Well, I promised that I’d announce the prize–and winner–for my 5000th Comment Contest this weekend.

So, first–the prize. Two skeins of Koigu KPPPM yarn. I mean, really, Koigu? Didn’t I tell you it was going to be a decent prize??

The winner??

(Insert drum roll here)

Elizabeth from Trailing Yarn. True, she left me something like three comments right in a row that day, but . . . it still counts, right? (grin) Congratulations, Elizabeth! (I’ll need your address, please.)

I’ve also picked out the prize for the calendar contest . . . which, don’t forget, is closing on Wednesday the 15th. I’m not going to show you in advance, but I WILL say that it’s going to make some lace knitter (or lace knitter wanna-be) happy. The winner, incidentally, will be picked by a random drawing. There have been far too many beautiful calendar pictures for me to be able to pick a favorite!

I did quite a lot of treadling this afternoon.

See?

This is two ounces of the “peppermint” merino I showed you the other day, and two ounces of magenta corriedale which I just started on Friday.

I spun about half of it this afternoon, which surprised me in and of itself, because I don’t usually spin for such long periods of time.

But I wasn’t done yet, because I promptly went upstairs and (after taking this picture), plied all of it on my Lendrum

It’s not perfectly balanced, but I don’t care. This yarn came out just so . . . pretty. It’s like raspberries an cream. Or a peppermint stick. A candy cane. Warm without being “too” pink. Just . . . lovely.

This is about 310 yards or so of yarn. I’m not sure of the WPI, but don’t really care at the moment, either. I couldn’t wait to see what it would look like, and it looks great, so for the moment, I’m just being happy with that.

You’ll be pleased to know that I returned my “extra” sweater this morning. I walked in, told the story, and the sales person said, “Oh, well, thank you.” She sounded sincere enough, but not particularly pleased or surprised or grateful . . . just polite. Which, really, is nice enough to come across, so no complaints there. And now my conscience is clear, which is a relief.

In current knitting news, I’m about 2/3 through with the Tychus that I’m making Dad for Christmas. I made one for my nephew last year (in Mets colors), which he loves, except that the pattern calls for five repeats of the “wedge” pattern, but three was more than enough to make a good-size hat. And I know it fit Dad, because he nicely tried Tyler’s on for me when I was trying to judge the size, so his is going to be three “wedges” also, instead of five. Which means I’ll have it done tonight. I’m doing Dad’s in Yankee’s blue-and-white, but am thinking I should have picked a lighter blue. I just KNOW he’s going to look at this hat and see black and white . . . Mom and I have ongoing issues with him anyway about what color is what. “Nice green shirt today, Dad.” “What? This is blue!” “No way–turquoise, maybe, but more green than blue. Are you blind?” You get the idea. So, yeah, I’m pretty sure he’s going to misinterpret these colors, but *I* know it’s blue. And anyway, it’ll still match the Yankees pinstripes, and isn’t that what matters? (My apologies for New England readers, but there’s no way I can argue him out of rooting for the team that’s been his favorite since childhood.)

Of course, I didn’t work on my cabled sweater at all last night, since I wanted to get that hat done as quickly as possible. I love the pattern, love the design, love the finished product . . . but since it’s made with alternating stripes of two colors, worked with double-strands of each, the dangling, tangling, twisting yarns are driving me moderately crazy. I want to get this (lovingly) made and out of my knitting bag as soon as humanly possible! I mean, it’s worth it, but still . . .

Oh, and the reading mojo? I might have found it with Connie Willis’ Bellwether last night. I do love that wacky book!

Lastly, two things.

One, my sister, BIL, niece and nephew all went to meet their new niece/cousin yesterday. They stopped at our house on the way to pick up the baby gifts we had for new little Caitlin, so she’d get them promptly without us having to ship them. Here’s a picture of the proud new parents holding the sweaters I made for her. Apparently, they were quite impressed that I would make her a gift–but then, my sister had said that they pretty much got NO handmade gifts at the baby shower, except what she and my niece had made, so . . .

And, here, a look at the happy little family. Thank you, Patty, for the pictures!

And also–happy 18th anniversary to my sister and brother-in-law!!

