H is for Houseful. And Hospitality. For a couple hours today, our house was very full. Not only was there, well, us (me, Mom, Dad–poor guy, it was raining and he couldn’t golf–and Chappy), but there was also Risa with Kat and Alex, Shelley, and Liz. (The oddest thing about this picture? At 5′3″, I’m the tallest person here–I don’t know that that’s ever happened to me before!)

Shelley and Liz (aka Lizzy B) came up yesterday afternoon–fighting traffic most of the way. Liz and Chappy hit it off immediately. She was down on the ground playing almost as soon as she saw him, even before we were in the house! He may have gotten a little (ahem) over-excited, but they definitely had a good time.

Of course, Max and Marley weren’t forgotten–there were lots of stories flying around about all the dogs, present or not. (And their cats, too, though of course, I didn’t have any cat stories.)

The three of us stayed up until after midnight, knitting, talking, and laughing. (And apparently, after we all went to bed, Liz and Shelley stayed up until 3:00 talking even more!) I got to see Liz’s Brambleberry sweater in person. As great as it looked on the blog, it looked even better in person. (Oh, and the scarf in Synchronicity yarn? Yum!) Shelley’s Norwegian hat is beautiful, too–don’t think it’s not just because I didn’t gush. (Oh, and ladies, I know this isn’t the most flattering photo, but–I tried!)

Then this morning, Risa came with the twins, and chaos erupted. Chappy barked (and barked and barked) hello, which spooked the twins. And once they’d gotten over that and started feeling comfortable, well . . . let’s just say that gates that block doorways but which can be slid aside aren’t as effective with twins as they are with puppies. In other words, they kept escaping the kitchen and running into rooms they weren’t allowed in. And, of course, not listening to their Mom, because where’s the fun in that? So poor Risa didn’t get to knit with the three of us–her lap and her hands were full (literally and figuratively).

Unfortunately, Shelley and Liz had to leave at noon. (I did wave good-bye, but I’m not sure if you saw me. The departure process got kind of rowdy–more barking, more escaping, more chaos.) The twins settled down again, and had some lunch. (Alex wanted a sandwich like my Dad was having–he sat right next to him at the table, and “chewed” along with each bite . . . the boy was hungry!)

I did mention the knitting, right? Liz and I both cast on for the Celtic Dreams sweater, although she got rather further than I did. (She claims I knit faster, but I don’t know about that!) In this case, though, she got further because her gauge was just fine. Mine on the other hand . . . apparently the stockinette stitch swatch wasn’t accurate after all, because when I started my first shoulder saddle last night, well . . . it was closer to 5″ wide than the 2.5″ in the schematic. So this morning, I dropped down to size 3 needles (3.25 mm). Um . . . still, not quite there. (Sheesh.) So . . .size 2 (3 mm) Ebony needles? Definitely closer, but even there . . . the swatch is closer to 3″ than 2.5″. Should I try size 1s? Lord, that just seems pathetic for Aran weight yarn…. especially compared to the size 7 (4.5mm) the pattern calls for. (Oh, and yes, I know there’s an error in the cable. If I stick with this saddle at this gauge, though, it’s staying there–who’s going to look that closely at my shoulders anyway?

Let’s not forget, though, that H is also for Hostess Gifts. Liz and Shelley both brought me gifts!

From Liz–a skein of Opal sock yarn–a brand which I haven’t gotten to try yet. A bar of soap that coordinates really nicely with my bathroom and smells lovely. A bar of goat milk soap in the silver box which smells even nicer. A bumblebee tape measure. And two skeins of Koigu in just gorgeous colors . . . (Um, which hat was it again that you had in mind for that yarn, Liz? Interweave Knits Winter issue had more than one hat pattern….)

From Shelley, a very nice Vanilla-Grapefruit candle. Some Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in “Indian” which is just a gorgeous combinations of reds and cinnamons and autumn-y colors. And, oh, a skein of Alchemy Synchronicity all my very own in a beautiful shade of teal. Now I know what Liz was gushing about when Shelley gave her a skein in February. It’s just amazing!

Thank you both so much!

And, meanwhile, here’s what Chappy’s doing right this minute. All this entertaining the guests, being cute and charming (and loud and excited) is just exhausting. It did not take him long to fall asleep at all!

Oh, H is also for Helping. If you haven’t heard of the Warming Grace project, do go check out entry from April 5th. I found some pink Calmer in my stash, so I’m ready to go!

And, lastly–an editorial by Zoe Williams about unleashed dogs in parks, from the Guardian. Shelley, Mom and I were talking about dog-friendly public places this morning, and how some people just don’t “get” what dog owners want and need (is it really too much to ask that your dog–as long as it is well-behaved–should be allowed out in public with you, when bratty kids can go anywhere?). So, this article was well-timed for me. A quote: “The fact is that fat, self-important parents use them for four days
in the summer; dog owners use them all year round. …This sort of
thing happens all the time: people with no notion of dog ownership,
with no idea about what’s a problem and what’s a play, who aren’t even
anywhere near you, will just come up and start berating you.”

• Tags: ABC-Along, Chappy, Friends, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:H is for Houseful //