Insubordiknit

Boatload of Cindy's FOs

Holy Guacamole! Look at what I see!

The amazing Cindy at Studioloo took 85 yards of purple tease and turned it into these sexy neck adorning lovlies. And they're for sale! Yep, I spun the yarn and even I'm having trouble keeping my money in my pocket! They're so goergous! Really. Head on over and have a look at her stuff. I'm not even gonna take the time to link only to the things she made outta my yarn, everything she makes is lovely and you'd (we'd) be lucky to get any! Check it!

Holiday parking avenger!

So, I've got some rage. Apparantly. And I can be confrontational. Can be? Well, I am confrontational, but only when I see wrongedness. I'd like to say I'm confrontational in the face of injustice so I sound all noble, but sometimes the face of my confrontation takes the noble right the hell out. The face is petty. Sometimes.

That said, can we talk about holiday parking?

And you know where this is going right? Nowhere good. Injustice. Confrontation. Rage. Pettiness.

The Little Bit and I needed cereal and dried fruit, and nowhere's better than Trader Joe's, so off we go. All smiles. We get there and it's super packed. Not a parking spot to be seen. None. Not even way out under ramp where it smells like pee and nobody's sure it's legal but ya chance it anyway because you need your dried mango. So we circle, like everyone else. Then I see a space, I'm the only one around to watch the woman right in front of me (I'm about to turn the corner so her spot is directly in front of me) loading in her groceries. So as not to block the people that will surely come to circle soon, I 3 point turn it, and am no more than half a car length behind her, with my turn signal on. It takes her a good 3-5 minutes because she's got a little one to load in too. So a car pulls up to where I used to be, the turn. They look over at me. They are older and pinched of face. They are driving a new lexus and she has on big gold hoop earrings and red lipstick. I think they must be waiting to see where that lady (another one) is walking (you probably already know that they aren't).

The woman has gotten into her car, she backs out, gives me a wave and drives off. I start to pull in but...you guessed it...the pinched-faces swoop in. I honk before they get fully in the spot. The woman looks over at me and shrugs. She shrugs.

I hop outta my '81 volvo, trot over in my thrift store coat and rap on the passenger window. I explain in a calm voice that we'd been waiting for that spot for quite some time...They began getting out of the car, not acknowledging me and I continue to explain, then request, then demand. The man, in his suit and shiny shoes actually stopped, looked me up and down, turned and looked at my car and visibly and audibly humphed. Humphed. I was dumbfounded. Dumbfounded while they walked right into Trader Joe's. I could hardly breathe, my rage switch had been kicked the hell on. I yelled after them your seriously gonna leave me out here with your car? In that moment I became the crazy holiday driver, but I had justice and truth on my side, right? I wanted to ram my old volvo right up the trunk of their Lexus. Wanted to, but didn't. I went a different route. Yep, I got back into my car, pulled up lengthwise behind them, blocking them. And parked.

After a long and leisurely stroll through Trader Joe's, and I mean we spent time reading all the labels, sampling all the applicable treats, talking to all the employees. Smiling at them when they accidently came in the same isle as us. We lingered. We spent time. After, we meandered out to our illegally parked car and with those pinch-faced people sitting in their car waiting, we loaded our groceries, rebuked the parking lot depository right next to us and walked our cart back into the store, got into the car, opened a bag of dried mango for the ride, settled in, and drove off. They sat, said nothing, and waited.

I am the holiday parking avenger! Don't fuck wit me, I'll bring da hamma down hard.

Rockstar

The wonderful rockstar yarn (and green scuffle) couldn't have been made into a more rockstar scarf or for more of a rockstar than Gavin Elder. Made especially for him by his bandmate bill, for their winter east coast rock and/or cold tour. Impressive. A boy who wears my handspun is almost as hot as a boy who knits with it! More pics in my knits gallery here. Rock on you tall drink of rockstar!

The things we do

I just watched crash while I knitted what may be the most terrible hat ever, I've yet to decide. The movie made me cry. alot. I haven't been moved or revolted by a movie like that in a long while. It's good. And bad. Ugly. And beautiful. We, as people, are capable of so much around on all sides of the moral circle.

Earlier this day I secretly re-grouted my bathtub. Yep. After Old Gentleman left, after I'd told him I was concerned about the cracks and holes and sunken-osity of the grout he'd done the previous day, and after he poked his crusty fingers in the bucket of grout and smeared a few dabs here and there and then told me it was all done and would be wonderful, after all of that, and after he went home, I spent 3.5 hours re-grouting the whole entire thing. 'Cause that's the kind of wierdo that I am. I knew that if I mentioned it again, he'd placate me, tell me it was fine, or charge me more money to re-do something he didn't think needed to be done, so really, it was a wash, me doing it. Right? It needed to be done. I did it. It looks worlds better now and in 6 months I won't have a rotting wall board. It was a funny experience though, me, sneaking into my own bathroom, stealing my own supplies, working quick so that I wouldn't get caught if he happened to stop in to drop off supplies. Heh.

I miss my boy tonight.

Yarn shop updated!

Yarn shop updated, early even. There's a bit of a band theme, what with the boy wonder/wander off on tour for a week. Yep, it's just the Little Bit and me this week, fun and snugglin, lots of it.

I'm a bit fatigued of late, maybe a bit under the weather, maybe something else...we shall see...