Man, I miss my fully-functioning “D” key . . .

Tags: Family, General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
19 Comments »

  Despite a foggy start to the morning, it turned out to be a beautiful day today. Here’s my Saturday Sky picture for you–the same view I’ve shown you the last four weeks or so, now. Not too many leaves left up there!

Mom and I went out to the bookstore this morning–I haven’t been able to find any books I want to read, lately. I’ve tried all sorts of different kinds of books–different genres, simple ones, complicated ones, new ones, old favorites . . . and yet, nothing has really been “clicking.” So we started our morning at the bookstore . . . but, no luck. I couldn’t find anything there I wanted, either. This is unusual for me, but not completely unheard of. I usually leave bookstores with an armful of books or nothing at all. Unfortunately, today was a “nothing” day at the bookstore.

  Afterward, though, we went to Starbucks, where I had a really-very-tasty pumpkin spice doughnut and, at last, my first Peppermint Mocha of the year. I told you about that the other day, remember?

  Here. Take a closer look. Yummmmm…..

  After Starbucks, we walked over to Ann Taylor Loft, where I did remarkably well. I don’t usually buy this many things at once, mind you, but not only were all of these except the jacket on sale, they were having a sale on the sale items. And I’ve been wanting some decent autumn skirts to wear. I wore a lot of skirts this summer, but all my cooler-weather skirts seem to be straight, pencil skirts, and not nearly as much fun to wear. And when you find $80 skirts on sale for $20-25, well . . . is there really any choice? (grin) They’ll all go great with the boots in my closet, too….

But, here’s where we get into the reason for my post title . . .

When I got home with my stuff an took them all out of the bag . . . I couldn’t find the little sweater/shell/tank top I’d bought to go under the jacket. Now, when I paid, I had asked to keep the hangers, and the sales girl had put the sweater–which didn’t have a hanger–on the counter, while she hung all the other items to put in one of those full-length hanger-bags. Well, when I got home, I didn’t see the sweater. I figured she’d missed that while hanging the other things and I’d missed it because when she mentioned that sale items were an additional 30% off, I ran back to get one of the skirts I’d originally decided against. So, I drove back to the store (luckily it’s really close), and told the story, showed my receipt, and left with a sweater.

  But, um, take a closer look at that jacket . . . It’s really hard to tell, especially since the colors are so close, but . . . er . . . well . . . she put the sweater on the hanger UNDER the jacket. (Believe it or not, they’re both actually green . . . not that you’d know that from the picture!) I didn’t even see it until around 4:00 when I was cutting off the tags and thought, “Gee, I thought that jacket was more than that . . . hey . . . wait a minute!” and then there was this swooping, embarrassed feeling in the pit of my stomach….

  So now I have two. One which I paid for, and one which I inadvertantly, well, stole. Oops! I think I’ll be heading over to Ann Taylor Loft again tomorrow . . .

Uh-oh. My “D” key is sticking again. If there are any missing in this post, I apologize for the lack of proof-reading skills . . . it’s really very frustrating!

And, I don’t think my dinner agreed with me . . . I hope that ricotta cheese wasn’t bad . . . I thought confession was supposed to make you feel better . . . !

Tags: General, Sky by Deb
20 Comments »

So, here’s my first bobbin-full of singles from my new Little Gem. Two ounces of lovely peaches and pinks and creams, all rolled into one, soft, merino length.

It’s sitting nestled in the next two ounces of deep magenta corriedale which I’ll be plying it with . . . you know, once I’ve got that spun up, too!

Overall, it’s a lot more “pink” than I usually go for, but I think it’s going to look just lovely when it’s done. And I’m enjoying spinning it a whole lot more than those Spinner’s Hill batts that were making my lungs fill up! (grin). And no, I don’t know what I’ll do with it when it’s done, but I’ve got 8 ounces of each, so that should be plenty for a sweater….

Hey, have you seen Sundara’s sweater pattern? So pretty. I’m really tempted….

