WolfWeave

Competing for my attention the last two weeks has been the nearly daily tension in the Congress on whether or not a strong public option will become part of the health care reform bill. Today’s battle is again coming from the successful BoldProgressives, who were instrumental earlier in the week in producing an ad pressuring Harry Reid into taking the stance he did of choosing to present to the full Senate the public option bill instead of the insurance industry-laden form excluding a public option, both of which came out of the Senate Finance Committee.

There’s now a new ad & petition from BoldProgressives’ lobbying group Progressive Change Campaign Committee pressuring President Obama to stick to his decision to support a strong public option in the health care reform bill (apparently the President is now more interested in bipartisan support for this bill than he is in keeping his promise to help the poor and uninsured). You can read all about the action on today’s Daily Kos.

Also today, Democrats.com announced a strike by donors to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). If you are a Democrat (and/or have contributed to any of these groups), you can sign the petition to join “together in a Democratic donor strike against the DNC, DSCC, and DCCC until the Democratic Congress passes – and President Obama signs – healthcare reform with a robust public option. Until then, we will only donate to individual Democrats who will truly fight for us.”

Finally, looking forward to the inevitable fighting/voting in the Senate and House of Representatives, it doesn’t hurt to send your opinion to the House Republican Leader, Representative John Boehner. This is what I wrote:

“Dear Congressman Boehner,

Even though I can afford my own health care, I VERY STRONGLY SUPPORT a public option in the health care reform bill because I believe it is incumbent upon every American of means, and upon the American government, to help out those in need…and it is simply unethical, immoral, and criminal to allow those people who have insufficient or no health insurance to suffer, especially in these difficult economic times.

There was a time in my life when I had to go without health insurance for a whole year so that my children could have it (because my husband and I could not find a policy that would include me–because of my pre-existing conditions). This was a very stressful year for me and now that I am no longer in that position and know what it was like, I don’t want anyone else to suffer that same fate.

Open your eyes and ears and listen to the American people–the majority of them support a public option. If the wealthy Republicans with whom you associate can’t bear to part with a few extra tax dollars, then I pity all of you. Keep taking your handouts from the insurance companies and stay smug in your insulated little world. You are not true Americans– Americans are compassionate people who have sympathy for the disadvantaged and try to help any way they can!”

Okay, I got a little strident there toward the end, but the fact that this issue should even be under discussion (let alone debated) makes me just insane. It is nothing more than a moral issue of doing what’s right and having simple human compassion for your fellow human being.

So…knitting. I have spent the last month (when not otherwise occupied, which was, admittedly, most of the time…and included clothes shopping for the new slimmer me) trying to finally finish up the Shibui Vintage Baby Sweater which has taken forever. It’s an easy knit but has certainly killed off any idea I had of ever knitting myself a sweater out of sock yarn—no way! It is all seamed and I’m in the middle of a simple crocheted edging. Then all I have to do is wash and block it and sew on the gorgeous impossibly matching 2″ wide hand-dyed silk ribbon ties (purchased from Joggles (which I took the precaution of Scotchguarding). I purchased a bunch of Baby Gap clothes (and the cutest pair of shoes) that match the colors of the sweater to send along with it so dear baby Ada will have nothing less than interchangeable matching outfits! I think I will post a photo of the finished sweater when I am ready to post the package (I hope by Friday) just in case her mom reads my blog.

I also began Ysolda Teague’s Ishbel scarf made from Wool Candy’s Lollipop Blue-Faced Leicester superwash sock yarn in the wonderful color called “Moss Rock.” I have several inches knit and can take a photo of this as soon as we have some sunlight. With the weather we’ve been having, I can’t wait to wrap this around my neck.

However, all knitting came to a screeching halt upon a virtual order from StitchDiva (Jennifer Hansen) to join the knit-along on Ravelry for her remarkable Endless Knitted Cardi Shawl. It was perfect, as I already had a supply of the Stitch Diva Studio Silk in “Poison Eggplant” which I must have purchased for another project. And for the coordinating ribbing, I pulled a ball from my stash of discontinued Blue Heron Yarns Rayon Seed in Black Plum. The colors match perfectly, but the Rayon Seed is so thin that I have to triple it to get it to match the size and gauge of the Studio Silk, which means weighing the ball while I rewind and divide it into 3 separate balls. Thus, I haven’t gotten much farther than staring at my swatch, while Jennifer (during her Wednesday Live Chats) and the knit-along group are probably ready to start the sleeves. We’re more than halfway through the knit-along month but I’ll get there eventually.

At the same time, my attention was captured by a new design from Amy Swenson of indiknits titled Slow Curve. It seems like the perfect winter sweater—long, form-fitting, and warm—and I believed I had the perfect yarn for it sitting in my stash. Finally, after 2 years, I would use my Foxfire Cormo Alpaca Classic (in color “Loon”) which, although declared on the ball band as a worsted weight knitting up at 4 stitches per inch on #8 needles, looked more like a soft, fluffy, bulky yarn. I knitted and washed my swatch, being mindful of Clara Parkes’ (of Knitters Review warning about the yarn blooming upon washing from 4 stitches per inch to 3.25 inches. I was so disappointed in my washed swatch–the gauge was fine and I had a lovely drapeable fabric but the magic of my soft fluffy yarn skein had disappeared and been replaced by an ordinary-looking worsted. Oh well, I am still going to use it.

Then I remembered that last year I had worked up and washed a swatch with Noro Silk Garden Chunky but never did anything further with it. I pulled out the project and was amazed to find out that I’d intended to knit another sweater by Amy Swenson—Emerald—from Knitty! This would make yet another perfect winter cardigan. So it looks like I have my 2 winter sweaters (and size 8 and 10 needles should make for quick knitting!).

Of course there are also a few smaller projects on my list (such as the Kathryn Alexander Designs Doo-Dad Scarf from Jimmy Beans Wool. Looks like I’m pretty set with my winter knitting!

Now I just need to get to it.

Okay…nearly 1 month since my last blog post! I HAVE been knitting, albeit slowly, and will try to post at least what I’ve been working on, if not an actual photograph or two—tonight or tomorrow. Sorry. (blame it on twitter and a daily surfeit of email)