Day of The Dead KAL

Always Late to the Party

2006-11-13T14:28:00.000-05:00

I think I may be finished with my Day of the Dead project by the next Dia de los Muertos. As usual I was hit with some side projects so I wasn't able to devote as much time to this project as I would have liked to, but in the spirit of my Grandmother...always late to the party! I finally figured out the pattern is basically an eight row repeat and it seems to be going fairly easily, however, like all lace projects it will be a slow go. I really like the way the colors are showing up in the pattern. Sometimes the delicate patterns of lace can get lost with some variegated yarns but this one really seems to compliment the pattern.

Drawing and Winners

2006-11-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

Wow--when Kristi and I first decided to have prizes, we wished we could come up with something more original than a drawing, but we didn't think we'd want to have to judge the quality of anyone's work. Thank goodness we realized that early on, because I have no idea how we'd actually choose. Everyone's projects were so different, so fun, and it was really great to hear the stories behind them.

So, boring or no, whew--glad we decided to do a drawing. The winners are:
Terri (formerly blogless) and Bezzie!

Terri and Bezzie, let me know your snail mail address at amycrea AT comcast DOT net, and I'll mail them out right away--they're all ready to go, except for the winner info.

But congrats to everyone, and thanks for joining us! I think I'll always keep DOTD in mind when the fall comes around. What a great way to remember loved ones.

EDIT: Talk about kindness and good karma. Bezzie says she very recently won a prize from another KAL site, so she asked that someone else win her prize! Bezzie is nicer than I would be. :-) So I gathered the remaining names, and this time--Lisa wins! Thanks, Bezzie!

My own form of Loon-acy

2006-11-09T00:04:00.000-05:00

Sometime earlier this summer I got to thinking about a book of knitting motifs that I have, "Enchanted Knitting". I was intrigued by the images of grinning or dancing skeletons. The book explained how the Mexican use of skeletons in their Day of the Dead served a different purpose. It was not a gruesome custom but rather a day to remember family or friends that have passed on.
At the time I thought the idea intriguing and entertained a notion to make a pair of black and white socks with a dancing skeleton on the side or perhaps a skeleton wearing a flowered hat, maybe try ribbon embroidery for the flowers on the hat. I thought I would have my own day of the dead celebration, but I wouldn't say anything to anyone about it because 1) I may not finish them by Nov 1 and 2) I didn't want to try to explain to everyone what I was doing and why I thought I wanted to do this. I'm not Mexican and really know little about this tradition, but I found the use of skeletal imagery in this manner interesting and thought I would give it a go.
I don't think I could have been more stunned when the next Wednesday at our usually knitting group, Connie asked me if I had seen that Amy and Kristi had started a Day of the Dead KAL. I guess somethings are just meant to be.

I chose to knit the Huron Socks by Nancy Bush from her book, "Knitting On the Road", in memorial of my father-in-law, Ray. The socks are designed after the feather patterning of the Common Loon, Minnesota's state bird. When I see the Loon, I think of Ray because he liked the Loon and collected items with Loons on it, mostly mugs but other things too.

I think of Ray when the weather gets hot. Ray liked the weather hot and humid. On those days when the weather was so unbearably hot and most everyone is seeking the comfort and relief of the cool shade or air conditioning, Ray would sit out on the deck in the sunshine and soak up the sun like a Kimodo Dragon. He would invite you to sit out on the deck with him and seemed bewildered by our lack of enthusiasm at the idea.

It will be three years in January that Ray died after a fall that caused a deep brain bleed that we believe occurred due to a series of small strokes that affected his ability to mediate his impulses to get up and move.

As fate would have it, I did knit a pair of black and white socks for the KAL, but I didn't finish them by Nov.1 (I finished them on Nov.6th) and they didn't have any dancing skeletons or grinning skeletons wearing flowered hats. (Although when I think about it now, a skeleton wearing a flowered hat would have been appropriate. Ray was a steam fitter (Welder) and had a collection of brightly colored, some with flowers on that he wore under his welding mask to protect his head and neck.)

I am pleased with how they turned out, I pretty much followed the pattern, except I altered the pattern to include the red loon eyes. I knit them both, at the same time, on one long circular needle using the magic loop method. The socks fit well and I will remember Ray when I wear them this winter.

This has been a really good experience and I would like to thank Amy and Kristi for hosting the KAL. (I'm sorry for posting so late, blogger didn't love me last night.)
Kelle

Winding down

2006-11-06T09:31:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone,
It's great to see all the photos of completed or almost-completed projects--you guys are so creative! It's really fun to see what people have done for their DOTD projects, and to hear the stories behind them.

If anyone has a completed or in-process project, please post about it by Thursday, Nov. 9 to be eligible for the drawings for the yummy yarns. I'll draw and post the winners on Friday.

