a little red hen

Knitting Grandparents, Here & There

This sweater, just finished and sent off to our 5 year old grandson in Portland, could be described as a SDS...that's shaggy-dog sweater.   That would mean one with a very long story.

Since Zach, the recipient, is sensitive to wool, the challenge was finding a fiber that would have body and be "...soft, Grandma."  First I asked his mother to buy something that seemed right for him at Yarn Garden near her home in Portland.  Since she is not a fiber person, that purchase had to be exchanged on our next trip there.   But I went to work too quickly-- the size was too small.  Ripped, began again.

Yarn is GOA from GGH (Germany), 50 % cotton, 50% wool.  Very nice feel.  My only innovation, twisted rib at bottom and cuffs.  Very useful input from Maxine and Betty at Knitty City rescued me from a what was touted as a basic pattern in "The Pattern Companion Knitting." Guess that was why it was on sale at a non-knitting store. 

Ron, the other knitter here, was asked for one of his wool hats while we were in Portland last month.  Zach was not sure if that would work work for him until he learned they're partially lined to eliminate scrachiness.  "The whole thing, Grandpa," he advised.  Even the tiny space at the very top was lined.

Produced everyone's favorite photo of the two of them in Ron-made hats.  Wonderful to look at as we think about our far-away grandchildren on Valentine's Day.

Grandson Packs His Bag & A Little Yarn

Before our recent trip to Portland, Zach, our 5 year-old grandson, had talked about staying overnight with us.  Would it happen?  Here he is, bag packed by himself, shopping bag filled with crayons.

The first visit was on a weekend; the second, a school day.  We delivered him to kindergarten--with the 30 other kids.  Sunnyside, such a 1930s name, is a block away from his home, newly reformulated as an environmental school. 

Afterschool we met up with his mother and sister Zoe (note the green rain boots)  at the "Sunnyside Indoor Play Space and Swap Shop" in a nearby Methodist church.

This comfortable setting-- rooms for all ages of children, arts and crafts, and a stage-- meets a need especially acute in rainy Portland.  It was developed over the past summer by 90 families and is open to families outside the neighborhood.  A co-op, it has a small monthly fee, and every family member takes on a job to keep the space running well.

Once I sat down to knit, this young woman came over to for advice on her purl stitch. A member-mom has been teaching beginning knitting; there's donated yarn and needles in one of the rooms.  My daughter surprised me by picking it up again!

Even without the wetness issue, I cannot imagine a community that would not enjoy something similar.  It would have been wonderful when our children were young.  These kinds of community-developed were going on in Baltimore in the 1970s though only among at-home moms.

There's a mix of working mothers plus mothers and fathers who work at home--many in the tech industry--even nannies.  All enjoy the generous hours-- Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Here's the darling website, with more details, to share with someone you know in Portland.

Knitting Cats for Portland Kids: A Scarf & A Toy

CAT WRAP is the title of this very pink kid scarf from Morehouse Farm--a kit including the two yello pieces of felt for the eyes.  Knit for Zoe in Portland and finished there, I've only seen it on Rachel, her Mom, who humored me by modeling for this photo.

Because she likes cats--and there is a new one in her home--this seemed good idea.  However, what I should knit or craft for her is a large change purse.  Probably experienced grandmas like M.E., blogs at Xtreme English, could have told me that 2-year-olds get more from emptying change and returning coins than trying on knit things.

Knitting this involved an odd process for the striped body:  two weights of yarn, alternating #13 needles (for merino bulky) with #6 worsted) every 2 rows!  Leftover purple yarn worked well for suggested hat.  (Morehouse used world's briefest instructions...pet peeve with yarn outfits that abbreviate text to get everything on one page).

Ron knit the hat, for ribbing used yarn he'd brought along for his ongoing hat obsession...more later.   Synchronicity, that pretty stuff came from the 2005 Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival--small size, homey event.  We met the sheep's owner and the sheep whose fleece produced the roving Ron would spin.  That was a September visit for Zoe's birth.

