Soasa [blog]

Pray for Grace

2011-10-20T02:01:00.000-04:00

It's been ages. I am sorry for that. I've had an incredibly hectic and personal year, and just didn't feel it should be shared all over the internet.

I do have lots of exciting news to share (I opened a shop!) and I promise that I will be back soon to tell. In the meantime, if you are wondering what's going on with me your best bet is to either join the Soasa mailing list, sign up here or come find me on Facebook.

For now I leave you with this excellent song that is really worth a close listen.

I take a moment to myself
So I can hear myself
To feel myself
And be real myself
Life's addictions and afflictions
'Cause abrasions from their friction
Sometimes it's easier to live in fiction
I can run, but I can't hide
From the pains that reside down deep inside
There is no pill that can be swallowed
There is no guru that can be followed
There's no escapin' from my own history
Those that I hurt and those that hurt me
I was dead for a million years 'fore I was born and
I'll be dead for a million more after I'm gone
So I live to give somethin' that can live on
Like the way you hum a song when the music's gone
Like the warmth of the sand when the sun goes down
And I'm sittin' with myself, nobody else is around, but

Why must I feel like this today?
I'm a soldier, but afraid sometimes
To face the things that may
Block the sun from shining rays
And fill my life with shades of grey
And still I long to find a way
So today, I pray for grace

Soasa Summer Calendar 2011!

2011-06-05T00:23:00.002-04:00

June 12
Beacon Strawberry Festival, Beacon, NY

June 18-19
Clearwater Music Festival, Croton-on-Hudson, NY

June 24-26
Oldsongs Festival of Music and Dance, Altamont, NY

July 2-3
Great American Weekend, Goshen, NY

July 9-10
Shaker Heritage Craft Fair, Albany, NY

July 21-24
GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance, Trumansburg, NY

July 30-31
Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI

August 6-7
Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI

More events to come! Please feel free to contact me for more information, or join the mailing list to stay up to date!

We get by with a little help from our friends...

2011-01-28T10:25:00.002-05:00

The tough job market is hitting close to home all around these days. Several of my friends are out of work and now one of them is faced with the need to move herself and her son out west in order to be closer to family, but they need help! We are mobilizing in force in an effort to help them move and to help raise the necessary funds to make it happen.

I am not a person of means, but I am in a position to help in the following manner:

50% of all orders placed between now and Friday, Feb 5th will be donated to their moving fund. As my way of thanking you for your support all purchases will come with a coupon for $5 off your next order.

Plan ahead! Will you need a Valentine's Day gift? A Mother's Day gift? A birthday present or just a midwinter treat Please consider shopping early and help me help my friend.

I think we all hoped that the effects of the recession would have passed by now, but many of us are still experiencing them every day. It is only by pulling together on a community level that we can really change our experience of this situation.

If you would like to read more about Michelle's story or make a donation directly please visit this link: Plea for Help: Knitter & Child in Need

Devon, Becky, Tina, Me, Michelle, Little Man

I leave you with this picture and a song from one of my favorite community activists:

2011-01-11T09:58:00.000-05:00

This is me. For the past five days I've been working with the temp agency in town to get a gig at a tax prep office. I never wanted to know (or at least read) as much about taxes as I have in the past few days. I'm ready to beat my head against the wall! That said, if you have any questions there's a good chance I can help you.

Book Review: The Thief at the End of the World

2011-01-07T23:55:00.000-05:00

So I've been reading quite a bit and I vowed to start writing about it again. It's good practice and it makes it easier to remember what I did and did not enjoy, and why!

Joe Jackson's book The Thief at the End of the World: Rubber, Power, and the Seeds of Empire caught my eye in a huge pile of Advance Reader Copies (seriously, 200) that I picked up a few months ago. I set it aside because I thought it was something my uncle would appreciate, but right before I went to give it to him I decided to take a look at it myself, thinking I wouldn't be interested. Turns out I devoured it in four days.

I could not have anticipated enjoying this book as much as I did. It's history, and it's the history of rubber for goodness sake. How exciting could that be? As it turns out, the history of rubber is totally fascinating, and the gentleman (Henry Wickham) responsible for one of the most globally influential acts of piracy was a big dreamer with a habit of failing at everything he tried. Somehow this makes him both lovable and loathsome as the history of rubber growth and consumption unravels amidst tales his many trials (and few tribulations.) Jackson offers up an interesting mix of economics, politics, science and travelogue in order to give the reader a sense of the whole picture of rubber and the people and places that were consumed by their want for it.

Honesty Policy

What will 2011 be like?

2011-01-02T18:17:00.000-05:00

In writing my 2010 post I realized just how much of last year I failed to document. A lot of it felt too personal, and some of it felt insignificant, but I did learn a lot and writing about things always helps that process. So goal number one will be to blog more. (Isn't it always the same goal over here?)

On a personal front 2011 will be about caring for myself on a holistic level. There is a lot that has been pushed aside for many years and a lot of self-sabotaging habits that I have picked up. Lately I have begun to examine my self and my life and I am working to find where I'm "leaking" energy and find ways to channel myself in a more productive direction, physically, emotionally and financially. I am looking forward to taking on the challenge of meeting myself again and seeing what I am capable of. I certainly have not stopped learning since graduating, and I'm looking forward to sharing with you all some of the exciting and engaging things that I have been reading and contemplating.

Business goals are also challenging, because I am at a point where I need to create another plan, another set of short and longterm goals. Certainly in the near future I will be completing the website. I am also going to be doing some close examination of myself and my own goals, and determining where they may lead the business. I think you will be hearing more about that later. Wherever it ends up there will be more designing and creating. That's a must.

Does anyone have any 2011 goals to share? Any resolutions?

P.s. Apparently I forgot about my 5 year blogiversary. It was in December. Wohoo!

2011-01-01T18:37:00.000-05:00

It's always hard to believe another year has come and gone. 2010 was interesting and mostly productive for me, with a few major milestones. I don't think any year is free of stress, and 2010 marks a lot of changes for me with the deteriorating health of some family members and the loss of several others. However the time spent recalling the significance and impact of their lives has brought our family closer and served to remind us all that each day is precious and best spent to the fullest.

I spent much of this past year gathering resources and building forward. I started by finishing off one major project!

I graduated! Done and done!

Graduation granted me the time to really focus on business, and I feel that I made some significant steps forward last year. Jus and I moved a bit south, and I expanded my range out into New Jersey, Long Island and CT. Some of it was successful, some was not. One thing that is very cool is that my new van gave me the freedom to travel and avoid costly hotel stays. My dad and I build a very cool platform in the back, complete with a trapdoor, so that I am able to sleep on an air mattress during my shows. It's so liberating I can't even tell you!

We also built a new website (SoasaDesigns.com) and while it's not really finished it's still a vast improvement on the old one. Sometime this fall I also started selling through Artfire.com and I think that I will be happy with that change in my life.

On a more personal note, this year I grew my first solo vegetable garden! It was an INCREDIBLE experience. I don't know where I'll find land to plant one this year, but I will certainly be trying to find some! If anyone knows a place I could put in a small garden in the Goshen area, please tell me!

2010 was a good year. I have learned and grown more than I expected, and I think that I can make 2011 awesome with a little focus and determination.

Oh hi, it's Black Friday. You could be saving 15% off Soasa!

2010-11-26T20:16:00.001-05:00

Bird Charm Necklace

Are you on my Soasa mailing list?
Are you a fan of Soasa on Facebook?

If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, than you already know how you can save 15% off your Soasa purchases this weekend!

If you answered "no", well, what are you waiting for!

The mailing list sign up is here: Soasa Contact
The Facebook fan page is here: SOASA

I hope you will join us!

P.s. I started using Artfire. You can still find some of my stuff on Etsy, but my Artfire shop will be better maintained and have a wider selection as I begin to wean off my Etsy shop.

Birke Baehr on the problems with our food industry

2010-10-19T13:59:00.000-04:00

You might have noticed from my last post that I've been thinking a lot about food lately. I've been struggling with the cost of maintaining a healthy, ethical, nutrient-rich diet, especially with student loans looming.

This 11 year old finally said what I needed to hear. "We can pay the farmers, or we can pay the hospitals." Well darn. I guess that 'bout settles it!

Seriously, this guy has so many good points it's pretty hard not to agree with him.

P.s. I like Kale chips too. In fact, I'm about to make a batch!

I came across this video while reading Crystal Nelson's Blog.

On Paleo Eating and Tightwadery

2010-10-14T15:38:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure how I end up getting myself into these situations, but sometimes I think I'm out to make my life difficult.

The problem is, I'm reading these two books simultaneously, and the result is somewhat confusing. You see, I am reading this book called The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet which has presented some convincing and intriguing science about why I should stop eating dairy, legumes and gluten, and instead revert to a paleolithic diet of animal protein and fresh fruits and veggies. Now, believe you me, growing up on a dairy farm, religiously eating whole wheat and lentils, this isn't what I wanted to be convinced of. In fact, I fought quite hard and still find myself twitching at times throughout the day. Never the less, Robb Wolf is one convincing (and funny) dude, so JusPup and I are slowly weening ourselves off these foods in preparation for a full on 30 day trial run in November (all bets are off for Thanksgiving day, though). I know, I know, it's counter to everything I've been taught, but JusPup is down 15 pounds, I'm down 3, and we aren't even totally on the diet yet!

Now, animal protein and fresh plants. Delicious! Healthy! NOT a good paring when in the back of your mind is all the tried and true budget advice from one Amy Dacyczyn (she swears it's pronounced like "decision", who's gonna argue?) of The Complete Tightwad Gazette which happens to be the other book I'm reading. "At every meal include at least one pantry staple" "Bake your own bread at least once a week" and on and on (there really are a lot of good tips in this book)! I love bread! In fact, I just inherited a bread machine! I love pantry staples! Give me rice and lentils any day! Of course, what I've realized is that I also get a tummy full of gas and pain. I sort of thought this was normal...

So, pair my tightwadish tendencies with a fresh-based diet (and a pension for locally, ethically grown) and what do you get? A headache. A budgeting nightmare. OK, that's what I get. (Also, some delicious roast chicken which became roasted acorn squash stuffed with chicken and then became some delicious chicken soup!) What you get is to read about my new adventures in the kitchen, trying to stock a pantry with everything except pantry food, while on a budget, in the soon-to-be-dead of winter.

Do you have a favorite cheap, grain-free, legume-free, dairy-free meal? Please tell me about it! (Also, if you know anyone with a lot of venison on their hands, I want it!)

Yes, these are affiliate links. I realized that a lot of what I write about is books, and thought that I might as well give this a shot. If it skeeves you out, just go to Amazon and search them yourself! I promise I will never speak well of a book that I think sucks. I don't have time for that. I hardly even have time to tell you about the books that I like!!

Flora Necklace - My First Etsy Front Page!

2010-10-12T23:29:00.003-04:00

Flora Necklace - Pink, Peach and Yellow Lucite, Antiqued Brass and Silk, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I can hardly believe it, but this little necklace made it to the Etsy Front Page last night as part of this treasury! Of course I missed it, but a fellow member of the treasury managed to track down an archive and sent it to me. Check it out! Much thanks to NoelFales who makes some really killer stuff!

I've been working on coming up with some more cohesive groups of work, and this is part of my new collection called "Flora"

I have been SO busy lately. I hope to share some of the fruits of those labors with you soon! Stay tuned for new work and some exciting news!

I solemnly swear to give you my honest opinion.

2010-10-10T18:24:00.002-04:00

Yes, I have started using Amazon affiliate links. I realized that a lot of what I write about is books, and thought that I might as well give this a shot. If it skeeves you out, just go to Amazon and search them yourself! I promise I will never speak well of a book that I think sucks. I don't have time for that. I hardly even have time to tell you about the books that I like!!

Are You My Target Audience?

2010-09-30T14:26:00.002-04:00

When I first started selling my jewelry I didn't really think it would ever be something that I did full time. Even after completing my degree, it took a while for the reality to sink in. Jewelry. It's what I do. Somehow in five years it just crept up and became an all-encompassing part of my life.

The problem with starting a business so loosely is that there comes a time when you need to take a major step in order to optimize your time and energy spent branding, marketing, creating, and networking. The difficulty comes when you're not sure what that step is. Because my business has grown so organically over the past 5 years, it's hard to decipher exactly what I need to do next. I'm too close to it.

A friend of mine is starting up a new business (Stellar Sunshine Hoops) and I have a blast troubleshooting and coming up with ideas for her, but I can't always do that for myself. I really miss being at that stage where every step was a big one.

I mentioned earlier this week that one major project I have going on is my new website. It's finally much more in line with how I've always envisioned it but the research and development of it has led me to wonder about my focus. Up until now I've been sort of "throwing mud at a wall". Spread my work around and see who likes it, what sticks. This year has been especially experimental because I have so many new events going on and a lot of them have been complete failures.

What it comes down to is this. I have to finally ask the question "who is my target audience?" Who do I have something to say to? Who's life can I improve? Who's questions can I answer?

I need your help!

Why do you read my blog (or tweets, or facebook updates)?

What is it about me that interests you?

If you're a fan of my jewelry, why?

You can e-mail me your answers (robinmsills [@] gmail [.] com), or leave them in the comments. I'd really appreciate it if you'd take a minute to get back to me on this.

I think I pissed blogger off...

2010-09-28T10:08:00.006-04:00

It's been so long since I wrote a proper post that I think Blogger is mad at me. I wrote up a nice one for your guys, but then everything possible went wrong with formating and stuff just broke.

Here's the gist of it. I took a break, and then I had too much news to share, but none of it seemed worthy of a big "I'm back!" kind of post. So I didn't blog for about 8 months.

