Urban Scavenging & Other Postmodern Green Pursuits

What's on my needles: Willow Linen Pullover from "Beyond Wool"

2007-09-20T17:20:00Z

I've been dying to write about my current knitting project, because it's finally on the right track and nearing completion.

This is the first real garment I've knitted, as I'm not counting the scarves or the tote bags or the baby blanket or Nano sock or any of my other previous projects.

(I'm especially not counting the Berocco Trilogy vest I ambitiously began last year only 2 months after I learned to knit. That's a story for another time ... and I will get back to it, I swear.)

Anyway, so I'm knitting the Willow Linen Pullover pattern from Candace Strick's book Beyond Wool: 25 Knitted Projects using Natural Fibers.

I'm making only a couple of changes to the pattern: I wanted a rolled neckline instead of the hemmed one, and I wanted longer sleeves, three-quarter length. Here's the pattern photo with my changes marked:

I started the project with some vintage linen-cotton yarn that I got in a bargain lot this summer on eBay. Well, at least I think it's linen-cotton: the yarn was made in Oslo, Norway by Verbasko, and the label reads "60% Bomull 40% Lin". (I may have to ask the Knitters Uncensored podcasters to confirm my translation!)

Here's what the yarn looks like ... can you see all the little bits of vegetable matter I'm having to pick out???

The stitch pattern is 4 rows stockinette followed by 2 rows seed stitch (K1P1), which is well suited to linen, Strick says. For linen yarn you don't want all stockinette, and ribbing doesn't work well, the results would be too droopy.

The pullover pattern is relatively simple and straightforward, knitted from the neck down on circulars with yarnover increases. Even though I haven't made a garmet before, I thought I could handle this.

Turns out I didn't read the pattern carefully enough, and I confused the repeats. By the time I'd finished the first 6 inches, I knew I was in trouble! I spent a couple of days in denial, then called a knitting friend to ask, "Should I frog it?" Of course I already knew the answer, but it helped when she told me that even experienced knitters sometimes have to "ribbit, ribbit"!

I took a deep breath, and pulled out the needles, and unraveled the whole thing. But I really did start over immediately, and I was soooooo relieved when it started coming together properly!

The next drama was just after I got the armholes off onto the stitch holders, and I had the sudden sinking feeling that the body of the sweater was too small. I double-checked my gauge in a couple of places, and I was dead-on the 22 stitches over 4 inches required by the pattern. It was difficult to measure while still on the needles, but I was just sure that I was getting a 36" circumference instead of the 38-1/2" measurement I thought I was knitting to. But no way was I going to frog it again!

So I decided to add 5 stitches under each arm, where it wouldn't be obvious, using make-1 increases. After all, I'd rather have it too loose than too tight. And what the heck, if it comes out way too big, I can always wash it in hot water!

Here are pictures I took this week of my work in progress. Remember, I'm knitting neck-down and wrong-side out. In the first picture, you're looking at what will be the inside of the sweater:

And in this one you can sorta see what the outside will look like, with the rolled neckline:

Now for my Urban Scavenger's tip o' the day: I went to Strick's book Beyond Wool: 25 Knitted Projects using Natural Fibers to find a pattern for my linen yarn instead of Amy Singer's newer book No Sheep for You: Knit Happy with Cotton, Silk, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo for a couple of reasons.

One reason -- entirely personal -- is that the patterns in Singer's book are still too hard for me as a beginning knitter. I'm going to have to grow into that book.

The other reason is that Beyond Wool is an older book published in 2004, meaning that I could easily get it from my local library. (And, if I wanted to buy it, the used price on Amazon is down to $6.50).

So if you want to save money on your knitting projects, one way is to start with your local library. It's a great free resource, and the more knitting books you check out, the more knitting books your library will purchase! It's all about the circulation, remember ...

Happy Scavenging,

--Margaret (a.k.a. MaggieBelize)
Visit my website at www.LocalGringos.com

Belize Baby Blanket: Another Finished Knitting Project!

2007-09-05T13:21:00Z

Ta-daa! This is the baby blanket I knitted for my new niece, Nicolette Marguerite, now one month old. Another finished knitting project ... and done in time for her arrival!

The trick was to find a yarn that was washable and dryable, of course, but also lightweight enough for the climate in Corozal, Belize, which is usually hot and always humid. Believe it or not, cotton doesn't work all that well; when cotton knits get wet, it takes them a long time to dry.

Luckily, I found this Moda Dea Lazy Daisy yarn in the sale bin at my local Hobby Lobby for only $1.99 per skein. It's a light, fluffy worsted-weight yarn (80% acrylic and 20% nylon) with popcorn-like bobbles on the main thread every 4-1/2 inches. I bought 9 skeins, and used 7 full skeins and about 10% of the 8th skein.

This isn't the greatest image, but I just threw my leftover skeins on the scanner to give you an idea of what the yarn looks like:

Since I had to start knitting before we knew the baby's sex, I chose the color called "Fluff" (#8149), which is predominantly white with threads of pink, blue, pale green and yellow, which I thought would work for either a boy or a girl.

Although the recommended needle size for this yarn is US 10, I scaled down to a US 8 to get a slightly sturdier fabric, counting on the bobbles to keep it open and breatheable.

I couldn't find a pattern I liked, so I just made one up! You can find it in my FREE knitting patterns on my website.

Urban Scavenger's Note: The bad news is many Hobby Lobby stores -- both of ours in Albuquerque, anyway -- are severely cutting back their yarn departments (boo-hoo!). The good news is, it's a great time to scout your store's sale area for discontinued yarns.

And if anybody needs just under 2 skeins of Moda Dea Lazy Daisy "Fluff" to finish a project, let me know!

