Yes, an actual, live knitting group! It was so nice to sit with 6 other knitters for a couple of hours and chat . . . at least, until the live entertainment started, at which time there was some shouting involved, but that’s okay! This is the first time I’ve been able to do this in almost a year, and it was very nice.

  And, a picture of the other end of the table (not to mention a look at the pastry case–yum!). The place was pretty full for a Thursday night. There were only about 5 or 6 other people when I got there, but most of the tables were full (or at least, occupied) by the time I left at 9:00.

  I worked on my Brooks Farm yarn shawl, nice and simple and mindless–perfect for knitting and chatting. Here is the promised photo. I got quite a bit done tonight! It’s hard to believe that I only started this three nights ago.

  Here’s a close-up of the stitches–just garter stitch–but see how wonderful the colors are together?? I love the way this looks and am adoring the warm, cozy, soft feel of the yarn. This is going to be a delight to wear!

  And another, aerodynamic shot of the center of the shawl. Like I said, I’m making it in plain garter stitch because I want the beauty of the yarns to show more than the actual knitting. (Self-sacrificing of me, isn’t it? Giving up the showy knitting for the sake of the yarn?) I might do a lace edging on the outside when I get there, but basically, a nice simple shawl.

I started with 3 stitches, and then increased with Yarn-Overs on either side of the center stitch, and then on either side of the TWO center stitches, and then–once there were enough stitches there to play with, settled into the pattern: Increase 1 stitch at the beginning and end and also on either side of the center 2 stitches on every other row. The rows in between are always just knit. I like the wider, more elongated triangle, and therefore am increasing 4 stitches every other row. (Hope that made sense!)

Okay, tired now! I’ve got some reading to get done before I turn in, so . . . ‘Night, everyone.

• Tags: Friends, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Stitch and . . . well, you know // 1 Comment »

As the Marching comes to a halt, I don’t actually have much to say today, but for some reason, I wanted to say it anyway so here I am. (And if that made sense to you, welcome! If it didn’t . . . welcome anyway!)

Not that I’m completely without topics to ramble about. For example, my local stitch-and-bitch group–which started last February, changed locations, and then fizzled sometime around the Spring/Summer cusp–has resuscitated, had one or two meetings in Morristown over the last few weeks and is trying a meeting tonight in my hometown, which means I can actually go to this one!

(In case that needs any explanation, I am decidedly not a night-person. I have enough trouble getting up for work in the morning without having been out the night before. 7:00 to 9:00 just a couple miles from my house is just about do-able, but when the meetings had moved to half-hour away, it just wasn’t possible for me to make it there. I know, you wouldn’t think that 20 extra minutes of driving would matter, but for me, it does! Not because I don’t like driving, but the extra fatigue level on top of a full day’s work and one the next day, and without the relaxing night at home to recharge . . . I can’t help it! I can stay up late-ish reading with no trouble, but for whatever reason, going out always takes a toll.)

Anyway, I’m looking forward to going tonight. I’ll be bringing the newly-started, plain shawl I’m knitting out of my Brooks Farm yarn. (I’d include a picture, but well, I’m at work right now and the knitting’s at home.) I’m knitting both yarns together in just a simple, garter-stitch triangular shawl. I looked at a bunch of lace patterns, thinking it would be more fun to do something more interesting, but ultimately decided on garter stitch for two reasons. One, I’ve got the Peacock Feathers shawl for “interesting,” and two, I didn’t want anything taking away from the gorgeous colors of this yarn. And good heavens, is it soft! The two colorways are blending beautifully and I keep stopping to admire how beautiful this knitting is coming out. (I know it sounds narcissistic, but you know the knitting is going well when you, the knitter, can’t help but stop to admire!)

(I promise I’ll get you a picture as soon as I can, and just hope the colors will record accurately for a change–they’re beautiful!)

I’ll also have to remember to take a picture of my stash when I get home from work, and have some sunshine (I hope) in my bedroom, for the “Flash Your Stash” group tomorrow.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:End of the Parade // 1 Comment »

I don’t have any exciting, new, fiber-y pictures or stories to tell you today. I spent most of my time in the kitchen this weekend, and just got a couple rows done on my Peacock shawl. I haven’t gotten any spinning done, though I do have three bobbins full of singles that I could ply together. I’m kind of in spinning limbo while I wait for my new wheel to arrive . . . it’s not worth starting a fresh project on the Ashford if I’m going to want to be using the Lendrum at (hopefully) the end of the week . . . and yet, since I do at least have plying I could do, I’m reluctant to actually finish that and have “nothing.” Do you know what I mean? Kind of finishing a task 10-15 minutes before it’s time to leave work for the day–not really worth starting anything new, and yet too much time to waste and too much to skip out early . . . so, what do you do?

I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on Mom’s (and my) embroidery, which is sort of getting me in the mood to do some sewing again . . . this could be dangerous! I haven’t done any embroidery in years–about 1999, when I got Katy–because there was no way to do that around a chewing, curious puppy. (No safe way, anyway, because those needles can be sharp!) And then, I haven’t found a project I want to do badly enough to set aside the knitting and now-spinning thing. What I’d really like to do is re-create another painting, like I did with the Carl Larssen one–I had SO much fun finding the right threads and the right stitches for each section–but there just aren’t any other paintings I love that much. And, of course, if I really get itchy to pick up a “regular” needle, there’s always that poor quilt crumpled in the corner by the chair!

My nose was so stuffy last night, I resorted to taking a Claritin–something I try to do as seldom as possible. (I do not like feeling medicated!) I took it right before I went to sleep, and of course, there’s caffeine in there . . . enough that it sometimes makes my hands shake. It didn’t keep me awake (once I’m asleep almost nothing wakes me up!), but I had the most vivid dreams last night!

One in particular was quite interesting–it was basically a conversation between myself and a whole bunch of other bloggers–using both the computer and in-person meetings to carry on a single conversation from one person to the next to the next . . . as you can imagine, the conversation didn’t really GO too far with that kind of time lag between each person’s contribution, and with so many people participating, but it was the oddest thing . . . weird though the dream was, it felt so natural to be having electronic conversations with good friends that I hadn’t actually met . . . because, of course, I do that every day . . . with you! Really interesting.

  Here’s Chappy’s opinion of today’s weather. Cold, wet, rainy . . . really very rainy. Definitely no walks today! As if it weren’t bad enough that it was Monday to begin with.

And, prayers for the victims of this latest, Indian Ocean earthquake . . . thank God it at least did not generate a tsunami this time.

Does anyone realize? The last one (big one, that generated that Tsunami) was the day after Christmas, and this also-quite-big earthquake is the day after Easter? Let me think . . . what is the next, big Christian holiday? I think I might hide under the bed the following day . . .

• Tags: Family, General, Weather • Permalink:Rainy, stormy, torrential Monday // 3 Comments »

  Well, it’s Easter! The family came down for the day, and to have dinner. Here’s the table, all set and ready to go.

  And the trifle, which came out very well. That’s two layers made up of sponge cake slices, spread with raspberry preserves, topped with canned peaches (and some of the syrup, to soak into the cake), and then a generous portion of raspberry-flavored cream custard, made the day before so there’s plenty of time for the flavors to meld and for everything to soak together. Yum! Everyone liked it (although my niece, who’s not a fan of custardy things, didn’t like the cream part), and almost everyone asked for seconds–which is a good thing, for a dessert!

  Here’s Chappy, digging into his Easter “basket.” (Which was really just a plastic bucket with a couple new toys, covered with tissue paper.) He has had a really wonderful day, today. First, well, new toys! He also got a cream cheese container to lick out (one of his favorite things to do–we leave the lid on and then hide it for him to find . . . I’m running out of good hiding spot!). We humans had pancakes for breakfast, and he had a tiny one on top of his dish. He got a new milk carton to play with . . . and, much as he likes “real” toys, milk cartons are by far his favorite thing to play with–the plastic kind that skitter across the floor and can be chased and chewed and carried. In fact, my sister brought him a gallon-sized one, a size he rarely ever gets to play with–bigger and more challenging to carry! There was also dinner in the dining room, from which he always gets a sample–a slice of London Broil, in this case. Then there was the playing. LOTS of playing with my nephew, my brother-in-law, my niece . . . my poor dog is doing his best imitation of a rug right now, completely zonked out. We’re supposed to get pouring rain tomorrow, but I don’t think he’s going to miss that walk at all.

