my knitting scouts merit badges

I've been in a merit badge mood all month. It started with You Can Do It! The merit badge handbook for grown up girls, which Martha had in the guest room during our stay in NY. It continued on through Mama Merit Badges, which I madly desire. And then I found out about these guys: Knitting Scouts. Seems that my sash is already filling out!

1. The “Proselytize Knitting” Badge - A requirement for all Knitting Scouts, the recipient must do his or her bit to present knitting in a positive light, whilst at the same time avoiding all references to “hipness”, grandmothers, and yoga. I talk up knitting, Knit in Public, and started a knitting club at work to teach my co-workers to knit.
   
2. The “MacGyver” Badge (Level One) - The recipient must demonstrate clever use of a non-knitting tool in a knitting-related scenario. For instance, recipient has used paper clips as stitch markers, or successfully whittled and then utilized bamboo skewers as dpns. I've used the paper clip trick and also 1-inch decorative pins to show RS.
   
3. The “Knitting Whilst Under the Influence” Badge - This applies to both actual knitting under the influence, as well as achieving moments of stunning intellectual clarity about ones knitting under the influence. Presumes talking about knitting whilst under the influence a given. Every month, baby
   
4. The “I Will Impress You With My Math Prowess” Badge - The recipient is a whiz at substituting yarns and calculating gauge, can space increases and decreases evenly and is fully comfortable with the basic math encountered in all knitting projects. I'm generally good at this stuff, although sometimes I am hit with a fit of stupidity.
   
5. The “I’ve Knit Items With No Conceivable Practical Application” Badge - Recipients are those “special” campers who have knit items which somehow missed the mark of their intended application. There are probably more who are deserving of this badge than one would expect. Cutie baby hats that would fit an adult, weird technology cozies, undersized clothes pin bags...
   
6. The “I’ve Been Published in a Knitting Magazine” badge - The recipient has been published in a print or online knitting magazine, in this case, Knitty. 'Vog on!

Labels: achievement, silly

- Rocketbride's knit-venture of 8:37 AM -

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i am a fiber i've never used. cosmic.

Labels: silly

- Rocketbride's knit-venture of 11:26 AM -

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fame!

Speaking of Dirk Nightshade, he's famous (albeit anonymously)!

The other day, I met a young man (when you're my age, they're all young men) who was knitting his first project. Unsurprisingly, it was a garter stitch scarf. It was about six or seven inches wide, and he had about six or seven inches worth done, so he had what looked like a lovely square garter stitch potholder. He told me that he had started the scarf nearly a year ago, got this much done, put it down for a while—like ten months—and only now had he picked it up again.

I nodded and smiled and told him he was doing a good job and that it would get faster and easier—but in the dark recesses of my brain I thought: “Oh, just bind it off. Call it a potholder and bind it off. It's fine, you've learned garter stitch, it's time to move on.”

- David Demchuk, "It's the little things," Knit Like a Man, Spring Knitty

I'm proud to have been the enabler that brought Dirk to Lettuce that night, not to mention giving him knitting lessons in the first place. It's almost like being famous myownself.

Labels: friends, knitty, silly

- Rocketbride's knit-venture of 10:38 AM -

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aw, dude!

I been tagged. Rules to follow.

1. A prostitute once offered to tell my fortune. She got it all wrong.
2. While pregnant, I was terrorized by a schizophrenic building tenant who thought that we were making meth in our apartment.
3. I married my second boyfriend. We did not live together beforehand.
   
4. I have been heavily & simultaneously involved in the goth and United Church subcultures.
5. I don't like to be touched on my shoulders, hips, or anywhere the bone is close to the skin.
6. The first song that moved my unborn child was by Ministry.

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the ‘6 weird things about you.’ People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.”

Everybody I read is already tagged. So no further. Thanks, Sandi - this was fun.

Labels: silly

- Rocketbride's knit-venture of 4:42 PM -

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oh, the silliness

In other news, I did some stash enhancement this weekend, as Knit-o-matic stocks the ball I needed to finish the Boy's Christmas present from last year (gulp). While I was there I picked up some manly Noro for another cabled hat and some yummy German stripey sock yarn (mit Aloe Vera!). I think I paid too much for the sock yarn, but considering the length of time I take to knit a pair of socks, I'll get good value for my money. And the Aloe Vera will soothe my spirits.

Christmas is coming too quickly. Even if I strike almost everyone off the handknitted gift list, I still have a bunch of yarn from last Christmas that hasn't gone anywhere. And Blake's birthday is less than a week away! At least I got the zipper for his sweater this weekend - now it's just a battle between time and the seemingly endless finishing.

Labels: silly, stash

- Rocketbride's knit-venture of 4:53 PM -

- 0 cast on -