Author Archives: Holly West

Here I am sitting amid the ocean waves and sunshine of 80+ degree Southern California knitting winter hats and mittens.  I will not lose hope that the Fall weather will come, even if it's some time in March.  Forget about Winter.

My latest quick project was Gauntlet Mittens, by Kris Percival in her book Speed Knitting.  There are actually a lot of cool projects in this book (just remember that "speed" doesn't necessarily mean "one skein") and I've there are few more things I'll be knitting from it in the next few weeks.

I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, with size 13 circular needles for the cuffs and size 11 DPNs for the mitten itself.  One pair of these takes me about three hours.  I modified the pattern to shorten the cuffs and also measured the sections of my hands (cuff to thumb, then fingers) because the first mitten I knit according to the measurements in the pattern it was a bit too small.

I have to admit I used to hate Thick & Quick, but now I kind of love it.  It comes in some lovely colors this season and it's very soft.  Also, quick knit projects suit me very, very well, as instant gratification takes too long for me (line stolen from Postcards from the Edge).

Now and then I am lulled into the false reality that as a group, humans have acheived some degree of enlightenment.  Then I remember that we are still actively and legally descriminating against each other and I am brought crashing back to earth.  In this case, I'm talking about marriage descrimination, specifically, marriage descrimination for same-sex couples.

Actually, in the state of California, we officially stopped the descrimination on June 17, 2008.  Unfortunately, Prop 8, which seeks to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry, will be on the ballot in November.  Eliminating the rights of adults who want to participate in marriage, a legal institution which provides financial, social, and emotional benefits not available through domestic partnerships (which were legalized in 1999), is not only wrong, but morally reprehensible.  Same-sex couples already have the right to marry legally in California, and Prop 8 seeks to eliminate that right. 

Here's the deal.  In 2000, California voters approved Proposition 22, which stated that "only marriage between a man and a woman is considered valid and recognized in California."  Despite this, in 2004, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom mandated the issuing of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in San Francisco, which resulted in almost 4000 marriages.   These marriages were later annulled by the California Supreme Court, and the city of San Francisco began a legal challenge on behalf of these couples which led to the May 2008 California Supreme Court ruling that limiting marriage of same-sex couples was unconstitutional.  The court refused to stay its order, and as of June 17, 2008, same-sex couples have the legal right to marry in California.

Between June 17 and September 2008, over 11,000 same-sex couples have legally married in California, and by November, there will be many more.  These marriages are recognized and valid, and they are no different from marriages between opposite-sex couples.  Furthermore, if Prop 8 passes, these marriages will almost certainly remain valid, as constitutional scholars agree that the amendment proposed in Prop 8 will not be retroactive.  That means that even if Prop 8 passes, thousands of same-sex couples who are already legally married in California will remain legally married.  Which is as it should be.

As the election approaches, I will be writing more about this issue, as I am very passionate about it.  Let there be no mistake:  Prop 8 does not protect marriage.  It eliminates the fundamental rights of human beings.

Remember when I blogged about how happy I was about the vegetable "garden" I planted about two months ago?

Well, chickadees, it has thus far yielded me the following:

1 zucchini
1 Japanese eggplant
0 tomatoes
Enough lettuce to make about six salads
Loads of basil
Loads of Italian parsley
Loads (though still not fully grown) of serano chilis

The Japanese eggplant plant died and has been removed.  The zucchini plant is almost dead and almost certainly will not give me any more vegetables.  The tomato plant is also almost dead and waiting for removal.  The salad greens are happily growing and show no signs of faltering any time soon.

My housekeeper told me I waited too long to plant and that it's too cold and wet here in the mornings right now, which is probably why all my plants died.  I also let the bugs kind of eat them up a little, so that was my bad.

I did make some very tasty turkey burgers using my zucchini:

1 lb ground turkey breast
1 cup chopped mushrooms
4 large garlic cloves, coursely chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 egg
Garlic salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and form into patties, then grill and serve on buns with all the fixin's.

As soon as the serano chilis are ready I'll probably add half a chopped serano–although that might upset the flavor balance a little.  We'll see.

