Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Alternative Fuel Conversion Fund: HB1016

Virginia's House Bill #1016 would, if enacted, set up a special fund for the specific purpose of converting state-owned vehicles to run on other things besides petroleum. Full text:

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+ful+HB1016

Note the vagueness of this bill about (a) where this money would come from, and (b) how this money would be spent. Allowing or supporting experiments and innovations is a different thing from mandating them.

Land-Disturbing Activities: HB1009

If enacted, Virginia House Bill #1009 would not change existing laws regulating "land-disturbing activities" such as grading and digging; it would merely specify the way complaints about these activities must be delivered to the disturber of the land. Full text is here; remember, only the words shown in "strikethrough" or italic type show changes in the existing law.

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+ful+HB1009

Requiring notice to be delivered in writing and attached to the premises in question is good, so far as it goes. I wish this bill had gone further. The state doesn't need to be paying "planning authorities" to "inspect" construction activities. The state is inevitably about to be handed too many other expenses as Americans come to terms with the fact that the federal government can't go on paying these expenses forever. A petition system, as discussed earlier, would be a more effective way to monitor land-disturbing activities and their actual impact on neighborhoods.

Electronic Transmission of Voter Applications: HB1007

Readers may notice a pattern about these legislative posts. I'm not finding "good" or "bad" Delegates as I read a batch of bills that were all sponsored by the same person. Repeatedly, I'm finding a "good" bill and a "bad" bill, sponsored by the same person, back to back. This is definitely the case with Delegate Ramadan's proposed Virginia House Bill #1007:

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+ful+HB1007

If enacted, this bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to transmit official identity information about prospective voters to the registrar's office "electronically." And I don't see anything in there stipulating that the D.M.V. and the registrar's office shall be provided with special state-government-only computers that can't connect to the regular Internet. This is very, very bad.

Tax Credits for Homeschooling: HB1006

Virginia House Bill #1006 would, if enacted, provide tax credits for homeschooling parents. Full text:
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+ful+HB1006

Also worth reading is the exemplary homeschooling policy that's already part of Virginia state law:

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?000+cod+22.1-254.1

Virginia has come a long way since the years when homeschoolers faced prison terms. There are states, e.g. Tennessee, that offer even more hand-holding for homeschooling parents, which can be useful for children who need homeschooling because they have disabilities...but Virginia's current homeschooling law is good enough for most people.

Pris Stands Corrected

Although I generally support Ron Paul, heretofore I've referred to his foreign policy as "isolationist." The crowd at Freedom Connector insist that this is inaccurate. As a user known as Ratio411 puts it, "North Korea is isolationist. Switzerland is non-interventionist." Or, as this pro-Paul site puts it...

http://www.prisonplanet.com/opposing-imperialism-is-not-isolationism.html

Fair enough. "Isms" breed schisms, and the recent histories of North Korea and Switzerland show enough divergence to justify identifying two distinct "isms."

Next question. Some countries are immunized to imperialism by being too small or too poor to make it work. (Switzerland isn't poor, but it is small.) The United States doesn't have either kind of natural immunity to imperialism. So, although I have no foreign policy and for all I know an idealistic policy of free trade and non-intervention might work, I have to ask: Is it realistic or reasonable for the United States to try to behave like Switzerland?

I still suspect that a majority of Americans will say that it's not. I still suspect that a majority of Americans think we have to support at least Britain, Israel, Japan, Canada, and (country where you have relatives here) even in their wars with other countries that have no particular quarrel with us. And, if so, in order to be the democratically elected President of a constitutional democratic republic, Ron Paul will have to reach some sort of compromise between his own personal views and the views of the rest of the country. I still hope he will do that, and can do that.

But I stand corrected on semantics, anyway. Neutrality and free trade can't fairly be called isolationism.

Allen West Stoops to Profanity on TV

Becket Adams shares video footage of Allen West's lapse of good manners, and TV's "Five" bickering about whether he showed "disgraceful, despicable, disgusting" "hatred" by using the name of a small town in Michigan in an imprecise and disparaging way.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/bob-beckel-rips-rep-west-i-have-never-heard-anything-more-disgraceful-in-my-life/

The point here is that Bob Beckel is reacting to Congressman West's political affiliation, not to his language. Apparently Beckel has no problem with, say, Maxine Waters' careless references to the same part of Michigan.

If either Representative West or Waters is trying to avoid being drafted for the presidential campaign, this kind of speech may be a good strategy. Use of "Army language" in what ought to be a peaceful situation isn't presidential.

