Gubenatorial Election Day here in New Jersey, so at lunch today, I stopped at the local elementary school to cast my vote for Govenor. It was unusual, though–every other time I’ve voted in my life has been at the firehouse up the road. That’s 20 years worth of votes in the same place–ever since my very first vote, ON my 18th birthday, FOR the President. (That was pretty cool timing.) Pity I couldn’t get excited about this race–I didn’t like either of the candidates, don’t trust either of them. How sad is it that I can’t even remember the last time I voted for somebody I liked, not the lesser of two evils?

But anyway, now, suddenly, I’m back in my old grade school. It’s been something like 24 years since I’ve been in there–I thought it was since I’d left in 6th grade, but remembered that I actually helped out in the library the summer I was in 8th grade. I’d walk, ride, or roller skate to the library–and remember reading a magazine article on the hottest movie of the summer, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Afterwards, I’d swing by my friend Dawn’s house and hang out with her and her other friends, listening to Beatles music. (This was the summer after John Lennon was killed, and the year we discovered the Beatles. Better late than never, right?)

Anyway, when I walked up to the table to get my ballot, the woman sitting there glanced up and said, “Hold on just a minute,” because . . . she was knitting! She wanted to finish her row. Really, I entirely understood. If you’re interested, she was knitting the front and back of a sweater at the same time, on wooden, straight needles, though I didn’t see the kind of yarn. Nor did I think to ask if I could take a picture, since just at that moment, my mail carrier walked in. Usually, I only see her when she’s got a package to deliver, or if we’re out walking Chappy, in which case she’ll squeal to a stop to say hello to my boy.

Speaking of squealing to a stop. As I was driving home tonight (being followed, incidentally, by my father and his golfing buddy, just off the highway), I got to my street, started to turn right, when . . . I saw Ella, a Texas Blue Lacy , one of Chappy’s best doggie friends, standing at the corner, all by herself. I know she has a tendency to wander off, and would hate for anything to happen to her, so I pulled over and called her name–but she wanted nothing to do with me. Meanwhile, Dad and Walter came to the intersection and turned left, on their way to vote, and two other cars came along and stopped, to try to catch Ella. She wouldn’t come near any of us, but since her house was just down the road, I got back in my car and went to ring their bell. The Mom was right there with her car keys, ready to go looking for Ella. (Apparently, Ella will only come if she’s in the car, I guess she wants the ride home in luxury?) Her Mom thanked me and said that I would have had no trouble if I’d had Chappy with me (true!). I told her that, if they hadn’t been home, my next step would have been to go home and GET Chappy to entice her over!

I got back in the car and headed back toward the corner. One of the other drivers was still there, trying to coax Ella within reach. I stopped again, and opened my door, and this time, Ella came running over. (Maybe because I was coming from the “right” direction??) She actually came close enough I was able to scratch her chin and get my fingers under her collar, just as her Mom pulled up. Phew!

Do I need to tell you how nervous this sort of thing makes me? Having lost Katy to a car–and that to a fluky ball bounce at exactly the wrong moment, not because she had a tendency to wander–it worries me so much when I see dogs wandering around unattended. Especially a medium-sized dog with a dark coat, that’s harder to see. At the very least, they need to get that girl a reflective collar! You can imagine, Chappy was just a little put out with me when I got home–I saw two of his best friends today without him. I did take him for a walk, though, and showed him where I’d seen Ella, so he forgave me–eventually.

Now, I have been knitting but don’t have any progress photos to show you. I’ve got about 4-5″ of my Union Square Market Pullover sleeves done. I’m knitting them both at the same time–since I’m feeling my way through the pattern for them, I’m not counting on my being able to remember everything I did on one when I get to the second, so . . . same time! I’ve also got about 7″ of my Knitted tote bag–that needs to be about 13″, so I’m making progress!

Oh, and spinning? Can I just tell you how much I’m loving my Woolee Winder. Those of you who have one, won’t be surprised. Those of you who don’t spin, probably won’t appreciate it. But to those of you who spin but don’t have one? My, oh, my! I spun for 45 minutes last night and only had to stop to join new lengths of roving . . . no moving the sliding flyer guide, no moving from hook to hook . . . the flyer did all that work for me. I’m in love.

So, there you have it. A normal-enough day, but with some extra interest, even if there aren’t any exciting photos to share. A KIP at a PPP (public polling place). A sight-seeing dog. The coincidence of both Dad and me coming home at the exact same moment, and both of us taking a detour at the same corner. Knitting progress. A new spinning toy . . . and you know, I think it’s just as well that I decided to bypass NaNoWriMo. I want to spend my time to play with my new spinning toys, not writing! Well, except to you. You’re special.

