Life Reflected in Art

The following is going to sound like a long whine, but it's not--or not quite. I have been thinking about how my frustrations about my job situation seem to be showing up in my knitting. You'd think I'd have more time to be careful about every stitch, and I am taking more time with some things, but I have this unfounded sense of urgency with knitting that I don't often have. So I'm explorring a correlation here, and it sounds like a whine because I'm correlating mistakes with frustration. Ah. Maybe it is a whine. Stop reading if you're not in the mood--I don't blame you.

Lately it seems that there are mistakes in everything I've been making. I put aside and plan to frog a sweater that I re-knit at least twice because I just couldn't seem to get it right. I re-knit a baby sweater because I held stitches for armholes too early, making them too small. I knit a stranded pattern and didn't realize my stitch count was off until I was attaching the pom pom.

Sunnyside Cardigan

There are small mistakes, too, like forgetting to do a jogless stripe or wonky bobbles. There are fudges, like settling for a stripe two rows shorter than the other stripes because I ran out of yarn, or letting the first mis-crossed cable go since I didn't notice it until many cables in (see baby sweater above).

Astrea Hat

Some mistakes I don't understand. I have one legwarmer that is shorter than the other, even though the row counts are the same. There's a hat that is a bit snug even though my gauge was spot on.

Legwarmers (maybe better as armwarmers?)

In nearly every project I have to make some sort of correction because I've made a mistake. It might just be tinking back a bit because I knit when I should have purled, but I am frequently making mistakes.

I started thinking about how all these mistakes create frustrations that I mostly either have to live with or fix, and how that's similar to what's happening in my life--at least as far as working goes. I have been unemployed for 8 months. I have applied for many jobs that seemed like a good fit, and I've gone on a few interviews. But I haven't been hired. There was one interview in which I completely misread the interviewers (I swear one of them was about to tell me I was the perfect candidate before she was cut off) but didn't score high enough to pass to the next round. I've had a lot of "your resume looks great, but it's just not a good fit." Mostly I've had a lot of radio silence.

I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Why can't I get my stitch counts right? What is missing from my resume or my responses that is preventing me from getting the job? I am a good knitter--expert, even. I have 16 years experience knitting. I also have 16 years experience as a folklorist. I have worked all the right folklore jobs (at a state agency, on a major festival, and independently), and I love what I do.

Why do I keep making mistakes? Why can't I get the job?

This one may have been error-free! Rikke Hat

Of course there are successes. I have done a couple jobs through TaskRabbit and get excellent reviews and a little buffer in the bank account. I have successful projects, like the very simple Rikke hat shown above. Those make me feel good, of course, and remind me that I am competent both at work and at knitting. But I'm still not in a full-time job. I'm still working on a project that I've already fudged and whose colors I don't really like. I'm still applying for jobs and listening to the crickets that follow.

Have you experienced your knitting or other crafting or art-making reflecting your life? 

Reasons and Excuses

It has been over a month since I've blogged. It's been quite the busy month. I've been traveling a lot. We had a major deadline at work that I've had to fit in around plane rides and furlough days (that's right, I'm on furlough). I've been extremely stressed, and it's shown in my work and in my knitting. In fact, there's not much knitting to show. I worked on a sock and I knit a chalk bag for myself. I just sewed in the liner, so no photos of that yet. I haven't finished anything in months, it seems. Yet I'm itching to start a sweater or something else that is big and time consuming. Here are some photos of my trips.

On a walk back to the hotel from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Cherry Lake in the UP of Michigan

City of Rocks, Idaho

Fieldwork in Florida

Sheep and Knitting

Last week I was in Ketchum, Idaho, for the Trailing of the Sheep. There was lots of wool and plenty snow.

Most of the progress on this mitten was made in the car to and from Ketchum and while at the festival.

I also worked on this sock during the festival.

I bought some great yarn at the Puffy Mondaes booth. I wish they were closer. I have to take pictures of the yarn yet, so I'll post them later. In the meanwhile, here are the sheep. They were supposed to go straight down Main Street, but those photographers you see in my video weren't staying to the sidewalks, so the sheep took the first opening they saw and headed down the side street instead. (Isn't there some sort of professional courtesy about not getting into another photographer's shot? You should see my other video--it's mostly this one guy's head as he's "ducking" to stay out of my way.)

