Insubordiknit

New Year

It’s almost a new year. How do I feel about that? I’m not totally sure. I don’t feel like I’m ready for 2007. I don’t feel like I can wake up in the morning and start this year the way I’d like to, all happy, rested, energetic, and dammit, mobile. I guess I’m looking forward to the new year, just not the first day of it, because somewhere in my little girl mind, I think the first day needs to be special, indicitive of the next 364. I feel like I should hop out of bed with a new spring in my step but I know that my springy step is hampered by my lumbery form (and too much of a spring might just make this baby fall right out, my uterus is not as young and nubile as it used to be). However, I am looking forward to things that are coming in the new year. For one, this new baby, this new life that’s made so much of 2006 hard, I’m looking forward to that. A few other things as well, my Little Bit turns 5 years old on January 2nd, and he can only get cooler, smarter, and stranger, at least that’s my hope. Bill’s band is doing well and I’m looking forward to that continuing and really becoming something that supports him fully creatively. I’m also looking forward to the knitting of the new year, I wants socks and sweaters and socks and sweaters for all my loved ones, plus some fly baby stuff.

The spinning is, of course, always exciting. What can I come up with for 2007? What will stand out, what direction will this craft take for me? I’ve been consumed lately with how to make this fibery business grow, how to stretch it so that it does a little more supporting and a little less supplementing. I did just add a new brick and mortar shop to my list (though it won’t take effect for a few weeks) however, I know that it’s not really feasible to just spin more, I already spin at close to the limit I can spin daily, several hours. That’s about all my body, creativity, spirit and family can take, add on to that the time it takes to wash, dye, dry, prep, card, update, wind, pack, and send fiber, and it’s already about a full time job. It has to be something else. I hope that I’m on the right track. I’ve got 2 big projects in the works. The first is a rather substantial handdyed/handspun kit -- Bea Arthur. I’ve had several people ask about it and I think it’s a great idea, though it’ll likely lighten the pocketbook a bit for buyers, that’s a LOT of yarn. The other project is even more exciting, but I can’t talk about it for a while, but trust me – super cool if it works out.

So those are the things that have been occupying my mind, at least on the fibery tip. ON the non-fibery side, this year has been pretty great – I spent 10 days in the hospital, almost died, was laid up in bed for 6 weeks, and gained 50 lbs. On the flip side, I got pregnant and you know, didn’t die. Plus I did get to spend it with my amazing family, friends, and you, my online friends.

So I guess really what I want to say before this year is over, besides just what I hope next year brings, is thanks. Thanks to everyone who has showed me kindness and love, thanks to everyone that’s been supportive and instructive, and thanks so every single person that bought/knitted with my yarn, it’s all meant so much and I really do feel quite lucky.

Winter holiday

Winter holiday is upon us, and for the Boggs' family it meant no internet service (except for what I could eek out of my neighbor by standing by the window on a chair) and loads of friends and food! Here's a short pictoral tour through our 2006 winter party, complete with vegan dinner menu and a special recipe (which I think I might start including each week!)

There were lots of people in our shrunken house -- 16 plus 3 kids! and of course, me, which takes up the space of at least 3 people. I tell ya, it's not easy weighing 165,000 lbs! I cooked all day (I actually started out at only 140,000 lbs but the licking of bowls and spoons really add up).

Our full menu consisted of:

3 Seitan loafs stuffed with sourdough and pumpernickel dressing

sourdough and pumpernickel dressing
mashed potatoes
gravy
braised fennel bulbs
baked mac n cheese
broiled sesame asparagus
green bean/potato casserole
coconut and cardamon rice pudding
2 chocolate pecan pies
key lime cheesecake
pinenut anise crescent cookies
crock pot apple cider

And honestly, who in these picture deserves the foot rub? Yeah, that's what I thought, and yet still I stood while little almost-5 year old feet squirmed and squealed.

Here's some homemade frig magnets we gave out as gifts to all our guests! We made them 2 years ago for the same things, I guess it's a ood thing we invited all new people, eh?

Chocolate Pecan Pie (roughly remembered from a recipe but not sure which one):
A pie crust, or make your own
2 cups of pecans, roughly chopped
3/4 cup chocolate chips (many brands are vegan)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup of grand marnier or more maple syrup
3 TBLS arrowroot or cornstarch
4 TBLS blackstrap molasses
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup soymilk

Whip cornstarch/arrowroot with soymilk until it's frothy, add all other ingredients, pour into pie crust, bake in preheated oven (350 degrees) for 45 minutes or until browned and firm. Let cool before serving, in fact, I like to completely cool and chill it before serving as it really firms up and is freaking delicious!

Hope everyone's winter holiday is glowing and warm and just what you want.