Mike Opelka Rates Obama's "Green Jobs" Program

Uh...you mean...throwing piles of money at a problem...does not...automatically...create solutions that actually...like...work?

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/so-where-are-all-the-green-jobs-from-that-500-million-investment/

You mean...going Green actually takes effort? And...saving money...'stidda spending it? Gawrsh.

Granny Squares Liberal and Conservative

Hand Crocheted by Anonymous

Photo by Victoria Cooley


In real life, the yellow squares in this pet blanket are a bright crayon yellow, and the blanket is a square rather than a trapezoid.

Size: About 2' x 2'

Material: Acrylic

Care: Machine wash and dry

Credits: This pet blanket consists of granny-square patches crocheted by what might be described as a liberal and a conservative approach to crocheting. (The outer squares have smaller, tighter stitches.)

Click here to buy it for $20 + $5 shipping.

Baby Bootees

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley



In real life they're black.

Size: 6-12 months

Material: Acrylic

Care: Machine wash and dry carefully (in a bag--don't let them get caught in the machinery!)

Credits: "These are just basic baby bootees knitted in blanket-weight yarn. The pattern is in Leslie Linsley's Quick and Easy Knit and Crochet."

Click here to buy the bootees for $5 + $5 shipping, or Quick and Easy Knit and Crochet for $5 + $5 shipping.

Cabled Vest

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley



Oops! You can tell Tori's not a knitter...she photographed the cables inside-out! In real life this seamless waistcoat has deep armholes and ordinary-looking cables. The color is charcoal grey.

Size: Fits up to 40", up to 5'8"

Material: brushed acrylic

Care: Machine wash and dry

Credits: "This was a Knitter's quick-and-easy project."

Click here to buy it for $20 + $5 shipping.

Chickens Cardigan

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley




In real life the sweater is a bright, glossy, Christmas-y green. (It would be easier to wear year-round if it were the color I'm seeing on this computer.)

Size: 34-36" bustline, 5'3"-5'6"

Material: base yarn acrylic, contrast colors mixed

Care: machine wash and dry

Credits: "This is a version of the famous Chickens Cardigan from Maine Island Classics by Chellie Pingree and Debby Anderson. Since I used a slightly lighter yarn, and the armholes on these sweaters tended to be designed for slim people anyway, I widened the armholes and dropped the shoulder line. There aren't any more of those buttons--someone insisted on them, then didn't buy the sweater presumably because three buttons weren't enough. I can substitute plain buttons for an extra $5."

Click here to buy the sweater for $36 + $5 shipping, or to buy Maine Island Classics for $5 + $5 shipping.

Brother Turn Around Pullover

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley



In real life this one's beige and brown, even if it looks gray on your screen.

Size: 34" chest, 5'2"-5'6"

Material: Wool-Ease, a wool and acrylic blend

Care: Hand wash and dry flat for best results; manufacturer says it can be machine-laundered carefully

Credits: "This was one of many variations Lily Chin suggested on a pattern she called 'Family Turn Around' in Knitter's magazine for Winter 1996. Requests for a selection of things boys could wear prompted me to use neutral colors and more 'traditional' styling. A girl or woman could wear it too, but in that 'family' of patterns this is the brother."

Click here to buy the sweater for $50 + $5 shipping.

Silver Toddler Jacket

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley



In real life this jacket is a pale, icy silver-grey color.

Size: Child's 2

Material: Brushed acrylic

Care: Machine wash and dry

Credits: "After knitting a woman's jacket, which has been sold, I had enough of this yarn left over to make a child's sweater. This one's a variation on a pattern from Family Circle Easy Knitting."

Click here to buy it for $20 + $5 shipping.

Baby's Tomten Jacket

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley




In real life this one's a natural-colored mix of dark gray and cream-colored wool.

Size: Child size 1-2

Material: Wool

Care: Hand wash and dry flat

Credits: "When I found just enough of this wool to make a toddler's jacket, I naturally thought of Elizabeth Zimmermann, who insisted that babies can wear wool. Very few people are really allergic to wool itself. Most are allergic to the chemicals used to clean and dye wool, and make it 'washable.' A jacket that's worn over a cotton shirt is unlikely to irritate the skin. So I knitted this version of EZ's Tomten Jacket from (I think) Knitting Without Tears."