"Hattie" is the name Zach gave his new knit kitty, a name evocative of the old South for me, completely outside my known sphere till I "met" the resident at Mother Pie.

Before we left New York, I saw this free pattern online at Knitting Daily.  Found gray Australian yarn in my stash, "Superfine 8-ply Crepe Supersoft," is on label.  Directions were good, #5 needles, unknown dark yarn for stripes.  Chose red for nose, mouth, whiskers to brighten it up, pink for inside ears. 

Zach was pleased, brought it along to his overnight with us.  It's in his suitcase, along with very special "Piglet."  The white paper shopping bag holds his crayon collection, a couple of books.

And here is the enormously patient "Sparky," who seems comfortable with much picking up and other close encounters from Zoe and Zach.

 

Who are Democratic Women in Iowa?

This morning in reporting from Women's E News.--

Ramona Oliver, communications director of Washington-based EMILY's List, says 80 percent of registered Democratic Iowa women didn't vote in the 2004 caucuses. So EMILY's List--which supports pro-choice Democratic women and endorsed Clinton the day she announced her campaign--is focused on turning out women. In an online poll, the organization gauged Clinton's support among Iowa women, and their likelihood to caucus on a 1-to-10 scale.

Puzzled?  I am.  So much media attention has been directed to the outcome of Iowa.  But article report reveals many non-participants among those I'd expect would have been actively involved.  Super Tuesday, primaries in states with largest populations, could tell us more.  Not hearing much about that day, February 5, here in New York City.

An old lady feminist, I hope that women who made early commitments to Clinton's candidacy, like NOW, the National Organization for Women,  will continue to direct their energy to the Democratic ticket even if she is not the "winner."  By the way, the link goes to a thoughtful essay on "gender politics" by NOW's president, Kim Gandy.

Women's E News is a place I'm looking for in-depth coverage of the coming election.  [Link to their website has been added in column to the left.]  Ronni Bennett's take on the issue at Time Goes By would have been important.  However, now that she has left the room, it's up to Kay's Thinking Pad in Ohio, Along the Way in California, Xtreme English in Washington, D.C., and many others from the TGB blogroll to connect us with other Elderblog voices.

"Actually," as my grandson Zach in Portland says, I'm looking forward to reading the comics with him again.

Here we are in one of my favorite black/white photos Ron took last summer.  Looking forward with much anticipation to Portland trip at the end of the month.

 

Turkey This Year with Roxie

Previous Thanksgivings were often   in Portland, Oregon, with our daughter's family.  In this 2002 picture Nick, our son, has come from New Orleans where he lived at the time.  Zach is six months old, held by Scott, his father.  We were in the Portland kitchen, now dry unlike the previous year when the ceiling sprung a leak as we put the turkey in the oven.

Roxie, now 10 months, our local grandchild, is about to have her first taste of the bird.  Ron made the turkey in our kitchen in Manhattan.  My contribution, loaf of cornbread  baked in a long narrow pan.  A recipe that puts together cornmeal, wheat germ, sesame  seeds.  The picture is of the mini-loaf that we left at home.

Took our food and wine into the car for the drive to Queens.  Leanne, Roxie's mom, surprised us with a home-baked pie.  Very delicious with ingredients from their neighborhood health food store--organic crust and pumpkin  filling.  Tastier than ones we've had before. 

To save on dishwashing in their tiny kitchen, I brought along themed paper plates and napkins.  Enough in the package to use in Portland when we visit the two grandchildren and family out there for the month of January-- and duplicate the meal. 

We learned that it works better to take our food to them so that Roxie can roam around her usual environment.  Resisted at first, then we were pleased with how well it worked.  She did enjoy the turkey and cornbread-- new foods for her.

Snapped the threesome as we were about to leave--Roxie ready for another nap. Almost forgot...Nick made green beans and cranberry sauce, his part of the Thanksgiving co-op dinner.

