Medicare For All

I often think (that is, whenever I think about this at all) that my very early ancestors were rebels. When everyone else was huddled in the cave in darkness, fearing the mastodon’s attack, he or she walked out of the cave and looked at the sunrise (for the sun could be out while you huddle in caves) felt the soft rain, was caressed by the soft breeze and wondered the great eternal WHY.

And then the mastodon came along and had him for dinner proving his mom right for the last time: Stay in the damn cave.

But at least one questioner from my ancient stock survived and so I evolved to write this blog - on 9/11.

I guess reading the above you know you’re going to get something different in remembrance so before I move on to Knitting Friday, let me post two poems. I’m not commemorating anything with them, except a human inability to learn and change. I do hope they make you think.

Their Frailty by Siegfried Sassoon http://bartleby.com/136/19.html

HE’S got a Blighty wound. He’s safe; and then
War’s fine and bold and bright.
She can forget the doomed and prisoned men
Who agonize and fight.
He’s back in France. She loathes the listless strain
And peril of his plight,
Beseeching Heaven to send him home again,
She prays for peace each night.
Husbands and sons and lovers; everywhere
They die; War bleeds us white
Mothers and wives and sweethearts,—they don’t care
So long as He’s all right.

[All armies are the same . . .] Ernest Hemingway
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/91083-Ernest-Hemingway--All-armies-are-the-same-------

All armies are the same
Publicity is fame
Artillery makes the same old noise
Valor is an attribute of boys
Old soldiers all have tired eyes
All soldiers hear the same old lies
Dead bodies always have drawn flies

Knitting Friday

First the bad news:
1. No lousy photos. Yes, I must learn to post better photos but there with be none of them today since, except for the baby blanket, I have no new works.
2. When you travel (and I am not at home as I write this) remember the laws of probability: When you have two sets of DPNS packaged exactly the same, one US 9 and one US 10.5, you have a 50/50 chance of picking up the wrong size. Especially when you don’t read the damn label. That’s why I sit here unable to finish my beige pullover.

And now, the good news:
1. The beige pullover is done except for the sleeves. I did crochet the bottom hem after, as I was binding off the first knitted seed stitch hem, I discovered a section done in stockinette. The crocheted border looks good: one round sc; one round hdc, and a final round in a smaller hook of sc. After I tried on this top-down knitted masterpiece, I once again mused: Why don’t I make all my sweater this way? The fit is so much better.
2. I have finally decided on the pattern for the baby’s blanket and it’s working.

You’ll find the pattern of the blanket here: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/70118AD.html It's a V-stitch blanket.

I don’t know if Lion Brand is playing mind games but my blanket looks nothing like the one they have pictured. I’m using their Pound of Love yarn and the K hook recommended in the pattern. Their picture is done in LB Baby Soft and it looks no thicker than my choice. So don’t be surprised if your blanket has slightly larger than 1/8 inch holes. (Note: in the Little Victory Baby Blanket:
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/chsb-victoryBlanket.html
- same hook, same pattern, thicker yarn, the holes are larger.)

This was a "Chain 88 for starters" blanket and you know I like the diagonal knit which starts with Ch 4. But this works since a blanket, especially a baby blanket, gives you enough wiggle room.

Just yesterday, this yarn was working its way into the LB diagonal baby blanket:
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-diagonalBabyBlanket.html which I think is the most popular one on Ravelry, when I thought: This is so boring and plain looking. It does have the advantage of delightful stretchiness but I think it needs some neat variegated yarn to “pop.”

I think you’ll like the V-Stitch blanket because it’s only one row of V stitches (dc, ch1, dc) all done in the previous row’s ch1-space. So there’s not trying to find those pesky tops of double crochet stitches to crochet into.

I’ll post a picture when I’m done which has to be by December because the baby is not waiting till I finish her blanket to be born.

And finally, I got to see the back of my Alix shawl last weekend:
http://debbiemacomber.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=nnp&pageID=195
It’s lovely! You really don’t get to see the back of a garment you’re wearing unless someone takes your picture from the back. And, that’s what happened.

We were at a party, you know one of these end of summer events and I was wearing a black strapless thingie which is hot this year. The kind that you pull up for a strapless dress or pull down (hopefully wearing a top at the time) for a cumberbund skirt. I’m not that keen on the style in all the myriad of prints it comes in; but in all black it looks classic.

Of course, I was concerned about slippage – I was going to be eating chicken with both hands and no way were my greasy hands going to rush and pull up the damn thing without a good washing. So, I decided to wear my light green Alix shawl since it’s a top-downer and would stay in place.

It did. And, as a double bonus, I got my picture snapped from the back and got to see the really neat design. I must make more…..yeah, right, like I need more shawls.

And really finally: Smiley’s Yarn is having their hotel sales in NY and NJ soon: http://www.pagelinx.com/cgi-shopper/loadpage.cgi/smileysyarns/ezshopper?user_id=id&file=nj_hotelsale.htm

Guess what? I’M NOT GOING! (Yes, I am shouting.) I was all ready to go and then I had to find some fall shoes (it’s time to put away my summer Sketchers) and, lo and behold, I stumbled across acres of yarn (OK, I’m exaggerating) which I had packed away. Brand new, never been “kissed” yarn. Lots of it.

So, I’m not going. But you can. Happy knitting.