A Long Winter's Nap

It feels like it's been a long winter's nap – both the nap and the winter, and we're not out of it yet. There's either too much or not enough to say about dreamtime (or nightmaretime), so for now howabout a view of bare trees and winter moonlight?



Ah.

Just this morning I said to myself, "Self, March is right around the corner, isn't it about time to think about registering for Sock Madness? Maybe it's time to have a look at the Ravgroup." Only to find – of course – that registration for SM15 has been going on all month and concludes February 28. Well, I'm glad I didn't miss it; indeed, by SM standards, there's plenty of time to spare. As I still have too many distractions and I'm not feeling hyper-competitive, I plan to ease back into knitting and blogging by joining a mellow team or the cheerleading squad.



Before the madness starts, let me note the last foot of last year, above: a plain sock knit in White Birch Fiber Arts 80/20 merino self-striping, colorway Nothing says screw you like a rainbow. It's the most wonderful long-repeat stripe I've ever knit. When the yarn is this fabulous, it's best to just knit, maybe insert an afterthought heel to keep the stripe pattern lined up, and think of sunshine and rainbows to come.

Spoopy: The Jaws of Doom

There's been so much that's flat-out terrifying this year, and then there's spoopiness.

Behold, the insatiable maw of garden destruction! Woe and alas, it's the Jaws of Doom! They may be tiny, but they are relentless. That was the choicest tomato of the week, and it was completely consumed in a matter of minutes, as were many others. They always go for the big ones.



And that is why the mid-October harvest is goodly, but mostly cherry tomatoes this year. Ah well, they taste good.



For some reason that brush with doom made me re-visit my languishing Socks on a Plane – and frog it. Not for the first time. Maybe third time's the charm?



It's time for Plan B C.

Grateful After the Storm

Add Hurricane Isaias, which plowed through the I-95 corridor, to the 2020 list of calamities. For a named storm, it did relatively little damage roundabout Exit 151. The lights flickered but stayed on and my Zoom meetings went on uninterrupted. Thank you, PSE&G and Verizon!

I had planned for some hurricane knitting with a favorite yarn, Malabrigo Lace, colorway Violetas. The storm moved so fast I never got the chance. Things could have been worse, so file this under All's well that ends well.

The yarn is for August Camp Loopy. My order turned out to be from different dyelots that, indeed, are different. Before it shipped, Sheri thoughtfully sent a photo of the skeins and asked if I still wanted them. As I intend to knit Timeline of a Distraction by Mary-Ann Mace, I figured the different dyelots would give an attractive ombré effect, so I did. And I appreciate the thoughtful and alert customer service. Another bit of good after the storm.

Spring Election Day 2020

Today is Municipal Election Day roundabout Exit 151. It was supposed to be the first use of the fancy new optical voting machines the county bought. Instead, because of the coronavirus epidemic, it's the first use of 100% vote by mail. No polling places are open today and no provisional ballots are available. Knowing that caused a minor panic last week – I did not receive my ballot, pestered the county clerk all week, and finally received a duplicate ballot, which I returned yesterday. There's a way to track one's ballot, but the registration process isn't working for me. Argh.



Also because of the pandemic, the mighty MDS&W morphed into an online-only festival. I bought the T-shirt and some fairings, as one does the first full weekend in May, and felt a bit mournful about all that was missing from the experience. Then came the wait for delivery. The first fairing to arrive is some lovely Gnomespun Domestic Romney, colorway Tiger's in the Night.



Well. That does make things better.

In an ordinary year, I'd plan to spin it up during the Tour de Fleece or the Ravellenics. This year, with so many sporting events in abeyance, it feels like... I was about to say it feels like a contingency plan or two is needed, but no. With so many plans crumbling, perhaps rather than another plan, the good intention simply to spin is enough.

Transitions

This post has been evolving a while. When I started writing about my weekend it was the season when the walls between worlds grown thin, and maybe some walls between nations, too. Ahem. To celebrate mark the date, there even was a Halloween sun, courtesy the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory.