So here's a little photo representation of my life since January:

I graduated! (With highest honors. I am a nerd. Thanks for listening. I'm done bragging now.)

I started spinning again. Sort of.

I grew my first solo garden!

I processed a total of 7.5lbs of basil into pesto for my freezer.

I had a blast at Mountain Jam, Oldsongs, and GrassRoots music festivals!

I got a "new" van! A '93 Dodge Caravan! I pimped it out so that I can sleep in it when I have far away events. It is totally dope. That's a Buzz Lightyear air mattress, by the way.

Most of all, I've cooked and eaten lots of delicious food in my HUGE kitchen in my new apartment.

I also went to Cape Cod a couple times, I've been traveling all over the place selling jewelry, I'm working on a new website, I build an awesome hookah for a final project, I did some nice ceramics work, I've been hula hooping again, and I have some beautiful new designs up on Etsy!

Hi! If you made it to the end, thanks for looking! I promise that my upcoming posts won't be this nutty.

Fall Calendar!

2010-09-13T10:12:00.006-04:00

I swear I will get back to actually blogging sometime soon. Here's why I never have time:

September 19 Van Houten Avenue Street Fair, Clifton, NJ
September 21-23 Fall Northeast Art & Craft Show, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY
September 26 Haverstraw Street Festival, Haverstraw, NY
October 2 Hudson High School Craft and Home Exp o, Hudson, NY
October 3 Warwick AppleFest, Warwick, NY
October 9-10 Warren Fall Festival, Warren, CT (one of my favorites!)
October 23-24 Connecticut Renaissance Faire, Hebron, CT
October 26-27 Thanksgiving Northeast Art & Craft Show, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY

I have some new and beautiful designs on Etsy, if you are interested! (SoasaDesigns)

Also, stay tuned because my new website should be up and running sometime in the next week or two!!

ANOTHER Updated Calendar!

2010-06-24T12:49:00.002-04:00

This should be final, but of course, you never know!

June 25-27 Oldsongs Festival of Music and Dance, Altamont, NY
July 18 Nyack Street Fair, Nyack, NY
July 23-25 GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance, Trumansburg, NY
August 5-8 WOOL, Lake George, NY
August 28-29 Old Bethpage Village Craft and Gift Show, Old Bethpage, LI, NY
September 4-5 Eisenhower Park Craft and Gift Show, East Meadow, LI, NY
September 11-12 Bayville Waterside Craft and Gift Show, Bayville, LI, NY
September 25-26 Merrick Annual Fall Festival, Merrick, LI, NY

Some changes to the schedule...

2010-05-07T11:13:00.006-04:00

Unfortunately I had to drop the two shows on Long Island in June. One was canceled and the other is the weekend of my brother's high school graduation! I could not miss that! I have added an event in Rockland County in July, and I am looking at a few others as well. I am also looking at a market in Middletown, NY, and I will probably make an appearance or two at the Hillsdale Farmers Market.

This is the schedule as of now, but I am unsure of whether I will be at Falcon Ridge or GrassRoots this year. I will let you know as soon as I do!

June 25-27 Oldsongs Festival of Music and Dance, Altamont, NY
July 18 Nyack Street Fair, Nyack, NY
July 23-25 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Hillsdale, NY
August 5-8 WOOL, Lake George, NY

Sorry for any confusion, I will try and keep everyone in the loop!

Spring and Summer 2010!

2010-04-25T22:45:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry I've been off the map for so long. It's been a hectic few months. I can't believe it's already time to get back into it! I'm graduating in just 4 weeks and I can't wait to really dig into this year of events! This list isn't final, but it's what I have so far.

April 24 Clermont Sheep and Wool Festival, Clermont, NY
May 1 Beltane Festival, New Paltz, NY
June 5-6 Bayville Waterside Festival, Bayville, Long Island, NY
June 12-13 Old Bethpage Village, Old Bethpage, Long Island, NY
June 25-27 Oldsongs Festival of Music and Dance, Altamont, NY
July 23-25 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Hillsdale, NY
August 5-8 WOOL, Lake George, NY

There will be more events beginning in September.

Sheepish...

2010-01-27T08:44:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday morning was the Wonderful Things Annual Sale, dubbed the O'Dark Sale by my friend Tina because of how early she has to get up to get there. The deal is, if you're at the door at 7am you get a stamp and everything is 40% off for the day. 8am means 30%, and 9 is good for 20%. What this means is that she was up at 5:30 I was up at 4:30. Lest you think she and I are the only crazy ones, there was a line of 20+ people at that door at 7. Tina has some great photos in her post about the event and you should check it out! This year it was just she and I, and we were super quick. Tina needed to be at work, a solid 45 minutes away, by 9:45. We really wanted breakfast. We made it with time to spare! We were in the door, through the shop, and in line to pay by 7:35!

I set myself a budget based on how much money I had awarded myself for exercising (if you're on Ravelry you should check out the Exer-stashers group) and then totally blew it. Oops. I tell myself it's alright because this is the last yarn shopping I'm doing until Rhinebeck. I may allow myself one skein at Clermont, but really. This is the year of stash knitting. I will be keeping track of how much I knit up, an I do aim for a big number.

Anyhow, enough babble. Here are the goodies:

6 skeins of Cascade 220 in Walnut Heather

Miraculously, I was the very first person at the 220 wall...I think this helped our speed because last year it was a mess!

Pagewood Farm Chugiak in Chocolate

I didn't even hesitate when I saw this color. I snapped it up. Then I realized it was the same yarn I was using for a pair of socks! Yarn I happened to buy at the sale last year. If there was any doubt in my mind that I wanted it, that sealed the deal.

Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Select in Java

This was a bit of a strange color choice for me, but you can't deny its beauty, and I've wanted to try Cherry Tree Hill for a while and see what all the fuss is about. Tina loved it too (though not so much the mustard colors I kept hurling at her.)

Cleckheaton Country Silk 8ply in 3 Colors

This was my downfall. I found it in the orphanage (the last of or discontinued yarns go there) and I couldn't resist. It's merino with silk tweed!! What's not to love!! Plus the colors are undeniably fun. Until this point I was pretty much sticking to my budget. I think I'm going to make some crazy colorwork slippers with them.

A new year....

2010-01-06T09:57:00.000-05:00

This year I'm not exactly making resolutions. There are some things I'd like to achieve, but I'm going to let it happen naturally, rather than strapping myself down with a solid list of dates, deadlines, and waist measurements. Some things I want to pay more attention to include my health (all around, not just my weight) and my general fabulousness. I have resolved to pay more attention to how I present myself.

This might be a bit of a half-assed post. Sorry about that! I'm to busy living already!

Last year I participated off and on in Project Spectrum and I found it inspiring and eye-opening. I will definitely be taking part when it comes around again.

1. Bubbles, 2. Seaweed Shawl WIP, 3. Basket Tree II, 4. This is all I see!, 5. Ninja!, 6. Project Spectrum: Bariloche or Bust - Ears, FO

I didn't knit as much as I was hoping to, but I knit a ton of useful and much-loved smaller items. I'm happy with what I've done and excited to see what this year brings. As you can see, Project Spectrum was a huge incentive for me.

1. Hemlock Ring Complete II, 2. NaKniSweMoDo09 #1 UCA Shrug, 3. NaKniSweMoDo09 #2 Demeter, 4. Project Spectrum: Frostberries FO, 5. Seaweed Shawlette Project Spectrum: North, 6. Toasty Gold Project Spectrum: East, 7. FO: Quick 'n Dirty Socks III, 8. FO: Bariloche or Bust, 9. Project Spectrum: Bariloche or Bust - Ears, FO, 10. Strong like bull!, 11. Too big for mee..., 12. Secret Santa

I have jumped back on the 52 Books in 52 Weeks wagon, but my rotation starts in August, so that's old news. I haven't been blogging the books, but perhaps I'll start doing that again. In the meantime you can see what I'm reading in the sidebar on the left.

I have big plans for my jewelry this year, but I will write about that more as the year goes on.

Argentina: Retrospective

2009-12-27T21:42:00.004-05:00

1. It's a plan!, 2. Old Man Plant, 3. Zorro with his tools, 4. Can't help myself..., 5. My view, 6. Onion, Carrot, Garbanzo Bean Soup!, 7. Mom and Me at Casa Rosada, 8. Packing up, moving out, 9. All bundled up, 10. Cacti!, 11. Glad I Wasn't Driving..., 12. Ninja!, 13. "Little Bird, Big World" Inspiration

Argentina is the single biggest topic of my year, and therefor deserves her own post! This isn't to say that nothing else happened since I left Argentina, but I think it's safe to say that the bulk of my excitement took place during those 5 and a half months (or really, during the last month). I learned to weave, to cook, to speak Spanish, to identify birds (in Spanish!), and to have faith. I taught Federico (the man at the hardware shop) to make hula hoops! I learned to party, I learned to navigate, to observe, and to take things as they come (though robbery is hard to let go). I learned that friendly knitters are universal but good yarn is not. I learned that I can feel at home in another land. I learned to slow down and then promptly forgot in the instant my plane hit the tarmac...we're just not a mellow people!

Looking back, Argentina has had a profound impact on me. Some lessons have been forgotten, but I am left with a profound need to go back with awareness I have now and see what new lessons await me!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T10:18:00.003-05:00

Wrapping gifts is my favorite part. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

FO: Opus Spicatum

2009-12-18T23:11:00.003-05:00

Christmas knitting begins....

Secret Santa, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Pattern: Opus Spicatum by Kate Gagnon Osborn
Size: Unmodified
Materials: 2 half skeins Wave from Filatura Di Crossa
Needles: US 9 /5.5 mm
Start Date: November 16, 2009
Finish Date: November 29, 2009
On Ravelry

This was my first gifted knit of the season, an Opus Spicatum hat knit for my secret santa. I think it was my most successful Christmas knit of the year (I DEFINITELY didn't accomplish all I wanted to...) and I wish the rest could be up to this caliber. I just had a really bad year, knit-wise. I was out of commission for the better part of this fall. I loved the yarn and the pattern, both were easy to work with and delightful! Careful, the yarn blocks generously, which is good for this sort of hat I suppose. I was hesitant to block too heavily because I have such a big head compared to other girls once you factor in my dreads. I sometimes lose perspective. In any case, I was sad to see the hat go, but it was well received!

SA Sunday: Purmamarca, Jujuy, Argentina

2009-12-13T17:18:00.004-05:00

You can thank The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club by Jessica Morrison for inspiring this installment of South America Sunday. That and the fact that I finally have free time again with classes over...

