Leaping.
29 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
Here in the pirate’s lair we’re leaping for leap year. Well ok, not really.
Actually, it’s more like we’re working on recovery. Two weeks ago we got sick. Well, Wes got sick first, and then about 5 days later I followed. Except then he outdid me and got REALLY sick. He’s still home and off work, but the doctor finally decided to call it pneumonia yesterday, and as of this evening he’s doing MUCH better on a regimen of some serious antibiotics and steroids. I am so relieved to hear him breathing easier as he has really had me worried this past week.
So what else is new? I’m almost ready to post the February fiber spinning, but not quite. The last week or two haven’t been too crafty, but I’m working on rectifying that. This is probably going to be greatly enhanced by a visit from my college roommate this weekend who is also a knitter and wants to learn to spin!
So while I gather more interesting material to blog about I’ll leave you with a funny “definition” from something that happened this morning.
Woodpecker Alarm: when an infernal bird “the pecker” starts wailing on the side of your house approximately 10 minutes before your alarm is due to go off. (see also “how to make your ill husband race outside with the air pellet gun”)
Etymology
17 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in Deep Thoughts, Uncategorized
I find words fascinating. I am by no means a linguist, but I have always enjoyed learning new words and understanding how they came to be. Of particular interest are words that once were associated with a particular meaning and have evolved over time to become slang for something inflammatory.
This actually came up the other night at knitting as I was contemplating the border for my shawl. See I was looking at the stitch pattern, and I was sure I recognized it, but I didn’t want to say what I thought it was. See if you can guess why?
Traditional faggot stitches consist of one row of increases and decreases that’s repeated each row for the pattern; this Garter Stitch Faggot adds a row of knitting to bring more texture to the knitting.
Um yeah. I bet you didn’t have any trouble with that one. Curious what it looks like? The knitting photos don’t show it so clearly, but I found a sewing one that does:
Anyway, at home last night I was relating this experience to Wes. I was telling him how I don’t understand how words that mean one thing get appropriated to become totally inappropriate. He then told me what faggot originally meant. I went and looked it up this morning and guess what I found?
faggot or esp ( US ) fagot 1 (ˈfæɡət) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://sp.dictionary.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) |
|
| — n | |
| 1. | a bundle of sticks or twigs, esp when bound together and used as fuel |
| 2. | a bundle of iron bars, esp a box formed by four pieces of wrought iron and filled with scrap to be forged into wrought iron |
| 3. | a ball of chopped meat, usually pork liver, bound with herbs and bread and eaten fried |
| 4. | a bundle of anything |
| — vb | |
| 5. | to collect into a bundle or bundles |
| 6. | needlework to do faggoting on (a garment, piece of cloth, etc) |
| [C14: from Old French, perhaps from Greek phakelos bundle] | |
So what words that are you uncomfortable using, even when you are using them in the most literal defined sense?
An open letter to my coworkers:
16 Jun 2011 1 Comment
in Office Games, Ranting, Uncategorized
I will preface this entry by making the following points:
* This is not pointed any any specific person or job. These are just things that happen in companies that drive me UP THE WALL.
* I’m feeling a little stabby today, so I may rant a bit. If you don’t want to hear it, just skip this post and we’ll be back to knitting and spinning soon!
—
Dear COWORKERS:
If I may, there are two things in this world that drive me crazier than anything else. And since they keep coming up across all the jobs I will just take a moment to tell you what they are so that we can get along peacefully in the future.
1. Tell me what you would like, and how you would like it.
If there’s a certain way you would like something done, please tell me that. If you need something, please just ask. I’m friendly and I don’t bite (much) and as long as it’s a request that is respectfully made, I am more than happy to do my best. HOWEVER, please don’t ASSUME that I know how to do it if we’ve never discussed it. I know most people are doing it the way you want it. I also know that I routinely get omitted from those emails so I don’t always get the message. If I’ve been doing something wrong for (eeps!) 6 months we’ll both be better served if we have a conversation about it than if you rant and rave about how terrible I am until another of our coworkers suggests you just talk to me about it since she’s never had to ask me to do anything more than once. And maybe, just MAYBE, you could give me the benefit of a doubt since I’m generally pretty dependable and more than willing to fix my mistakes.
2. Will you show me how to do this?
What I say: Will you show me how to do this?
What they hear: Will you do this for me?
I can’t tell you how many times I have asked someone to show me how to do something, to have them treat me like I just sent them outside to pick up dog droppings. When I don’t know how to do something, I ask. When you explain how to do it, I take notes so that I don’t have to ask you again. IF I have to ask you more than once I am personally mortified that I didn’t get it the first time. BUT this doesn’t mean I want you to do it for me. If I wanted you to do it for me, I might ask you to do it for me. But I meant what I said and I said what I meant (and an elephant’s faithful 100 percent!).
With all due respect,
the feisty yarn pirate
A wee update…
05 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in Spinning a Yarn, Uncategorized
A few more skeins went up in the shop today!
Um yeah.
02 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in Knitting Nightmare, Uncategorized
It has been a while since I’ve had anything in the knitting nightmare category.
I’m pretty sure I’m never going to convince Wes that this is a good idea.
Come to think of it… I’m not so keen on it myself. Found here.
Because I’m still 12 years old at heart.
11 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized, Weekend Update
Guess what we did today?
Did you guess yet? Ok… try this one:
I love this one too:
Catching up…
25 Oct 2010 3 Comments
in A Picture's Worth 1000 Words, Off the Needles, Spinning a Yarn, Uncategorized
It’s been a busy few weeks and my parents were here this weekend, but I have managed to finish and photograph a few things.
In knitting news, just in time for Halloween, I finished my 13th shawl of the year!
The Pattern: Aestlight
The Yarn: Wollmeise 100% in Thriller and Schwartz
The Needles: US 6′s
The Verdict: Ever since a friend of mine did a two-toned version of this shawl I had earmarked these two skeins for a Halloween shawl. At the beginning of October I figured I’d better get cracking if I wanted to wear it this year! The pattern is really interesting with an innovative construction. My only complaint was that the lace edging was IMPOSSIBLE for me to keep straight. It took me forever to get it finished. The only mod I made was to add some applied i-cord to the top edge of the shawl to tie it all together. Now it’s blocked and ready to go!
In spinning news, I finished my third spin this week. I’m still striving for greater yardage, but I seem to be spinning more evenly and more or less getting the hang of using the wheel. This is the colorway “Between Worlds.”
And finally, it’s FALL! All the trees are beautiful and I couldn’t resist snapping this shot!
What happens when you’re not looking…
16 Oct 2010 1 Comment
in Farm Fresh Foods, Learning to be a Midwestern Gal, Uncategorized
Corn grows in your chicken yarn (or the area formerly know as the chicken yard):
Two years.
09 Aug 2010 3 Comments
Two years ago today I married my very favorite person in the whole world. He has been a part of my life for just over 6 years now and I can’t even remember my life before him. With each passing year he takes me on more adventures than I ever thought possible. It seems fitting that for our second anniversary (this very week), in lieu of gifts, we’re purchasing our first house and building a home.
I love you honey!
CupCable
05 May 2010 Leave a Comment
This is not a sales call and we only need one minute of your time. I represent a new company that has recently acquired new logistics and engineering technologies. Currently we are exploring a trans-american pipeline for dedicated cupcake delivery anywhere in the continental United States. You have have heard about this revolutionary new technology under the name the CupCable. Because of your prior interest in cupcakes we would like to offer you a unique opportunity to become part of the CupCable family. For a limited time only you will be able to buy shares in this new market sector at discount prices!!!
brought to you by Ironichles