Roundabout Exit 151 a bit more Halloween sun would have been welcome – Halloween was warm, windy, and rainy. I had planned to test a survey which claims the most popular Halloween candy in NJ is Skittles. Knock me over with a feather, I like chocolate. But, not wanting to run afoul of the generational friction of ok boomer and mindful of slave-free chocolate concerns, I gave Skittles a try on the sparse handful of trick-or-treaters who braved the balmy storm. Within the small sample size, it would seem it's true, Skittles were very well received. Huh.

After the storm and clean up, I hauled our last TV with a picture tube to the recycling center. The attendant suggested I was nuts for wanting to take a photo (and he didn't want to be in it), but it seemed important to document the occasion. Farewell, faithful TV!



As for knitting, all I got to show is this Pumpkin Socks singleton. I'm DNF for September/October SKA and feel rather indifferent about that, given everything else that's been going on. And while I'm concerned about it becoming a Singleton Sock of Shame, perhaps there's no danger – some gentle readers (who don't themselves knit) find the term objectionable and stifling, and have had the temerity to demand I find better terminology. Hm....



Moving right along... For runners, it was NY Marathon weekend, of course. As all New Yorkers well know, it's the weekend when the city is, er, overrun with fleet pedestrians and traffic closures. So perhaps it was only fitting that the president, having declared himself no longer a New Yorker (for whatever good that does), decided to snarl traffic further by attending a mixed martial arts card at Madison Square Garden, where his reception inside and out was decidedly mixed. This on top of his Game 5 reception and followed by an off-year Election Day and some of the crowd at a Trump rally in Monroe, Louisiana leaving early.

No doubt about it, the times are a-changing, winter is coming, and there's snow in the forecast.

Countdown

There's an excessive heat warning
noon Friday to 10:00 pm Sunday
please take care
Today is the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, July 20, 1969. There was a modestly festive commemoration at the local public library (which is also one of the town cooling centers). After all, Exit 151 is where astronaut Buzz Aldrin grew up. The rather more elaborate commemorations in DC included outdoor movies about the Apollo 11 mission, not least the projection of the image of a Saturn Five rocket on the Washington Monument.



Meanwhile, the yarn for my August Loopy Space Camp arrived: Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd's Wool, colorway Beaches. Even at a heat index of 115° F this stuff is so beautiful. Perhaps this sounds heat-crazed, but it makes me want to knit All The Things!



So I'm counting down to August, a bit more happily than this unwilling countdown in "Please Mr. Kennedy" sung by Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake, and Adam Driver in Inside Llewyn Davis.



Outer Space!

Excessive Heat Warning

There's an excessive heat warning
noon Friday to 10:00 pm Sunday
please take care
Today I'm cowering inside in air-conditioned comfort, working on my ::cough:: sadly neglected July Loopy Space Camp project, A Shield Against Grief by Francoise Danoy aka ArohaKnits.



It's a lovely project, I just need to be more intentional about it. Onward! – at a prudent pace, it's dangerously hot roundabout Exit 151.

Attitude of Gratitude

This post was written in June but posted in July – and not even on the first of July – because June was the sort of month when the wheels came off. That was true literally, as with my hapless seven-year-old lawn mower, and in other ways as well for me, and perhaps for others too. Under such circumstances I try to cultivate an attitude of gratitude and to "knit on with confidence and hope through all crises" per Elizabeth Zimmermann. It doesn't always work, but it beats most of the alternatives.



So, in June, there was too much travel, of course. Which of course meant my Loopy Space Camp project for June, Tendril by Mary-Ann Mace, didn't progress very far – certainly not to completion. Perhaps it's in keeping with the space camp theme that instead of reaching Neptune (ie, a finished project of 800-999 yds (731-913 m)), it's become a UFO.



There was no June jamming for the FIJ Challenge either. Ah well. The July theme is stonefruit, and I really hope to get to can some. Meanwhile, Marisa was hospitalized with pre-eclampsia, which puts my woes in perspective. Here's hoping she and her twins pull through with flying colors.

