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And the Pippis roll on! I've turned the heel and am knitting away on the foot!
Tomorrow I'll be taking these babies out for a little KIP. We having a book sale to raise money, and while I know I won't be entirely angelic, if I have something in my hands it'll be harder to browse the books!
Read something good today. You deserve it!
Look at what I helped to make for Sunday's Brunch at the BWWC:
Lots of fun--and I got to take home a fruit bounty!
The conference was a blast. There were lots of happy attendees, great papers, beautiful weather and a generally flawless implementation of a couple of years of planning. When I finally felt like reading anything again yesterday, I immediately started rifling through the CFP list that I subscribe to, looking for a conference where I could present a paper. Nothing like a conference to rejuvenate your scholarship.
Tomorrow I'll be starting the sleeves for my EZ Homespun Sweater. I love dull stockinette! Woohoo!
Merc is not amused.
Still recovering from the weekend, but getting back into the swing of academic things. I've got a set of papers to grade plus a new set coming in tomorrow. I will be drowning in grading for a couple of weeks, not to mention the fact that I've got a boatload of studying/reading to do for my exams which are fast approaching. Expect spotty posting from me until May.
I have been working on the Pippis, now that I've gotten the go-ahead from the recipient. I'm glad that she likes the striping!
Steve was a real angel last night. After a grueling weekend of conference hostessing, it was really nice to have someone come over to cook a nice meal for me while I played vegetable in front of the TV. He was even sweet enough to play yarn swift so that I could wind the rest of the Shepard Sock for the Pippis. What a guy! Thank you dear!
I stole the title for this entry from Virginia Woolf via Susan Gubar, who just delivered the closing keynote address for the 12th Annual British Women Writers Conference here in Athens, GA. I was heartened as she began her talk, first because it was clearly not the typical conference address dissecting a text via X perspective, and next, because she appeared to be questioning the nature and future of academic feminism. Gubar, one of the most charismatic, animated, and genuine people I've come across to date, raised issues that the audience immediately connected with and that I found particularly insightful. My admittedly weak paraphrase of the question she posed: What is happening to the academy and to feminism in general, that our buildings are in decay and our presses against the wall and why do we find ourselves, as feminist writers, with a waning of public interest in what we have to say?
The response was to tackle an experiment in criticism that couches a survey of the history of feminst criticism in a narrative frame that invites, rather than alienates, readers who might be put off by the jargon and theory laden discourse that permeates the academy. The paper, "A Feminism of One's Own," related the story of an established feminist critic who encounters today's classroom, coming away with a sense that great strides have been made, but more are to come.
I was generally heartened by this paper, although I had a nagging sense that something underlying the talk would soon destroy my ease. The Q&A session quickly brought those issues to light. As Gubar was speaking, I kept thinking, "yes, finally, someone in a position to do something gets it, understands that the students we try to reach now are different than those 20 years ago, that the general public tends toward varying levels of hostility or indifference to the news from the academy, and that we have to consider the ways in which we can make ourselves relevant to audiences we want to reach (or so we say), but can't." I was hoping that this would lead to an understanding by all parties that for us to move toward "A Feminism Of One's Own," we'd have to begin with the premise that as the culture begins to internalize certain "doctrinal" messages, people will begin to accept or reject them, and that we may end up with many possible feminisms born not out of ignorance and close-mindedness, but out of an embracing of the dissonance and discord that will inevitably arise when we free individual minds from externally crafted strictures. To me, that is a true feminism.
What happened in the Q & A? Well, let's just say that by the end, I was saddened and somewhat insulted that some folks just aren't ready to listen to conservative voices, choosing instead to marginalize those who disagree with canonical positions. These are the same voices that I hear when I read online debates about the possibility of there being a "pro-life feminist," the assumption being that there is only one way to be a feminist, and that way is exclusively pro-choice. How ironic; a woman's right to choose, paramount in the decision to end emerging life, is irrelevant when it comes to choosing to espouse or adopt a position that all life is sacred and worth protecting.
I have many students who come from conservative homes, with conservative ideas. I have heard my colleagues bemoan their provincialism, assuming that their job is to open these poor, deaf ears to the gospel truth of liberal theory and philosphies. Those poor students, intelligent and eager to learn, very quickly surmise that there is only one way to think in English courses. What an absolute shame.
I want a feminism of my own, one that I craft, that I control. I want to be able to define myself in the world and for myself. I didn't ask the question I wanted to after this talk, the one that burned in my brain and is still eating at me, spurring this post.