I'm picking up from where I left off in Tilcara, Jujuy.

~~~

One of many beautiful scenes we encountered

From the journal:
6 de Julio, 2009 written on a colectivo en route to a then unknown location between Salta City and Cafayate, Salta, Argentina.
...From Tilcara we took a day trip to Purmamarca to see the Cilla de Siete Colores (Hill of Seven Colors). Though the town is tiny the 2km walk around the "hill" was VERY impressive. We took tons of photos! We met a lovely family from Michigan who were very friendly and had really adorable children! We paid 40 pesos and took a remis (a car for hire) up to Las Salinas Grandes (Salt flats on the road to Bolivia). The ride totaled 3 hours and I would estimate that we were at the salt flats for 15 minutes. Totally worth it though! The flats were incredible. It was like another planet. I could hardly see because of the sun reflecting off the huge white landscape. It looked like snow...
...Back in Tilcara I learned the danger of combining guilt and Fernet con Coca when I nearly cut off a dreadlock to give to a man I had mistakenly insulted the day before. I am grateful and forever indebted to Ashley for putting a stop to the madness...

Purmamarca's backyard. Are you jealous? I am.

Town is a generous word for Purmamarca (though who am I to talk, coming from where I do) but it has a treasure in those hills. The hills were ridiculous. Every corner we turned yielded more perfect photo ops and elicited more oohs and aahs. It never got old. I think we could have walked around the route 3 more times without getting bored! Remarkably, we only encountered two or three other people on our walk. A car full drove by, and a little boy was sitting under an overhang selling trinkets. I think he had a slow day...It is incredible that the area is not more heavily populated.

A salt ridge at Las Salinas Grandes

We were late getting to our remis for our trip to Las Salinas, and unable to find a restroom, we begged the driver for some direction. He promptly knocked on the door of the house we were outside of, and they let us use their toilet. I was incredibly grateful that I spoke Spanish at that point. It was awkward.

My very own nativity set

Never inclined to miss an opportunity to shop, Ashley and I scooped up some treasures in the decidedly more pricy market around the town center. Frankly I am beginning to wonder if all of Argentina has conspired to make it impossible to catch a bus without waiting for hours near a market. The result was this lovely nativity set that is currently residing on top of my TV.

Quinoa salad and tamales...mmmm

To pass the time we also had a delicious and remarkably healthy meal at a lovely (I think the only...) hostel in town, right across from the bus stop (El Cardón, I believe).

In short, Purmamarca is a fabulous day trip! Don't spend the night there though...there isn't enough to do besides shop!

For more photos please visit my Flickr album: Jujuy
Want more South America Sunday? Click it!

Holiday Preparations...

2009-11-30T13:09:00.006-05:00

Just thought I'd let y'all know that there's free shipping in my Etsy shop until midnight tonight! It's my little way of helping your holiday season easier. I also have the perfect gift wrap available! For just $2.00 you will get a sweet, handcrafted pillow box with tissue and a coordinating tie. Really, how much easier does it get?

I also want to remind everyone that my last two events of the year are this Friday and Saturday! I will be at Bard College on Friday and Hawthorne Valley School on Saturday. Come see me!

I know I've mentioned this before, but you can find out about these deals and other news before their almost over by signing up for my mailing list! You can join up by visiting ::this link::

Slowly but surely...Ten on Tuesday

2009-11-17T22:41:00.004-05:00

I'm going to ease myself back into blogging with this Ten on Tuesday. It's remarkably relevant to the self-study project I just started for myself.

In no particular order, 10 Things You Wish You Knew How to Do (or wish you could actually do. In some cases I understand the process but don't have the physical skill or simply suck at...)

1. Weld and hot forge steel
2. Ply yarn
3. Write a resume
4. Program websites
5. Take full advantage of Excel
6. Fix my car
7. Wire electricity
8. Can foods
9. Bake bread
10. Screenprint

There are still a lot more things to add to this list! I guess I'll never want for something to learn!

What would you like to know how to do? Maybe we can all help each other!

End of the 2009 season, please come join me!

2009-11-16T13:37:00.005-05:00

I'm really sorry that I've fallen off the blog map. It wasn't on purpose, but life has sort of been getting the better of me lately. I wanted to share with you the dates and locations of my last three shows of the year.

Nov. 21st Valley Central School, Montgomery, NY
Dec. 4th Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
Dec. 5th Hawthorne Valley School, Harlemville, NY

It would be great to see some of you there! If you decide to stop by don't forget to print out this coupon and save 15% off your entire purchase!

I'd also like to invite you all to join my mailing list! I won't e-mail you constantly, just once in a while when I'm running a deal, announcing some shows or releasing some new and exciting designs! You can join up by visiting ::this link::

Fall Craft Fair Schedule!

2009-09-10T11:02:00.003-04:00

Don't get too excited...my computer is still in the shop. I can't say I have anything nice to say about the Geek Squad at Best Buy...so I'm not going to say anything!

I'm not quite as busy this fall because it was difficult to organize everything from abroad, but here's the plan! I hope some of you can stop by! There may be additional dates, so this list might grow a bit...

Sep. 19 Pawling Arts & Crafts Fest, Pawling, NY
Oct. 3 Hudson High School Craft Fair, Hudson, NY
Oct. 10-11 Warren Fall Festival, Warren, CT

Oct. 17 Hillsdale Farmer’s Market

As always, if you've got any questions or need directions don't hesitate to ask!

RobinMarie [at] Soasadesigns [dot] com

Pause...

2009-09-02T17:19:00.003-04:00

My computer is in the shop, and I find it impossible to work from any other computer (and not for lack of options...there are four others in our one bedroom apartment.) Please excuse my week of silence. I expected to have it back sooner! I should be back with this week's SA Sunday.

In the meantime I'm getting a lot of reading and knitting done! It's sort of nice to unplug...

SA Sunday: Tilcara, Jujuy, Argentina

2009-08-30T19:31:00.006-04:00

View from the ruins, overlooking the valley
From the journal:
5 de julio, 2009 Hostel Terra Oculta, Salta City, Salta, Argentina
...The second stop on our journey was Tilcara, about an hour south of Humahuaca. It is a bit bigger and decidedly more touristy. Though our hostel was cheaper (a mere $25 pesos) the rest of the town was more expensive. We showed down some lovely fried empanadas and delicious treats from Mama Pacha, our new favorite shop in all of Argentina. Our first evening there we picnicked in the plaza with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, grilled flatbreads and pumpkin alfahores [how posh!]. It was very pleasant, though we were eventually frightened away by some wild and reproductively intact dogs...

Cacti in the botanical garden
We flaked a little bit in Tilcara, opting not to do the recommended hikes because our potential guide was trying very hard to rip us off, and we didn't find him all that pleasant to begin with. We spent a couple of nights in the Pena right in the plaza where we saw the two groups you see pictured. We were aware that it was the tourist bar, but we made a couple of new friends there and thus kept going back. It was there that our trip really began. We forged a little community for ourselves in the three nights that we stayed and by the time we left we were able to walk through the town and greet people as if we lived there.

Alpaca cria rolling in the dust
We spent a morning in the Pucará Ruins, which are reconstructed pre-columbian ruins. We thought the fake pyramid at the top that was dedicated to the archeologists was pretty funny. We passed an hour or two in the attached botanical garden laughing at the alpaca cria and the "yerba buena" before wandering back into town...

Dancing in circles

View of the kitchen decor at Hostel Tilcara (though you can't see the dried frog he had hanging in the window)

For more photos please visit my Flickr album: Jujuy
Want more South America Sunday? Click it!

Fiber Friday: Plans on a rainy day...

2009-08-28T15:16:00.005-04:00

Last year I made it my mission to knit every gift I gave for Christmas, and I succeeded (baaaaaarely). The only exception was the goodybag you see above which I sewed for my Aunt and filled with a pattern she wanted, some gorgeous Jitterbug, and a set of batching stitch markers that I made. I would have knit her something too, but she loves to knit as much as I do (and we knitters always like knitting goodies*)! Having set the bar so high last year, I feel like there's no way I can back down from the challenge this year! My list has been made (and way overly ambitious) since January, but I haven't gotten much done in the way of knitting yet.

I know that the Yarn Harlot has her own special friend who makes her knitting schedule for her every holiday season. I think I'm going to try! I'm sure you all think I'm crazy for thinking about these things now, but just you wait! Of course I'm not going to tell you what I'm planning, both so that it'll be a surprise for the giftees and so that when I fail miserably there isn't any proof, but let me just say that it involves sweaters (yes! plural!) and vests (also plural!) and fairy wings..and on and on. I know I might sound like I'm complaining but I swear I'm not. I LOVE giving handmade gifts, in fact I'll go out of my way to come up with an excuse to gift. Onward with the knitting!

How soon do you start planning for Christmas? Do you like to make your own? Is anyone willing to talk me off the ledge when I'm about to commit Christmas Eve Knitter Harikari with my double pointed #5's?

Want more Fiber Friday? Click it!

*By the way, if anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas, it's a box bag from Jess of Stitched by Jessalu! Just sayin'...

Starin' up the road and pray to God I see headlights...

2009-08-24T21:50:00.004-04:00

Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show from their album O.C.M.S.

Folks, I'm learning to play the guitar. It seemed only natural that my brother teach me using some of the songs he first taught himself to play when he was a beginner. One of those songs that has remained a central part of our family sing-alongs is this fabulous song by Old Crow Medicine Show...and Bob Dylan. We've been singing this song for aaaages and I never realized that it was built around the chorus which was originally an unfinished song by Bob Dylan. According to Wikipedia (I know, I know, I looked it up around the net...it seems to all be kosher) Ketch Secor of OCMS wrote the verses around Bob Dylan's original lyrics. According to Prariegal Bob Dylan also plays the completed song, though I can't find a clip of it. I'd love to hear it if anyone manages to source one out! Hopefully I'll manage to learn this song well enough that my family won't dread hearing it...that would be sad!

The video I've posted above is their official music video. It's not wildly innapropriate but there are a couple ladies dancing in their undies on stage outside the "gentlemen's tent" at a country fair. If this is likely to offend or upset you check out this video instead!

Want more Music Monday? Click it!

SA Sunday: Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina

2009-08-23T19:23:00.004-04:00

Burro in a plaza in town

From the journal:
5 de julio, 2009 Hostel Terra Oculta, Salta City, Salta, Argentina

...We flew into the city of Jujuy [on June 30] but were unimpressed and decided to move straight on up to Humahuaca. We enjoyed it there, though I did a shameful amount of shopping, It was a very small town nestled between mountains (as these northern towns are) that was remarkably cold at night in contrast to the desert heat during the day. I especially enjoyed our hostel, Posada del Sol, which was a fair ways out of town and very peaceful. We had a delicious breakfast there of breads and spreads and tea, served in beautiful red earthenware. Both nights we had lovely Irish roommates, the first a young man and the second two girls our own age [all heading up to Bolivia]. I felt at peace there for the first time in weeks. I think I could have stayed much longer...

Sweet relief from the sun in the tamale shop

The truth is that in Humahuaca there wasn't much to "do" once the gifts had been purchased and we had seen the noontime holy cuckoo clock. For that reason I wholly enjoyed it. We laughed at the sight of dogs running around on rooftops. We wandered around and stared in awe at the views which were unlike anything I had ever seen before, having never left the east coast of the United States. We sat in the square and ate mandarinas, four for a peso, while identifying new birds for my list. We went to bed early, and got up early, a routine which was strange to me, but came naturally during those days. One afternoon we took a walk up to a mirador, a look-out point, that we had been told about. Though we had no idea where we were going we were joined by a dog who never left our sight the entire walk up and down. We ate some tamales and sampled the traditional "locro", a stew that I can't honestly recommend, as it is very greasy and gave us both indigestion.

In this manner we passed two nights in the small town of Humahuaca before catching a 4peso bus to Tilcara...

King of the Mountain, our walking friend

Mountain Worship

For more photos please visit my Flickr album: Jujuy
Want more South America Sunday? Click it!

FO: Bariloche or Bust - Ears, Project Spectrum: South

2009-08-14T18:19:00.002-04:00

Project Spectrum: Bariloche or Bust - Ears, FO, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

We now (hopefully) return to our regularly scheduled program. It's been a whirlwind ever since I got home! Sorry for the huge gaps in posting. I hope to be back on track now.

Pattern: My own
Size: CO 15st, knit to fit
Materials: 60-70 yds Yanabey Lana Mecha
Needles: #9, 5.5mm
Start Date: June 29, 2009
Finish Date: July 1, 2009
On Ravelry

This was my project for the July/August period of Project Spectrum. During July and August we focused on the South. I thought it was perfect timing for my trip through Argentina, as we finished our trip in Patagonia. We were also focusing on the color red and the element of fire, which I tried to incorporate in my use of a clay bead, and of course my color choice. My goal was to finish this in time for the south of Argentina where we anticipated it would be very cold. I ended up finishing it on the second night of our trip, up north in the desert. It was freezing cold at night there! Who would have thought?

Tilcara, Northern Argentina*

I couldn’t find a headband pattern that was exactly what I wanted, so I made this one up! It’s a simple 3x3 rib that I reversed every three rows to make it look like a weave. The decorative button is made of clay, while the two functional buttons are bits of branches.

San Martin de los Andes, Southern Argentina*

As you can see I've already gotten a lot of use and enjoyment from it!

Looking for other Fiber Friday posts? Click it!

*Thanks to Ashely, my friend and traveling companion, for the photos.

28 days, 1200 photos

2009-08-05T11:20:00.005-04:00

I was hoping to have my photos sorted out by the time I got home, but the reality of the situation is that I took HUNDREDS. They all need a little tweaking and a lot of them just need to be deleted, but I have to be careful with them because they represent my Great Adventure and I don't want to lose or ruin any! That's my WIP for this week. I'm planning to spread things out and post a new location each Sunday so that you can travel with me.

I cooked our first meal in our new apartment last night! I made pesto with basil from my Mom's garden. It came out pretty well! We have a gas stove, which was just one of the many added perks of this place. Justin did a great job finding it. Once this is posted I'm going to head out to the backyard and hula hoop with the chickens and goats!

Finally, I just wanted to give a little cheer for myself as this is my 200th post!

Image borrowed from The Market Guardian

Want more WIP Wednesday? Click it!

...Just another clown throwing fire at the sky...

2009-08-03T12:46:00.003-04:00

This is a very special Music Monday! It's my first post from home! That's right, the trip has ended and I am back in New York. I would say the adventure has ended, but I have begun so many new friendships and I have changed so much that I know that Argentina is not done with me.

A Juggler Out in Traffic - Richard Shindell, from his album Not Far Now

This song is a special one. Shindell's music has always struck me but I feel a closeness with those songs he writes from his experiences in Argentina. On my last day in the city I was running errands and walking through my old neighborhood, remembering. I came to an intersection and found two young men juggling pins in front of traffic. They finished their routine and I was happy to see the number of hands reaching out of car windows to offer change. I smiled, remembering this song. Two blocks later I came across another juggler who seemed to just be learning. He finished his routine too late, and the light turned before he could pass his hat. It occurred to me that there is an art to what they do, beyond their talent. On my way home I took the Subte and to my delight my favorite group of street actors just happened to be in my car. I gave them a smile and one last token. They don't know how much they light up my day, how much people appreciate the relief and amusement that they offer to the city.

I am thrilled to be home, and there were times that I felt strong resentment towards Buenos Aires but I am finding that all I can remember are the good things. I'm grateful for this song as a moment to recall the city I called home for those short but powerful five months.

Want more Music Monday? Click here!

Border crossing...

2009-07-18T10:29:00.002-04:00

We made it! Customs was scary. There was a girl on our bus who didn't claim the two apples she had in her bag for a snack, and she got dragged off into a dark room and questioned, then charged a $214 fine, US dollars, for the two apples. The view was incredible though.

After 8 hours on a bus and in customs we arrived in Valparaiso, a city on the ocean that really lives up to its name. It looks like paradise. Every single person we encountered told us to take off all our jewelry and be very, very careful. So we did....but we were nervous. So far, so good. We are now in Santiago for the day, and this evening we are getting on another 13 hour bus for Pucon, in the south.

We made it to Pablo Neruda's house while we were in Valparaiso. We are pitifully bad at seeing museums, so we were quite proud of ourselves.

You can find a few more Chile photos ::here::

Shall we go to Chile today?

2009-07-14T13:43:00.003-04:00

That was the question posed at breakast this morning.

The answer? ¨Yea I guess that´d be alright.¨

Hah, such a hard life we´re living!

I´ll write from Chile, pinky swear!

P.S. for some reason every time I view my blog it´s all in black and white. Anyone else having this experience?

Moving South...Salta, Moldes, Cafayate...

2009-07-09T15:27:00.002-04:00

Thank you all so much for your comments on my last post! They were lovely to read:)

We arrived in the city of Salta on Sunday, and we found it quite overwhelming. I was sick and we had decided to just move on in the morning. That night we met up with some friends from UCA, and they told us about their next adventure, and invited us along! That´s how we ended up in Moldes, Salta, in a lake front cabin with peacocks and hammocks, canoes and a dog named Tyson. It was truly wonderful. We stayed two nights, went white water rafting, and took a boat trip across the lake to see some rock-paintings!

Home sweet home...

The crew

View from the road...

A funny sight we saw...

Off we went...

Rapids!

I also watched birds! A Kingfisher!

I promise that once I´m home I´ll show you more pictures and perhaps share some bits from my journal. This is just a sort of preview!

SA Sunday: Ashley, I don´t think we´re in Buenos Aires anymore...

2009-07-05T18:24:00.002-04:00

Taken from the Mirador (viewing point) that we think we found in Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina. We´re still not sure we found the right place, but the view was great and it was really windy!

How many of you didn´t belive that I would post today? I didn´t. Please excuse any typos or strange letters, I have a line growing behind me to use the computer. I wanted to share some photos of the beginning of our trip! For more photos check out my Flickr page. They don´t have titles or descriptions yet because the internet out here is pretty slow. Also, I hope you like my outfit, because I only have two!

In Humahuaca we stayed in a WONDERFUL adobe Hostel called Posada El Sol that we highly recommend. Here´s the view from our bedroom door. Homey, right?

It´s the desert! It´s blistering during the day and freezing at night. Look! Cacti! Cactus? We were hiking to the "ruins" in Tilcara, Jujuy, Argentina.

This was taken from a view point at the Hill of Seven Colors. It was incredible! Purmamarca, Jujuy, Argentina.

On our way up to visit the Salinas Grandes. It was SO HIGH. I´ll find out how high soon!

At the Salinas Grandes. That´s all salt! I couldn´t see, so I look like a dork.

I have to run now, becauase the line is huge. Click through an image to get to a few more photos. I promise m,ore news soon!!

I don't need a passport to walk on this earth...

2009-06-29T23:32:00.004-04:00

This song is called Hello Bonjour and is available on Michael Franti and Spearhead's album Yell Fire!

I think Michael Franti says it all. I'm leaving really really early tomorrow. I'm so sad to say goodbye to my new friends, but excited to make new ones! Ceci and my Argentine "Banana FoFana" family threw me a "surprise" party (the surprise had to be aborted when I made plans to go out this evening! As for Banana FoFana, I'll explain that another time!). I'm putting (parts of) Michael's lyrics below so you can read through them. I'm not packed, and I'm leaving in about 7 hours. I'm sorry this is late!

This video was filmed in Ireland. Pay special attention to 0:09 - 0:13. That blue and yellow flag? Boca Juniors, baby! Argentine soccer...what what!

___

I don't need a passport
To walk on this earth,
Anywhere I go cause I was made of this earth
Im born of this earth,
I breath of this earth,
And even with the pain I believe in this earth, So
I wake Up every mornin and Im steppin on the floor,
I wake up every mornin and Im stepping out the door
I got faith in the sky,
Faith in the one,
Faith in the people rockin underneath the sun
Cause every bit of land is a holy land and
Every drop of water is a holy water and
Every single child is a son or a daughter of the one Earth mama and the one Earth papa, So
Don't tell a man that he can't come here cause he got brown eyes and a wavy kind of hair, And
Don't tell a woman that she can't go there because she prays a little different to a God up there
You say you're a Christian
Cause God made you
You say you're a Muslim
Cause god made you
You say you're a Hindu and the next man a Jew
Then we all kill each other
Cause God told us to NAH!

-Hello, hello!
-Bonjour, bonjour!
-Hola, hola!
-Konnichiwa, konnichiwa wa!

....complete lyrics available ::here ::

___

Want more Music Monday? Click it!

SA Sunday: Packing up, moving out

2009-06-28T16:54:00.003-04:00

Packing up, moving out, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I was going to show you a photo of my packed backpack for our trip, but all of my laundry is still wet, so my bag isn't packed. It's causing me a good deal of stress. Instead I'm going to spend the afternoon reading through some travel guides and packing up my suitcases to put in storage!

I've decided that I can't bear to leave my second BsAs hoop behind. It's my Project Spectrum hoop and it's perfect. I've doubled it up and hopefully it will travel home safely in my suitcase. Cross your fingers for me!

We are in the midst of refining our travel plans, and I have to admit I'm feeling some anxiety. I just feel like we don't have enough time! Maybe I set my heart on accomplishing too much. We're off bright and early Tuesday morning, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to take a deep breath and just let things roll forward. We'll get to what we get to, I suppose. It's going to fly by so fast! I'll try and keep you updated as things change!

FO: Bariloche or Bust

2009-06-27T00:01:00.002-04:00

Click your heels!, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I can't believe I missed WIP Wednesday AND Fiber Friday. I've got so much to do for this trip. I hope this isn't an indication of my blogging to come over the next month. I promise to do my very best to keep you updated, but I refuse to miss an opportunity for a great experience, so I don't promise to stay in an blog when I could be out having a good time:) We'll see where the happy medium lies! I do promise pictures though.

Pattern: Two Toe-Up Socks on One Circular Needle by Kristin Bellehumeur
Size: Unmodified
Materials: 290 yds Fiesta Yarns Ballet in Misty Morning
Needles: US 6 / 4.0 mm
Start Date: June 1, 2009
Finish Date: June 25, 2009
On Ravelry

I started these at the beginning of June in hopes that I would have them done by the time I left for my big trip (June 30!!) or at least by the time we got to Bariloche, AR (July 24!). Turns out I got them done way ahead of time! Go me! I didn't knit them very tall because I hate tall socks and I hate it when my socks scrunch down. They're high enough to be comfy with my hiking boots and give me a couple more inches of warmth. They're not my best work, but I'm glad they're done because I'm hoping to whip out one more pair before we arrive in Bariloche. It's going to be cold and we're going to be hiking. I haven't been able to find wool socks here to purchase, so I just have to make them myself.

I knit these with a 1x1 rib with a twisted purl. I like the effect, though they need blocking to even out. The heel is way to shallow do they stretch across the top of my foot in an unflattering way. It was my first shortrow heel, and I'm not sure how I like it. Next time I think I'll do an afterthought heel.

The pattern is great! The yarn is splitty and the colorway is awfully bland for me...but it's really soft. I'm on the fence about it. We'll see how it wears.

And if fate should break my stride, then I'll give you my Vincent to ride...

2009-06-22T11:19:00.004-04:00

Richard Thompson - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning from his album Rumor and Sigh

In the interest of full disclosure I loved this song for a long time with no clue that this was Richard Thompson's song*. The first time I heard this song was with my family when we saw Jim Henry perform it on stage with Tracy Grammer. He does a really great job, and we enjoyed it thoroughly. He's damn good on that guitar, and Tracy is stellar on harmony. (The video is down below.) A few months later I was driving home in a snowstorm at 5 in the morning and this song came on the radio. (Gotta love WKZE, they play weird music all day long, but in the early hours of the morning they play really great music. I actually enjoyed my early early morning drives...) In any case, I had to pull the car over because I was moved to tears. Every time I hear Thompson sing this song I cry. It always starts out ith goosebumps and I think I'm going to get by without crying, but the final verse in his incredible voice never fails.

*I also have to admit that I grew up listening to Fairport Convention, but had no idea that Richard Thompson was part of the group until a few months ago. I'm a really horrible music fan. This new addition to my blog has been really good for me in that regard.

Looking for more Music Monday? Click it!

SA Sunday: Lechucita Vizcachera - Birdwatching

2009-06-21T12:33:00.002-04:00

Lechucita Vizcachera, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I spotted this Burrowing Owl while my friends and I were at a polo club outside the city of Buenos Aires. I couldn't believe how close it let me get!

I've just finished my birdwatching class at UCA, and I'm so pumped about how it went! I'm very sad to say goodbye to my professor and my classmates. We were a small, tight-knit group, and we had a lot of fun together. Yesterday we saw some incredibly cool birds, including a father and son pair of Rufescent Tiger-Herons, a whole mess of Monk Parakeets, a Golden-Breasted Woodpecker, and the silly looking Guira Cuckoo (Looks like he's got bad bedhead, right?).

This is a portion of my list of birds that I've identified from Argentina and the US. It's growing, hopefully forever! I'm very excited to take my book with me on my trip and see what else I can find! You can click the image to see it more clearly.

Want more South America Sunday? Click it!

Thinking of you...

2009-06-21T12:18:00.002-04:00

Thinking of you..., originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Hi Dad!

I had my friend take this photo for me in Mendoza, Argentina while we were touring the vineyards. I couldn't believe it when I saw the John Deere! I had to give it a hug. It made me think of home and of you. I love you! Happy Father's Day!

Fiber Friday: World Wide Knit in Public Day

2009-06-19T20:11:00.003-04:00

More of the crew, and part of the crowd!, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I wasn't home for World Wide Knit in Public day this year! I knit in public all the time, but that's beside the point. KIP day is a chance to hang out with your friends and do what you love most! Knit!

I ended up participating in a charity knitting event sponsored by Coats. The reality is that the yarn suuuuucked. It was all acrylic crap. I know that it was a promotional thing but they didn't convince me! I actually ended up buggering my shoulder up a bit because I felt like I HAD to finish something. I didn't, and I'm not going to. I feel a bit guilty, but not guilty enough to hurt myself!

I had a really lovely time with my new knitting friends, and even made some even newer friends at the event. It was all very, very overwhelming because everyone spoke Spanish and I didn't know what was going on most of the time, but it was an adventure!

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This sweater hates me

2009-06-17T18:48:00.004-04:00

Deep Breath NaKniSweMoDo09 #? WIP, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I don't know what it is about this sweater! If you click through you'll notice that this photo was taken in February. FEBRUARY, and it's still an accurate representation of this sweater! (Not to mention that I started it on January 1st.) I stole the tips from it a couple months ago, and left a note in the bag stating what size they were. Turns out, I was wrong about the size (which explains why my other project wasn't getting gauge)so when I put the tips back on last week, they were a size too big. I managed to knit 4 inches, at about 300 stitches per round before I realized it was coming out too big. I set it aside for another week. When I picked it up I finally recognized the problem. Riiiiiiiiiip. It is not fun picking up 300 laceweight stitches. NOT FUN.

In any case, I'm knitting on it again, trying to catch myself back up, but because the yarn is coned I can't take it on my trip with me...so it's going to get shelved again in two weeks! Poor sweater...

...Unless (lightbulb!) I can figure out how to wind a center-pull ball off the cone without cutting the working yarn. This really would be the perfect travel project...

Do you have a project that plagues you? Tell me about it!

Want more WIP Wednesday? Click it!