  On the fiber front, I wound my Brooks Farm yarns into two very big balls of yarn. (The top one is really more Coral than Pink in real life.) This was especially challenging because the Coral mohair did not want to stay on my ball winder! I’d be winding along, and suddenly a ball of yarn would be flying through the air! It took three tries and a much slower speed of winding to get that second ball . . . which explains the rounder, looser shape to the ball–it’s not nearly as firm or structured as the other one. (It’s pretty obvious which yarn has been working out, huh?) I plan to knit these together into a shawl of some kind, but I haven’t decided which stitch pattern I want to use, yet. Something really simple, to show off the gorgeous colors, but something just a little bit more interesting than stockinette stitch.

  And to end, a photo of Chappy from this morning when he was waiting for my sister-and-family to arrive. Note the cute “top not” of a curl on top of his head . . . I love that curl!

And, oh yes, Mom wanted to say thank you to everyone for their kind comments about her cross-stitching . . . so . . . thanks from Mom!

• Tags: Baking, Family, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Happy Easter // Add Comment »

I thought I’d talk, for the moment, about my Mom. You’ve all seen my knitting and spinning, but, well, she doesn’t have a blog herself, and I thought I’d like to take a moment to show you some of the beautiful things she’s sewn. She used to do crewel-work, back when she and Dad were first married and it gave her relaxation and artwork for the walls at the same time. In the last 10-15 years, though, she’s started doing counted cross-stitch, and I thought I’d embarrass her by showing some of the artwork we have hanging around the house, courtesy of Mom . . . lest she ever think that she has less artistic talent than anyone else around here! (ahem)

First, the “Vineyard Wall”–all cross-stitches of Martha’s Vineyard-related pictures, all of which were purchased from the Heath Hen in Vineyard Haven. I know you can’t get a good look at any one picture, but they are lovely, and make a great collage of pictures.

This is the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs (Martha’s Vineyard)–Mom’s favorite place on the whole island. It was a joint project: one year when I was going up there without her, I sneakily asked, “If you had to name one favorite place, what would it be?” and then made a point to get a good photograph of it. I then got the photo blown up and charted the whole thing for her as a Christmas present that year. We had it framed with the original photo below, and it’s definitely one of Mom’s favorite pictures. All part of our house’s “Vineyard South” motto.

And, let’s not forget everyone’s favorite, animated mouse. I brought this chart back for Mom from Disney World one year (again, for Christmas). She has a refrigerator magnet with this picture, based on Norman Rockwell’s self-portrait, and I figured she would love the chart. (Which she did, and we got it framed just perfectly, don’t you think? Love that “splatter” frame!)

Then there’s this beautiful tapestry she made for me–elaborate and complex, I just love this! It’s hanging in my bedroom–the only other embroidered picture other than my Carl Larsson embroidery. (Sorry about the reflection.)

Let’s not forget this rather cool, retro crewel work that’s been hanging above our stairs since, I think, we moved into the house 29.5 years ago.

There’s also this “horse” corner in our guest room–although not actually sewn by Mom. The crewel-work Pegasus, unicorn, and carousel horse were all mine. (The pegasus–my favorite of the three–was the first full-sized embroidery I ever finished.) The cross-stitch carousel horses were, I believe, a gift from my sister to Mom . . . during her “carousel-phase” (because, you know, the Flying Horses in Oak Bluffs IS the oldest, still-running carousel in the Unites States!).

• Tags: Family, General, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Mom’s Art // 10 Comments »

  First of all, I took the day off of work, so right off the bat, this Friday is even better than the average (already good) Friday.

I went to the grocery store with Mom this morning to buy a really rather ridiculous amount of stuff for Easter dinner on Sunday, and then we stopped at Barnes & Noble. Naturally, I bought just a, you know, couple of items!

Wait! What’s that on top of the pile?

  Yes, Stephanie’s bookbookbook!

I flipped through while Mom and I refreshed ourselves over coffee, and couldn’t help but read whole sections out loud (which I’m sure she really appreciated). Funny and fun. I can’t wait to sit and read the whole thing . . . and I’m thinking it won’t be long before I do!

My plans for the rest of the day: take Chappy for a walk since it’s not actually freezing or snowing or raining, then curl up with a good book (if, ahem, I can only find one!). It’s entirely possible there might be some spinning or knitting going on, too, though generally, I do those at night, not in the afternoon.

Tomorrow, I’ll bake cheese drops and a sponge cake. The cheese drops will be put away for appetizer/snacks on Sunday when my sister, b-i-l, niece and nephew come. The sponge cake will–along with vanilla custard I have yet to make–become something along the lines of a peach melba trifle. Sponge cake, drained, canned peaches, raspberry sauce, topped with custard and whipped cream. NOT a “light” dessert at all! And I’m winging it without a recipe, but it sounds good and as long as I get the proportions right, what could go wrong?

(Hmmm . . . did anybody hear that ominous music just then? Hmph. Must have been the radio…)

• Tags: Baking, Family, General, Reading • Permalink:A Good Friday! // 2 Comments »

  Does this look like Spring to you? Me, either! And yet, this is what the view out my bedroom window looked like when I got up this morning. I must say that it looked very pretty (if still a little grey up in the sky), but darn it, I really am ready for Spring now. I like winter, I enjoy snow, I enjoy the changing seasons, but well, isn’t it time for it to actually . . . change?

All I can say is that this fresh snow is going to make outdoor Egg Hunts awfully difficult for our next-door neighbors on Sunday!

So, yes, I ordered my new Lendrum from Woodland Woolworks this afternoon. It should be shipped tomorrow–all except the plying head, which is back-ordered, and should come in about a month. Now that wait I can deal with!

I read Clara’s review of Stephanie’s new book today, and am just itching to get my hands on my copy. (Why hasn’t Amazon sent it yet??) I think I’ll stop at a bookstore tomorrow for a look, just in case!

(What, it’s not like having two copies would hurt, or anything! I could always give one away if I wanted to…)

(Okay, so Debbie giving away books–unless specifically purchased as a gift–is a rare, rare thing . . . it could still happen!)

• Tags: General, Reading, Weather • Permalink:What Season, Again? // 3 Comments »

First of all, I want to thank my Bunny-Buddy, Haley, for my Haremail package today. A cute, little, knitted bunny (currently clinging to one of the candles on the dining room table), and a bag of Dove chocolate. Thanks! (And, my apologies for not taking a picture before I broke up the package–the chocolate is open in the kitchen, the bunny’s hangin’ in the dining room, and my camera’s upstairs . . . this is what happens when you quickly open a package on your lunch-break . . . you just don’t think about the “Oh, I should take a picture for my blog!” thing. ‘Cause, getting back to the office IS kinda important.)

I’ve been working on my Peacock shawl. I’m on row 97 and still have quite a way to go, but I’m only getting about 4 rows knitted a night (which I know will shrink by the time I’m getting near the end). I’m loving the blue-green color for this shawl. I was concerned that the variegated colors would take away from the pattern knitted into the shawl, but I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. Obviously, there’s not a lot of the “feather” pattern to see in mine yet, but judging by how the tiny, central portion is looking, this is going to look fabulous when it’s done and blocked–and the turquoise colors are looking very “peacocky.”

Here’s my one complaint about the pattern. (Ready? Here goes.) Every once in a while, on a given row, you have to move ALL the markers one stitch to the right or left. Most of the time (so far), this comes on a decrease stitch–knit two together, or whatever–and the marker is always right in the middle. So, slip the first stitch, pull the marker off, hold it somehow, slide the stitch back to the left needle, do the decrease, and then put the marker back. And this is happening 12 or more times a row. It’s definitely slowing me down and it’s really something of a pain. I don’t mind that I’m occasionally losing count on a row, or making tiny mistakes to tink, but this moving the marker thing is getting on my nerves. What’s the point of marking a stitch if you’re just going to move the thing on the next row? And the one after that? And the next one?

