Taking A Break

I do hate blogs that drift off without notice, growing more and more scarce as time goes on. Mine has been doing just that because I have been dealing with some personal issues. I believe that this issues should be under control within the next month or so and will resume regular blogging then.

See you all later,

Barbara

Duck Festival People Peeping

Sorry about disappearing for awhile; my body has not been cooperating with my spirit.

When I last wrote I was talking about one of my favorite subjects: People Peeping. I am fascinated by people reactions, interactions and priorities. This couple caught my attention.

At first glance it is easy to see that even though the couple looks like they are passively sharing their seats in the shade; there is definitely something going on between them.


Her body language tells me that she is solid in her chair, and has no intention of moving. Considering how hot it is in the afternoon sun, in August, in the desert of the Southwest; being solid in your chair in the shade is the only way to go. This posture could also mean that she has an opinion and is not budging from it.

He is ready to spring into action; one foot ready to push off, the other foot extended for the first step, one hand ready to push himself up from the chair, and the other hand grasping his hat to keep it from falling.

The expression on her face could be bored, she could have just said something to him that she thinks will cause a reaction and she is waiting to see what that reaction will be, she has just said something to him she knows he will react to and doesn't care what his reaction is, she has just said something to him, knows his reaction will not be favorable, and she has hidden behind a passive expression.

He is obviously reacting. I can feel the motion of his head swinging towards her. His brows are up, and his lips poised to speak. His eyes look to me like they are angry.

I would love to know the beginning and end of this story, but I could not ask them what had transpired, nor could I linger and observe any longer without being more intrusive than I already was.

Was this just a bad moment in a good marriage, was this a repetitive saga of passive/aggressive behavior, or was this merely a suggestion by her that he get up and buy her some ice cream?

People Peeping is a creative sport.

Duck Festival People Peeping

Last week the Duck Festival was held in Deming. It is held every year at the end of August. The end of August is hot, very, very hot and this year I was not up to attending. That got me digging in my picture archive. I thought I would share some of those pictures and my thoughts on them. I also have some pictures of ducks but it is much harder to read into their characters from a picture so for now I will stick to what I call "People Peeping".

This gentleman is fully focused on his roasted corn. He and his buddies have found a spot in the shade, have water to drink, and are indulging in the guilty pleasure of carnival food. Carnival food is the great equalizer of fair attenders: roasted corn, corn dogs, turkey legs, funnel cakes, candy cotton, candy apples, curly fries. Our hearts urge us to taste our childhood memories, and later our adult digestive systems will make us pay. But oh that first lovely fist bite......

There are free performances by local musicians at the festival. The bleachers are only partially in the shade and if you can stand the sun in the high two digit, or sometimes, low three digit weather you can sit and enjoy some of the local talent Deming has to offer. This woman took my fancy: she is somewhat isolated from the rest of the crowd by her positioning on the bleachers, her hat casually placed so space is preserved on one side, and sitting at an angle which blocks off her personal space on the other side. Her arms and leg are crossed to hold in her private space, and even the lit cigarette is used to extend her protective barrier. I wonder is this is part of her personality or can it be attributed to the heat?

I know this couple and therefore won't read my speculations into their body languages. I will point out that they added denim vests to their outfits, which had to add a layer of heat, and yet still are compelled to hold hands and move through the crowd as one.

Ah this couple; they deserve a post of their own and I will revisit them tomorrow.

Boring Knit And A New Project

In a former post I was whining about a shawl pattern that was so simple that I was bored. When my brain in not engaged it wanders, when it wanders I miss things like yarn overs or knit together's. The pattern was "Dusk" from the book "A Fine Line". I was drawn to the designs in this book by their clean lines. The designs were based on the placement of color values of yarn, and not the stitches themselves.

The directions called for purchasing a lot of different yarns; a dollar investment I did not want to make. However I did have one skein of "Kauni" in a light fingering weight. It is a variegated yarn in long color runs. When my Stitch & Bitch made our field trip to Tucson I found some "Dream In Color" lace weight yarn that came close in weight, color, and texture to use for the center of the shawl.

The pattern is masterful. The usual placement of increases for the corners is marked; a line of stitches flanked by a hole on each side is the traditional method. For "Dusk" the designer engineered the increases so they blended into the pattern.

My finished shawl is 47" square. That pattern is for a larger shawl, and I prefer a larger shawl, but I was out of yarn and didn't want to order more so I could continue with a project that was putting me to sleep.

It is lovely, but I have learned my lesson: I knit for fun first, and product second. No matter how lovely the pattern looks I will not be drawn in unless it will keep me awake. I am very glad I borrowed my friend's book and did not invest in it myself.