In the meantime, the Yarn Pirate (not a DOTD participant) wrote a moving and worthwhile blog entry about Dia de los Muertos. Go check it out here.

2006-11-05T22:25:00.000-05:00

Well - the camera decided to work today - we are having issues with it and are beginning the search for a new one...

Here is my finished Day of the Dead Project:
This side represents our dog Henry, who we had in our family from puppyhood for 10 years. He died of a bone cancer. His ashes are buried in our backyard. This side represents our dog Cody who we adopted when she was 2 years old and had for 5 years. She was a special little package. Her side includes a tongue as she did not bark but would hang her tongue out of her mouth, bobbing her head up and down in protest.

I started the finishing process last night - while watching Lord of the Rings - Return of the King (dh - how much light do you REALLY need?) We were watching the extended version (4 hours!) and I decided to put it away during the last 2 hours to really enjoy the battle scenes! I finished this puppy at noon today - just in time to get over to Amy's house for a Day of the Dead KAL celebration! We had a lot of fun and it was great to see some of the entries in person. I told Amy it is a good thing I had a deadline for this project as the finishing of stuffed animals is NOT a favorite activity of mine - I rarely knit animals. I used WoolEase and changed the charting for the Handsome Hound pattern I found. I decided to stitch on pieces of felt to Cody's side I ~~couldn't image another piece with this intarsia~~ wanted to make each side unique for each of the dog's personalities.

I want to thank Amy and Kristi for hosting - it has been a lot of fun and I really want to see everyone else's entries very soon!!

El Fin

2006-11-02T22:21:00.000-05:00

los calavera
Six repeats done - and is my wrist sore.(The picture is the original swatch created by the designer: it is not my work)I was concerned after the first two repeats that the shawl/scarf would be on the short side, but when I see it now ... I guess lace expands as you make it. Unblocked it's approximately 57".

One of my instructors commented a few days ago that it reminded her of papel picado (the cut paper often displayed on Dia de los Muertos of skeletons having a good time). I am working on getting a picture of the completed shawl/scarf. I made it using STR in the colourways of Sand and Ruby Slippers.

Thank you so much Amy and Kristi for hosting this KAL. Now I can read lace charts (kind of ;)***CV

Done.

2006-11-02T10:53:00.000-05:00

That’s one of my favorite words. Lately, I’ve been relishing the satisfaction of finishing small projects, like my DOTD doll. I’ve been knitting for many years, but most of my projects have been sweaters. When you can’t devote all hours of the day to knitting--what with silly distractions like real work and taking care of the house and futile attempts to make headway on my to-be-read skyscraper of books--a big project tends to stretch out over a long period of time and, no matter how much you like it, become wearying. I have several such UFO’s in my knitting bag, and I’m having a great deal of fun ignoring them and working instead on little things which can be completed in a few hours or days, allowing me to say, “Done!”

I loved making this doll and thinking about my grandmother while I designed and knit and stitched. The face, with one tiny change (I added a nose), is based upon one of her drawings. Am I completely satisfied with it? Of course not. The hair’s dorky, since I’m not much good at making hair. And perhaps the skirt could use a bit of embellishment. But the reality is that I’m like this about nearly everything I make. There’s always something I want to go back and change. Sometimes I do, often I don’t. And even when I don’t, it’s still done.

So, my doll has joined the family. I haven’t yet made a shrine to honor those who’ve passed on (it’s on my endless list of projects), but I do keep a big collection of photographs in a corner of our family room, and that corner has both the lively energy of loved ones who are still with us, and the watchful, protective presence of those who’ve departed this earth. My DOTD doll sits in the armchair closest to the photographs, not far from an early 1900’s picture of my grandmother in what must be her wedding dress. I hope she likes the doll and understands what she means to me.

Thank you Amy and Kristi for coming up with such a great KAL idea, and for inviting the blogless contingent, like me, to join in. Kristi, my sincere condolences for your loss.

Fun with Knitting

2006-11-01T20:56:00.000-05:00

Me and my little muerto doll had a fun time celebrating today. I didn't have access to post on here when I finished him, but I think most of y'all saw him on my blog. He was knit in memory of my grandfather in law who passed away this past July. I only ever met him once, but without him, I wouldn't have my great mother in law, and without her, my husband wouldn't be here.

I've never imbedded a video before so I hope this helps. And bear in mind soy una gringa...so this video feels very high-school Spanish class-y. I apologize for my horrible accent! Ha ha! Oh and you'll notice I refer to him as "abuelo del mano." That's my rough translation of Grandpa Hand (his last name!)

Happy Dia De Los Muertos! This was a fun KAL, thanks Amy and Kristi for masterminding it!

