Hopeful News
The fact that the United States FINALLY sent representation to Darfur is obviously long overdue. The fact that protests seem to have helped make this happen actually gives me hope.
People Still Have Power
I had started to think that protests and petitions and boycotts were having no impact whatsoever on our current government. But, this past Sunday, the “Save Darfur” protests to stop the atrocities, seem to have sparked the Secretary of State to send her deputy to help salvage peace talks.
I can’t imagine how our Secretary of State can utter words like the quote below without choking on them:
“The president feels very strongly and very passionately about the need to get an agreement, about the need to get a robust security force, a blue-hatted (U.N.) force in to be able to protect the innocent people of Darfur.”
That is just an insane lie, and I don’t know how folks listening don’t just laugh when she says things like that. She’s getting as ridiculous as Baghdad Bob, the Iraqi spokesman for Saddam Hussein who used to spout daily lies for the entertainment of the press.
Current Knitting
I made some additional progress on the Faux Rib sweater. I’ll post a picture in my next blog entry.
Thank you all for the feedback on which side of the fabric to display publicly. I have considered trying to make it reversable, but I’m just not sure I could do seams that would look good on both sides. So I will work to make the seams on the #2 fabric look good and hope they will look good on the reverse as well.
Other Weekend Fiber Activity
I wound the second hank of the Blueface Leicester this past weekend.
This ball is slightly smaller at 8.7 ounces and 825 yards, although the yarn is a little heavier overall at 1,520 yards per pound, compared with 1,550 yards per pound on the first ball.
I started plying the final ball of this yarn, and ran out of singles on one of the three bobbins well before the other two were depleted, so I began spinning singles again with the last bit of roving I have.
I should be able to finish spinning and plying this coming weekend.
Reading And Movies
I just finished my latest book and I plan on reading more of this author.
The book is Born Naked by Farley Mowat. He tells a wonderful story of his adventures as a young boy growing up in various areas of Canada. I’m not sure if women would relate to this book as much as a man would, but I was completely drawn into this boy’s life and reminisced often about my own boyhood. His writing is a joy to read. It’s clean and smart and extremely well-crafted without being at all contrived.
Thaddeus and I also went to see Friends With Money with Frances McDormand, Jennifer Anniston, Joan Cusack and Catherine Keener (the men in the movie weren’t overly recognized except the waddle-loving guy from the Ally McBeal t.v. show).
I loved the movie and found it to be well put together. It’s not a movie that most of Jennifer Anniston’s fans from the t.v. show “Friends” would probably like, but the acting was very good and if you’re a Frances McDormand fan, this should be a must-see.
Readers’ Comments/Questions
Regarding the Faux Rib sweater, Duffy asks, “When I look at the swatches, I also consider that they will be a little stretched in places with ordinary movement. So which would look good when stretched?”
This is a good point. The #1 (top) picture from yesterday looks quite a bit different when stretched, while the #2 picture looks no different at all.
Regarding my absence from blogging over the last three weeks, Fredda asks, “Enough guilt (did it work? The Jewish mother in me wants to know…)”
I don’t think Jewish mothers are all that good at guilting folks. They try a lot, but the subtle, passive-aggressive nature of Catholic guilt is much more effective with me. Or even the incessant nagging guilt of some Asian cultures.