~~~~~

On an unrelated note, insert whining about being sick, forgetting my script the first time I went to the lab for blood work, repeating the hour long trip, crying in public, and having an incredibly bad headache. I miss my mom.

I decided that if there was ever a time for another installment of BSPT this was it. So, without further ado...

Big, small, profound and trivial things I am grateful to have discovered since coming to Argentina:

I can travel. 15 hours in a sleeper bus really isn't all that bad, and it's not very expensive!

I love my 10-15 minute walk from the Subte to UCA and back. It's time to myself.

I am learning to cook, and enjoying it!

Living with a sorority girl scared me into flossing every single day. My teeth are happy for it.

I am living in a foreign country.

I love the small acting troup that sometimes ends up in the same Subte car as me. Sometimes I see them out in the real world...it's like spotting a celebrity!

What are you grateful for? What have you recently discovered? Tell me!!

Want more BSPT? Click it!

On the road again, goin' places that I've never been...

2009-06-15T16:28:00.003-04:00

This post isn't going to be just one song, but rather a bunch of songs that either directly relate to travel, or make me want to travel, or that I've always thought of as travel songs!

On the Road Again - Willie Nelson
I know it's kind of cheesy, but what better song to follow my travel map?!

Box of Rain - The Grateful Dead
This one isn't exactly a travel song, but I love these lines and think they fit this situation:
Walk out of any doorway
feel your way, feel your way
like the day before
Maybe you'll find direction
around some corner
where it's been waiting to meet you

Traveler's Prayer - Billy Joel

Che Guevara T-shirt - Richard Shindell

Crocadile Man - Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer
Wouldn't you know it? Whoever recorded that festival, I owe them a great deal.

Looking for more Music Monday? Click it!

SA Sunday: It's a plan!

2009-06-15T01:08:00.009-04:00

It's a plan!, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Two weeks from Tuesday my friend Ashley and I will embark on our cross-country adventure! We will be flying up north, then busing down through northwestern Argentina, into Chile, and then down and back into Argentina. This map shows our plans! The towns I hit are the "major" towns, or rather, our base camps. There are great places to see surrounding all of these areas, and we may end up spending some time in those as well! We're very excited, and trying hard to come up with a feasible budget plan for this. Ashley just bought her plane ticket to Jujuy, and I'm working on getting mine as well!

If you'd like to see the map larger so you can actually read some of it, click here!

From the top:
Jujuy, A
Salta, A
Tucuman, A
La Rioja, A
San Juan, A
Mendoza, A
Santiago, C
Valparaiso, C
Vildavia, C
Osorno, C
Bariloche, A
El Bolson, A
Buenos Aires, A

We're very excited! I'm not sure how consistent my blogging will be, but I promise to do my best!

Don't forget that my Etsy Discount Offer is still available, until this Thursday!

