Why, what is this?

Marilyn’s Not-So-Shrunken Cardigan, perhaps?

It couldn’t possibly be finished, could it?

Yep! It could!

I opted to skip the ruffle along the button band. It’s a lovely feature, but I decided that it wouldn’t “fit” the marled, tweedy look of the orange-burgundy handspun.

Because, yes, if you haven’t caught it one of the many other times I mentioned it, I made this out of my very own handspun. Except for a pair of gloves, this makes the first project I’ve done with yarn I made myself. I don’t know which I’m happier with–the way the sweater came out, or the making of it, knowing that every stitch was done in yarn I made with my own two little hands.

Sigh.

Such a nice feeling!

I love it when a plan comes together! Even the buttons I picked out in Montclair a couple weeks ago worked perfectly.

• Tags: Finished Knitting, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Cardi-Done // 19 Comments »

Are you a curious knitter? Are you interested in creative ideas, amusing anecdotes, and inspiration for your knits? Then this is the book for you, Mason-Dixon Knitting from the gals at Mason-Dixon Knitting. (Yes, I know, it sounds redundant–I didn’t name the book or the blog, but you knew exactly who I meant, didn’t you? And isn’t that the point?) It’s a charming book, breezy in tone, and a delight. I may even make a dishcloth.

I’m ready to move into the last couple steps of my Not-So-Shrunken Cardigan. Tonight I tacked down the hems at the sleeves and the waist, all ready to pick up the stitches for the neckband, which I plan to do tomorrow. Then the button bands. It’s been years–like, ten? More?–since I did a button band, so I’m a little nervous about that. But still . . . the end is in sight, and when I tried this on, it seems to fit really nicely, which is a relief. And I do have the buttons already–no contests necessary for this one.

Finally, my health seems like it might be moving in the right direction, finally. I almost made it through a complete day at work today–I faded at 3:30, and so left half an hour early–but hey, I was there at 7:50 this morning, and made it back from lunch five minutes early so really, that’s only 15 minutes. We even sort of took Chappy out for a walk–all the way to the corner and back. (Oooh! Hey, I know it’s not much, but it was out of the house with some good sniffs, so he’s not complaining.)

Oh, and thank you for your kind words on my Grandparent-Gs yesterday. I had fun with that, and enjoyed introducing the four of them to you.

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Booking Through Thursday

Pick one of your favorite authors.

What? One?? This is the hardest part. Just one?? But, there are so many! Jane Austen. Dorothy Dunnett. Jasper Ffordes. Anne McCaffrey. Laurie Colwin. Robin McKinley. Sean Russell. . . . Okay, fine. I’ll pick somebody I don’t expect anyone else would pick because she so deserves it. Sharon Shinn.

1. What are some of your favorite books by this author?
   Archangel is my first and favorite, although the other two of that trilogy, Jovah’s Angel and The Alleluia Files are amazingly good, too. And I love Heart of Gold which I find to be a truly amazing book.
2. Why do you like this author?
   How long have you got? She writes fantasy, but it’s delectable fantasy–unique places, but with very human characters, with exceedingly human interactions. Her sense of place is amazing, and oh, her descriptions! Rich. Lush. Beautiful. Detailed. The way she describes music, or love, or an angel’s wing . . . the real kind of magic. Her books drip in beauty, until you practically have to flick it from your fingers as you read.
3. Have you read everything by this author? Why or why not?
   Yes, or at least, everything I’ve been able to get my hands on, including her first novel (the only one I haven’t loved), her young adult series, and the two short novellas that I know of.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading • Permalink:Getting Better All The Time // 4 Comments »

I thought about the obvious “green” for Spring, but decided to go for “G for Grandparents,” a subject about which I wax sentimental. It’s been over 20 years since I had a grandparent here in the flesh, and so don’t get to talk about them all that often. Dad’s father, Otto, died when I was about 10 months old, back in 1967. Mom’s mom, Maude, died on my last day of 3rd grade, when I was 9 (so, 1976). Mom’s Dad, Albert, died over Labor Day weekend, just as I started my junior year of high school (1983). And Dad’s Mom, Freda, died just as I started college, in 1985. So, clearly, there aren’t any recent photos of any of them, but I dug out the photo album during one of my periods of consciousness today, and so, here you go.

  My Dad’s parents, on their wedding day. I adore this photo–Grandma looks so demure, and Grandpa looks like he could take on the world. One thing you can say about both of my grandfathers, they had that indefinible something Mom and I refer to as “twinkle.”

  My Mom’s parents (who, unfortunately, don’t have a wedding photo.)

  Dad’s parents with my uncle as a baby.

  Mom (the little girl), Grandma (kneeling) and, I think, Mom’s
godmother, on Martha’s Vineyard. (See? We really have been going there
a long time.)

  Grandpa. looking dashing

  Here’re Dad’s parents, from some road trip when he was a teenager.

  Mom with her Daddy.

  Dad, the toddler, with his family.

  Mom’s parents, on Martha’s Vineyard.

  Grandma (Dad’s Mom), with my sister and me. (Yes, I’m the blonde.)

  Same day, same visit, but this time with Mom’s parents.

  Grandpa. He was the only grandfather we knew growing up, so my sister and I both adored him.

  And, of course, let’s not forget the newer generation of grandparents–here are my parents, looking young and in love at Mom’s Bridal shower. They’ve been doing the grandparent thing for almost 17 years now, and are very good at it!

• Tags: ABC-Along, Family • Permalink:G is For Grandparents // 11 Comments »

So, I stayed home again this afternoon. Ick. I was woken up not once, not twice, but three times last night by serious coughing, and so felt pretty much like crap today. You know that tender feeling just after a headache’s gone away, when it’s gone, but could come back, but meanwhile feels ultra-sensitive, like a cut that’s just barely scabbed over? Well, that’s what my lungs and throat have felt like most of the morning. And then I napped for as much of the afternoon as I could. Blech. I hate feeling unhealthy.

Tomorrow, though, I’ve got the day off–a long-standing vacation day. My parents are going into New York to see Jersey Boys, the musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I figured that way, I could spend the day with Chappy, enjoy having the house to myself . . . but as it turns out, I might be sleeping most of the day (grin). Well, I hope not.

I’ve got about two inches to go on my sweater’s second sleeve. It’s looking more like a sweater all the time!

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From Plath’s Adventure:

Place an X by all the things you’ve done. This is for your entire life:
( ) Smoked a cigarette
( ) Drank so much you threw up
( ) Crashed a friend’s car
( ) Stolen a car
( ) Been in love
( ) Been dumped
( ) Shoplifted
(x) Been laid off/fired
(x) Quit your job
( ) Been in a fist fight
( ) Snuck out of your parent’s house
( ) Had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back
( ) Been arrested
(x) Gone on a blind date
( ) Lied to a friend
( ) Skipped school
(x) Seen someone die
(x) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been lost
(x) Been on the opposite side of the country.
(x) Swam in the ocean
( )Felt like dying
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
( ) Played cops and robbers
( ) Recently colored
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t
(x) Made prank phone calls
( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
( ) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(x) Blown bubbles
( ) Made a bonfire on the beach
( ) Crashed a party
(x) Gone roller-skating
( ) Ice-skating

• Tags: General • Permalink:Mememememe // 9 Comments »

I got a good thing in the mail today–my copy of Stephanie’s bookbookbook3, Knitting Rules.