Posting with no pictures

2006-11-01T14:20:00.000-05:00

Hi all! I just wanted to post that progress is being made on my project - all of the pieces are in the blocking phase now. I have to put it together and do some embellishment on it and it looks like I will have to "fudge" one of the pieces a bit. I don't know what happened when I worked the chart - but that's okay. Of course, my lovely camera decided to croak out this past weekend and so I have no pictures right now! I can't WAIT to see what everyone comes up with.

This week

2006-10-29T10:50:00.000-05:00

This week is the official Day of the Dead week. Please continue to post pictures and stories about how your DOTD projects are going, and if you're having any kind of celebrations or events, be sure to post about that too.

And for those of you who may not know, please take some time this week to send Kristi of Red Dog Knits (blog and email on the right sidebar) your thoughts and prayers. She's the co-host of this KAL, and this week she and her husband received the awful news that one of the triplets she's carrying has died. This is got to be a horrible time for her and her family, and she can use all the good thoughts, prayers, wishes, karma, whatever she can get.

The KAL will continue, so do post. The yarn prizes will be awarded next week as planned. Remember, post pictures of your project in progress, and post pictures of any DOTD celebrations you attend/host to be eligible for the drawings.

This week

2006-10-29T10:46:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

Many of you have probably already heard this, but for those who haven't:

Kristi of Red Dog Knits, who is the co-host of this KAL, received some horrible news this week. She's pregnant with triplets, and she and her husband learned that one of the triplets has died. I can't imagine how devastating and frightening this is for them. Please, if you have time, visit her site and leave a comment or send her an email (on the sidebar on the right) with condolences.

And if you're celebrating Day of the Dead this week, either with a gathering of your own or on your own, please take a minute to remember baby Elijah.

The KAL will go on; please keep posting pictures and stories of your projects and how they're going. Prizes will be drawn next week.
--Amy

Last minute knitter

2006-10-24T11:52:00.000-04:00

Apparently when I join a KAL, I treat it as I do my homework... I wait until the last minute and then whine like a champ about how much I have to do. :o) It's been that kind of semester though.

I attempted to start my KAL project this weekend but after fighting with it for an hour or so I gave up and decided to instead work on something mindless that I could do while also watching the baseball game. :o) I haven't given up on the project, I've just put it on hold, again. Hopefully though I'll make some progress this week after my midterm and this weekend so I'm not knitting up to the very last minute. :op

I love seeing what the rest of you are up to! Keep the posts coming!

:o)
Kellie

More Progress photos

2006-10-22T23:06:00.000-04:00

Well - this is the second large piece that I have finished. I have a basic pattern I am working from but am making up the intarsia as I go along. The Day of the Dead is fast approaching!!

Let the Games Begin - or something like that...

2006-10-19T17:36:00.000-04:00

I have finally been able to start my project.

More to come...

2006-10-18T15:22:00.000-04:00

Well I finally decided what to knit for the Day of the Dead KAL. I decided to knit Grumprina's Odessa hat from Mag Knits. I knit this hat for my friend Steph about four month's ago. She passed away this September from cervical cancer, and she has been in my mind ever since. While Steph was really sick, she was also very strong. As a nurse and medical student, Steph pursued all of her treatments head on. Let's just say she had faith in the medical community. Now some of us were bitter she was mis-diagnosed with "stress", but Steph just wouldn't want that. She would want us to remember the good times and move forward. On a different note, I found out this past week that her family will be use the money from her malpractice suit for a nursing scholarship. Anyways back to the Odessa hat, I loved making the hat for her. It arrived soon after she lost her hair and she loved the hat! To give you an idea of how funny this girl was, she referred to her bald head as the solar panel for her sex machine. She was just a riot. So I thought I will knit this great hat and remember a great Steph. I left the beads off, as I am not a bead person. I hope I will get to meet some of you soon. Maybe at the Day of the Dead KAL get together. It looks like I might be able to attend. Hopefully my second job will not schedule me to work on that day!

Off like a herd of turtles...

2006-10-15T15:08:00.000-04:00

It's a start ....a slow start but a start...

Actually this is 45 rows! Those of you who have done lace projects before know how slow going it can be. The chart that I have only goes to 48 rows but I was assured by Amy; one of my fellow Tuesday night knitters, that the chart follows a several row repeat and should be easy to follow. With that assurance I am moving forward albeit at a snails pace. It's amazing how this project has taken on a lot of my grandma Alta's quirky habits, the slow pace and procrastination being the two that are outstanding at the moment. I hope to make a little more progress on it tonight if I can get through all those nagging domestic duties that I have let pile up.

More Prizes!

