Becca's Blog

Sweater spotted in the wild...

well, sorta. Spotted in the Knitting Today office...

 

Baby, it's cold outside: Share some warmth

[Cross-posted (or will be) at Berkeleyside.com. You, my few but loyal readers, are probably aware that the Women's Daytime Drop-in Center is where I have taught knitting to clients for a couple of years, and the beneficiary of Kate's & my learn-to-knit class last spring.]

Right now, when we're having the lowest temperatures of the year and wet weather to boot, the clients of the Women's Daytime Drop-in Center could really use your help. The Drop-in Center needs warm clothes for women and kids, including rain ponchos and coats, umbrellas, socks, hats and gloves.

The center, which has served Berkeley's homeless and low-income women and children for over 20 years, provides breakfast and lunch on weekdays, along with support groups, referrals to social services, and a children's program. The center always needs toiletries to provide to clients, including toothpaste and deodorant.  Diapers, especially for toddlers, are also an ongoing need. An easy way to donate diapers is through the center's Amazon wish list.

The center hosts a holiday party for clients as well. You can donate gifts for women and kids, especially older kids, or even volunteer to help put on the party. To arrange for a donation, contact the center by phone (510-548-2884) or e-mail (staff@womensdropin.org).

Photo courtesy of the Sisters Project.

Don't faint or nothin'

... but I blogged.  Like a real post, where I had to string together more than a few sentences and used photos and everything. Just not here--it's over here. 

I visited Kristine and Adrienne and Wondermike at A Verb for Keeping Warm yesterday (they called out the Cupkates truck--how could I not?) and I got all civic boosterish (hence the post on the Berkeleyside blog).

Actually, a couple of months ago I saw via Twitter that some folks were starting up a local blog, and I thought "I'm as nosy and opinionated as the next Berkeleyite, so why not let my neighbors hear from me?" I haven't posted there often, but I'm hoping to do so more frequently.

Here are a few pics from Verb's holiday party yesterday, which I couldn't shoehorn into the Berkeleyside post.

 

 

This last image is from the studio of Mirto Golino, around the corner in the same building as Verb. I loved her stuff, and she was a blast to talk to. She showed me a hat she made from Verb yarn that was pretty pretty.

Hello again.

It is totally possible to have writer's block for, like, three months, and a lot has happened, so I have lots to catch you up on.

When I was last here Kate and I were getting ready for the benefit knitting party for the Women's Daytime Drop-in Center, which went off successfully.

We launched 11 new knitters, and the Drop-in Center gained some new advocates--notably the women behind Help a Mother Out, who chose to make the WDDC a beneficiary of their May drive for diapers and women's and kids' health and hygiene supplies. They have hit the ground running, and I really admire their advocacy for women and kids who are hit hardest by the recession and our state's upside-down budget priorities.  

At the end of May the WDDC held its annual benefit auction, and Jane and I attended again.

I donated at handknit lace scarf, which apparently sold after we left.

That's been about the only knitting I've done lately, since it had to be finished on deadline, except that I also helped out with A Verb for Keeping Warm's Keep the Fleece event.

 

That was the summery-est Saturday we've had all spring, and I had a lovely time meeting new people and hanging out. I had the honor of knitting up Michael's handspun into a scarf block.

There is a lot more to tell you, most of it revolving around pets, but I'll hold that for another post. (Baby steps...)

Delayed gratification.

Back in November I mentioned some travel craziness, and in December I mentioned the two stories I wrote for Knotions.com, about DIY knitting retreats and a knitter's tour of Seattle.

What with the holidays and everyday preoccupations, I pretty much forgot about those stories—working on them feels quite long ago. But they're live now.

A holiday gift for you

... if you like this sort of thing. I've finally finished writing up my hoodie baby blanket pattern, and it's here. I hope you like it. (Oh, whoops--I didn't realize the page would show up in the normal flow of the blog. It's immediately below this post as well...)

I've been pretty silent lately, but that's mainly because I had so many things partially done, and I was a bit reluctant to discuss all the half-done-ness. I've been knitting, reading, cooking, thinking, and opining a lot on Twitter and Facebook. Half-baked thoughts seem appropriate for 140-character bursts on the spur of the moment.

Here's what I've finished since Thanksgiving: two stories for Knotions.com (which should appear in the next couple of months), my lopi-esque pullover (I'm hoping to get all the colorwork ends weaved in and a little blocking done in the next few days, so I can wear it to Reno over Christmas--photos forthcoming), a gift scarf, and this pattern. I've also tried no-knead bread two ways, done the East Bay Christmas Bird Count and gotten two colds, continued to teach knitting at the drop-in center and contributed to their Christmas lunch for clients. Also wrote a book proposal for my job, which unfortunately didn't get greenlighted. I'll just have to come up with some more book ideas.

Here's what I've started since Thanksgiving: two pairs of mitts, one reasonably well along. I swiped pretty stitches from a couple of sock patterns to adapt to them, so they're fun.

I hope you are all well and enjoying the holiday season.

Twitter is turning me into a lazy blogger.

... as if I wasn't already. When I can plop random thoughts into Twitter, and I know they'll appear on my blog page, it kinda blunts my motivation to sit down and organize multiple thoughts into a coherent post.
... which reminds me that I have to write a post about some Twitter-related apps for my company's blog. I'd better get on that--I think it's due tonight.