On the bright side, the prize haul in June was quite handsome. I received a Sock Madness 13 prize, a beautiful personalized Party Palette from Belchickie, for improvising a crochet hook and knitting on with confidence and hope etc on my Demogorgon's Lair socks. My thanks to the Sock Madness mod team and to Belchickie!



And UFO or no, my Neptune swap partner, Cascott, sent a rich and lovely package: a sweet note; astronaut ice cream that I'm going to save for the big anniversary, July 20, 2019; a crochet hook/cable needle Handi Tool; Black Elephant Superwash Merino Singles, colorway Lights Out; stitch markers; and a space-themed project bag, lined and finely finished with a measuring tape scissors leash, sparkly pull tabs, and a rocket zipper pull (check out that planetary pattern-matching). My thanks to Neptune moderator UnravelingSophia and to Cascott!



While I was traveling Ravelry adopted a new policy banning expressions of support for the Trump administration as equivalent to hate speech, which rapidly became national news and inevitably national parody. The strong stand also provoked a backlash that involved threats against Rav staff, trolls and (possibly Russian) bots who mostly posted threatening and pornographic messages and images on the website, and DoS attacks. A few politically conservative groups closed and a few members quit. Some designers and yarn shops received threats and, curiously, some conservative knitters also received unpleasant messages. I have to wonder about the source(s). It's troubling to know Big Brother is watching, and cares enough to actively seek to create contention. Hm.



Also while I was traveling, one of my overwintered leeks started growing a bulb. I didn't think leeks did that, but there it is. I'm going to go with that bit of serendipity, and start a July project for Loopy Space Camp and spin a bit for Tour de Fleece, which starts July 6. More on both, and FIJ, later.

Signs of Spring

The signs are everywhere – spring is springing roundabout Exit 151! In celebration, I took my singleton Echoes by Liz Harris, the Sock Madness second round sock, to Branch Brook Park. I never tire of the annual show of cherry blossoms. The sock is pretty nice, too. (That's my sock, but not my hand.)



Last weekend the indubitable sign of spring was NJ Wool Walk. Pressed for time as I've been, I contented myself with a quick outing to Yarnia, where I filled a small basket with some yarn and other necessities (not shown) and some swag that came with the purchase (below). I got a notions bundle. I do love me some knitting swag. When unwound, the pink mini ball of yarn contained a coupon for 15% off a future purchase.



This weekend, given the prevalence of puffy buds on the trees and if the mild spring weather continues, I'd say it will be peak bloom in Branch Brook Park.



For those unacquainted with the technical terms for cherry blossom bloom stages, here's an illustrated primer (yes, such things exist!). Or in the "Beauty is truth" spirit, maybe it's enough to know that puffy buds = promise of beauty imminent. If you can't make it in person, there's always Branch Brook Park cam. And not to worry, there's plenty of late-blooming cherry trees, mainly with very showy double-ruffled magenta flowers, to come.

Excuses

Whoa, somehow almost the entire months of March and April have zipped by, full of whoa and woe, and I got nothing, except maybe excuses for not blogging. They're reasonably good excuses.

First, two of my trees split during the endless series of nor'easters in March. Here's one, the other wasn't as photogenic. So many other trees roundabout Exit 151 were damaged in the storms, it took a long time to get on the queue for tree service. Woe.



There was a modicum of sock knitting. I finished one Fée Dragée on time, so qualified for Sock Madness patterns, but not for competition. Which given all the other cray-cray going on at casa Jersey Knitter is just as well. I thought about unpicking the toe, then figured whoa, it's not broke, so don't fix it.



There was a LOT of traveling and a little knitting on planes and trains. Most of the time I was so frazzled, I forgot to bring my mini-Beyoncé, and when I remembered to pack her, I forgot to get her out to take pix. Then I forgot where I put this Soul Mate Hearts Sock, and it remains unfinished. Woe.



I was so busy, I almost missed the cherry blossoms. Gentle readers know that is most unlike me. Whoa! Woe!