Want more SA Sunday? Click it!

Fiber Friday: Mandy Greer

2009-06-12T17:06:00.009-04:00

from The Silvering Path

Mandy Greer is a Seattle, WA based sculptor who's recent works are about "making visceral transitory states of the human emotional experience tangible through the overabundance of crocheted, knitted and sewn fabric." I can't recall how I stumbled across her blog (though I suspect that Ravelry was involved) but I'm incredibly drawn to her work!

This gorgeous image is a part of her newest process-based installation piece, Mater Matrix Mother and Medium. In this work Greer invites the public to take part in the creation of a 200ft fiber river, incorporating recycled yarns and fabrics, as a way of celebrating the urban streams and creeks of Seattle. She writes, "I want to make a space for dialogue, allowing people to tap into their emotional memories of water and their desires and frustrations concerning our relationship to the environment. Our hands will be knotting together ideas as we ask ourselves 'what has happened to our sense of the sacred quality of water?'"

from Mater Matrix Mother and Mater

If you're in Seattle this summer consider taking part! If you can't participate in person, follow along on her project-specific blog MaterMatrixMother

Looking for more Fiber Friday? Click it!

Keep it rolling!

2009-06-11T14:11:00.003-04:00

Etsy
Buy Handmade
RobinMarie

Last Thursday when I announced my "Giveaway, of sorts" I said that it would end today. Unfortunately I've been having some technical difficulties with my mailing list, and I don't want them to miss out! I've found a better system and I'm moving forward, but I've decided to extend my offer until next Thursday instead of ending it today! You have another week, so head on over to see how it works!

A huge thank you to all who have participated! The feedback is really helpful for me! Don't forget to pass this on to your friends, because the person who refers the most people gets a surprise gift!

WIP: Plaid!

2009-06-10T22:25:00.002-04:00

WIP: Plaid!, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Ok so admittedly it's very simple, but this here is my very first plaid! I really enjoy it, it's sort of like a puzzle. Next time I'm going to make it much more involved, and I'm still working on figuring out how much I can get away with in regards to wrapping up the sides to minimize all the tails. I feel like I've come a long way since I started my classes with Maria at Mario Vucetich, but it's so strange that I can't talk about weaving in English. I can barely talk about it in Spanish either, but better than this! When I get back to the states I'm going to have to do some reading, in English.

P.S. Still plugging away on Harry Potter and my Bariloche or Bust socks.

Want more WIP Wednesday? Click it!

Ten on Tuesday

2009-06-09T18:50:00.004-04:00

I'm jumping on the bandwagon because all the cool kids are doing it!

This week's Ten on Tuesday is 10 things I like to do with "Me" time, though my list is sort of a mix of what I like to do, and where I find me time. I need a lot of alone time, so this list was NOT hard for me.

1: Knit. Knit knit knit knit. Weaving too!

2: Sleep.

3: Cook. I'm learning, and I'm really beginning to enjoy it.

4: Clean. I know this is weird, but when I'm in the mood I love to crank up some music and clean.

5: Blog, and all the activities surrounding blogging, planning posts, taking photos...

6: Work. I know this might seem out of place, but I prefer to work alone. I like getting things done, it gives me a lot of pleasure, and I like when I can focus 100% and get a LOT done.

7: Read. I love to read, but it isn't often that I can convince myself to stop DOING stuff long enough to just sit down with a book. Once I'm into it I'm into it though. When I was younger that was totally different, but now I feel compelled to always be making or doing.

8: Get to places. For example, I walk about 15 minutes between the Subte and my uni. I like to walk alone and listen to some music and bop along. I also love driving to work or school by myself, because I can sing in the car.

9: Bum around the internet. Especially Ravelry, my Google Blog Reader, Etsy and Twitter.

10: Watch movies or tv shows or listen to audiobooks. This one compliments my first item. KNITTING.

11: (Sorry, had to add one more) I love drinking my morning Mate. I drink Mate socially as well, but I love sitting in my room getting my e-mails in order with my Mate.

On a sleepy endless ocean when the world lay in a dream...

2009-06-08T13:42:00.004-04:00

This is a song written by the late, great Dave Carter for himself and his partner Tracy Grammer. The song is called Gentle Arms Of Eden and is available on their album Drum Hat Buddha. It's a great album, I highly recommend it!

I didn't become aware of these two until after Dave had passed away, and that saddens me deeply. I was thrilled when I came across this video of them performing live, because I had never seen him play before! Dave and Tracy are another way that I have kept myself close to home while traveling. Their music is so rich and emotional that it moves me to tears at times. When I need to feel close to my family, this is the music I turn to. My younger brother covers a good number of Dave and Tracy's songs, and we have a great time singing them together as a family. This year I'll miss Tracy's performance at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and I'm hoping that my family will sing extra loud for me!

If you would like to hear more from Tracy she has some really great songs up on her MySpace page! I urge you to support her. I can't think of an album of theirs (or her's alone) that I don't recommend!

I have to add a bonus, because I can't only share one song! This is another family favorite. I didn't make this video, it was made by another Dave and Tracy fan. I think it's great!

Tanglewood Tree by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer from their album Tanglewood Tree.

Want more Music Monday? Click it!

I'm so glad I was in the Colombia section

2009-06-07T13:47:00.003-04:00

I'm so glad I was in the Colombia section, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Yesterday a friend of mine and a friend of hers planned to meet up for some gift shopping in Recoleta. Her friend arrived in a tizzy and said that her friend had 3 tickets to the Argentina vs Colombia World Cup Qualifying game, and would we like to go? $100 pesos each! Practically free, as soccer games go. "Of course!" we shouted. "Let's go!" she said. Game started at 6, and it was 4:15 already.

It wasn't until we were in a cab and positive that we were headed in the right direction that we found out we'd be sitting in the Colombia section because the tickets belonged to the girlfriend of the friend of the friend of my friend, who is Colombian (say that three times fast!).

We were a little nervous, because secretly we were crossing our fingers for Argentina, and we didn't want anyone to find out and beat us up! The truth of the matter is that after 10 minutes in the stadium it was clear that Colombia is SO MUCH MORE FUN than Argentina. We didn't hear a peep from the Argentine fans, but Colombia was all over it!

Game ended Argentina 1 : Colombia 0. After it ended security kept us up in the stands for about 45 minutes to let all the Argentine fans clear out. I've never been to a big sporting event. Is that normal? I can see the sense in it, but at the same time it was really late at night and we were cold and hungry!

The whole thing was a blast. I have lots of video, and I'm going to try and sort it out and piece it together a bit, even though the quality is pretty mediocre.

Because I don't know enough about the teams to give any real commentary, here's someone else's opinion!

Want more SA Sunday? Click it!

It's a Giveaway, of sorts!

2009-06-04T21:46:00.009-04:00

ETA: CLOSED. Thank you all for your participation and support!
~~~

More like a lottery, except everyone wins!

Here's the sitch. I'm coming home in about 2 months and when I get home I'm jumping right back into the Craft Fair circuit. I need to start ordering supplies, and planning projects now so that when I get home I don't waste any time! What I need is feedback. I want to know what you like, and what you don't like. I want to know what I should keep working on, and what I should let go.

The way in which you can help me is simple! Check out what I've got in my shop, and tell me what you like. There's more than what you see above, so click on over and really look around. Then leave me a comment or a Twitter including the item(s) and what you think!

Why should you do this for me? Because each item has been assigned a random number, and each number relates to a discount, ranging from free shipping to %20 off total purchase. You don't have to use your discount for that item, you can use it for whatever you want! Of course, you don't have to use it at all, if you don't want to! Make sure I can e-mail you (if your address isn't on your blog or something, send it to me) so I can give you your discount code.

One last thing. Spread the word, and ask them to refer to you! The person with the most referrals by next Thursday gets another special surprise!

Some notes:
You have from now until Thursday the 18th.
If you have more than one favorite item that's great! I'll give you the most valuable discount code that applies. Just don't tell me they're all your favorite because that's no help! (Though it is very sweet)
If you don't like anything, or have constructive criticism, I'm always open to that as well!

Please, please help me out people! I need some feedback around here!

~~~~~

Some comments I've gotten off-blog:

Vivbro tweets: "@Soasa Shine Earrings are gorgeous you should have a matching necklace..,Flight Necklace is beautiful too......."

SunShinePatchwork convo'd:
"Now these are unique and beautiful, keep this style up...: Orange Framed
Keep making these and all of your earthy designs....... this necklace is sweet: Earth Goddess Necklace: Flora
These are beautiful, I love them...but theres soooo many on Etsy, scared they are getting played out ya know." Orange"

WIP: Bariloche or Bust

2009-06-04T01:18:00.002-04:00

WIP: Bariloche or Bust, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

(It's really WIP Thursday morning now, but I figure if I haven't gone to sleep, it's still Wednesday! Thanks for nothing, UCA.)

I'm ending my big trip(which I promise to write more about soon) in Bariloche, Argentina, which is down in Patagonia. It's gonna be cold, especially considering it'll be late July, and I want to see all the outdoor sights! I'm trying to get some socks together so that I don't freeze!

This is my first foray into two at a time socks, and only the second time I've begun toe up socks (the last project is languishing in the closet, at the moment). So far I like it and find that it seems to move the process along, although one negative element I've encountered is that my first attempt was too large. Ripping back 2.5 inches on each sock really hurt. I had to start knitting right away after ripping because I was so afraid I'd just stuff them in the closet too!

I'm using this pattern from Silver with a 1x1 rib twisted on the purl, which I highly recommend, and Ballet from Fiesta, which I don't really recommend. It's soft, but SO splitty, and frogs like a nightmare.

Looking for more WIP Wednesday? Click it!

WIP Say What?

2009-06-03T11:43:00.005-04:00

Image a photo of the toes of two socks here. I can´t actually show you that photo because for some unexplained reason UCA has blocked access to Flickr.com (but not Myspace, Facebook, or myriad other sites that other universities, offices and schools have blocked). I thought I was so on the ball, uploading my photo to Flickr before I left so that I could write this post during my break. To paraphrase one of my professors Flickr is a portfolio that you don´t have to carry, but can always look at (assuming you have internet access). Not so here at UCA! Where am I, in China?

In any case, I´ll blog it tonight when I get home. There´s not much sense in talking about something you can´t see!

Canción Sencilla - Simple Song

2009-06-01T14:31:00.006-04:00

I have been meaning to write about Richard Shindell since I got to Argentina, but it wasn't until I started Music Monday that I found a way to bring him up. I first heard this song on "Vuelta" which was the first album he released after moving to Buenos Aires. Though I have always loved this song for it's simplicity, it wasn't until I revisited it today that I was able to understand not only all of the words, but also the sentiment. Vuelta means a number of things, including "turn", "return", "journey", "voyage" and "change", all of which are things I am experiencing here, on my adventure. I can't speak for Shindell, but after spending a lot of time with this song (while compiling all the lyrics for the above video) I am beginning to feel as if this is a love song to Argentina, to his new home. I can't say I share his unconditional love, but this is what I strive to feel towards this country. Right now, this is how I feel about my home, in NY.

I've been talking for several weeks (ok, months) with my best friend Amanda, who is currently working in New Orleans, about whether or not she will be coming home. She told me today that she is back in NY for the week, to think about whether to stay in NOLA or not. She tells me all she can think of is New Orleans. It's home to her now. She could sing this song to the city, and mean every word of it.

A note about the subjunctive: Subjunctive is a conjugation in Spanish that can be used in the past, present or future to imply doubt, uncertainty, or flexibility. It's sort of the difference between stating something as fact (I know) or stating something as opinion (I think). When Shindell refers to the fascinating, impenetrable mystery that he doesn't need to understand because his love is certain, that's what he's referring to.

Want more Music Monday? Click it!

Rituals

2009-05-31T13:51:00.003-04:00

Morning Ritual, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I love my maté. Really love it. A couple weeks ago I bought that great thermos on the left. It's incredible! I put hot water in it at 7am and opened it at 2:30pm and it burned me!

Tons of people in Argentina drink maté, but not nearly as many as do in Uruguay. In Uruguay every second or third person has a thermos under their arm, everywhere they go. Here in Argentina it's a really communal activity, similar to smoking a bowl, with it's own etiquette and language. (Except that it's legal, and instead of giving you munchies it makes you less hungry, and instead of making you tired it gives you energy.) One unspoken rule is that when you're sick you don't drink from a shared maté, which means that for more than a month I've been drinking my maté all alone. This might seem sad, but I actually enjoy my little quiet morning ritual.

I've started a new ritual with myself, and I thought it particularly appropriate to share it here. I've turned into a real whiner in the last couple of months. It's hard to read and hear about all my friends starting their gardens, going on hikes, and heading off to festivals when I'm here in Argentina, at a point in my trip that's pretty anticlimactic. At this point I just live here, and there's no dirt to put my feet in. I've worked on a farm for two summers now, and I miss it! I'm really just homesick, I know, but it makes me feel resentful towards Argentina, which is wrong!

My new ritual involves writing in my journal, my real journal. I've started to keep a list of everything I'm grateful for, or that I've learned or discovered since I've been here. It' helps! I had an incredibly productive day yesterday, based on the fact that I realized the upside of having too much free time! This is the free time I always wanted! I had two fabulous ideas yesterday, and the wheels are in motion to actually pursue them!

I've decided to share some of my list each week, so here's today's bunch! It's not all significant and huge, but it all makes a difference in my life.

Big, small, profound and trivial things I am grateful to have discovered since coming to Argentina:
I can converse, more or less, in Spanish!
I love drinking maté with friends, but I also love my morning ritual
I can enjoy a beer, in a bar, with the right friends
Ceci, Steve, Ali and Ashley
I have time to knit
I got to explore the city with Mom and Paula, it was wonderful!

