Bohemian Bluestocking

Gosh, it's almost here -- so close I can taste the caramel apples. Yes -- IT'S THE FRYEBURG FAIR!!!!! I am talking about the coolest, retro, old-tyme newengland-y the fair from charlotte's web fair. There's woodsmen's day, women's skillet toss, fireman's muster, harness racing, very cute guys in inland fisheries(fish cops) uniforms, fried dough, oxen, goats, ponies, draft horse, bunnies, 4-H, and the list goes on and on. I am running away to see my friend Krista and yipee yipee yipee!!!!

Should have posted these a while ago -- my current pride and joy -- even though they are still missing thumbs. The motifs are generally traditional Nordic -- though the arrangement is all mine. Please note I have been clever by inserting the current year in there somewhere. They are made from Dale of Norway Tuir in a mustard and navy blue. Tuir is 60% mohair/40% wool blend, and has certainly got a fuzzy factor.

Tuesday I was at work at Guidos. Tuesday is Senior Citizen's Day, when the rich old people come in and pinch pennies. And buy delmonico steaks and stinky cheese and calamari salad and organic japanese eggplants. And pinch pennies. Well Tuesday a young quasi-alt. couple with children were shopping. He sports a wifebeater and straw porkpie hat. She, a modified betty page with pigtails and combat capris and black glasses ala elvis costello. Nothing too scary, and the tattoos are minimal. They also have two small children. The children, a toddler and a newborn, are clean, with clean clothes(no spit up or grass stains) well-behaved and obviously well taken care of. All in all, a model modern bohemian couple.

One sour puss, lemon-faced old biddie gives them such a judging look as they shop, and continues with this as they leave and load their groceries into their clean, late model subaru outback.

Why is it that this couple, doing just fine thank you very much and obviously loving and caring for their children is judged as lacking, and miss desparate housewife wanna-be, with hellions she can't control running wild through the store, sending her children to BCD (Berkshire Country Day -- local hoity toity private school), can't even manage to get a job (or a life of any intellectual or emotional substance) is perfectly ok and normal.

things that make me see a shrink.

I'm not a big one for quizzes, but in honor of my friend Jess's move to blogspirit her it goes:

You're Lili St. Cyr!


What Classic Pin-Up Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Those of you who know me will find this choice verrrrrry amusing.

And moreover, I think that perhaps my fashion sense was even better, barring the pink gingham for the last post. 

I scanned some older photos last Saturday and came across this: I've decided that I was an evil child. My mom made me the pink gingham jumper/pant combo for a Women's Club fashion show. Yes, the background is log. I grew up in log cabin. yes indeed-ee. That's my really evil brother in the foreground, hogging the photo op.

On the recommendation of miz abi at Spiderwomanknits I have relocated just after a few weeks at blogspot. I think this is going to work better. A little more room to roam. I am still slowly getting up to speed, and will hopefully have more stuff to post soon, but I got a little rush when I saw my tote at her site. Yippee!!

I've decided to develop a cashier's 10 commandments. I am thinking that I need to let the WORLD know what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior when you get in my line, damn it. So here it goes:

1. Thou shalt not throw money before thy cashier. For one, I don't catch so well. And for another, that pile of pennies might take my eye out. And another thing, I have change in the cash register, so giving me that pile of pennies living in the bottom of your purse, supposedly making you lop-sided, is not really that much of a help.
2. Thou shalt not address thy cashier with familiarity. To be honest, I haven't the faintest idea who you are. Really. Moreover, don't accost me at Staples or Barnes & Noble. I am not working. I have no interest in talking to you. They have to pay me to talk to you.
3. Thou shalt corral thy sons & daughters, and they shall honor thy cashier. Keep your ungrateful horde under control. Yes, you need to pay for that banana they just ate. Don't let them run around. We will knock them over, if given a chance.
4. Thou shalt not covet thy cashier's duties. We can bag those groceries much much better than you. WE DO IT FOR A LIVING, for God's sake. No ... We will not crush the eggs, put meat in with vegetables, not put the cold stuff together. Unless you really get in our way.
5. Thou shall choose simplicity over complexity. You just asked me to put a paper bag inside a plastic bag. On top of that, that meat you just asked me to put in another plastic bag, ostensibly to keep it from leaking, was packed in a plastic bag, then wrapped in butcher paper, then taped shut.
6. Thou shall look at thy cashier without shaded eyes. Those Chanel rip-off sunglasses don't do that much for your New Yorker-trying to fit in with the natives-look. And you might be a terrorist. And not taking them off only reinforces the idea that I am not worthy of you attention. BTW, my IQ is twice yours, and I dress better.
7. Thou shall take noone before thy cashier. Cell phone? Gotta go. Period. No, I will yank it out you ear so hard I'll puncture your eardrum. I swear I will.
8. Thou shall not ask thy cashier for answers. No, I have no idea where that upscale chi-chi restaurant in West Lenox is, nor do I care. I couldn't afford to go there anyways. However, I wil give you directions to the Turnpike, because then maybe you'll leave.
9. Thou shall not consume consumsible before thy cashier. Didn't your mother ever teach you it's impolite to eat stuff you haven't paid for?

 

Yes there are only nine.

Look! This is a hat I worked on last winter. It's made from Lopi (a knitter's best friend when it comes to quick hats and mittens and scarves.) The wavy design is from Shelia MacGregor's Fair Isle knitting book and the star worked into the decreases is taken from Vibeke Lind's An Introduction to Nordic Knitting (unfortunately this one out of print. though I am on the lookout for a used copy.) The flower-effect on the decreases was unexpected, but worked out neverthless. The girl I made it for was pretty granola, so she was happy.

I found the CD of photos of my first design job. So here are some photos from the CD. (Obviously....) This is from Shakespeare & Young Company(see more stuff at their web site)