Of course once one project came off the needles a new one had to be cast on. I am making another "Hanging Garden" by Sivia Harding. I made one this spring in a heather grey and have gotten a lot of use from it even though it is wool. When I saw the "Lacey Lamb" 100% extra fine lambs wool in purple while on the above mentioned field trip, I knew it was perfect for "Hanging Garden". I have never knit the same pattern twice, but I think the pattern requires just the right amount of attention from me to keep me awake. This yarn is so soft that it is a joy to work on after my two previous projects.

Blocking Knit Lace

I have either been "down" this week or on a roll. I will share the "on a roll" accomplishments over the next couple of days.

Today I will share the process of blocking a shawl. I finished knitting "Miralda's Triangular Shawl" from "Knitted Lace of Estonia" by Nancy Bush. It was a complex pattern that kept me awake, but yet was not beyond my skill set. I chose the yarn, Longad by Evilla, because of the long runs of color. While the color gave just the effect I wanted the yarn was full of debris that I removed both while winding the ball, and during the knitting process itself. Also despite a lot of fabric softener the yarn retained its rough texture and would not be good for use next to bare flesh.

It is not always easy to take a picture of the finished product while wearing it, but I gave it a stab. (You can see parts of my bathroom as an added bonus.)

Knitted lace just off the needles looks like a nest of yarn at best. The finished piece must be blocked to come into its full glory. Blocking involves getting the piece wet, then stretching it into the desired shape and securing it with pins until it dries.

I block on rubber mats that I put down on my living room floor. However being on the floor is a signal to the Boys that I want to play. I am offered toys to throw.

Being a good Doggy Mommy I do play a couple of games of "Throw The Green Monster Stuffed Critter", but that comes to an end. Then Roul goes into one of his many beds and pouts,

and Blizzard is torn between taking a nap, and watching me crawl around on my hands and knees.

When the piece is stretched on the blocking boards it looks like this. At this point you can either see your perfect project, or the errors that you didn't catch. My philosophy about that is "If it looks good for the distance of 3 feet; don't worry about it."

When it is dry the pins are removed, and I rush to take pictures while the project is relatively dog fur free.

Now I just wait for the weather to go below the high 90's.

Chihuahua Race II

Besides the races there was a "Dog and Person Look Alike Costume Contest". Hang on for a cuteness overload.

This lady and her dog were not entered in the contest, they just looked alike. I wonder if the woman looked for a dog that looked like her, or if she changed her look to resemble the dog? Maybe she is unaware of the resemblance. Maybe they are sisters.

This woman took the whole contest thing a little too seriously. Her dog had a change of outfits that were rotated throughout the afternoon. She did not win. It was a very warm day and most of the people did not put their dogs into costume until just before the contest. I suspect that the judges did not reward the woman because of the unintentional discomfort she caused here dog. Not cruelty, she would have been torn from limb to limb in the dog loving crowd, but discomfort. Shame on her.

This little fellow was a mixed breed, but he had Chihuahua in him and Chihuahua people are not exacting. Come one, come all. He looks very sexy in his "leathers".



Hello! This costume was a "no brainer".

This little girl wore a costume as delicate as she was. With the costume on I don't think she would have broken the 3 lb. mark.

Bat Dog; probably more intelligent than Robin as a sidekick.

The winner was "Football Dog". Both she and her owner were dress in the colors of a New Mexico collage football team (I have no idea which one.) The helmet was only worn for the contest.

It was a very good day; the dogs were well behaved, the children were well behaved, and everybody scooped.

Chihuahua Race

Awhile back, before Blizzard came to live with us, Roul and I attended a Chihuahua Race in Las Cruces, NM. It was a charity event held to raise funds for homeless children. You can't have a better mix than kids and dogs.


As you can see from the pictures it was a low overhead festival. It focused on Chihuahua, Chihuahua want-to-be's (any dog that is not a Chihuahua, because you just know that being a Chihuahua is the very best), and families.

This is the start of the race. Chihuahua are very, very fast little dogs and my digital camera could not take pictures fast enough. I was lucky I caught a picture of the last two dogs out of the chutes. Most of the dogs ran towards the finish line, some didn't want to move, and one ran behind the chutes to see what was so interesting back there.

To keep the dogs headed in the right direction a family member was just over the finish line calling out encouragement. In previous heats, after crossing the finish line, a lady gave each of them a treat. These dogs had figured that out through observation, ignored their people, and veered left to the "treat lady". Chihuahua are both fast and smart.

Not all of the dogs ran in the races. This little fellow was content to ride in his Mommy's arms peering over her shoulder. He never moved from there. She told me he was a rescue dog and had never been socialized with other dogs. He did not know how to play, he just knew he was safe in her arms and that is where he wanted to be. (After adopting Blizzard I understand the behavior.)

This of course is Roul. He is a social butterfly; willing to make friends with everybody and anybody. He was not entered in the races, nor did he think the races where such a good idea. Above he is giving me that "Are you out of your mind. I not running on a hot day." look.

PS If you click on the pictures you can enlarge the pictures. I don't want you missing any of that Chihuahua cuteness.