March 09, 2005
Do the Dulaan!
Did you feel it? Did you feel the great shift in the universe? There must a’ been one, otherwise I can’t explain why my normally slow, lame-o state job has turned freakishly busy. Of course, maybe it was just Mount St. Helen’s erupting again, or perhaps I just ate too many beans. Either way, a short entry today, Dear Readers, just enough to let you know I’m alive and thinking ‘bout alla’ youze.
I finished my first Dulaan Cascade 220 Slicker-Yellow Moss Stitch Cabled But Not Beaded Mitten and am seriously tickled with the results. In fact, these mittens may actually make up for the Psychedelic Pscarf which still makes me make sounds like a cat barfing up a hairball. Other than the seven row v. eight row issue which just turned out to be me being too anal, I highly recommend this mitten pattern. It’s worth the $6. Photo soon.
I see the Pinwheel Butthole Hat, “Ken’s Hat” and variations thereof are starting to make their way around the Net. Janine has posted a Norma-sanctioned, modified, less...er...puckered version of the PBH which provides a way to attach the inner layer of the hat to the outer before you start your decreases.
Here’s a picture of some earflap hats knit by my new pal Ann (Hi, Ann!) in Vancouver, B.C. I love the fact that she included the flyer in the photo; it makes everything feel all karmic and circular-like.
And here are some more recent Dulaan postings:
http://avocadia.net/randomknits/archives/000315.html
http://bronsfiberstuff.typepad.com/brons_blog_ii/2005/02/dulaan_crochet_.html
http://irwinmb.typepad.com/my_knitting_life/2005/03/_the_dulaan_pro.html
http://www.johnnysstew.com/nano/nanopants.html#3705 (a blanket, woo-hoo!)
Also, don’t miss Sheila’s posting on the Peer Pressure Project! As she explained to me at Ferals, she, like many people (in fact, like me before Dulaan came along), isn’t into the charity knitting thing. For her, charity knitting, particularly when you don't actually finish the item, is just a straight shot to Guiltville, the kind of guilt, in fact, that finds you bellied up to the confessional a few days later. So, Sheila declares that the Surprise Sweater she is knitting is not charity knitting, is not for the Dulaan project, and is not for some Mongolian child. It will just accidentally end up in a box with F.I.R.E.’s address on the outside and just as mysteriously end up on the other side of the counter at the post office, in F.I.R.E’s shipping container, in Mongolia, and wrapped around some poor, cold child. But it is not charity knitting.
Lastly, to help with the shipping process, I’ve posted over in the Dulaan area a Box Inventory Form (in pdf format) to help you list for F.I.R.E. what you’ve put in your box.
Dulaan Knit-In: MaryB’s house, Saturday, 3/19, 1pm-6pm. If you’re interested in attending, email Mary at maryberg2@mindspring.com.
Posted by Ryan at March 9, 2005 11:24 AMWell, I imagine you had to create that form (thanks!) because they complained that they couldn't read my henscratches on the toilet paper I stuck in the box? (KIDDING!!!) I love Ann's hats! I'm in search of a simple hat like that with earflaps if anyone knows of one they can direct me to. I'm totally into the earflaps.
Posted by: Norma on March 9, 2005 01:05 PMNorma, there are earflap hats all over the Web. Just Google on EARFLAP HAT PATTERN KNIT or CHULLO PATTERN KNIT.
Posted by: Ryan on March 9, 2005 01:23 PMWoohoo! It's really flying now! I'm finished with my other charity knitting now, so I can turn my attention back to the impossibly pink Irish Hiking Scarf. We also got the location for the new store settled, so a big Knit In announcement will happen soon.
Posted by: Nathania on March 9, 2005 04:12 PMThanks for the Box Inventory Form. Great idea. Because my handwriting is pretty darned unreadable.
Posted by: Susie on March 10, 2005 05:13 AMThanks for the box form! I've finished one hat and have another on the needles so I'll be needing it soon!
Posted by: CarolineF on March 10, 2005 07:53 AMHonestly, you rock! Not that we all couldn't get off our lazy butts and design a box inventory form ourselves......but my excuse was that I was too busy knitting.
And by the way, I think everyone should strive to produce enough warm fuzzy stuff to fill an ENTIRE box inventory form each. That's "only" 20 items a piece.
Hah - I have thrown the gauntlet. Norma, however, probably already HAS 20 items to send.... she is SO that way. Pppfftt.
Posted by: Anne on March 10, 2005 10:16 AMQuestion, Dear Readers: I posted the form in PDF format which means that you would have to print it out and fill it in by hand. Would you prefer to have it posted in Word format so you can fill it in on your computers?
Posted by: Ryan on March 10, 2005 10:44 AMI like Ann's style--knit enough items to fill up a whole box form! Yipes! That's 20 items! And I've been called a "monster" (however lovingly) for wanting to have a goal of 2,000 items!
Seriously, though, even if a Brigade Knitter makes one thing to send to Mongolia, I think that is fabulous. We all have lots of other demands on our time, and it's unrealistic to think we can all can make 50 items, or 20, or even 5. (Not that we shouldn't if we can...)
I'm sure Ryan didn't expect we would all knit enough to complete the entire form--or did she....
Mary B
Posted by: Mary B on March 10, 2005 11:03 AMI made the form with that many lines because the onesy-twosy items I have been receiving from local Dulaaners have been adding up, up, up!
Posted by: Ryan on March 10, 2005 11:45 AMpdf is just fine, Ryan. When I saw it, I might have said to someone (hee), "Go look at the pdf form Ryan made on her blog. I've printed it out. It's all official-looking and shit." Or something like that. It might have happened. Ohhhh, I just get such a kick outta myself. It's criminal, really. But not as criminal as Michael Jackson showing up for court in pajama bottoms and A JACKET. Oh, yes, and full makeup. I guess they remembered to pack his makeup case and his jacket when he had to go to the emergency room, but forgot to pack his trousers.....
Posted by: Norma on March 10, 2005 02:24 PMDear Mary: We all know Ryan is light years ahead of us all in "motivational tactics". She's very subtle. Don't think for a MINUTE that the 20-line inventory box sheet was somehow a random choice. She coulda done it in landscape format, after all, with say..... 5 or 10 lines on it. Nope.... 20.
Besides, Norma probably put her up to it.
Posted by: Anne on March 10, 2005 02:31 PMThat Anne. What she's not telling you is she's spinning the damn yarn to make her stuff and putting us all to shame. I could just die. I want that yarn, Anne! I want it!
Posted by: Norma on March 10, 2005 02:58 PMthe comments are so fricking funny.. it's worth waiting a day to read them.
I'm with Ryan. The SnB I am having at my house is getting lots of dribs and drabs of people bringing things.. so who knows.. I MIGHT fill a form out entirely. *shrug* one never knows, do one.
got that preemie hat done.. now to make a BH hat.
What an awesome cause! I am adding Dulaan to my blog and I hope it brings more people to the cause!
You are doing a very good thing and I love all the motivational posts!
Posted by: stacy on March 11, 2005 09:09 AM