May Day

As we celebrate spring and our adoration of yarn and all things fibrous, please remember the textile workers who perhaps cannot enjoy our enthusiasm because of harsh working conditions and/or poor wages. May Day is International Workers Day:

The mill owners often took in orphans to their workhouses, they lived at the mill and were worked as hard as possible. They spent most of their working hours at the machines with little time for fresh air or exercise. Even part of Sunday was spent cleaning machines. There were some serious accidents, some children were scalped when their hair was caught in the machine, hands were crushed and some children were killed when they went to sleep and fell into the machine.

In the late nineteenth century, the working class was in constant struggle to gain the 8-hour work day. Working conditions were severe and it was quite common to work 10 to 16 hour days in unsafe conditions. Death and injury were commonplace at many work places and inspired such books as Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and Jack London's The Iron Heel. As early as the 1860's, working people agitated to shorten the workday without a cut in pay, but it wasn't until the late 1880's that organized labor was able to garner enough strength to declare the 8-hour workday. This proclamation was without consent of employers, yet demanded by many of the working class.

In the spring of 1911, a fire at the Triangle Waist Company in New York City, claimed the lives of 146 young immigrant workers. It is one of the worst disasters since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This incident should be remembered because it reminds us of the inhumane working conditions many industrial workers endure in order to have a job. Factories, for many, epitomizes the extremes of industrialism and greed.

Many of the Triangle factory workers were women, some as young as 15 years old. They were, for the most part, recent Italian and European Jewish immigrants who had come to the United States with their families to seek a better life. Instead, they faced lives of grinding poverty and horrifying working conditions. As recent immigrants struggling with a new language and culture, the working poor were ready victims for the factory owners. For these workers, speaking out could end with the loss of desperately needed jobs, a prospect that forced them to endure personal indignities and severe exploitation.

Fits and Starts

Fits
I've been collecting Obama stuff. I mean, you all know, I collect yarn. I've not shared all the other crap, junk, collectibles I enjoy hoarding, collecting.


Who could resist, Obama lip balm? Right? I mean who came up with that idea?

I have Lady Bird Johnson pens, Kennedy biographies, Nixon videos, Johnson tapes. A compulsion you ask? Hardly. Look at this, it's what my pal Phyllis sent me this morning. Now collecting Pyrex is a compulsion!

Starts

Remember I told you all about this project. Not done anything with it since I started it. Who knew that knitting with nubby, bulky yarn could cause your wrists to seize?

Fits
I spent the day in the ER on Saturday. I was coming out of the bank and all of a sudden I felt panicky, my palms were sweating and my heart started racing. I've been to the bank in the past when they were just about ready to slap me because of my poor accounting but that didn't happen this time. I honestly thought I was about to have a heart attack!

I drove myself to the ER, we have a hospital right in town. Five hours later, I'm hooked up to all kinds of machines and some kind of IV drip to inject dyes into my blood so that the CAT scan could see where it is my last serving of Fettuccine Alfredo got clogged in my arteries. But they found Nada. Nothing. Good thing I suppose. My doctor asked me how many kids I had. When I told him that I had 3 teenage boys. He actually gasped when he noticed my age (49) and said that I was probably starting perimenopause or my kids were working my last nerve. Actually he didn't say any of that but he did channel those thoughts into my head by the look he gave me when he said that living in Ridgewood is very stressful. What the %$#$ does that mean? Sarcasm, I hate it when other people use it against me. Geez.

Starts
As I was getting dressed I overheard a nurse pleading with a very old woman across the hall to take off her girdle. This was going on while I was pulling and tugging with my jeans to get them over my hips and fastened. Girdle? People still wear girdles?

"I don't feel dressed if I don't have on my girdle." says the old lady
"Well exactly, Mame, I'm trying to get you to unwind and relax until the doctor comes in."
"I would never see the doctor without my girdle on, nurse."

As I fumbled with my zipper, it hit me. I could buy a girdle and this would go so much better. Sure, I'd probably do irreparable harm to my internal organs but I could finally tuck my shirts in again.

Exhibit A:

I'm going to order a dozen!

Fits
Etsy. It's become an illness. You could actually go shopping there and never hit the same store twice. Look what I had to have for just $15 bucks


It's a kit I bought from Heather Knitz. It's knit with strips of fabric. Really nice but I feel my wrists seizing...

Starts
One of my favorite blogs is, Through the Loops. You can find lots of great stuff to knit over there. I'm doing these, now that I'm out of Jaywalker purgatory:

Achillea and Anna's Socks. Isn't it pretty, I'm using Dream in Color's Smoochy

I've got a whole lot more stuff on the needles but I enjoy the variety, I make no excuses just enjoy being able to knit what I want when I want, no pressure, no goals just knitting.