2006-10-06T11:49:00.000-04:00

How gorgeous is that yarn Amy picked up???? Here's something else to sweeten the pot a bit...two skeins Koigu KPPM in Painter's Palette.

Prizes! and Yarn! Yarn prizes!

2006-10-05T09:45:00.000-04:00

We can't really have a KAL without a prize, can we?

The biggest problem with prizes, though, is how people can go about winning them. Kristi and I are in full agreement that we don't want to be in the position of judges--I really can't bear the thought of saying, OK, this one's the best. Ick. Because in all likelihood, I'd have a hard time choosing anyway. Drawings and random number generators seem pretty dull, but it's a lot easier on the ol' psyche than trying to subjectively pick a winner.

So if you have any better ideas, please let us know! In the meantime, what we're considering is this: a prize drawn from all participants who send photos of their DOTD items by Nov. 2, and a prize drawn from all who send photos showing participation in DOTD festivities (in your home, in someone else's home, in the community) by Nov. 8. We were going to say a prize for those who host an event--but I'm hosting one, so that's not fair either. Wow--who knew this would be so hard! :-)

In the meantime, here is one of the prizes that will be given:

Schaefer Yarn, Laurel, in the Frida Kahlo colorway. This is 100% mercerized pima cotton, approximately 400 yards. In very colorful yarny goodness.

Who knows? It might be yours someday!

Frida Kahlo's Chicken in Pipian Sauce

2006-10-02T17:41:00.000-04:00

Hey, everyone! I hope the DOTD knitting is well on its way. I'm giving Kristi a break from recipe acquisition. I don't have a MIL who's an expert Hispanic cook, but I do have a copy of the cookbook, Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frieda Kahlo, by Guadalup Rivera and Marie-Pierre Colle (Clarkson Potter, copyright 1994). There's an entire chapter on Day of the Dead. The publisher of the book has given us permission to publish a recipe from that chapter here:

Chicken in Pipian Sauce
2 chickens, cut into parts
6 cups water
2 carrots, cut in half lengthwise
1 onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 celery stalk
2 parsley sprigs
4 teaspoons salt
4 black peppercorns

SAUCE
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup blanched almonds
1 tablespoon corn oil or lard
2 teaspoons powdered chicken bouillon
6 guero chiles
3/4 cup olives
2 teaspoons capers

Cook the chicken with the water, vegetables, and seasonings in a large saucepan until tender. Strain, reserving the broth. Skin and bone the chicken.

To make the sauce, toast the sesame seeds lightly in a skillet, stirring constantly. Puree the sesame seeds with the almonds and 2 cups of the chicken broth. Heat the oil, add the blended mixture, and cook for 5-8 minutes, until thickened. Add 2-3 more cups of the broth and the chicken bouillon and simmer for 5 minutes more. Add the chiles, olives, capers, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes more and serve piping hot.

Sounds perfect for a fall meal, doesn't it?

Off to a bad start

2006-09-18T20:29:00.000-04:00

OK, here's my first post to my first KAL and I'm already whining and emotional. I wanted a project that would bring to mind my Mom's mother Alta. She was a big influence in my life and we practically lived at her house when we were little. She was a woman ahead of her time , very well read and intelligent. Oh, and fittingly she was also somewhat high maintanence. For example, when my grandfather died she had to have a mantilla like Jackie Kennedy wore to JFK's funeral. Nothing else was going to work for her. My mom went crazy running around trying to find the perfect Jackie O mantilla to appease my grandmother. Finally one was located and she was a grieving yet stylish widow. I wanted to do a "mantilla like" scarf, triangular in shape but not too big. I found the pattern that I wanted to use at free knitting patterns central called the Kevat shawl. It has a leaf motif, which I love and was flexible regarding the finished size of the piece. The perfect yarn had escaped me, that was until I stopped at Neighborhood Knits to pick up some Cascade Fixation last week. There in all it's fall color Glory was Schaefer Yarn's "Anne", a really lovely merino mohair blend. Sunday AM I was all geeked to wind up my skein and start in on my scarf. I had by ball winder set up and ready. As I was getting ready to start my DH was leaving to watch football at a friend's house. I thought "no problem I can do this myself". No sooner did I start to unwind and wind the mohair kicked in and within about five minutes I had a complete disaster on my hands. So my weekend was not spent knitting my lovely scarf but unraveling the holy hell of a mess that my beautiful yarn had become. After 18 hours (no kidding) of tedious and tearful work you see the finished result. I am hoping this will not be a trend and I will have some knitting to show on my next post.

Finally!

2006-09-14T09:42:00.000-04:00

I think I've finally decided on a Day of the Dead project. :op I was doing some random blog hopping last night (mostly looking for socks because I'm SO going to do some socks soon) and came across an idea that I'd considered before but never really followed through on. Knitty has a very cool pattern called Perdita that I'm going to attempt to do. It'll serve many purposes if I can actually do the project...