Naturally, I’ve started it already. (You can just see the tip of my bookmark at the top of the photo.) And, I’m enjoying Stephanie’s unique take on knitting. Unlike her other two, this book seems to address actual knitting issues like what to carry in your knitting bag, and has some patterns, and there are a couple of helpful quizzes to help you place yourself in regard to other knitters.

For example, apparently I’m about Level 2 on the “addicted” scale. “Focused: The knitter now often “knits alone” and frequently allows her family to see her knitting. The ‘focused’ knitter may now be actively trying to recruit friends and family into her yarn lifestyle and has been seen purchasing yarn with no clear intentions, just because it is ’soft’ or ‘on sale.’ This knitter may have several projects on the needles, and may actually be overwhelmed (occasionally and happily) with her own knitty plans. She still goes to bookstores and imagines herself putting down the knitting to read. (She doesn’t.)” Of course, this isn’t entirely true–I really do read. But I’m certainly past level 1 (Interested) but not yet at levels 3 or 4 (Preoccupied or Obsessed). Isn’t that good to know?

Meanwhile, I’ve added about 2″ to the second sleeve on my sweater. I haven’t touched my Peacock Stole in about a week–I haven’t been feeling well enough to concentrate on lace. I’m working on the ribbing to my socks, but they haven’t dramatically changed since last week’s update. Close to being done, but not quite there yet.

My health–and really, you’ve all been very kind to be so concerned, thank you–here’s today’s update. Feeling better, though tired. I took the afternoon off again and had a good nap before supper. I haven’t taken my temperature since yesterday . . . and, well, the last time I took it, the thermometer said 96.9–almost two degrees BELOW normal, which I’m pretty sure was not the case. But that immediately made me question every other temperature reading I took this weekend. Maybe the high was closer to 103 than to 101? Maybe none of the readings were accurate? Who’s to know? But anyway, it feels close enough to normal, that I haven’t bothered.

I didn’t want to push matters by taking Chappy for a walk–even though it was a lovely day for late March. I did let him romp in the backyard, though. This was the first time he’d been back there since the snow melted, and, well, it’s pretty filthy back there. We’ve been struggling to get grass back there for the last four years now, and what tiny bit made it through the winter apparently has a root system that doesn’t go beyond the top soil. Just pouncing on his tennis ball (currently coated in mud) tore up huge swaths of “grass.” (I put it in quotes because, really, it barely counts.) But I figured he deserved a treat, and lord, he was happy to be back there. His tail didn’t stop wagging.

Of course, I had to put him in the bathtub when he was done playing–all that running and lying in the dirt makes for really dirty floors and furniture, but he didn’t mind. He ran right upstairs and into the bathroom–he knew! And he needed the bath anyway, so, all’s good, and now he’s extra soft and fluffy (he needs a haircut, too), and snoozing in his crate, wrapped up in his towel–by himself–happy and content. And frankly, the snoring sounds awfully tempting . . . g’night!

• Tags: Chappy, Family, General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading • Permalink:Monday. // 10 Comments »

Well, at least progress is being made.

For example, I finished the sleeve of my sweater. That is, one of the sleeves. Clearly, there’s another one still to come, and I still have to tack down the hem, and of course there’s the button band and all, but I’m getting there.

I’m feeling better, too–not perfect, but definitely improved. My temperature’s been right around normal all day. My eyes are back to their normal, clear selves. (In fact, I keep thinking they look bigger, it’s such a nice change from red, glassy and swollen.) I’m tired tonight, but Chappy’s hard work is definitely paying off.

Unfortunately, now Mom’s caught Dad’s cold . . . Hopefully, that’s it now, for us! Being sick just isn’t any fun. And Chappy’s just exhausted.

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Progress // 7 Comments »

Today’s High: 100.7 F (38.16 C)

Today’s Low: 98.8 F (37.11 C)

Some early morning mental fog, changing to mostly clear-headedness in the afternoon. A nasal pressure system will be in the area throughout the day, along with some asthmatic wheezing, but hopefully that will clear out soon, but at least the nose will be dry and non-drippy.

Forecast: A wave of coughing and a possible recurrance of the fever during the night, but expecting improved conditions in the morning.

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So, this is where I spent most of the day today–curled up on the chair in the dining room window, with Chappy. Okay, it’s actually more like a loveseat, but it used to be in my bedroom, and when I bought it, I’d been shopping for a chair, so we’ve always called it that. It moved downstairs when I got my new, red chair for my room, and is now Chappy’s favorite seat. The cushion on the right-hand side is permanently horizontal, for his “perch,” and the left-hand side is for Mom or I, when we choose to sit with him. (Actually, I showed you this not too long ago, didn’t I?) Anyway, this is where I spent the day–legs under the blanket, shawl around my shoulders, book handy for reading, Chappy to help me feel better . . .Although, really, Chappy’s been very nonchalant about the whole “sick Mommy” thing today. He’s spent the entire day with me, of course, and I know he’s concerned, but I think he’s just a little disgusted that I’m not better already, and able to take him out for a walk. All week long, he’s been sniffing at Dad’s breath, and now mine, to judge the course of the illness. When I had bronchitis last year, he did this just about every time he came near me, until I was well again. I figure it’s some kind of doggie diagnostic thing. Well, today, every time he’s sniffed at my breath, he’s immediately turned and backed away. I don’t think it’s because my breath is particularly bad, or anything, or that he’s giving up the case (”I’m just a dog, not a miracle worker!”), but it’s more like he’s just frustrated–he’s been spending so much time sitting with me, and worrying about me, I should be better by now, and what’s a dog to do? Poor guy. First Dad had his cold, then this . . . whatever it is . . . with me. He’s been working really hard trying to get his family healthy again.

And at this moment, I am feeling better. Not well yet–and I won’t go into the frustrations again, that I felt fine except for an earache on Tuesday, blah blah blah, you’ve heard it–but at least better. My eyes aren’t nearly as bloodshot or glassy as they were yesterday, and I’m hoping tomorrow will be better.One day at a time, right? I have no idea what to expect from this since it’s not a cold and therefore I don’t know how long it should take my system to get rid of whatever’s causing all of this? An infection–okay, sure, but what, exactly, does that mean?? (grin)

I did cancel the knitting lesson I was supposed to give today, though . . . realistically, it just wasn’t meant to be. It’s for a coworker, and I’ll reschedule on Monday. (Because, yes, I do plan on going to work on Monday–at least for some of the day. It’s a must.)

My sister sent me this clipping from the Pier One catalog, and I thought you’d all appreciate it. The description is “If you could knit your own chair, it might look like this. If you
can’t, not to worry–we’ve done it for you with our deliciously nubby
hand-woven banana bark chair.” Mom and I had actually seen this at the store a month or two ago, and I wished I had taken a picture of it to show you all. How cool, really, is a “knitted” chair, huh?

On the plus side, my copy of Spin Off magazine came today . . . okay, not that I was really in the mood to read the technical articles, but still! And apparently, Amazon has shipped my copy of Stephanie’s latest book–can’t wait to read that, either.

This just in: Mom’s throat is sore. Uh-oh! I think Chappy’s hiding under his blanket . . . Let’s hope it’s just that sympathy-thing. . . .

