Alpacas, Sheep, Goats and... a whole lotta people

On Saturday, after a night of birthday debauchary at a co-worker's 50th birthday bash, I headed off to pick up my friend Dora in Hudson. Switching to her car, nursing some dehydration (beer, laughing and dancing can really make you dry), we headed to Springfield, MA. 

One end of the market

 What's in Springfield? Besides the Basketball Hall of Fame? New England Fiber Festival. Started last year (or was it two years ago?), this little indoor festival has greatly expanded... so much so that it takes up one of the Big E (Eastern States Exposition-- kind of like a state fair,but our N.E. states are kinda small, so we group them all together) fairgrounds.

Aisle after aisle of vendors, all hawking yarn, fiber, spinning wheels, spindles, and much much more. We saw at least 8 kinds of spinning wheels, more spindles than you can shake a stick at (mostly at Amy- Spunky Eclectic's booth) and oodles of sock yarn. If you are a sock yarn ho, this is where you need to be. MILES of it.

After catching up with friends and chatting while walking, we had a yummy and relatively healthy lunch (grilled chicken wrap with blue cheese, crumbles, cranberries and pecans) with a questionably
healthy snack (cheese fries), we headed back to finish off the shopping. I started to feel like this:

the other end of the market

It's a LOT of people.

I left with enough sock yarn from Dorchester Farms for two pair, and a shawl kit from Judy's booth. And a few patterns. Not much more. I've been pretty underwhelmed with what I see in the booths, mostly because I know how much I have in my stash at home.

All in all, a great day with great friends. This is a festival I can see myself going back to, but i'll be honest, I miss the "outside"-ness of an actual sheep fair. And it was a nice trip to Springfield. In my part of the state, the Snowtober storm didn't really impact us ---some crappy slush is all we got. But, my friends to the west? Hammered. So many trees down, so many STILL without power, but what great stories of compassion and fellowship: neighbor helping neighbor. Say a little prayer of thanks for the hard working line crews and tree trimmers. We saw them still hard at work on Saturday, clearing the roads to make them safe and passable.

Mouse mittens will be appearing here soon. Pattern is being written for them soon.

G'night. :)

Dedication

Serious dedication to your craft. My first thought? I hope it's superwash.

More on the New England Fiber Fest tomorrow, including the goodies.

College and Snowflakes

Saint Anselm College, Mancheseter NH- winter

I went here (see above) for college. It's a good college;  I received an excellent education and I don't regret for a moment that I  went there. I made some great friends, learned more about myself and my abilities than I thought possible and found my faith there. It was not cheap. It was not free. And it did not let everyone in. I received a scholarship for some of my tuition because throughout high school, I was a hard worker and knew that I wanted to go to college. As the youngest of three, college was not a given. Paying for it was certainly going to come down to me (mom & dad helped, alot. More than they should have, realistically), and I'm still paying it. I wore the same jeans for 4 years, I had the meal plan, cigarettes and a keg party ($3 for a cup) were my budgeted items. I saved all summer for book money. I walked and bummed rides to my jobs when I couldn't swing gas. I had jobs. 

Where is this conversation going? I was in Boston earlier in the week for work and drove past the Occupy Boston movement and saw the following scene: a student, with a bullhorn, in $100 sneakers (PC's a sneaker junkie-- i know these were not cheapo kicks, definitely a Bodega buy), a $200 NorthFace jacket, D&G sunglasses ... yelling "College is a RIGHT, not for the rich and white." Note: I think this young man was white. 

I get it. I do. College costs a small fortune today. So does rent, milk, bread, gasoline and haircuts. But, college is not a right. College is a privilege; if you are smart, capable and interested in learning, you should be in college. How many of my fellow students did I see that were partying away their parents money? Too many. Did I think they deserved to be there? No. My college roomie, Mandi, had a great sign in our room: $20,000. It was a daily reminder to us about why we were there and the price we were paying.  

Also, what happened to skilled labor and learning a trade? PC started college and left, knowing that his interest level (and capacity at the time to stay in school) was a waste of his money and his parents'. So he left. He worked a lot of jobs, but he made ends meet, he lived on his own and now, he's "skilled labor" and a supervisor. Why did we make it a bad thing if Susie wants to be a hairdresser and Bobby wants to be a plumber? 

