Marie at 1 Write Way

Five Things About This, That, and the Other(s)

Red knitted hat with a tassel on the top.

This

THIS HAT!

Per the folks at Needle and Skein, a full service yarn shop in Minnesota from whom I got the pattern, this hat has a history:

In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.

I came across the pattern a couple of weeks ago. Since then, Needle and Skein has raked in over $250,000 for this $5 pattern; all proceeds go to immigrant aid agencies to help those impacted by ICE. You can read more about resistance art here.

While I have plenty of red yarn, it’s all dedicated to other projects. So I took an old but beloved knitted shawl of red wool and silk yarn and ripped out the crocheted trim. I thought this would be a nice way to decide if I want to make more.

Since the yarn is a blend of wool and silk, it doesn’t have the elasticity of 100% wool and it’s not “pointy” at the top. I probably should have used a smaller sized needle but it fits nicely as is. Very light, almost like I’m not wearing anything on my head. We have several more cold days ahead for my part of the country so I look forward to wearing it.

And I DO want to make more! But, guess what? Red wool yarn is suddenly hard to come by … LOL. I did find some and ordered a couple of skeins and then we’ll see. Because …

That

I am knitting A LOT. I finally finished a shawl that seemed to take FOREVER but I haven’t blocked it yet so no photos. I’ve enrolled in a workshop to make a sweater in a month (I did this last year so I know it’s doable), and I’m knitting an alpaca watch cap for my hubby. I have LOTS of projects to work on, including spinning and weaving now.

The Other: Writing

So I’m not writing, except for the odd comment. I guess I want to write because my comments can be lengthy unless I rein myself in. But I haven’t worked out a schedule. That also means I haven’t been reading or commenting much because I’ve been … knitting or doing housework which seems to take up more time than one would guess when there’s only two humans and two cats living here. I could do with a housekeeper, ideally someone like Mrs. Hall from All Creatures Great and Small. She’d be good with the cats, too.

I also do get overwhelmed at times by all the subscriptions I have to read, here on WP and now also on Substack. I have unsubscribed to a few which wasn’t easy but my priority is to stay with the writers I’ve been reading the longest. I’ve been following some of you for over ten years, and it troubles me to not keep up.

The Other: Fatigue

There are times when the energy to get through the day, to go about my life as if all was well, is in short supply. I have to constantly remind myself of what I am doing–those things I consider civic duties like calling and writing to my members of Congress, writing postcards encouraging people to vote, supporting aid agencies–and not feel put out because I don’t have the social capital or the economic capital to bring about the change we need now.

Interestingly, my husband and I have thrown ourselves into our projects–me with my crafty stuff, Greg with his astronomy and photography–in the attempt to minimize our exposure to the tsunami of daily bad news. And yet, we are often tired.

The Other: Cats

Cats all day, every day.

Raji being Greg’s lap kitty.

This time of year, when it’s chilly and we like a little extra warmth, Greg has been missing Maxine and Junior who were great, if at times demanding, lap kitties.

Back in the day when Junior and Max owned land rights to Greg.

Raji is an equal opportunity lap sitter. In the evening, when we are enjoying “happy hour” on the loveseat, he prefers Greg’s lap. Later, when we are on the couch watching TV, he prefers my lap. Wendy, at this time, will only deign to get close but not too close.

Wendy on a cushion, snoozing while we watch the telly.

Thank you for reading! Live in hope, be kind, and do no more than what you can.

Marie A Bailey

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32 responses to “Five Things About This, That, and the Other(s)”

  1. A red hat is next up for me. Ordered the red yard just ahead of the curve, and because I also have plenty of red yarn pledged to other projects. I love the pattern you worked from. The one that came with the yarn needs adjustment.

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    • I might break down and use what I already if I have to wait too much longer for the red yarn I ordered to be shipped. I get antsy ;-) At the time I bought the pattern, they were still fine-tuning it. Since I bought it on Ravelry, I didn’t print it off until they said they were done adding stuff. I don’t think the good folks at Needle and Skein expected the pattern to be as popular as it is :-)

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  2. I was wondering if you were making “that hat” that I’ve been seeing all over social media. I guess I would try it, if I knitted. 😉

    I’m sorry you’re so tired, but it’s great you are doing all those things. Protesting has become a full-time job–it’s hard to keep up.

    Cats–yes! Neither of ours are lap cats (yet). Davy likes to sleep next to me or nearby. In the afternoon, he tries to herd me upstairs to read so he can sleep next to me. They both follow me around.

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  3. If it wasn’t so dang warm here, I’d pay someone to knit me one of those hats. I love the historical – and modern day – significance.