• Tags: Chappy, Family, General • Permalink:Heatwave // 9 Comments »

This was me today.

Red-eyed.

Glassy-eyed.

A little blurry.

Feverish.

I went to work for all of two hours today–there were a few things that I had to take care of, but I got there at 8:00 and left at 10:00, after hearing “No offense, but you look terrible!” all too often.

So, I came home and spent basically the entire day on the couch with Chappy. A little napping. More, just sitting in that twilight state with my eyes closed, but not actually asleep. I did a little reading, but not really that much of that, either.

And, believe it or not, I didn’t knit a single stitch all day. Not one. Not even a row on my socks. Nothing. I did think about it, but . . . nope. Therefore, I don’t really have any knitting content for you tonight at all. Sorry about that. I didn’t really do anything all that interesting, either, today, so . . . this is it for tonight. I’m going to go climb into bed now and hope that my nose and lungs etcetera are feeling better tomorrow.

• Tags: General • Permalink:99.5 // 13 Comments »

Wan is pretty much the way I’m feeling today (although, really, I’m a little more flushed than pale), not to mention a little cranky about this drippy nose. There are worse and more painful things you can have wrong to be sure, but not many that are more annoying.  I just keep reminding myself that this (theoretically) means the medicine is working and to be patient . . . but meanwhile, my face is a trifle flushed, my eyes a little glassy and I don’t even want to think of how many times I’ve blown my nose today–and it was fine on Tuesday! No nose problems until I started using that nasal spray from the doctor. That’s what makes this so aggravating. My nose is making me cranky today (grin).

But enough about my health–you’re here for knitting, to be entertained, and all I’m doing is whining. I’m so sorry. Please come in, have a seat, and be comfortable. Hot tea? Coffee? A cookie? Good. That’s better. I’m so glad you could come.

I started the sleeve for my Not-So-Shrunken Cardigan.

I know, you’re thinking that it doesn’t look like much, but considering the entire sleeve is only something like 9″ long, this is pretty good progress.

I really can’t wait to try this sweater on, which I can’t quite do yet. The sleeve stitches waiting are on a short Denise cable, doubled-back on itself, and connected to itself, end to end. It’s a great, secure way for holding the stitches, for keeping the cable out of my way while knitting on other things–no point protectors to pop off at the worst possible moment–but there’s no way I can fit my arm through there (grin).

On the plus side, look! I got my State income tax refund today. I’m rich! I’m going to run right out and buy . . . well . . . I don’t know. What can one buy for seven dollars and change these days? Maybe a mass-market paperback?

Oh, but the most exciting thing? My smart and wonderful niece got accepted to the Who’s Who Among American High School Students. How cool is that? I am so proud of her. She works so hard, gets straight A’s, is a Junior this year, and is already looking at colleges. (Wow. How’d she get so old so quickly? Oh, and T? If you’re reading this, leave me comment once in a while, okay?)

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Now, this week’s Booking Through Thursday. Today’s questions were suggested by Christine.

1. How do you decide to read a book by an author you haven’t read before?
   Any number of reasons–if the author is recommended by a friend, if the book looks good in the store, if the premise sounds interesting, if it’s got lots of good review on Amazon . . . I love reading favorite authors, but I love finding good, new authors almost as much!
2. What sort of recommendations count most highly in making that decision?
   If the recommendation comes from a person with similar reading habits, it helps, but since almost no-one I know reads the same variety as I do, that list of recommenders is a small one!

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Lastly, it’s Joke Day in blogland, did you know?

It’s not so much a joke, as a silly list you may have seen making the e-mail rounds. Cute, if you know your dog breeds.

How many dogs does it take to change a lightbulb?

1. Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we’ve got
   our whole lives ahead of us, and you’re inside worrying about a stupid
   burned out bulb?
2. Border Collie: Just one. And then I’ll replace any wiring that’s
   not up to code.
3. Dachshund: You know I can’t reach that stupid lamp!
4. Rottweiler: Make me.
5. Boxer: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the
   dark.
6. Lab: Oh, me, me! Pleeeeeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can
   I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeeze, please, please, please!
7. German Shepherd: I’ll change it as soon as I’ve led these people
   from the dark, check to make sure I haven’t missed any, and make just one more
   perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the
   situation.
8. Jack Russell Terrier: I’ll just pop it in while I’m bouncing off
   the walls and furniture..
9. Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? I’m sorry, but I don’t see a
   light bulb!
10. Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in
    the dark.
11. Chihuahua: Yo quiero Taco Bulb. Or “We don’t need no stinking
    light bulb.”
12. Greyhound: It isn’t moving. Who cares?
13. Australian Shepherd: First, I’ll put all the light bulbs in a
    little circle…
14. Poodle: I’ll just blow in the Border Collie’s ear and he’ll do
    it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading • Permalink:Oh, Be Wan! // 11 Comments »

It’s been this kind of day.

I went to work this morning, of course, but as the morning went on started feeling, well, blech. I said yesterday that I was completely surprised when the doctor’s office told me I had a fever? Well, this morning, I felt like it. Shivering and such. (I was so grateful I had a shawl with me!) And of course, the little bottle of Advil I keep at my desk was empty, so I basically spent the morning feeling lousy.

I’m sure there’s a reason that, since starting the meds the doctor prescribed for the lung infection and asthma, I feel worse. I’m coughing more than I was, my nose is dripping, and I’m tired. I don’t feel miserable or even really sick, but just not right, you know? And so, I stayed home this afternoon. I spent most of the afternoon on the couch with Chappy, who’s working hard trying to get me and Dad back to our usual good health. Poor little guy, he’s exhausted!

I don’t have any knitting pictures to show you. I worked on my Peacock Stole tonight, which is coming along, but slowly. I started the ribbing on my socks. I haven’t started the sleeve on my cardi yet, though–I keep forgetting to bring my Denise case with me, and therefore can’t get my sleeve stitches safely off the needles. I’ll manage that tomorrow, for sure.

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Shhh…. // 12 Comments »

  Remember on Sunday when I said I had an earache?

Well, I pretended to be a responsible adult today and went to the doctor. Turns out I not only have an ear infection, but a lung infection as well. And bronchial asthma. And a 99.9 degree fever. That was the real surprise. I don’t remotely feel like I have a temperature, but doctor’s office thermometers don’t lie, right?

Oh, and the “best” (cough) part of the visit? When they decided to flush my right ear out–the one with the ache. It took 30 minutes. Half an hour of whoosh-whoosh-whoosh of water bombarding my ear drum. Yep. That part was really fun. As was when some of the water went down my neck and wet my shirt, my sweater, my arm. Lots of fun.

So–since this is more than even elderberry syrup can handle (sorry, Norma)–the doctor sent me home with prescriptions for an antibiotic, a nasal spray (since I hate taking decongestants), and an inhaler. Of course, the nasal spray apparently wasn’t available on my prescription plan and cost me $60, but what can you do? I’ll just try not to think of the yarn and the books I could have gotten with that. (I mean, really, it’s more than I spent on a sweater’s worth of Cascade 220 on Saturday. But I’m trying not to think about that.)

