grassy

I finally finished up this soft, airy thing. A neck warmer whose vertical lacy pattern reminds me of grasses. The simple pattern is a 2-page pdf, and calls for Cascade Venezia Worsted. The yarn has a sheen that is inexplicable.

$4.50

Comments

[kate]

Simply lovely.

[kyrie]

um, can i just say that i think *you* are really lovely? beautiful.

[larissa]

Aww, Kyrie, thanks. It's so nice to hear from you.

[Carla]

Very pretty, and I love it in green. At the risk of getting in trouble (and kindly note I am not posting this anonymously), I did want to comment on the last posting. First off, yes, by most standards, the woman was aggressive, absolutely, and my feelings also would have been hurt if someone had spoken to me like that. However, in your comments on the incident you write that you "happen to have chosen to forward the human race." I can't help but read this as implicitly putting down those who do not choose to bear and raise children.

First, there are many ways to "forward the human race" that don't involve bearing a child and raising it. With regard to reproduction in particular, the tired but true fact that there are too many babies in the world right now (and too many babies without parents) suggests that a better method of "forwarding the human race" might involve adoption.

Second and more importantly, I do think that there's a real tension between women who have children and women who do not; each side feels that its decision is not respected by the other side, and both sides are, in my experience, largely correct. Thus, women with children seek validation for labor that is unpaid and largely unrecognized in the public sphere, often calling attention to their work by using some variation on the statement you made, namely, that their work is the most important work because it's saving/preserving humanity. Women without children (especially those who have overcome significant social stigma in _choosing_ not to have children) feel that their efforts and choices have not been respected by others, because while the work of motherhood is not respected in the public sphere, the role of motherhood certainly is.

[larissa]

Hi Carla,

In the comments on the last post I wrote that I should have phrased that differently. I'm not upset by what you write at all. I just think that some of us obviously have chosen to have children (we have them with us at an event, for example, so it's obvious), and that this is an okay thing to do and also is the only way we *all* got here. I think there are many ways of having a life, and one of them is being a mother. Some people have clearly chosen that, and it doesn't mean they should then stay in their homes for the next 20 years.

BTW, I have not thought much about the issue of pay for mothering tasks. I'm not one of those people who argues for that. I work outside the home for our money, and also work from home selling knitting patterns like this one and writing books. FYI. I just want to go places sometimes and bring my child.

[larissa]

Carla, I must also add as a former demographics student that human overpopulation is not a "tried and true fact." There are some demographers, academics, philosophers, etc. who argue it is not actually a problem. There is also a shift called the demographic transition - a phenomenon in which when resources are stable family sizes naturally drop. Some countries are now far below replacement rate. I don't plan on having three or more children myself. I plan to stay well below replacement rate or right at it if someday it comes to another baby for us. But I don't start from the same assumptions that you seem to.

[Susan B]

Did you see the Harlot's post today? She must have heard about the experience you and the other woman had. She put it very very nicely, I thought.

We all fight so hard to protect and justify our lives and our decisions and our choices that sometimes we forget that we're all trying for the same feelings of safety and happiness and peace - and don't actually need to fight with each other. It's so tough some days, isn't it? (But so great at the same time......) :)

[April]

I love the neckwarmer/cowl thing! Pretty!

[Knittripps]

Pretty little thing. Nice and "Springy".

[Amber]

I love it. Very pretty.

[Carla]

Hi Larissa,

I appreciate your thoughtful reply. I had actually read your discussion in the comments to be about a slightly different issue than the one I raised (hence my comment), but thanks for referencing it.

I would be interested in the reference(s) you're thinking of with regard to world population, if they're easy to dig up; I'm interested in India in particular, since that's the part of the world I study. The only arguments I've ever read that suggest that overpopulation (globally) is not a major problem are philosophical, not quantitative.

[nicole]

Your blog is interesting, and you are very creative!

[suse]

That neckwarmer is lovely. And if the model is you, then you are too. Nice to see you!