Insubordiknit

The seaweed of human kindness

Hmmm...so far, nobody has guessed the A-list knitter that's used my yarn. Come on folks, I'm giving yarn away! Fifteen comment guesses and 32 e-mail guesses. I'm guessing those 32 didn't want anyone stealing their answer on the off-chance it was correct. It was not. Heh. I'm giving a Monter hat kit away to the first person to get it right, iff'n that ever comes to pass. Yo.

How about another hint. She goes by more than 2 names. Come on, I can't make my hint too straight forward. And Sarah, no, you can't guess. I'll have to think of another question for you...what cut of underwear do I like best...heh. edit -- yay! we have a winner!

As we were driving around today, enjoying the medium-reliability and frequent stalls of our free craigslist vanagan (the prius is in our past, in the past of people that scrape by without a timeclock or insurance), I starting thinking about how lately, my opinion of people has greatly improved. I mean, I've seen kindness lately, lots of it. Even had it directed at me. For so long I've missed it, discounted it, started to Disbelieve. Been blinded by the Big Bads. I've thrown my hope behind the potential of the wee ones, only. I mean, I really do naively, and with fervor, believe in the limitless potential of the babies. I can turn a blind non-pc eye to the unlevel playing field, history, et all, and know that any kid can do anything. Such is youth, or my view of it.

I lay, sweat-belly to sweet-belly, under the fan, in the heat, nursing Sweetpea, and am filled with such awe, such great happiness at the world spreading out before her, and her chance to blossom into the world, growing and even, maybe, taking it along with her.

Until recently, that wonderful feeling didn't extend to anyone past puberty, adults were immune to my hopefulness. It quietly slipped away like scabs on scraped knees when grime under the nails becomes, not a vestige of a happy and outdoorsy youth, but just gross. Lately, however, I've been on the business end of such unsolicited Kindness. It warms me. Makes me reevaluate my view on people. Makes me think there is hope for my little ones even after their voices drop and hair appears. Maybe them turning into adults doesn't have to take away hope. For that, even more than the yarn, the seaweed, the business, the praise, the sling, the toys, the money, the comments, the flowers, the notes and cards...even more than all of those things, for the hope your kindness brings me, thanks so much.

Oh, Bill, perhaps, broke his coccyx. While playing a show at BikeJam this past weekend, with the youthful charm of a 20 year old (and the subsequent grace of one, as well) he took a tumble off the 18-wheeler stage and landed directly on his hind-end. It hurts when he walks.

Here's a shot of all the delicious seaweed, chopsticks and other goodies that arrived at my doorstep from a reader in Japan. I love seaweed, can you tell? I eat it while Bill walks funny around the house.

7 random things

Alrighty, I've been tagged by Crafty Gurlz Mum so here goes --

7 random things you may not know about jacey boggs, aka insubordiknit:

1. I have a great short term memory for the written word. I think it's why I always did so well in school -- if I had read the material within a month or so of a test, I could picture the words in my head. Too bad it doesn't extend to, like, remembering to change the diapers from the washer to the dryer.

2. Somebody famous, like A-list famous, like sexy-sexy, blockbusters and hit cable show famous, has knit with my yarn (a monster hat, a tri-style, and a mohair masterpiece). If you can guess who, I'll send you a free monster hat! PS. it's a woman, sorry Jon Stewart fans.

3. I love Blake Schwarzenbach. Love him. I wish he was knitting with my yarn, or uh, with me. When I was 19 and moved to SF, my secret dream was to make him fall in love with me, him or tom waits. heh. I've written him letters and once I yelled at him in the street and then stood there frozen and shy, he turned and walked away. I cried a little tear when he got married.

4. I have an essay in the book Mamaphonic:balancing motherhood and other creative acts. It was a few years back, when I was a woodworker.

5. The book I mentioned above, I linked to the softskull site instead of the it's page on Amazon because I just realized that the reader reviews on Amazon totally pan the book. But they weren't speaking to my essay, right?

6. I used to run, with bill, a huge alternative parenting message board called mamatron.org. It was big and beautiful and then it was huge and terrible. It very nearly broke me for good, however, I did meet a few people that became very important to me in real life.