And then I came home and saw the mail. Vogue Knitting and Knitter’s magazines, both in the mailbox. But have you seen these issues? Or their internet previews? Now I feel really ill… I am not going to be renewing Knitters when that subscription expires in two more issues. VK . . . I don’t know about that one. I’ve been a subscriber since 1987 and I hate to give up on that kind of committment (grin). There were a couple of patterns that weren’t too horrible, and the articles are still good . . . Knitters is pretty unredeemable, though. Shame, but what can you do?

After seeing the packages around blogland the last couple days, I’m feeling just a little sick about not having joined the Socks that Rock Club when I had a chance, too . . . oh well. Too late now! At least everyone’s having fun with that.

On the plus side, at least I got a good amount done on my sock while I was waiting. I also bumped into our neighbor from across the street while I was there. And I’m not as sick as my Dad is. His cold was awful on Sunday, somewhat better yesterday, and now worse again today. I mean, it’s only the third day of the cold, but still. He’s apparently been sleeping a lot, and is frustrated that he’s not better yet. Patience is not my Dad’s strong suit. I’m just worried that I’ll catch it–I do NOT need a cold on top on the ear and lung infection I already have. (Really, really don’t need that!) My ear feels somewhat better since being flushed out, as reluctant as I am to admit that, and the cough has been an ongoing thing anyway, so I’m not really feeling ill. And I’m not contagious, either. Just . . . I don’t want to get actually sick.

Which reminds me . . . it’s time to go take some medicine. Knit in peace today. Tata!

• Tags: Family, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Cough, Cough (What’d you say?) // 17 Comments »

Okay, thanks to JenLa, I have something to post today–the Auntie Meme (And, I tell you, those two are tricky–this is the second time they’ve sucked me into a meme just because I stopped by to read!).

1. A blog which you think people have not discovered.

• Polka Dot Mittens. There aren’t enough Bloglines subscribers for this witty little blog

2. A blog whose author lives close to you physically. Just get as close as you can, it’s all relative.

• Cindy over at Pawtee Animals. She doesn’t blog very often, but not only does she live nearby, I’ve known her since high school (though we didn’t become good friends until after college), and her dog and my dog are best friends. Technically, though, Tina at Purls Gone Wild is closer–same home town. We even graduated the same high school–20 years apart (ouch!)

3. An unusual or weird animal picture.

• Not weird so much as cute, Shelley at Purlside of the Moon always gets some creative and original Marley pictures (though it’s hard to top the one at the corner of the blog).

4. An entry that made you laugh and got you strange looks from family or co-workers.

• No question. The entry where Stephanie, the dearly loved Yarn Harlot accidentally locked herself out of her hotel room in her underwear. I mean, she makes me laugh, chuckle and cry on a regular basis, but this one kind of stands out (grin). (The Weenie on the airplane was pretty funny, too. Let’s face it–she’s just generally hilarious.)

5. An idea you wish you’d thought of.

• Skywatching, like Sandy (And the Knitting Olympics–not that I would have had the Power to make it fly like Stephanie, did!)

6. Something you’d like to knit.

• Celtic Dreams, like Annie at Knitty Gritty made

7. A picture of something you consider beautiful

• Other than Chappy? Eunny’s Fire Flowers and Lace shawl comes to mind.

8. A blog whose author you’d like to one day meet in person

• Liz/Lizzy B over at A Stitch in Time . . . but we’re working on it!

9. A blog of someone you have already met in person.

• Risa over at One Crazy Fiber Lady. Not only have I met her, but she’s become a good friend.

This was fun!!

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Now, as to other things . . .

Speaking of skywatching, I took this at my office parking lot, just after I got to the office this morning.

And–imagine winning a prestigious writing award–with a $640,000 prize–without even realizing you’d been nominated. Yep. It happened to children’s author Katherine Paterson. Now that really is a good way to be woken up in the morning.

One more thing–if you haven’t yet, go stop by Laurie’s–she and her husband had a bad, bad weekend!

• Tags: General, Sky • Permalink:Chasing Geese // 7 Comments »

This is my shower du jour. Since my other one broke the other day, we’ve tried three replacements. The first one (Friday’s) had no friction in the ball-socket that positions the shower head. It had one position–straight down. Not even a little practical. The second one (Saturday’s) would have been fine except it leaked. A lot. From the connection at the pipe, and from where the hose screwed into the support.

So today, Sunday, Mom and I headed out to Home Depot to try yet again. (Knocking on wood), it appears that the third time is the charm. This one seems to actually work–though I haven’t actually taken my shower yet–but I’m feeling optimistic!

And while we were out (it’s a rare, rare thing for me to be out on a Sunday, you have to realize), we stopped at the Borders so I could get rid of . . . er . . . use . . . a $5 gift certificate I had. Not that you can buy a book for five dollars anymore, but it was going to expire in another week and, hey, five dollars is still five dollars, right? So I added to my knitting library. Lucy Neatby’s Cool Socks, Warm Feet and The Knitting Answer Book. I figure it never hurts to have reference books, and certainly the sock book is one I’ve wanted for a while, and I’m already impressed with it.

Also, I finished the body of my sweater. I still need to weave in the ends, and tack up the hem at the bottom, but isn’t it a comfort to know that the biggest “chunk” of the sweater is done? Next come the sleeves–which are about 3/4 length–and the neckband/buttonbands, and . . . woo hoo!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again–I just love the way this looks. I love the tweedy look of the yarn. I love the way the barber-poled colors compliment the nubby, imperfect texture of the handspun, so that the knitted fabric doesn’t look perfect, but it looks right. Organic. Comfortable. I love the plush feel to the fabric, which, while not as soft as smooth as some yarns, isn’t as scratchy as I was afraid it would feel. I’m just really, really happy! And hey, if that’s bragging, well . . . sorry. Can’t help it! I’ll try to keep it under control. (grin)

The bad news today, is that my Dad has a cold. He’s taking Zicam and extra vitamins and trying to stay out of everybody’s way, to keep his germs to himself. Mom and I are encouraging that (grin) and are taking extra vitamins ourselves in the hopes of staving off the spread of illness to ourselves. In fact, Mom will be sleeping in the guest room tonight. Which, between you and me, I think she likes once in a while anyway. The furniture is the same that she grew up with, and the room has her photo albums and books and things. I think it makes her feel like a teenager again . . . it’s just unfortunate that it takes illness–either hers or Dad’s–to get her in there (grin).

I might be calling the doctor myself, tomorrow. I’ve got a bit of an earache–apparently a side-effect of the nasal drip/coughing thing I’ve been doing so much of lately. It doesn’t actually hurt unless I touch the outside of my ear, but it feels a little like it’s full of cotton and there’s a very, very slight ringing, so . . . I should probably get it looked at, huh?

Edited to add: I did take my shower and this seems like it’ll work. Phew! It’s got a different feel and flow than the one I had, but definitely something I can work with, and most important, no leaking!

And–this should have posted last night, when I wrote it, but didn’t for some reason . . .

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Shower du Jour // 6 Comments »

Well, Risa and I hit not one, not two, but three yarn shops, all within two blocks of each other today, in Montclair New Jersey.

First, we went to Modern Yarn on Church Street. I’ve been there once before, and went back now to take advantage of a 15% Knitting Olympics discount, granted because I successfully finished my Olympic sweater (which I wore today).

