Episode 11: Constructive

Aplayfulday is kindly sponsored by Superknits, the home of super yarns for super knits. Please show your support for our playful friend by clicking on the link above- go on, spoil yourself!!!

Show notes:

Notes:

The winner of a skein of Abstract Cat exclusive Aplayfulday colourway in the Superwash Blue Faced Leicester 4 ply weight is:Kaystir
 

Donation giveaway:
Sock knitter's kit= 4 skeins of Drops Fabel, 2 sets of stitch markers. 1 sheepy set from The Lollipop Stop and 1 set with clip stitch marker from a Little Bit Sheepish.

Off the Needles
The Ulmus is no more.....
Deviate test knit by Lisa Mutch for the wonderful yarn club from Lioness Knits in Silky Sock.

On the Needles
Test Knit for Rose Beck in Sundara Yarn Sock Yarn, in the colourway Brown Sugar over buttermilk and Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga in colourway KatyDid.
Little Colonnade by Stephen West in Madelinetosh Tosh Sock colourway Baltic.
Kai Mei by Cookie A in Superknits Mary, Queen of Socks, colourway 'With my tv and CD collection of Bob Marley'.

The Story of a Shawl
Sugared Violets by Rose Beck in Uncommon Thread Lush Sock in the Cumulonimbus colourway becomes a star for the day for Franklin Habit's friend Harry.
And an interview. For more Rose Beck news, visit her blog here or join the RosyPosy Knitters Group on Ravelry.
To win a copy of the 'Be Mine' collection all you have to do is peruse her delicious patterns either on Ravelry,here or on her blog. Choose your favourite and comment here with it to let me know you'd like to win!

Podcasters Delite

Thought provoking and beautifully expressed thoughts on the UK disturbances from The Electric Sheep podcast.

I love My City

Poetry from Warsan Shire

For information regarding ways to help visit:

http://riotscleanup.wordpress.com/ or http://fromdisctilldawn.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/london-still-calling/ or http://www.riotremedy.org/

These websites also include legal information, insurance claim help and offers of photographers who want to help replace lost photo albums etc. There are many ways people are trying to connect in order to help. 

Thoughtful words from Russell Brand
http://www.russellbrand.tv/2011/08/big-brother-isnt-watching-you/

Donations and information on registered charities, helping relief efforts can be found at:

http://www.ukdisasterrelief.blogspot.com/

http://www.charitiesadvisorytrust.co.uk/knitForPeace

Why not join in the effort and have some fun?
A comedy night is taking place in Camden aimed at raising money towards relief and community efforts and there's a fundraiser in Ealing with the same intent. Have fun!
Erssie Knitting charts, supporting Operation Cup of Tea


If you know of any rgistered charity events in your area, why not leave a comment here to spread the news.

Songs:

Fly, Fly, Fly by Adrina Thorpe, available on Music Alley

So Much Better by Aubrey Wood, available on Music Alley
Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap

Contact me at: aplayfulday@gmail.com
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Delay

I'm just dropping in to say I'm sorry for a delay in the scheduled podcast. My health has taken a rather unexpected turn for the worst so I need to focus on that.

I am fine and being looked after and will do my best to finish off this week's podcast and get it out 

Recovering

Stay playful in the meantime.

Why I will always blog about things I feel like

 Brace yourselves people I'm going to use a dirty word: feminist. Yes, they're out there and I'm going to drop the F bomb with regularity in this post. If you are of a delicate disposition I suggest you look away now or better yet, blog about it and send the link to Peg Aloi, she'll have a field day no doubt.

I noticed an article doing the rounds on Twitter with shrieks of horror that someone had outted the Yarn Harlot as a knitter. I clicked. I read. I sighed.

Once more we are back to this 'feminism' and 'strong women' conflict. The rather charming journalist starts trite: listing cupcakes, Hello Kitty and gardening as examples of how women have lost their backbone. The blogosphere is held up as a shining example of women gone soft. We're patted on the head for our rants but there is no acknowledgement of the personal voice of a woman being expressed. 

I got particularly bored at the line '...and now that so many women have seemingly retreated from our reign of awesomeness to immerse themselves in the feminine past-times of yesteryear, it does indeed appear that we've lost sight of what it means to be a badass, strong, tough woman.'

Ah ha! The crux of the matter. We're not bad asses. I read on, by now amused....

Who does Peg think we should be emulating? Why Xenia, Princess Warrior and Sookie Stackhouse. Now these women know a thing or two. Even Mad Men gets a bashing. How dare it be glamourous and show women pre liberation! This show is not a social commentary, which draws intriging parallels to the ideals that the Tea Party would have us running back to. No, it is vintage and as we know, only sad women want something vintage. 

Not only had she missed the point of the majority of the second wave feminism, celebrating sisterhood, womanhood and demanding equality within an economy where our childcare and cupcakes keep capitalism afloat but the examples she chose were weak at best. Sookie Stackhouse? Please. That blonde bored me the minute she screamed 'When will Bill save us?' Even bloody Martha Stewart would have winced at that. 


What Peg is seemingly trying to tell us is that we don't swear enough, dress like tramps, use violence or spit. We therefore are doing our sex a great wrong. We've taken a back step when we've chosen to go back into our homes and make our livings in the domestic arts. 


The saddest thing is that she has gone further back of all, joining in the patriarchal voice that tells us that these pursuits are not valid, too domestic, too soft. Seen through her lense we can only be noticed when we are blowing up aliens and swearing at journalists. 