How can we be dismayed at our apparant irrelevancy when we demonstrate no human interest in really hearing the other side? How can we be upset that fewer young women today accept our invitation when it is handed to them with restrictive conditions that require lockstep agreement with thorny issues? How can we weep and bemoan our marginalized state when we marginalize our sisters?
I don't know where this goes for me next. But I know it will go where I choose to drive it, not where the established academy tells me it must.
I'm away this weekend doing my duties as one of the hostesses for the 12th Annual British Women Writers Conference. See you next week!
I want to be a daily blogger. I want to set a time each day where I sit down and do something fun and communicative with this machine, something that allows my fun, playful side to emerge. Perhaps that will be possible when the exam process is over...assuming, of course, that I pass.
I'm keeping busy busy busy. Here you see the scene of the knit-reading; my bed, always an enticing place, has become almost a dangerous command center.
I decided to put in a pocket on the front, and while I'm pleased with the technical completion of this task, I'm disappointed that i didn't make the pocket tall enough. Don't get me wrong; my hands fit inside and will be quite cozy. I just think it would have been better a bit bigger.
Maybe then I could fit this cutie in my pocket.
Last night, in an attempt to make the crazed cramming I'm doing bearable, I mastered what I can only call an artform.
I learned how to knit and read at the same time.
This feat, of course, requires that I only knit around and around, which is fine since I've just changed the Homespun Cardi to a Homespun Pullover a la EZ...round and round she goes. I am flirting with the idea of knitting in a pouch pocket, so that might require a bit of non-reading knitting, but I don't much care. And if I finish this sweater, there's a boatload of Wool-Ease from the big box o'acrylic that will do nicely for another bout of mindless round and round knitting.
Life is getting better every day.
I've been marinating in reading for my comps, frantically trying to take in as much of my Humanities Computing list as I can. This focused reading has made me realize the following:
1. I love this stuff. I love thinking about it. I love dreaming about the textual editing possibilites created by the advent of technology. I am exhilarated by the ways in which this environment has challenged my pedagogy and my own writing processes. I am awed by the productivity of professionals in the field who have amassed collections of electronic textual representations that span the course of an author's career, moment in history, production...it's just jaw-dropping.
2. I am highly averse to convoluted, poorly written/stated theoretical positions. I want to read engaging, conversant, and inspirational discussions of the variety of theoretical positions one can adopt in the computing environment. While I value Foucault's/Bentham's Pantopticon, for example, I'd like to read/see/hear a model of it that gives me a sense of what it's really all about; I want a concrete experience of theoretical ideas. I think or I can at least hope that I can get that here.
3. I love reading. I'm having a great time just hanging out with these texts and responding in the margins, in my electronic notes, in my head, out loud...yes, some of them are dead, and none of them are in my living room, but when I read something engaging (and sometimes when it's not engaging reading) I feel like chatting with the author.
4. I should have knuckled down like this a long time ago. I think I got so scared of the volume of reading that was required of me that I froze into inactivity. What was I thinking?
So I'm reading fast and furious. What has that done to my knitting?
Well, it's made me shift some focus. I'm only working now on projects that don't require complicated patterns and that are generally knit in the round. I'm still plugging away on the spiral blankie (I think I'll be ready to cast off next weekend) and I've changed the Homespun Cardi to a Homespun pullover...using EZ's percentage system cause I just can't bring myself to consider flat knitting right now. Just mindless round and round.
Oh, and the Pippis. Can't forget the Pippis.
Pics (I hope) tomorrow when I've had a chance to take some. For now, I'm going to curl up with a good book and a glass of wine.
Is there anything more beautiful than brand new needles?
Just got my 40" Turbos today. See you guys in a week! ;-)
Knitting
We'll do this first because there's so little to say. I did little knitting over the break, finding myself all too often removed from the vicinity of the knitting or engaged in non-knitting friendly activities. What little knitting was done was not on the projects I swore I'd work on, though, so I suppose I'm keeping the WIP spirit alive!
But first, a view of the offensive Pippi.
As you can see, the striping changes radically. At this point, though, I feel that continuing and finishing one sock will let me see what I'm really looking at. I've come so far! I can't stop now!
My new project is really an impromptu torture device. Behold the magic of the Pi Shawl!
Those are size 0 needles and that is size 10 crochet cotton. I am insane, and will likely only have a doily for my troubles. But I'm learning about the shawl shaping, so I guess that's a good thing. It's fun, but the smallness is somewhat frustrating. I've got a couple of skeins of laceweight (red and black, one shawl's worth each), so I see a couple of real shawls in my summer knitting future.