Karma

Whelp, I survived the play. It actually was pretty, pretty good. My son's love scene was a fully clothed one so I remained fairly conscious even with all of the apparently real kissing and rolling about the stage.

The weekend away wasn't without other adventures. My telephone didn't cooperate and I missed many attempts to be contacted by Stacy over on Crimson Purl. Bummer. It would have been fun to have finally met her and take in some shop visits.



Traveling out of town wreaks havoc on one's calendar. I had to handle lots of business by phone - like planning my 13 year old's Africa Day at his school, overseeing huge homework projects and a myriad of other things. Stacy, that's how I burned out my cell phone and missed your calls!



I also missed my 16 year old's big track meet.

And the terrific spring weather that got all the trees to finally blossom here in New Jersey


All in all, I was so glad that my husband insisted that I go to the play even though I knew that it was going to be a bit really weird. It was so worth it.

So, what does all of this have to do with Karma you ask? Well, as with all addicted knitters, one of the first things I attended to when I returned was to run by my LYS to see what I missed. Phyllis was back from her first cruise vacation and I so wanted to hear all about that. Then, as if on queue, this guy shows up

A Buddhist monk stopped in to ask Phyllis if she would put up an announcement in the store window. If that is not confirmation that my LYS, Phyllis and I have good Karma, I don't know what is!

Cloud Nine

No, I am not on Cloud Nine. That, is the name of my college son's play. I'll be flying out to North Carolina to see him in his first college theatre production. Once you've read the play's synopsis, below, you'll understand my trepidation:

CLOUD NINE is about relationships -- between men and women, men and men, women and women. It is about sex, work, mothers, Africa, power, children, grandmothers, politics, money, Queen Victoria and... sex. It unlocks the imagination, liberates the mind, and leaves you weak with laughter.

I'll certainly be weak, for sure, from cringing...



What I've been knitting....

A nubby, slubby vest

I sweet silk scarf

And, I'm making this shawl for my mother-in-law.

I love my mother-in-law. She lives far away in central america.

Of course this is many years ago when she was a very young woman. I don't think I ever looked that good.

It has been many years since we've last seen each other and I miss her wisdom, her laughter and most of all, how she keeps my husband in line!

This is a photo of one of the last times she visited us here in the States. Oh, and that's my father-in-law in the center, he's way cool too!

Well, I'm off to pack for my brief trip. Wish me luck 'cause how I'm 'spose to handle my son doing a love scene, I'll never know!

Life just seemed so much more simpler when they were young...

A Ravelry Adventure

Those of you who haven't enough knitting and tend to waste your hours away on Ravelry vicariously checking out what other knitters are doing would appreciate this. Over on the Jon Stewart Group, I decided that it would be fun for a bunch of us to meetup for one of his tapings.

That's Kimberly, me Hila and Kimberly's sister Tracie

We stood on line and happily chatted and knitted/crocheted the hours away. Just before we were led into the studio, we had to pass through an official looking xray machine and empty our belonging into a plastic tub, airline style.

My addi turbos holding my jon stewart beenie was unceremoniously confiscated! A very cute black security guard placed it into a lock box. I pleaded with him and his face said that he wished that he could "hook a sista up", but his job was a bit more important. Even after I explained that my addi's have blunt tips and only the addi lace turbos have pointy tips... He wasn't impressed. He liked his job and wasn't going to be seduced by a 49 year old knitter, not even one from Jersey.

He did, however, give me a dreamy look of regret and promised me that they would be safe and that he would personally return them to me after the show. So went all of our knitting, put away in a dinky plastic safe as if they were dangerous. Oh, world, how little you know ye. Knitters are the most peaceful, law abiding, generous....

Inside the show, with absolutely nothing to do with my hands, we waited another hour until the warm up show began. A very funny comedian comes out to "warm up the crowd". It was funny but I was still pouting about my incarcerated knitting. Then we were instructed on how to clap and and when not to clap. Since I had nothing in my hands I guess I could be a good clapper.

When Jon Stewart came out he was very perky. He said that he likes to start the show by asking if anyone had any questions:

Me: "Do you knit?"

Jon: "Er, no?"

Me: "Precisely, because if you did you would not have instructed your very cute security guy to confiscate my knitting BEFORE I got to finish your hat."

Jon: "So you think that two sharp implements that you could theoretically gouge the eyes out of any unsuspecting guest isn't reason enough to lock up those weapons."

Me: "They aren't weapons they are addi turbo needles."

Jon: "So those needles have names, do they? What other kind of needles are there and why are YOUR needles so special"

Me: "There are many kinds. My needles ARE very special and as a matter of fact, some people are so devoted to them they refer to themselves as 'Addi Ho's'."

