11.5 days to go in October...and we have a 305 people signed up for “Dulaan 10,000 or Bust.” Pooh. But I console myself by remembering that this list is this year’s “Dulaan Brigade” and we’ve NEVER had 305 people signed up for the Brigade before, so this is good. Very good.
Funny thing, though. I keep getting emails, or seeing emails on the Dulaan Yahoo site, in which people say, “So glad I signed up!” or “I finished my five items. Mark me 'Done!'” and yet, um, they’ve never signed up. I have discovered a few emails lurking in my spam folder which I’ve duly lassoed, corralled and branded, but as for the rest… I’ll post the list at the end of next week and if your name isn’t on it, and you think it should be, lemme know.
I hauled a trunkful of the Avalanche yarn to Guild and was able to dig myself out from under distribute some of it but I’m not really sure how much of it will end up in MongoLEEa. Some people who’d never heard of the project didn’t get any details before they scampered off, squirrel-cheeks stuffed full of yarn, and my dialogue with one person went something like this:
Knitter: This is really thick! Can I use it to knit a hat?
Me: Sure, I’ve knit a hat using this.
Knitter: Okay, cool. (Pause.) How do you knit a hat?
Me: Oy.
(Yes, this was very much the knitting counterpart to the old “will I be able to play the piano?” joke.)
About 20 people—the few that are not flying, walking, crawling, jump-roping or pogo-sticking to Franklin’s gloriously big bash—are signed up to come to the Seattle Dulaan Knit-In on the 28th, including Irina who made the stunning Steppe Sweater. (Question: If a Mongolian man with children marries a Mongolian woman with children, do they become steppe-parents and steppe-brothers and steppe-sisters? And if the woman turns out to be the suspiciously perfect mate, is she a steppe-ford wife? And if the man needs to fix something on the roof, does he use a steppe-ladder?) But I digress. Back to Irina. I’ve never met her before—I just leave bags of yarn inside my gate and they mysteriously disappear while I am elsewhere, speaking of people who scamper away with their squirrel-cheeks stuffed full—so this should be fun. And, of course, TMK will be bringing the amazing Chocolate Tofu Pie—but no Angry Pie, unless I manage to royally piss her off between now and then. I’ll see what I can do. Perhaps I’ll just put the floofy pink Harlequin collar on the dog and stand back.
Speaking of TMK, this weekend, thanks to Janine and her kitchen, she will be trying her hand at dyeing for the first time! And not using the Kool-Aid pseudo-dyeing crap that I use; she’ll be using the real thing. Since she’s a professional designer and a color-freak, I think she'll have a blast. I hope she knows that she will have to sacrifice at least one t-shirt for her art, though.
I’ve added the Avalanche Vest pattern (pdf), with its clarificata, to the Free Patterns list on the left of this page, under the title “Almost-Seamless Avalanche Vest.” I am a leeeeetle freaked out about the pattern and its imperfections right now, though, because lace-pattern-goddess extraordinaire Evelyn Clark, who is one of the Feralites, is knitting one of the vests as we speak. Talk about getting a pattern test-knit!
There you have it, a pile of inconsequential Friday afternoon tidbits, all designed to prevent Minnie from breaking out in hives again.
P.S. Good news or bad? Discuss.
No..say it isn't so... the demise of the pink plastic lawn flamingo?!?! I had a cute baby one in a planter at my last house but one of the kids (who shall not be named to protect her privacy)(oh heck, it was Mary) forgot to grab it when we moved away. I'd better find a replacement fast before they are all gone.
Posted by: Tish on October 20, 2006 02:03 PMHey, here in rural Virginia you can get realistic plastic turkeys that turn when the wind blows (hunting season starts soon). I'd rather have the pink flamingo.
Posted by: daisy on October 20, 2006 02:08 PMKool-aid pseudo dyeing? When the results are permanent, regardless of whether or not the product was oroginally intended to be used as a dye, I think it qualifies. It's only a stain if you don't like it :) Humph!
Off to check the updated Avalanche pattern!
Posted by: Robbyn on October 20, 2006 02:09 PMConsider my first Dulaan item of the season complete. My son's sweater turned out too small. ;) I'm also finishing up my first hat with some of the yarn I got from the last knit in.
Thanks for bringing the yarn on Monday. Maybe you can make an announcement at the next meeting and clarify what it's for.
Posted by: Jessica on October 20, 2006 02:21 PMJessica, I'm really okay with how things went with the yarn. I've made announcements about Dulaan at, like, the last five meetings and I'm sure the Guild members are sick to death of hearing about it. But, thank you, and congratulations again on your first meeting as Guild President!!!!!