Studies
I did do a bit of reading. Kipling's Kim, which I'm still reading, a couple of computing books, and more romantic poetry. I'm not going to be ready for my exams.
I came across no new knitters on my own, but I did hear of a great one from Aven which I'll be adding to the list. A colleague also suggested I take a look at Chekov, so be on the lookout for the first play!
Friends
I did get to visit with my adopted family in Suwanee. On Monday I ventured there for an evening of yummy pasta, wine, and Mah Jong! An excellent way to pass an evening, and my friend Steph and I made plans for a follow-up at a nearby Barnes & Noble on Thursday. Here's Sarah Grayce playing with the B&N train.
What a cutie! She's so energetic and enthusiastic...and talkative! We had to cut our visit short, as Steph's older daughter was feeling ill, but it was good to hang out for a little while. Someday, perhaps, I'll post pics of adults too.
Kitties
Zeus and Merc, as usual, were looking for lovin' in all the wrong places. But they are such sweet little devils!
Here's Steve giving Merc a bit of a scolding...I'm sure he deserved it! :-)
It's Spring Break and I'm blazing through books and papers. So I'm gonna be away for a few days. I wish that I could say I was on the beach or in a cozy cabin. When you pass your local Borders, think of me.
See you next week!
Check out Wendy's March Contest!
I love limericks. So short, so compact, so witty. Of course, I never write very good ones. But no matter; I'll have to pen something to enter, if for no other reason than the prize is great!
This weekend was busy and filled with lots of things...and very little knitting. I've got three projects that simply must receive finishing attention this week. They are:
1. The Prayer Shawl. My goal at the start of the year was to knit one of these per month as part of a personal ministry to my family, friends, and community. I'm still working on shawl number 1, which should indicate to you how terrible I am. I think that my next shawl will start with a smaller number of stitches and larger needles. And I'll work on it for 15-20 minutes everyday as part of my meditation time.
2. The Buzz Clogs. These are close to complete. All that's left to do is knit the two soles, attach them, and stitch the boys up. Just in time for the Spring weather to render them unbearably hot. Steve is a trooper, though, and I'm sure he'll enjoy them regardless! I will not be making another set of these in Lamb's Pride again, though. The mohair does a real number on my throat, and as much as I love the feel and the felting qualities of the yarn, I think I'll need to find an affordable substitute for the next pair.
3. Colin's Scarf. This scarf is shamefully overdue. That will be rectified, as it is now a primary focus in my knitting. The seed stitching is interesting enough when combined with the striping sequence to keep my attention going, yet simple enough to be perfect conversation and television knitting. The really sucky part will, of course, be nipping in those ends.
The Pippis are on hold until I can get this color business worked out. I'm so very disappointed in myself for not thinking the striping through. I should have known better.
Enough grousing...must read books.
I know now how I feel about the Pippis I'm knitting.
Frightened.
The striping is so off, which I should have expected since this is a variegated yarn and the number of stitches is unstable in the most visible part of the socks. I've just turned the heel on the first sock and am picking up the gusset stitches. I'm going to finish it over Spring Break, and then bring it to Heather. If she likes it, great. If not, it's the ripper and back to the drawing board.
I am, however, pleased with my resizing efforts. The socks seem to be proportioned correctly, the decreases appear to have worked, and the knitting is going much faster than I anticipated. So all may not be lost.
And Zeus?
Well, he made peace with the slippers. I suspect I'll see many more snuggles between these guys.
Knitting the Pippi's has revived an ancient longing of mine. Long, long have I desired...
Yes, the films have dampened a bit of the Scooby mystique, but I love Velma too much to let that bother me. She's so freakin' cool! The glasses! The hair! The absolute disregard for style and color! I must have a Velma outfit. I'm thinking I can troll around for chunky/bulky orange poly for the sweater and kneesocks (because there's no freakin' way I'm going to knit orange knee socks on size 1 needles!), and make a simple burgundy pleated skirt. Hair and glasses I should be able to provide easily enough with a curling iron, hair spray and the pair of rectangular tortoise ones that sit on my face every day.
I look awful in orange, but I figure this will be a Halloween only getup. I've got to find a Shaggy to escort me...wonder if Steve would be averse to donning a green tee and pretending to be stoned? The dog I do have undercontrol, though.