Risa bought some Cascade 220 for a cardigan, as well as a skein (two?) of sock yarn–which I’m sure she’ll show on her blog.

 I was sorely tempted by some deep purple Blue Sky Alpaca/Silk, but instead, bought 8 skeins of Cascade 220 in color “9459 Yakima Heather,” which is really hard to photograph well. It’s a greenish, mossy brown, not quite so green as in the left-most picture, greener than the middle picture, and darker than the right-most picture . . . the plan is for it to become some sort of cabled sweater, though I have no idea what, exactly. Yet! But I can see already that, whatever it is, it’s going to be hard, hard, hard to show you WIP pictures.

Then, we sent to Stix-n-Stitches, which is about a 2 minute walk–to the end of Church Street, across Bloomfield Avenue, and boom, you’re there. Nice. Roomy. Comfy chairs. People sitting around knitting. Friendly. Nice yarns–Noro, Cascade, Cherry Tree Hill, Elsebeth Lavold, Artyarns…. Risa bought some lace yarn, but I restrained myself. (It’s easier to resist new yarn when you’re already carrying a bag of yarn with you.)

We had lunch at Cafe Eclectic–a wrap-sandwich of chicken, basil, tomato, and fresh mozzarella, plus dessert with coffee, of course–all of which was delicious. (Better, honestly, than I expected it would be, having eaten sandwiches at coffee places before.) Of course, the comfy room with the couches was the smoking section, so we sat in the non-smoking area at a table by the window. (A table for 5, but hey, it’s not like they were crowded yet, or anything.)

After lunch, we stopped at Ely’s Knit-and-Rest, also on Church Street, and frankly, I wasn’t impressed. It was even more crowded than I thought it would be when I walked by in October. All the yarn was still in its plastic bags, which may not have been a bad idea since I’m not sure how clean it was in there, and one woman was friendly, but . . . um, no. The other shops were more my cup of tea.

I also bought some buttons for my Not So Shrunken cardigan at Stix-n-Stitches. (Isn’t it handy that I brought the sweater along in case there was knitting time, so that I was able to see how they looked?) They’re small little buttons, and I think should be just about right.

I got home around 3:15–plenty of time to get Chappy out for a walk, which we both enjoyed.

All in all, a nice day. Lots of nice yarn to look at. Friendly yarn-people to talk to. And, of course, good company. Risa and I always have fun together.

But now, I really, really need to rein in my yarn purchases for a while. I’ve got plenty to last me for at LEAST a month or two… (grin)

• Tags: Friends, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Yarn Crawl // 10 Comments »

Well, clearly, I’ve been knitting lately.

It might not look like a lot of progress, but trust me, I’ve been working steadily.

From left to right:

• My socks (in Dani’s Sunshine yarn) are an inch or two past the heel. One sock is showing its silhouette so you can see the progress.
• My Not-So-Shrunken cardigan is about three inches past the armholes. It’s not going quickly, but it is moving along. This is, of course, in my handspun.
• And then my Peacock Stole–that’s about 4″, and it’s taken me 32 rows to get there. I think I’m about ready to move on to the next chart, though. The original, triangular shawl uses this pattern over about 60 rows, but since this is so much larger and more visible, I think this is about right …especially since there will be 32 similar rows on the other side, which would visually balance the original section … Anyway, I think it’s time to move forward!

Oh, my shower? It broke when I tried to tighten it because it was leaking–a lot, but the plastic screw-threads just couldn’t take the pressure and the whole thing just came off. Mom was kind enough to pick up a replacement today while I was work, but . . . that didn’t work. It should have worked, but the ball-and-socket that holds the shower at a certain position had no tension, and so the water goes straight down (or against the wall), and it’s kind of difficult to shower when you’re standing four inches away from the wall . . .

Now, take a look at this picture of Chappy. Look closely. He’s sitting under the sofa cushion. See, this is his favorite spot to sit, in the dining room window. The two pillows on the left of the photo are where Mom or I sit, but the pillow on the right, the one under the blanket, is where Chappy sits. We keep it flat for him, so he can stretch out or curl up, and still see over the the back of the couch and see outside. Except . . . he has this habit of, well, we call it “fluffing.” He dives in with head and shoulders and pushes–any pillow he can get near–and well, they end up in a heap, or on the floor, or in an entirely different room . . . you get the idea. This afternoon, he’d shoved his pillow up onto its edge, and so had no place to sit except on the couch under the pillow . . .

Interesting tidbit: Did you know that today there was the same amount of daylight as there was darkness? Sunrise was (here, where I am in NJ) at 6:06 this morning, and sunset at 6:07 tonight. Frankly, I was a little surprised to hear this, since I was under the impression that this would only happen on the Spring solstice, which of course, is next week, but, the US Naval Observatory site can’t be wrong, can it?

The following information is provided for Morristown,
Morris County, New Jersey
(longitude W74.5, latitude N40.8):

        Friday           17 March 2006         Eastern Standard Time          

SUN        Begin civil twilight       5:39 a.m.                        

Sunrise                    6:06 a.m.              

Sun transit               12:06 p.m.                         

Sunset                     6:07 p.m.                         

End civil twilight         6:34 p.m. 

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:12 hours // 6 Comments »

What’s wrong with this picture?

Here’s a hint . . . you’ll note that the shower-head is in the bathtub, instead of on the wall where it belongs.

This meant that I had to shower in my parents’ bathroom tonight instead of my own, which meant carrying all my stuff–my pajamas, my shampoo, my conditioner, my hair gel, my comb, my body wash, my face cloth, my towel, my hair towel–all of it down the hall and then back again. It was like being on vacation without, you know, being on vacation.

But the interesting thing? When I realized I wouldn’t be able to use my own shower and what an inconvenience it was going to be, was my first thought? “Oh, this is so annoying!” or “So inconvenient!”

No. My first thought was “Well, I’ll have something to blog about tonight.”

Really. Sometimes I wonder. Maybe blogging has taken over too big a part of my life?

(Hmmm . . . Nah!)

For tonight’s entertainment, Mom and I watched Howl’s Moving Castle, a movie I was curious about, being a big fan of the book, and the author, Diana Wynne Jones.

Well, you know how it is when someone takes a book you love and makes changes? Not just little changes, like condensing story lines and maybe dropping a character or scene or two? But big, huge, changes, like making one of the main characters regularly turn into a bird, or to change the villain of the book into an entirely different person, and to add in a big war that was only a distant, side-plot point? You know . . . changes.

The first half was okay, but the second half? Um . . . well . . . Let’s just say you’re much better off reading the book. And its sequel, Castle in the Air, is good, too. I mean, the movie might have been fine if I hadn’t known the book so well–certainly, it got great reviews–but I guess in this regard, I’m a purist.
And last, a sky picture from lunchtime today. The sky almost looks like a fluffy-cloud painted backdrop. And you can see the buds on the tree . . . Spring really is coming. (Good and bad news–a lovely season, but, um, allergies…)

• Tags: General, Sky • Permalink:Blog Mentality // 8 Comments »

Well, the mail-lady certainly did well by me today–look at all the nifty stuff I got.

From Red Bird Knits, a bag of Cormo roving (that’s the white blur on the right), two Fleece Artist mohair rovings (meant, ideally, to be spun with the wool for sock yarn), and a skein of Jaggerspun wool/silk (4/14) in fingering weight.