Tags: General by Deb
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It’s been a relatively quiet, beautiful day here today. About 62 degrees with a stunningly blue sky. Gorgeous, especially after last night’s massive thunderstorms. I took the day off from work and went to the mall with Mom. I was good, though–all I bought was a new Bundt pan for cakes, since my last one is history. (Oh, no, wait–I bought some body wash at Bath & Body Works, too. Almost forgot that!) Then, the afternoon was spent mostly sitting on the couch with Chappy, reading. I didn’t even knit! Obviously, all this celebrating has been too much for me, but then, I’m not as young as I used to be!

(Yes, lame, but it only really works if you use it within 24 hours of your actual birthday, so I had to squeak it in.)

Hey, and did you know? We knitting bloggers are a phenomenon!

Now, Carole tagged me for the knitting meme, so here we go:

What is your all time favorite yarn to knit with?
I couldn’t possibly name one, but there are several–Rowan’s KidSilk Haze. Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. Rowan’s Calmer. Rowan’s Wool Cotton. Jaggerspun Zephyr should be on the list, but really, stay away from the copper color–it’s obstinate. KnitPick’s Shimmer was a delight to use, but I wish they had it in solid or more subtle colorways. So far, I’ve only used Cascade 220 for one, small, Christmas gift, but was impressed enough I’m looking forward to using it again for the Perfect Cardigan.

The worst thing you’ve ever knit?
I’ve had some failures, in sweaters that didn’t fit right, but for the most part most of my projects have come out decently enough . . . even if clearly meant for someone substantially larger or smaller than I am! I did make my sister an acrylic-yarn sweater back around 1990 though that was pretty bad. (She insisted on the yarn.)

Most valuable knitting technique?
Being able to knit both Continental and English for color work–it makes it so much easier! Magic Loop for socks and sleeves. Circular knitting in general.

Your most favorite knit pattern? (maybe you don’t like wearing it…but it was the most fun to knit)
I think, my Peacock Feather’s Shawl. Challenging, beautiful, not impossible, and just gorgeous.

Best knit book or magazine?
Books? Maggie Righetti’s Knitting in Plain English. Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitting Around. Martha Waterman’s Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls. All of Barbara Walker’s stitch treasuries.

Magazines: Interweave Knits is my current favorite. Vogue Knitting (which I think used to be better, but still comes through every now and again).

Your favorite knitwear designer?
I honestly don’t have one.

Your favorite knit blogs?
Um . . . pretty much everyone I’m subscribed to through Bloglines (over there, on the right).

The knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of it!)
Lately, my shawls–almost all of them–they’re so easy to just grab and toss over my shoulders when it’s on the cool side, and since they’re an accent to an outfit and not a primary part of one, I can wear them almost every day. Birch. Flower Basket. Pi Are Square. Brooks Farm. Peacock. The big, blue square that doesn’t have a name . . .

Now, for tagging? I’m not going to name names–anyone who hasn’t done it yet, who wants to, please do!! Because, sometimes it IS nice to be asked, but there are times when you don’t want to be bothered, so–I’m going to leave it open, so as not to risk offending anyone by making them feel ignored OR put upon . . . they can feel flattered next time around (grin)

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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Thank you all for my birthday wishes–that’s so nice of you! Here’s me getting my birthday cake today, carried in by my sister. (My niece is standing in the background, and yes, I’m holding my old doll Buttons. After talking about her so much, I felt like she deserved a day of celebration herself, and so she spent the day downstairs with us today. Silly? Probably, but you try telling a 38-year old doll that she can’t come down for birthday cake!

Dinner came out really well–with a hitch or two. Like an emergency “send Dad to the store” moment for bell peppers which Mom swears she bought but accidentally left at the grocery store, which meant the roast was started late, so dinner was later than we’d planned . . . but everything tasted good, looked good, and everybody enjoyed it. Including Chappy, who got his own piece of pot roast.

I had a very “spinning” gift theme this year. There were a couple other things, but–Aldon Amos’ Big Book, which I’ve been curious about for some time. A Golding spindle. (Gee, apparently Mom picked that up at Rhinebeck–who knew??) A Woollee Winder for my Lendrum. Chappy was very curious, as you can see.

I finished plying my orange and burgundy singles this morning–it gave me something to do while waiting for my sister’s family to arrive. I ended up with four and a half bobbins-full of this nifty, tweedy, autumnal yarn. I’ve got some burgundy leftover, though–not sure why, since I had the same amounts of roving for both colors.

In fact, I now have three bobbins with some “extra” singles, and I really need to figure out what to do with them–I’d kind of like the bobbins back! I suppose I could ply all of them together . . . or transfer them onto one bobbin, end to end. Or (gasp) just get rid of them altogether, but where is the fun in that?