It all comes down to each child being a "special snowflake." I don't want to seem harsh (and I'm not a parent, so feel free to come down on my non-mommyness, you wouldn't be the first), but not everyone should go to college. Our society needs people to mow lawns, fix plumbing, build houses, cut hair, pave roads, drive buses, and carry the mail. We need to recognize the good, honest hard work that goes into working a trade. 

My message to our friend at Occupy Boston? You are not the special snowflake your mom told you that you are. And google the Bill of Rights. 

...with the knitting

In the famous words of Oz (and PC): ignore the man behind the curtain.  

That's PC, holding up Livvie's new hat. It's the Temple Cats pattern, gifted to me by a friend, in Cascade 220 Superwash (Sue: toss right into the washer and dryer, but it'd prefer to lie flat to dry). It's hot pink and baby pink and it's perfect for that 4 year old in your life who loves cats.

I have to admit, the braided band makes me giggle. I love it, but braids are one of those things that are 0% intuitive to me when knitting. They never look like they are supposed to until after you've knit a bit beyond them. This is unfortunate because if you don't like the look, it's ripping out good knitting to get to bad.

The yarn. Cascade 220 Superwash gives me fits. I *love* it, but it's not the same gauge as regular Cascade 220, I don't care what they tell me. I knit this hat on US7 and it needs a good blocking over a vase or bowl to even out the colorwork a bit, but I would highly suggest a US6.

So much of my holiday life is 'knitting' but not this year. A few special hats for a few special kids, some non-holiday mittens (hang on, Jack--- I'm perfecting the dino hat and dino mittens for you this year!), and everything else is coming from a shop. Nice shops, but shops nonetheless. It's not that I don't think people will appreciate them (seriously: my SIL's reaction to handknits needs to make youtube... it makes any knitter proud), but the time. Some of the fam & friends will get handknits but some will not.

More tomorrow... I'm thinking we'll discuss something a little lighthearted and something a little politico-- like something I like to call the Snowflake People. :)

...in which I wow you...

...with my ability to blog every.single.blasted.day of November. Yup, it's gonna get "real" around here! And, on the subject of change... be aware that I have purchased a website, am investigating a move to wordpress and have no bloody idea of what I am doing. Like my mom said, 3 hours into getting us lost on a routine trip home from camp... "it'll be fine. Think of it as an adventure. And don't tell your father." 

Today, well, today I am going to tell you that I was damn near late for work because I was listening to Tom Brokaw on the radio. He's pitching his new book and I'm heading to B&N asap to grab it. His new book touches on some rather unpopular ideas and I'm surprised at just how conservative Mr. Brokaw is, but I like it. 

On the knitting & sewing front: ugh. Bags are yet to be completed. The concussion has led to 4 days of non-stop headaches and I've just been unable to deal with the noise that the sewing machine generates. But, tonight... tonight I sew. 

Knitting: continues... Olivia's hat & mittens are done, off to make some for Tori & Brooke, Olivia's little sisters (twins!). I guess the famous cat hat (pattern to be listed on the side bar for download by Thanksgiving) and mouse mittens (also to be a download) have caused a bit of girl-on-girl fighting at my cousin's house, so to each sister goes a cat-hat. I'm hand delivering these because then I get a smooch from Olivia, who gives the best hugs, and I get to see my favorite cousin, Sue. 

Photos tomorrow, if I can catch the light in the morning. 

NaBloPoMo--- yup, one post a day for a month. Be sure to let me know when you get sick of me.

"Tell me about yourself..."

Top 10 Interview Questions.

As someone who has had *ahem* jobs, and therefore a LOT of interviews, I consider myself an expert in this, actually. And I have helped coach a few friends through the interview process. 3rd career calling?

The usual suspects:
1. Tell me about yourself. It's not really a question, but a directive, and it's usually what everyone screws up. This is the point in the interview that you let everything fly out that they aren't allowed to ask you: I'm Sally, married, 3 kids, etc... Nope this should be your "elevator pitch": I'm a hard working, diligent widget maker, with a proven track record of applying continual improvement processes in widget making for 15 years.
2. What are your strengths/weaknesses? Has anyone ever said "I'm lazy and take really long lunch breaks" when asked this one? I work too hard and love my job too much. I'm pretty terrible at time management, so I tend to be honest and tell them time management is something that I continually work to improve (note: i don't tell them the starting point, do I?)
3. Describe how you got here in 10 steps or less. Okay, so this gets to a particular type of interview that I normally encounter: logic and reasoning. This actually tells you a lot about how someone thinks and if they can break down their thought process into constituent steps. Good for scientists, not really needed for dock workers.
4. What motivates you? Money. What motivates you?

