Friends

Friends - true friends - weave a
Tight web that keeps you afloat
Though you feel done in.

More precious than gold,
This bond's strength depends solely
On how you tend it.

~~~

What else do friends do? They let you lick the spoon.

Give It Away

What I've got you've got to give it to your momma
What I've got you've got to give it to your papa
What I've got you've got to give it to your daughter
You do a little dance and then you drink a little water

~ Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Give It Away" ~

The band claims their Grammy award winning song was their frenetic, musical take on love and the proverb, "It's better to give than to receive."

With that in mind, I give you yarn. What kind? Well that's up to the winners of my first annual Birthday Haiku contest. The following haiku were chosen at random from of a pool of 42 comments:

Marsha said...
Another candle
On a yummy birthday cake
Make a happy wish!

Chris said...
Time slips past us as
birthdays come and go, leaving
happy memories.

Fiber dreams drift soft
Through joyous sleeping mind, with
no need to count sheep.

Patti said...
One more year counted
Like stitches on your needle
Adds to the person

Each winner has been notified and will be gifted with quality yarn in their choice of color family and weight. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to offer birthday wishes, a comment or to submit their haiku. You added a little something to my week.

So how did I spend my birthday? I hopped a train headed away from the teeming millions in the greater metropolitan area to visit my yarn dyeing friend, Rebecca a couple of hours south of Chicago. A little pizza, walkabout and general relaxing and it was time to come back home, but not without an indescribably soft surprise package of laceweight silk and mohair.

At some point, Rebecca also slipped two chocolate chip cupcakes into my bag, making the ride back to the city a bit sweeter. You're a sneaky one and for this, I thank you.

I made it home just before big, sloppy raindrops began falling. Just inside the back door, I found a box containing not one but two dozen red roses from a long-time friend.

"What? You got two dozen. I can't take a little taste?!" - Rocky

Yes. It was a very good day.

Crochet In Progress

I tried knitting a little bit. You know, just to test the shoulder stamina. Bad idea. I can't keep my hands still though, so I found an attractive, simple pattern and some surprisingly soft hemp yarn and kicked things off with a 15-stitch chain.

Shake your Boteh!

Although the pattern calls for a skosh over 400 yards fingering weight yarn, I'll have to make do with 280 yarns of DK weight allhemp6LUX. After I've made the body of the scarf, I'd love to have enough left over to do the edging, as this gives this fabulous summer piece the perfect finishing touch. I checked Ravelry (account required) to see the flavors of Boteh in the wild. Only a handful appear to have used contrasting yarn. I think that, for this particular scarf, same-color edging maintains an elegant simplicity. Oh, imagine this one in the slubbed, subtle sheen of silk...

Birthday Haiku Contest
Just a reminder for those who have not yet entered: I am giving away FREE YARN for my birthday! All you need do is post a 5/7/5 English-style haiku in the 'Comments' section by midnight (CT) May 30, 2008. I'll select 3 random poets to receive goodies from my stash.

Go on. Get creative!

Say What?

Saw: Today I grew a new person
Says: Today I, the new person,

Saw: Gifts of contemptuous jewelry
Says: Gifts of contemporary jewelry

Saw: Light was in the glitter guild meeting
Says: Last night was the knitters guild meeting

Saw: Plenty of time to execute the guy thoroughly.
Says: Plenty of time to evaluate the guy thoroughly.

Could it be that I have some wires crossed in the cerebral cortex or some such? I used to think that my "creative reading" was just amusing but now I wonder if it goes deeper. I swear that I'm not making this stuff up. Could some latent visual perception dysfunction be emerging? Is there a neuroscientist in the house?

Well there's no mistaking this: FREE YARN!

Yes, it's my birthday May 29th but you get the gifts. Leave me a comment from now through midnight (CT) May 30, 2008 containing your best birthday haiku (English 5/7/5 style), along with your color family and weight preference. I'll pick three names at random, then announce the winners on Saturday, May 31, 2008. Be sure to include a valid email address so that I can contact you. For now, I leave you with this:

Spring is half over.
I've knit no warm weather gear -
Just bum shoulder blues.

A Falling Out

autumnal Tones

green Slips into brown.
yellows, reds? they Rust away -
transmutation Time.


ShibuiKnits "Autumn" (top, bottom) "Honey" (middle)

I think shibui, or Japanese for "elegant with a touch of bitterness" perfectly describes the harbinger of change that is the first day of the Fall season.

Paean to Pain

Mad about knitting,

But pain's return gives me pause.

All projects? Full stop!


The lovely yarn taunts,

The hanks, heavy with promise

Of gifts left unmade.





Lisa Souza Merino Sock, Mountain Colors Bearfoot)