And how cool are these postage stamps? (Thanks to YarnLife for the info on those stamps. )

So, remember how I tried to renew my driver’s license on Tuesday, only to find that the DMV was closed for, of all things, Election Day? Well, I couldn’t go on Wednesday because work was too busy, as was yesterday . . . so I went today. You can see where this is going, right? Because, guess what I found out when I got there? Closed for Veteran’s Day. Now, Veteran’s day is tomorrow. Not today. So . . . why (Why, why?) would New Jersey choose to give its employees not one, but two, days off in the same week on unofficial holidays? Since when is Election Day a holiday? And, Veteran’s Day isn’t until tomorrow. And . . . this is the part I found most interesting. Apparently the DMV offices where you renew licenses and such were closed today . . . but the inspection stations to get your car inspected?? Closed tomorrow. You’d think they’d at least be consistent, huh?

Sheesh. So . . . I’ll try next week, I guess! But I’m thinking Tuesday rather than Monday . . . with this kind of track record, I’m thinking going on the 13th might be a mistake, huh? Not that I have Triskaidekaphobia, or anything but . . . I still think it’s ironic that they suggested I renew in the first week of the month and then have basically been closed for half of it (grin).

Chappy got a bath today–he’s needed it, been scratching a bit lately, and all the allergens in the air and in the leaves on the ground . . . and he IS allowed to sleep on the bed on weekends! It’s so nice to see his curls back. He lost so much fur with that skin infection in September. (Remember? He practically had bald spots on his back, as well as on the backs of his legs, his chest…) Anyway, he wanted to show you how nicely his fur is growing back in, how nice and fluffy he is again. I don’t know which of us is happier.

Okay–off to do more spinning!

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
15 Comments »

Brought to you by:

Tags: Eye-Candy Friday by Deb
7 Comments »

Well, the calendar posts keep coming, and I can’t tell you how thrilled that makes me. And, here I was afraid that I’d only get about three entries, but no! Lots of them! From bloggers I’ve never had the good fortune to “meet” before, which is even better. There are almost 100 comments telling me about the posts, and I’ve seen some around that I DON’T have comments from . . . Please, if you want to be in the contest, be sure to leave me a comment on the Contest post! Otherwise I can’t guarantee that you’ll be entered in the actual contest drawing.

Speaking of calendars, I’m trying to decide which one to get for myself this year. I already have my Peter Simon Martha’s Vineyard calendar for the office, without which life would be incomplete. (I’ve had them hanging on my walls since I was in a dorm room in the late 1980s.) But, for my bedroom? Over the years I’ve had the Deborah Dewit Marchant Reader’s Calendar, which I love. Or a Carl Larsson calendar, because both of them are so cozy and homely. This year’s Sierra Club is certainly beautiful. Anselm Adams is never exactly hard on the eyes, either. Norman Rockwell is sweet. Of course, it’s hard to go wrong with Georgia O’Keefe….

I wouldn’t want you to think that I haven’t been knitting, though. I showed you my finished Clapotis last night. Well, here’s a status shot of the back of my sweater. I tweaked the color a bit, to get it closer, but it gives a good look at the oh-so-pretty cable. Yum!

Do you know what else occurred to me? It’s November and I haven’t started my Christmas shopping yet. This may not sound surprising to many of you, but I give myself a deadline of Thanksgiving every year, and . . . it’s only two weeks away! Uh-oh!

Mary wants to know…

1. Do you keep a list of books to read? No.
2. Where do you keep your list (computer, PDA, paper, etc.)? Well, I keep it, um, no, it’s over . . . oh, wait! I don’t have one!
3. How often do you refer to your list? Every time you go for a new book to read? When book shopping? Or? Since I can’t seem to locate it, clearly, I don’t reference it much at all . . . Seriously, I don’t keep a list of books to read. I do have a couple waiting in my Amazon shopping cart, but otherwise, when I’m shopping, I browse; and when I’m looking for a new book to read, I browse my own shelves. No TBR pile to speak of.

Tags: General, Reading by Deb
10 Comments »

  One finished object. The famous Clapotis, of course. (I held out as long as I could!). With my assistant for scale.

Knitted in Brooks Farm Four Play merino/silk blend. I used about a skein and a half. I wasn’t sure how the yardage would work out, so I made the whole thing narrower than the pattern called for, but not TOO narrow. It’ll make a great cross between a scarf and a stole. And the yarn is luciously soft, the color gorgeous.