I could think of the first one I'd start with if that is the case....

Oh sweet bliss

Oh Caro where have you been all my life you sassy beautiful songstress.

For all you ballsy ladies out there, hope you're dancing too xx

Update on OTL

One True Love is doing grand. I've come home for a little respite before crashing back in to volunteering efforts in the city next week. Ok, so it's 11:30 and I only JUST had breakfast because I've been coordinating via the wonder of the web but still..... I tried!

OTL has kept me company, his head resting on my lap as I type. It's an odd position. Standing, he is a bit taller than my knees so I have to have my feet on tippy toes or he 'falls off' and gets grumpy. To cheer him up I jump up and run to the kitchen. This is enough to make him get all skittish and trot along behind me, tail wagging, 'boinking' me with his nose and running at me when I stop. He's so funny. He's doing well considering his lovely old legs won't let him reverse anymore. He just sort of shuffles till he's facing forward again then trots back up to me again and sighs when I'm back on the computer.

I think he's tired out from all the messaging too.

To London

Your streets were quieter last night,
Yet still we listened
Less tense
But wary

As sleep finally fell over me
For the first time in days
I returned to thoughts....
Our future

I will not shout
Cry out for cannons
Blame your lost parents
Just hope

That the community we found
Spreads to more corners
Than we swept.
Time for change.

We don't need your rhetoric
Nor your public school games
We need to listen
They're here now

A voice deep inside them
Has caught you now
It was angry and lost
Don't stop

Don't move your focus to courts
Locked rooms and closed ears
Stay with them a while
Time. For. Change.

I Love My city

I came round this morning and listened. (I say come round because I've not slept in 2 nights, there are simply too many sirens surrounding our North London home). The streets were silent..... no sirens. I lifted my head and winced: massive headache.

I dragged myself up and forced paracetemol down my throat then packed a bag full of water, snacks, bin bags, gloves and set off to join 100s of other Londoners on the Riotcleanup.

As I waited for hours with crowds cheering the emergency services and waving our brooms I was not condemning 'thugs'. When I was on my knees scraping up broken glass, I was not muttering 'mindless violence' to myself. I was almost certainly not thinking we should 'clamp down harder'. 

No. 

I was smiling at the residents who came out and cheered, I was high fiving the shop owner when we scrubbed the sticky alcohol off her shop floor and I was amazed at Londoners. I will not cry out for harsher policing. I do not want to see a 13 year old on the receiving end of a plastic bullet, even if they are tearing apart our beautiful city. Why?

Because we proved today they can't and what's more we did it with nothing more than spirit and elbow grease. Now let's hope the government hear THAT message and not the message of hate. Happy children don't make the kind of devastating mess I helped clean up today.

Episode 10: Things that make you go Mmmmmm

Aplayfulday is kindly sponsored by Superknits, the home of super yarns for super knits. Please show your support for our playful friend by clicking on the link above- go on, spoil yourself!!!

Show notes:

Notes:

Win a skein of Abstract Cat exclusive Aplayfulday colourway in the Superwash Blue Faced Leicester 4 ply weight. To enter simple visit her online store and pop back here to leave a comment telling me what colourways you love best from this talented dyer. Competition ends 21st August 2011 and will be announced on the next podcast. Good Luck!

Knitting events
Ysolda Teague and Westknits classes announced at Loop, London. 

Donation giveaway:
Sock knitter's kit= 4 skeins of Drops Fabel, 2 sets of stitch markers. 1 sheepy set from The Lollipop Stop and 1 set with clip stitch marker from a Little Bit Sheepish.

Off the Needles
Monster Chunks by Rebecca Danger. 
The Dreaded Birthday knit, Earl Grey Socks by the Yarn Harlot in Sanguine Gryphon Bugga in the Tulip Tree Beauty colourway.
Super secret test knit for the wonderful up and coming yarn club from Lioness Knits. More details next week!

On the Needles
Test Knit for Rose Beck in Sundara Yarn Sock Yarn, in the colourway Brown Sugar over buttermilk and Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga in colourway KatyDid.
Little Colonnade by Stephen West in Madelinetosh Tosh Sock colourway Baltic.
Kai Mei by Cookie A in Superknits Mary, Queen of Socks, colourway 'With my tv and CD collection of Bob Marley'.

Munch, Burp, Schlurp
Recipe for Spelt Soda Bread:

1. Seive 2 cups of Spelt Flour into a large bowl along with 2 heaped tsps o Baking powder and 1 tsp salt. 

2. Add 3 generous tblsps of Margarine and rub into butter.

3. Add 250ml of Milk and stir into a dough (I used my fingers).

4. Turn out onto a loured surface and work into desired shape (I chose 2 mini round bun loaves with a scored X on top).

5. Pop in the oven for 30-40 mins on Gas Mark 6/ 220.

Podcasters Delite

Massive love for UK podcasters: Knit Spin Cake and Caithness Craft Collective. Keeping me smiley this week.
Also, congratulation to Jasmin from the Knitmore Girls. We can't wait to see if your baby has pink hair too and what a wonderful Glam-Ma Gigi will be!

Songs: 

Fly, Fly, Fly by Adrina Thorpe, available on Music Alley

Food by Deidre Flint, available on Music Alley

Contact me at: aplayfulday@gmail.com 
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