Happy Scavenging,

--Margaret, a.k.a. Maggie Belize
Stop by my website at:
www.LocalGringos.com

LAST After Hurricane Dean Report - Corozal, Belize

2007-08-31T00:17:00Z

Okay, I'm filing my last report on conditions in Corozal and Chetumal in the wake of Hurricane Dean.
Most people in Corozal have electricity, water and telephone service now. Satellite dishes for Internet connectivity are being replaced with surprising speed by an enterprising entrepreneur from San Pedro.

Those who don't have one of these vital services aren't going to get it restored for a couple more weeks, and have figured out clever work-arounds.

Here are some final photos, just in today from Deema & Roger Thompson ...

Hurricane Jeannette Memorial, in Chetumal

Las Botanas Restaurant, Bahia Blvd, Chetumal

Connnie & Gregg's House, South End, Corozal

Rainbow Park, Corozal Town waterfront

As always, happy scavenging,

--Margaret, a.k.a. MaggieBelize

DAY 5 After Hurricane Dean Report - Corozal, Belize

2007-08-26T00:55:00Z

Things really are improving in Corozal, slowly but surely. Today electricity has been restored to more areas of town -- but not all, by a long shot -- and more homes have running water service. Mark's mom, Patti, was able to reopen her restaurant today, one of the first to be able to do so.

More basic food items are reappearing on store shelves, though still, I'm told, at high prices. Mark says people are shopping "like in the old days": going to town, buying only enough food for one day, and going home to cook it (repeat daily).

It appears that land-line telephone service is down again in parts of town, but with the restoration of power people have been able to recharge their cell phones. There are still only a couple of people with Internet access, so no email for the time being.

One random bit of news: I heard that one of my favorite restaurants in Chetumal, Las Botanas, was heavily damaged -- not "blown away" completely as I was originally told. It was located on Bahia Boulevard, right on Chetumal Bay; many of the expats called it "the Monkey Bar" because the owners had rescued a tiny little monkey and built it a house in a tree behind the restaurant. I'd heard the monkey had been relocated recently to the Chetumal Zoo, but I don't know if that's true or not.

I'm assuming that since the volume of inquiries is dropping off now, that most of you have by now been able to contact your friends and family in Corozal. I'll keep making updates if I receive new info, but hope to return to my normal blog topics soon.

As always, feel free to email me: margaret (at) localgringos (dot) com.

--Margaret (a.k.a. MaggieBelize)

DAY 4 After Hurricane Dean Report - Corozal, Belize

2007-08-25T02:16:00Z

There's good news from Corozal Town tonight, as running water has been restored to many homes, and electricity to at least a few. It's very hit or miss: Chula Vista has power, while neighboring Alta Mira does not; "downtown" Corozal does not, but homes nearer the highway do. As far as I know, the South End is still out, and Consejo too.

Somehow it seems that for every step forward, there's two back ... You can imagine how discouraged Roger and Deema Thompson were when a re-routed bus hurtled down their street today and tore down their telephone line. So they're back to Square One, no power and now no phone either. But they do have water!

Jan Wilson has posted post-Dean photos of Corozal on her website, including this one showing the remains of a large satellite receiver dish.

You can see more photos on Jan's website, here:

http://corozal.com/envt/dean/damage

I especially like the photo that shows a dozen cell phones clustered like leeches on a generator!

The situation in Corozal is in sharp contrast to the state of affairs in Chetumal, where power has been restored to an estimate 85% of homes, and 95% of the streets have already been cleared of debris.

"You really should tell everyone that the emergency response by the Mexican government was quick and efficient, really top notch," writes Roger Duke. "And the local police did a great job directing traffic through the many intersections with damaged stoplights."

In Chetumal, the Plaza de las Americas mall is open, including the large, well-stocked and air conditioned Chedraui grocery store; down by the bay the Sam's Club is open, and many of the Pemex gas stations are selling gas with no price-gouging or rationing.

By the way, I had a report that the pier in Chetumal is cracked in two; I don't know if this is instead of the pier at Majahual, or in addition to that pier.

Anyway, it must be hard for people in Corozal, confronted by store shelves that are either empty, or sparsely stocked with goods priced five times higher than usual, to know that just 10 minutes across the border there are bright lights, cheap food, plentiful water, gasoline and building supplies. Needless to say, Belizeans are still prevented by the Government of Belize from bringing those desperately needed supplies home to their families. Greedy customs officials at the border continue their vigilance, confiscating "contraband" like dairy products, produce and meat. (It is possible, however, to bring prepared foods across the border, so if you can live on pizza and Pepsi or afford Big Macs, you're all set.)

Corozal's restaurants remain closed, their fresh food sold out and frozen food stocks given away or spoiled, with no way to obtain any more. I'm told you can't get chicken, bread, eggs, milk, vegetables or cheese in Corozal stores. While NEMO issues press releases assuring the people of the district that they have plenty of food and water for all, there is no sign yet of government assistance in Corozal Town. In Mexico, the Red Cross delivered water bottles that actually contained water, unlike the Corozal Red Cross, who delivered empty water bottles to the village of Chan Chen (see Day 3's blog report).

Hey, here's a question: I read a NEMO press release that claimed it had distributed 42 hurricane kits valued at $250 BZ each just before the storm. Has anyone seen even one of these miraculous kits? Other than in the home of a NEMO official, I mean.

Meanwhile, a dozen doctors from Cuba have arrived in Corozal to provide emergency medical relief, and to combat the potential outbreaks of cholera and other diseases that arise from a contaminated water supply and complete lack of a sewer system. No word on aid from any other country.

It's enough to give you heartburn, isn't it?

As always, feel free to email me with new info or questions: margaret (at) localgringos (dot) com.

