Arrrrrgyle

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I can’t tell what my favorite part of this whole knitter/wiki adventure has been. There are three contenders:

1. Checking the wiki and seeing that someone other than me made changes to the pages (It works! They’re USING IT! Eeeeee!)
2. Making a new knitterly friend through cyber-stalking and Googling, and then having said friend make a little Rogue wiki button so props can be given throughout the internetlands.
3. Spending time with my mom, talking about how knitters get their information, and how a wiki IS a good way to disseminate pattern information that is discussed, but that it would take a bit of a paradigm shift from the listservs that we’re all used to.

I think the button wins. As Julie said, knit bloggers almost always create button links for knitalongs, so she made this tiny (and therefore cute), techno button for the wiki.

Copy and paste this code to have it for yourself:

<a href="http://roguealong.pbwiki.com">
<img src="http://roguealong.pbwiki.com/f/roguebutton.gif/">
</a>

As you may have already seen on Boing Boing,
Arrrrgyle socks for Talk Like a Pirate Day.

heel_turrrrrned

Be still my hearrrrrrt.

More Rogue wiki excitement

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I can’t tell what my favorite part of this whole knitter/wiki adventure has been. There are three contenders:

1. Checking the wiki and seeing that someone other than me made changes to the pages (It works! They’re USING IT! Eeeeee!)
2. Making a new knitterly friend through cyber-stalking and Googling, and then having said friend make a little Rogue wiki button so props can be given throughout the internetlands.
3. Spending time with my mom, talking about how knitters get their information, and how a wiki IS a good way to disseminate pattern information that is discussed, but that it would take a bit of a paradigm shift from the listservs that we’re all used to.

I think the button wins. As Julie said, knit bloggers almost always create button links for knitalongs, so she made this tiny (and therefore cute), techno button for the wiki.

Copy and paste this code to have it for yourself:

<a href="http://roguealong.pbwiki.com">
<img src="http://roguealong.pbwiki.com/f/roguebutton.gif/">
</a>

Rogue-Along Wiki Created So I Can Be Lazy

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I had the best idea EVER tonight. (Yeah, I say that a lot.) The Rogue Wiki.

I had meant to post about getting stabbed in the foot, or about the amazing thing my sister said, but now you get a knitting post.

A knit-along is a phenomenon in the online knitting community where people all knitting a popular pattern will begin a forum or group to discuss nuances of said pattern. I joined the Rogue-Along Yahoo group as soon as I heard about it, because I’ve been obsessed with the Rogue pattern for a long time.

Rogue hoodie

I’ve been reading the group digest emails (about the only thing I bother to read in my Yahoo account) for … years. I’ve been planning this Rogue thing for a loooong time, but like a lot of people with a lot of hobbies, I felt that I just wasn’t ready. I’ve since knitted a sweater for my brother, and a mostly-complete sweater for my betrothed (I don’t want to talk about how badly the sleeves are fitting – not my fault – or how I abandoned it to begin knitting my own sweater.) Anyway, all of a sudden, I realized I was ready.

So I went to my LYS, and pored over the yarn samples of Cascade 220. I think I spent a good half hour there, trying to decide which color I liked the best, vs. which color would work up the best, vs. what color would look best on me. I ended up with a light lavender heathered yarn that looks grey under fluorescent light. They ordered it for me.

I went back a few weeks later to pick up my order (this is where, as I turned to walk out the door, I stepped full down on an upturned 4″ sewing needle, which went right through my foam sandal and waaaaay through my foot. at a store called Needleworks. it was ironic. and hurty. more about that later) and went home to begin knitting the sweater to rule them all.

Now, I had been reading these Rogue-Along posts for quite some time, so I knew there were all sorts of tips and explanations to tricky bits. Right as I cast on, I was faced with my first quandary: cast on loosely, or provisionally? Knit in twisted stockinette, or k1p1? How the eff do you do a twisted stitch?

And then I had eighty million other questions about the pocket, about the cable charts, about everything. I would search the Yahoo group archives for answers, sometimes answers I had read about previously, but was only nominally successful. Not to brag, but I am a trained librarian, and I think if it’s to be found, I should be able to find it.

Anyway, I was pondering this frustration, because I know there are a BUNCH more hints I should know about as I make my way through this pattern. Then it hit me: this needs to be organized as a wiki. I set up a PBWiki, and sent off an email to the good readers of the Rogue-Along Yahoo group. My hope among hopes is that others will get into this idea and populate the site with information about the pattern, and I’ll be able to lazily read along as I knit, adjusting hither and thither as needed. I am lazy, and will take great technological leaps to remain that way.

