Oooh! Look! A Knitting Post

I finished the Irish Hiking Scarf I made for my boss. Finally. I have to admit, while it is a beautiful scarf, and let's face it, cables impress the natives, after knitting about ten of them, it's rather boring. I actually found myself avoiding my knitting because I was so bored, and I knew if I cast anything else onto the needles, boss's scarf would become another UFO. 

So, what have I cast on? Just another Death of the Moon shawl by Josh Ryks. It's the fourth one I've cast on, only one of which has been completed. The other two are probably going to be frogged and started again. I have to say, it's not all that hard a pattern, but I had to cast it on several times to get it to work out. And at one point I think I missed a purled yarn-over, because I was off one stitch (I just kibf to make up for it, I was not going to tink back two rows of over 80 stitches each). 

This one is for Kristen. The yarn is Periwinkle Sheep, the colourways are Thunderstorm (the grey) and Audrey Hepburn (the red). I'm almost done with the second section, and will start to add the Audrey Hepburn in the third section. I love the way this shawl looks, but I always have a hard time keeping the stitch count right. But when it's done? Wow! it's a stunner.

Death of the Moon: The Beginning

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I got involved in a conversation on Facebook today, and ended up chatting with someone who is an Indie Dyer. The Fiberists have some really pretty yarns, and I may have to break my promise not to buy (too much) yarn this year. Made by Geeks, the yarns are named after various scientists (Curie, Newton, Franklin, Hopper, among others). I've been perusing their wares, and I have to admit, I've already got a wish list. 
Some of the yarns, taken from the website:

Audobon Sport, Hippopotamus Amphibius

Curie Heavy Worsted, Lapis Lazuli

Audobon Worsted, Fire Opal

I definitely have to get this into my stash! I already know what I want! 
Is that bad?

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Which leads me to another woe. Fibre fests. I wasn't able to go to the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival this year (alas, it happened last week), and the fibre festival we went to last year in Mississippi has been cancelled. I have a four day weekend in October, and I went on line to see if there were any fibre fests anywhere in the country, and you know, there are festivals the weekends before the one I have off, and there are festivals in the weekends after I have off, but there are not fibre festivals the actual weekend I have off. And it's not like I have a choice of weekends to take off, because the university where I work is closed for fall break (what the hell is fall break? when I was at university (four of 'em) we had spring break and a four day weekend over Thanksgiving, but never a fall break!). So it looks like I'm SOL for getting to a fibre festival this year. I feel like twirling my mustaches and saying, "Curses, foiled again!"

Nothing in this Post is About Knitting

It's been a couple of months since I've posted. Naughty me. Sorry. I've been busy with other projects, and sadly, most of them have not included knitting. But now I'm back, and I'm ready to start the Holiday knitting! Tonight is the only night this week that I don't have plans for the evening. My only night at home, as it were.

The following has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with knitting.

The project that has been eating most of my time has been my novice project for the Big Easy Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. I joined this group in February, 2016, shortly after I moved to New Orleans. I have moved through the stages, Aspirant, Postulant, Novice. I'm at the Novice stage now, and since my novice project is successfully completed, I am ready to elevate to Fully Professed. I will be a Guard with the SPI, and I'm really excited, and a bit nervous, even though I've been assured there is nothing for which I need to be nervous.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are an international group of 21st Century Queer Nuns, who expiate stigmatic guilt and promulgate universal joy. Or, in layman's terms, we are a 501(c)3 organisation that does fundraising for underfunded organisations, HIV/AIDS education, While mostly comprised of gay men, the organisation welcomes men and women, cis- and transgender, gay, straight, bisexual, and every other orientation. All that is asked is that members be in sympathy with the goals of the organisation.

Novice projects are expected of each person, Sister or Guard, in order to move up to the final rung of the ladder, Fully Professed. In the Big Easy Sisters, both Sisters and Guards are co-equal, have a vote, and do all the work. Novice projects are to benefit the larger community or the House (our own organisation), and I opted to do something to benefit the House. Our website hadn't been updated in over two years, and there were people listed as members who were no longer attached to the House, people who had elevated to Fully Professed who were listed as Novices, and some who weren't listed at all, but were very much a part of the organisation. So I undertook the task of making a working website that reflected the House as it is now, not as it was two years ago.

I am almost done. There are two more pages to do, and I'll be finished. I've published it, made it public, and those final pages will be added by the end of May. May I present to you, The Big Easy Sisters, Parish of the Muddy Waters. I've included a couple of pictures.

Almost the entire House, for the Memorial Service for Sister Cathi Terr, 3/17

Sister Shir Madness and Guard Buddha Bear carrying the banner at the Southern Decadence Parade, 9/16

Sister Mary Pat McCooter, Sister Magically Delicious, Sister Gloree Bea, Guard Buddha Bear, Sister Shir Madness
New Orleans Pride, 6/16

Sister Yoko Ohnoshe Dinnit, Sister Moana Moansalott, Sister Eileen Eulick. James, Sister Magically Delicious
Guard Buddha Bear, Guard Ten Buck U, Aspiriant Brandon, Gerald, Mardi Gras, 2/17