So so long to March and April, full of whoa and woe. They were enough to make one collapse in a quivering heap of protoplasm. They were enough to make one decide to skip MDS&W. They were enough to make one sigh, "Il faut cultiver notre jardin."



Wait. I have asparagus. That changes everything!

What They Were Thinking

It's been a cool and soggy Memorial Day weekend roundabout Exit 151, and I don't mean the uproar over a certain sportswriter's selective unease about the Indy 500 winner or the pushback to a certain First Blogger's let-them-eat-cake recipe. No, no, fluff-filled brain that I have, the observation is merely meteorological – the weekend was cool and rainy.

In between the raindrops I managed to visit the Presby Iris Gardens, which lived up to their nickname, A Rainbow on the Hill. And there were plenty of buds, so the display should remain lovely for at least another week.



Gentle readers may recall that last month's quick pickled asparagus disappeared fast, which prompted me to put up the shelf-stable version for the May FIJ challenge, cold pack. This time I used Marisa McClellan's recipe for Pickled Asparagus Spears, put up in 12-oz jelly jars. Compared with the quick pickle, the processed version (unsurprisingly) is wrinkled and softer, although not as overcooked as commercial canned asparagus, and the extra heat infused the brine with the color of the red pepper flakes. There was some siphoning, nothing too distressing, and the yield was perfect. All good, except it turns out the happy hope of preserving spring bounty was mostly foiled by the insatiable munching jaws at casa Jersey Knitter. As fast as the asparagus is prepared, just so quickly it disappears! That's mostly gratifying, only slightly frustrating.



Somehow Sock Madness 11 has managed to reach Round 5, leaving me far, far behind, even for a patterns-only non-competitor. After a personal best last year, there are too many distractions this year! And my wandering attention has wandered to June Camp Loopy (and the Tour de Fleece 2017). Here's my yarn for camp, Cascade Ultra Pima. I'm wavering (again) on the pattern. This year's theme is dinosaurs; I've been assigned to Camp Stegosaurus. Although my dino totem is a Velociraptor. Perhaps that bodes well for fierce and fleet knitting? Surely it doesn't signify much frogging and shredding?



Alas, cruel reality intrudes on these pleasant knitting musings: I expect to be crazy-busy in June (and traveling on the day of the TdF Grand Départ, July 1). What am I thinking???

Outcomes

In case you missed it, the U.S. had a General Election for president and other offices last week on Tuesday, November 8. I was in NYC on Monday to have dinner with my sister, and we meandered over to Rockefeller Center, which was crazy-resplendent with flags, bunting, lights projected on the buildings and the skating rink, and tent-like outdoor broadcast booths and cameras on booms all set up in preparation for the next day. The vibe seemed hectic, even a bit hellish to me, but my sister loved it.



Election Day was a beautiful, mild day roundabout Exit 151 and indeed across the country = no excuses for not getting to the polls. Heavy turnout usually favors Democrats, yet there were two whispers of trouble ahead for the Democratic candidate for president. My polling place is in the sapphire blue bellybutton of New Jersey and while there was a line to vote, turnout was noticeably less than in 2008. And one voter in line began talking very loudly and unpleasantly about exclusionary voter ID laws, generally a Republican issue, often with racist overtones. Hindsight is 20/20, and in retrospect that seems a presage of what was to come.

Maybe there was a third sign: I baked a patriotic confetti cake, and it was awful. In more skilled hands or to other palates it might have been acceptable (a master cake baker I'm not), but to me the cake was overly sweet from the candy sprinkles, with an overly soft, almost gooey, collapsing center. A metaphor, perhaps.



Tuesday evening as the polls closed and the voting returns trickled in it became increasingly clear the opinion polls predicting a landslide victory for Hillary Clinton and a chance to flip the Senate to the Democrats had been stunningly wrong. Reflecting the confusion, Wednesday's print NY Times had one headline, while their website had another. In the sober light of morning, it turned out Republican Donald Trump had prevailed by carrying the Electoral College but not winning the popular vote. Trump was president-elect, and his party retained control of both houses of Congress and a majority of governorships and state houses, and is poised to appoint the majority in the Supreme Court.