And now a few of my faves from interviews I've been on....
5. If you could be a small kitchen appliance, which would you be?
...Kitchen Aid mixer b/c I like to stir things up?
6. What quality do you most admire about your pet?
... her ability to sleep 20 hours a day?
7. Can you name the hierarchy of our R&D team?
2nd question... hadn't met anyone yet!
8. We may require that you work overnight, weekends, or holidays without notice... how flexible are you?
umm... well... no notice? None at all?
9. Explain why you should replace me in this position?
1.5 hours into the interview, I found out she had been let go and was staying on for two weeks to find her replacement.
10. Create a fictional product within our product line and pitch it to me.
last question from a start-up company that interviewed me at Starbucks. No product line. No business plan.

I've fallen...

Ugh. Flew down the back steps this morning, all ten of them, and landed on my head. Bump is forming, and the ankle is being heated, per doc suggestion. Concussion is pretty much a guarantee.

Ch-ch-changes!

There will be some changes around here soon. Don't worry, nothing too dramatic, but I'm working with a graphic designer tomorrow to determine a new logo & establish a brand for Minestrone Soup. My little reusable ziplock bags (I call them Eco-Zips) are going up for sale at several craft shows and have spread like wildfire via word-of-mouth (mostly my SIL, who's basically been hawking them at the local playground without knowing it-- having a 3 year old who seeks out his snack bag, can open & close it himself and it has awesome dinos on it? Sold to the mommies and nannies at the park!).  So, there will be a little link on the right directly people for purchasing them. I'll have a BUNCH with me at the New England Fiber Festival next weekend too: about 80 to be exact... $4 each. (camera phone being pushy, so no photos today. Woe.)

Also, I've been working on some new mitten patterns, those links will be going up on the side there too. The #s are being worked on and I'm hoping to get some test knitters soon. Photos by Thanksgiving.

So... changes. It's a good thing.

Ten On Tuesday: Dressin' Up

The 10 best Halloween costumes I've ever seen? Hmm....

1. Daschunds as hot dogs. I hate costumes on dogs, but this one cracks me up!
2. Couple dressed as elderly husband & wife, cross-dressed
3. our friends have passed around an infant Yoda costume, which is adorable.
4. I made my brother, J, a dog costume once that was pretty outstanding... he won 1st place at two parties that year!
5. I love me a chubby baby as a pumpkin, a lobster or any other creature!
6. I was once a bag of jelly beans: balloons stuffed into a clear plastic trash bag. 
7. My mom dressed me and my brothers as the California Raisins once, also, involved trash bags
8. My best friend, Sylvie, dresses her baby up in a dragon costume (first her oldest: he wore it twice , and her newest, he'll be in it on Monday!)--- but the costume is SO big and the baby's so small, it's known to friends as the "dragon-eating-the-baby" costume. :) 
9. a sweet little Indian girl came to our door last year as "Jasmin" from Alladin...I oohed and ahhed over her costume, but she set me straight: it wasn't a costume, it was "what my mom made me wear to my cousin's wedding." lol... well, that's one wedding outfit that did double duty!
10. and lastly, I loved the year my brother was  mailbox. My mom made him look like a real USPS mailbox... :) 

Remember, if you are trick'or'treating in my neighborhood on Halloween: No Costume, No Candy. As PC said to one kid last year "if you are in a dark hoodie, carrying a sack in the middle of the night, i'm going to assume you are robbing me, not looking for a kit kat!" 

When life gives you apples....

Make applesauce. My applesauce recipe is not fancy. It's not super sweet. It doesn't require a lot of work, but it is delicious. And freezes very well.

Kate's Caramel Apple...Sauce. 

• 8 medium apples, skins on, cored and cubed
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 7 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup water

Add everything to a stock pot and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature and pulverize in a food processor.  Makes 8 1-cup servings, at 98 calories per serving. 

I eat it cold, hot, with pork chops, with a spoon... 

Putting my money where my mouth is

My 17 year old self

My 17 year old self would be hard-pressed to recognize me these days, but just in case time-travel does happen, somewhere, somehow, let's discuss what she ought to know.

Dear 17-year old Mini,

1. You're gorgeous and have a kick-ass body. Love it. Ignore the high school boys.  Own your body and love it. Oh, and stay active... it's the key to those great legs. 