I’ve got my new issue of Vogue Knitting open in my lap, paging through as I wait for an internet page to load, or between thoughts or clicks online. There’s a whole section with aqua-colored knits (with which my Peacock shawl would look just wonderful!), and I like the retro-inspired section. Lots of cute little “romantic” sweaters which I think look lovely but would probably never actually wear. I don’t know that there’s anything I’ll actually make–not because there aren’t some nice patterns, but because I generally feel like I knit too slowly, and there are always some projects on my mental “to-do” list, and realistically, there are only so many projects I can keep floating around up there!

I have, sadly, noticed though that I have a tendency to wear thinner, finer sweaters and yet almost all the yarn in my stash is about Aran weight, like Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. I’ve got some DK-weight, but for the most part, most of the yarn I already own is going to make sweaters heavier than I’m likely to wear–too hot for around the house or at the office. I think I really need to think this through a little more! (I knew I should have bought Baby Cashmerino instead!)

Ooh! Last page, an ad for “Knitting OVER the Edge” by Nicky Epstein, to go along with her “Knitting ON the Edge.” Very cool!

Finally, a Lendrum update. I’ve decided to cancel the order from the Woolery because I really just don’t want to wait until May or June for my new wheel. (A couple weeks is one thing, a couple months is another.) Instead, I’m going to order one from Woodland Woolworks, which has a pretty good offer, too, even if not quite as low a price. I’m going to call that order in tomorrow.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Just . . . stuff // 2 Comments »

So, for whatever reason, Chappy was clingy last night. He’s not generally a cuddly dog–which I sometimes regret because, well, I like having my dog snuggled up beside me–but he is enthusiastically affectionate. If he were a human child, he’d be the kind that comes running up to Mom at the park, gives a huge bear hug, and then goes running off again. He likes to be in the same room with me–almost always–and gives the best greetings and hugs (yes, hugs, I get one every morning), he just doesn’t generally cuddle.

Last night, though, while I was working on my Peacock shawl, he was sitting right next to my knitting bag, looking wistfully at the pillow by the arm of my chair–one of his favorite “perches.” As soon as I put the knitting away, he jumped up and rested his chin on my ankle. (I almost always sit sideways.) When we went upstairs at 10:00, he sat and leaned against my leg while I checked my email, and when I brought the spinning wheel over, he tried to crawl into the little corner between my chair, my wheel and my little nightstand. Finally, I invited him up on the chair behind me (I sit on the ottoman to spin in the bedroom), and he seemed content with that. Fell sound asleep in fact, and I managed to get this picture without entirely waking him up. (Though why he heard the shutter click but not the whine of the powering-up camera, I don’t know!)

It’s unusual for him to be clingy like that. He didn’t seem to be sick or in pain–I checked–he just looked like he needed reassurance, and I’m wondering why. Last time he was that needy was a year ago when he pulled a back muscle and actually was in pain. (I spent hours sitting next to him with a heating pad on his back.) He’s fine today, though. Normal behavior at breakfast, cheerful on our lunchtime walk . . . I guess it was just the Monday Blahs.

So, moving on! I’m looking into options for my wheel dilemma, and am waiting for word back from Woodland Woodworks about their “Craft Cash” policy. I do want that new wheel, you know, and don’t really want to have to wait two months for it . . . but don’t want to pay more than I have to, either. (One of the other reasons for loving the Internet.)

And then, I suppose it’s only natural that My Public (that’s you) wants more. . . (grin)

Here are my interview questions from Liz:

For Miss Deb:

1. I’m a big fan of the fantasy writing genre. Who are your favorite fantasy writers?

———-How much time do you have? Sharon Shinn, Sean Russell, David Eddings, Mercedes Lackey, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Anne McCaffrey (though, more sci-fi), Susan Dexter, Robin McKinley, Patricia Kennealy-Morrison (though, also sci-fi-ish), Katherine Kurtz . . .

2. Have you ever read any William Faulkner, and if not, I can recommend a couple!

———-Yes, in high school, but I wasn’t impressed. I mean, yes, excellent writing, but I didn’t like the stories. And for me, for fiction, the quality and interest of the story is key. (I’ve never seen the point of stream-of-consciousness kinds of novels . . . any actual plot tends to get buried under musings on heaven knows what! Not that Faulkner wrote those kind of novels, I’m just digressing.)

3. What has been your favorite fiber to spin so far and why?

———-Well, so far I haven’t spun that many! Corriedale, Merino, Merino/Silk blend are about all I’ve done, and they’re all quite nice. (Oh yes, there was the “mystery” roving that came with my drop spindle, but I have no clue what that actually was.)

4. How did Chappy get his name? (I just think he and his name are adorable…)

———-Thank you! His name is short for “Chappaquiddick,” that little island off of Martha’s Vineyard, although it abbreviates nicely from “Chapter-Boy,” which I call him often and ties nicely in with that other obsession of mine! My dearly-departed Katy’s name came from the Vineyard also–she was “Katama”–the South Beach area of the island. When I was trying to convince my parents to let me get the puppy (I swear, I felt like I was about 12 for months!), I told my Mom, “We could name her Katama and call her Katy!” because I knew she wouldn’t be able to resist a Vineyard connection to the sweet puppy that I was determined we’d be getting!

5. With all the reading that you do, have you ever considered writing a book yourself? If so, what genre would you choose?

———-Funny you should ask! I actually HAVE written a book (and half of another), but have not been able to find a publisher for it despite some praise from some good, solid critics . . . so the whole thing is really very discouraging. (I haven’t even tried sending it out for almost a year now.) The genre? Kind of a young adult/fantasy. It more or less tells the story of Cinderella but gives the stepmother and stepsisters a fair break, and goes beyond the “Prince finds the girl” moment (the book’s halfway point) to how he brings her back home and convinces his parents that a girl who’s been scrubbing floors is, in fact, worthy of being Queen–something I’ve always thought was worth exploring! (And before you ask, I had my book written before Drew Barrymore’s “Ever After” and well before that silly, direct-to-video Cinderella sequel by Disney. Which also gives you an idea how long I’ve been unable to get it published . . . I told you, it’s been discouraging! Though some of it’s my fault for being unaggressive about sending it out there.)

• Tags: Chappy, Family, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Tuesday (What, you want creative titles all the time?) // 1 Comment »

I’m not saying anything definite, of course, but it’s altogether possible that one of these may be showing up at my house sometime soon…

[Edited to add] . . . Or do I? I just got a call from The Woolery saying that they’re back-ordered at least two months. So the question is, do I want to keep my order there and wait, or would I rather cancel and buy it elsewhere for about $50 more? (Or, about the same cost, but not including the bag?)

Boy, don’t you hate when you finally make a decision and then there are problems requiring more decisions??

I didn’t get much knitting done yesterday. Actually, I didn’t get any done at all, since I was suffering another sinus headache last night. Not quite as bad as the one last week, but enough that I just wanted to sit with my eyes focused on my book, not going back and forth between stitches and chart on my Peacock. I’m sure you understand.

I did, though, read through the “Two-End Knitting” book, about the Scandinavian twisted, or twined knitting technique, tvaandistickning. Now, I have a copy of the “Twined Knitting” book from, well, it’s out of print now anyway, and I made a pair of mittens for my sister (which she never wore, sigh . . . Actually, I made her mittens out of the same yarn I made a baby sweater for my niece–which she never wore, either–not even long enough to take a photo!–but, heavens, that must be 15 years ago!) Anyway, I have that “original” book and comparing the two . . . I didn’t think this one stood up well at all. I thought the explanations were vague–though I blame some of that on the translation (never a smooth process). Some nice patterns, and it’s good to see the technique getting another revival, but . . . I liked the other one better!

Oh! And, you must look at Pooch Cafe’s comic strip for today, Monday the 21st. Sheep!

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Monday Update // 4 Comments »

So, apparently the only people who think I’m crazy for wanting a new wheel are my parents . . .

I was invited to Risa’s house this morning, to check out and play with her wheel collection. I say “play” advisedly because I was completely inept at adapting to the different feel and tension of her Lendrum (entirely my own fault!). Treadling was fine, but actually spinning?? I couldn’t get anything spun that didn’t break, and finally quit altogether with the wool, and just, well, treadled. She pulled out her Bosworth Journey wheel, too, which is an engineering marvel–so very cool!–I of course, am now longing for one. I mean, I’m trying to be practical, but . . . what a very nifty wheel that was! And I resisted touching her Tina or Lendrum Saxony wheels . . . they’re more than I can afford right now, and I AM trying to be practical!