All in all, very happy with this.

I do plan on blocking it. I like the finished look it gives it, instead of the extremely-ribbed look the just-off-the-needles wrap has.

Two. This currently leaves just two things on my needles–the Celtic Icon sweater, and my second sock in my handspun yarn.

I know. Not even lace! Shocking, huh?

Three. The number of times I’ve sat and played at my new wheel. (This shows great restraint, I think.) The first two times, I was spinning the batts from Spinner’s Hill that I bought at Rhinebeck . . . unfortunately, we didn’t get along. I didn’t love spinning the fiber, despite its luscious colors, and adapting to that while also adapting to a new wheel just, well, didn’t go well. Not to mention the fact that something in that wool was bothering my allergies. I could feel my lungs filling up while I treadled away. So. That wool is now banished. At least, it’s out of my room. I unwound the singles I’d spun from the bobbin and have to figure out what to do with them. Right now, they’re on my niddy-noddy in the other room, sulking.

All is not lost, though, because now I’m spinning this, also from Rhinebeck, from the Sheep Shed. Beautifully prepared, silky-soft merino in colors that are making me think of a peppermint stick. (Hmm, when is Starbucks coming out with their Peppermint Mochas, anyway, this season?)

Anyway, this is going much better. (No extra wheezing is definitely a plus–at least I know I’m not allergic to my wheel!)

Speaking of my wheel, we are getting along just fine. She spins very smoothly, though the accelerated wheel takes a little getting used to–more or less instant stops and starts, when I’m used to a little leeway/momentum on the Lendrum–and the treadles are very sensitive, so any foot movement moves the flyer. This is not a bad thing by any means–just something to get used to. The Delta Orifice, which I know some people don’t like, is just fine by me–no orifice hook necessary? No problem! About the only thing I don’t like is the metal-on-metal yarn guide on the flyer–it makes my teeth ache (grin). Oh, and figuring out how to secure the yarn when I take a break is challenging, too–there are hooks on the flyer to wrap around, but they’re slippery. These are very minor complaints. Overall, I’m very happy, and she seems to be settling in just fine.

Four. The day that Gracie’s baby Catherine arrived! Be sure to go and welcome the new arrival.

Five Thousand Seventeen. The number of comments I had as of the time I logged in. Wow. You people don’t mess around! Word of a contest sure makes you spring into action! (grin)

Now, I know exactly who won the contest, but I’m not going to say who it is until I’ve determined the prize. Which will be this weekend. After I’ve found something suitably wonderful to honor such an important milestone. You understand.

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

Remember how I said I had passed the 4500th comment, and was thinking about maybe having a contest for the 5000th?

Well, what with the Calendar contest and the birthday wishes (thank you), I’ve gained REALLY quickly in the comment stakes, and 5000 is coming up a lot faster than I’d thought.

So, true to my word . . . there’ll be a prize for my 5000th comment. I won’t tell you how close I am, but . . . we’re gaining!

(I cannot believe I’m coming up on five thousand comments. Wowzer! And, how about this multi-tasking, huh? Two contests at once!)

Tags: Uncategorized by Deb
31 Comments »

W is for Wheel of course!

Specifically, my new Majacraft Little Gem II.

(Please, don’t anyone tell me you’re surprised. And yes, I know that by rights this post should have been up on Sunday, but I didn’t HAVE the wheel on Sunday!)

The wood is just so pretty! Really, very photogenic.

Now, onto other things.

Now, my plan for this afternoon was to do a bunch of administrative
kind of things. (1) I went to the bank to make a deposit. (Since my
paycheck is direct-deposited, all other checks tend to sit and wait
until I get around to it . . . this can take a while. Like, the day
before they reach their 6-month expiration. That kind of thing.)

(2) I voted. If you’re in the U.S. you DID vote today, right?? Just remember, you’re part of a democracy, and if you don’t speak up when it counts, you have no right to complain later on!

(3) I went to the lawyer’s office and signed my will. Funny story: I was sitting in the waiting room, coughing, and the lawyer stuck his head out the door and said, “We’d better hurry!”

