sugar (light)
2 tbl beaten egg
2 tbl cocoa powder
1/4 cup (4 tbl) AP flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
Additions: chopped walnuts, chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugar. (I've been using a fork since it's such a small amount and who can be bothered to dirty proper mixing utensils?) Add the egg and vanilla. Mix. Combine the rest of the dry goods and mix until thoroughly combined. As with the previous recipe, here is where the fun begins. I added in chopped walnuts because that's what I had on hand but you can use anything as long as it doesn't exceed 1/4 cup of extra goodies.

Waiting to get baked

Bake at 350 F for about 13-15 minutes, watching carefully. The cookie will appear underdone but will set up as it cools. :) This is a sinfully chocolaty cookie, more on the dark and rich side instead of sweet and sultry. The center is like the chewy goodness of a brownie with the outside crackly.

Oops, a cookie monster took a bite

The Comforts of Childhood

#ThrowbackThursday

Generally I don't participate in any of these internet-generated themed days of the week but the hashtag association seemed quite appropriate for this recipe and the events of the week. Especially if you're an 80s or 90s baby who grew up with old school Macs and floppy disk games which were the highlight of the week when it was your turn in class to have thirty minutes or an hour in front of the computer with a partner, playing Number Munchers, Oregon Trail and Pac Man.

Earlier this week, the Internet archive otherwise known to many on Ravelry as the Wayback Machine, released a number of MS-DOS games free for public consumption. So what did we do? My brother and I decided that Oregon Trail would be the best way to experience that joyous childhood game again in our 20s (and it was much more fun than a trip to the dentist).

Splint? External fixation?

Someone didn't get their MMR completed :D

Surprisingly enough, we didn't suffer much in the way of casualties, true, so a few members of the party broke a leg or two, perhaps contracted fevers and the measles but beyond some broken axles, stolen bullets, we made it to Oregon, having set out in May with the hopes that we would arrive before the snows came upon us. 

We survived!

If you want a little bit of your childhood back today, take a look over on The Internet Archive and search for your favorite game from the days of pixeled art, desktops with towers and mice connected with cords.

Now for some sugar to sweeten up the day.

Cravings for cookies can often be a pitfall, ending up a dozen, two dozen, even three occasionally depending upon the size of each morsel. And without anyone to feed, it can become more torture than a treat by the time you've eaten six or seven straight out of the oven. The cookie jars of childhood wouldn't be enough to house the resulting leftovers. But the following recipe is perfect for those days when you can't be bothered to fire up the oven, roll up your sleeves and slave in front of the oven for as long as it takes to bake off a pound of dough.

Having seen tons of single serving recipes on Pinterest as well as microwave mug cakes, both of which have made it onto Pinterest Fail lists in one way or another, I was a bit skeptical. However, this is definitely a win. I decreased the flour since the dough seemed thick enough and didn't add salt since peanut butter has quite a bit already. Added a dash more vanilla and didn't bother to measure my PB (because more is better). So here's the recipe with my tweaks. :D

And for even more awesome lazy craving fulfillment, I used a small toaster oven and didn't have to battle the pots and pans stored in the large conventional oven (that's how you know it's a Chinese house - the oven isn't used for baking) required for a full batch of cookies.

Find the original on Sally's Baking Addiction. 

Giant Peanut Butter Cookie

2 tbl unsalted butter (softened)
2 tbl granulated sugar
2 tbl light brown sugar
2 tbl egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-3 tbl peanut butter (smooth)
7 tbl AP flour (originally 8 tbl aka 1/2 cup)
1/4 tsp baking soda

Additional treats: chopped walnuts, Reese's cup pieces, peanut butter m&ms

In a small bowl, combine the butter, sugars, and peanut butter. Mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add the egg and vanilla. When combined, add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda). Do not over mix. It will be a fairly thick dough.

Now here's where the fun begins. The original poster added Reese's pieces but I didn't have any on hand. So just add whatever your heart desires, as long as it doesn't exceed 1/2 cup of goodies. I used some leftover candy and walnuts. :)

Bake in a 350 F oven for 15-20 minutes. The cookie will still look a little underdone and soft in the middle but will firm up as it cools down.

Straight out of the oven

 This makes a massive amount for ONE cookie so I separated my dough into two 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick circles of about 4 inches in diameter and only baked one at a time. It came out to be 5 inches in diameter after baking. The rest of the egg is in a ziploc baggie in the freezer for my next cookie craving. Yum!

Happy New Year!

Another year has passed and we are now 15 years into the new century. What will the next 365 days bring? As always, may this year be joyful and bright, full of memories to be made, friendships to built and maintain and perhaps a bit of love to blossom? ;) Now I get ahead of myself, that will be a post for February.

The beginning of the year is full of enthusiasm and optimism, wiping the slate clean and starting anew. A common question people ask of one another is: What are your New Year's Resolutions? Some hold that they are merely made to be broken. While others use them as jumping off points for goals of the year. So I ask of you the same question, as both a writing challenge for the new year and as a promise to yourself, what are your resolutions for the coming year?

Myself, I am not going to pretend that I will be posting as much as I want. But neither will I let my creative juices lie stagnant for long. This year, I want to continue to find myself, who I am, who I want to be and all the little nuances of my personality I have yet to smooth over and figure out. But most of all, I'm going to enjoy the little things in life, the aspects we all take for granted and make the most of each day. For a more concrete resolution, at least 10-15 minutes of each day will be used for something creative, whether it be working on a story, continuing a knitting project or crafting a new set of earrings.

So far, I think I've done fairly well, for those who follow the fiber crafts, this is the Year of the Ram (or Sheep) however you wish to translate the Chinese. And what is more integral to our craft than yarn, plies of wool spun from the combed locks shorn off woolen beasts and dyed into vibrant colors for our pleasure. This will a year of fiber and fun, of more knitting to come and crochet to learn.

Already, I have finished a test knit for a pair of boot cuffs by another Raveler, the name of the pattern which is yet to be determined.

Lacey, a pop of color to brighten up any set of boots and a layer of extra warmth against the cold winter, this pattern took no more than a few days of careful attention to finish. Links to follow when the pattern is released. Until then, stay warm. :)