It was really nice to chat with another spinner, though, and a pleasure to meet her twins, who are adorable, but were a little taken aback by finding me in their living room. (”What, Mom, we take a little nap and you invite strangers into our HOUSE? What else do you do while we’re sleeping?”) I don’t actually think I’m that scary–and Risa’s kitten seemed to like me–but . . . you don’t argue with just-woken toddlers! It was about time for me to leave, anyway, my poor mother was sitting in the car . . . we had some errands to run, so she came along, but she’s allergic to cats and didn’t want to go inside, so she sat with a book instead (grin). It was a nice visit, though, but I unfortunately didn’t think to bring my camera . . .

The rest of the afternoon has been reasonably peaceful. Mom and I finished our errands, got some coffee at Starbucks, then came home to take Chappy for a walk. HE was very interested in the (gasp!) cat smells on my jeans, but forgave me for my indiscretion as soon as I got his leash out. We spent the afternoon sitting by the window, reading, and just now, I finished supper. (I had pasta with sauteed onions, peppers, garlic, and spinach, with leftover meatballs and a splash of wine and chicken broth; Chappy had Sojourner Farms’ European-Style Dogfood Mix with chicken and beef cubes; and Mom and Dad are out somewhere, having dinner, well, out.)

I still can’t believe the beautiful, early-Spring day we had today–about 55 degrees and sunny–when we’re supposed to get a “wintry mix” tomorrow. I do like snow, and I almost never complain about being too cold, but . . . I am ready for Spring now. (My feeling, incidentally, is that you can complain about winter or summer, but not both. If you complain about being too cold in the winter, fine, but then I don’t want to hear anything from you during the hot, humid August days; and contrary-wise, if you complain about the summer heat (as I do occasionally), you’re simply not allowed to gripe when it’s too cold. That’s just . . . selfish!)

And–one of today’s errands? I shipped out four packages today–one to my KR secret pal, one to my Haremail buddy, and two RAOK packages (one of which the recipient knows about, the other is a surprise).

And, back to the Interview thing, Maryellen wants to play, too:

1. What started you making art dolls? They’re lovely!

2. In general, you seem to do a lot of different kinds of crafts–what have you NOT tried that you would like to? Anything you’re not at all interested in?

3. How many, and what kind of, pets do you have?

4. What’s your favorite/ideal vacation?

5. You said at the beginning of winter that you were thrilled with the snow–do you still feel that way, months later? Or are you ready for Spring?

.

The rules, you’ll remember, are as follows:

1. Leave me a comment saying “interview me.”

2. I will respond by asking you five questions here. They will be different questions than the ones below.

3. You will update YOUR blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

• Tags: Friends, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Ah, Sanity! // 5 Comments »

So, let’s see, I’ve been spinning since the beginning of December. Like most new spinners, I started on a drop spindle and then got a wheel–a used Ashford Kiwi off of Ebay. (And sadly, I’ve barely used my drop spindle since . . . I really need to do something about that!) My wheel arrived about two weeks before Christmas, but I was sick with a bad chest cold and didn’t do anything more than assemble it to make sure all the pieces were there (they were), until the week before New Year’s. Since then, we’ve been getting along just fine and I’ve been enjoying myself.

So, you understand, that’s a total of about three months that I’ve been spinning.

So, is it crazy for me to be thinking about another wheel?? I know a lot of spinners have multiples, but I really only have room for one. However, I bought the Kiwi knowing that it was a beginner’s model, figuring it made economic sense to start with something small and simple, since I’d never touched a wheel before. I told myself that I could always upgrade “if it worked out.” And now, three months later . . . I’m thinking about it!

The Kiwi is a good wheel and it does a nice job. I don’t really have any complaints about it. I’ve got 6 bobbins and a high-speed flyer, along with a lazy kate, so I’m set so far as “stuff” goes. However, the flyer hooks are kind of an annoyance, and I would love to get away from them. I have a hard time starting without having to nudge the flyer with my hand, and I understand that this is more of a Kiwi issue than a general wheel issue. I’d also like a wheel that doesn’t require oiling–or at least, as much oiling. Partly because I rarely think of it and I worry about getting oil on my bedroom rug, but also because, while spinning is an ancient craft, why not take advantage of modern conveniences, like sealed ball bearings? None of these are throw-the-baby-with-the-bathwater kind of reasons, and believe me, if it were the only one, I wouldn’t consider it, but put together, well . . .

Like I said, we’re really getting along just fine, it’s just . . . well, maybe it’s just wheel envy. I keep visiting Lendrum web-pages, and Majacraft Little Gem sites. (Beautiful as the Saxony wheels are, they’re impractical in the floor space I have available–especially since I have to shuttle it back and forth across the bedroom everytime I want to spin.) These two look like good wheels, and I’ve heard almost nothing but good things about them and their manufacturers. Of course, I’d love to try them out first, but since there aren’t any stores in the area, I don’t think that’s going to happen! The price is similar for the double-treadle versions and I AM getting some money back on my taxes this year I can put toward the cost, so the timing is pretty good . . .

I welcome all opinions.

Speaking of handspun yarn, though, I started knitting a shawl/scarf (depending on how far the yarn goes) with my blue-green handspun–you know, the first good, “real” yarn that I’ve spun that I have NOT given away. I like the colors, like the way it feels, am enjoying how it looks . . . but I’m not happy with the pattern. (Probably because this is the second blue-green, triangular shawl I’m working on at the moment, and even though they are quite different, that’s still too close to be making at the same time.) So I was thinking of maybe something along the lines of Clapotis? I’ve resisted this ubiquitous pattern so far, but it seems like it would be a pretty good choice. Maybe?

Speaking of crazy, I was just about to make dinner last night, when the doorbell rang. I shut Chappy into the laundry room (where he’s not helpful about Protection, but you can at least carry on a conversation without his barking in your ear), and opened the door to a woman in a nice red coat. She says, “I hope you can help me. I’m lost.” (Already I’m curious as to why she picked OUR driveway to pull into.) She explained that she was in the neighborhood to pick up her daughter, but she didn’t have the address of the house, only the family’s name–did I know who they were? Well, um, no–it’s a fairly big neighborhood, and anyway, my family still refers to all the nearby houses by the names of the original owners. (I know the neighborhood dogs’ names, some of the kids, and a few of the adults, but almost none of the last names unless they’ve been living there for 28+ years.) Still, I offered to look up the name for her, closed the door, fetched the phone book and say, “They’re at #37.” “This street?” (Um, gee, yeah, or I would have said!) She then told me how impressed she was that I closed the door when I went to get the phone book–that she would never have thought to do that, did I do it on purpose, that was so smart of me, she learned something new . . .

Okay, I’m as trusting as the next wanna-be innocent, but this is the 21st century, and I’m sorry, you can’t trust a stranger on your doorstep–especially one who doesn’t know where her own daughter is–is a safe person to let in or near your house. But I think this otherwise-pleasant woman is a little out of it. Because, really! How can you let your daughter on a playdate without knowing the address and phone number . . . especially if you have to pick her up! The boys in that house are around 10 years old, so they (and presumably this woman’s daughter) are not really little, and she may have ridden home with the boys after school or something. . . but even when I was little, my mother would have at least known where I was playing! (The time I was in first grade and rode home on a friend’s bus to “save my mother the trouble” of bringing me over herself was entirely a different story–I figured she would KNOW where I was because I was going over later anyway, and just wanted to save her the trouble . . . not that she saw it that way when her car came squealing around the corner later that afternoon….)

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Do I seem crazy to you? // 11 Comments »

Thanks to a bad headache last night, I got absolutely no knitting or spinning done, and very little (for me) reading. The highlight of my evening was making Mom laugh: I was wearing my new shawl and said, “Do you realize that, since this is a pi-are-square shawl that that basically means it’s a pop-tart? A cherry pop-tart.” …

… Yes, exactly. I told you it was a bad headache! So luckily, I have a follow-up to yesterday’s Interview fun.

