ObamaKnit

This is my first post-knitting group report since starting this blog. The plan is to post an update every Tuesday night after I get home from 3 hours of bock, bock, bocking with my fellow Chickenheads. Of course, if I have too much wine, beer, dessert or all of the above, I may go straight to bed and the post will just have to wait.

First the spread: Big Sis brought an assortment of Subway sandwiches, CertainT had an equally appetizing assortment of Haagen Dasz ice cream bars, and I brought a 6-pack of Bass ale. (For the record I am much more comfortable buying alcohol or dessert. When it's my turn to bring dinner I agonize.)

Tonight was all about Obama as he delivered his first address to Congress. We are all lovers of our Commander-in-Chief and spent the majority of his talk oohing and aahhing over how hot he is. All I could focus on was that fire he has behind his eyes when he speaks. It just seems to say, "I want to grab you and kiss you right now, woman." I know, I know. His eyes are really saying, "I want to grab this country and get it out of this mess, people." But a girl's gotta dream, right?

Then it was on to the cacophony of group knitting.

Bubbles has completely gone of the knitting deep end and today brought her first skein of HANDSPUN yarn. Yes, she has a spinning wheel at home. Oh wait, it gets nuttier.

Then Miss Sunshine broke out her latest project - a pair of socks to be knit using the HAND-DYED yarn Bubbles gave her for her birthday. And she is almost bursting her bubble with excitement over going to a knitting convention in Santa Clara this weekend. She even convinced her long-suffering boyfriend to go with her. It's hard to say no to Bubble's enthusiasm.

The rest of us? We are hardly as advanced.

Obamette, despite being excited about her true love's successful speech tonight, was attempting to knit on circulars for the first time ever. She got a lot of help from CertainT who actually can't knit since she broke her hand over the weekend slipping on wet pavement by a hotel pool! When she informed the significantly younger Miss Sunshine that she fell down and that's why she has a cast, MS replied, "What? Did you just tip over?" This inspired much giggling from the kitchen.

Big Sis and I are all too similar in our knitting style - chug along until you hit some sort of snag. Then panic and beg for help as if your work will explode in your hands if someone doesn't fix it for you immediately. It's much funnier when you aren't the one panicking and, lucky for me, it was Big Sis panicking tonight with the sock monkey hat she eventually had to unravel - all the while chanting, "Remember, I like to knit. It's OK to unravel. I like to knit. It's OK to unravel." Easier said than done.

And I am in the midst of learning not one, but two new techniques -cabling and double pointed needles! Miss Sunshine showed me a great pattern for fingerless gloves and so far so good. Here's a picture of my progress.


And, yes, we did discuss blow jobs. After all, we are the Chickenheads aren't we? But the topic was really more centered around my recent discovery of what that term actually means and that I had, in fact, been inadvertently calling my knitting friends (and myself) c*cks*ckers. Woops.

Bock, bock.

Creepy Knit

This little knitting project could quite possibly be the creepiest thing I've ever seen. I dare you to try it. Anyone?

(Thanks to MisterTrails for sharing!)

A Chicken-Sized Dilemma

It has been brought to my attention by a discussion group on the Ravelry site that the term "Chickenheads" has a pretty racy slang meaning. Let's call it "fellatious" (not fallacious).

I'm not sure what to do with this information. The dirty side of me says, "Awesome! Leave it and love it!" Then there's the other side of me that doesn't want a swarm porn-addicted losers to stumble on this blog thinking they are going to find a bunch of female heads bobbing for their pleasure.

You do all know what I mean by Chickenheads, right? A bunch of women cluck, cluck, clucking in a room? Seems pretty clear to me and, frankly, a rather descriptive and a funny little image. Now it's a bit sullied. Or is it?

The ultimate irony of the situation is that the main reason I finally started the blog is because our conversations at knitting night have become so hysterical that I felt they had to be shared. What has been the topic of so much giggling and heated discussion the last two Tuesday nights? You got it - blow jobs.

So, maybe the name should stay and we'll see where it takes us....
Thoughts?