--Margaret (a.k.a. MaggieBelize)

DAY 3 Post-Hurricane Dean Report - Corozal, Belize

2007-08-23T22:53:00Z

Well, here it is Day 3 following Hurricane Dean's strike and there is still no electricity anywhere in the Corozal District of Belize. BEL, Belize's power monopoly, announced last night that it will be two weeks until power is restored. (It has already restored power to 80% of Orange Walk, and 90% of San Pedro.)

What's worse: there's still no running water. This is a so-far unacknowledged problem (unacknowledged, that is, by the Government of Belize) that could pose a tremendous health risk to the people of the district.

However, Jim and Melanie Voris report that if you open your water taps all the way, and leave them open for a couple of hours, then a trickle of water will emerge. I don't know if this means that water service has been partially restored but at low pressure, or if they had standing water in the pipes of their house ... I suppose it's worth a try, but I'd certainly be careful with any water that does flow as it is undoubtedly contaminated to some degree.

AP Photo from Yahoo! France- Aug. 21 BDF soldiers clearing debris in Corozal's town square

The good news is that land-line telephone service has now been fully restored across the Corozal district. If your friends & family members had a land-line before the storm, try it now. However, if you have not called Belize before, I strongly recommend you check with your long distance provider to find out the rates before you dial. Because of the Belize telephone monopoly's extortionate surcharge on both incoming and outgoing long distance calls, you may get a nasty surprise ... MCI, for example, charges in excess of $5.00 US per minute to call Belize. (And don't forget that's a land-line rate; calling a Belize cell phone costs 3 times more.) I suppose it would be too much to ask for BTL to reduce its rates as a form of hurricane relief or compassion!

Speaking of price gouging, I've had reports that several stores in Corozal Town are charging hugely inflated prices for basic food and repair supplies. Most common items are still in short supply: a friend reports waiting in line for 2-1/2 hours today to get one bag of ice that cost nearly $10 US.

According to Belize's Channel 7 News, there are 180 people in shelters in Corozal Town, and 90 people in one small shelter in the village of Chan Chen. While government aid has so far failed to materialize, the Red Cross delivered blankets, empty food pots and empty water containers to the Chan Chen shelter. Unfortunately, there is no food or water to fill them. Anita Zetina, Chair of the Belize national emergency management organization (NEMO) Relief & Supplies Committee, told Channel 7 that NEMO has the food and supplies people need ... but I suppose it's just a question of whether any of it will be delivered to the homeless hurricane victims, and, if so, when. Meanwhile, NEMO is asking for cash donations. If you wish, you may contribute to their "Hurricane Dean relief fund account" at the Belize Bank, account number is 695-1-1-69733.

I've also had my first report from Chetumal. Roger Duke, whose home is on Chetumal Bay, writes that he feels blessed to be alive, but that Chet looks like a bomb hit it. Rumor has it that thousands are homeless in and around Chetumal. Also, he heard that the enormous concrete pier built at Majahual to allow cruise ships to dock has split into pieces. I've asked Roger to send some pictures from Chetumal, but right now he's busy chainsawing the uprooted remains of his 2 giant avocado trees.

This Reuters photo shows post-Dean street flooding in the lagoon-side community of Bacalar, Mexico, just NW of Chetumal.

As always, feel free to email me with new info or questions: margaret (at) localgringos (dot) com.

--Margaret (a.k.a. MaggieBelize)

PHOTOS - Corozal, Belize after Hurricane Dean

2007-08-23T14:48:00Z

These photos are just in from Loreta Randall, who took them yesterday (Aug 22) and managed to send them out this morning before shutting down her generator for the day. Most of the photos are from Corozal's South End, where the storm damage was most dramatic.

Loreta also advises that Belize's northern border with Mexico is now open, and that the lines to purchase gasoline at Pemex are very, very long.

Corozal Bay Inn

Gregg & Connie's House

Colleen's House

The "Glass House", Corozal North

Unknown Location - I'll have to ask about this one!

That's all I have for now, I'll try to update again this evening. If you have information to share, or questions for me to send along, don't hesitate to email me: margaret (at) localgringos (dot) com.

--Margaret (a.k.a. MaggieBelize)

DAY 2 Post-Hurricane Dean Report - Corozal, Belize

2007-08-22T22:41:00Z

I'm glad that my previous post was helpful to some of you trying to get information about friends, family and property in Corozal, Belize in the wake of Hurricane Dean. Judging from the number of emails I've received, there must not be much info out there yet.

Here's what I'm going to do: until normal communications are restored, I will post whatever I can find out every evening about 5 p.m. Mountain time. Also, I am working with friends in Corozal to try to get photos sent here through what might be the only intact Internet dish left in town. If we can get them through, I'll post them here, or post a link to them.

So if you have questions, please feel free to email me: margaret (at) localgringos (dot) com. I'll gather up the questions, relay them through when I can, and try to get you an answer.

Today's update is information as of 4:30 pm MST, Wednesday August 22:

1. The Corozal District was the only area in Belize to suffer serious damage from Hurricane Dean. Other districts had wind and heavy rain, but no serious problems. Today the Government of Belize declared the entire district a disaster area. Here is the text of the press release issued by the GOB today:

Ministry of Tourism and National Emergency Management

Prime Minister surveys Hurricane Damage

Belmopan - 22 August, 2007

Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Said Musa has carried out an on-site inspection in the Corozal District. Based on what he saw and the preliminary reports of the assessment of the damages, he has declared the Corozal District a Disaster Area.

There is extensive damage to many homes in Corozal Town and the surrounding villages. Many homes lost their roof and suffered extensive damage to their bedding and other household items. Power lines are down and the entire district is without electricity.