So, here are the questions for those of you who joined this little game:

For Liz:

1. You have a LOT of sock yarn! Do you think you’ll actually turn all of it into socks??
2. What was the hardest thing you ever knitted? How did it come out?
3. You say you like Sci-fi; what authors are your favorites? Any you dislike?
4. You definitely sound like a dog person to me, but you sounded surprised when you said it yourself . . . why is that surprising (especially when dogs are so wonderful?)
5. What’s your favorite fiber to spin? What have you most enjoyed spinning??

For Diann:

1. You have 15 cats? They are lovely creatures, of course, but isn’t that rather a lot? (big grin)
2. What is your favorite kind of knitting? (sweater? sock? cables?)
3. You mentioned redesigning your yard, are you doing it yourself, or having a landscaper do it? Do you generally do your own gardening?
4. You got quite an assortment of KnitPicks yarn! What do you think of it? (I have the Shimmer in Turquoise Splendor, too, and think it’s lovely)
5. You say you like to read (a subject dear to my heart). What’s your favorite kind of reading? Favorite author?

For Tina:

1. Where did you get “laprincipessaknits”? (Are you a princess in disguise?)
2. You have very firm opinions about area LYSs (along with which I mostly agree). Would you buy your yarn online rather than patronize the stores you don’t like?
3. How are you enjoying your freshman year of college?? (Sure is different than M.K., huh?)
4. In that cute picture of the knitted teddy bear, I can’t help but notice the assortment of Jane Austen books on the bookshelf. (I always look at bookshelves!) Is she a favorite author of yours? Or did all those books somehow get there by mistake?
5. What kind of spinning wheel do you have? Do you love it or are you already looking for a “better” model? How long have you been spinning?

Oh, and of course, Happy St. Patrick’s Day for all you Irish folks out there!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:But enough about me… Tell me more about you! // 1 Comment »

Okay, I got this from Chris who got it from Natalie:

Here’s how it works:

1. Leave me a comment saying “interview me.”

2. I will respond by asking you five questions here. They will be different questions than the ones below.

3. You will update YOUR blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

So here goes! Ask me to be interviewed, and you can be next!

1. What is your favorite knitting technique, and why?

————-I don’t know that I have a favorite technique. I’ve been on a lace kick lately, but also like cables and fair isle and Scandinavian colors . . . I guess I like things that are interesting and fun–not boring like too much stockinette stitch for too long a time. I like to try new things, but there are some things I don’t like, like bobbles or intarsia.

2. I see that you’re reading “Surely you’re joking, Mr. Feynman” . . . what are your thoughts about the book (so far)? Have you read any other Feynman books?

————This is the first of Feynman’s books that I’ve read, but I’m enjoying it quite a lot. It’s not so much a science book as a series of reminiscences, one after the next, rapid-fire. It’s like sitting with the man while he tells funny story after funny story–his tone of voice is clear and it’s very conversational and entertaining. Like, how he learned how to break into safes while working at Los Alamos during WWII . . .

3. Wow, you have a LOT of books! How do you store them all?

————–Hmm, let’s see! (This is going to be long.) I’m very organized about it and have them all catalogued on the computer–just in case I lose track of any. I’ve got two small bookcases in my bedroom, filled with “favorites”–only a select few books get to live there. Then, in my bedroom closet, there’s a small bookcase filled with cookbooks and craft books, another filled with knitting and YA books that I don’t quite have the heart to banish to the other end of the house. And, oh yes, half the shelf IN the closet is filled with miscellaneous decorating, fashion, hair, manners, and art books. (The other half is yarn.) That’s the bedroom. Then, in the office: 1 large case filled to overflowing with history, grammar, poetry science, math; 1 large case filled with biography and trade-size/hardcover fiction; 1 small case filled with mass-market general fiction/literature; 1 small case with computer software and the few books I have on computers. In the guest room closet, 2 huge shelf-units and a few cardboard boxes. These are filled with mysteries, fantasy, science-fiction, as well as all the books on dogs/dog-training, travel, and comedy. There are 5 under-the-bed boxes underneath the office table, that’s where all my books from childhood are–horse stories, Little House on the Prairie, Trixie Belden–those kinds of books. There’s also a stray milk-crate filled with picture books that I kept in reach when my niece and nephew were still reading at that level. Let’s see . . . oh yes. I took over the linen closet years ago. That’s where all my old college books are, as well as assorted miscellaneous things. I really do know just about exactly where every one of my books are (although I do sometimes get the ones in boxes mentally mixed up). I’ve also read almost all of them–out of the 2,600 or so books, there are only about 30-35 that I haven’t gotten around to reading yet.

4. What is the first thing you ever knit?

————–Well, I learned originally from our next-door neighbor when I was around 5, but all she ever taught me was how to actually knit–not cast-on, not purl, not increase/decrease. So I spent the next 15 years doing various squares and rectangles in garter stitch, and don’t consider any of those things count (especially since I pretty much never finished anyway). I spent a semester in London in college in 1987 and was amazed at how much great wool was available and kept kicking myself that I couldn’t do anything with any of it, so when I came back, I bought a copy of Maggie Righetti’s “Knitting in Plain English,” which I loved, and from which I learned how to knit continental style and the concept of circular knitting . . . so, my very first “real” project was a multi-colored, circular, Icelandic-style sweater, which I made in about 10 days and was HOOKED.

5. Do you have a favorite knits designer?

—————I really don’t. There are writers I admire (like Elizabeth Zimmerman, of course!), but there isn’t any one designer that I really like.

This was fun!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Well, since you asked! // 4 Comments »

  Well, I finished my Koigu socks last night, and wore them to work today. I admit, they’re not the best-fitting socks–a little too large around and the short-row heel is a little too deep–but I’m proud of them anyway! It’s been about 10 months since I made any socks, I’m out of practice!

Otherwise, there’s not much to say today (other than the fact that my copy of EZ’s “Opinionated Knitter” came today but that I haven’t had time to even open it yet!) So, instead, I bring you my favorite comic strip–the best, in my opinion, since Calvin & Hobbes. (In fact, Poncho is kind of like a canine version of Calvin . .. hmmmm!) This is from Sunday. It’s not about knitting, but it IS about dogs:

(Visit their site at sitstay.com–great doggie things to buy, too!) Pooch Cafe

But even better, to finish off, a picture of Chappy, playing it cool–just because!

• Tags: Finished Knitting, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Pooch Cafe // 3 Comments »

Thanks for the guesses, Julie and Liz. The correct answer to Saturday’s mystery is:

  A ring!

I got my Haremail Bunny Buddy today (Hi Hayley!). She lives in Wisconsin and, as soon as I find packing material (easy) and get to the post office (harder), her chocolatey bunny goodness will be on its way!

I got some more spinning done on that purple roving, the third bobbin, I’m working on now . . . which is going to make this two-ply yarn math challenging! I must say that spinning goes a lot slower when you’re trying to spin thin singles than when you’re just trying to do, well, yarn that doesn’t fall apart!

  My Peacock Feathers shawl is coming slowly along. I’m up to row 51–just finished chart #1–and, you know, only have about 200 rows to go, by which time I’ll have about 200 more stitches than I do now, too! The colors, naturally, did not photograph accurately. (I’m starting to doubt that’s even possible in a flash picture on a digital camera, no matter how good, considering how many bloggers other than myself have the same problem.) You can’t really see any of the green in this photo at all, but it’s there, and I’m really very happy with the colorway for this shawl-that-is-meant-to-resemble-a-peacock’s-tail. I know that the color variations do take away from the visible detail of the lace, but the lace at this stage is the smallest pattern, and the featheriness of the shawl will become more obvious as the shawl progresses . . . and, not forgetting the magic of blocking . . . I think this is going to work very well indeed. The KnitPicks yarn is beautifully soft, too, and a pleasure to work with.

Did anyone else read Stephanie’s paean to wrenching motherhood today? I practically cried at my desk when I read this earlier, and almost feel like I should apologize to my parents for ever having grown up at all….