The next decision?? What do I do with this yarn? Sure, first I have to wind it off and wash the skeins to set the twist, and all that . . . but once that’s done . . . no idea what to do with this! I like the tweedy look of the yarn, and think the knitted fabric is going to look beautiful, but . . . four skeins . . . What can I make with that? Too much for socks, not enough for a sweater . . . Any ideas?

I also tried out my Woollee Winder right away–I couldn’t wait! For a couple of reasons–one, it was a new toy I wanted to play with, and two, I was anxious to see what kind of color that pretty roving spun into. And it is pretty. The singles I’ve spun look about like a medium gray with a tint of purple. Very nice indeed–and not too light a shade for my taste, either. See how nice?

Oh, and happy birthday to Beth, too! She’s right, November 6th IS a good birthday!

Tags: Family, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
18 Comments »

  Just call me Jack Benny*, I’m 39 years old today.

That little, blonde cutie eating her breakfast? Yep, that’s me. I really am a natural blonde. The doll sitting on my tray is Buttons, my favorite childhood doll, who arrived on my first birthday. Which, yes, means today is her 38th birthday, and I really need to go give her a hug–she doesn’t get many these days, but deserves all she can get for putting up with me all those years. She doesn’t have any hair at all anymore, and has a crack in her face so that her head unfortunately comes off. I used to regularly wake up with her on the floor on one side of my bed, and her head on the other–talk about letting your mind wander. She was obviously well-loved, and she has the pride of place in the guest room, though, with the few, other dolls we still have. She shows up in a lot of my childhood pictures.

Anyway, yes. Thirty-nine years ago today, November 6, 1966, I surprised everybody–even the doctors. Nobody knew that I was coming. See, I was the second of a set of twins, but back in 1966 there was no such thing as an ultrasound, and since the doctor could only hear one heartbeat, he told my parents there was just one baby in there, not two.

My father, on the other hand, insisted it had to be twins (and has always been rather proud of himself for calling that one correctly). How many kids nowadays get to surprise their parents like that?

  Originally, the due date for our arrival was December 27th. 7 weeks from now–seems like a long time, doesn’t it? Think how far off Christmas and New Years’ are–that’s how early we were. Mom had been on bed-rest since October. This back before there were remotes for television–Dad would put on one channel for her before he left for work, and that was the one she was stuck with. And she had my 2 1/2 year old sister running around, too! Anyway, my twin apparently had other ideas about our arrival and decided we should be early. She was born at 9:57 pm. I came along and yelled “Surprise!” at 10:08. Mom was so surprised, she was unconscious and didn’t even know I was here until she woke up in her room later on.

Susan–my identical twin–only lived for about 6 hours. We were too early, and the premie-technology was too new to be able to save her. The doctors told my parents that if we made it through the first 36 hours, we’d probably make it–but that Mom shouldn’t see us until then, because it would be “too hard” to deal with the grief if either of us then died. (This is a far cry from modern practice where they more or less insist you see even a still-born child for closure.) Mom couldn’t wait that long to see me, though, and always tells me that I’m here at all because I was a fighter. (Why she is then surprised when I’m stubborn is beyond me–aren’t they more or less the same thing?)

I know my mother really regrets that she never got to see Susan. Dad did, briefly, through a glass wall, but not Mom. Dad also handled the funeral details for Susan by himself since Mom was still in the hospital, and he was almost alone at the cemetary when she was buried–my mother’s mother went with him so he wouldn’t be there entirely by himself, while my other grandmother watched my sister. I don’t know where Susan’s buried; she doesn’t have a marker; and we are unable to locate her exact, um, resting spot. I’ve tried. The church has a record of her burial and lists a plot number, but that number doesn’t appear on any of the cemetary maps. All Dad remembers is that she was “over near the wall,” and of course, my Grandmother has been gone since I was 9. So really, it’s a mystery. Except for that line in the church records, there’s nothing, anywhere, to prove that Susan existed–except for me. We were identical twins, after all, so pretty much, what you see here, is what she would have looked like. I try to bring her up whenever I can–I figure, my talking about her is about the only way people are going to know about her, right? She doesn’t have the solid relics like a grave marker for future generations to know her name. All she’s got is me, and the people I can tell about her, to give her brief life “substance.” So–keep her in mind, will you? I don’t want her forgotten.

It is strange that I feel like I have such a strong connection to a sister I’ve never really known? I pretty much feel that she’s always nearby, keeping an eye out for me, and that she rather likes the indefinite state of her old, physical self, nothing tying her down to one spot. I did see her name in a church hymnal once, though–my parents had “sponsored” one in her name and there was a bookplate at the front. I saw that hymnal once in Sunday School and was never able to find it again. Sometimes, really, I think she just likes teasing me. I’ve only been to a psychic once ever, but the woman immediately looked past my right shoulder–Susan’s always on my right–and said to me, “You dye your hair, don’t you, because hers is different.” That’s Susan for you–what a card.

