Pictures

Hiyal.

Here are some pics of our last two Friday Night events - Martini Night and Left Over Party Night.

Knit for peace

Martini Night was a blast (thanks again, Libby), and I'll post more on that soon, but right now I want to share an email I just got (write a comment, or email if you have any recomendations on how That Yarn Store can celebrate it) :

Dear Folks,

We've just passed the autumnal equinox, it's the new moon, the New Year for some, a lovely Friday in September for others, and I'd like to start organising for 2007. These are the things that I'd like to do to get organised:

Get the Knit for Peace Manifesto translated into as many languages as possible.

Remind people so that they can start planning in their communities.

Generate contact with the press so that the word can spread.

To update you on what I've been doing:

I've updated the Squidoo lens (http://www.squidoo.com/knitforpeace)

I've (gulp) started a blog (http://knitforpeace.blogspot.com)

The reason that I've started a blog is to make current information available to anyone who looks for it--it's seems easier than pointing and clicking to bcc to everyone on a mailing list from Yahoo so that you're all anonymous to each other. Speaking of which, if you want to be removed from this mailing list please let me know and I will do so immediately. I don't expect to be sending out a lot of this type of email because (1) it's a pain to write and receive, and (2) I figure that some of these will get caught in a spam trap because the list is so long, and I don't want that to happen.

Happy knitting,

Randy

Another Knitter for Peace

What's on the needles?

Right now I'm making wee hats for Stitches from the Heart.

These two I finished at the last church of craft. I love little hats. You can whip them out in an hour and don't need a pattern. And so what if they come out a little pointy...

Babies' heads are a little pointy, right? Well, Jessamy says they are, though I can't say I've ever made a mental note of the shape of baby heads.

Can you tell I'm not a professional photographer? I think pants make a fine backdrop.

new yarns

We've recently received some new yarns.

We're most excited about the Rowan Demin. The finished garment fades and shrinks just like jeans. Like many things in life, normally that's a bad thing, but since it's purposeful it's cool.

What are these droplets?

I would like to assure you before I start my actual post that I will refrain from mentioning Singles Night (9/14 6pm). I've already posted about Singles Night (9/14 6pm) and I would guess that most of the people who read this blog also get our newsletters and are tired of being reminded that Singles Night is this Friday at 6pm and that we'll be providing some cheese, crackers, and non-alcoholic drinks (we're saving the bubbly for Martini Night (9/22 6pm)).

I woke up this morning and noticed that it was a little darker than usual. I just assumed it was a manifestation of my then current mental state, but I realized as soon as I closed the self-locking door and walked down the porch and into the foggy drizzle that it was completely stupid of me not to have looked outside before exiting the building. And it wasn't as if I was driving to work that day. I was, of course, late to catch the train (light rail system to be exact). I really need to start watching the weather channel, or at the very least not smile and nod and secretly say in my head "poor woman, she has no idea what she's talking about" when a customer tells me the weather is going to be cooler tomorrow.

Yesterday was Noah's birthday, so we ate out at Stinking Rose. Hana and Noah claim the restaurant is under new management because the menu is different and the mash potatoes don't taste the same. I wouldn't know about that, but I do know Garlic Ice Cream is good. I also know that excessive amounts of garlic make one very volatile. At one point in the evening mom asked some question which required an explanation of opossums and the news that the "Jingle Cats" CD she gave me 5 years ago has finally been appreciated, though perhaps not as originally intended.

Mom's response to the opossum story was "yes, I know, I read your blog." Oh dear, is nothing sacred! In an instant she had shattered all my dreams using this blog to air my family's dirty laundry and reduced my topics of appropriate posting to the weather.

Church of Craft tomorrow

The next Church of Craft meeting, Eagle Rock congregation, is tomorrow, September 10th, from 2:00-5:00 or so at The Coffee Table on Colorado in Eagle Rock.

I'm going. See you there.

The Love Scarf Project

That Yarn Store is supporting a new charity, The Love Scarf Project. Drop in and donate a handmade scarf or cap.

About The Love Scarf Project
The Love Scarf Project collects handmade scarves and caps to be distributed on Christmas Eve to men and women living with cancer at City of Hope, a southern CA institution dedicated to the prevention and curing of cancer and other life-threatening illness.

Singles Night, countdown begins

Singles Night is 8 days away.

So far we've had more men than women RSVP for the event and it's going to be very awkward if Singles Night turns out to be a room full of guys, Frannie, and I. Especially since Frannie and I aren't single ...

Come on over to singles night, don't be shy, it's basically just going to be a knitting and crochet circle for people with at least one thing in common - that they're single. So bring your friends, and bring your knitting, we're also looking for volunteers to teach those that don't know how to knit or crochet. Did I mention we'll have refreshments?

Opossum revisited

Last night (UFO Night) I was asked about the opossums. Well, sad to say, the issue has not been resolved.

I had done a fair amount of research, looked at several possum websites, including www.opossumsocietyus.org, etc, called animal control but apparently they only catch dogs and cats and then claimed there were no other city services that trapped wildlife, so I then called up a couple of professionals... Then nothing. I got overwhelmed, and dad's solution of get Max (he would be leaving in two days) and Noah (a sixteen year old) on the roof, at night, to board the hole just didn't seem like something I wanted to do.

I love my brothers, I don't want to send them on the roof at 10:00 at night. More to the point, I don't want to send them up on the roof at 10:00 at night, only for them to fall off and leave me with the guilt of their neck-down paralysis for the rest of my life.

After a not so brief consideration of hiring one of the trappers for $350 and more attempts at the ammonia buckets, I temporarily gave up.

Then, after a so far successful ridding of the fruit flies two weeks ago, I've been alternating between zealous fits of "must be on offensive against possum" and "I'm too lazy to sit in the backyard with an empty trashcan, a stick, and a piece of string."

The last fit of offensiveness involved going out at 9 pm and buying 3 boxes of aluminum foil at the 99 cents store and $20 of aluminum at Home Depot, the thinking being that we could wrap aluminum around all the trees, and then the possum wouldn't have any surface to cling to as it's climbing up the trees. Well, 45 minutes into the plan we (jessamy and I, mostly Jessamy) had just finished wrapping a 3 inch in diameter vine when we realized that the opossum, which had previously been on the ground, had made it's way to the roof via an unknown route. Suddenly, that plan got way too complicated for our tired little brains.

Becca, who's very nice and owns sugarbutterbex, has had a raccoon problem for a number of years, and has convinced me to rent a trap. Fortunately we have a park a block away from my house (I'll tell you about the rat relocation one of these posts), so I'll be able to relocate the animal easily. Though I just now realized that I shouldn't get my hopes up, since that advice is given from someone who has had racoons for a number of years.

Until then, Jessamy and I have decided to go the General Noriega route and blast Jingle Cats out of a stereo placed right under the ceiling (while we're out of the house, of course).

UFO Night Tomorrow

UFOs, otherwise known as Unfinished Objects to those in the knitting acronym circle.

Friday, September 1st
5:30-7
Bring in any projects that are ... well ... unfinished.
This is the chance you've been waiting for to finish that shawl hiding under your sofa.

(I'm going to be bringing that linen shirt that's been sitting in the corner for months)