In the ten days since the election, I finally finished my Debate Socks, knit in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Super Sparkle, colorway Star Speckled Skein. Amazing to relate, the 8% Lurex content is not only adorable, but also comfortable, not scratchy at all. Now that's a win-win.



Round town there's been some trouble with ugly winners, which in some cases has taken on a life of its own. Notably, after a small business near the train station was defaced by graffiti expressing coarse pro-Trump sentiments, some children painted it over with a cheery mural, which was again vandalized. Rinse, repeat, repeat, repeat. The sixth iteration is pictured below.



It was defaced as well. But this time the vandals did not get away with it. Train commuters had noticed the mural would be fine through the evening commute, but would be marked up by the morning commute. So the business owner and a buddy camped out overnight, spotted two older adults in the very act, and called police, who made the arrest.

There have been other upsets, so there's going to be a community march and vigil tomorrow afternoon from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., starting at the main library and ending at the WW1 memorial. I have tickets for a show with an 8:00 o'clock curtain, but I'll go for a while. It's important. To be continued....

Destination: Vest

Happy Equinox! Summer temperatures and humidity may linger, but the days are getting noticeably shorter roundabout Exit 151. With Mercury the communicator going direct, it seems only fitting to post a post.

Planetary matters are on my mind today not least because last Friday hometown hero Buzz Aldrin, resplendent in a Destination: Mars T-shirt, was in town. He was third in his class at West Point, was a fighter pilot, holds a PhD from MIT, and is one of the first humans to walk on the moon and is among the first humans to successfully complete a space walk.



In his honor the middle school he attended was rededicated as Buzz Aldrin Middle School. Appropriately, it's a STEM school.



There were many speeches and reminiscences, Buzz led a rousing (?) cheer, and the local bakeshop made astronaut cookies.



Foolishly, I forgot to wear something suitably geeky-patriotic to the ceremony (I have a NASA T-shirt somewhere) and to bring a hat, a bottle of water, and a U.S. flag and so paid the consequences. I may have been unprepared, but others came ready. I saw one well-equipped couple using wire cutters to help themselves to the event posters fastened to the school fence! Aiya.

Woe and alas, that fun Friday segued into a nervous weekend in the NY/NJ region. The current story is a single suspect is responsible for homemade bombs that exploded Saturday morning in Seaside Park and Saturday evening in Chelsea and for a pressure cooker bomb found in Chelsea and five pipe bombs found in Elizabeth later that evening. The manhunt included an ill-advised cell phone alert and, after a shoot out and chase, the capture alive of the suspect. Most people reacted calmly and responsibly, a few not so much. The NJ beaches re-opened, life goes on – albeit a bit more nervously.

At the beginning of this month I signed up for the Fall Sweater Challenge. I assiduously read about the sponsors and how to get points, joined the FSC Ravelry group, selected a pattern, and ordered yarn. And then waited... patiently....

Sigh. Some participants started their projects in August.

It may be crystal clear to others, but I don't quite comprehend the pash of have and have-not hashtags for #FallSweaterChallenge. The hashtags are worth points and the points are worth prizes, although some things worth points don't seem to have a hashtag, and other things that have hashtags don't seem to be worth points. There were supposed to be participant numbers but somewhere along the way the participant numbers got dropped. Same thing with deadlines. Ah well, here goes.

I selected a designated designer pattern, Morning Walk vest by Becky Herrick, and joined the #MorningWalkKAL.



#ipickedyarn: My yarn arrived smelling strongly of vinegar, which made me worry the dye was not fully stable, often a problem with shades of red. So I gave it a bath to rinse out any excess dye. The yarn is #BMFA Targhee Worsted in colorway Vine Ripened Red, shown with some Jersey tomatoes for comparison.