I think my sister would refer to my enthusiasm for making other people do stuff I thought of as the “Hey Lena, put on your swimsuit, make an eye patch and a sword, find three kittens, and meet me in the back yard. We’re going to play pirates.” phenomenon. This actually happened, maybe more than once, when we were little and Lena would spend ALLLLL this time getting stuff together, and she’d go outside and find our brother in his swim trunks and a bandanna, with a tree branch, some rope, and several more kittens, and she’d ask where I was, and he wouldn’t know, and they’d look all over for me, and I’d gone off to my room to read and demand to be left alone.

Anyway, the point is, THE POINT IS, I am excited about knitting Rogue, I am excited to maybe start a new style of information organization for knitters, and I have maybe been drinking caffeinated soda tonight.


I couldn’t get the needle out of my sandal, and it was jammed so far into my foot I couldn’t move my foot out of the straps, and was considering gnawing the straps off when the person working fetched some pliers. This is what actually happened. I was thinking that I’d rather pull the needle out myself, because I’d do it right, and not yank it sideways or something, but then I thought to myself “She’s a knitter. She knows what she’s doing.” She gave a good, clean yank, and got the needle out so fast the only thing I said was “Well done!” Apparently, under mortal peril, I turn into an 18th century British explorer. Go figure. I was headed to the student clinic when I picked up the yarn, so I was able to go have it cleaned and confirm that I was full of tetanus-vaccine goodness.

I’ll save the amazing thing my sister said for the next post. Yeah, she says amazing things all the time, if you count the above pirate quote.

It’s My Butt!

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Critical Mass

Another month, another Critical Mass. Here are some more pictures I drummed up.

It felt akin to the drum circle I participated in once (no judgement) – a bunch of random people spontaneously doing the same thing, and I don’t know how to express it other than the feeling of that spontaneity and kinship – and in this case movement – gave me a big rush. I was grinning.

Critical Mass performance art

Best Critical Mass ever

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Well, of the two Critical Masses I’ve been to, this was one rocked my socks.

August_critical_mass.jpg
Don’t you think I need a cape?

The semester has just begun, and went to my first Champaign-Urbana CM. We started off on campus, rode into Champaign, then into Urbana, and ended up at the Sweet Corn Festival.

My bike weighs like 75 lbs, which makes for a slow start, but it’s kind of like driving a station wagon – once you get going, you can coast for quite a while. I ended up in front (with Lena, in the white sk8er helmet) at the end, and we spied an empty parking lot, so we ended up in this gigantic space, and as we coasted in, we began circling around, and although I want to use the term “whirling dervish”, I won’t. We rode around in a circle, and then two opposite-direction circles and everyone was grinning and it was awesome.

I have to thank Laurie for taking picture – ones that may become famous sometime soon, I hear. You can see the rest of the Critical Mass in all of its glory (and circliness) at Laurie’s Flickr site.

The Chicago Critical Mass in July was amazing for the sheer number of people. This month’s Critical Mass was amazing for the coziness and spontaneous public display of synchronized biking. I wonder what next month will be like. I kind of think I need a cape.

First day of school

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It’s the first day of school for the … 20th time. Yesterday I started my last semester of classes. Right off the bat, I felt sure this would be the best semester ever.

Part of it is that this is the ‘senior year’. My high school and undergrad senior years were fantastic. I knew everyone, I could navigate campus easily, I knew where the hidden tunnels were.

Added to that is my light course load (just 10 wee hours) and a lack of any boggy, awful, required classes. My Childrens Literature class (which I had yesterday, because yesterday was Monday at the U of other I) got me all jazzed. I love the books we’re reading (HP1, Harriet the Spy, The BFG, Where the Sidewalk Ends) and I’m a big fan of the teacher. I’m taking the class for half credit, so I don’t have to do the final project. I kind of want to anyway, which says a lot about the course (and my enthusiasm for kidlit) but it was really nice to think that come November and December, I won’t be stressed to the gills. Wadsbone will appreciate this as well.

Today I have Intro to Networking, and I had a nice long conversation with E (while she did the dishes, no less) about how great Intro to Networking is, and how much more confident she is with computers as physical things. Yay!

I’m kind of done taking pictures of me on the first day of school – it’s not quite as cute anymore. But I will share one from my first day of school at the U of I, featuring my sister.

firstdayofschool

Grilling with the Maycocks

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grill.JPG

This isn’t a picture from last night’s grilling out. It’s from a couple of weeks ago, and shows the level of neglect our schoolhouse-apartment grounds get.

Last night the Maycocks came over and we ate brats and pasta salad, while musing over the gigantic-ness of a spider. Then we watched the first two episodes of Who Wants To Be A Superhero? It may be the best show I’ve ever seen.

OK, I’ve just burned my eyes out! AHHHHH! I went to the website, and seen who has been eliminated. I’ve only seen two episodes! They should have had a spoiler warning! Effffffff!

Still, I can say with total confidence that Monkey Woman is my favorite.
Monkey Woman

Tree Map!