  I do, of course, have a sister–Patty, my big sister that I was always trying to catch up to. I can’t begin to name all the things I did “early” because she was doing them–writing in script, reading hard books . . . She did always get to be the teacher when we played “school,” though, and heaven knows there were times when I wanted to be the one in charge, but she was a good big sister, I have to admit. She was two and a half when I came along, and had plenty of time to get used to the idea of a baby sister, since I didn’t get sent home from the hospital until December 21st. I was still a couple ounces shy of the “minimum” weight they’d send a baby home, but they wanted me to be home for Christmas.

Mom loves to tell the story of how they brought home a normal-sized bundle of baby and started unwrapping, and unwrapping, until they ended up with tiny little me, for whom they had to cut a newborn-sized diaper in half just to get it to fit. I was only 3 lbs 1 oz when I was born, after all. They also surprised my grandparents–they didn’t tell them I was home from the hospital (although my grandmother heard me in the background on a phone call). My grandfather did a triple-take when he came for Christmas and saw me under the tree. I really wish my eyes had been focusing properly to be able to remember the look on his face.

I do remember lots of things from when I was little, though (like wearing saddle shoes to the beach–apparently my sister was very helpful about going to get water for me to play with since I found the sand too hot). I remember being in (and climbing out of) my crib. I remember learning how to walk, for heavens sake–being determined to make it across the living room without falling. I remember riding in my carriage, having my diaper changed. I definitely remember learning how to read–the instant that the shape of the letters made sense. I even remember thinking at that moment that all I had to do was learn the words and I could read anything, and the family joke is that I’ve been trying ever since. (You’ve seen the monthly reading lists, right?)

  Let’s not forget my first–and so far, only–”husband,” Mickey Mouse. I absolutely adored him. The best Christmas of my life was the one when I found a “lifesized” one sitting by the tree, waiting for me. Please note, in this picture, how very cool I’m being. (“Yeah, sure, Mickey Mouse. Whatever. I do this sort of thing every day.”) But I was bursting with excitement inside. Also notice how short The Mouse is–kid-sized rather than adult-sized, which frankly I consider a nice touch. (Who knew he was still growing after all these years? When my niece and nephew went about 8 years ago, Mickey was taller than my Dad.) If I remember correctly, I apologized to him for wearing a shirt that had Donald Duck on it–I remember it was a “puffy” paint, too, so it was kind of 3D . . . I loved that shirt. I admit that this isn’t the most flattering picture of my Dad, though, so I apologize for that. (Also, note the poncho the lady in the background is wearing. I wonder if she still has it?)

All in all, it’s been a pretty nice 39 years. I’m really glad I came along for the ride.

Thanks for touring Memory Lane with me! Now, where’s the cake?

*Yes, I realize the reference is a little obscure, but come on, really, the Jack Benny Show was way before my time, too, and I knew that he always, but always, was 39 years old. Sometimes, you’ve got to give the younger people credit for knowing some trivia.

Tags: Family by Deb
29 Comments »

Just imagine, three pounds of merino/tussah silk roving from the Sheep Shed, sitting right there in my closet since Rhinebeck, and I never saw it . . .

Don’t believe me?

Well, all right. I technically knew it was there. (I’m not blind, after all, and my closet’s really not all that crowded or messy.) But–it’s that selective amnesia thing.

I bought it for my birthday, and refused to let myself spin it, touch it, or even look at it (much) until now. Okay, sure my birthday’s not until tomorrow, but . . . close enough to at least pull it out and admire, don’t you think? I’m just glad I got that burgandy roving done in time to free up my Lendrum. Now, if only there were something to make that spinning go just a little easier….

Want a close-up? Here you go. Isn’t it pretty? Kind of a silvery purple, with hints of blue and green scattered through. I don’t know what the colorway’s name is. I actually might have preferred a different color–the Autumn, for example, or the Bermuda, but they didn’t have them in roving at their stall while I was there, and this really IS pretty. I’m just a little concerned that, once it’s spun, it won’t be a flattering color for me, and really, I wanted enough for a sweater for me. (Hey, I bought it for my birthday, after all, isn’t that part of the point??) Anyway, pastels and my skin tone don’t usually get along–but here’s hoping.

It’s been a pretty full day, today. I got up at 6:45 (ugh, for a Saturday), and by 8:00 was at the town Rabies Clinic with Chappy and lots of other dogs. Big ones. Small ones. Fat ones. Young ones–including some shorthair pointer puppies that were just SO adorable (but, gracious, did they squeal and carry on when they got their shots! You’d think someone had just cut off their tails!) It was refreshingly warm, though–it got up to 70 today–and that’s such a nice change from shivering while waiting with your dog.