1. It incorporates beads and lacey like knitting which I've never done so it'll be a learning experience for me.
It'll be a fabulous cure for when I need to cover my wrist tattoos but don't want to load up on bracelets and watches (although I don't mind doing so most days).
Two of the names for the three projects listed are names that remind me of my Grandma. Lily of the Valley: Her maiden name was Lilly (and I hope to have a daughter named Lily one day) and lillies are my favorite flower. Lilac: Her favorite color was lilac. :o)

So I think if I can ever finish my freaking moderne baby blanket for my nephew (countdown: 18 days left!) then Perdita will be my Day of the Dead project. :o)

September KAL Madre Garcia Recipe of the Month - Mexican Rice

2006-09-02T11:44:00.000-04:00

Madre Garcia made this rice when hubby and I were dating so I didn't feel left out at family gatherings because I was a vegetarian - the first bite I was hooked!!!! I found that this recipe needs to be seasoned to taste - if you want more spices, add more cumin or be creative and add some jalapenos or habeneros. This recipe is very simple but packs a good taste for the buds!

Madre Garcia's Mexican Rice

Ingredients

2 cups rice (slow cooking, no instant)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon garlic

1/8 teaspoon cumin

salt (to taste)

chopped onions

chopped green pepper

chopped tomato

1/2 cup tomato sauce

4 cups water

Again, it is about personal taste with how many vegetables you choose to add, I added two tomatoes, 1 green pepper, and 3/4 of a large yellow onion. It works best to cut them into strips or coarsely chop:

In skillet, add oil and fry the rice to a light brown color. Stir in all the spices, onions, green pepper, tomato, and tomato sauce with 4 cups water and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender and

ENJOY!

"Hank" the Cat Morphed into a Fish

2006-08-31T10:29:00.000-04:00

Henry the bear is still without a face and ears - still brewing on it. As I mentioned prior, I choose to frog the cat pattern and found this one to honor good ol' Grandma Henrietta (Hank) Oudbier (we called her G'ma OddBear) - introducing Hank the Fish, all felted and stuffed:

Prefelting and prestuffing:
Post-felting and stuffing:

I loved this pattern - Fiberspace's Fanciful Felted Fish designed by Linda Taylor - the only odd thing I found with the pattern is that it called for size 8dpns and 10.5 Circular and then it never told ya when to switch over to the circs and so I didn't - I'm pretty satisfied with the results - perfect size and only took one skein of Noro instead of three (literally one tiny scrap of yarn left over). I was going to choose some uncoordinating yarn colors to truly reflect G'ma Oddbear's poor eyesight but now I realize that had G'ma had access to some Noro Kuryeon in her day she would have spared her grandchildren the scars and taunts for her color foibles. Plus this choice goes with the under the sea theme in one of the nurseries although I wonder if it will ever end up there:

I cast on yesterday

2006-08-25T11:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my dad's birthday and I thought it was the most appropriate day for me to cast on. I got one side of the small doll done last night and will try to get the other side done tonight after work. I'm going to try and knit this in secret so there is some element of surprise for my son on his birthday. Anyway, that's my update for now. I have to work quite a bit of hours this weekend so I may not get much knitting done. Peace.

From the Laundry Room

2006-08-25T09:36:00.000-04:00

I thought I better make a decision and post something about my project for this KAL - it did officially start on August 1st after all…anyway - I had recently walked the Relay for Life in memory of my dad so I decided to knit something to commemerate the death of our two dogs, Henry and Cody.

As a child my family had a St. Bernard, Heidi. I still remember being in the pen with my sister and lifting all of the puppies by their front paws, looking for girls. I have an affinity for larger animals - didn’t want to have the slobber of a St. Bernard or a Mastiff so my husband and I checked out the Bernese Mountain Dogs at the local dog show 14 years ago. The Berners are large dogs but have a dry mouth - perfect. We met some of the breeders and fell in love with the breed and put our names on a wait list of a breeder in the Rochester area.

We got Henry at 7 weeks old in May, 1993 - it was love at first site. We belonged to the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of the Greater Twin Cities at the time and met a lot of great people (and dogs). A rescue situation came up - a lady in St. Paul wanted to get rid of her 2 year old female (her husband had died and the dog was really his…) so we adopted Cody and picked her up on Sunday, October 30, 1994. They were great pets - we did have our share of surgeries though - they are a great breed but things can happen.

We only had Cody for 5 years, she was a special little package who did not bark. She reminded me of a little old lady as she would nod her head up and down, with her tongue hanging out - when she was clearly objecting about something. She was also a very messy eater as she had a parrot or overshot mouth - but she was a sweetie and wonderful with the kids.