Guilty knitting and Monster hats

Do you think it was guilt? It may have been guilt. It may have been ugly, self-loathing guilt that made me do it. Yes, last week I bragged, in a rather shameless manner, that I was finished with all my holiday knitting. Several of you e-mailed your surprise, jealosy, and utter amazement. Of course, I didn't reply -- I was far too busy dancing around the house, body stacked in knits, homemade knitted by... tags taped to every finger, singing I'm so awesome, I'm so rad, one for mom, and pop, bill and Little Bit, look, just look at all I knit..." There was more to the song but it just got a bit self-serving and embarrassing from there. Anyway, it must have been the guilt, because I freaked out and on a midnight whim, I started 3 more holiday projects last night. Yes. I. Did. Which just goes to show, my high school guidance counseler, and every ex-boyfriend had it righ-e-o -- I don't want to succeed. I set myself up to fail.

Here's a pair of socks I knit last week for Bill, I can show you these but the rest? You'll just have to take my word for it, since I can't show you the holiday WsIP, or even the Holiday FOs that have yet to be sent. They are all here though, the FOs gently mocking the WsIP and the WsIP laughing outloud each time I walk by -- and knitted stiches can laugh, really, and it's not a pleasent sound, it's creepy and scratchy sounding, the kind of sound you're not sure you heard, the kind of sound that makes you question your sanity...

But there is happy news, though I haven't seen it yet, there's a piece about my monster hats in the new Knitscene! Yeah. Many of you have sent me congratulations and lamentations (that you'll never get one for yourself now that more than 10 people know about them). However, fear not, I spin up several a week that are posted but I also spin up several a week that never get posted because they're special orders -- orders that people send that go a little something like this:

Jaycee, (yes, even though it's right there in my e-mail address, it's still usually spelled incorrectly, that's okay though, I'm not picky. really)
I NEED a monster hat kit and I never seem to get to your site before they're all gone. Can you please spin me up one special? I look really bad in purple, but greens rock my eyes and red hair, so that'd be cool, if possible. I love all your monsters too, so anything you want to make me, but I really really loved Cap'n bloody stump, Dead-eyed Jan, and Pop-eyed Screamer, something like those would kick ass! But you know, whatever, as long as I get one!
thanks,
desperate for a monster hat

Yeah, so don't think just because your life doesn't allow you to be first in line for my friday night updates that you're out of luck. I'll spin you one special, even if you misspell my name!

Also, if anyone wants to scan me a copy of the knitscene piece and e-mail it to me, that'd be super-duper cool! I'm stuck at home with a 4 year old with a voice and cough that sounds a bit like Tom Waits in 20 years and so I'm not sure I'll be going anywhere for a few days.

The house that fiber built

Bill's got a temporary 8 week out-of-house-job in an attempt to stave off the impending collapse of our fiber-built house, or at least make sure the Little Bit gets something other than handknits in his handsewn stocking. So it's just the 2 of us right now, during the day. We went to my doctor's today. Just a regular appointment, 10 weeks left, exactly, and everything is perfect minus the little hernia I have above my belly button. I thought it was, you know, that whole pregnancy-belly-button thingy but no, it's a hernia. It only hurts in the evening though, so that's something.

You may have noticed that I switched my shop update day from Monday to Friday nights. I've got good reasons. Two of them, in fact. One is that Bill is home on Monday evening and we all like to hang out and tickle each other, he's got shows on Friday nights so it's a good night for me to have to be on the computer. Reason two is more about me and how I function -- I enjoy going to the post office on Mondays, after a good Sunday spent winding and packing yarns. LB's favorite PO clerk works on Mondays and it's just more pleasent. Friday update just makes more sense, so there you've got it! Friday is the day...er...night.

And in knitting news, I'm officially done with my holiday knitting. Everyone's taken care of except Bill, who'll have to wait until I stumble past the brain block I'm having designing his sweater. It'll get done, it just may be a while. So now I'm moving on to some mindless knitting. I've started my 2nd of scout's swag, they'll be Jaywalkers and they'll be freaking amazing. I've also started a ragtag, junky sweater that's for me to lounge in. Pics upcoming. And while I know you've stopped believing me, I really do almost have a podcast done. For some reason this one has been sooo hard for me, daunting, intimidating. Once I get it behind me I hope to get kinda regular again, but this one has been a monster.

Now I'm off to dye some more wool. And spin some more Monster hats. And hug my very amazing son.

Stranded naughty bum knitting

A Little Bit FO! This sweater took all of 7 minutes to knit. Okay, maybe not 7 minutes but no more than 7 days of non-straight, non-stressed, non-monogamous knitting. It was fast! It also held a few firsts for me -- first EZ's percentage sweater, first yoke sweater, first stranded sweater, and first hemmed sweater. Damn EZ is bad-ass! I can't wait to do lots more of these!

Particulars --
yarn -- handspun 300 yards
needles -- US#11s
pattern -- based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's EZ percentage system, knit all in one piece, circular yoke with stranded color work, and hem.

Also, there's the hat. The hat is my first ever stranded color work. This is what I learned on. This hat marks me teaching myself to knit with both hands at the same time, each carrying a color. Yep, I'm now that badass!

Well, I'm that badass if you don't know how to do this, when I didn't know how I thought it was the baddest-assest thing ever, now that I know, I realize it only makes me slightly badass, maybe a naughty-bum knitter. Yep, that's me, the naughty-bum knitter.