Zeus had to check out my fluffy dawgs to ensure that they weren't dangerous. Will he approve? Or will he rip them to shreds with his kitty claws? Tune in next time for the mind-blowing conclusion!
Just got back from voting in the GA primary. I was a bit surprised that I had to choose a party (I'm a registered Independant), but I guess that makes sense, as you can only vote in one primary. We also had a flag referendum to vote on, so I feel that I've voted on the internal and external integrity of our state! :-)
May attend the Knit-In at my LYS tonight; I'm waiting for my landlord to show up with the "For Rent" sign. When my lease ends in May, I'm moving into a smaller apartment. I love this house and love the neighborhood, but I'm just not loving the rent. And I need a smaller space to really focus my attention on my dissertation.
So most of my books, and much of my craft supplies will be stored away (sniff) for a while. I must try to keep the yarn somewhat accessible, though, as I certainly don't want to build up a new stash to replace the old! ;-)
I just watched a report on the NBC Nightly News and boy am I steamed. The story was on the decreasing number of African-American voters who are voting Democrat (if they're voting at all). The premise was that African-American voters OUGHT to vote Democratic because of the Civil Rights movement, the implication being that the Democratic party purchased their votes in that political era.
For the record, no party owns my vote or my votership. I have been repeatedly disappointed in the Democratic party, not because they don't pay attention to African-Americans, but because the attention they pay to us is more lip service than help and does nothing to make life better. The sense of ENTITLEMENT that the news piece suggested just solidified my impression of the Democratic party's expectation of the African-American vote.
The young African-American voters (4 of them) who were interviewed in the piece were well-educated entrepreneurs. Of course they aren't impressed with the Democratic party--they were more interested in their individual concerns and business concerns (as I would dare say we EXPECT white voters to be) than they were with the plight of their race. This is the result of the Civil Rights movement--African-American voters who are working hard to build a life of their own, to follow the American dream. But the African-Americans that the Democratic Party seems to court are the poor and they court them by denying any expectation that they PRODUCE anything in society. If I bought into the national discourse, the real problem with schools, for example, would be the amount of money being poured into them, not a fundamental lack of interest and support throughout the community for learning and education. I don't buy that. I don't believe that the problem is one of school funding. If a student values education, then that student will make the best out of what he or she is given. Do I think that schools are well-funded? No, not really. But I don't think that throwing more money at schools is going to increase the desire of students to succeed. More money for schools will not get students to get more library cards, to read more books, or to become more active and proficient observers of the world around them. I believe that the problem is a lack of community expectation of good performance.
And there's more, of course. But the overall point I'm trying to make here is that the Democratic Party has no claim to the African-American vote. And neither do the Republicans. No party can claim the vote of a constituency until they receive that vote and no constituency or individual should grant their vote until they are satisfied that the candidate understands and supports the things that are fundamental to them.
Sorry if this has been rambly. I was just needing a vent.
Yes, I know that Spring doesn't officially start for days. But the weather is a little warmer, the sun is a little shinier, and I'm sick of wearing wintery clothes! So there! Hehehehe.
The Academy Awards were an excellent knitting opportunity. I worked on Steve's BuzzClogs and finished the body of the second one. All that's left for those pre-felting, then, are the second soles and the finishing up (all those icky yarn ends--ewwww!).
I also made progress on the Pippis! I'm about to start the calf decreases on the first sock.
OK. I know, I know. There's a long road to travel after the calf decreases to finishing the sock. But this is some fine yarn, folks, and I'm just pleased that I get to start paying attention to the knitting again. And while I'm a bit surprised about the way the yarn colors are behaving, as the "stripes" start coming out, I'm generally pleased. Not the same effect as the socks in SNB, but cool nonetheless. And I think the recipient will have a great time with them.
Reading
Lest you think I was lax in my studies, I will set you straight. Yes, I read this weekend. I reviewed the three big texts in Romantic studies (critical texts, not actual fun poetry or anything) and read the original "Rime of the Ancyent Marynere" to Steve as we were driving around doing errands. It was great fun for me and I wonder if it was the inspiration for Pirates of the Carribean.
I also read Ford Maddox Ford's The Good Soldier for the first time. Delightful, haunting, puzzling, moving--if you haven't read it, read it, if for no other reason than to find the KNITTER in the book! Very brief appearance, but there she was. And she was knitting.
Off to read Sherry Turkle's Life on the Screen and then visit with Wordsworth and Coleridge for a while. Merc and I hope you have a lovely and relaxing day!