Click here to buy the sweater for $25 + $5 shipping. Click here to buy Elizabeth Zimmermann's books: www.schoolhousepress.com

Save the Whales Pullover (Sold)

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley





The colors are just slightly muted on this browser. The base yarn is a bright royal blue, and the white yarn is a bright bleached white.

Size: Medium woman's (fits a 36" chest, 5'4", perfectly)

Materials: 100% acrylic

Care: Machine wash and dry

Credits: "This vintage design came from Knitting Wildlife, by Ruth Herring and Karen Manners. The original sweater in the book is a super-chunky man-sized sweater. Changing to a medium-bulky yarn that was available in the U.S. when I knitted it automatically changed the size. I knew it was going to come out as a woman's size but didn't realize that following the pattern stitch for stitch would bring it to a perfect fit for the average woman who is 5'4" and usually has to choose between petite sizes, for a 5'2", and standard sizes, for a 5'6"."

This sweater has been sold to a 5'4" in a town near Sea World, the home of friendly orcas.

Click here to buy Knitting Wildlife ($5 + $5 shipping includes a $1 payment to the authors) from this website.

No Smoking Jacket and Stocking Cap

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley


In real life the sweater and cap are a bit more colorful than they look on this browser. The yarn is a creamy white with red, blue, and yellow flecks.



Size: Large (fits size 48", 6' or taller)

Material: Acrylic

Care: Machine wash and dry

Credits: "The jacket was a variation on a Knitter's pattern called a 'Smoking Jacket.' The idea behind the name was that, about a hundred years ago, a 'smoking jacket' was an actual man's style. Since this sweater is acrylic, which melts at high temperatures, it's definitely recommended for NONsmokers. The cap is just a basic, longish stocking cap to roll up to the length and fit you like."

Click here to buy the jacket for $50, the cap for $5, plus $5 for shipping either or both.

Sheaf of Corn Jacket

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley





The color of this one shows up differently when I look at the screen from different angles. In real life it's what Lion Brand called "sienna"; it's as close as I've seen in the fashion world to the color of red cedar heartwood.

Size: 36" bust, 5'3-5'8"

Material: Brushed acrylic

Care: Machine wash and dry

Credits: "This jacket is a substantially altered version of the 'Sheaf of Corn' sweater from Pat Menchini's Beatrix Potter Knitting Book. (If you don't get the title, remember that in the U.K. 'corn' means 'grain,' usually wheat or barley.)"

Click here to buy the jacket ($45 + $5 shipping) or The Beatrix Potter Knitting Book ($10 + $5 shipping includes $1.50 for Pat Menchini).

Blue Collage Sweater (Sold)

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley




In real life the colors are white, baby blue, bright royal blue, and bright navy blue.

Size: About 40" chest/bust, fits 5'6"-5'8"

Material: Acrylic

Care: Machine wash and dry

Credits: "This is a version of the 'Collage' sweater from Christian de Falbe's Designs in Hand Knitting. Main change is that it's acrylic and knitted in bright 'team' colors."

The sweater has been sold. You may still click here to buy Designs in Hand Knitting for $5 + $5 shipping while supplies last.

Peacock Pullover

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley




In real life the main color of this sweater is a vivid peacock blue. The contrast yarns at the edges are variegated. The sleeves are standard full-length sleeves. The borders are meant to roll.

Size: Medium woman's (38-42" bustline, 5'6"-5'8")

Material: Cotton

Care: Machine wash; dry flat to preserve shape and color

Credits: "This is a variation on one of the designs in Lorna Miser's Faith, Hope, Love, Knitting. It's been out for a year or two but is still in print, so let's steer people to Amazon to buy it new, to show respect."

Click here to buy the sweater for $45 + $5 shipping.

Pastel Tabard

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley



In real life the colors might be a little brighter than they look in this browser, but not much; they're a mix of beige, cream, white, and baby pastels.

Size: One size fits all (adults)

Materials: Mixed fibres with about 50% natural fibres; lots of mohair

Care: Hand wash and dry flat recommended; machine wash at your own risk

Credits: "The stitch pattern here comes from the 'Hudson's Bay' super-chunky wool tunic in Kristin Nicholas' Knitting the New Classics. Of course, a tunic is not a tabard. The difference is that the tabard is drapey, like a shawl, rather than chunky, and is open at the sides. You'd throw it over your head like a poncho."