One of the early stated goals of FSC was to flood Rhinebeck with FOs. Oh all right, despite my feeble launch I'll give it a go. Next steps, swatching and beyond to Destination: Vest!

Bridge of Sighs

This evening I attended a community vigil for victims of the mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub. It was quietly moving, thoughtfully inclusive, and carefully apolitical. The mayor was one of the speakers, but there was no speechifying. There were prayers and singing (not "We Shall Overcome," thank goodness), and many sighs too deep for words.



This is not to say there isn't a lot that could be said and should be said and must be said, and much to do. It's simply this was a time and a place for condolences and mourning and gathering with people of my town, and I'm glad I went.

NJ Primary Election Day 2016

Today is Primary Election Day in the Garden State. NJ polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Find voter information here.

Howabout some patriotic irises from the Presby Iris Garden in honor of the day.

   

Most presidential election years the NJ primary falls so late in the season that it's a dullish affair, of interest only to pols and wonks, but this is no ordinary year. As I've said many times off the blog in real life, one year ago when so many hopefuls were traipsing around Iowa, I never would have predicted what has indeed come to pass.

I plan to add to this post as the day proceeds. Back in a bit.

Noon-ish: When I voted, the poll workers told me turnout so far was heavy. I like that. That AP has essentially declared the primary irrelevant, not so much.

Dinner-ish: Judging from how feverishly the TV pundits are chattering, it's going to be a long night. The big prize of the day delegate-wise is California but NJ votes first.

Close of polls in NJ: Or possibly not, at least not in NJ.

Close of polls in California: It is going to be a long night, I'm going to bed.

Next day: It turns out not a lot changed while I slept. Indeed, the primary results don't seem to have mattered in certain respects. Ah well, at least I exercised my right to vote and got some knitting done.



Rather like the political season, the 3 Color Cashmere Cowl has reached the endless tube o' doom stage. But onward.

Ahead of the Storm

The alarming weather forecast for tomorrow is for pelting rain and 70 mph (113 kph) winds. That's bound to do some damage, so I rushed out to Branch Brook Park for a hurried look at the cherry blossoms lest I miss this year's show entirely. The main season bloomers were just shy of peak bloom. If you can't see this year's show in person, try Cherry Blossom Cam.



Inspired by jooan's wee socks, I knit a wee Rose & Thorn sock, using the fussy beaded CO, Quatrefoil Eyelet (in Treasury 1) and twist sts for the roses and thorns, eye of partridge French heel, and wedge toe. Note to self: for a wee sock, it's better to knit a plain heel flap rather than a slip-st flap, which pulls in too much for the reduced scale. I think I'm going to attach the wee sock to my purse.



Here's hoping everyone in the path of the storm stays safe and sound. See you on the other side.

Have You Voted?

Today is General Election Day in the U.S. There are Internet resources and apps to help voters to find their polling place, and learn about their candidates and ballot initiatives – everything an informed voter needs. In the fair state of New Jersey the polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. There are two state questions and one municipal question on my ballot.



Lately I've been struck by how negative and discouraging some get-out-the-vote campaigns have been, almost as if they were stealth versions of voter suppression efforts calculated to make citizens tamely give up their rights. I say don't buy that noise. On this day there's only one thing that matters if you pay taxes and are eligible to vote, and that's Have you voted?

George Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze. With permission.

After all, these guys were willing to invade New Jersey for the privilege.

Comforting

As crazed as my year has been, there's a wonderfully comforting continuity in the process of going from fiber (beauteous Gale's Art undyed Blue Face Leicester)...



... to yarn (240 yds of strangely kinky 2-ply S-spun, Z-plied)...



... to swatch (Tvåändsstickning motifs from Rossling by Leslie Comstock)...



... to entry for the the Garden State Sheep & Fiber Festival skein competition (Challenge Class 14: Textile Yarn Swatch).



I can hardly believe it's been eight years since I last competed. And I'm astonished and elated to have come home this year with First in Class and Best of Show ribbons.



The words of wisdom from EZ have never seemed truer to me: "Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises."