August 11, 2006
A Different, and Slightly Twisted, Take on the Dulaan Project
I have to share with you one of my most favorite on-going dialogs generated by the Dulaan Project and, at the same time, shed some light on Wren’s mysterious comment, “We have clothed Tuvalu! (plus a few to spare).”
About six months into Year One of the Dulaan Project, I received an email from Wren expressing an altruistically-based frustration that we couldn’t clothe the entire population of Mongolia. Which, apparently, led her to mull over the possibility of clothing the entire population of any country. Which led her to realize that this was actually achievable, if instead of Mongolia, pop. 2,791,272, Cuzzin Tom and I had decided to focus our efforts on Pitcairn Island, pop. 47. (This is made all the funnier by the image of the residents of that tropical isle careening around in stiflingly hot knitted clothing.) I became instantly enamored of Wren's "vision," partly because it made me laugh until copious amounts of Frappuccino came out of my nose, and partly because, as an incurable information junkie, I immediately went online and filled my brain with fascinating yet useless trivia about the Pitcairn Islands (like the fact that when six men were recently sentenced to jail, it caused a major hullabaloo because they were the only ones who knew how to operate the island's longboat).
Now, per Wren’s latest comment, the recent count of 11,980 means we have graduated from successfully clothing the entire population of Pitcairn Island to successfully clothing the entire island of Tuvalu which—according to some quick Googling—has a population of 11,636. (As an aside, we have also successfully clothed all of Vatican City, pop. 900.)
Perhaps next year we aim squarely for Naura, pop. 13,048?
The Norma Project is 99.9% done!
For those of you who are following along, TMK reports that the outer courses of pavers are sagging a bit so she is going to put some cement underneath and around the outside to help with this. Other than that, my personal bias aside, it looks really fabulous!
Apparently my offer to provide male strippers piqued some interest in the Giveaway since there has been a spike in my email since my last posting. I knew you could be bought! Heh.
Thumbs up to the additional people who have said they may drop by. Now, everybody, pray for sun. No praying, no strippers.
Wait a minute, did you just tell us that if we don't say our prayers for sun, the STRIPPERS won't visit? My little ex-Catholic brain is completely reeling at that. (I mean really, if I'd been told that's what we prayed for, I might have stayed Catholic.) What if the heathen part of me prays TO the sun. Sunburned strippers? It's raining men? I'm so confused, I can't even think about yarn.
Posted by: Carrie on August 11, 2006 02:39 PMI've had my fill of stripping, thanks...
But I still wish I could come. The cookies sound nice :-)
Posted by: Lee Ann on August 11, 2006 02:42 PMYep, Carrie, no praying, no strippers. I have my rules.
And everybody, go read Lee Ann's very funny new entry. Two words: Thong underwear.
Posted by: Ryan on August 11, 2006 02:46 PMI can't help but think how utterly demoralizing it would be for a stripper to come to a gathering like last week's, where everyone would probably just giggle at them.
Posted by: Patti on August 11, 2006 02:52 PMThe Norma Project looks great. I think it will need some form of innauguration - maybe you coud get the strippers for that?
Posted by: Elaine on August 11, 2006 03:59 PMThe Norma Project looks great!
Posted by: Kirsten on August 11, 2006 04:29 PMUmmm, I think it's Nauru... it's an island state near Australia and is a failed state, propped up by Aus, which uses it as a jail for asylum seekers. This issue has split the govt members in the Aus parliament: http://www.smh.com.au/news/NATIONAL/No-changes-to-planned-border-laws/2006/08/06/1154802738067.html
Posted by: M-H on August 11, 2006 04:29 PMLet's clothe Tuva next - a mere 310,000 Tuvans need warm woolies. It's right next to Mongolia, so it' convenient.
If you want to enrich your store of triva and fascinating things with which to bore your friends, goggle "Tuva throat-singing physicist."
Posted by: kmkat on August 11, 2006 07:19 PMOf course I'm coming! Email isn't working right now or I would have RSVEEPed that way. The cookies will be good and I'm planning not to claw my way back onto the plate until then.
Linda "K" on Vaconse
Posted by: Linda "K" on August 11, 2006 08:38 PMI love the Norma Project. It needs a pot of red geraniums to make it complete. :)
Wish I could come to the giveaway -- strippers or no!
Posted by: Norma on August 12, 2006 06:30 AMyay! The Dulaan number is looking great. I think we should aim for Tuvalu island for next year.
Posted by: Isela on August 12, 2006 09:19 AMPlease let me know where you7 live. I would love to help knit for Dulan. I have tried to e-mail you but I keep getting an error message.
Thanks.
Wowie! I have arrived. Top-of-the-fold mention at Mossy Cottage Knits! Thanks, Ryan!
Guess I should start knitting for 2007 now. Warm clothes for Mongolians are definitely more important than my thesis. Right?
Posted by: Wren on August 12, 2006 11:38 PMOh, that patio looks terrific! I know it was a lot of hard work but what a nice space to be outside in. May I suggest a soft color for that door and some kind of outdoor-proof wall decoration for that blank wall? Maybe one of those faux windows with a small window box of flowers?
That patio makes me want to sit outside there with a pitcher of lemonade and some knitting for a few hours. Wish I lived close enough for the Giveaway. The stripper idea was hilarious! Somehow the innocence of picking up yarn for Dulaan knitting combined with the decadence of strippers is very funny.
I can't wait to see photos of the yarn at the Giveaway. Just seeing those cardboard boxes is quite the tease. Wishing you good weather for good photos.
Does Vatican City count when presumably most of its residents wear churchly garments?
Perhaps they could wear sweaters underneath.
*grin*
Posted by: Sez/Bling! on August 14, 2006 11:35 AM