Afterward, Chappy and I drove into the center of town to wait for Mom and my niece. I sat and knitted on my tote bag, while listening to the Harry Potter #2 audio book (and enjoying the chance to sit and listen for more than 10 minutes at a time). When they joined us, we sat outside Starbucks for a while so Chappy could be oohed and aahed over, made a quick trip stop at the grocery store (past a long line of people waiting for flu shots–very deja vu-ish–hadn’t I done that once already?) We watched a movie this afternoon (Ladyhawke, accompanied by knitting on the sleeves for my Union Market Square Pullover). I baked and frosted my cake, and in a little while, we’ll be going out for dinner.

Another picture of that pretty roving–because it’s just that pretty!

Or, a picture of my happy Chappy outside Starbucks-just glad that shot is over and done with for another three years!

Oh, and one other thing–this would have been Muppy–our first dog’s 28th birthday. We got her when I was 11 and she was the first dog for all of us. It was probably a really rough puppyhood for her, but she loved us anyway. Such a sweet dog, she was! And I’d always get a special little glow on her birthday, because it meant that mine was just a day away . . . (grin) Unfortunately, she predated decent camera equipment in our house, so we only have a few, grainy snapshots of her–she really deserved better. She was a beauty. A black-and-tan miniature, wire-haired dachshund, with the prettiest coloring–just about every shade of possible fur was in there somewhere, silver, gold, red, brown–those “tan” sections were just stunning. Happy Birthday, Muppy!

Tags: Family, General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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What’s this?? An empty Lendrum? Not even a bobbin? Why, whatever could have happened?

Well, maybe it’s that I did a prodigious amount of spinning last night while watching a documentary on the Apollo 8 mission, and finally finished spinning my burgandy singles. That makes two spindles of orange and two of burgandy. Done!

And now they’re looking like this. Barberpoled together, and on my Ashford Kiwi, nonetheless! The bobbins are smaller (I think), but I have 6 or 7 of them, whereas I only have the one plying-sized bobbin for my Lendrum. I’ve also been feeling guilty about my Kiwi, which hasn’t been used since I got the Lendrum, and this gives it a chance to spin. It’s making me earn it, too–not only was there all the readjustment to the different feel of the wheel, but not only did the tension band slip off the bobbin while I was spinning, but the leather strap connecting the left treadle with the drive shaft came undone. I fixed both, of course, and the wheel is spinning fine, but . . . now I remember why I wanted a Lendrum in the first place. Boy, the olde days….

Still, it’s happy to be used. And look at how pretty the result is! Not perfectly even, perhaps, but I like it.

But, for some really good pictures, check out Ann Marie‘s photo journal of her day. And, please, don’t miss Jane’s great combo photos of her ruling passions.

Now, it’s Friday night. Not that I have anything exciting planned. Tomorrow, though, I’m bringing Chappy to the town Rabies Clinic for his legally-mandated (and free) rabies shot. Then we’re meeting Mom and my niece in the center of town–because, we’re getting my niece for the weekend! The four of us will go out for supper tomorrow night for my birthday. Then on Sunday, my sister, brother-in-law and nephew are coming for pot roast and scalloped potatoes. And, oh yeah, cake!

Tags: Finished Spinning, General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
5 Comments »

Yum. Yum. Yumyumyum.

I’d almost forgotten these!

I placed an order with Fat Witch brownies over a month ago, post-dated, to be shipped from Chelsea Market in New York as a pre-birthday treat, and here they are. A handful of Baby brownies–just because sometimes you want just a bite or so–but, even better, their Breakfast Witch brownies. Oh, how I love their Breakfast Witch brownies! Picture a thick, rich oatmeal cookie with a thin layer of brownie on top (or on bottom?), with just a hint of coffee in there somewhere. So good. And the best part? They freeze well. I’ll eat one this weekend, and freeze the rest for brownie-emergencies in months to come.

Normally, I’m a purist where my snacks are concerned. I like plain brownies–no nuts, no extra chocolate chips, no icing on top (that makes it cake). But these are wonderful. I like straight chocolate candy, not muddled with too many other flavors (though I’ll admit that a raspberry truffle sure is yummy now and again). Coffee should taste like coffee; tea should taste like tea–extra flavors should be used sparingly. The occasional dash of chocolate in a cup of coffee, or peppermint in tea, but I’m not a fan of chai or caramel macchiattos or any of those elaborate coffee drinks.