Click here to buy either the tabard ($120 + $5 shipping) or a copy of Knitting the New Classics ($5 + $5 shipping, including a $1 payment to Kristin Nicholas).salolianigodagewi@yahoo.com

Bramble Stitch Pullover

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley




The colors show up pretty true in this browser--cool, muted shades of rusty red, denim blue, leaf green and white. Cool enough tones to wear with a white shirt and denim jacket.

Size: Up to 40" bust, 5'3"-5'8"

Material: Acrylic

Care: Machine wash and dry

Credits: "This is a variation on a design from Annette Mitchell's Country Diary Book of Knitting. It's made in a bunchy, lacy stitch, on the same principle as thermal-textured underwear--it 'breathes' yet also traps warm air when worn under a windbreaker, denim jacket, or trench coat."

Click here to buy either the sweater ($ + $5 shipping), or (if available) a copy of The Country Diary Book of Knitting ($15 + $5 shipping).

Basic Vest

Hand Knitted by Gena Green

Photo by Victoria Cooley


Size: Medium, unisex Knitting Made Easy

Material: Acrylic

Care: Machine wash and dry

Credits: "This was a sample of the easy beginners' projects in Barbara Aytes' Knitting Made Easy. If you're not a raw beginner, you can make it in one day."

Click here to buy either the vest ($20 plus $5 shipping) or the book ($5 plus $5 shipping) from this site.

Monet Cardigan

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley



Size: 36" bust, 5'4"-5'8"

Material: Acrylic

Care: Machine wash and dry

Credits: "This is a variation on the 'Nightshade' pullover from Cheryl Potter's Handpaint Country--made as a jacket (since the acrylic yarn is super-warm) and with only one fairisle motif around the wrist."

Click here to buy the sweater for $25 + $5 shipping, or the book for $10 + $5 shipping.

Plain & Fancy Pullover

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley



On this browser it's showing up as grey. In real life it's a heathery, denim-like, but fairly bright blue that would fit into almost any color scheme; intense enough to wear with black and white things, not too intense to wear with beige or grey things.

Size: 36" bust, 5'4"-5'8"

Material: Wool-Ease, a washable wool and acrylic blend

Care: For best results, hand wash and dry flat, but the manufacturer says Wool-Ease can be machine-washed carefully.

Credits: "This is a plainer version of Nancy Bush's 'Plain and Fancy' design, featured in Knitter's magazine #30. It's based on a traditional Amish sock pattern that has striped scallops around the top, where they won't wear out, and neutral or natural-colored wool below. My version has scallops around the hipline, but not stripes."

Click here to buy either the sweater or a copy of the magazine (please specify which!). $15 for the magazine, $50 for the sweater, $5 for shipping either or both.

Scallops Cardigan

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley



Size: oversized--up to 50" bust/chest, 5'6"-6'+

Materials: base wool, contrasts mixed fibres

Care: hand wash and dry flat

Credits: "The stitch pattern was printed as a Tahki ad supplement in Vogue Knitting, Winter 2000-01. I used vintage Berroco Curlama wool yarn, discovered at a charity store, as the base and lots of leftover yarns as the contrasts."

Click here to buy the jacket for $120 + $5 shipping.

Pastels Jacket

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley



Size: Fits up to 36" petite; recommended for size 30-32"

Materials: Mixed fibres, 75% natural fibres

Care: Hand wash and dry flat

Credits: "This is a variation on a pattern that appeared in Knitter's magazine, K46 (Spring 1997)."

Click here to buy the jacket for $60 + $5 shipping.

Yellow Sands Cardigan

Hand Knitted by Gena Greene

Photos by Victoria Cooley



Size: 36" bust, 5'4"-5'8"

Materials: cotton base, contrast colors mixed fibres

Care: machine wash and dry, or dry flat

Comments: "This is the sweater that matches the Yellow Sands Afghan. Basic pattern, free-form knitting. There's a matching cap, not shown."

Click here to buy it for $30 (sweater) + $5 (cap) + $5 shipping. (If you buy multiple items at one time, shipping will be recalculated based on total weight and distance, possibly saving you money.)
Hand Crocheted Afghan by M.K.

Photos by Victoria Cooley



For some reason the colors aren't showing accurately on this computer; it's actually a mix of autumn-leaf brown and yellow tones. It has been machine-laundered and doesn't look "new" any more.

Size: about 4'x4" with 3" fringe

Material: acrylic

Care: machine wash and dry

Click here to buy it for $20 + $5 shipping.