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Just . . . Monday. // 3 Comments »

My Mom and I went to a craft show in Morristown today–really, a nice change from doing my own! Mostly jewelry and art vendors–we saw some beautiful photographs and art to hang on a wall. Also some handcrafted furniture, glass, lawn ornaments, clothing. . . and oh yes, one booth with some knitting! As much as I liked some of the wall-art–and there were some lovely things–I still have a hard time spending $400 or so on something to just hang on my wall. Not because I don’t think the artist put a lot of vision and skill and time into it . . . I know better! But . . . there are just other things I’d rather spend that kind of money on!

Like, for example, this:

Or a pair of these:

Or even, one of these! Any guesses as to what it is??

We had a good day, though. Have I mentioned, at all, that my Mom is one of my best friends? We invariably do something together every Saturday; sometimes shopping, sometimes just coffee, sometimes errands . . . but almost always something, just the two of us. (Although sometimes, depending on where we’re going and the weather and all those kind of things, we’ll bring Chappy along.) We have fun together, and it’s really not that much of a surprise that I still live with my parents. How great is it when you can truly enjoy your parents’ company when you’re an adult? I don’t ever want to regret that I didn’t spend enough time with them while I had the chance; they’re both great people, and our household ticks along very nicely, we three adults and Chappy. (It works out particularly well for my Dad–I keep Mom company when he’s off golfing, so she doesn’t get as lonely as some of his friends’ wives and he therefore gets to golf as much as he likes. His golfing buddies tell him he’s married to a saint!)

Speaking of my parents, they had an early-morning surprise this morning. Chappy–who is privileged to sleep on my bed on weekends–decided to get up early this morning. He didn’t bother to wake me up, oh no, he instead somehow managed to open my bedroom door and trot down the hallway to blow kisses at his Grandma. As in, leaning against the bed, nose in the air, and giving licks that couldn’t quite reach her face. Now, how he managed to open my door is a mystery. I mean, it doesn’t actually latch closed anymore–ever since I painted my room three years ago, the extra millimeter or so of paint on the trim has apparently kept the latch from fully, well, latching. So, sure, he can push it open from the outside any time he wants. But once we’re inside the room, you’d think it would be a whole ‘nother story! Apparently, he can–sometimes–push the door just so, so that it bounces back enough for him to squeeze his nose in the crack and swing it open. Sort of like those magnet latches on stereo cabinets and medicine chests–the quick, press-and-release kind.

So, at 6:19 this morning, Chappy opened the door and went visiting down the hallway. Once he woke his grandmother up, he trotted around to his grandfather’s side of the bed and promptly stole one of his socks from the floor. I, of course, was blissfully sleeping, secure in the knowledge that it was Saturday and I didn’t have to get up for work, but . . . what was that I’m hearing? A urgently whispered, “Chappy! Chappy!” down the hallway?? I cracked open my eyes to see that the door was open, and was just sitting up to go on a rescue mission (as in, rescue the parents from the impatient grandpuppy) when Mom ushered Chappy back in the room and shut the door.

Silly dog! I keep telling him, there are only three good reasons to get up in the middle of the night: Fire. Going to the bathroom. And getting a fresh book.

Sure, you might laugh at that last one, but that’s the main reason I ever roam the halls at night. We’ve never been a midnight-snack kind of family, and I’m a sound sleeper, so once I’m asleep, I’m gone. However, I DO like to read in bed, and on weekends especially, when I don’t have to get up early the next morning, I’ll let myself stay up as long as I want, reading. Last night, for example, I finished the book I was reading at 1:26 a.m. It’s a probably odd personal quirk of mine, though, that I cannot go to sleep unless I have an “active” book next to my bed, ready to pick up as soon as I get up the next morning. By which I mean, fiction–I usually have an assortment of non-fiction going at any given time, but try to keep the fiction down to one novel at a time–and it’s usually the fiction that keeps me up late.

Anyway, so when I left my room at 1:27 this morning, I was amazed at what I saw outside the window–snow on all the trees! Now, we basically had the snowy equivalent of a drizzly day yesterday–it snowed on and off all day, but all it really did was make the roads wet. That apparently changed last night, because at about 1:30 when I looked out the window, there was a veritable winter wonderland out there. Every tree branch I could see had at least an inch of snow on it. It looked absolutely lovely! Of course, it was all gone, fallen to the ground, by the time I woke up this morning. (Well, woke up the second time, around 8:00.)

All in all it’s been a pleasant Saturday. My Koigu socks are almost done, too. Maybe, another half-inch on the ribbing on the cuff, and they’ll be ready to cast off. They’re looking good, too, although I think I made them just a LITTLE too big, just a few too many stitches on the needles, but no real problem.

I also ran that Gotland wool through the wash again, and am hoping that that really does it this time. (At least, the water wasn’t as tea-like as it was last time, even if there was still a little silt at the bottom after that last rinse. I’m starting to be personally skeptical that it’s even remotely possible to actually clean raw wool. I mean, sure, this is much cleaner than it was, but it’s still not what I would really call clean . . . and since this makes it, what, 7 washer-fulls of soap and water . . . I don’t really see how I’ll ever get it actually clean! (But then, I still don’t see how it’s possible to really clean a floor either, unless you can sluice it with buckets of truly clean water to rinse away the dirt–and let’s face it, who can do that in a kitchen? I have yet to find a cleaning method or cleaning “tool” that really picks UP the dirt and removes it from the floor entirely . . . every wet method I’ve ever tried just moves it around a little . . . )

• Tags: Chappy, Family, General • Permalink:Other People’s Crafts // 4 Comments »

Thanks to Tammy over at Polka Dot Mittens, I’ve joined Operation Haremail– a great little sharing thing that involves bunnies, Easter, and chocolate–isn’t that great?

I’m up to row 45 on my Peacock Feathers shawl, so we’re slowly making progress. (Which, since it’s again a shawl that increases size every other row, means every row goes just a little slower than the one before.) I’m fighting with my needles, though. I started on Addi Turbos (my favorites), but they were a little too slippery for the really light and soft yarn, so I switched to bamboos, but now the stitches keep catching at the join . . . given these two options, I think heading back to the Addis is the best choice, although I’ve never tried their new bamboo needles. Maybe they’d be a good choice??

I brought my shawl to work today to show off. (I freely admit I was showing off . . . just a little!) Everyone was very impressed. I have one complaint, though. The yarn was coated with a sizing in the skein and it should have washed out when I washed the shawl, but it didn’t–or not entirely. This means that the shawl is just a little stiff, but also that it sticks to itself when folded or tossed over a shoulder. I admit that it’s actually helpful that it clings on my shoulder, but . . . I’d be happier if it were a little softer and less scratchy. So, I think the only option is to wash it again, in some stronger detergent (just this once) and lay it out to dry again. I wonder if this means I’ll have to pin it out again, or if I can get away with just laying it flat?

I’d appreciate any suggestions . . .

Oh, and may I just say, TGIF!

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Haremail Alert! // 1 Comment »

First, thank you everybody for all your kind comments on my shawl. I think it’s a good thing I knitted her in red . . . it hides her blushing! (Naturally, I’ve passed on all your good wishes to her . . . babies thrive on compliments, why wouldn’t new knits?) I might need some bigger hats, though, from all this flattery . . . (grin) (No, really, keep it coming!)

But, enough about the knitting . . . not that there’s ever enough, of course, but a change of topic–however brief–can be refreshing. You know what they say, “A change is as good as a rest!”

One of the books I’m reading is “1812: The War That Forged a Nation.” It’s excellent–informative, well-researched, and with an appealing writing style that makes the history simply a good story. This is a war I know very little about–we covered it in grade-school, but it was more . . . AMERICAN REVOLUTION! . . . War of 1812 . . . CIVIL WAR! It didn’t exactly make a large, educational impact. Dolly Madison saving the George Washington portrait before the White House was burned, the Star-Spangled Banner, and there’s a darn good Overture . . . that’s about the extent of my knowledge of this little American/British conflict.

So, I’m finding this book fascinating. Well written, as I already said, but it’s all new. I had no idea that so much of this war took place in and around the Great Lakes, for one . . . I just always assumed it was clustered along the Atlantic coast since, hello, that’s where the U.K. is. But no. There were battles fought in Detroit–and not on basketball courts. By Niagara Falls. Buffalo, New York. And, all this reading has brought one, burning question to my mind: How on earth did we ever win this war?? Because, what a lot of mistakes and acts of incompetence! Luckily for us, these happened on both sides, but from the sounds of it, if it hadn’t been for our tiny Navy, things would not have gone well at all. Fascinating story–not least because it’s all true!