2. Look up. Stop looking at your books and homework. Look. Up. At the world. This is a great time, if you let it be. ( you get into college, it's great and you do fine... lighten up)

3. Challenge and push your parents. Mom & Dad are great, but they think you are strong and fragile all at once. Grow up a little and show them what you are made of. 

4. Yell less. Listen more. Yup, even to Mom.  

5. Hug Nana alot. Don't roll your eyes and try to hurry her along. Enjoy her. Hug her. You are going to miss her.

6. Start having coffee with Grampy. (you are going to do this after college, so start now) He loves you and has a lot to teach you. You are going to miss him too. 

7. Don't drink white russians with Heather Goodwin. You will throw up, you will be sick and her dad will know. Oh, and you will both have to clean the driveway. 

8. Take chances. Being afraid is something you come by naturally, but it doesn't have to own you. You spend a lot of time between 31-34 learning not be. 

9. Take typing senior year. It will prove invaluable in your life. 

10. He's not "the one" and you won't remember his last name when you're 34... don't waste senior year on a guy who doesn't like you back. (the "one" really, really likes you. ALOT. In fact, he loves you.  And he's a great kisser.)

10 ways to eat pumpkin

She is NOT amused.

No, not that Pumpkin, but pumpkin.

The large orange member of the squash family that we carve up, dice up, puree and spice to our hearts content. The ubiquitous image of October, fall and Halloween. Anyone who has met me knows: I love all things pumpkin. Even so much that I didn't want our cat at the shelter, until Dan said her name was already Pumpkin. Then it was fate. And then she jumped in my arms. Game over. Sign us up.

So, it's no surprise that I like to EAT pumpkin. And I'm happy to share with you my favorite ways to do so...

1. Pumpkin beer.  Oh, the varieties... our house is lovin' Harpoon's UFO unfiltered Pumpkin Ale, but i'm a die-hard fan of Cambridge Brewing Company's Pumpkin beer. (available at the bar, in the restaurant, in growlers "to-go" and now, your local Boston area packie). 
2. my alternative to too sweet pumpkin pie: pumpkin fluff pie 
3. Pumpkin risotto. I had this for lunch today--- yummm.....
4. Pumpkin Latte (nonfat, 2 Sweet & Low, please!) at Dunkin' Donuts
5. Green Mountain coffee company, Pumpkin Spice coffee. Available at Mobil gas stations... and i'm usually a Mobil girl during October just for the damn coffee.
6. pumpkin muffins
7. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. PC's mom makes the BEST pumpkin chocolate chip cookies EVER. And, I usually get a dozen for my birthday, which I flat out refuse to share, but none so far this year. :(
8. Edy's Slow Churned Pumpkin Ice Cream. Or go to Christina's in Cambridge and order the following: 2 scoops Pumpkin, 1 scoop Burnt Sugar. OMG. To quote Rachel Zoe: "I die." or Soc's in Saugus. Add chocolate jimmies for some flair. And don't call the sprinkles. 
9. Thai Spiced Pumpkin soup.
10. toasted pumpkin seeds... with salt. 

Winner: Martita!

OMG: this never published on Saturday morning!!! :( Sorry....

Martita... you won! Send me your addy via email: kskaare (at) gmail (dot) com and I will send you an awesome prize!

Everyone else... send me your addresses too! I have "booby" prizes for all of us who just couldn't get to Rhinebeck this year!

Rhinebeck: Unbound

I'm not heading to Rhinebeck this weekend, for so many reasons, but the first being : crowds. Have I ever discussed with you my distaste for crowds? I can handle SPA, I can handle the guild retreat, but Rhinebeck? Well, it needs a full 2 days, with me getting there when the gates open because I need to be in and out of those barns immediately and before The People arrive. The People who push. Shove. Maneuver. Snatch. Pull. Stop in the middle.

Reason #2? Money. Quilting supplies have been creeping in on my yarn budget. And I'm trying to stick with my budget.

Reason #3... space.  I'm out of yarn storage. Yup. I've hit capacity. And now I have to knit it all. That's a LOT of knitting. I'm trying to finish 2 sweaters (adult) before Christmas, 3 kids sweaters, and 4 pair mittens and 2 scarves. Wish me luck. :)

Reason #4... time. I've been traveling for work, traveling for personal and really ready to have a weekend where i'm staying put. But, of course that means I've planned a day out with a girlfriend to go shopping.