Fruit crops were destroyed, that is, mangoes, avocado, coconut, cornfields blown down, sugarcane fields water-logged and the papaya plantations completely wiped out. Trees were blown down in many areas. At this point there seems to be no extensive flooding.

The Prime Minister has met with many affected families who did not sleep in their homes last night. He has assured them that financial assistance and disaster relief will be provided to them as a matter of urgency in order for reconstructions to take place as soon as possible.

The PM was accompanied on his tour by Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Vildo Marin, Minister responsible for NEMO, Hon. Godfrey Smith, National Coordinator for NEMO, Colonel George Lovell and Mr. Florencio Marin Jr. - PUP Standard Bearer for Corozal South East.

2. As mentioned above, the district is still without electricity ... which means they are also without running water. Those people who have intact rain cisterns are sharing with those who don't, for bathing and so forth. It is expected to take days, if not weeks, to restore the electricity; no word on restoration of water service ... but bear in mind, the water pumps are electric.

3. Belize's northern border with Mexico at Corozal is closed. No word on when it will re-open. This is not the time to try to enter Belize by car, you will be turned back.

4. Telephone service is resuming for some land line phones. This is spotty, depending on where the phone lines went down. Cellular service continues to be available, but many phone batteries are exhausted.

5. Today in Corozal Town, the Texaco gas station reopened selling gasoline at $10.94 per gallon. The tortilla factory also reopened today. Lines at both establishments were blocks long. The bakery has not reopened, so there is currently no bread available in town.

6. Clarification on flooding: Some low-lying homes in Corozal Town did have some flooding from the torrential downpour, described as a rainwater "moat" around them. Some of these homes are in the neighborhood of Villa Imports. This water is starting to dry out. The only "storm surge" flooding from the sea reported to me was in Corozal's South End, where low-lying, empty lots -- those that have not yet been land-filled -- experienced some seawater flooding. Within a couple of hours after the storm moved across Corozal, the bay water returned, crept across the open lots, and at least part way across the South End road. This receded almost immediately.

7. Consejo Shores / Consejo Village / Maya Resort Update

Many of you asked about the area north of Corozal, so I attempted to get some information. According to Art Higgins, the Consejo area homes are intact, with no visible structural or major damage. Some minor repairs are needed, such as gutter replacement. However, all of the large trees were uprooted by the storm. Those lovely old bulletwood trees are all gone, I am sorry to say.

8. Chetumal

I have very little information about conditions in Chetumal, other than to say that winds there were clocked at 165 m.p.h., and nearly every building in the city has at least some damage. There is no electricity there, either.

There's a blog entry on the Austin American-Statesman website that describes a journalist's brief visit to Chetumal, with a couple of photos.

Again, I want to emphasize that absolutely no deaths have been reported from the storm.

If you have information to share, or questions for me to send along, don't hesitate to email me: margaret (at) localgringos (dot) com.

--Margaret (a.k.a. MaggieBelize)

Post-Hurricane Dean Report - Corozal, Belize

2007-08-21T23:47:00Z

Just a quick note here to update those of you trying to get news from Corozal in the wake of Hurricane Dean.

Hurricane Dean made landfall at or near Majahual, Mexico, sometime around 2 a.m. Tuesday morning, August 21, with sustained wind speeds of 165 mph and projected storm surge between 10 and 18 feet. Chetumal was somewhat protected by the eastern landmass, although it still experienced very high winds, heavy rains, and some street flooding; Corozal fortunately was on the easier south side of the storm. It's estimated that wind speeds in Corozal were at least 80 m.p.h., and possibly as high as 100 m.p.h.

The eye of Hurricane Dean at landfall, image from the Weather Channel.

As of Tuesday evening, the electricity in Corozal is still out, and likely to be out for at least another 48 hours. And the majority of the telephone lines came down in the storm, so email and land-line telephone communications are pretty much out. However, oddly enough, Belize cell phone communications are still working. So until their cell phone batteries die, you can contact people that way.

If you urgently need to contact American friends or relatives in the area, the American Embassy representative in Corozal, Loreta Randall, has a generator and an intact Internet satellite dish with functioning email: 22palms (at) hughes (dot) net . This should only be used in case of an emergency; otherwise, I recommend patience until communication services are restored.

I've not heard of any serious injuries in Corozal from the storm. There was, however, significant property damage from the high winds. My husband -- who's there visiting his folks, what timing! -- reports that almost all of the trees in Corozal are down. From north of College Hill, he can see all the way to the bay, a view that used to be blocked by all the trees. The BDF -- Belize's army -- are already in town with machetes, chopping and clearing the debris from streets and power lines.

Mark and his family, including my sister-in-law Vikki and her one-month-old baby Nicolette Marguerite, are safe & sound, along with 15 people from their neighborhood who spent the night in the living room of Patti's new house.

Since the prevailing storm winds were out of the west in Corozal, the storm surge in Corozal Bay was minimal, said to be less than 2 feet. I'm told that flooding is NOT a problem in Corozal, contrary to the Weather Channel's evening report.

The worst property damage in the "gringo community" that I've heard of was to Gregg & Connie's house, my former next-door neighbors and owners of the Copa Banana Bed and Breakfast. As far as I know their hotel is intact, but the palapa roof of their home collapsed. Next door to them, Jim & Melanie's enormous palapa roof withstood the storm. Down the street, Colleen Gundy's drive is completely blocked by uprooted trees, but she and her house are reportedly safe. Roger and Deema Thompson also weathered the storm well in Corozal Town, only 1 building away from the sea, but lost their Internet satellite and with it their email.

I will add more updates as I can get them, meanwhile, if you have any questions you are welcome to email me at margaret (at) localgringos (dot) com.