Two-and-a-Half Reasons I Knit

"Grandma, will you teach me to knit?"  This request from Zach, my grandson, was on my mind on our recent trip to Portland.  What led me to knit?  I had no grandmothers.  But there was Meta Weigert, an older family friend.  She and her husband had come to St. Louis as German-Jewish refugees in the late 1930s.     I'm sure it was the combination of her seeing that we both could use some companionship and a European bias about 13 year old girl should learn to knit that brought me the gift of her fiber expertise.

Reason One, then, is that Handcraft is very satisfying for itself.  Reason Two--the connectedness with others--especially, my grandchildren.  Fills the granny-less debt in my own past.

If I'm a good European-style knitter, it is thanks to Meta, my excellent teacher. At five, Zach is not quite ready to learn.  I'd thought finger knitting might be a start.  But that's harder for me than regular knitting!  So we just played with Matty, the Bear, the stuffed teddy I'd made last winter and his two sweaters. 

I was surprised that he especially likes to button and unbutton one of the sweaters.  Together we wrote a story about his bear and my Roxy Robot mechanical toy-- purchased before there was a real life grandchild named Roxie!  As we wrote a story about our respective toys, I thought additional clothes might be good for Matty.

Zach agreed to my bringing the sweater home so I could have an idea of size for a pair of Matty pants.   The pattern is for "Jeans" in Sandra Polley's The Knitted Teddy Bear.  Adjusting for yarn thickness, I did only 25 stitches for each piece.

And the half reason I knit? To pass the time as I wait  in line to mail the new pants and sweater to Portland.  Here I am passing 20 minutes at the Columbia Post Office .  Is your P.O. like mine:  many customers, no clerks?  But there are more of them lurking in the back; are they shy? The arm of the Federal government that administers Medicare needs to do some oversight on the mail.

Portland: Adventures with Festivals

  Our two weeks in Oregon were rich with family and the difference of how life is lived in the Northwest. Ron and I  scoop up experiences with our grandchildren to carry us through the next visit.  All were well, the weather was perfect, and there was always  gelato only a block or two away. 

The picture on the left is Mt. Hood, a good view from Hood River Valley and the second time we discovered how faulty our east coast assumptions could be.  The first was our drive to the 5th Annual Tomato Festival.  Ron can never get enough of these.  We'd read in Williamette Week, "Farmington Gardens understands your tomato lust."   What could be bad?

We got lost on the way to Beaverton, another city in the Portland metro area, one still surrounded by farms and fields.  Luckily we found help at a car wash where a customer gave us careful instructions.  This was important because there were no signs heralding "Tomato Festival!"  It was lunchtime when we arrived and walked up to the food table, "What tomato dishes do you have?" 

A  student from Gaston High School, selling food as a fund-raiser, answered, "We have bratwurst and corn."  Turns out the festival had a low profile even on site.  We ate corn, entered a large area where talks were given about tomatoes--and about 60 types of tomato were arranged for sampling inside an open tent.  You picked up a toothpick and went for it.

At Hood Rivee, still following the siren song of the Williamette Week, we went--this time with our daughter and grandchildren-- to "Millions of Peaches."  Trying to find Apple Valley's Labor Day Peach Celebration and BBQ was an hilarious quest.  Turns out that pears and apples are the local produce; the peaches were in jam jars.  The coleslaw with the BBQ was delicious and Zoe got to see goats.

On the way home Zach's intense interest in maps was indulged with the present of a huge puzzle map of the United States.  Though we almost ran out of gas, I had a good time talking with my daughter and the just-in-time, one pump gas station had popsicles.    

We did buy some great produce on the way home.  We laughed at ourselves as New Yorkers who think that events called "festival" will be very big.  As several people in Hood River explained, it's a way to get people to come out for the end of season furits and vegetables.  That worked! 

NYC Back in View as We Return from Portland

Sunday we had an easy trip back to the City after two mellow, experience-filled weeks with family and inhabitants of the Oregon city now known as PDX.