We had Henry for 10 years- of which the last year or so we dealt with a bone cancer that basically appeared out of nowhere. One day he was fine, the next he stumbled going down the stairs and a diagnosis was made. We made some very heroic efforts, short of amputation, and did gain a few more months of time with him. He also was very loved by all of the kids and we all had a difficult time deciding when the right time was to put him down.
Both of our dogs were very stoic and loyal. We have Henry’s ashes buried in our backyard and the kids still stand by the spot and talk to him once in a while.

For this reason I thought it would be very fitting to make something fun to display in remembrance so I am going to make a version of the “Handsome Hound” from Handknits for Kids. Mine will be a combination of her pattern and the one found in Knit1.

(We love this breed so much we decided to get another. So about 1 year later Freeway, renamed Bruno came into our home and fit right in, much to the distress of the cats…)

Hello?

2006-08-24T09:31:00.000-04:00

Hello fellow KAL participants - here is hoping that your projects or ideas about projects are going well - a few of you have posted but it would be great to hear from more of you, although I realize Dia de los Muertos is a little ways away. I noticed that Bezzie had posted on her blog her completed doll which I think looks way cool - (hope you don't mind the link Bezzie).

My progress - presenting faceless Henry the Bear:

I'm still trying to ponder how to do his face as the pattern pic looks way cuter than I think Henry could ever hope to be. I've also made a decision regarding my prior plans to make Jeanette the Rabbit and Hank the Cat - this seaming is kicking my butt and I think baby and toddler boys are going to rip Henry's seams apart till there is just a carcass of parts. I'm planning to hit my LYS to find some patterns for some felted animals but do plan to pay tribute to Grandma Jeanette and Grandma Hank - they just may morph from a cat and rabbit to some other kind of critter - maybe like the Wonder Twins?

With the help of Madre Garcia I hope to have September Day of the Dead recipe up soon - look forward to seeing what you are all up to!

Greetings

2006-08-15T21:49:00.000-04:00

Hello there!

I thought that since I haven't done a lick of knitting tonight I might as well do something productive and do a introductory post here in the KAL. :o) So, hi!

I'm Kel (Kellie) and I'm in Lansing, MI. I have an utterly boring job that I loathe but I am also a student at Siena Heights University finishing up my long awaited Bachelors Degree so I have hope that life won't always bite. :o)

For my KAL project(s) I have no idea what I'm doing. Yay for slacking! :op I'm considering some sort of stuffed animal/doll to one day have for my children, but then I thought that maybe I'd pick projects that are useful now but also a tribute somehow. I'm still looking, basically.

As for people I'd like to do something in honor of (and don't necessarily expect to do them all by the deadline)...

My Grandma Small: who encouraged my big mouth and was proud of my ability to stand up for what I believe in even if it meant butting heads with her.

My Grannie Jones: who I never knew well enough but had a great giggle and birthed thirteen children so she must have been amazing. :o)

My Grandpa Jones: who I still wish I'd talked to.

My Ele's Kids: who have been a huge inspiration to me for almost 7 years. *Ele's Place is a healing center for grieving children. I've been a volunteer there since 1999 and ran the support group for Pre-K kids (ages 3-6).*

As soon as I figure out what the heck I'm doing, I'll share the good news. But until then, I look forward to hearing from the rest of you!

Happy Knitting!

Kicking around an idea

2006-08-15T14:50:00.000-04:00

Hey all, I'm kicking around an idea here to go along with my day of the dead dolls and thought I'd throw it out there. My grandparents were very important in my life and all but one are departed. I've inherited lots of pictures of my Dad's parents at various stages in their life and can certainly get some of my Mom's parents from her. I'd like to create some type of collage/watercolor piece of art honoring them but here's where I'm a little confused. Is it okay to include my surviving grandmother in that as well? She and my grandfather are so linked it my mind it would seem the natural thing to do but I don't want to be tacky or disrespectful by putting her image in a piece honoring those who've departed. What do you think? Alicia

From Terri

2006-08-07T19:53:00.000-04:00

My creative process tends to lead me down mysterious paths, presenting me with imagery it designates as Important long before revealing what that imagery means. It’s been no different with what seemed to be a straightforward project--my Day of the Dead knitalong project. I hit on what to make and how to do it weeks before the meaning of the piece emerged from its hiding place and announced its presence.

I wanted to make a doll, but the only things I liked about the doll pattern in Knit.1 were, well, the idea of making a doll and the basic shape. Didn’t like the colors, or the way the embroidery was done, or the rather empty, anonymous feeling they convey. I imagined instead a doll which followed the tradition of DOTD figurines: the body in white (since it’s meant to be a skeleton), and adorned with clothes and other things which give it meaning. I love that the Mexican tradition honors departed loved ones by representing who and what they were in life with specific attributes of their professions or hobbies.