The list is really long, so I'm breaking it up over time.

Now, I want to know, what are your rituals? What keeps you on track? What never fails to bring you joy?

Looking for more SA Sunday? Click it!

FO: Quick 'n Dirty Socks

2009-05-29T20:54:00.004-04:00

FO: Quick 'n Dirty Socks III, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Pattern: Modified from Fjord Felted Slippers by Cathy Campbell
Size: CO 40st
Materials: 80 yds Yanabey Lana Mecha
Needles: #9, 5.5mm
Start Date: May 16, 2009
Finish Date: May 22, 2009
On Ravelry

I realize that I blogged these slipper socks a week or so ago for WIP Wednesday, but the truth is I finished them about 6 hours after I posted that! I've been wearing them as slippers around the house. The yarn is VERY loosely twisted, so when I wash them I've found that I sort of have to groom them which is a bit of a pain. Never the less these socks are very very warm, and I'll be making more because I love how comfortable they are! I'm surprised by how soft the Yanabey wool turned out to be.

To make these slipper socks (damn, I really don't know what to call them!) I CO 40 stitches, knit a 3x1 rib for about an inch, then did a knit row, a centered decrease at the back, one more knit row, one more decrease, and then saved the 16 heel stitches, knit to desired length, knit the toe, and knit the heel! The first time around I actually knit the heel before finishing the foot so that I could measure how long to make them. I sort of followed the pattern, but not really. Super easy! Next time I'll cast on fewer stitches, though I do enjoy the loose cuff. Maybe just a few less.

Looking for other Fiber Friday Posts? Click it!

There's a word for it!

2009-05-28T10:43:00.004-04:00

There's a word for why I don't always want to go out and party, why if someone shows up two hours early for a get together, I'm likely to run out of steam before I planned, and why my mom is always telling me to make sure I have my own space. There's a word for why I find craft fairs as exhausting, and turn grouchy at the thought. There's a word for why I totally panicked when I realized what exactly this Study Abroad adventure would entail.

"Do you know someone who needs hours alone every day? Who loves quiet conversations about feelings or ideas, and can give a dynamite presentation to a big audience, but seems awkward in groups and maladroit at small talk? Who has to be dragged to parties and then needs the rest of the day to recuperate? Who growls or scowls or grunts or winces when accosted with pleasantries by people who are just trying to be nice?

If so, do you tell this person he is "too serious," or ask if he is okay? Regard him as aloof, arrogant, rude? Redouble your efforts to draw him out?

....

What is introversion? In its modern sense, the concept goes back to the 1920s and the psychologist Carl Jung. Today it is a mainstay of personality tests, including the widely used Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Introverts are not necessarily shy. Shy people are anxious or frightened or self-excoriating in social settings; introverts generally are not. Introverts are also not misanthropic, though some of us do go along with Sartre as far as to say "Hell is other people at breakfast." Rather, introverts are people who find other people tiring.

Extroverts are energized by people, and wilt or fade when alone. They often seem bored by themselves, in both senses of the expression. Leave an extrovert alone for two minutes and he will reach for his cell phone. In contrast, after an hour or two of being socially "on," we introverts need to turn off and recharge. My own formula is roughly two hours alone for every hour of socializing. This isn't antisocial. It isn't a sign of depression. It does not call for medication. For introverts, to be alone with our thoughts is as restorative as sleeping, as nourishing as eating. Our motto: 'I'm okay, you're okay—in small doses.'"

Caring for your Introvert by Jonathan Rauch as discovered on Barbara's blog.

WIP: 'arry Potter!

2009-05-27T22:34:00.007-04:00

Work in Progress, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Aha! And you thought all I did anymore was knit! (That's sort of true, actually.) My latest challenge is reading Harry Potter! "A challenge?" you may ask. "Yes!" I will say, because it is in Spanish! Depending on my level of concentration, it can be really slow going. I have to be in just the right mindset, or I'll either obsess over looking up every single word, or I'll look at every word as if I'm reading, but not take any of it in. Last week I had a great read, for a whole hour I just sat outside my Uni building and read. I think I made it through about 20 pages! Currently Ron and Harry are meeting Professor Trelawney, which is funny in any language. It's helpful that I already know the story pretty well, but I like to think I'm doing alright! One thing I didn't consider is the fact that most of the book is written in the past tense (woe is me!) Also, the Spanish don't use quotation marks, they often use "em dashes" (as in this book) which takes a helluva long time to get used to!

As it turns out, I was wrong about the 50 Book Challenge serving it's purpose and getting me back in the reading habit. This is only the second book I've read for pleasure ALL YEAR. NOT OKAY. Anywho, since I really can't be bothered to do anything that isn't on Ravelry (okay, all I do is knit) and Ravelry has a 52 book challenge group I figured, why not? I'll jump back on the horse. I started May 17th. So far I've read 1 and a half. I have until April 1st, 2010. Here goes!

Looking for other WIP Wednesday posts? Click it!

Nobody wants to change their own mind...

2009-05-25T14:11:00.006-04:00

Is Love Enough - Michael Franti and Spearhead

Usually Memorial Day is a family holiday, a day off, a day to spend with the people I love. This year it's different because I'm far away, in another country, and I've been thinking. I've gotten a range of reactions from people when I tell them that I'm from the US. Most of the positive ones are from people who think NYC is a magical place, and they imagine that I live there and ride around in a limo and drink champagne with supermodels. Not so. Most often I get sort of an awkward "ohhh". You really reflect on your own country when you leave it behind, even if it's temporary, because you have to learn to navigate in your new environment, with new cultural norms and new social laws.

I've been robbed twice now (as I've written about) and my initial reaction is rage. Rage at a government for not employing adequate security in a HUGE city, rage at an economic structure that causes so many people to exist with so little. After fuming and storming for a while I realized what I really feel is rage at this society in which so few people extend a hand, or a smile, much less any help. Two weeks ago I started buying cookies and juice for a family of children that sits at the corner near my Subte stop. I've made friends with the business owners on my street, the man in the hardware store, the guys in the produce market, the Chinese family that owns the supermarket, the woman from Peru who sells fruit in the market on Estado de Israel. Once a week or so I visit the used book vendors near my Subte stop at school to have a chat and see what they've got. To get robbed after making these connections, after finally building a little community for myself, was almost enough to make me pull back completely. It has occurred to me over the last few days that if I do that I'll only be perpetuating the problem here. I can't fix the economy, I can't make the city hire more police, but I can show people that I care, that I am interested in their stories. I can show them that I am human, and they are human, and we are all human together. We all have stories, in that we are all the same.

It was difficult to find a song that was appropriate for today because I wasn't sure how I was feeling about the day. I'm not a political blogger, and I'm grateful for that. I hesitate to share political views because so often they shut down opportunities for conversation, rather than opening them. I'm still an idealist. I support our troops as human beings, and because they protect the rights that I have as a citizen of the United States. I do not support the global social and political mindset in which guns and bombs are necessary to secure our beliefs. I do not support the decision to bowl through other countries on the basis that we know what is good for them, without allowing them to search for their own new way of life. I believe in human connections, regardless of how we name it in our churches and temples. I believe we should bring our troops home because if we really, truly respected them as human beings we would not ask them to die for us without first trying to resolve our problems in a human, non-violent way. We are distinct in the animal kingdom because we alone have the ability to chose how we arrive at our future. I believe we should exercise that ability and speak, in memory of all who have given their one, single, irreplaceable life.

Looking for more Music Monday? *They're usually not politically driven!*

Onion, Carrot, Garbanzo Bean Soup!

2009-05-24T16:25:00.003-04:00

Onion, Carrot, Garbanzo Bean Soup!, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Yum! There is nothing like second day soup! My journey of cooking for myself is ongoing, and this was my adventure last night. I set out to make this Broccoli, Onion, Garbanzo Bean soup from my new favorite food blog Farmgirl Fare but it veered off path pretty quickly. To start with, despite having about eight fresh produce shops and five supermarkets within three blocks of my house, no one had broccoli worth feeding to a chicken, if they had it at all! I subbed in some carrots instead.

I ended up using:
2 huge carrots
3 small yellow onions
4 medium cloves of garlic
1 can of garbanzos, rinsed
2 cans of water with three SA sized chicken bullion cubes (that means tiny, by the way)
1/4 tsp cayenne
Salt and pepper
1/8th cup of cream

I cooked the onions and carrots in olive oil for a bit, added the garlic, then added the garbanzos, cayenne, water and bullion cubes, simmered for about 20 minutes, added salt and pepper and blasted it with the immersion blender (which I officially cannot live without.) I added the cream later when it had cooled a bit. I couldn't resist eating some last night when I finished making it, but most of it went in the fridge, and I just ate some now! I am really proud of myself. I've definitely had some failures in the past couple of months (and choked them down so as not to waste food) but this one I would actually feed to other people! Yay! It's simple and cheap and SO good. I garnished it with some Finlandia (it's like a really, really light cream cheese) diced red peppers, and tarragon.

Next time I'm going to add spinach to get some more iron in it, and roasted red peppers because they are delicious. Also, a little less cream.

Ravelry Meet-up, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2009-05-24T14:05:00.002-04:00

Ravelry Meet-up, Buenos Aires, Argentina, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Yesterday I finally made it to the new Buenos Aires monthly Ravelry meetup! This started in March because a few of us out-of-towners wanted to meet the local knitters, but I was never able to make it as it always fell on the weekend of my Birds class. Ravelry has a strong fanbase here in BsAs. There must have been 18 of 20 of us, knitting together in the food court at the big shopping center, Abasto. There was one particular security guard who was very curious about what we were doing, and he kept walking around us, but every time I said hello he scurried away. We had a blast:)

This photo isn't even of all of us! I didn't realize I had my camera with me until a bunch of folks had left. What fun we had! So many people from so many places! Canada, Portugal, Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, USA, and I'm sure I'm missing some! Ravelry is amazing!

FO: Toasty Gold, Project Spectrum: East

2009-05-22T18:26:00.002-04:00

Toasty Gold Project Spectrum: East, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Pattern: Toasty by Leslie Friend
Size: CO 26st
Materials: 60-70 yds Yanabey Lana Mecha
Needles: #8, 5.0mm
Start Date: May 9, 2009
Finish Date: May 15, 2009
On Ravelry

This is one of the simplest patterns ever, but it's effective! My hands have been freezing because my desk is right under a really drafty window, and the wind blows right in on me while I'm using my computer. I'm using this same yarn for my Quick 'n Dirty socks, and for those I'm using a size 9 needle. I may even go up to a 10 next time I use it. These mitts are really dense. They keep me warm, that's for sure!

I chose this color because our Project Spectrum color for these two months is yellow, and it reminded me of the deep gold color often worn by Zen Buddhist monks. I figure that reaction made it perfect for our direction!

On Getting Robbed in Argentina

2009-05-22T00:06:00.005-04:00

Apparently it's a rite of passage. Apparently you have not lived in Argentina until you've been robbed. In that case, consider me initiated.

I was saving the first part of this story for a rainy day, so to speak, but after tonight's events I think I'll just spill. About a month ago I was bird watching with my South American Birds class, and we were sitting in a field on a nature reserve drinking mate when two young guys walked up to us, pulled out a gun, and robbed all 12 of us sitting there in the grass. I was pissed. It's a horrible feeling, to watch someone take something from you and know there's nothing you can do about it. We were by all logic absolutely safe. A large group of people, daylight, not carrying much, dressed in our grubs because we were sludging through mud. We were not flashy, we were not making a scene, but we still got robbed.

When someone puts a gun to your face your body sort of takes over (and if it doesn't, you should let it.) While in your head you obviously don't want this person taking your stuff, the fact that there's a gun in your face makes you give it up because honestly, it's probably not loaded and it might not even be real, but you've only got one brain, and you can buy another pair of binoculars. Until now I was able to find humor in the irony of our getting robbed, while in a nature reserve watching birds. It's humorous. It doesn't erase the fact that I'm jumpy as all hell as a result.

I have hardly left the house since then. Yes, I've been sick, but mostly I've been tired and afraid. I'm tired of jumping out of my skin every time someone looks at me funny or approaches me too quickly. I'm tired of clinging to my backpack, of leaving my camera at home, of exiting the ATM with my heart in my throat and my money in my bra.

This evening I went out for the first time in 5 weeks. I went to meet my friends at a jazz concert in a university. I walked 15 blocks down well lit avenues, didn't meet anyone's eye, just looked straight ahead. I had examined the map before I left so I would know where I was going. I had only a small purse, with the money I might need for the evening, a scarf, tissues and a cell phone (my new one, since the other was stolen.) I turned the final corner, off the main avenue, and I could see my friends standing outside the music hall. I walked past a young woman sitting on a step, and two steps later another woman stepped out in front of me and asked for money. I was late. I said "No, I'm sorry" and tried to pass. She stepped in front of me again and tried to grab my purse. I turned around to cross the street away from her and the other woman was behind me. They backed me into a corner and started grabbing at my purse again, yelling at me. One had her hand in her pocket. I gave them my money, $100 pesos. I gave them my Metro card with another $20 pesos in it. They tried to take my other cards but I showed them my student ID and said that was all I had. I insisted I still hadn't bought another cell phone since the last time I got robbed. I insisted I didn't have anything left. I was pissed. They were my size. I should have hit them. I should have refused to give them my money. I work hard for what I have, they don't deserve it any more than I do. Why should they have my money? Why should they be able to tell me what to do?