--Margaret (a.k.a. MaggieBelize)

Don Henley Concert Disappointment

2007-08-07T19:55:00Z

Wow, am I bummed out!

We purchased tickets MONTHS in advance to see Don Henley with the Pretenders and the Stray Cats, for tonight August 7, here in Albuquerque. Doesn't that sound like a great show? It was what I'd chosen for my birthday celebration.

Yeah, well, we just found out on Saturday afternoon (August 4) that the show, scheduled for the new Santa Ana Star Center, was cancelled.

We'd gotten our tickets through GetTix.net, and I must say they were super-prompt in refunding our money, in full ... thank goodness, because it was major $$$! Henley's show tickets are $80 each.

So I'm glad to get that money back, but, given that GetTix knows my name, address, telephone number, credit card number and email address, couldn't they have let me know the show was cancelled? They apparently knew about this at least a couple of weeks ago ... couldn't they have dropped me a line?

Then, too, because the Santa Ana Star Center is about an hour and a half's drive from where we live in the East Mountains, we'd also decided to splurge on a hotel room at the Tamaya Hyatt Resort nearby. It's really gorgeous, check out this photo gallery:

http://tamaya.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/gallery/photos.jsp?icamp=propPhotoGallery

Anyway, it was their incredibly helpful staffer who let me know about the cancellation ... if not for her, then I suppose we'd be sitting alone in front of a darkened amphitheater tonight!

She checked the Don Henley website, and found that the concert was still listed at that point; she checked the Santa Ana Star Center website, which didn't mention the show at all; then finally she called a friend who works the box office at the Santa Ana Star Center, who finally told her the deal was off. I mean, is that service above & beyond the call of duty, or what?

Anyway, after talking with the darling concierge, I took a few minutes to loudly freak out, then called Hyatt Reservations to cancel the room. Unfortunately, we lost the $50 deposit, but if we'd called 2 minutes later -- really, literally! -- we'd have lost the whole night's fee. The resort is beautiful, but not cheap; again, a little advance notice sure would have helped.

Finally, I checked Don Henley's website myself. As of this morning -- the morning of the scheduled show -- it appears that he'll be playing in El Paso, instead. Sigh. Sounding like a broken record, I'll repeat, with a little advance notice we could have rearranged our schedule and made the show there. It's just over 4 hours' drive from here in Edgewood to El Paso, and we were on the hook for a hotel room anyway ...

O well. The good news is, we're going to see Billy Bob Thornton instead! He's playing tonight with his band, the Boxmasters, at the El Rey Theater in downtown ABQ. Cheaper ($20) and easier (20 minutes away), and I can have my birthday dinner at my new favorite restaurant, the Slate Street Cafe (instead of the highly-praised but big bucks Corn Maiden at Tamaya).

Billy Bob is touring to promote his new CD, Beautiful Door, which at least four reviewers on Amazon think is his best ever <grin>. In the discussion forums, one person listed it under "Rock concerts that disappointed", while another calls it the "best concert you've ever seen"! Should be interesting.

If it isn't cancelled, that is!

What to do differently next time? Well, I guess you just have to check, and double-check, and triple-check on musicians!

Next time I'll watch the Eagles fan blog at http://eaglesfans.typepad.com ... they have better tour info than Don Henley's own website, plus they've got great reviews of the show we aren't gonna see ... boo-hoo!

Happy scavenging,

--Margaret a.k.a. MaggieBelize

Super-Simple, Liquid Soap Making … No Lye!

2007-08-07T16:29:00Z

I’ve spent the last few weeks investigating the techniques for making my own soap at home. I had a simple project in mind: I just wanted to make a lightly fragranced, gentle liquid hand soap.

In our household, we garden, we cook and we have 4 cats and 3 dogs; in other words, we go through gallons of liquid hand soap weekly! But cheap commercial hand soaps are harsh, laden with antibacterials that we don’t need on a daily basis, and most are too perfume-y for my liking.
The higher-priced liquid soaps (I love Caldrea hand soaps , for example) smell better and feel nicer on the skin, but whoo boy, are they expensive!

Initially, I was discouraged to find that almost all soap recipes start from scratch, using raw lye. Yikes! I didn’t want to make the sort of equipment investment that requires – like goggles! Dedicated pots, pans & measuring cups! Long sleeves! Stand-by vinegar bottle for first aid!
Nope, not for me.

So I veered off into the less-respectable, less-documented soap making methods. If you don’t want to handle lye, that means either rebatching or melt-and-pour.

Using either of these methods, you start with pre-made soap. It still has lye (all soap is made with lye), but the lye in this case is “saponified”: chemically changed into a non-caustic substance. Authentic soap makers may scoff, but these methods let you make soap in your kitchen without needing a biohazard suit. Or with pets and/or children underfoot!

Even though I started with the supposedly foolproof “melt & pour” technique, my, um, creative modifications to the process made that first project almost a complete disaster. I even hatched a Krakatoa-level eruption in the microwave! But my second attempt yielded exactly what I wanted: a small batch of gentle, good-smelling, liquid hand soap.

I’ll document this more successful version, and share what I learned from the first failure.

How to Make Simple, Small Batch Liquid Soap

Ingredients:

¼ pound "Melt & Pour" Soap Base
2 cups Distilled Water
Soap Coloring (if desired)
Soap Fragrance or Essential Oil (if desired)

Tools:

4-cup Microwave-able Measuring Cup
Stick Blender (or whisk, or spoon)
Recycled pump-style soap dispenser, or other container for your finished product

Purchase “melt and pour” soap base. For your first attempt, you might as well buy this stuff at a local hobby store; later, if you find you like making your own soap, you can scout for higher quality formulations, better prices & larger quantities on the Internet.