(Edited to add: Ah. I finished the book. Apparently nobody won; they just called it a draw and agreed to go back to the way things were before the war. Go figure! Still, I’ve had the Johnny Horton song, “Along the Mississip’ ” in my head all day because of that next-to-last chapter. You remember the old song, right? “In eighteen-fourteen we took a little trip …”)

I also finished reading a book by Susan Dexter last night. She’s been a favorite Fantasy author of mine since her first book came out in the 80s. There are only a few books (7, I think, maybe 8), but they are all so good! I recently got a friend hooked on them (Hi, Carolyn!) and in the discussions with her, decided I had to reread some for myself, and so I pulled “Wizard’s Shadow” off the shelf. I do like this author! Good story, beautiful evocations of place, interesting characters, almost uniformly decent people just trying to do the right thing. And of course, a magic horse, which never hurts! It’s such a shame that they’re all out of print. I cherish all my copies–some of which are covered in wide, clear tape, I read them so often back in high school.

Chappy, this morning, got himself in trouble. I told you the other day that my Birch shawl had a tear, and it was sitting–loose stitches secured with a safety pin to prevent further damage–on the ottoman in my bedroom. This morning as I was brushing my teeth, I glanced into the hallway just as Chappy started to dash down the stairs, shawl in his mouth. I yelled at him (more a command than an actual yell, really) . . . you have to understand, Chappy has a penchant for stealing things. Towels, slippers, napkins . . . he doesn’t damage them, he just sits with them, waiting for one of his people to come by so he can play the “Look What I’ve Got!” game. He’s remarkably patient about the waiting part, too. I keep telling him, though, that there’s a difference between a towel and a fragile (injured!) handknit.

Anyway, he dropped it right away and just kept on going down the stairs as I scooped the shawl up from the floor. I gave him the Angry Mom Look (not that I was that angry because, well, it IS a game), but after a couple seconds, he came back up the stairs to lean against my legs to apologize. I mean really, how could you be angry with that?

The Birch shawl is now up on my bed, and the baby gate is across the bedroom door while I’m at work.

Which brings us neatly back to knitting. I did, in fact, start my Peacock Feathers shawl last night, and am all the way up to row 22! (This sounds very impressive until I tell you that the first row only had 3 stitches, but still!) I think I’m going to like the pattern–there’s a lot going on and it’s different for practically every row, so while it’s not going to be an automatic-pilot kind of project, it won’t be boring either. So far, the Knitpicks yarn is nice and smooth and very soft. The colors are lovely but I DO wonder if, perhaps, the variegated yarn colors will take away from the lace pattern of the shawl?? I hope not!

How’s that for a complete post? Books, dogs, knitting . . . except for spinning and baking, I think I about hit everything, huh?

And, oh yes, she’s off the bed now:

• Tags: Finished Knitting, General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading • Permalink:World Beyond Pi // 5 Comments »

You wanted to see photos? I’ll show you photos! (You should be able to click on any of them for an enlarged view.)

First, a pre-blocking picture, just because I was curious as to how much stretching would actually take place.

The whole thing, pinned out on the guest-room bed. (That’s a 24″ ruler laid across it, to give you an idea of size, especially compared to the picture above!)

  A close-up of the lower, front corner. I did the Travelling Vine pattern down the front edge, just so that the front wouldn’t be boring compared to the “all lace, all the time” back.

  A close up of the “junction” between the circular back half and the squared front. The diagonal divides the two, and at the next-to-last stitch increase, I started the vine pattern down the front. (Prior to that, it was plain garter stitch.)

  A close-up of the two vine patterns that I used in the last two increase-sections. I love how they’re similar but not the same, and so flow into each other so nicely.

  A look at the circular part. The first several sections were just garter stitch with frequent increases. The first “substantial” section, I used a simple, “Horizontal Lace Stitch“–just alternating YOs with K2togB on the right-side rows, and knit stitches on the back. The next section–and along the front edges–I used the “Travelling Vine” pattern. And the outermost (and biggest) section, I used a pattern called “Amy’s Double Leaf Lace” that I got off the www.knitting-and.com site. For the edging all along the outside, I used a stitch called “Smallest Points.”

And finally, here’s the “curve”–the front, the side, and part of the back, all in one photo!

So, some acknowledgments:

First, I’d like to thank the Academy . . . no, wait. Wrong speech!

Not only, of course, do I have to thank Elizabeth Zimmerman for this great pattern–I really enjoyed doing the Pi-are-Square shawl. Her knitting and her writing are inspirations. I’ve had Knitting Around since it came out in the 80s. It’s one of my very first knitting books, and I had my eye on this shawl from the very beginning–I just never got around to it.

But also, Martha Waterman’s Traditional Knitted & Lace Shawls, which is one of my favorite books. I got three out of the four lace patterns I used from this book, as well as tips on knitting on the edging. My copy is well-loved; it’s from the 1993 edition. It’s newly republished and I’m almost tempted to buy one of the new editions, just because! (Well, it’s well known that I have no self-control where books are concerned, anyway.)

In fact, I’d like to close with a quote from the end of her chapter on “how to wear your shawl.”

“Another problem shawl wearers encounter is a barrage of unsolicited compliments that can leave you a bit tongue-tied. Practice ahead of time saying, “Thank you! I made it myself,” and you’ll be an accomplished shawl-wearer the first time out!”

Isn’t that a marvelous way to end a book? (or a post?)

• Tags: Finished Knitting, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Ta-Da!! // 18 Comments »

Just a quick update . . . I finished my Pi-are-Square shawl last night! Woo-hoo!

There won’t be any more pictures until I get her blocked, which may be tonight, or may wait until the weekend when I have time to really fiddle with getting her laid out correctly.

Tonight, I’ll either start (finally!) my Peacock Feathers shawl, or start making whatever I’m going to make with that blue-green handspun of mine. Yes, I could theoretically do both, but I really don’t like having too many projects going at a time. Chances are, I’ll start the Peacock. I’ll be using “Shimmer” yarn from KnitPicks, in the color “Turquoise Splendor.” I think the variegated blue/green will be lovely for a peacock, don’t you? You’ll note that the sample swatch on their page is in that color–I like the idea of those changing colors in a Peacock-inspired shawl. I just wish there was some purple in there, too…

Meantime, I’ve been reading everything I can about my KR Secret Pal–namely, her posts on the Knitter’s Review board and her old blog entries. I want to be a good pal!

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Newsflash // 6 Comments »

Because of the winter storm blowing through the area, my office closed at 2:30 today–that’s an extra hour and a half at home with Chappy. How’s that for a nice, unexpected bonus? PLUS I got an extra hour’s worth of knitting on my shawl, so all else going well, I should finish it tonight (yay!) . . . assuming the slight, eye-strain headache doesn’t get any worse. It was even a good hair day.

It’s really cold and windy out there. Last time I checked, it was about 23 degrees Farenheit and blowing a lot. According to the weather channel, the center of this storm system has the same air pressure as the center of a hurricane–hence the massive amounts of wind. And the traffic reports are reporting as many as 100 accidents on Rt 80 in about a 12-mile stretch right near us. I don’t think we got much snow at all–maybe an inch or so–but it’s more or less impossible to tell since not a single flake has stayed in one place since falling. And, of course, all the moisture that HAS fallen has turned to ice with the sudden cold and wind (gusts up to 35 mph). It is very Brrrr out there. A good afternoon to sit inside with a warm dog and a good book and some good knitting.

On the downside, I found a tear in my Birch shawl–this is the second one. I like the Kidsilk Haze better than I thought I would (I’m not usually a fan of fuzzy yarns), but it’s obviously fragile and I wear this shawl a lot–practically every night, in fact, over my pjs. The tear is right on the outside edge, so luckily, it will be easy to fix. That, to me, is the worst thing about knitting lace–it’s not the difficulty of the pattern or the strain of having to occasionally tear back to fix a mistake. It’s trying to mend an actual hole. I have a hard enough time just darning together a stockinette-stitch hole. (I have mentioned my lack of skill and mending, haven’t I?) Trying to fix a torn stitch PLUS recreate a lace pattern?? Really not easy! Right now, my Birch has a safety pin marking the damaged place and I’ll dig out the spare yarn later, or this weekend, or something.

