I am the author of Grounded and the editrix of the What Would Madame Defarge Knit? series of knit (and crochet) pattern books where the patterns are based on characters from classic literature.
You can find out more about my young adult novel Grounded: The Seven, book 1 including sock patterns based on the characters in Grounded here and at the book’s official website.
Without and With Mountains.
So here I am, busily typing away at one of the zillion projects I have going and suddenly I smell something you just don’t smell here in Tucson all that often: rain.
I just had to tell you.
I look out the window next to and behind me a bit and sure enough, it’s raining! Not a lot, but enough to release a little of the oil on the Creosote leaves.
If you haven’t been in a rain storm in the Sonoran Desert, you’re missing out. There is a smell here–a loamy, earthy…well, darn it, a green smell that you just don’t find anywhere else.
If it were a perfume I’d bathe in it.
It’s not a green like you get in New York or Missouri, where it’s so green and wet that it’s almost like lichen in your nose. This is a desert green. It’s not as bright. It’s more subtle, more tenuous, and more stunning because of its rarity. It’s not as showy. Not in your face. It’s austere. It’s got good manners and it doesn’t stay so long that it wears out its welcome.
Weather men say that this summer will probably be hotter and dryer than ever. It’s so sad. When I was a kid (say 1985 or so) the summer monsoons were still running on a clock. Between 3 and 4 every afternoon, July and August, you’d see all the clouds that had built up over Mexico that morning roll over you and dump buckets on your head. The desert would cool off, remain pleasantly humid, and smell like heaven. You’d go to restaurants with dripping patio umbrellas (or dripping ceilings if you went to Rosita’s) and you’d enjoy the cool, enjoy even how useless swamp coolers are when it rains.
That doesn’t happen any more.
How long does it take to get to work by bicycle?
And I love how she knits (link to her blog or watch below–but the blog is good too).
Checkout how to make a braided edge to a hat! It’s such a lovely design.
Knitwhits Tutorial – Siena Braided Trim
I’ve spent most of today applying for work and bidding for freelance jobs online. Mixed in with all of that is trying to keep up with publishing industry blogs and websites, podcasting, and grading essays. Right now I have two books in decidedly different stages of development–a young adult novel that is complete and in the hands of a couple of agents–fingers crossed–and a craft book (not a shock, eh?).
With two kids, a husband, two dogs, a blue-tongued skink, a knitting pattern that’s due to the publisher, and what little curriculum writing I can find to do these days—oh, and two classes I teach at the University—I don’t have a lot of extra time. Not complaining and not unique—just quantifying. Because I came across this blog post and it froze me. What a service it was to post this for us!
It lists links to writing contests that are scams (or just fodder for sham publishing companies).
Even if the “contests” aren’t scams, none of us have money we can waste on getting conned—not even a little. I can’t even waste money on a cup of tea (not even vanity coffee). I’d been thinking that I should probably be putting more of my work out into short story contests and the like, but I’m glad I came across this first. I’ll do a little more research, I think, before I head into that kettle of wax.
Heh.
I thought I’d pass the link on. I know many of we crafty types also enjoy writing, and women of a certain age seem to be on the rise (who knew?) in that world. Thought it might be helpful.
Ta.
Okay, they did.
Here’s how to ask tech questions of experts on Forum and Message thread sites.
I wish I knew this a month ago!
You’ll feel better after reading this tutorial. Simple. Easy. Good examples. And definitions of what you need, where you need them. Between this and Grammar Girl, you’re set!
This is a lovely little post on the chimera we call “Writer’s Block.”
I need to remember this.
I Am a Have but I Happen to Have Not – Velveteen Mind. I am in love.
No memes.
Nothing compelling.
No amazing knitting going on (well…that’s not really true).
Just time to write again.
I found this nifty iPhone app called TripleQuick (from the good people at featherproof books)—it’s a fiction app that lets you read (or submit) 333 word short stories—a story that could be read completely in three iPhone screens (get it? Triple Quick). You can download and read all of these nifty stories, or you can compose one and submit it. If they publish it, it’s an actual publishing credit. They take first time digital publishing rights, you take copyright.
Love it.
Some of the fiction’s pretty nifty too.
I also found–contrary to what I’d been told before…somewhere–that if you’re trying to break into the novel market and get an agent or editor interested in your work, you really should have published some short stories.
That was news.
Long ago, somewhere—somewhere (memory failure) important enough that when I was told this the information obviously stuck–someone told me that writing short stories was a weakness on the part of a writer–not that it was bad to write them (heck no! They are great training grounds for focused, incisive prose) but that it was bad to publish them. Because–the theory went–if you have SS credits under your name it shows you weren’t really dedicated to novel writing.
That and the pay is lousy.
So, I’m over that. I’m all about short stories now while I wait (and wait…and wait…) to hear back from Agentlandia. And I feel better about that.
I’m not surprised, though. I’m like that with my knitting too. Sometimes I order a yarn for a new project, or sometimes I have to wait for a paycheck (or two) before I can buy yarn for a project. And what do I find myself doing?
Knitting.
With whatever’s there. Because I like to knit. Even if it’s not really “going anywhere.”
And I like to write.
And I’m going to work on showing that here a wee bit more often.
Next post includes pictures of all the knitting UFOs and WIPs I’ve got collected.
I think that might actually hurt me.
Yeeee heeeeeee.
Here’s the link to the site I used to help me join the afghan squares.
And here are some pictures of my work over the past 24 hours.
You’ll see why I’m so happpeeeeee!
The afghan–done! Brown is not my fave color (it’s SO 1974 in my mind…just one of those things) but it works.
The Map o the World Afghan (the pattern is back at the Vogue site!!!)!
I just finished Ireland–go green! 
Panel two.
I’m going to teach myself to knit backwards (fast) on this bad boy. That is the fire I’m lighting under my tuchus to keep me going. I WILL finish (at least) this panel… before 2011.
And the cute little sock yarn hat: size 3 (US) needles, leftover Cherry Tree Hill yarn from forever ago, and this pattern.
Now, off to write for gainful employment.
MamaO is Heather Ordover, author, designer, mother and knitter... not necessarily in that order. You can get posts from this blog sent directly to your inbox by signing up below, Follow her on Twitter and Like her on Facebook if you're feeling friendly-like.
Vogue Knitting Winter 2013/2014
Hugely gratifying beyond my capacity for speech is having Vogue Knitting Winter 2013/14 give praise to my new book, Grounded. Read more...
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