For my first experiment, I used a translucent glycerine soap base, which I found too drying even though it's labeled "moisturizing". On my second attempt, I used an opaque white shea butter soap base that I liked much better.
Both came in 2-pound blocks from Hobby Lobby like the one shown here.

Next, cut up the soap base. Because I wanted to make a very small batch, I used only one-fourth of a pound. I cut away the quarter pound from the 2-lb block I’d bought, following the convenient cut lines, and sliced it thinly into a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup (microwave safe).

TIP: In my previous experiment, I actually grated the soap, which was messy and time-consuming. I found that melt & pour soap base melts so easily that grating is not necessary, slicing works just fine.

Now melt the soap base. The soap package instructions suggested heating it in the microwave for 40 seconds on High, which worked for me. Then I stirred the melted soap to make sure all the slices were completely melted down … you don’t want any un-melted chunks in there.

Next, add the water to thin the soap so it will dispense through a pump. You’re supposed to use distilled water for soap making, but I confess I used bottled water because that’s what I had on hand. After experimenting, I found that 2 cups of water was just right for my blend.

TIP: Bear in mind, I’m working at 7,000 feet elevation in a very dry climate; at sea level in high humidity, for example, you might need less water. Start with less, say 1-1/2 cups. Mix it in, let it sit, see if you like the consistency, then add more water if needed. (You’re working right in the measuring cup, so you can always stick it back into the microwave to re-melt if it sets up on you.)

To thoroughly mix the soap and water, I used a stick blender. You could probably use a wire whisk or even a spoon, but the stick blender is really fast and effective ...
and besides I love kitchen gadgets. I got my stick blender at a yard sale for $1.00, but you can also get one on Amazon.com (Cuisinart makes a good one).

TIP: I used a spoon to mix my first batch, and had problems with the soap and water separating later. But the soap base I used for the second batch is supposed to hold “inclusions” in suspension better, so I don’t know if the better blending in Batch #2 was due to the stick blender or the different soap base. I’ll report back as I research this further!

Allow the soap and water mixture to cool in the measuring cup. There are two reasons for this: one, you want to be sure you’ve added enough liquid so that the soap doesn’t “set up” too thick to dispense, and two, your fragrance oils are heat-sensitive, and will stay more fragrant when added to a cooled mix.

When the soap mixture has cooled, you’re ready to add color and fragrance, if you like. While most soap makers measure by weight, in a small batch like this one you’ll measure by volume.

I added 6 drops of green soap colorant (also called soap dye, but not food coloring!) to my white base and got a very pale green tint that I liked. You can get soap dye in single bottles, or mixable sets, like this one.

For the fragrance, I concocted a mix I christened “Cedar Berry”, measuring the essential oils by droplet directly into the soap mix:

12 drops Bergamot essential oil (a “top note”)
8 drops Bayberry essential oil (a “middle note”)
4 drops Atlas Cedar essential oil (a “base note”)

Notice that this formulation is three parts top note, two parts middle note, and one part base note. I got this from one of the dozens of soap making books I read, and I’m ashamed to say I don’t remember which one. I’ll try to find the book again at the library and let you know.

And here’s another tip: you can economize on a lot of things, but not your essential oils. I used a really cheap Lime essential oil for the first batch, and it smelled like a blend of lime Koolaid and industrial cleaner. Yuck.

Blend again, thoroughly! I used the stick blender to completely mix the color and fragrance into the soap base. Using a funnel, I then poured my product into two pump-dispenser soap bottles that I’d rinsed out and saved for this purpose … and ta-daa! Custom liquid soap.

Notes for Next Time:

As I empty more commercial soap bottles, I’ll try different fragrances and formulations. That’s the beauty of working in such small batches: experimentation is cheap!

I’d like to try adding emollient oils to the mix – like olive oil, since I already have it in the pantry! – and maybe coconut oil, too. I think I may have to add an emulsifier as well to make the oils mix properly. Or, instead, I might try the other melt & pour soap bases available with the emollients included.

I’ll try different fragrance oils, maybe even purchase a pre-mixed scent instead of combining my own. Turns out, I’m not very good at perfume making, and if each scent I mix requires 3 different essential oils, then it's not economical, either.

And eventually, when I run out of melt and pour soap base, I’ll try purchasing cold-process soap base to work with, using the rebatch method.

Stay tuned, and happy Scavenging!

--Margaret, a.k.a. MaggieBelize

FREE GUIDEBOOK to New Mexico Fiber Arts Trail

2007-07-22T19:22:00Z

I just found the most wonderful FREE guidebook at my local yarn store: the guide to New Mexico Fiber Arts Trails. It covers over 200 local fiber artists and 71 different destinations, organized by region. You can visit artists who weave, spin, make rugs, dye fibers, run fiber farms, galleries, "trading posts" and fiber studios, many offering classes.

How cool! And, I repeat, it's free!

Urban Scavenger Tip: You can get your own free copy, immediately! Visit http://nmfiberarts.org to download it. Or you can request a copy through the website to be delivered by mail. If you're not in a big hurry, that's your best bet, because the booklet is beautifully photographed and printed. Or, get it the old fashioned way: call or write New Mexico Arts, P. O. Box 1450, Santa Fe, NM 87504, 800-879-4278 or (in-state) 505-827-6490.

There are several destinations right here in the East Mountains area, including my local Edgewood yarn store (Good Fibrations) and my neighbor Connie's Shooting Star Farm. In addition to her alpacas, llamas, angora goats and rabbits, and of course Itty Bitty the donkey, Connie raises Navajo Churro sheep, a heritage breed that was teetering on the brink of extinction ... and is still designated as a "rare breed". You can read a fascinating account of how Navajo lives and philosophy intertwined with those of these special sheep at Sheep Is Life (Dibe - Dine bi' iina) .