Shit talkin'

It is such a relief to meet someone that's fun, funny, smart, and not totally not into drama and talkin' shit. It's rare. It's been forever since I've had the pleasure. And I did have the pleasure recently. It's an added bonus that she's got kids, home schooled kids no less, and an extra-added bonus that she's a fiberholic spinner like myself. Yep. Uh huh. Werd.

You see, up until this past year or so drama, shit-talkin', and rumormongering swirled around me like the thick mist of football players around cheerleaders, dank, musty, and slightly exciting in a sad and desperate way. And in no way am I saying it was everyone but me. Nope. I was not the paragon of virtue, the tightlipped saint with a sleeve of gold. No way. I used to feed on that shit, just as much as I hated, I needed it. And then it got old, and tired, and so totally contradictory to the world of self-empowerment, egalitarian, peace-lovin' world I strive to live in. After much heart-achingly self-exploratory consideration, I gave it up. Flat. I rid myself of people whom with my relationship was all but based on these things. Those people whom I valued above that, I talked to and asked if we could de-emphasize that portion of our conversations and try a drama-free sans-shit-talkin' relationship.

So far it's worked wonders for my psyche. Wonders. If I meet someone that has that MO, I dead-end out friendship immediately. Immediately. It's not always taken so well by those on the other end, because I feel it's important to say something, so that...well...something is said, ya know? I mean really, what's the point of all that shit-talkin' besides to hear the sound of your own voice? It doesn't really make you feel better about yourself. It doesn't. You may think it does. You bad mouth the girl sitting in front of you, next to you, behind you, and it may make you feel better for a minute, to whoever you’re doing to the talkin' to, but inside it destroys you because you know your just talkin' shit, cuttin' down others for no reason other than to build yourself up. It's so damn capitalist. So damn American. So damn shitty. And what it's not? Feminist. It's the opposite of.

Yeah, so I finally realized that and put the whole bit behind me. I will add in that this is not about not having opinions or judgments. Not at all. I can still write pages and pages about groups of people, ideas, concepts, political parties... No, this is about that very special kind of shit talkin, you know what I mean, you've done it or heard it or been the brunt of it...right?

My point? I met a new friend. She's awesome.

Yarn update and and FO.

So it's midnight on saturday night, which by my clock, means that the yarn shop is updated! Yep, it's all there, 4 monster hat kits, 2 vegan yarns, 2 hanks of lovely, even 2-ply, 2 hanks of earthy singles, and a whole bunch of yarns outta the box! Check it! (and even before I get this posted, my favorite yarn has been swept off the shop by some very lucky and very speedy yarner. WOW! I also just sent out a big ol box of yarn and kits to...hmmmm...you'll just have to wait and see...

In other news... ask and you shall receive! I asked, well, jokingly complained, and what did I get in return, another lovely FO outta an Insubordiknit (that's me in case you're new here) yarn tramp in the night. It's a neck warmer thingy, like a cowl but without the name that makes the back of my throat itch, and waaay cooler. I'm thinking of knitting one up for myself, maybe one with a big slouchy hood attached. Anyhoo, the lovely McBeth rambles is sportin' this beauty around her own town now.

finally, I'd like to direct you, if you've not heard of her yet, to the freaking brilliant Nakachi. She always gets me thinking and puts a grin on my face but right now she's got a post up about the putting the christ back in christmas mantra that's being chanted lately, read it, I'm right there with her. It's about diversity, tolerence, and compromise, people. Come on.

and the knits just keep on comin

Two FOs to share and only one of them was lovingly crafted by my big 11s. What's that mean? Yep, you guessed it, one of my very wonderful yarn customers sent me a picture of her FO! I do have the best customers but I'll tell ya, some of them, to get a picture of an FO is like pulling teeth...out of polydented dentures. heh. I'm thinking of offering incentives, even. Oh well, can I really complain? That'd be a huge, echoing NO.

It's a lovely winter headband and scarf made from flowers in the larder by the very funny Amandamonkey. It's modeled by Viola and I for one was hoping for a creepy face shot, she's the girl of my dreams!

The other FO is a winter gift that flew offa my needles in one night. I'm so happy with it I can hardly stand to give it up. Niether can the rest of my tiny fam, as you can see by how everyone had to get in on the modeling.
Even the gourd! It's over 10 feet long with a alternating diagonal dropped stitch pattern. I think it looks so great, though I might have made it about a foot shorter to be able to wear it without wrapping (as it is now you step on the fringe if you don't wrap).

Other than the knitting and spinning, it's a whirwind of uberactivity here at the insubordiknit household. The little bit and I have been spending all of our days out about the town to give the old cussin' men thier space to do the bathroom and the nights are spent spinning, knitting, and attending all the various meeting for all the various things I'm over-involved in. More on that soon, it includes lots of hot queer girls!

Off to spin for a special big order! also, to all those who left such thoughtful and smart (and sometimes funny as hell) comments regarding the little bit and scared man -- thank you! I haven't had a chance to reply individually but I plan too, or at least do a follow up entry. But thanks, don't let my rudeness and lack of response quiet future comments, y'all rock my handknitted socks!

Yarn shop updated!

Yep, it's Sunday and you know what that means...Yarn shop update! All new yarns except for 2 from last week. Two of my favorites are above. The purple-ish one is the first in my all-new all-vegan line! Yep, it's totally animal free but with all the funk!

I've got more to say but it's late and my yarns have gotten me all worked up in that very special, special way, iffin' ya know what I mean...