And, tea, incidentally, for me, must be actual tea, from the tea plant–not herbal blends of rose hips and flower buds. Those are tisanes and certainly have their place in the world, but when I hear “tea,” I think first of basic, black tea, like English Breakfast. Not the herbal stuff. I’d probably like herbal teas better if they weren’t called “tea.” That gets my tastebuds ready for something very specific, and then the brew usually tastes thin, like flower-scented water, not tea. I drank perfume once as a child, that was enough. Maybe if they were called something else–like tisane–my mouth would be ready for something delicate and light, instead of being disappointed at how weak the brew is. Like offering somebody orange juice and then giving them orange-flavored water instead. It’s not actually bad, just not what you were expecting.

Now, I think tonight, after my shower, a brownie and a cup of fresh coffee sounds just wonderful, don’t you? Coffee instead of my usual tea, to compliment the brownie, because I personally think coffee and chocolate is a magic combination, whereas I don’t like the tea/chocolate combo at all.

All this is, naturally, just my own personal opinion. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with elaborate latte drinks from Starbucks or herbal, berry infusions at bedtime. I do try them periodically, thinking that maybe my tastebuds will magically have decided to change since the last time, but . . . they’re just not my, er, cup of tea.

What does all this have to do with knitting? Not much, I admit, except that it’s certainly nice to knit while drinking tea or coffee (or tisanes), and a brownie on the side is never a bad thing . . . just keep a napkin handy to keep the knitting clean!

Tags: Baking, General by Deb
6 Comments »

This was a much nicer surprise today–a gift from my KR Secret Pal. That’s a notebook/journal (kind of blending in with the table, but trust me, it’s there), note cards, stickers, a magnet, sticky-pads, and a very pretty pen. Thank you, pal!

Things have been calmer around our house today–although my Mom did make Dad check the basement this morning before she gave him his breakfast. Oh, and my secret pal got a kick out of Mom asking if we should call the police, but I didn’t give Dad’s response: “What are they going to do, arrest it?” A snake in handcuffs, this I’ve got to see.

I got some spinning done last night, for the first time in a week. I really want to get these burgandy singles done by the weekend when I’m expecting some beautiful merino/silk roving to “magically” appear. I also started the first sleeve of my Union Square Market Pullover–I did some calculations this morning to figure out how many stitches I’d need to cast on, but I didn’t get past the hem of the sleeve tonight. Picking up the edge stitches inside such a (relatively) small tube to knit together with the “active” stitches on the needle . . . argh! It took me almost an hour just to knit the 9 rows of the cuff and then knit together the hem, and after that, I just wasn’t up to figuring out the short-rows for the bell sleeve. Not that I expect them to be hard, just . . . again, thinking, rather than being able to simply follow the pattern.

I really hope my gauge for my next sweater comes close to the one in the pattern. It’s not that I so much mind doing the math. I did pretty well in math at school and there’s a certain amount of satisfaction to successfully-crunched numbers, but . . . after a full day’s work, my brain just doesn’t want to work that hard. Sitting and knitting a pattern, or reading a book–someone else has done all the hard work for me. But having to revamp all the numbers and instructions of a pattern because I’m getting 75% of the stitch gauge and 63% of the row gauge, so that even the smallest pattern size won’t “fit”? That much analytical thinking requires a certain amount of concentration–certainly easier on the weekend when there’s theoretically time and relaxation abounding so that a small amount of mental effort is easily squeezed in. In other words, I’ve been lazy and have been procrastinating throughout the knitting of this entire sweater. It’s not its fault at all, nor even the yarn, since I should absolutely be able to get gauge with this yarn. Nope. It’s all me, and while things are coming along, it’s a lot slower of a process than I would wish!

Still . . . I’ve been “designing” sweaters. The Perfect Sweater that is. Or at least, so Kay and Ann are willing to share the credit for, all because I’ve been voting and commenting in their “Future Search” perfect sweater quest. I’m not actually helping with any of the knitting (though I’d better stock up on Cascade 220 to be ready), and really, they are the ones doing the vast majority of the work, but I did volunteer to bake the cake for the wrap-up party. Isn’t it nice of them to share the credit like that? And while we’re on the subject–go check out their upcoming book. It’s due out in March, and I know I have my copy pre-ordered.

Now, as we approach winter, check out this page that highlights the snowmen of Calvin (of Calvin & Hobbes). That kid sure had a creative hand with the snowmen. No wonder it’s one of my favorite strips, ever. (And, some people have done their own tributes, too.)

Speaking of snow, let me give a pitch for the cool gift I got for my snow-loving nephew last winter: an Eskimold. A “kit” for building your very own igloo. How cool is that? I don’t think he actually had enough snow for a whole igloo last year (despite the massive amounts of snow), but he did have fun with it. I know I was excited about it. My nephew loves shovelling snow so much, he not only clears the driveway, but shovels paths around the house, through the yard, and even the street in front of the house. It’s a darn shame he doesn’t live closer to, say, us–there are lots of people in my neighborhood who would love to pay him to do their driveways and walks, but there aren’t any neighbors close enough to his house for him to make a profit. Really a shame, I’ve got to say!