Bock, bock.

Chickenheads Knit: Cast of Characters

Hi there and welcome to Chickenheads Knit.

Some background: I am part of a knitting group that has met every Tuesday night since March 2008. This blog is an attempt to capture the essence of how this random grouping of seven women - two in their 20s, two in their 30s, and three in their 50s - somehow managed to turn into family.

*For info on the cute knitted chicken in the picture, scroll to the bottom for a link.

My name is DatingTrooper, and I am also the author of Dating is Warfare. If you read that blog, you probably have already read a bit about the Chickenheads - that's what I call our knitting group. Actually, that's what my boyfriend Wine Guy calls us because when we all get in the same room we end up sounding like a bunch of squawking chickens (bock, bock, BOCK). His famous quote, "I don't understand how you can all understand each other when everyone's talking at the same time." Yeah, he pretty much nailed it.

To tell you the truth, I usually get a headache about three hours into knitting night. Which is also exactly when it's time to go home -- so it's perfect. But those first three hours are what I suspect it feels like to sit in a room full of your sisters - if you actually had a good childhood and generally like each other. You chat, you tease, you are totally crude and inappropriate, and you laugh with and at each other. But no matter what happens, deep down you know you can trust each other and are rooting for each other every knit and every purl. So, for me anyway, it really does feel like family - or what I'd like to think it is anyway.

I've warned my fellow Chickenheads that I am starting this blog and they all say, "Go for it." Let's just hope they aren't like real sisters that get all pissed off and bitchy when they read something they don't like:-). Let the games begin.

Cast of Characters (more at original Chickenheads post)

DT (me) - 36, living with Wine Guy, unmarried but wants to be - yesterday. Started knitting on the first night of knitting group, March 2008.

BigSis - 50, single divorced mom with two teenage kids, just started dating for first time in many years and is acting like a giddy teenager. Started knitting about one week before I did.

Obamette (originally named Spunky in my first Chickenhead post but, now that I know her, I must change it) - 50ish, longtime friend of Big Sis, disgustingly happily married with two teenage boys. Started knitting again at knitting group, but quickly remembered what her grandmother taught her as a little girl.

Miss Sunshine - 20s, Big Sis's niece, has had the same semi-mysterious boyfriend since high school. Been knitting for a few years and is certifiably insane about it (and musicals).

Rugby - 30s, Miss Sunshine's coworker, recently married and endlessly knitting baby blankets for her friends - and I think it's getting old for her. Been knitting for years and is quietly expert about it.

Bubbles (formerly called Crafty, but now that I know her I have to call her this instead) - 20s, Miss Sunshine's friend from high school, happily lives at home with her parents and younger sisters, has had an "older" boyfriend (he's 30) for years, but he lives in LA and she is not so patiently waiting for him to get on with it. The most expert knitter of the group, she recently purchased her own spinning wheel and is taking a long-anticipated "vacation" next month to attend a knitting convention in San Jose. She fixes just about every knitting mistake I make and I worship her for it.

CertainT - 50s, longtime friend of Big Sis, married with three grown sons. She hosts knitting night every week and every time her husband comes home, he walks across the room, leans down, and gives her a kiss hello. Every. Single. Damn. Sweet. Time. She's been knitting since the group started, and quite possibly before.

So that's us. I know it sounds terribly "chick lit" cliche. And sometimes it feels it. But I'd like to think that we talk about our bathroom habits and other disgusting things enough to disqualify us. My plan is to give brief summaries of what we covered in each week's group (or at least the most entertaining stuff). I'll try to leave it as poop-free as possible. But as my Chickenheads know, if I'm around, be prepared for the worst.

Bock, bock.

*** For those of you correctly admiring the chicken in the photo above, I apologzie for not giving it the proper credit - I wish it was my work! The truth is, I forgot where I found the picture so long ago. Alas, I found it again and it is the adorable work of Beth who writes about it in her blog Loxosceles, here. Perhaps I will tackle it soon as a group mascot.