I crossed the street and joined my friends. I told them, through tears of embarrassment and frustration, what had happened. One told me that her profesora had been robbed on the same corner by two women, likely the same, and that when she refused to give them money they pulled knives on her. They told me I had done the right thing. They told me it was better to give up the money than to fight.

They have never been robbed. It's about dignity. It's about faith in human kind. It's about not being afraid to go to the grocery store, to cross the street, to leave the house. Why didn't I make a scene, draw attention to myself, try and scare them away? Why can't I defend myself? The fact of the matter is they have the power. It's easy to think what I might have done, now that it's over, but if you find yourself backed into a dark corner by two people desperate enough to rob someone in public, your instinct is to find the path of least resistance. If you're living in someone else's country, under someone else's laws, that means giving it up. They say getting robbed is a right of passage, that you've truly been here once you've experienced it. If this is how I'm supposed to feel living here, I want nothing of it.

WIP: Quick 'n Dirty

2009-05-20T11:37:00.003-04:00

Quick 'n Dirty, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

My feet are cold. I'm knitting these slipper socks from a felted slipper pattern, but I'm not going to felt them because I'm too cold to knit a pair of socks 5 times too big for me then felt them and wait for them to dry. So really, I'm looking at a pattern for felted slippers, and sort of kind of following it. I didn't follow the heel direction correctly (it's a toe decrease heel, I've never done that before but it's definitely quick n' dirty!) but I'm not taking the mistake out because I don't want to reknit it! Usually I'm very prideful of my work, and I want it to look good and I'll frog it if it doesn't. In this situation, so long as it fits on my foot, I'm happy! So far, so good!

Looking for the FO? It's been blogged!

Looking for more WIP Wednesdays? Click it!

I Named Him Harold

2009-05-18T22:42:00.001-04:00

I Named Him Harold, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

What did you do this evening? I was busy extracting Harold from the fan in my computer.

Little bird, little bird fly through my window...

2009-05-18T15:11:00.004-04:00

Little Bird, Little Bird - Elizabeth Mitchell
I first encountered this wonderful song by Elizabeth Mitchell over on Cover Lay Down, the awe-inspiring blog of a teacher and friend of mine. Since then I've been unable to resist an ear to ear grin every time I hear it. I hum it on my way to birdwatching class, in the shower, and pretty much everywhere else. Not only is it name-appropriate for my new blog title, but it's an absolutely lovely song!

There was no video on YouTube, and rather than just provide a link to the audio I decided it would be fun to see what sort of child-bird related items I could find on Etsy.com. I hope you enjoy what I discovered! There were so many beautiful pieces, I couldn't include every single one, but you'll see that I added the names of the shops to each photo so you can go and see more if you want!

Looking for more Music Monday? Click it!

South America Sunday: My View

2009-05-17T16:24:00.003-04:00

My view, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Every day that I go to school I walk by this amazing view on my way to and from the Subte. The bridge is the Puente de la Mujer by Santiago Calatrava and is located at Dique 3, Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The ship is a cool floating museum that I don't know anything about because I've never actually been on it. Some day I'll have to make a point of visiting it.

I really enjoy this walk, even when I'm late. It takes me about 15 minutes, and I get a kick out of watching all the people sightseeing because I hear so many different languages. Along this strip there is an interesting combination of restaurants ranging from Hooters and TGI Fridays to some of the finest dining in the city. There are tons of benches set out along the river and they always have kissy-face couples and napping office workers sprawled across them. It's a people watching extravaganza!

FO: Seaweed Shawlette, Project Spectrum: North

2009-05-15T19:56:00.004-04:00

Seaweed Shawlette Project Spectrum: North, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Pattern: Storm Cloud Shawlette by Hanna Breetz
Size: 78 rows
Materials: 225 yds of The Alpaca Yarn Co. Paca-Peds HT in Green Gator
Needles: #8, 5.0mm
Start Date: April 29, 2009
Finish Date: May 9, 2009
On Ravelry

I knit this shawl for the North season of Project Spectrum. I had half a skein left after knitting another scarflette that I'll blog about later, and after feeling how soft the first project came out I had to make something for myself from it as well! I finished it just in time, as the temp dropped over the weekend, and I haven't taken it off all week! I think I'm actually going to knit a couple more, as it makes great commuter knitting and it isn't too boring! Plus, no purling. I don't usually like garter stitch, but in this situation I think it really works.

I recommend both the yarn and the pattern! I ended up using the heel/toe coordinating ball for the last 10 rows or so, and I really enjoy how that turned out.

Intent Update

2009-05-14T11:00:00.002-04:00

You may or may not remember my Statement of Intent to keep track of what I was eating and when in order to figure out why my energy was so low. Turns out I was basically starving myself. Oops. Also, very unlike me! It's basically a result of my stomach (and I think maybe my heart)being homesick. Turns out I enjoy eating a lot less when I'm alone.

On Monday I set out intent on cooking some food that would be appealing to me and make me want to eat. Remember my new-found faith in the connectedness of all people? I stumbled across Farmgirl Fare a great blog about food, from a lady who lives on a farm:) Can't get much closer to home than that!

I went for two recipes: Use it or lose it lentil escarole soup and Slice of Toasted Heaven Lemon Coconut "Bread". I didn't follow either recipe very well, because I didn't have a measuring cup or spoon, so I did everything by ratios...sort of. I did the "bread" first, using a drinking glass (which I believe is closer to a cup and a half) as a measuring cup, and sort of eyeballed everything else. It came out pretty well but I'd use more coconut and vanilla extract and less lemon juice next time. It's delicious though, and I love it and recommend it. Toast it! She's not kidding. It reminds me of a blueberry lemon pound cake my mom makes. If I can find blueberries here I'm going to add them next time.

While that was baking (for 40 minutes instead of 60-70, because Ceci's gas oven is different that what we normally use) I started up the soup, again with no measuring cup. I also only had one tomato, and no escarole. I used two kinds of lentils, and a ton of carrots, and probably not enough liquid so it's pretty thick. I also added a little cayenne, and cooked up some hamburger in Penzey's Southwest Seasoning that Mom gave me! I threw that in after I blended everything. I don't want to brag, but lentil soup is one of my favorite things on the planet, and this may be some of the best lentil soup I've ever eaten. I am very proud of myself. It also keeps me going all day! I made enough that I can probably eat it for 10 meals, so I threw a bunch in the freezer for next time I'm craving it.

I was only on Farmgirl Fare for a short time, but I have about a dozen recipes I want to try. I can't recommend her more!

Two at a time!

2009-05-13T19:30:00.002-04:00

Two at a time!, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I learned a new stitch in my weaving class this past weekend, called something funny that I can't remember. I'll have to ask when I go back on Monday. At first working with two bobbins at once was a pain, but I'm getting the hang of it!

I'm really enjoying my weaving class. It reminds me of taking classes at Off the Beaded Path except in a second language in a foreign country (which is weird, because I don't know the English words for anything I'm learning.) It's nice to do something besides my uni classes because I get to meet other Argentines. I'm making friends with some ladies in one of my favorite shops!

You got roots cannot be torn from under...

2009-05-11T17:15:00.007-04:00

The Be Good Tanyas - Human Thing

I love this song and the video as well. It reminds me of a book my mom has from long ago, with all sorts of beautiful, earth-loving drawings in it. I spent the day cooking in a soul-hungry attempt to eat some food that really tasted of home, and this song makes me feel at home even though I'm far away.

You can find more information about The Be Good Tanyas on their website. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Looking for more Music Monday? Click it!

South America Sunday: Little Bird, Big World

2009-05-10T16:31:00.006-04:00

"Little Bird, Big World" Inspiration, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I took this photo while waiting on the corner of my street, Loyola, and the closest avenida, Scalebrini Ortiz. I was just sitting watching cars and people rush by, and this little pigeon was standing at the edge of the crosswalk. I snapped this shot and that's when the new name for my blog occurred to me. I feel a lot like a little pigeon here, just one in the crowd with people rushing by and paying me very little mind. Every day when I leave the house I'm not sure what I'll experience, what I'll come across, who I'll encounter. Leaving the house I feel like a little bird getting pushed out of the nest, learning to fly for fear of falling.

Fiber Friday

2009-05-08T12:01:00.001-04:00

A Note: You may have noticed that things have changed around here. I've decided not to switch to WordPress after all the technical trouble I've been though already with them. It seemed more practical to keep my account here and just work with it. I still have some things to fix, such as the date to post title ratio (why is the date HUGE and the title tiny?) that so far has proved totally illogical. I'm actually very proud of how much I've learned in the last couple of days. What do you think? Is it too cluttered? I can't tell if I just need to get used to it or if I don't like it...Let me know your opinion(s)!

All that said, let's get to my fun new tradition! Fiber Friday! I have so many fun fiber things going on that I'd love to constantly bombard you with photos, but I'm trying to restrain myself. One on Friday, and maybe a WIP Wednesday... if I'm looking for an excuse.

Oops, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

The big pile on the left is mostly pure cotton with one chartreuse skein of cotton/silk blend. All that is destined to become a woven skirt (I hope!) In the back there are two beautifully rich skeins of pure wool, the deep gold a the gem tone variegated. The light green with the shawl pin is for my weaving class on Saturday, and it's an acrylic/wool blend. Before anybody freaks out that I went out and bought so much yarn today let me divulge, I did not spend more than U$S35. Yes, you read that correctly. South America is on my side this time!

Sandra Backlund

2009-05-07T18:20:00.012-04:00

Photo by Annika Aschberg

Where have I been? Under a rock? How could I have possible missed this woman and her work!? I came across her on Cubist Literature!'s Flickr page and from there found SandraBacklund.com which you should ALL check out because it's fantastic! Her current collection is beautifully feminine, but has a strange floral/insect/sci-fi vibe to it.

Photo by John Scarisbrick

I find it incredibly compelling both visually and technically. Each piece has its own structure and design that is completely unique to her work. I think that they are compelling images for any person, regardless of their level of fiber-obsession. (Who, me?) Personally I find that they lead my mind towards some sort of tribal armor, but not to the point that they're kitschy or obvious, just refreshing and powerful.

Photo by John Scarisbrick

"My work is very personal to me. I improvise and allow myself to lose control and see what happens if I do not think so much about practical things."
-Sandra Backlund

If that's not inspiring, I don't know what is.

To move or not to move...

2009-05-06T11:43:00.002-04:00

I've been quite for a few days because I'm pondering the possibility of moving my blog over to a WordPress account. I've been toying with a new blog name and just generally hoping to jumpstart my enthusiasm and find some real direction in my content. My biggest problem with Blogger is the comment system. I can't directly reply to comments, and that bugs me. Additionally I'd love a three column theme, but can't seem to find one on Blogger without some seriously confusing techy stuff. That said, so far WordPress has been nothing but a pain for me, and in reality their themes are very limited.

Does anyone have any opinion? Advice on how to adapt my Blogger blog to a three column layout? I started out fully convinced that I wanted to switch to WordPress, but now I'm wondering if there isn't a way I can compromise with Blogger.

This is all I see!

2009-05-03T13:18:00.005-04:00

This is all I see!, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I'm absolutely hooked on weaving. My class yesterday was wonderful, and I understood a great deal of it, though the new vocabulary is a bit tricky. We learned to warp the loom and all that is involved with that, as well as a good bit of history (although I can't say I have any idea what she said regarding that...)

Weaving is a great way to utilize some of the yarn I have that I can't knit with! Cottons, silks, even acrylics... I'm so excited to finally get into some of the pretty yarns I have! The picture above is of my second project...Yes I was so enthused when I got home yesterday that I finished the class project and warped a second because I couldn't wait to use the cute peachy cotton yarn I had in my drawer!

Check out my Project Spectrum Set on Flickr for more of what I'm working on!

Statement of Intent

2009-05-01T23:13:00.005-04:00

Self-Eval, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I have something I need to declare, and I need to state it publicly because it's harder to back out of something once you've told other people you'll do it (I hope.) Starting tomorrow (only because I already can't remember today's list) I'm writing every single thing I eat or drink in that little book in the image above (which also happens to be my impromptu knitting idea book, so the incentive to carry it around is good.)I haven't decided what to do with that information yet.

I think I just need to take stock.

I know I eat a ton of those cute high-fiber crackers with suns and wheat stalks imprinted on them.
I know I eat a ton of lite Finlandia cheese (cream cheese but a lot lighter.)
I know I eat a lot of Activia yogurts, because they have the best flavors...(unfortunately the low-fat one's suck.)
I eat a lot of tomatoes...

My energy is really low, and I'm always hungry.
I can't summon the energy to go out with Ceci and friends because I can't handle having to speak The Language all night.
My mood is swinging violently.
I can't seem to kick the cough lodged in my chest.
I think I'm sleeping way too much.

I think I'll add also that I'm keeping track of how much I sleep, how much I get out of the house and how my energy levels feel throughout the day.

Basically I want to be able to write a post like this. Or this. Or this.

I feel like with all the hustle before I left for this trip I didn't get to do my yearly self-evaluation and re-adjustment and I think now is the time. Something's gotta give or I'm going to waste this adventure away...

East: Weaving Yellow

2009-04-29T21:55:00.003-04:00

East: Weaving Yellow, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

Hello y'all!

I'm still alive! Still in South America too:) This post has nothing to do with that though, sorry.

Recently I joined in on a year-long journey called Project Spectrum. You can read a bit about it and see some group photos here! Also more of my photos here! The idea is to incorporate a special focus involving color into your everyday creative practices. This year's theme is Cardinal Directions, and we are just wrapping up North and it's associated color, which was green. We are moving into East, and yellow! For that I am excited to announce that I'm taking a weaving class and it begins on Saturday! I'm really thrilled, as weaving is something I've wanted to learn for a long time and never found the time or money for. What better time than this? Above is a photo of my new loom, and my first skein of yellow yarn!