Did I want to honor a particular person, or simply pay tribute to the idea of relatives who have passed on? At the time I bought my yarn, I couldn’t yet answer that question. But today, as I cast on my eight stitches to start the head of the large doll, I knew.
It’s my grandmother I want to honor. No, she wasn’t Mexican, and the clothes I plan to make for this doll will be nothing like what she wore in life. But she would have loved the colors, the attention to detail and the craftsmanship, and my hope is that the doll will carry some of her essence.

My grandmother had considerable artistic talent which, because of the time in which she lived and the circumstances of who she was, she was never able to pursue. I only knew her for a short time since she died when I was three, but I remember her drawing with me, both of us curled up on the sofa and armed with pencils, her charming sketches of people and abstract noodlings joining my scribbly figures on the page. I still have the handmade notebook in which she and I sketched together, and on the wall in my bedroom is a marvelous drawing she made, a stunningly sophisticated work of abstraction for something which came from the pen of an untrained artist.

Unable to even consider art school or a career as a painter, she turned her talents to more traditional women’s crafts: knitting, sewing, quilting and turning out googobs of elaborate crocheted doilies. She had to make things, and I inherited that tendency from her. I wish she’d lived long enough that I could have known her as an adult, and I often wonder if she felt frustrated and what she would have done with her life if given the option.

I see this knitalong as an opportunity for me to think more about who my grandmother was. Much of what I know about her comes from family stories, so she is present in my mind as a knitted-together, distant memory. But I do know this: she loved crafts of any sort, loved working on them herself, loved to see what others were making. She’d be pleased to know that I’m a knitter, and she’d be interested in my progress with my doll.

Whether the doll winds up being remotely like what I’m currently envisioning...we’ll see. I know how my process works, and it’s rarely written in stone. But I’m looking forward to what emerges, to surprising myself, and to putting something out there for my grandmother to see, should her spirit decide to visit.

On to the yarn.

The delightful Amy and I raided the coffers of Borealis Yarns in St. Paul and came up with treasure. We both bought Cascade wool, since the manufacturer had somehow brilliantly anticipated the colors we were wanting and sent them to the store just for us. Of course, the wonders of digital photography have reduced their vividness to mush, but here they are:

Hi!

2006-08-06T13:58:00.000-04:00

Kristi asked me to post my story here and what I'm going to knit for the KAL but Blog Spot is doing something right now and won't let me put up a photo.... Sooooo here's the link to my post on my blog if you'd like to read the "what and why" LOL. I'm looking forward to the what and why's of all of you!

"Hank" the cat, "Jeanette" the rabbit, and "Henry" the bear

2006-08-02T10:44:00.000-04:00

I already posted this on my blog but thought it would be a good idea to post it directly on the KAL site to encourage others to share their memories, tributes, and projects. I believe Amy, my co-host, will be putting her touching tribute here as well, but until then, go check out her blog - her stories are in the true spirit of what this KAL is about!

My tribute stories are more of the dysfunctional variety- but you get what you're born into and so it goes!

I went back and forth about who I wanted to pay tribute to and how to make the tribute special and something I could pass on to the trio that is baking in my oven as I type. I finally decided on making these three stuffed toys to be named after my two grandmothers and one grandfather (my other grandfather will have an actual boy named after him so I didn't leave him out):

"Hank" the cat will be named after my grandmother Henrietta Oudbeir who went by the nickname "Hank". My grandparents all passed on when I was in elementary school so I have few memories of them. Hank was what people refer to as "good Dutch stock" - AKA - big birthing hips, breasts that could serve as a shelf and nurse a small town, and a body meant for farming tulips (this gene code got flushed out with my mom). A Dutch immigrant who was an avid knitter, Hank taught my mom to knit. Hank suffered from some serious cataracts and her color choices for the knitted sweaters she made for me as kid were crazy and in some states, illegal. I would plead for hours not to wear them cause no one in school were wearing box shaped vests in peach, puke brown, and lime green. I wonder why I choose a career as a therapist? I am going to make Hank the cat out of the craziest colors I can combine from my stash and pass my psychological scars to my own children in a less distressing and damaging way.

"Jeanette" the rabbit is a tribute to my grandma Daane. Jeanette was also a Dutch immigrant but because of severe ADHD (this gene code was passed on) would not have been able to sit still for two seconds let alone learn to knit. She was known for being a terrible cook, nervous, and felt daily naps were a requirement to good health - she believed in this so much that she would take sleeping pills to take her afternoon naps while my dad and his siblings ran loose in the city - I tell dad that if Grandma Daane did this today, child protective services would be a frequent flyer in his homestead.