Posted by: Ryan on October 20, 2006 02:25 PMThat flamingo news is just horrible!! I'm panicking now. . . there's a house near us that puts up 10 flamingos and changes the tableau once a week, all summer. I don't know the people, and I've never seen them, but I'm printing the article and mailing it to them so they can take action!
And thanks for the Avalanche vest pattern.
I am so jealous! I would love to dye with Janine. She has such great color sense. And more delightful company would be hard to find. I hope they have a grand time.
Posted by: Maia on October 20, 2006 02:46 PMClarificata! You slay me! Oh, and bad news, definitely.
Posted by: marylee on October 20, 2006 02:49 PMRobbyn, I made minimal changes to the pattern. Mostly I changed the size of the circular needle you use for the armholes to a size 16" and changed the name in the HMTL code so it displays correctly in browsers. And, wouldn't you know it--I just found another small problem so now I've posted yet another version. Again, only a tiny change.
Posted by: Robbyn on October 20, 2006 02:50 PMAnd if the suspiciously perfect wife hails from Norway, is she a steppe-fjord wife?
I have no special family history with pink flamingos, but I confess to feeling a sadness that they may disappear.
You know, though, the kitschy nostalgia market is pretty strong - someone will buy the molds and continue making them!
Posted by: Jen on October 20, 2006 02:57 PMSo, now that you have brought the GUild-ers some yarn, will there be any left for those of us too far to commute to Seatle? (Like in NY, for ex!)
Thanks!
The story of the woman asking about the yarn for hats, without knowing how to make a hat, cracked me up.
I don't know if I am one of the people who randomly showed up on the Yahoo group or not, but if you did get my e-mail message (on Wed) then I am the Jessica who didn't have a blog, but now I do.
Posted by: Jessica C on October 20, 2006 03:11 PMThe pink flamingo is alive and well in MN. See Chris's blog post from 10/19/06 for proof:
http://stumblingoverchaos.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/FlamingoLawn_060929.jpg
NOOOOOOOOO! I love the pink flamingo! That does it - I'm buying one tomorrow, and putting it in the yard, and my husband has no say in the matter.
Also, I have to crochet me a pink flamingo now.
Posted by: Julie on October 20, 2006 03:47 PMI appreciate how you steppe-ed up your puns for this entry. I now have something I _must_ inform Anj when I call her this evening. (heh heh)
Posted by: sue on October 20, 2006 04:10 PMI hereby sign up to knit 5 woollies for wee Mongolians.
Posted by: Shannon B on October 20, 2006 06:19 PMThere is only one manufacturer of pink flamingos? That seems hard to believe.
Posted by: Laurie on October 20, 2006 06:20 PMSign me up for 5 items! Thanks, Marianne
Posted by: Marianne on October 20, 2006 06:36 PMthe flamingo is not dead! maybe that style, but i worked for oriental trading company for almost 3 years, and the flamingos we sold were a big hit. in fact, we had several charitable organizations call and order large quantitie, so they could flock people for money. as in, put flamingos all over someone's yard, and get paid for flamingo removal. hilarious. in fact, they even have flamingo swirl pops, and flamingo tissue straws.
and yes, ryan, i'm no longer itching. and i called you a boogerhead on the yahoo group.
Posted by: minnie on October 20, 2006 07:12 PMPlease tell Irina I lovvvvve the Steppe Sweater, and am saving up yarn to make it, as soon as she can get the pattern to you. Can't wait for that post. More sweaters for Mongolia!
Posted by: Karen Moore on October 20, 2006 07:18 PMNOOOO - not the pink flamingoes! It only means that the 2 we have in our yard are now collectibles. Go figure... we always thought they were good guardians - they kept all the neighbors away...
Awww... thank you Karen for the kind words - I will finalize my pattern and bring it along to the knit-in, and e-mail it so that Ryan can find it a home.
And as for Ryan, your kind words prompted me to (finally) assemble all my finished Dulaan items and get you a picture...I posted it on my re-vived blog. I have to start looking for shipping boxes...
Posted by: Irina on October 21, 2006 10:30 AMErm - right. I got some yarn from you at Guild, but didn't realise I needed to sign up as well. I was very tired that night. I hope I'm not one of the crazies. I *do* know how to knit a hat.
So, sign me up, then?
Sarah
Posted by: Sarah on October 23, 2006 10:56 AMSue had too much fun telling me all about the puns you made. One day, when we finally meet, it will be a groan fest fer sure.
PS missed you this weekend. I want a real damn hug, not a virtual one.
Posted by: anj on October 23, 2006 12:04 PMOkay, I'm officially signing up ... five (or more)knit woollies by June 2007, right? One is finished so far...Yee-haw!
BB