Success!

2009-04-21T12:55:00.003-04:00

, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I haven't mentioned this here, but I've been on a mission to find a hula hoop here in Argentina. It's a great way to exercise, and I really miss my hoop back home! It's not a very common item here in AR, so I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find the materials or a pre-fab hoop to buy. Wouldn't you know that one block from my house there's a hardware store with everything I needed for about $5 US?!

The kindly man in the hardware store really didn't understand what was going on, but he was very nice and helpful and interested in learning what I was doing. Broken Spanish be damned, we're makin' friends! Thanks for all your help Fernando!

You can tell how anxious I was to finish based on my CRAP tape job:) I was rushing so fast! It's a bit different from what I'm used to, more flexible and lighter. I had some difficulty with it but I figure it's been about 6 months since I hooped, I was hooping on the sidewalk outside my building, and my shirt has lycra and rayon in it...slippery! I think this one will work out nicely once I get the environment right. Need music, for sure!

My first Argentine hoop! They don't seem to have much of a hoop culture here...I hope I find some folks!

You can find a couple more shots here on my Flickr page.

Faith

2009-04-20T23:50:00.003-04:00

I made my flatmate laugh today...in Spanish. Through her I am beginning to find faith. Faith in the power of human connections that erase all barriers of language and culture and make all things possible for those who are willing to open their hearts and minds.

For the mom with endless patience...

2009-04-19T12:29:00.004-04:00

I am a terrible daughter! My mom and Paula (my dad's cousin) came to visit me during the last week of March, for 8 days! We had an absolute blast, and I've been promising (and failing) to post pictures for about three weeks now. Well, today's the day!! Here you go!

I've added all the photos I have to a folder on my Flickr Page so that you can see them!

Last Minute!

2009-03-17T13:30:00.003-04:00

I'm on my way out the door because I've just decided to join some friends in a quick bus trip to Mendoza!
I'll be back on Friday morning in order to make it to a class.

My Unforgettable 21st Birthday...

2009-03-08T20:25:00.020-04:00

(Click any photo to enlarge)

...was spent in Cabo Polonio, Uruguay, population 80 people, 90 diseased dogs, and thousands of fleas.

Above is a photo of our shack, and us waiting outside in the rain for the monster truck to come carry us away. (Little did we know that there wouldn't be another bus out for six and a half hours.)

(My bedroom)

(The shower...also the bathroom)

Cabo Polonio is first and foremost a beach town, and seeing as it was pretty much raining for the entire time, there wasn't much to do once we had visited the 6 little vendor stands and climbed the lighthouse (which is not called "casa de luz", just so you know for future reference). Below you'll find a view of the entire town...

We spent the better part of the trip sitting in the one open restaurant drinking wine and watching the waves and the rain. Really that's about all we did in the 18 hours we were there. The people (all three of them) in the restaurant were very nice, and we practiced lots of Spanish, sang some songs, and ate a couple meals there. The waiter even brought me some flan with a candle in it!

Somehow we slept in the icky beds in the icky house (it helped that there was no electricity so we could not see where we were sleeping) and the following morning (my real birthday) we woke up to a drippy roof, and that brings us back to the first photo of this post. We caught the monster truck (here's a shot of ours from when we first arrived) intending to catch the bus that should have come at 8:40am.

We got the the bus stop, it was pouring rain by then, and waited for a bit. No bus. Nikki and Alison went to ask when the bus would be coming and discovered that since it was raining there would only be one bus...at 3pm...
They asked to use the phone to call a cab to get us into a town. No minutes left on the phone...So they asked to buy a phone card from the little stand next door..."The kiosco won't be opening today because it's raining..."
Not taking no for an answer, but ready to kill someone, Alison found an old man to drive us into town in the back of his truck for UY$400 pesos. They assured us there would be more buses leaving from the terminal there in Castillos. Turns out the bus didn't leave there until 2:45...the same bus we would have caught. Fine, we say, we're in a town at least! Turns out Castillos has the highest suicide rate in Uruguay, because there's nothing to do there...
seriously.

Anyhow, we eventually made our way back to Montevideo, hooked up with the rest of our travel group and some new friends found in Punta del Diablo, and the new friends took us out for a fabulous Asado! It was a grand old party and we went out later and they sang me happy birthday in 6 languages!

Back to our familiar and comfortable hostel for the evening, and then we caught the Buquebus ferry home in the AM. Can you see how happy we are to be going home? It was a great trip, and I'd do it all again, but it certainly got a bit tense at times! For 9 people to head of on an adventure like that when half had only known one another for 24 hours is pretty crazy, but the fact that we all came home fabulous friends is a gift!

Shake Your Monedas!

2009-03-05T17:05:00.008-05:00

(click any image to enlarge)

We made it home from Uruguay! It was quite a trip! Our group ranged from 7 to 9 on any given day, and we got quite a bit of traveling done in only 6 days. We started out in Montevideo, which was a great little city, although we really had no idea where anything was, and there didn't seem to be many people there when we arrived on Friday. I think people must head out to the beaches on the weekends. The boat left late (typical) and it was pretty much dark when we finally got off in the city. We wandered a bit until we found a hostel with room for 9, and then went out for some dinner and dancing.

(This is what happens when you order a hamburger with the works...)

From Montevideo we went on to Punta del Diablo, out on the eastern coast of Uruguay. It is a quiet little beach town with no ATM and only a handful of restaurants. Nikki was brilliant this time around and called ahead to make a reservation at a hostel owned by a young couple from Wisconsin. It still took us forever to find, and when we got there our reservation was under some strange name, but we got to stay!

The beach was just a short walk away, and on the beach was the restaurant that belonged with the Hostel. Both were great! Some of us went horseback riding through a national park one evening, which was much more painful than we remembered it being from when we were young, but was an adventure none-the-less!

I'm going to stop here, but we did do further traveling, it just needs its own post because it was ridiculous! Punta del Diablo was definitely our favorite spot the whole trip, and when we made the decision to move on to Cabo Polonio we really had no idea what we were in for...

Hola!

2009-02-27T09:26:00.004-05:00

I have pictures and lots to write about, but I'm on my way to catch the boat over to Uruguay for a week, so I'll have to write when I get home! Time flies here!!

Estoy Aqui!

2009-02-22T14:31:00.007-05:00

Hola Todos! I arrived safe and sound in Bs. As. yesterday. You can't tell, but the view from the plane is of New Paltz and Newburg! I thought it was pretty funny that we flew over:)

Yesterday was mostly about adjusting...I unpacked in my new home and had some lunch with my host mother, Carmen, and my housemate Nikki. I had no idea there would be another student here, but was relieved to meet her. She arrived only hours before I did, and is a bit more comfortable with city life, and South America. We are becoming fast friends.

Today we went on our first big adventure, tracing our route to UCA so that when we go for orientation tomorrow we have it figured out. The Subte is our main mode of travel, and is very inexpensive. We ride the Green line all the way to Catedral, the government center (you see that in the picture above)and from there we have a bit of a walk to school in Puerto Madero. We are getting a bit more comfortable with the system, and on our trip back we even managed to purchase multi-trip cards (I asked in Spanish and the woman at the counter understood me!!)

After finding UCA we made our way up to San Telmo and found the market. There were vendors selling handcrafted goods, and also there is an indoor market for antiques. It was all very overwhelming! So many interesting things!

Good fun...

2009-01-31T21:15:00.003-05:00

I snagged this from Wordle, as seen on Ask The Bellwether, and thought it was pretty funny and merited sharing, since I don't have a post ready for this weekend (shh don't tell). I urge those of you with blogs to try it out! Personally I think that it's a pretty accurate description of my blog content, and surprisingly, of my life. Except right now it should say DUNKIN DONUTS in huge letters over everything....

Argentina

2009-01-25T20:53:00.008-05:00

Yes, so I realize that I've been mentioning this from time to time for several months now, but never formally introduced the big news!
ETA: Actually, I just read back through my posts and it looks like I never really did mention this, even though it's been consuming my life.

I will be studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina from the end of February through the end of July. It's an interruption from my regular course of study, but I'm going to take the opportunity to complete some credits towards a Spanish minor, as all of my courses will be taught in Spanish while I'm there. This is a wonderful (albeit terrifying) opportunity for me and I have to admit I'm freaked out. This is definitely bigger than anything I have ever done in my life!

Because I'm going to be away during the festival season, I am having a sale right now in order to give people a chance to do any shopping they might have wanted to do over the summer. From now until February 15th I will take 20% off of any order of two items or more, and shipping is free for all purchases! 11:59 on February 15th I will close my shop in order to prepare for my departure on 2/20.

This is a sneak peak, before I completely finish my uploads, and send out an e-mail to my mailing list, so if you see something you like you may want to snap it up now, because I won't be making more until next fall, and when I run out I run out!

Hemlocked

2009-01-25T10:28:00.006-05:00

Rav It

Since the first day I saw this pattern I KNEW I had to knit it. At least once.

It was originally part of the Christmas plan, but it was set aside for more immediate gifts. Instead it will be a gift for my homestay in Argentina (oh yes, we still need to discuss this, don't we?)

Jared Flood's Hemlock Ring is simply irresistible. Just look at the numbers! 2218?! Baaah. I'm proud to follow the flock on this one. It has been a joy to knit, so much in fact that when I cast on Christmas night (after 3 months of Christmas knitting, I was so excited to do something that wasn't on a list) I knit the first two thirds of it in about a week, which wreaked havoc on my right arm. I'm finally picking it back up again and slowly working my way through the last 9 rounds (440+ stitches a piece) and then I'll have to block it. I've never blocked something like this, so it'll definitely be a learning experience!

A Christmas of Knitting

2009-01-24T19:00:00.005-05:00

I am WAY LATE making this post, but it's still January, so here goes!

I wanted to share a little bit of what took over my life for the last three months of 2008. Sometimes I go a little crazy with plans...this year it was Christmas knitting. I convinced myself I was planning so far ahead, starting in September, it would be no trouble getting through my list. Never mind that I was full on into sale season and driving every which way across the state in the middle of a hectic semester while still balancing a part time job. Never mind that I need to sleep at night. Or that I planned to knit my brother an entire sweater in the month of November, or that I decided to do it from calculations rather than a pattern. Never mind that finals were the week before Christmas, and I'm trying to get the paperwork done for a study abroad (more on that later.)

No, I was determined. What happens when I'm determined to get something done? I usually do, for better or worse. This year was no exception (well, except the two projects I didn't get done, but they were sort of "if I have time" projects anyway.)

Here's the damage:

1. Manly Lace for Jamie II, 2. Mom's Porphyria, 3. Justin's Gloves, 4. Jordan's Sweater, 5. Joe's Turn a Square, 6. Amanda's Halley's Comet, 7. Joanne's Fellow Knitter Goodybag, 8. Dan's Turn a Square, 9. Helena's Modified Fetchings, 10. Dad's Thuja

My Little Hater

2009-01-24T18:48:00.003-05:00

Hidden in one of her latest posts, Oh, The Joys linked to a video by this dude. It wasn't the video above, but it lead to the video above.

I really needed the video above. I'm pretty down on my blog, because I don't have the time and energy to take pretty photos and post clever posts all the time. I'm not eloquent, and I'm not particularly witty. I work a lot, and lately my little hater has been prevalent in all areas of my life, not just my internet productivity.

I feel like I owe you all (Hi BetteJo!) more than the monthly list of excuses I post up here. Some content would be great. So I'm devoting tonight to catching up on the blogging I've been meaning to do and not doing because I felt it was somehow inadequate or not worth the time. The fact of the mater is that I have some big news, and it doesn't matter how insignificant my daily life is to other people, because I'm not trying to be the Yarn Harlot, and I'm certainly no Dooce, but I do like to keep track of what happens in my life, and this is my little space to do it.

Late and Brief

2009-01-03T16:35:00.004-05:00

Happy New Years!

I'm going to keep this really short for now, because I can't say all I want to say, and I'm having a wicked tendinitis flair-up and the computer makes it a lot worse. My hand has been tingling for about 24 hours now and my arm feels like hell.

Good news first: My resolution last year (privately, I don't know if I made it public) was to become utterly hooked on the gym. It worked, I am. I even just bought myself some weights for the house when I realized that my work schedule might conflict with the gym hours over break. Here's hoping I can keep this trend going.

I did not complete the 50 book challenge this year. I read about 40, and have several half-read. I think that the challenge has served its purpose, and I'll just continue reading and keeping track on my own. It was a great motivation to get me back into my old reading habits, though! I will share the last 8 or so books I read at some later date.

In lieu of a reading challenge, this year I've decided to take on a knitting challenge:

12 adult sized tops in 12 months. This is the reason I'm roaring mad about my elbow being buggered up. Nothing to do but go easy on it...

Anyhow, off the computer for now, hopefully more later as my arm improves.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T00:44:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday! In my family Christmas is celebrated over the course of several days, so we're not done yet but it's been wonderful thus far. I hope everyone's travels were safe and as planned (even if they were only from the couch to the fridge and back, heehee)!

The Christmas Knitting is complete, with about 9 hours to spare! Everything was done on time, though not all is gifted yet, so I'm going to hold off on posting more specifics.

To be free...

2008-12-19T19:04:00.002-05:00

I'm finished with finals! We're snowed in with movies and homemade peppermint bark that I made late last night. The boys are playing poker and I get to make a dent in my Christmas knitting, guilt free! There's no studying I should be doing, no meetings I should be going to, and I've got bronchitis so I can't go to the gym. Ahhh freedom.