knitabit

Back from the plains of Eastern Colorado

I've logged more than 600 miles in a little red Mazda over the last few days. Fortunately, I did have time for some knitting:

Here's the second sock of the Cherry Tree Hill pair that I knit for my mom. They're a bit snug on me, but fit well enough for a vanity pose.

Here's the same sock modeling my new shoes:

My most vivid memory of last year's convention was how bad my feet hurt at the end of it. So Wednesday morning, I squeezed in a trip to Phelp's Shoes to get me a pair of Dansko's. This pair has removable insoles so I can drop my orthotics in there and ta-da! Two and a half days of walking/standing comfort, no problem!

Of course, once one pair of socks is completed, another must start. Here is my progress on a pair using some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn in a variegated pattern:

Yes, the color pooling is very weird and stripey. Unless I do an afterhought heel, the striping around the ankle will be weirder yet. I think I'm going to stick with the heel flap, though; anymore, I'm into comfort and function more than appearances.

Today's posting is a three-parter; the knitting part; some comments about my trip; and finally some Blog and Knitting Resolutions now that I might have some more time on my hands.

The part about the trip

I left Wednesday at about one o'clock in the afternoon to drive down to La Junta. There are a couple of ways to get to La Junta from here; since the weather was nice, I took Highway 71 from Limon to Ordway. A more desolate stretch of two-lane highway you cannot imagine, and I loved every minute of it. I had some CD's going at full blast and I de-stressed a little more with each passing mile.

La Junta is a delightful community that I would could move to in a heartbeat. I understand it is the most vibrant of the Arkansas Valley towns as you drive east from Pueblo. The convention went well; some of the speakers were duds but all in all, we got a lot of compliments for putting on a well-run and informative show. It was quite profitable, too, which is a good thing for our little organization right now.

I have to digress and write a little bit about our Thursday evening social event. It was dinner and a show at the Koshare Indian Kiva on the campus of Otero Junior College. The building and the event represent one local community's attempt, I think, to try to make something right with all that's gone wrong with Native American issues in our country.

There's been a lot of sad news items of late along these lines. One was in our local community, about renaming a street. The street was originally named for Colonel Chivington, the ringleader of the Sand Creek Massacre. What was sad about that whole thing was some opinions expressed in our local newspaper along the lines of "just get over it" and accusing those of wanting to change the name of the street of being "politically correct." Fifteen years ago, my sister lived one block over from Chivington Drive. And it gave me the creeps every time I drove past it.

Another issue has been Ward Churchill, the latest actor at center stage in a revolting series of scandals at the University of Colorado. (While the wingnuts are calling for his head, I personally would prefer to see his writings lose out in the marketplace of ideas. Otherwise, his sorry ass will be elevated to the status of martyr.) But anyway, where I was heading with this was that as a result of the spotlight on his writings, his dubious and likely false claims of Indian heritage have now come to light. I find his theft of a false identity more sickening than his writings.

Anyway, with all this going on in the background, I found myself on Thursday night at an Indian Kiva replica built in 1933 by the local Boy Scout troop. The authentic Indian dances were performed by a bunch of teenage boys, all working towards their Eagle Scout qualifications. They aren't Indians themselves and are quite upfront about it. Yet they have learned and passed down some authentic and wonderful Indian Dances. During the show, the narrator explained where each dance came from (when the troop went to a Chicago exhibition in the 1930's; from a trip to the New Mexico Pueblo in the 1950's, etc.) Every year, they retain a Native American Advisor - I suppose to not only keep things as authentic as possible but also to avoid exploiting the culture they seek to honor.

The faces of the dancers showed diverse ethnicity and indeed a roster of their Head Chiefs reflects that.

I hope to take my kids there someday. And I sure hope this vibrant little Boy Scout troop makes it to their 100th anniversary and beyond with their celebration of a culture not their own but so wonderfully borrowed.

And to further immerse myself in the history and culture of the Great Plains, I went up to Cheyenne, Wyoming yesterday for two of my boys to take part in an indoor soccer tournament. Characteristically, the wind was blowing in excess of 50 mph and no amount of chapstick could keep my lips from drying out as the day went on. On the way home, we took Highway 85 instead of the interstate and saw a couple hundred head of antelope.

All that driving out on the empty plains just does my soul good.

Blog and Knitting Resolutions

Two more weeks to go, and DARCA will be all grown up and moved out on its own. Although my consulting responsibilites will grow a bit, I'm looking forward to a bit more time to devote to more soul-pleasing pursuits and of course knitting is near the top of the list.

In the blog arena, I'd like to organize my blog posts into categories so I (and possibly a reader or two) can read past posts more effectively.

Of course, no amount of nifty knit blogging is possible without actually knitting. I've got just the sleeves to go on the baby sweater, and the sleeves on Roscalie as well. I'm going to continue to keep socks going at all times, and intend to make some simple pullovers and cardigans over the course of the year. I've also got a good concept for a felted bag in mind, and I'd like to write up and publish the pattern if it turns out well.

Comments

I like the stripiness, but I guess I'm one of those anomaly knitters who likes the pooling.

Posted by: Cathi at February 14, 2005 01:38 PM