Thursday, January 23, 2020

3 things I've found this week


1) More wristrulers.  I've been the wristruler's biggest fan since spying one a few years ago. I may also be the wristruler's biggest loser (heh). They disappear! I go through periods when things, not just bracelets, vanish at an alarming rate. It's usually a sign I'm on overload. Or the planets are askew. But then I go through periods when lost items start reappearing in unexpected places. I accept this as the ebb and flow of my life (and belongings).*

I thought I was down to just one simple brown one. Then, last weekend at Vogue Knitting Live**, I was thrilled to see a denim blue wristruler, handstained by Catherine Clark for her Brooklyn General Store. It looks indigo and improved my wrist jewelry game by 100%.

On Monday while prepping for a photo shoot that required going through a lot of equipment storage bags, my orange wrist ruler reappeared! I was sure this souvenir from Portland OR was gone for good.  The photo above is  from when I bought it at  Twisted ,where I found the full monty of wristrulers on display. Metallics too-just not in this shot. 


2.  The  yarn I'd been seeking  to go with the variegated Once Upon a Corgi ***skein you see uptop.  I had a single yarn goal VKL: find a handdyed, semi solid coordinating skein . The stunning blue is Neighborhood Fiber Company . Magaly of Heart and Spirit in Atlanta was at the booth and led me to the right choice. If she's your LYS in Georgia you are one lucky peach. I plan to make a fun cowl  that has both bobbles in solid and garter stitch fuzzy variegated yarn, something different to amuse me this winter.



3. My feminist outrage . Ok, it was never lost but I rarely need to express it on a job these days. Tuesday, setting up for a corporate photoshoot, my crew and I needed to move a large airplane propeller mounted on wheels.****  I had free rein to set up the space. I also carry excellent business insurance should a mishap occur.  Let's also go with the premise that  I am competent as a location photographer and wouldn't choose to move something that I thought we couldn't handle. 
We realized we needed just one extra set of hands to steer it.  We being myself and my two assistants. They are both strong younger women.  Carla is a former Army sargent who has done things much tougher than rolling a propeller on wheels across a flat cement floor.  We summoned the man in charge of the building, who looked at us and said "well I need help to roll this."  
I replied " Yup! There  are three of us here, let's go". 
He looked back at us and said--"no, I won't move this with you, go get a couple of guys "

WHAT?
 The three of us stared at him in silence for a beat or two. Both assistants needed to take in what they were hearing. I heard it loud and clear. There's absolutely NO WAY I was going to interrupt the film crew dudes setting up in another space to ask for unnecessary help -- and there was also no way I was going to shrug and walk away.  I very very badly wanted to simper " Oh my! Are our vaginas getting in the way of rolling this???" .
 But this is an important gig to me-- I kept my mouth shut. 
Behind the scenes photoshoot  view (not with propeller)-photo by Carla McElroy
I left and explained the problem to the man representing the department I was working for.  He was with the all male film crew.  THEY WERE AS APPALLED AS I WAS!   My client joined us and we ladies all moved the propeller. And cracked jokes on it all day. That is a sea change from when I started working as a photographer so...all good. Allies!
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* I still use and recommend  knot tying to find a lost item (tie a knot in something you are wearing, is how I was taught)  and I borrow St Anthony from my friends' faith when needed.

** VKL was packed!  Thrilled to report the knitters economy seem to be holding strong. Real wool and farm sourced yarns showed up big--and while lots of gorgeous hand dying was there, in all hues, I saw less super contrasty magenta and citron with black speckles than in the past couple of years. The sweater I saw in droves was Felix, followed by Love Note and then Ranunculus. 

***Once Upon a Corgi is my LHD (local hand dyer) and a lovely person. Check her out if you haven't come across her yarn at a show or shop.

****This wasn't a handknit or yarn photo shoot. You may have already guessed that ;-).

7 comments:

  1. 1. Oh, my, that blue! So gorgeous.
    2. Oh, my, that blue also! Those yarns are going to be magnificent together.
    3. Oh, FFS. Yay for your feminist outrage and huzzah for guys who get it.

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  2. That Blue! I am always on the lookout for the perfect, saturated blue yarn and that Neighborhood Fiber Co. is IT. I have some in my stash from the now-defunct Cephalopod Yarns, and Baah Yarn and Uncommon Thread also dye a good blue, but you may have found the best one. Of course, now I also want a wrist ruler, and to move heavy things with other women.

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  3. I am flabbergasted that he wouldn't move it with you. Just ... what ... why? I am glad that the other men also thought he was ridiculous. I do love your unspoken comment to him!

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  4. Loving your three things posts Gale! You've got me wondering where all of my wristrulers have gotten to. I'll have to tie a knot in something...

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  5. I am loving all your blue things! And, I am nodding my head in solidarity of those pesky vaginas (and breasts, honestly) getting in the way for the poor male species. Oh boy. So.much.fail!

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  6. I do not have a wristruler, but I'm thinking I really need one. (Or . . . maybe a couple. Because I lose things, too.) (I usually try to find some way to blame Mercury in Retrograde.) And . . . oh, fella. I just have run out of every ounce of patience for that shit.
    XO

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  7. Wrist rulers are cool and funky! That guy who wouldn't work with you, though? NOT cool at ALL.

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