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This weekend I finally had a chance to start my long-awaited Tree Map. I had this idea about last year this time. I wanted to catalog and map the climbing trees of Champaign. I had access to a GPS unit, and Google Maps, so it only took me a full year to get started on it.

Having friends with me helped. Laurie and Steph and I divvied up the tasks, and began walking around Champaign.

gear.JPG

Steph would try to identify each tree, Laurie would photograph it, and I wrote down the latitude and longitude of each tree, along with the notes the other two observed. We rated the trees for climbability too.

S+tree.JPG

And of course we had to try out the trees.

I tested out a particularly small-crotched locust (gasp?! yeah, we get to use the word ‘crotch’ a lot) on Neil Street, and came away a bit bloody.

she's a brick house

A passerby asked if I had just won or lost a bet, and I explained the cataloging idea. I looked down and realized I was bleeding. Luckily, Steph is every bit a Girl Scout leader, and had environmentally-friendly baby wipes for me to get the blood and bark off of my skin.

I’m hoping to start figuring out this whole Google Maps thing soon. I’d also like to catalog a lot more trees. If anybody has a particular favorite, let me know!

More spam poetry

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I always read Ex Libris (it’s written by my favorite non-blood-relation librarian), and Marylaine’s “cool quote” was from WorldChanging.com.

yoink!

“According to one map-making friend, creating walkshed maps… would be a relatively simple Google Maps “Mash Up.” Anyone know of such a tool? Anyone volunteer to do this project? I’d love to have a detailed map stowed in the “glove box” of our Burley of all 248 businesses in my home zone. Ideally, I would want a walking map or PDA application that shows me the whereabouts of public restrooms, water fountains, bike racks, curb cuts, bus stops, and benches.” Worldchanging

So then I went to WorldChanging, because I already have a tote bag from them (thanks ALA conference!) and am on their mailing list.

This made me think about my idea to catalog all the climbing trees in Champaign. I thought I could use GPS data, digital photographs, and Google Maps to put it together.

So from WorldChanging I went to Bycycle, and was only slightly frustrated to find out that they only have Philly, Portland, and Milwaukee.

So five minutes later, whilst reading Lifehacker, I spied Bikely – a bike route map site. I figured it would be like Google Maps, where you’d need GPS data to show routes.

NOPE! You use Google Maps, but you just click in the intersections. I signed up immediately, and made a map of my commute to class. It shows the distance, and I tagged it with commute, urban, basic, and low-traffic. It’s my new fascination. I encourage other bikers in Champaign (who happen to read my blog, ahem, Sasha, ahem, Laurie) to log route. I want to see how you get places!
Normal

It is not enough that there is always a beyond; because it might be beyond bearing.
He had,
so to speak,
the imagination without the imagery.
But in the final process of truth there is nothing else except a good syllogism.
They are those who maintain that there is something that is both Yes and No.
Unfortunately, good temper is sometimes more irritating than bad temper.
To be an extreme Realist would have taken him too near to being a Platonist. In
practice, they tol dmen that they must treat their will as free though it was not
free.
Francis,did not permit in his work the indescribable element of poetry. There are
all sorts of nursery games of negative philosophy played round this question. The
obvious example is in the pivotal word form.
Here he differs sharply, for instance, from St.
Nor will he say that there is nothing common to grass and grain, because they do really differ.
But we mean that they were purely fictitious; and St.
He had, so to speak, the imagination without the imagery. He will not deny what he
has seen, though it be a secondary and diverse reality.
But the point is that, even apart from being right he is real.
Francis,did not permit in his work the indescribable element of poetry.
But they did lead to a final deduction; or else they led to nothing. The Schoolmen
may have shot too far beyond our limits in pursuing the Cherubimand Seraphim. There
are any number of purple patches in Augustine; but thereare no purple patches in
Aquinas. If things deceive us, it is by being more real than they seem. But if he
reasoned rightly, however rapidly,he reasoned syllogistically.
But he wanted the light from without to shine on what was within.
He had been a revolutionist against Augustine and a traditionalist against Averrhoes.
But the truth is that they have never read St. Is he to regard death as final;and is
he to regard miraculous help as possible? But the point is that, even apart from
being right he is real.
I do not know whether they pronounce it Yo.
Therefore my body is made of microscopic little knobs which are indivisible.
Johnson as our lexicographer; as if he never did anything but write a dictionary?
Suppose two entirely new paths open before the progress of Creative Evolution.
Thomas, had he been a member of the Tip-Cat Club, would have meant just the opposite.
Johnson as our lexicographer; as if he never did anything but write a dictionary?
The Thomist begins by being theoretical,but his theory turns out to be entirely
practical. Huxley made morality, and even Victorian morality, in the exactsense,
supernatural.
He is arguing for a common sense which would even now commend itself to most of the
common people.
The Pragmatist sets out to be practical, but his practicality turns out to be entirely
theoretical. Thomas Aquinas himself is not at all rhetorical.