I admit I’m a trifle disappointed in the yarn–it’s lovely, and a nice color, but it’s finer than I expected for “fingering” weight and looks like it might be kind of tedious to knit up as socks. But still! And really, I had no business buying the roving–especially the Cormo–since I’m still working on the same bobbin of singles I started in November, but . . . (whining) they were having a sale, and I couldn’t help myself!

Then, there was the box from Amazon.

Gaudy Night (recommended by Cate). Mrs. Hudson and the Malabar Rose because Martin Davies Conjurer’s Bird was so good, and who doesn’t like a Sherlock Holmes story (see, Norma?), Longitudes and Attitudes, because it looked fascinating, and then Above Hallowed Ground–a coffee table book filled with never-before-seen pictures from 9/11/06, as taken by the NYPD, including shots from the air from the Police helicopters, which are truly amazing. Scary, but amazing.

(And, speaking of books, there’s another one coming soon . . . so many talented blog writers! Stephanie, Wendy, Kay and Ann . . . I’m jealous. I should have written a knitting book instead of a novel, then maybe I could get it published…. (grin).)

Then there was this box.

  Which opened up on these pieces.

Which, put together, make this. My very own wooly board.

Now, I do agree with the Halcyon site, that this is a little wobbly. Obviously, I won’t be able to use it on carpeting, but does that really matter?? (grin) Considering this was less than half the price of the one on their “regular” site, I figured a little wobble wouldn’t hurt anything.

Hmm . . . I wonder if any of my recent sweaters would like to be blocked again? You know, just for kicks?

One other thing. I’ve had two people (you know who you are) who commented that the idea of knitting lace panels for my windows was crazy. What I want to point out to you–and I’m not saying I’m going to rush out to do it, either–but what I want to point out is that, for an idea of size? When I finished my Lotus Blossom shawl at couple weeks ago, I draped it at the window to get a good photo of the lace. The part hanging in front of the window is about the same size as the lace panel that’s already there–and that doesn’t include the part draped down the side, or bunched over the curtain rod, holding the whole thing in place. So the amount of knitting isn’t insane, it’s the boredom of doing the same thing three times, but . . . who says all three panels have to be exactly the same?

Last thing–Risa got some bad news yesterday and could use some cheer, if you want to head over there….

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading • Permalink:Bonanza // 10 Comments »

I’m surprised nobody guessed what I have planned for that Blue Zephyr of mine. I thought the hint was pretty good.

Well, here’s what I’m doing. Of course, you already know that I love the Peacock Feathers Shawl. I made it last Spring and love it, even if it is huge. Because, it IS huge. And also, as much as I adore the variegated Shimmer yarn I used for it–subtle enough that it looks fabulous without taking away too much from the actual beauty of the pattern. Although yes, depending on the color I wear it over, sometimes you see the colors more than the lace. But I don’t care. It’s gorgeous and I love it.

But . . . I really like that lace pattern. The lace version of the Peacock tail is just so stunning. I’d love to have a whole, ‘nother shawl in a solid color (and a little smaller). However, I’m not a fan of knitting a pattern a second time. With the exception of basic socks, I can’t think of any patterns I’ve ever knitted more than once except for my Tannenbaum hat.

So, what’s a knitter to do?

Yep. Modify the pattern so it’s different and yet the same.

And so, I’m making a Peacock Feathers Stole.

I cast-on enough stitches for five repeats of the “tail” section, plus a 3-stitch border on both sides (that’s 126 stitches) and am going to knit the lace pattern, with no increases, just . . . a rectangle.

The cast-on edge will be the center back. After I’ve gotten to the edge on the first half, I will go back and do the same thing for the other side. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll pick up the 126 stitches and then head in the opposite direction, or if I’ll knit the second half as an entirely separate second panel and then graft the two together. (At the moment, I’m leaning toward the second option, but we’ll see when I get there.)

But when I’m done, I’ll have a blue, Peacock, rectangular stole, which will hopefully be a more managable size than the original shawl (grin).

The other thing? I keep looking at this pattern and thinking how lovely it would look made as curtains. See, here’s what I’ve got at my bedroom windows–just three, straight, lace panels. No drapes, no shades, just these basic panels that cover 3/4 of the windows. (Hey, I’m in the back of the house, and no, you can’t see into my windows from the houses on the street behind us.) I like this look for my window–it lets in lots of light, it’s not “frilly” at all, since I’m not really a frilly kind of person, it provides enough privacy, but I can see through them when I want to. (I kind of like this picture, too–you can see my bed reflected in the window, in all its multi-colored glory, in the pool of light shining on the gold-yellow walls . . . like that!)

They are, however, about 10 years old now, and it would be very nifty to replace them with actual hand-knit lace panels . . . and I’d almost consider it, except I have three windows, and that’s a lot of lace. And–even more important–the same piece three times. Three. I don’t know that I’m up to that! (grin) But, wouldn’t it look stunning in the Peacock pattern??

Hmm . . . I wonder what kind of yarn one would need to use for something like that? Something that would block properly, for the lace, and yet be sturdy enough to stand up to the hanging and the constant daylight . . .

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Peacock Stole? // 13 Comments »

Okay, here’s a hint for my Blue Zephyr project.

Any more guesses?

(And, no, I’m not making the Shawl.)

This brings my WIP list up to three–the sweater, the socks, and now, this lace project. That’s just about perfect, I think.

Today was Monday, of course. Chappy was blah this morning because his happy weekend was over. The weather was warm again (upper 60s), but a little overcast. We still got out for not one, but two walks, though. And on the second, we saw his favorite neighbors, who we haven’t seen in a while. I don’t know who was happier–Chappy or Mr. M.

Oh, and the best part? (grin) While we were talking, Mrs. M. went running inside and came out with a long, garter-stitch rectangle. She’s trying to pick up knitting again and couldn’t remember how to purl. So, Mr. M. held Chappy’s leash while I gave a quick lesson. Funny, huh? Not only that, in two weeks I promised to give a co-worker and an ex-co-worker knitting lessons. This is the very first time anyone’s ever taken me up on the “Will you make me a ___?” with “No, but I’ll be happy to teach you,” offer, so that’s kind of neat, too. I guess I’m getting a reputation?

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

In an act of cosmic balance, today’s weather was . . . disappointing. Rainy. Too wet for a walk.

But that’s okay, I got a lot of reading and knitting done.

For example. I split for the sleeves in my Not-So Shrunken Cardigan. So it’s starting to look at least vaguely sweater-like. (Though, this picture isn’t the best for showing detail.)

And then, I finished the heel of my sock. I’m not sure about how feel about it. I mean, it came out okay, but . . . well first, it took me three tries to get it right. I kept having trouble picking up the slipped stitches on the “increase” section–not because it was difficult, but because I kept losing my place as to which stitch to pick up next. And I don’t know that I love the result. It’s acceptible, but I don’t know if I’ll use this heel again. It was fun to try something new, though.

Speaking of “new,” I did start my blue Zephyr project the other night. I’m betting that you can’t guess what it is . . . and I’m still not quite ready to tell you what it is–not until I’m sure it’s going to work. The only hint is that it’s going to be a variation on an existing pattern.