And, lastly, for knitters with way too much time on their hands… a knitted digestive system. Just what every girl needs!

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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Just when I thought I’d have nothing to blog about tonight! (And, Mom, I made the picture as small as I reasonably could.)

Mom went downstairs after supper to walk on the treadmill, and within seconds came running back upstairs, screaming for my Dad. A snake, downstairs next to the pool table. We’ve never had a snake in the house before (and really, this is a first I would have gladly foregone). My Dad was on a business call at the time, but ended it and came down, me following, and Mom following a very cautious distance behind, babbling. (I’m sorry, Mom, but you were.) Dad turned a garbage pail over the snake and then went walking around the basement looking for how it might have gotten in–and looking for any others, for Mom’s sake. I suggested laying the garbage pail on its side and nudging the snake in with a pool cue (long sticks are good!), which he did, and then went upstairs to get his shoes so he could take it outside. I, of course, good blogger that I am, took its picture. I have no idea what kind of snake it is (nor do I really care, except that I suppose it would have been nice to know if it were poisonous. But please–if it was DON’T put it in the comments–Mom reads them and she’d freak out).

I’ve never seen my mother in such a state! She was shaking and talking nonstop. “Where is it? What should we do? Should we call the police?” And once we had it safely in the Rubbermaid garbage pail and Dad was getting his shoes, “What it if gets out! Can it knock it over? Can it climb out? What are you going to do with it?” When Dad came back down with his shoes I suggested the back door to take it out into the yard, and Mom called from upstairs, “What back door? Are you bringing it into the kitchen??” Now, don’t think that I’m making fun of my mother, here, because I’m not. She was upset! But she just kept babbling out silly questions, boom, boom, boom, and then moving on before we could answer any of them. Very amusing, really, though she’ll probably be mad at me for saying so. I did offer to pour her a glass of wine to help calm down, but she said no. She said no to more chocolate, too.

Chappy was well-behaved through the whole thing, mostly because he is not allowed in the basement and has never gone beyond the door at the top of the stairs. His nose was definitely active, though, with that eau de snake that was down there (ick). Maybe he was trying to figure out if it was a squirrel or something in a Halloween costume?

Anyway, Dad tossed the snake over the fence into the woods in the backyard and we don’t expect to see him back again. I certainly hope not–Mom’s heart couldn’t take it!

  Now, for other things, I’ve decided not to join NaNoWriMo. As much fun as it sounds, it’s just not practical. I’d only be able to find about an hour a night, and I don’t see how it could be possible to write 50,000 words in 30 hours. And I can’t fool myself into thinking that I’d be able to make it up on the weekends. One of November’s weekends is Thanksgiving and one of them is my birthday–both filled with family stuff and lots of time in the kitchen. What I am going to try to do is work on the novel I have sitting on my hard drive. I’ll take NaNoWriMo as inspiration and try to work on my existing book every day–which might not work, but at least seems doable. And I’ll still have time for reading!

Not to mention figuring out how to work my new toy, which I ordered yesterday.

Oh, and I’m still waiting to hear from MagKnits (whose latest issue is up) about that hat pattern of mine. It’s been a month and I’ve sent two follow-up e-mails and haven’t heard anything . . . I’m starting to think I should have just published it myself and avoided all this elusive wondering! (“Did they get it? Do they want it?”)

Tags: Family, General by Deb
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Books read in October–28 this month! A lot of fantasy/sci-fi, but also some really good history books as well as some other stuff. Oddly, no knitting books this month!