7. I'm afraid of peeing in the dark.

T is for food

Did I mention that I sent the yarn club yarn last week? Yep. I did. It was so fun to spin and pack up. To the left is a rather obtuse view of it, if you'd like to see the real thing, click on the pic and watch the magic switchy thing happen. If you haven't received yours yet (which means you're one of the 3 canadians), don't click it! Let it be a surprise! I'm so excited about doing this club. I have so many yarns I want to spin and send, i started to feel sad it that it's only 3 months, and then I remembered there's another one right after it. And on. And on. You may notice that each yarn is different. I still wanted them to be one-of-a-kind even though there are 11, so I used different handpainted fibers, different handdyed silk noils, lots of denim fluff, and then spun them using the same methods. Then I sent each person the color I thought they'd like best based on the little profile I've created for them. Yes, I'm an organized dork, but I love organization! I'm a sucker for office supplies as well.

Speaking of organization, have I mentioned my love affair with Ravelry? It's everything I've ever wanted in a website. and more. If I could put it in my bathwater and soak in it, I would. It's still invite only, but put in a request -- it rocks!

Also, this gal is raw no more. I lasted 3 weeks but for some reason or another I couldn't do a 4th. So, without further ado, here's the menu for this week, the week of the T (all our dishes start with T).

Tamales
Tacos
Tempeh stroganof
Three flavor pancit
Thai pesto focaccia
Thai coconut soup
Tempeh salad sandwhiches
To-fu yung
Tuscan white bean and fennel stew with orange and rosemary

and for dessert
truffles (date and cashew)
tofu coconut macadamia cheesecake

Sweet pea and answers

I made this tiny sweater out of one hank of Scout's Sock Swag for Sweet pea, to warm her on her first nights. Clearly I forgot how big babies are, or rather, aren't, because at 13 weeks, it just fits her. And now with the weather, it goes packed for baby number 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (if you remember, Little Bit wants there to be 10 kids - heh).

I'd also like to take a moment to answer a few questions --

* no, Sweet Pea is not her real name. I've never put my kids name on my blog. I'm not sure it's really protecting them, but I figure I invade their privacy enough with the stories and pictures, the least I can do is keep their names out of it. But I want to tell you their names, they are freakin' cool!

* the raw crepe wrappers, the ones made from banana, the bananas were put through a food processor first, then poured very thin on plastic wrap and dehydrated. You can get special teflon sheets but why spend three dollars when plastic wrap is so difficult and messy?

*The podcast, and this is in response to every one that's sent me messages and comments. First, thanks for the encouragement! It means a lot that people still like it and listen. Next, Yes! I'm doing another episode. In fact, it was giong to be a surprise but...I'm almost done with the comeback episode. I'm waiting for a piece from a friend and Bill and LB are making all new music for my transitions. So, it should be out soon!

*Yes, LB is busy devouring every goosebumps book he can get his hands on. He also readily laps up Captain Underpants, the Magic Treehouse series, and various D&D manuals. He walks around the house with a book held up in front of his face, tripping over the dog and various other smelly items.

* Yes, I am supporting us with the yarn tihng, no, I'm not doing a great job. However, the important thing is that we both are home while the kids are young. I'll spin until I vomit if I can keep us all together.

* soap, pink grapefruit method handsoap, that's what was on my toothbrush. way down in the bristles, hidden, not just on top.

what do you mean, funny tasting?

Words you never want to hear from your five year old --

(Little bit) mom, have you brushed your teeth since the last time I brushed my teeth?

(me) ummm...I'm not sure...probably

(Little bit) did you notice anything funny tasting?

(me) what?

(Little bit) heeeheee...i played a little trick on you...

(picture is morning reading in nightclothes)

In better news, my swapping has been freaking superb lately! Look at the goods, modeled by our lovely Sweet Pea, looking smashing in her new 12 week old self --

Amazing handpainted yarn from See Jayne knit. I picked out this lovely colorway -- paprika, and plan on making a lightweight clapotis (even though I loathed the knitting of the first, I love the wearing of it). She also sent an extra skein that makes my heart go pitter patter. Love her!