Jon: "For some reason, when I think of 'Ho's' I don't think of knitters...."

unclaimed Jon Stewart hat

Knitting Through It

Knitting Through It, is a lovely book by Lela Nargi. She has gathered together sweet and inspiring stories from knitters here and there who find comfort in this therapeutic art. My friend, Barbara, shared this book experience with me and it has been a comfort indeed.

Diversions

bootie experiment

My knitting habit(s) is becoming more and more bizarre. I think it is because of the election. I'm trying so hard not to get too hopeful but I can't help it. Our country is in bad shape. I've almost run out of ways to explain it all to my teenage sons. I'm now resorting to these lame remarks:

My response to College son when he asks about the economy: "Well, the Great Depression was pretty bad."

My response to High School son when he asks about the whittling away of our civil liberties: "Well, slavery sucked and Jim Crow wasn't fun either."

My response to my Middle School son when he asks about why we are hassled when we travel: "Think about Ann Frank, she couldn't leave her room... "

The dozen or so projects I've got going keeps my mind off such depressing thoughts. I've got a variety of things on the needles: baby stuff, garments, bags, scarves, hats, dishcloths, toys (why?). I've got to get some order to this stuff.

My First Sophie bag

And, to complicate things even more, I OD'd on that bag sale at my LYS. I'm ashamed to say how much of a haul I have but suffice it to say I won't be buying any yarn for a few years, at least!

Play date Diversions
A couple of weeks ago, I got to hang out with two blogger buddies. I met fellow knitter, Nancy, at Expressions Yarns in Englewood. She is a professional singer.

One of Nancy's album covers

She was at Expressions finishing up the most beautiful burgundy mohair coat. That's right I said coat - floor length! Later, that week she called to invite me to see Mos Def at the 92nd Street Y.

It was fun. I really enjoyed his talk and it was a blast to be with such an eclectic audience. Thanks Nancy for getting me out of the house and into the New York City for some non-knitting fun!

And more Diversions still
My button stash was kind of low so I was eager to visit my town's annual antiques fair to replenish my supply.

whimsical buttons from Modern Yarn, Montclair, NJ

Hope is a blogger buddy I met at the same yarn store as Nancy. She recognized me from my blog! She joined me for lunch and a trip to the fair and we both ended up buying tons of vintage buttons!



Diversions as Delusions
Well, life goes on even if something as personal as religion has become a central focus in a country that is supposed to separate church from state -



Well, I guess, at least, we are now talking about the hard stuff.

But no Diversions here
Spring break has just ended for my gone-off-to-college son. He was happy to just come home to eat.

I was too happy to oblige and not have to worry about having to find him hung over on some far flung beach!

Diverting our Attention
So far, with all of the problems in our country, the robins still migrate in spring. They don't care if I've cleaned out my flower beds or not. Mother Nature never waits for me, nor does time, history, or the facts of life - even if I don't have the answers yet...

RUN, DON'T WALK

Here Ye Here Ye
Yarn Sale
Close Knit Yarns
Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ

$40 Bag Sale

Fill up a Close Knit shopping bag with their sale selection yarn. I filled up a bag of Jo Sharp cotton -

nearly 20 skeins!

Marathon Knitting

Last week was my Library's annual author lunch. It is our biggest fund raiser for the year. We host anywhere from 500 - 700 guests!

This year we featured Lisa See and her book Peony in Love. I must say she is a delightful speaker and was one of our best.


Each board member has to drum up gift baskets to auction so that means a bunch of marathon knitting for me. Why I don't spread this out throughout the year, I'll never know. Marce, over on Brown Berry Chronicles, has started a KAL to do just that but I've not compiled my list as yet because of the auction and some Easter knitting I'm doing for my lovely nieces.

I made several little girl baby hats. Our basket maker, Sharon, did a lovely job bundling up all of the goodies.









I also contributed a Yarnaholic's Yarn Tour. A day of touring local yarn stores and learning about different brand names and artisan yarns. I made a small clutch too and included the fantastic book by Clara Parks, The Knitter's Book of Yarn.

Pattern: The Clutch You'll Never Give Up, from the One Skein book

My terrific LYS, Close Knit Yarns, donated a basket too -

I also got a couple of my neighbors to donate baskets. Tim Harper is a local author who recently published, The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Constitution (there is one aspiring politician I sure would like to give this to!). Tim donated some books on beer he authored and I included some exotic brews to go along with it.


My garden club did a basket featuring an event we are doing with the extraordinary Simone Pickering, the florist to Prince Charles, Elton John and many others. She is visiting our club from England on Thursday, May 15 from 7-9pm. If you are interested in attending, drop me an email at deedeenet@aol.com.

A neighborhood dad donated a signed football.

Jeff Feagles, kicker, New York Giants, Superbowl champs!

There were tons more baskets and we all had the best time. Now to get ready for my lovely niece's new baby. Marce I need help!