Tuesday, September 11 arrived too quickly--today, just as it did six years ago.  Many New Yorkers, myself included, struggle with how to acknowledge the day.  I listened to Brian Lehrer on our local NPR station who asked, "What has changed?" Intermittenly, the program switched to Ground Zero where family and friends  read the names of the dead.

"Yes," I thought, "read them slowly, very slowly."  I wanted to remember how it was  in 2001 when we honored our difference, when the America we were at that time was inspired by the wonder of who had come together in those towers to work--descendants of 19th century immigrants, 20th century women and men who have yet to gain a legal place as immigrants. 

Focusing On the Prize--Despite Airport Anxiety

Early tomorrow morning we leave to see our family in Portland, Oregon.  Here's Zoe and our daughter on a recent vacation in Michigan ( included some long airport delays).  Last night, this not-quite-two-year-old exclaimed, "Granma," several times on the phone.  Overwhelmed!  Next, her 5-year old brother outlined projects we'd have together during our two-week visit.  I continue to be amazed about having three grandchildren, two of them now talking.

Distractions from impending airport trauma were undermined by today's post at Time Goes By.  Under the spot-on title, Elders and the Unfriendly Skies, Ronni Bennett says it all--not just for us slower-moving people but tall folks, child-carrying families.  Please go there, read it, then write something on your own blog about the way once pleasurable travel has become a drag.  Or should we select a dates on which bloggers would simultaneously post.  My spouse threatens to go barefoot to Security; photo will document the event.

Perhaps a Month of Passenger Indignities would get attention from the TSA, airport personnel, and, let's see, there is another group.  Oh, yes, the United States Congress.  Do you think?  Can't improve health care, can't stop an endless, illegal war--maybe this would be more within their limited abilities.         

Last week the latest sweater for nearby Roxie received its final touch. Maxine, knit advisor at Knitty City, suggested "Flower Power," from Nicky Epstein's recent book of knit flowers (link to review).  Just whenI think I have enough books!   For those who do not knit, see it as a high art, I point out that input from others often improves the work.  I asked Roxie's mother, a graphic artist who does not knit, "Flower on the left or right side?"  Her reply, "How about in the middle?" 

Did I mention there is still a stamped envelope in my baggage so I can reclaim knitting needles confiscated by TSA?   Has not happened in a few years,  but you never...

Update:  When we went to the deli for food to take onto the plane, we ran into Marie Runyon, 92 year old activist from the Granny Peace Brigade.  She was dressed up to go to dinner at a place she says has, "...great Margaritas!"  Legally blind, she travels around the neighborhood with ease.  Next time I'll ask her what it's like for her in airports, dealing with TSA.  You don't mess with Marie!

[Several posts written before departure will appear while a little red hen travels...including one from momentarily-retired blogger, Xtreme English.]

                      

Knitting...Two FOs

Knitting furiously, how long does it take to finish a infant hat?  (FO=finished object) Tuesday night I got started, worked through a meeting where a group of 12 women tried to envision their lives ten years from now.  A bit more that evening at home--along with a few more rows on the blue silk noile shawl.

More on Wednesday at Knitty City (missing the knit circle changed to Thursdays to follow Betty) in the company of another grandmother whose two-year-old played with a tape measure, great safe toy, then fell into a deep sleep in her stroller.  Answering our pattern questions was Amanda Gael who has made a very different Condom Amulet for the upcoming Zine (more later).

That evening gave the hat a big push--much done during a lengthy meeting of people from the six buildings that comprise the middle-income co-op where I live.  Representatives arrive from each building plus any interested co-oper.  New people, many with young children, have moved in during the last couple of years and brought a good energy for change that we've needed.

Finally, did the crochet "button" for the top and it was complete--Thursday.  People used to surprise me by asking how long it took to knit one red wiggler worm.  Now I know it takes me two days for a baby hat.  This one goes to the west coast for the first grandchild of a New York friend who joins me in grandparenting at a distance. 

Finished the shawl too--such an energy burst--have to think of fitting glamourous photo with it...back to knitting the 18-inch doll.