Recognize this cool-as-teet book? You may have seen something like it on HGTV! It's from the madwoman in the attic. She makes the most fantastic hand bound books. I'm using this journal as an everything book --

dye notebook, knitting, thoughts, menus, etc. I've always had trouble keeping up a journal, afraid to write things down or something, afraid to make them real, or permanent, or like recording fleeting feelings made them forever, like my kids would find the book when I was dead and think I was fickle, or silly, or mean. Anyway, I'm just doing it this time, everything. At least I'm going to try.

Shop update and eating my words

Early shop update!

Also, I know I said I wasn't going to do it. I meant it when I typed those words, but a girls gotta support her family. You know? Anyway, I'm gonna sale a bit of handpainted wool. Not everyweek, because sometimes I'm rolling in humane wool, sometimes I not, and I've gotta have enough to spinity spin. But sometimes, like when the mortgage is due. heh. So here's a shot of todays update.

Happy mother's day, y'all! I'll be making a mother's day post later -- it rocked!

What's in your frig!?

Some raw goodies from the past week -- raw crepes and raw chili! Both were/are superb! No kidding. In fact, bill likes the raw chili better than cooked chili. No beans, but sprouted barely and sundried tomato blended with onions and dates for thickness, the rest is corn, bell peppers, onion, lots of tomatoes, orange juice, and chili powder. Soo good. The crepes are dehydrated bananas, with a macadamia/braggs, lemon juice, vanilla filling and topped with strawberry/agave nectar sauce. When left for a few hours, the sauce softens the banana wrappers and makes them crepe-like. So freakin' good!

In order to combat my lack of a social life, we've instituted a tuesday night dinner with friends policy. Every tuesday night we're having friends (ever rotating) over for dinner.

This past tuesday we had the Maneuvers (OFM drummer and partner) and S (who is hauntingly the spitting image/voice of an old Baltimore friend, strange) over and they got what you're looking at above. Well, they were also served grilled kabobs and wild rice salad...Are you a local friend? wanna have dinner?

Here is a picture of the inside of my refrigerator, as is, uncleaned and not organized, just opened and shot. If you click you can see it supersized! Lemme see yours! Post a pic on your own blog and leave a link! I think it's endlessly interesting to see into peoples closets, drawers, and refrigerators!

Raw from the weekend

What a weekend! On top of Bill having 4 shows this week, 3 of which were between thursday and saturday, we also had the fairy festival, the baltimore kinetics race, and the maryland sheep and wool festival! My feet feel life aching logs of lead, but my heart is light and happy.

I know that MS&W is all you care about so for those of you that aren't in the tri-state area, or are but didn't attend because you're, I dunno, crazy like a fox, lemme tell you, it rocked! We got there early and stayed all day. Amazingly, I came away with only the tiniest of bags, but everything was beautiful. I suppose it's not so amazing I didn't have a huge haul, it's not as if any of my suppliers were there and I just don't know where all that roving came from, you know? So I keep myself to the cellulose fibers at festivals, but even that took the light load this year. I wanted some uncarded soysilk but nobody had any. Damn. But I did restock my dyes, and finally found a bright pink. Lanaset dyes don't come in a bright pink. There's magenta but it's not bright, and can't be mixed to be bright, so next week I hope you'll see some bright pink around these parts!

We hung out at the auction barn for a good two hours but sadly didn't walk away with anything we wanted -- strauch jumbo winder or one of the many looms (because I've got so much time to learn to weave, right?).

The strangest bit about the whole affair was that I got recognized! Yep. By the end of the day no fewer than 6 people had approached me, most with kind exclamations about my blog, my yarn, or my podcast. It was weird. And I must admit, kinda cool. I mean, it was 6 people, not 100 people, heck, not even 10 people, but still, cool. All in all it made me feel good and strange that there are people out there that know who I am.

Ohh, other news -- I'm raw! No, not thanks to anything juicy, jeez...dirty much? Raw, like in the food department. I decided to do a little raw foods cleanse, get my glow back and all that hoohaw (not to mention maybe be able to wear something other than my freaking maternity pants with the big black belly panel). On Monday it will be a week! I'm just getting into the groove of it, here's what I made for dinner. Carrot adn pecan patties (dehydrated) with orange curry sauce, seaweed salad, and blackberries. The patties were good but not great, the curry was great, the blackberries were fruity, and the seaweed salad -- I could live off of that stuff!

Tomorrow -- raw chili!