So, why aren't you heading to Rhinebeck? I'll draw a winner on Saturday morning... and there will be a nice prize.

:)

Ten things...

10 things I did last weekend...

1. Turned 34. Never done that before.
2. Slept in a tent for 2 nights (first night was hovering around freezing).
3. Sat by a campfire with my honey.
4. Drank a pumpkin beer, a gray lady beer, and a Leinekugel Oktoberfest beer.
5. Went to the Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg, Maine.
6. Rode a ferris wheel.
7. Smooched PC at the top (we always do that... don't you?)
8. Watched a chariot race.
9. Started a stranded mitten and knit on a scarf.
10. Finished 3 books.

Yup, I turned 34 over the weekend. It's a bit bittersweet... I feel ahead of and behind my contemporaries all at once.

10 things I do every day

Well, I do a lot of things every day, so let's see what I can come up with that might just surprise you. See Jessalu and Carole for some other great ideas for this 10 on Tuesday topic.

1. Fight my alarm/phone. Yup. Every dang morning. If I'm on vacation, I'm up at 5a.m., but for work? 7 am. 
2. Pack a lunch. This is for workdays, but I pack my lunch every.single.day. It's not always a sexy lunch, but it's saves me $5-8 per day. And it's healthier. And I have a weird hang-up about eating salad outside of my house.
3. Make my bed. I don't know why, but it makes me feel better to come home to a made bed. So, every morning, I re-tuck the sheets, straighten the coverlet and fluff the pillows.
4. Hold my cat. She likes to be held and carried around, so I indulge her while sniffing her head. Her head smells like rain and I don't know why.
5. Tell PC "no fighting, no biting; be nice to the guys at work!" and "have a wonderful day!" before he leaves for the plant. He's a boss now, so this has actually gotten funnier as he got promoted. 
6. Answer over 300 emails. Yup. I average 300 email replies per day and 25 phone calls. Needless to say, I am RARELY on the computer at home. or the phone. 
7. Sing Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. I have no idea why, but it's on permanent loop in my head, and I sing a part of it OUT LOUD every day. It's like a pleasant version of Tourette's. 
8. Pray. I do this every day, silently, for compassion, tolerance and humility. 
9. Cook. I cook 99% of the work nights for PC and I. And whatever we're having for dinner is lunch the next day. It's really, really hard to have a new exciting something to put on the table every night. 
10. Wash my hair. I'm a compulsive hair washer. I hate unwashed hair on my head... it makes me itchy. 

Sunday afternoon

The yarn: Noro Silk Garden
Colorway: 337
Needles: us 7, bamboo
Pattern: Molly from classic elite
The place: l'aroma cafe, Newton Ma.
The people: my friend Dora and I, the football widows.

Ruffled, stripes and silk...oh my!

I'm knitting. A lot lately, actually. I cast on for this scarf and the next thing i know, eight inches are done. Magic? Perhaps. Getting close to Christmas? Yup, that is probably it. I have two of these to knit this fall, so I better get a move on.

Empowering Young Women

This t-shirt was pulled by J.C. Penny, but really? It never should have made the shelves.

My high school guidance counselor, when I asked her for college advice, gave me college info on nursing schools and teacher colleges. When I told her I wanted to be a biologist, she corrected me and said "biology teacher." No. A biologist. She looked at me and said "Why? You'll never get married if you're a biologist, teachers have good schedules for raising families." I graduated college in 1995, not 1895. This "educator" looked past my goals & aspirations and straight at my ovaries and mammary glands. 

I'm watching the young women on my street grow up : from playing baby dolls & teddy bear tea parties on the front steps, to a Justin Beiber fan club in a refrigerator box, to their first dances and the boys walking behind them to the bus stop... with a lot of giggling involved. I listen and hear their comments "school's hard." And "I think I'm in the wrong Math." What message are they getting at school? The three of them, for all appearances, are nice young women, with good communication skills (I could use a lot less "umms" but hey: they are 13) and are quite smart. Are they being championed in the classroom? Or has reality tv and being celebritized for being "not smart" winning out? Do you think Snooki aced her math quizzes? Or do you think someone gave up on her? 

Just a rambling from the brain of Mini. I'm knitting. I'll take some photos tonight or tomorrow. My first experience knitting with Noro Silk Garden, and yes... I've already had a knot. *grr*