Sheep in Idaho

Sheep Camp at Trailing of the Sheep

Early tomorrow, too early for me (though I'm trying not to complain since all my friends are geologists and such who have to catch a bus at 4:30 am to travel an hour or more to work a full day), I'm leaving for Idaho. The Western Folklife Center is participating in the Trailing of the Sheep festival. I've created an interactive component to the exhibition that we bring to the historical museum in Ketchum. People are asked to weigh themselves and then compare it to the weight of a wool bag. They can also get inside the wool bag to get an idea of how much room 20 fleece take up. And they can write a poem about sheep. We're all about the poetry at the WFC. On Friday I'll be leading a knitting circle and conducting interviews, two of the things I do best. I'm hoping knitters and other fiber artists will come and knit and chat. I'll simply ask leading questions and record the whole thing, and knit, of course. Here's more information about what we're doing. If you're in Ketchum or Hailey, please stop by and say hello.

I've got three projects going and I don't know which to take. I'm not very into this sock, but I think the Druid Mittens are too complicated for travel. The other project is also too complicated. Both of those have something going on on each row. I've already messed up the Druid Mittens by incorrectly anticipating the chart. I'll fix some of it, but the rest will just have to be a mistake. Gotta have one, right?

I'm hoping to buy some handspun yarn while at the festival. I didn't last year because I didn't have the money and felt overwhelmed by it all. I did pick up a skein of something in Ketchum, and will probably do the same this year. It's good to support the stores in places I visit, I think.

My Awesome Job

Sometimes my job is incredible. Incredible because I'm seeing and doing things I never imagined I'd even want to do.

The Western Folklife Center and the Elko Convention and Visitor's Authority has brought in a group of journalists to learn about the Elko area and, especially, the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. I didn't have to do any of the planning or organizing (thankfully), but I did get to meet the folks and share in some of the exciting things they are learning about.

Yesterday I headed to the 71 after work for dinner (which was ribs, so I only had dessert) and a concert by the campfire. Jay Dalton picked his way through quite a few songs as people took pictures and sang along.

Today, I headed back out to the 71 for lunch (Mexican, so I had a version of the served dish). After lunch we listened to a talk about changes in grazing cattle, and then we headed down to a barn to watch a horse be castrated. Fascinating. The vet threw the, um, removed part over the horse's head because "otherwise he looks back and won't be a good horse." In other words, they want the horse to see what's been removed so he doesn't think he can still, well, enjoy the ladies. Don't worry, the horse was knocked out before knife hit skin. His tongue was sticking out, which was awfully undignified and cute. After that we watched some cattle get roped and "doctored," which meant getting treated for an infection in their hooves.

Tomorrow I get to have dinner (which I also can't eat--this is the problem with being a vegetarian in cattle country) with Baxter Black, then go watch him perform. What a job.

More Distraction

I was going to post last week, but we had a crazy wind storm that knocked out the internet. I wanted to show pictures of the rock I climbed the weekend before. Don't worry, I started small. Then I challenged myself (peer pressure, really) to climb a 5.8. I needed help starting, and then again when I got stuck and had to switch my feet. I'm still bruised up, but it felt good to climb it.

Then I dashed off to Seattle for the Northwest Folklife Festival, which was loads of fun (in spite of some bad incidents). The best part was meeting up with an old friend from Ohio who I haven't seen in ten years. I didn't have much time to see him, but the reunion definitely made the weekend.

I got back yesterday. I did very little knitting, of course. Just a bit on a secret project while on the plane. I'm hoping to finish seaming the Dollar and a Half so I can work on the button band and be done with it. I'm itching to start a new project, but I've got to finish at least one of these before I do.

The Adventures Continue

I've been spending a lot of time outdoors. I've been camping and hiking, and I'm learning the surprisingly fun game of Ultimate Frisbee. I have scratches and bruises and very sore shoulders. Tomorrow I'm doing more camping and trying rock climbing again.

I have been knitting, but it's definitely taken a back seat to the outdoors. It's so nice lately. I do get a little bit of knitting in each night. I made a cowl from the Curious Creek Fibers Isalo. I wanted it to be something special, but it turns out that for all the money I spent, it's just another silk yarn. To top it off, there were a lot of spots that didn't take the dye. I like the cowl, though, and it was a good way to avoid seaming the Dollar and a Half cardigan. I'm one side seam and one sleeve insert and side seam away from the button band. My sleeves don't fit into the arm hole, but I just forced the first one in anyway. I don't think it's going to be too bumpy in the end.


And that's it. I've got a sock project as a travel project (it's going camping with me tomorrow). I might need to start something new next week.

The exciting news is that I may have a chance to meet up with a friend I haven't seen in ten years. He lives in Seattle, where I'll be next week for the Northwest Folklife Festival. I can't wait to see him.

Things that Prevent Blogging

Sorry for the hiatus. First I was in Ohio for a wedding and a new-baby visit. It was good to be back in Ohio for a few days. My dry skin immediately plumped up. From Ohio I flew to Boise, caught a ride with my roommate, and drove through this


to get here, which is Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington,


for some playtime before the AWSF meeting. There was plenty of this


and this.