    I find it difficult to motivate myself to write lately. It’s hard to stay away from the news but have found some solace in (very beginner) water coloring and spending time with friends. I do miss the comfort of having a cat sleep on my lap.

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    • Now water coloring is something I’ve never gotten the hang of. I probably have too high expectations of myself, but I’ve never been good at the finer arts. The upside is other people are so I can enjoy their work :-)

      Definitely spending less time online is good for our mental health, but I have to remind myself that it’s one thing to doomscroll the news and to hang out with friends. Of course, nothing beats spending time with friends in person.

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  4. I LOVE the red hat with the tassel. I hadn’t heard about it as a form of protest with a history. When I was in high school, skiers wore the peaked hats, only they didn’t have a tassel. Thank you for taking an active part in protesting. It doesn’t go unnoticed!

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  5. The hat is perfect. It’s gratifying to know that red yarn is in demand. I can’t stop thinking about another hat. A little blue one with bunny ears. Coincidentally, I was probably writing about tat on on Substack just as you were writing this.

    I wish I had a cat. But the husband… It’s complicated.

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    • Thank you, Eileen! As you might know by now, I’ve read your excellent essay on the little blue bunny hat. I’m kind of surprised that there isn’t a movement to make those hats, at least for kids. I’m still waiting on my red yarn. It hasn’t even shipped yet.

      Cats are complicated, especially if a person has allergies. I knew someone who regularly got allergy shots so she could have cats. I’m not sure I would go that far ;-)

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  6. I love your red knitted hat. It looks perfect! Thanks for the history as well. I am finding, as I grow older, that I just can’t do as much in a day as I used to. It’s annoying but I guess better than not being able to do anything. I love your cat pictures. We used to have cats in Canada, but in Spain, we have two adorable rescue dogs. They are a constant source of amusement.

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    • Thank you, Darlene! I do think that our online lives have grown exponentially. Although my husband eschews social media, he even spends part of his day watching political shows on YouTube. Remember when we just read newspapers … in print! Seems so long ago.

      I am definitely a cat person, but if I couldn’t have cats, I’d have a dog for sure. I’ve known a few sweet ones. Friends of ours had an Australian Shepard, many years ago, named Amanda. She was scary smart, like she understood us more than we understood her. But I always thought it would be wonderful to have a dog like her.

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    • Ha ha, thank you, Laura! I’m seeing more of them around on the internet … not so much in real life although in a newsletter from my local chapter of Indivisible it was mentioned that a knitting group had formed to make these hats. Not sure if I’ll try to join. While I can sometimes knit and talk at the same time, I prefer not to. Fewer mistakes if I can have quiet and focus.

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  8. It makes me want to start knitting. I did manage, once, to knit myself a hat – which I have no idea where it is! I must have left it somewhere but… sigh.

    I am seeing this hat everywhere (or versions of it).

    Don’t ever feel bad about reorganising your time. Some days I catch up (sort of) on reading blogs, other days, I prefer to sit and read or take long walks or something else. It’s your life. There is not a blogger out there who does not understand the need for space and respects the reader who can visit, when they can; when they can’t, that is okay, too!

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    • Thank you, Dale, for your kind words and understanding. I do want to catch up with your fun posts (you are so creative in how you respond to prompts!).

      Sometimes I think knitting saves my life. It was helpful when I wanted to quit smoking. Yeah, I be a former smoker! I was never a heavy smoker but I definitely was an anxiety smoker. Keeping my hands occupied keeps me out of bad trouble ;-)

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      • I definitely do and you are so sweet to say!

        I think we need to stick to what saves our life (and sanity). For me, it was a mix of walking, colouring. I be a former smoker, too. We do what we need to stay away from those cancer sticks!

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        • Oooh, a fellow former smoker! It was hard, wasn’t it. I never said I quit smoking, only that I’m not smoking today. Somehow never saying never took some of the edge off. But one thing I noticed is I’m more sensitive to cigarette smoke now, in that it makes me feel queasy. I guess that’s a good thing :-)

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  9. Totally get what you say about only two people in a home but needing a housekeeper, LOL. I don’t have one but all my friends do. I just feel guilty getting one when my husband does all the yardwork and cars on his own. Seems like I need to pull my weight.

    Also about keeping up with all the subscriptions here on WP and now SS too. I always enjoy it when I do visit people, but my visits are fewer and more far between these days. Sigh.

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    • I hear you, Deborah. I also enjoy visiting on WP and SS, and I always feel better about life when I do since there’s so many good people here.

      Also, like you, I feel like I need to do the indoor work since my husband does most of the outdoor work. And it would probably be a nightmare to engage a housekeeper given all our clutter ;-)

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