I have recently been inspired (in no particular order) by Bob Dylan (of course), Roseanne Cash, Inca Alpaca yarn, John Dean, Johnny Cash (ongoing inspiration), and good ole cotton yarn. How are these inspirations related? I listen to music while I knit. Sometimes I watch DVDs, but it's mostly music.
A couple weeks ago I watched Roseanne Cash and Steve Earle on CMT's Crossroads. I don't actually think of these performers being so different, they actually toured together (or tried to during Steve's drug days), they are both great lyricists, and I would consider both of them Americana before I would ever call them country. Roseanne's album Black Cadillac is amazingly beautiful. She uses objects to link memories and wrote these songs during 2003 and 2004 after June and Johnny died. During 2005 her mother died as well, and her thoughts on love, loss, loneliness, and grief are very touching. It's great music to knit with in the background. Although I do at times have to stop knitting to concentrate on the lyrics or the very cool John Leventhal guitar lick.
I've started another tube shrug (like the one designed by Teva Durham in the Scarf Style book) only without the ribbing in a self-striping black and grey alpaca yarn. The ribbed version fits snuggly and I like it, but I want this one to be loose and a little more swingy. We'll see how it goes.
The reading is going slowly, but steadily. I'm reading John Dean's Conservatives Without Conscience. The problem for me when I read those kinds of books is that I want all the conservatives I know to read them too, but that's the equivalent of asking me to sit though a broadcast of Fox News (I can't bear it, and I can't be quiet about why I can't bear it either). Even though this book was written by a former Republican I still think it would not be well received. Being raised by authoritarians myself, I totally get the connection with the conservative wing of the Republicans. The whole, "Obey and do not question my authority" was my life. Now look at me, I question everything and everyone and am a conspiracy theorist. I think that's because I realized that much of what I was taught about how the world worked was wrong, and now I'm afraid someone's going to lie to me about it again. Not taking any chances over here.
Cotton yarn...soft, lovely colors, quick knitting. The holiday gift list includes lots of warshrags and some baby bibs. My flickr account is full and I have to fork over some moola for a "professional" account, so I'm a picture free zone for another week or so. I'll share the creations soon.