I wonder if the Icelandic lace-weight I’m making my Pi shawl will be sturdier??

Alison wrote, about my re-zippered green jacket: “Great job on the zippered jacket! That zipper looks much better. And congrats on such a successful February! I barely managed one of my February tasks and you did three!” Thank you! It’s not, of course, like you were busy doing anything else, huh?? The Sockapalooza thing and coordinating, what was it, two knit-alongs, plus chasing after kids and all that? At least every one in my household is an adult! (Well, Chappy is 3 1/2, anyway, and not nearly the amount of work he was when he was a puppy.) (grin)

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Bonus Time! // 2 Comments »

I’m getting closer, but I’m still not quite there! Here’s an update on my shawl. I’ve got about 85% of the edging done, but I think that’s at least two more nights’ worth of knitting. You can see that I haven’t gotten to the second “square” section yet. I’m just about done with the lace part of the rounded back section but still have the entire straight section on the other, matching front. It’s looking nice, though! I really can’t wait until the whole thing is done and blocked and I can get a really good look at how the lace actually looks. Even now, laid flat, it’s hard to really see the pattern in the lace.

Here’s a look, though, at the vine pattern at the outside. (Click to enlarge, same as above.)

In other news . . . I got my KR Secret Pal today. Yay! I read all about her and already have a couple ideas . . .

I got about 45 minutes of spinning done tonight, which is a good thing because I got another shipment from Blue Goose Glen today. That’s white Shetland wool, wool in a beautiful warm “Rosewood” brown, and a merino/silk blend in one of my favorite shades of green. Yum! I’ve gotten a number of rovings from their Ebay store and have been very happy with the quality and the colors. Very nice!

I also got this adorable little “Spindolyn” spindle. It’s got a base that’s meant to be held in your lap as you spin the top–sort of a cross between a drop spindle and a support spindle. I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks very interesting, don’t you think? From base to top, it’s about a foot tall. You can’t see, but there’s a hook at the top and I’m looking forward to trying it.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Getting Closer // 4 Comments »

My Pi-are-square shawl is almost done, but not quite . . . that’s a lot of stitches to knit edging to! I think two more nights should do it, maybe three. I’m at the stage, though, where I want to be DONE! I haven’t even touched my socks in the last couple of days, so that I can (theoretically) get this finished that much faster.

I’m sorry, I always get impatient in the last percent or so of a project–it’s so close, I just want to see it, feel it, touch it, smell it as a completed work, not just a pile of yarn loops in my lap!

My Sunday was otherwise domestic today. I baked two beautiful loaves of whole grain bread (using the “Harvest Blend” whole-grain combination from King Arthur flour). Very yummy. I also made a lemon quick-bread, though it’s really lemon-lime since I didn’t have enough lemons for the juice needed–but since I’m a big lime fan, that was just fine with me.

I finished my second bobbin of purple merino singles, and started a third. There’s not enough roving for a fourth (or, I think, enough to fill the third). So now I’m wondering–when I ply this, how am I going to make things come out even?? I haven’t been at this very long, and have not been able (yet) to manage to splice singles together when plying.

Oh, and I got an email–the wool combs I ordered last week are back-ordered (sigh). And the dog brushes I’d ordered the week before still haven’t come (nor have Chappy’s vitamins!). So the bags of Gotland wool that I half-cleaned/half felted last weekend are still sitting on the guest room floor, waiting for me to come do something with them. Maybe it’s a sign that I should just stick with Roving??

And, lastly, I saw a link to this site on an AOL book board–I haven’t gone to church in years, and you all know I’m more of a dog person than a cat person, but my . . . this woman has a talent and a vision for Legos! Very impressive!

http://www.amyhughes.org/lego/church/index.html

• Tags: Baking, Family, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Almost, but not quite // 1 Comment »

I don’t really have much to blog about tonight; it’s been a quiet day. Mom and I went to a local coffee shop this morning–she with her puzzle book, me with my knitting. I got a fair amount of edging on my Pi done while we were there. I said it would have been neat to have finished it, since I actually started it there in January, but you can’t have everything! I’m going to try to finish it tomorrow, but I’m a skeptical. I don’t think I’ll manage it, but I’m getting close!

We tried watching “De-Lovely” tonight and we both decided to turn it off–beautifully filmed, great costumes, wonderful music, but oh, what a dull beginning! We gave it 45 minutes and were both bored! We ended up watching old Gilmore Girls episodes on ABC Family, instead.

That’s about it! Chappy saw a neighbor-dog-friend that he hasn’t seen for months while we were on our walk this afternoon. I bought a new pair of jeans at Ann Taylor Loft. My parents had a lovely dinner out tonight, but got stood-up by the friends who were supposed to meet them there. (At least the food was good! This is the problem when people don’t write dates on their calendars.) I’m reading “The Dogs of Bedlam Farm” by Jon Katz and enjoying it–Border Collies, sheep, talk about dogs . . . what’s not to like? (Though “A Dog Year” is still my favorite of his books.) ‘Night, all!

• Tags: General • Permalink:All’s Quiet // Add Comment »

Not much knitting content, but I had fun . . .

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I got this quiz from Cate:English Genius
You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 100% Advanced, and 77% Expert!
You did so extremely well, even I can’t find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don’t. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you’re not afraid to use it properly! Way to go! Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it!

Hey! If you liked my test, send the link to your friends. They don’t need to be OkCupid members to take it. The Commonly Confused Words Test http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=14457200288064322170

The only thing, now, is that I’m wondering . . . what did I get wrong?? (grin)

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Here’s another bookish Meme that I thought looked fun: From Shelly (the originator–check out her Book-Blog!)Series this time.

* Name 3 of your favorite series.

(I’m going to cheat a little and do more than one for my favorite genres… because I love series and some are just too hard to cut out!)

• Lymond/Niccolo (historical fiction) by Dorothy Dunnett
• Pern series (science-fiction) by Anne McCaffrey
• Samaria series (science-fiction/romance) by Sharon Shinn
• The Keltiad (science-fiction) by Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
• Liaden series (science-fiction) by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
• Harry Potter (YA/fantasy) by JK Rowling
• Lord of the Rings (Fantasy) by JRR Tolkien
• Belgariad (fantasy) by David Eddings
• Thursday Next (who knows what genre this is? It’s wacky!) by Jasper Ffordes
• Amelia Peabody (mystery) by Elizabeth Peters

* Name 3 series you think went on too long.

• Xanth (fantasy) by Piers Anthony
• Amelia Peabody (mystery) by Elizabeth Peters (though I’m still buying them anyway)
• Nancy Drew!

* Name 3 books you wish had been series.

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Heart of Gold by Sharon Shinn
• Silverlock by John Myers Myers (though, honestly, I don’t see how it really could have been!)

Please join in!

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Then, from the Winter Garden, “What Novel Are You?”You’re Watership Down!

by Richard Adams

Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you’re actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You’d be recognized as such if you weren’t always talking about talking rabbits.

Take the Book Quiz

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All the comments from the “March Forth!” post were highly entertaining. We really are an erudite bunch!Meanwhile, I keep reading about other KR people who’ve gotten their secret pals, and I’m kind of bummed that I haven’t yet. The survey I sent in in January got lost and so, apparently, I wasn’t paired up in the first “wave” of pals . . . which happens, of course, and I’m not underestimating the amount of work involved in pairing people up, or complaining in any way (honest!) . . . but I was so excited for this group, I admit I’m just a smidge disappointed! I’m trying to sit very nicely, toes together, hands folded, working hard at being patient. (grin)

And finally, a couple cool and icy photos. The snow that was snow-blowed in front of our house has melted/refrozen in remarkably geometric shapes, with soft angles and corners–not the usual curves–and at lunch today, with the sun at a angle, it just looked really . . . cool! I like how the dogwood tree’s branches are silhouetted across the snow, too . . . You can click for a bigger view, if you like!

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