Really, otherwise, it was a pretty lazy day. Did some laundry. Here’s a look at my assistant, helping to sort the bedding. Such a help, he is!

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

  F is for Friends. We went to the park today and went for a two-mile walk with two of Chappy’s best friends–Horatio (the Corgi) and Princess (the Greyhound). This was the first time the three of them had seen each other since last summer–horrible, I know–but they were all so happy to see each other. I love this picture, too, it looks like they’re just strolling along, chatting . . . except of course, really, most of the time we were all spread out a lot more than this as the dogs found different things to wander off and sniff, while we three humans tried to avoid getting tangled in the leashes, and out of the way of bicycle riders or joggers going past. Never a dull moment!

  F is for Fair. Although that’s a paltry word to describe today’s weather. It was simply gorgeous. Crystal-clear blue sky. About 60-degrees. Sunny. Just absolutely wonderful. I stopped on the path in the middle of the park (technically, a bike path through the woods) to take this when Mom pointed out how pretty the trees looked. And it has been a while since I had a Sky picture for Sandy….

  F is for Fluffy, Furry, Fuzzy. Naturally, after walking through the park, wrestling with his friends, and wading (when he could manage it) through the muddy spots, Chappy really did require a bath. And so he’s extra soft and curly just now.

  F is for Foot. A tired foot, one of a set of four. Chappy has slept all afternoon, he was so tired. I admit, I’m a little tired myself. All I’ve done this afternoon was read, and it’s possible my eyes might have closed in a doze, too. (Nothing as definitive as a nap, but that kind of twilight state between being awake and asleep, you know?) Of course, I was up until 1:15 last night/this morning, Finishing a book so I was kind of tired to begin with.

  F is for Free Yarn. Okay, that’s reaching, but look at this lovely yarn Cindy brought me back from New Zealand! Two skeins of pure merino boucle in a purplish-gray. Very nice, although I have no idea what I’ll do with it. And I had to show it to you, so I had to work it into this post SOMEHOW.

All in all, though, F is for fabulous, furry, friendly FUN!

• Tags: ABC-Along, Chappy, Friends • Permalink:F is For Fun // 8 Comments »

According to my car’s outside thermometer, it was 72 degrees Farenheit at lunchtime today. (That’s about 22 degrees Celsius.) In New Jersey. In March. Absolutely ridiculous!

Still . . . who’s going to complain about a warm, sunny day in March? I got to take Chappy out for not one, but two walks, neither of which required me to wear a coat. Where’s the bad in that?

Although . . . my shoulder is feeling better today (still a little stiff, but entirely manageable), but I had quite a coughing jag this afternoon. We’re moving stuff around at work, shrinking to a smaller space, and they’re doing so work right near my office, and I think it was the dust that set me off. Tonight, my lungs are sore, as is my throat, from all the coughing, and I’ve been short-breathed all night. Not fun. I actually took some cough medicine, which seems to have helped, but hope my breathing will be back to normal tomorrow. I’d been doing so well the last few days!

  But, you didn’t come here for my health, and I promised you some knitting tonight.

Here’s my Not-So Shrunken cardi. It looks much the same as it did in the last picture, but trust me, it’s longer. In fact, it’s just at the point where I can split out for the sleeves, which will luckily make the rows shorter, so I should be able to get more done each night.

I am so happy with the way this looks. The barber-poled yarn adds just the right tweedy-look to the fabric, and I like the feel of it, too. I’m just proud of myself! (grin) I suppose that gushing over my own work is kind of tacky, though, so . . . moving on!

I have also reached the heels on my socks, which I’m trying in a different way. Instead of doing a short-row heel, I’m trying something I saw on Knitter’s Review. Instead of doing short rows, actually decrease two stitches at each side of the heel on the knit rows, slipping the first stitch on each row. Then, when the heel has reached its narrowest point, start increasing each row, while also picking up the slipped stitches on the side of the “flap,” to join everything together. (It’s explained better in the thread on the forum.)

Kind of a nice change from the short-row thing. I conked out at the end of the decrease section, so can’t give you a first-hand review of how the heel looks/acts as compared to the short-row method, but as I said, the variety is nice.

I finished reading 102 Minutes tonight, about the World Trade Center on 9/11. Amazingly good book, and a riveting read. I can’t say that I loved it, because the subject matter is so heart-rending, but other than that, it was wonderful. So well written, so well researched, so gracefully handled. Excellent.

Now, tomorrow, we’re going to the park. It’s supposed to be another beautiful, warm day and so, darn it, who cares if the park is muddy! As long as my shoulder stands up the excited pulling when Chappy sees his best friend for the first time in about 9 months, and as long as, you know, I’m getting oxygen, everything will be fine.

[Read more →]

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading, Weather • Permalink:Isn’t it Still Winter? // 6 Comments »

I don’t know HOW I slept last night, but when I woke up this morning, I could barely move my neck and right shoulder. Ouch! I could barely reach down to my dresser drawer with my right hand. So, I’ve been slathering on Blue Stuff* (provided by Mom), and taking Advil, and trying to be kind to my right shoulder all day. I am feeling a bit better, but . . . sheesh! How is it possible to go to sleep feeling perfectly fine, and then sleep in such a way as to cause serious aches and pains but not to wake up? You’d think the brain–sleeping or not–would think at some point, “I should probably move the neck,” but no! It’s like falling asleep on your arm–you wake up in the middle of the night with a dead weight attached to your shoulder and then wonder why the internal alarm system didn’t go off sooner.

But, see? I jinxed it. I said yesterday that Chappy’d had four days of walks in a row . . . and then today, of course, I couldn’t hold the leash. Poor boy. It was about 50-degrees today, too, and would have been a great day for a walk.

All I can say is that I hope this won’t interfere with my knitting tonight. If I don’t have any new pictures to show soon, you’re going to think this has become a Reading-and-Chappy blog.

I did, however, make a knitting-related purchase today, for which I entirely blame Liz/Lizzy. She should know I have no self-control and shouldn’t show me these things! (Yep, there I go, passing the blame again.)

---

Now, we had so much fun with yesterday’s reading-related meme, let’s join in with this week’s Booking Through Thursday

This week’s questions are from Cate.

1. Do you have any books that are signed by the author? A couple, but not many. I did get Kaffe Fassett’s signature in my copy of Family Album.
2. Do you have a story behind the autograph? Um, well, Stephen Huneck drew a picture of Chappy inside one of his books, which was pretty cool.Mom’s got the best story, though–a friend of hers lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, including a lot of her Martha’s Vineyard paraphenalia (her father had been one of the lighthouse keepers when she was growing up). Well, when Mom went to MV last December, she went to the bookstore and it turned out that Linsey Lee, the author of “More Vineyard Voices: Faces and Voices of Island People” was signing books. And that Mom’s friend was one of the people interviewed in the book. The author wrote a very sweet inscription on the page with S’s picture, which Mom sent as a very-special Christmas gift. But–even more–when the manager of the bookstore (Edgartown Books) heard the story, she asked for the friend’s address so she could send her a few Island books, just because. How’s that for a good book-signing story??

* Note: I certainly found the Blue Stuff to be helpful, and Mom swears by it, but apparently there was a lawsuit objecting to their claims of pain relief. Who knew?