1. MAGIC’S PAWN by Mercedes Lackey (384 p)
2. EXILE’S HONOR by Mercedes Lackey (433 p)
3. EXILE’S VALOR by Mercedes Lackey (402 p)
4. TAKE A THIEF by Mercedes Lackey (354 p)
5. ARROWS OF THE QUEEN by Mercedes Lackey (320 p)
6. ARROWS FLIGHT by Mercedes Lackey (314 p)
7. ARROWS FALL by Mercedes Lackey (293 p) –Obviously, I was on a kick for Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books. Enjoyable fantasy books (though the writing in her later ones is better than the earliest ones).
8. JULIE AND JULIA by Julie Powell (306 p) You may have heard of this one—the author decides to cook every recipe in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in a year, and had a blog recounting her trials and tribulations. Personally, I thought it was a little boring, but lots of people have loved it. I’m not fond of her choice of language, or with the somewhat abrasive attitude. Parts were interesting, but overall, as a read I found it kind of blah.
9. CASTLE ROUGE by Carole Nelson Douglas (456 p)
10. FEMME FATALE by Carole Nelson Douglas (441 p)
11. SPIDER DANCE by Carole Nelson Douglas (490 p) The most recent three of her “Irene Adler” series of mysteries. Irene Adler, you’ll remember, was the one and only woman to outsmart Sherlock Holmes. Douglas started a series featuring her years ago, which I entirely enjoyed, and then there was a long pause until she started them up again a few years ago. The first two of the newer books deal with Jack the Ripper and, really, I don’t like them, but the most recent two are closer to the original four in feeling, and are more enjoyable. Her visualization of Irene is a treat.
12. TRUTH & BEAUTY by Ann Patchett (237 p). I’ve read, now, I believe all of Ann Patchett’s novels (absolutely adored Bel Canto), and have been enthralled by the way this woman tells a story. So when I saw her  this at the bookstore, I had to pick it up. It’s not fiction, but is instead a so far very sweet, very touching tribute to her friend Lucy Grealy, telling of their friendship of some twenty years. She writes so beautifully, and since they were both writers, she intersperses her own prose with excerpts from Lucy’s letters, and it’s just . . . moving
13. PARIS 1919 by Margaret MacMillan (494 p). A history book that addresses the WWI peace talks in Paris. Parts were fascinating, some parts less so, but altogether a good book that certainly covered a lot of things I had no knowledge of.

14. PLAN B by Ann Lamott (320 p) Thoughts on religion and life. There’s no question she can write wonderfully, and her “Bird by Bird” is one of my favorite books on writing, but no, I didn’t love this one. Part of it is the somewhat rabid attacks on our current president. I’m not a big fan of his these days, either (less and less all the time, really), but I did think that the sudden, sideways comments about how hopeless she feels about her life because of the President seemed rather out of place in a book about hope and religion (not to mention drastically shortening its shelf-life). I wasn’t looking for political ranting when I picked up the book, and was therefore disappointed to find so much of it. Some of the essays were excellent, though.
15. DISCOVERERS by Daniel J Boorstin (694 p). This is my second reading of this very long book. It’s fascinating. Lots of mini chapters which make it easy to read a small amount each night. It tells the story of many of the great discoveries—clocks, great sailing ships, medicine, printing . . . fascinating, and so, very wide-ranging. Worth the several months of nights it took me to read it (grin).
16. MIRROR OF HER DREAMS by Stephen R Donaldson (647 p)
17. MAN RIDES THROUGH by Stephen R Donaldson (661 p). The two books of the “Mordant’s Need” duology (with titles, incidentally, that hail from “Silverlock” by John Myers Myers, and were what originally caught my eye). Good fantasy books about a world where mirrors are doorways into other worlds—including ours, where Geraden convinces Teresa to come with him and help save his world. Good books.
18. INITIATE BROTHER by Sean Russell (480 p)
19. GATHERER OF CLOUDS by Sean Russell (603 p). Another fantasy duology, this one that takes place in a world much like I imagine medieval China would be. It’s technically a fantasy, and yet except for it being in a made-up world, it’s not full of magic or sorcerers or dragons, or any of the trappings of a usual fantasy. It’s just an excellent story. Good author.
20. BALANCE OF TRADE by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (451 p) One of their Liaden novels. Just purely enjoyable, light sci-fi.
21. GUARDIANS OF THE WEST by David Eddings (452 p)
22. KING OF THE MURGOS by David Eddings (368 p)
23. DEMON LORD OF KARANDA by David Eddings (422 p)
24. SORCERESS OF DARSHIVA by David Eddings (406 p)
25. SEERESS OF KELL by David Eddings (399 p) A series of five books, called the Mallorean, which follow up the Belgariad series. Classic fantasy books with, yes, swords and sorcerers, and even a dragon. And a lot of fun.
26. SWORD OF ORION by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (276 p). The first book in a new sci-fi series. I’m not sure I loved this one, but it did have that unmistakable touch of theirs, and I am curious as to what’s going to happen next.
27. FREEDOM’S LANDING by Anne McCaffrey (342 p). Sci-fi. What if earth were invaded and a shipload of people were stranded on an empty planet with nothing more than blankets, knives, and some bare medical supplies? This is the first in a series of, well, four books, but the first three are the “core” and tell a complete story. The fourth doesn’t really compare at all—I usually stop after the third. Enjoyable series, by one of my long-time favorite authors.
28. COLLAPSE by Jared Diamond (525 p). Fascinating history/anthropology/sociology book by the man who wrote “Guns, Germs, and Steel.” This one examines why civilizations choose to fall—both historical ones and some current ones. The reasons that were beyond their control, as well as ones that could have been affected by different decisions. Really fascinating.

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by Deb
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