"Henry" the bear is named after Grandpa Daane, another Hollander, who was a laid back, happy go lucky, and gentle guy who founded a butcher shop (this carnivore gene was washed out) that would later become a successful supermarket chain in Grand Rapids. I have the fewest memories of Grandpa Henry but hear that me and my brother have his crinkly moon-shaped eyes when we smile - the only memory I do have is of me crying in my dad's lap after Grandpa tried to entertain me by popping out his teeth. People wonder why I have an obsession with brushing and flossing my teeth and reciting to others "you don't have to floss all your teeth, just the ones you want to keep!"

Please share your stories and tributes - I'm excited to see what others are up to!

Welcome to the Day of the Dead KAL

2006-08-01T13:19:00.000-04:00

Inspired by the Summer 2006 issue of Knit.1, which has a section devoted to Frida Kahlo and includes patterns for three Day of the Dead dolls, we(Kristi and Amy) thought it would be fun to have a Day of the Dead KAL. First we thought everyone could do the Knit.1 dolls, but as we learned more about the holiday and did some homework-we realized the potential was greater than just the dolls (Kristi's in-law family is from Mexico and is a great resource not to mention willing to part with some traditional Mexican recipes that will be posted on the sidebar).

Day of the Dead is a truly amazing festivity, joyously celebrating the lives of loved ones who have died. The range of celebrations and events varies greatly within Mexico, but the common theme is celebration-not mourning. And food is a major factor, which readers of Amy's blog will know caught her attention right off the top. So we'd like to invite you all to join us. You don't have to be Hispanic or Catholic. Heck, you don't even have to have a blog. Here's what you do have to do: Commit to a Day of the Dead knitting project. Let your creativity fly! Get your hands on a copy of the Knit.1 patterns and make a set of dolls. Or perhaps knit a food fit for a celebration. Or knit something special in memory of someone special, to be used in your own Day of the Dead festivities (more on that later).

Day of the Dead is traditionally celebrated Oct. 31 - Nov. 2, so that's your deadline. Although the official start date for the KAL is August 1, this is not written in stone due to variable projects that may be chosen. Let us know, via comments or email, who you are and what you'd like to knit. We'll compile a list of participants that will be kept in a sidebar. This is not just for bloggers; if you want to participate but don't have a blog, let us know, and keep us posted with emails and digital photographs of your work-in-progress for us to post. Finally-here's the fun part! - don't just knit. Have your own Day of the Dead celebration. It can be small, or it can be your whole city's worth of knitters. You decide. Do some homework; we're providing links over on the right to information about Day of the Dead. But have a celebration, keeping true to the spirit, and send us pictures or links to your blog, showing your festivities! Remember--the key word is "festivity."There will be prizes-don't know what, don't know when, don't know why. But we'll keep posting info as we get it on this blog.

One note: we do not mean any disrespect in any way, shape, or form. We are doing this because the whole idea of celebrating people's lives seems like a particularly wonderful way to remember someone. Sure, some of the knitting may be silly-that's OK. If you're a silly person, that's how you'll be remembered yourself. Let your silliness and creativity reign! But if this offends you, you probably don't quite understand the spirit in which it's being created, and it's not the right KAL for you. Everyone else? C'mon along!

*****Back issues of Summer 2006 Knit.1 can be ordered by calling Jane Dutko at 877-860-6164. ************

Kal Kickoff August Recipe - Empanadas

2006-08-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Empanadas

A traditional turnover style desert, empanadas can be either baked or fried. Filling can vary according to region but usually includes some variation of pumpkin and spices. A traditional celebration food in Latino households, Empanadas are not for the health conscious!

Ingredients

Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup lard or shortening

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Fat for deep frying (optional)

Powdered sugar or granulated sugar

Filling

1 16oz. can pumpkin

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in lard or shortening till mixture resembles cornmeal. Beat eggs with milk and add to flour mixture, stirring till combined (use hands if necessary).

Form dough into a ball, cover and chill for one hour.

While dough is chilling, mix together all ingredients for filling.

Divide dough into 16 portions and lightly flour a rolling surface.

Roll each portion into a 6-inch circle. Place about 3 tablespoons pumpkin filling on each. Moisten edges with a little water; fold in half, pressing edges with a fork to seal. Fry or bake as directed. Makes 16 empanadas.

To fry: Fry empanadas, a few at a time, in deep hot fat (375 degrees) for about 4 minutes or till golden, turning once. Drain on paper toweling. Sprinkle with powdered sugar

To bake: Place empanadas on baking sheet.

Brush tops with a little milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Wait to cool.

Enjoy!