Connie's Navajo Churro Sheep at Shooting Star Farm

All of the artists listed on the Fiber Arts Trails applied to the New Mexico Arts organization to be included in the Trail guide, so you can be sure that they really do welcome visitors. Connie says she's already had visitors from Michigan, Kansas and Wyoming! However, the booklet recommends that you confirm visiting hours and such before you go. Also bear in mind that sometime this year or next, New Mexico will get its second area code (woohoo!), and some of the telephone numbers listed in the Guide will no longer be area code 505.

Happy scavenging,

Margaret (a.k.a. Magge Belize)

Knitting a Nano-Sock

2007-07-17T01:27:00Z

Just a quick note before the dinner timer goes off ... I finished my sock-with-lanyard for the iPod! <Taa-daa!>

This project involved two firsts for me: I had never designed my own pattern for anything, and I'd not made an I-cord before.

Yeah, there are a gazillion patterns out there for iPod socks, but I had very specific features in mind.

For starters, I wasn't gonna use dpns, or two circular needles, or anything kinky like that. I wanted it done, like, right now, so that ruled out felting. I wanted it to be sturdy, since I wear it every day. And, I had to be able to hit the Pause button quickly ... when my dear library patrons ask me questions, they don't give me a lot of time to get "unplugged" to hear them.

So here's what I came up with. This first picture shows the Nano Sock "open", with its flap up.

And here's the Nano Sock closed, with its flap down and the earbud connector just pushed through the fabric. Very convenient!

I wanted to end up with a sturdy knitted fabric for the project -- without felting -- so I chose a light sport weight acrylic-rayon chenille, very little stretch, that I got cheap-cheap from "Susan's Yarn Barn" on eBay. (She's a great source of inexpensive chenille, BTW, and a darned fast shipper. But she's moving to a bricks-and-mortar store this month, so her shelves are empty till the move is done.)

I downsized my needles to a US 3 to get a tighter fabric. I cast on 20 stitches, wider than the Nano but I wanted the flap wide enough to wrap around the edges; then I decreased down to 14. (This sock fits over the Nano's skin, by the way.) Then every so often I carried along a sassy strand of flame-red eyelash yarn for a couple of rows.

The end result was roughly a rectangle measuring 6 inches from cast on, down the back to the Nano's little bottom, then 3 inches up the front. I keep the Nano in there upside-down, so the earbuds attach through the top flap, and I can easily get to the Pause button. The sock is 2-3/4 inches wide, but 3-12 inches wide at the end of the flap.

Finally, I knitted a 4-stitch I-cord -- again, looking for stability -- to make the hanging lanyard. I wanted it to attach securely, without pulling up the edges of the sock, so I had the brilliant idea of incoporating the I-cord the whole length of the sides. Stitching it in between the front and the back, as a sort of gusset, turned out to be tricksier than I'd imagined, so I think next time I'll stitch the front and back together first, then attach the I-cord.

And I learned that making a 40-inch, 4-stitch I-cord (yikes, enuf hyphens for ya?) is not the most interesting thing I've ever done. In fact, it sent me screaming out the door to Hobby Lobby, where I purchased a Clover Wonder Knitter.

Using a Clover Wonder Knitter
(Photo from JoAnn.com)

This is the gizmo I used to call a "Knitting Nancy" only much cooler: imagine if ole Knitting Nancy's head spun around like The Exorcist. It comes with two wheels to make small or large diameter I-cords, using from 2 to 6 pegs.

What a great little toy! I even -- oooooh so casually -- handed it to my husband, who cranked out about 200 yards of I-cord while watching TV. Hah! Brilliant invention, fun to use, I recommend it!

So if your iPod Nano needs a home and you want my exact stitch-by-stitch instructions, just let me know & I'll send them along or post them or something.

Meanwhile, I'll just go bask in the warm glow of a finished project!

Happy scavenging,

--Margaret (a.k.a. Maggie Belize)

Urban Scavenger's Update! As of July 22, JoAnn's has the Clover Wonder Knitter on SALE for $6.37. Best price I've seen for a new one.

What I Meant by “Urban Scavenging”

2007-07-05T03:01:00Z

I suppose I should explain the title I chose for my blog! It’s hard to corral my interests into a single neat box, or even a dozen unruly ones ... but a lot of my projects have to do with “urban scavenging”. (Okay, it was that or call it "My First Blog" ...)

When I moved back to the States from Belize, many things amazed me, most good; but one thing I’d forgotten is the sheer volume of waste here. It’s incredible! Not just that we Americans are throwing away perfectly good stuff, but also that it’s impossible to buy anything that isn't larded with excess packaging: swaddlings of cardboard boxes, plastic blister packs, Styrofoam peanuts, acres of bubble wrap, miles of packing tape ... you know what I mean.

The good news is that lots of folks are trying to do something about it. In my rural area outside Albuquerque, we directly pay for trash pickup. The more trash you produce, the more you pay … so most all of us consciously try to reduce the throw-aways headed to the landfill.

(In Belize, very little is wasted, but of course there is no formal recycling. And the interpretation of “wasted” stretches to include, say, a plastic lawn chair that you aren’t sitting in at the exact moment that a would-be “recycler” strolls by to liberate it.)

Anyway, here there are a number of creative recycling options for used furniture, clothing and household goods that keep stuff in the use stream. In Albuquerque, and to an extent here in the East Mountains as well, there are scads of thrift stores, used book stores, garage sales, estate sales, auctions, and scratch ‘n dent sales. And that’s where we hang out! We happily dig through piles of vintage books at auction, and luxuriate in hoards of craft materials released whenever someone is “de-stashing” her fiber arts collection.

