Birchiness

I've decided that the word birch should be expanded in its usage. Possible uses of this new addition to the language include:

We're really going to birch it up tonight.

Quit yer birchin'!

Well, she's quite the birch today, isn't she?

She's worked herself up into quite a birch.

I'm not going to sit in the heat and birch at the humidity.

She's just being a royal birch.

If you can't take the heat, don't birch in the kitchen.

It really works, doesn't it? Partially because it bears such a close resemblance to another word that stars with a 'b' and ends with 'ch'.

There are a few other people who are also birching right now (in a good, knitterly way) and I um.... didn't really want to fall behind. Because I'm not the world's fastest knitter, and some days I have more time and inclination - not to mention less humidity. The reason I refuse to join knitalongs is because every time I do, some birch one beats me to the finish line and then I feel slow kind of defective as a knitter.  Usually lots of people finish faster than I do, not just one. Not that I'm competitive or think of myself as a speed knitter or anything. It's just so demoralizing to fall behind and be left in the dust, knitting on last month's birch du jour.

I decided that I need to get a little more.... creative and artistic in my photography. I mean, if I'm going to go on, day after day, taking pictures of five more rows that I've birched through in the last 24 hours, it might as well look pretty. Taking all of my pictures on a pillow on the couch under the Ott-lite at midnight means that its a little difficult to tell the difference between today's shot and yesterday's.

So, for your viewing pleasure, I present

What the hosta-less do when they need to take a creative shot of a shawl. Need? Yes, I needed to.

I'd also like to take this moment to point out to anyone who is likewise tempted:
A birch and its rosebush are not easily parted.

For the record, same shawl. Same day. Same camera settings. Pictures taken within five minutes of one another, and no photoshop. The difference in color is positively scary.

Just because I can't resist: I'd say a birch in the hand is worth two in the bush, wouldn't you?

Comments

[Laurie]

Two Birches, both alike in dignity,
In fair Brooklyn, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where rose's blood makes Cassie hands unclean.

[Norma]

Ohhh, Laurie! I am speechless after that and cannot make a decent followup. And besides, my head aches like a birch this morning.

[Jan]

I see the heat hasn't affected your sense of humor. Any end in sight? (The heat, not the humor.)
I would suspect that casual knitblog readers have no idea the gyrations we go through to get a true portrayl of a project's color. Your Birch is looking great. Both the true color version and the chameleon.

[Kathleen]

Quit yer birchin'. That's what I did.

[margene]

Birch, birch, birch. All I see are birches everywhere! Can't you birches give a grrl a break?
Actually they are so beautiful. I don't have the pattern (it was Rowan, right) so I might have to Kiri instead....it just doesn't have the same ring, however.

[Jo in Ottawa]

That colour difference is what makes me reluctant to go to the trouble and expense of getting the whole digital camera thing set up. Both look beautiful. Neither look like something I would call Marmalade. This is also the problem (or added surprise factor, depending on your point of view) of buying yarn online.

[Juno]

Oh no, not competative AT ALL.

Birch always makes me think of something....um, strict.

[Cara]

Gotta love that photography stuff. It's all about White Balance. And light. It's really quite fascinating and amazingly difficult to figure out completely.

I think birch can substitute for another more colorful, more Norma type word like:

Oh go BIRCH yourself!

See how nicely that works? ;-)

[Dena Shunra]

Gotta love knitbloggia, where two birch in the bush is not only likely, it's daily!

[Cathy]

You could always try the "Summer of Lace" knitalong. You aren't racing anyone, there's various projects, you just want to post a pic and say "It's done!"

[Adelaide]

Today's post is a gem. One of the ten best, Cass. To say nothing of the birch. Very nice indeed. June is birchin' out all over!

[regina]

is it safe to surmise from your post that life's a birch?

you clever girl...

and nice progress on the shawl! i've got shawl envy.

[Carole]

I have a coworker who's cousin is nicknamed Birch because when she was young she was always just sitting around like a tree. Hence, Birch.

[claudia]

One pretty much cannot top Laurie's commentary.

[TAMARA]

To birch, or not to birch?

[Risa]

Beautiful birch. Loved the post. May the birch be with you.

[valentina]

I have three skeins of Marmalade. Maybe I should pull them out and stick them in front of the monitor. Maybe they'll get motivated and birch themselves. It could happen.

[Vicki]

Yeah, birchin' white balance...

[Valerie]

I dunno....there's just something about reds and digital photography. I've had the same experience.

[Teresa C]

She may be a birch, but you just gotta love her! I'm loving your shawl.

[susan]

That is one Birch'n shawl.

[stephanie]

If you make a mistake will it be a birch-slap?

[stephanie]

Wait, it's a birch fest!

Oh god. I have to go away now.

[Knitlette]

where'd ya get that neat woolcentric button? ;)

[Jackie]

Quite the birch-queen I think! I agree - Birch must be used in many sentences in as many ways as we can use it. I'm going to go birch now.