The Tilsons

Today is a beautiful summer day on Manitoulin Island!  This morning Justin and I watched the tree filtered light cast a shadow of the window frame and slowly move accross the wall as we read together in bed.  Then we watched pairs of birds barrel rolling through the morning sky and the woodpecker peck at a log!  But of course my first thought as the sun was rising into clear blue sky was “The day has come for Muir to feel the glory of the sun.”  Well, it wasn’t quite that profound, but you get the idea!

Here is Muir on the Fairy Bridge leading to our sacred spot on the property

And in the sun

A tunnel of muir

And in the cherry Tree

I received your card today Sarah!  It almost made me cry!  I love ya dah’ling, and can’t wait to see you and gift you with this, too bad its a little late, it would have looked quite pretty with your dress.

For our zero waste themed “Resilient Manitoulin” meeting this Sunday, I have undertaken the task of researching hygiene and food.  I thought I would share my findings with regards to these topics over the next little while.  Here is some resources for those looking to reconnect to their monthly cycle by using reusable menstrual equipment.

I myself have been using pads and a Keeper (or Diva Cup) from the Vancouver based company Luna Pads for over five years.  There are several other companies out there who make similar products including Canada based Hankettes and Many Moons Alternatives as well as Portland based GladRags.

My main reason for using reusable pads is ecological.  Once I figured out how many pads I would be using over my life time I felt that the convenience of throw away pads was just not worth the damage I was personally doing to the earth.  Lets see my calculations:

I am one of those lucky women who gets her period for 7 days.  For the first three days it is heavy.  I would say I use an average of 4 pads per day.  Then for the following 4 days I’m spotting, using an average of 3 pantyliners per day.
3 x 4 pads = 12
3 x 4 pantyliners = 12

I get my period approximately 13 times per year.
13 x 12 = 156 pads +156 liners per year
If I have my period for 46 years meaning that I start at age 13 d am finished menopause at 60, leaving space for not having my period during two pregnancies and missing some during my transition to crone
44 X 156 = 6 864 pads + 6 864 liners

Bringing the grand total up to 13 728 pads in a lifetime.  HOLY CRAP.

So the waste I was producing was my initial reason for switching to reusable.  Another reason for switching was health.  I found that as I got older, I started to react to the chemicals in the conventional store bought dsposable pads, and that even if I used the eco friendly ones (99% biodegradable but from the UK!) I still reacted.

Although it is less convenient to pack them around and wash them, it is worth it for the added benefits of environmental awareness and health.  It was even more worth the switch was the unexpected experience of how much more in tune with my body I felt.  I realized that being able to throw everything away kept me disconnected from my body and my cycle.  When I started using the Keeper and Lunapads I started to understand how my cycle worked, how often it came and what it looked like when my body was distressed.

If you still aren’t convinced, check out the Lunapads website for their information on health, economy and environmental impacts of using disposable vs. reusable.  What’s your experience?

Well, I can’t really say that for sure because I have never beheld any other blocking boards, but from the ones I read about online, these ones seemed the best.  I read accounts of boards arriving in the mail and knitters being shocked at just how large the boards actually are in real life.  I must admit that even though I used a tape measure and measured it out on the floor of the cabin, I still was a little bit shocked at the amount of space on them.

The boards are called Sew-Ez Boards from Guardian, a table pad company in the US.  I found a rave reviews for them on the Knitters Review Forum. They come in two sizes, the two I ordered are the larger ones, 51 X 33″ and the smaller ones are 27 X 21″.  They have gridlines at 1″ and fold in half with handles for carrying. They weigh more than I thought they would and are more dense than I thought as well.  I’m very very pleased with the quality.

The reason I ordered two large ones is that I want to be able to block long things (Muir) as well as entire sweaters. We’ll see if I can block an entire sweater at once when I have finished the Larry the Hero Sweater.  For now, I will quench my blocking thirsts with Sarah’s Muir… when it isn’t 9pm at night.

I have finally blocked my first true lace project: Muir by Rosemary Hill.  Remember how I started Laminaria but never finished?  Ya.  Then I decided that it would be a good idea to tell my best friend Sarah that I would knit her a shawl for her wedding.  After a minor colour mix up with Knit Picks (just so you know, they sent me the true yarn I wanted right away, no questions asked and let me keep the old stuff - they rock)- the web guy (or gal) apparently had the photos/serial numbers mixed up at the very moment that Sarah and I were choosing her colour - I got the yarn and began knitting on April 24.  I thought that I had tons of time (clearly, or I wouldn’t have also started my Larry the Hero Sweater during the same week) and even though I knit like mad and didn’t rip it out once - dispite several mistakes - the darn thing was only half done by the wedding.

So, I knit along, promising myself that I would not start anymore projects before it was done.  Well this proved to be quite the marathon!  I finished knitting it on July 22nd!  Wow.  I have to say, that though I know that Sarah will love the shawl, I found the pattern to be a little bit too repetitive, and by about the halfway point was wishing for a pattern change (this does not mean that I didn’t make any mistakes).

Muir on the train

Muir on the new blocking boards

The yarn, Knit Picks Shimmer Hand Dyed Lace Yarn in Eucalyptus.  I love the feel of it, and how light it is.  I would never choose such a light colour for myself, due to my propensity to collect dirt marks, but for Sarah it will be perfect.

Today I blocked the beast, which is quite a bit bigger than it was supposed to be (22×82″).  It is not an inordinate size for a shawl, and is so weightless that it will seem smaller when wrapped.   I will be able to hand deliver it to her as we pass through Edmonton on our way home at the peaceful hour of 6:30am - Sorry Sarah!

Photoshoot as soon as we have a sunny day.