This is what I mean by “urban scavenging”: on any pretty weekend, we print out the estate sale ads, grab a map, and set off on a glorious scavenger hunt!

This is how I first got interested in collecting vintage cookbooks, for example. I buy boxes of old cookbooks, save some for myself and sell the rest on Amazon or eBay (you can visit my eBay Cookbook Department here). I got so hooked, I even wrote an eBay guide to collecting cookbooks, called How We Ate: Collecting Vintage American Cookbooks.

My latest amazing find was a church cookbook that once was the property of one of Albuquerque's best-loved mayors, Harry Kinney ... take a look here.

Then, when I learned to knit this past winter at my local yarn store – Good Fibrations in Edgewood – back I went to the estate sales in search of vintage yarns and patterns to augment the stash I started with GF. (Good Fibrations is currently hosting their annual “Christmas in July” sale, by the way, with 20% off all the yarn in the store, yikes!)

One of the Uncensored Knitters also admits to hunting through the flea markets in Munich for what she indelicately calls “dead lady’s yarn”. Ugh, sounds heartless and awful, but the truth is, lots of ladies have accumulated a lifetime’s worth of wonderful yarns and they do downsize from time to time as their circumstances change. Doesn’t necessarily mean they died, right? Might mean they moved to a condo in Arizona! I’d rather think good thoughts about it … and I fully expect my own stash to find a new home when I leave it behind.

So, as with the vintage cookbooks, I apply what I indelicately call “drug-dealer math” to my fiber addiction: I buy yarn lots at auction and estate sales, keep what I can and sell the rest to finance my next buy!

I just sent some wonderful lots to auction at eBay, including 2 pounds of chenille in colors I didn’t need, 5 skeins of a super, slubby Norwegian cotton in firecracker red, and a dozen or so skein-ends of wildly colored eyelash yarns. The metallic eyelash yarns sold, and but to my surprise the rest didn’t, which I believe is just due to eBay’s annual summer slowdown. So -- hah! -- that means the yarn's mine, at least for a while.

Sooo .... I’ve started knitting a teddy bear with some of the chenille, in a rusty chestnut color that’s just perfect for a bear. I’m making the “Beginner Bear” from Sandra Polley’s Knitted Teddy Bear book,

which also includes instructions for a recycled yarn bear, made from picking apart a Goodwill sweater! And I found a "Very Easy Vogue" pattern at a yard sale for a short-sleeve, scoopneck pullover that I think will look wondrous in the red Norwegian cotton.

Whatever yarn’s left by the end of August will head back to eBay for another shot at auction … round ‘n round it goes!

Happy Scavenging,

--Margaret, a.k.a. MaggieBelize

P.S. It dawned on me that until I get around to writing that darned Bio, I can send you to my eBay About Me page instead. How's that for another bit 'o recycling?

New Words & Music to Knit By

2007-06-30T23:24:00Z

Okay, so this week I suffered a tragedy: my trusty (old, very old, and cheap) MP3 player bit the dust. It’s tragic because I absolutely must have something to listen to while I do my day job – I’m currently under-employed as a public library page.

(Note: The “page” is the lowest form of library life, I put books on the shelves all day long. Some days I take books off the shelf, too. For this I got a master’s degree? Yes. So you can see why I need audio input.)

Anyway, my husband gallantly gave up his iPod <insert sound of celestial choir here> to get me through what would otherwise have been a horrifying week. Wow! It’s a whole new world! Now I’ve finally, belatedly, at long last, discovered podcasts.

I started at the iTunes Store in the Podcast department, and just for grins, entered the word “knit” as a search term. Lo and behold, more than 100 entries! And interestingly, some are identified as “clean” and others “explicit”. Hmmm.

Next day on the job, I listened to Knit-Pick’s “To The Point” podcast (clean), and the Knitters Uncensored podcast (explicit). Enjoyed both, and now understand why a knitting podcast might be labeled explicit!

Knit-Pick’s podcaster, Kelley, is planning to work her way through Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac: a full year of knitting with a different, distinctly “Elizabeth-an” project each month. You can knit along with her, if you like. I have since ordered the book from Amazon as there is not a single copy in the entire Bernalillo County library system, but I’m a little nervous as an Amazon reviewer suggests that these are projects for intermediate to advanced knitters – which I am not … yet.

Knitters Uncensored are three ex-pat pals living in Munich, an American gal, a Canadian gal who only knits scarves in garter stitch, and a guy from Thailand who speaks 7 languages including, he says, Elvish and Esperanto. The ex-pat perspective really interests me after my years living & working in Belize (see my Bio, as soon as I get around to writing it).

While I can’t say that I learned much about knitting, exactly, from Knitters Uncensored, other than a couple of German words for yarn and color, I discovered new music, which is almost as important and sometimes more so. At the end of their podcast, the knitters played The Bridesmaid Dress song by Deidre Flint, from her album The Shuffleboard Queens. It’s wonderful! I had to have it! And I can’t wait to hear one of her other songs called “The Boob Fairy”.

Here’s Amazon’s album review, as I’m not feeling especially articulate at the moment:

This Philadelphia singer is in love with language. Verbiage spews out of Deirdre Flint as if she were a caffeine-addled linguist. Unable to resist good fun and the choice pun, Flint trips and traipses through life's little indignities with unabashed zest, addressing everything from cheerleaders to footwear to large bosoms (or the lack thereof). One particularly delightful couplet: "I'm well-bred and you're, well...not." Seven words, seven syllables...devastating. --Steven Stolder

Hurray for new music!