• Tags: General, Reading • Permalink:Ow! // 6 Comments »

So glad it’s Wednesday–halfway through the week. It’s been unusually warm this week, too–Spring clearly is coming. Chappy’s gotten a walk four days in a row, which is practically a record for winter-time walks. There’s rain coming, though, but we’re hoping for good weather on Saturday. My friend Cindy is back from New Zealand, and there’s a chance we could get our three dogs together at the park–Chappy hasn’t seen his best friend since last summer. And that’s just wrong!

This picture, incidentally, is from their first meeting, back in September 2001, when they were about three months old–Horatio is just three weeks older than Chappy, so they’ve pretty much known each other their whole lives. (Chappy looks very impressed, doesn’t he? “You can do tricks??” And, lord, he looks so darn fuzzy! His puppy-fur was just like an extra soft stuffed animal. Sigh.)

Still, no exciting knitting photos to show you–again, there’s progress, but it’s not exciting to look at . . . yet. I’ve got the feet of my socks a little more than halfway done. Another inch or two, and I’ll be ready to do the heels. My sweater has another inch or two to go before splitting for the sleeves. It’s not going that quickly since I’ve got a fair number of stitches on the needles by now, but progress is being made, and I’m very happy with the way it’s looking. Knitting with handspun is great.

Mom and I watched Cutting Edge tonight. The skating movie from 1992 with Moira Kelly and D.B. Sweeney? Remember? We enjoyed it–but did you know? They’ve made a sequel? Centered around the daughter of the original two characters, now a skater herself. Apparently, it’s availabe on DVD, but is going to be aired on the ABC-Family channel on Sunday night. (I was happy to learn, in fact, from the preview, that Moira and D.B.’s characters did, in fact, win the gold medal at the end of the original. It’s something that was never actually made clear–the movie ended with their performance–no sign as to what sort of scores they got. Just for the mere sense of closure, I’m glad to know it worked out for them.)

Now, another little reading meme for you all, from Shelly:

1. Do you reread books?
   All the time!
2. If yes, which ones have you reread and why?
   • Practically any book I’ve really enjoyed, I’ve reread. Some, I’ve read so many times, I couldn’t begin to estimate how many times I’ve read them.
   • Here’s the way I look at it: The first time you read a book, it’s all new, all exciting and unknown. This is always my fastest read, as I race through to find out what happens. Like a first date, just getting to know each other.
   • The second time, the basic roadmap of the story is established–you know who lives, who dies, who succeeds, who fails, who falls in love, who quarrels, and so on. But this time, you’re going to catch things you didn’t see the first time–foreshadowing you didn’t notice because you didn’t know what would happen. Shadings in conversations between people who secretly love or hate each other. Forebodings. Hidden meanings. You start seeing more layers. It’s as exciting, in its way, as the first time.
   • By the third reading, you’ve got a pretty good handle on what’s going on–although, the more deeply-layered a book, the more you’re going to catch. (Again, one of the reasons I love Dorothy Dunnett so much.) By now, though, the route is familiar enough that you see the road signs for the upcoming turns and exits, and get to enjoy the anticipation of knowing what’s coming.
   • But if you keep going–fourth reading, fifth, sixth, twentieth–the books become old friends. And like seeing any old friend–you know what to expect, there aren’t going to be any surprises, but it’s comfortable, pleasant. Reminiscing. Going over old times. Just enjoying each other’s company. (”I’ve always loved this scene.” “This is one of my favorite parts.”) Like comfort food, or watching a rerun of “I Love Lucy” for th umpteenth time–it doesn’t matter that you know what she’s going to do when the chocolate conveyer belt speeds up–it’s just good to sit back and enjoy the ride.
3. If no, would you want to if you had the time, and if so, why?
   (Nothing to answer, here, since my answer was an emphatic “yes.”)

(Incidentally, I’m proud of myself for figuring out the HTML to do the sub-list there in answer #2. I know, it’s simple, basic coding, but I did it myself without using a reference, so, good for me!)

• Tags: Chappy, Friends, General, Reading • Permalink:Stuff. // 13 Comments »

This is truly pathetic, but I have nothing to say tonight.

There was an interesting speech about Winston Churchill, on the anniversary of his Iron Curtain speech.

But, really . . . nothing else. I knitted, but nothing that looks different than the pictures I showed you last night. I spun while watching Medium last night, but that bobbin of singles looks pretty much the same as the last time I showed you that, too.

The only thing I’m left with is Chappy–who is as cute as ever, and paused in cleaning his paws so that I could take this picture.

Sorry to be so boring. I’ll try to be more interesting tomorrow.

Of course, there was this picture, which came out kind of oddly, and has Chappy sticking out his tongue . . . but, really, that’s the best I can do!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Nothing // 10 Comments »

  First, I want to thank all of you kind people who complimented my Lotus Blossom Shawl. It’s turned the prettiest shade of pink in the last 24 hours . . . very odd!

Of course, I know you’re dying to know what I’m working on now. (Because, well, it’s exciting, huh?) So, this is it.

The “Marilyn’s Not-So-Shrunken Cardigan” designed by Wendy of Knit and Tonic. Except, instead of using the called-for yarn, I’m using my handspun instead, and am just tickled to be knitting up yarn I spun myself. The two, different-colored plies give a lovely tweedy look to the knit fabric, and also help hide the less-than-perfect spinning. The occasional wide or narrow spot doesn’t really matter, because the varying color tricks the eye, anyway . . . not that I care. I knew going in the yarn wasn’t perfect, but that wasn’t the point. The point was to use the yarn I’d made myself.

I’ve had an almost superstitious feeling about knitting with my handspun–like I needed to find a project “worthy” of it, of the time I’d put into making the yarn. And I’ve only been spinning for a little over a year, now, so my yarn’s not perfect. I’ve given some away, and I did make a pair of gloves with some, but otherwise, my handspun has just hung around looking pretty (to me, anyway). But, if I’m willing to spend hours making a sweater, and willing to spend $$$ on commercial yarn to make it with . . . why should I be reluctant to invest the hours I spent making yarn in the first place? Silly, no? So I’m proud of myself for making this, and can’t remember the last time I felt such a glow over basic stockinette stitch (grin).

Of course, this is also an inadvertent nod to Project Spectrum, which just started this week. Like Cate, I didn’t join, but seem to be following along anyway, since this project is half-red.

My other, current project is a pair of socks in Dani’s Sunshine Yarns, “Slytherin” green. It’s a pretty poor photo (clearly, my camera was more in the mood for warm colors tonight), but it does, at least, show evidence of a WIP. Both socks, toe-up, magic-loop method, turkish cast-on. The yarn is a delight to work with, very soft and smooth wool, and the colors are not nearly as washed-out as they appear in this somewhat blurry photo. They’re a lovely blend of whites and greens.

I DO have a next lace project in mind, but am not going to tell you about it quite yet. It’s going to be in blue Zephyr (already waiting in the stash), and will be a modification of a pattern I already have, but I’m going to wait a few days before starting it–I want my cardi to be a little further along, so that my projects are “staggered” a little–not all at the same, beginning point.

• Tags: Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Current Events // 9 Comments »

  Why, what’s this?

  It couldn’t be a completed Lotus Blossom shawl, in Fiddlesticks’ Bronze Country Silk, could it?