Recently, I was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, Jen at PieKnits, to knit my own version of the Chunky Newsboy Cap by Diane Serviss:

This is a great pattern for a few reasons:

1)  It's CUTE!
2)  It knits up fast–about 2 hours
3)  It uses 1 skein of relatively inexpensive yarn

  

I love it so much I've knit three of them so far, but I think this blue one is my favorite.

You'll need:  1 skein Lion Brand Wool Thick & Quick, Size 13 DPNs, Size 8 straight needles

 

A note about the knitting needles:  I only had 4 size 13 DPNs so I used a 16" size 13 circular needle up to the very last row of the cap.  I knit the final row on to two DPNs, but if I had to I could've probably used the circular needle to the very end.

I promise this blog will not be so political or issue driven for very long.  I'm just in the mood to spout opinions, dearies, and I'm going to indulge.  Besides, I have at least three knit projects I need to post, plus several pieces of jewelry.  Oh, and a master bathroom re-do that includes cabinets refinished by moi.  The fluff will return pronto.

Today, however, I want to talk about confidence–specifically, lack thereof.

The idea that John McCain might end up being president (and worse–Sarah Palin might be VP) scares the bejesus out of me.  Frankly, I need my bejesus–it keeps me warm at night, and I don't have a lot to spare right now.

Unfortunately, the last eight years have convinced me that my political views and values are not in sync with the rest of the country.  I first lost confidence in the voting decisions of my fellow Americans on November 7, 2000.  I went to bed that night thinking Al Gore had been elected and woke up to find that George W. Bush was our president.  Whilst this was indeed a grave disappointment, I could forgive them (American voters) for that, because really, what did they know about how the man would govern?  Fast forward to 2004 when George W. Bush was re-elected.  I honestly couldn't believe it.  In just four short years, the man and his administration had lied to us in order to justify an invasion of another country, thus beginning a war that would lead thousands of American troops to their deaths (not to mention Iraqis), all the while stripping away many of the freedoms these men and women were fighting for in the first place.  These are but a few of the Bush Administration's many transgressions, but they are certainly among the worst.

Americans voted him in again anyway.

What is so obvious to me apparently isn't so obvious to other American voters, many of whom continue to support George W. Bush and his corrupt administration.  And while John McCain strikes me as a more sincere politician with some kind of a moral center, choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate was a slap in the face to anyone who has even moderately liberal views, let alone a pro-choice, pro-gay, anti-war atheist like me.  Because of these fundamental differences in world and social views, there is really nothing McCain can say or do that would convince me to vote for him.

There are, of course, conservatives just like me who wouldn't vote for Barack Obama if he actually were the second coming of Christ.  There's really nothing I can say about them except we will have to agree to disagree.  The voters I worry about most are the undecided ones who still haven't decided between Obama and McCain.  Voters who are disgusted by the Bush Administration but not ready to vote for a liberal democrat.  Voters who have been scared shitless by terrorism and buy into the claim that we are safer because of George W. Bush and that by extension, only McCain can keep us safe.  And worst of all–lifelong white democrats who would never call themselves racist but just can't stomach putting a black man in the White House.

I can see why a politician like John McCain might appeal to those voters, and since I've been let down by the last two elections, I have no confidence that I won't be let down again.  But I shouldn't say "let down," because American voters were exercising their right to vote as they see fit.  It just saddens me that what they see seems to be so different from what I see. 

A couple of years ago, when I was training for a marathon, every couple of weeks I was updating my running playlist.  One of the songs I ran to for weeks was by Morrissey, called Irish Blood, English Heart: 

I've been dreaming of time when to be English is not to be baneful, to be standing by the flag not feeling shameful, racist or partial.

Substitute American for English, of course, but these lines resonated with me.  I have never been someone who has bought into flag-waving patriotism, but I realized for the first time in my life I was actually ashamed to be an American.  My version:

I am desperate for a time when being American is not to be painful, to be standing by the flag not feeling shameful, racist, or fearful.

I hope that time comes in November.  In the meantime, I will be hording my bejesus so I'll have some in reserve.