We took a trip to Whidbey Island where we had a birthday party and a tour of Ebey's Landing.


Then we took this


to return to this
and this.


We took a side-trip here.


The meeting was interesting. We learned about cultural mapping, archiving digital technology, and local foods. Then we took a tour to a creamery and then an organic farm where we saw this, right above our heads.


Finally, I came home to this.


Rest assured, there was a lot of knitting. Trouble is, it's all secret. We also stopped at three yarn stores. I spent blindly. My roommate is bringing everything home in her car, because I had too much to fly with. I'll take pictures of my treasures later this week. Some of it is truly luscious.

Earthquakes

There were earthquakes here today. The first one was around 6:15 this morning and was a 6.0. Its center was about 60 miles from Elko. There were small ones all day, and a 4.2 at 4:00.

Knitting hasn't been so exciting. I finished the something for someone. I just need to weave in ends and add a ribbon. I also finished the Bas Relief hat. It was a fun pattern. It doesn't have a recipient, so it's going in my spare gift pile (newly formed with this hat).


I'm working on the Seamless Hybrid for my brother. His favorite sweater has a 48" chest. This may take a while. I meant to seam up the hem as I knit, but I got caught up in whatever I was watching while working on it and forgot to do it. Whoops. Now I'll have to seam 48 inches worth of hem. That was the reason I did a turned hem in the first place.

I'm going to Alaska on Saturday to work on a documentary about friends who are working on a mechanical ice sculpture in the Ice Alaska competition. I didn't make it to the competition last year, so I'm really excited to go. I don't think I'll be taking the body of Stef's sweater. I got some Vesper Sock Yarn in Sweet Water the other day (I couldn't resist--I've wanted some for so long).

It's really colorful. I ordered a kitchen scale so I can split the skein, but it hasn't come yet. If it doesn't come tomorrow, I might take other sock yarn. I bought some Happy Feet (so soft) and some Panda Wool while in Boise last weekend. I also have some Shibui waiting in the stash. Looks like socks are it.

Unfinished

I have three unfinished projects. The bottom two (Everlasting Bagstopper and Bas Relief hat) in the picture are unfinished because I ran out of yarn and don't have the funds to buy more (anyone want to buy a wonderful condo in Chicago?). The other (Drops dress) I needed to put down after ripping back about five inches. I was worried about running out of yarn on this, too, but perhaps I have gained some yardage in correcting my mistake.

So I'm working on socks. I finished this sock (Anastasia, from Pepperknit. I'm having trouble linking to it) the other night and have started on the second, but I'm itchy to work on something else, too. I have more socks I want to make, but what I really want is something fast and stash-busting. Nothing is jumping out.


I haven't had much time for knitting--the Gathering is in 14 days. I've been working long hours. Luckily, somehow, I've also been able to get out and enjoy the snow. I love the snow. My roommate and I made a snow lady. (I made the hat and a friend's aunt made the scarf).

Today we went cross-country skiing (my second time ever), and we're going again tomorrow. I've joined the group doing the Vagina Monologues on Valentine's Day, and knitting on Thursdays has started up again. I've learned this about Elko: people get out and do things. I think it's to compensate for having so little good entertainment provided. Everyone has to make her own fun. It has been fun. As busy as I am, I'm grateful to be able to enjoy the snow and to make new friends, even at the expense of knitting time.

Fair

First, I want to publicly apologize to my friends and family for neglecting to email or call. I've been busy. But not with knitting. That seems to be slow going.

I'm busy working. I know there's a level of anonymity to keep when blogging, and it's taboo to talk about work. I like my work, though. This is the first time I get to work with other folklorists. I'm doing fun and good work. If you want to know more about what I do, please visit this site, and check out this cybercast and these links for examples of the events I'm planning. Please listen to the podcast, too. I don't work on that, but the podcasts are a good and interesting example of the work I do.


Last week I finished the Bea Ellis hat. It's great, albeit just a little tight. I got into a good rhythm with the stranding. So much so that I repeated one round, but I figured that the friend this is for has a lot of hair, and could use a little extra height. I think I'm going to make We Call Them Pirates as my next Fair Isle-style project. Here's the requisite inside shot of Ufserud.

I'm currently struggling with Blue Sky's Brushed Alpaca. It's pretty and soft, but fuzzy. I'm knitting it in the round in garter stitch, so I have to purl every other row. Not fun. Give me a smooth yarn any day. I'll probably finish this project in a couple days, if I can find the time, that is.