I guess that’s funnier if you’ve actually HEARD my cough.

(4) I went to DMV to renew my driver’s license. Now, up until now, I’ve been renewing my license via the mail–it was convenient, quick, and I didn’t have to stand in line, but now New Jersey requires a photo license. Not just a photo, either, but a new, high-tech Digital photo license. One which requires a wealth of information in terms of proving your identity. (Think I’m kidding? Check out the official guidelines.) So, I gathered together things like my passport, my social security card, a bank statement, got my checkbook . . . all that . . . and after the lawyer’s office, headed to DMV.

They were closed for Election Day.

Now, I ask you, does that make any sense? Why do DMV employees need to have Election Day off from work? Was it all the offices, or just that one? Certainly the website doesn’t say anything about it. I wasn’t the only one upset about it, either. I had blocked out an afternoon to get all these things done, and . . . now the most tedious one is still to go. I went back to the office afterward–my boss is short-handed as it is, and I would have felt guilty taking an extra hour and a half for no reason whatsoever. Especially when I’m going to have to do it TOMORROW.

Stupid DMV…. I think they’re trying to make this entire process as inconvenient as possible. Heck, you can even renew your passport through the mail . . . Isn’t that ultimately a more “official” form of id than a driver’s license?

Oh. My favorite part? My current, non-photo license doesn’t count toward my 6, required ID “points” for renewing. Gotta love that.

On the plus side, I got this gift from my best friend today. My favorite Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie, “The Gay Divorcee.” The number for “Night and Day” is perhaps my very favorite dance of theirs (“Lost my Penny” is a possible contender), and the Correspondent who’s supposed to help Ginger get her divorce, who goes around misquoting the password to everyone? (“Fate is the foolish thing. Take a chance,” for example, instead of “Fate is a foolish thing to take chances with.”) Priceless. Love it. Thanks, Dawn!

This is good, because the order Mom placed for my birthday–accessories for my new wheel–hasn’t even been shipped yet. She’s a little upset, but I keep telling her, it’s not like I’m five anymore . . . I can expend a little patience for a good cause!

Tags: ABC-Along, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
18 Comments »

  Here’s a look at my birthday sky today. The weather could not have been nicer. About 60 degrees, sunny, clear sky . . . just perfect.

  As we usually do, Mom and I went to the Mall at Short Hills for the morning, although we didn’t move through the mall with our usual speed. (Still recuperating from those colds, you know.) But I bought myself this really lovely hat. It’s a gorgeous chocolate brown, which looks great with my hair, with a perfect brim for keeping the sun out of my eyes, while at the same time, not being so huge I shouldn’t be able to wear it in the car. (Headrests and hats just don’t get along.)

What’s that? The hat rack?

  All I can say is that you knit-bloggers had better only ever use your power for good, and not evil. Because look what came today! My mail carrier made a special effort to go looking for it at the post office, and got permission from her boss to take it since I’m on her route. (It was addressed to my office, you’ll remember.)

  Here it is, getting to know my other wheels.

  A side-by-side comparison with my Lendrum.

  Really, though, I think it looks just adorable with the hat . . .

  I almost forgot–I got a card and this cute sheep bookmark and memory-saving post-its from Lisa at Knitting by the Sea. Wasn’t that nice of her?

Tags: Family, General by Deb
30 Comments »

Cue the Beatles, because not only is it my birthday today (finally–after all this run-up you probably never thought I’d actually get here!) but it’s also Vicky‘s and Beth‘s!

Be sure to wish them a happy birthday!

(da na da na da na da na) You say it’s your Birthday! (da na da na da na da na) Well, it’s my Birthday, too, yeah! . . . . We’re gonna have a good time . . .

Edited to add: I just realized, it’s Laura‘s birthday, too! It really IS a popular birthday!

Tags: Family by Deb
33 Comments »

Today was all about family. My sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew all came down for dinner, cake and general “birthdaying.”

We had a really nice visit, even if Mom and I still aren’t feeling up to par . . . the last bit of this cold is hard to kick! In fact, I was a little feverish this afternoon. (Although, I suppose that could have been all the excitement!)

My friend Cindy, who I’ve technically known since high school, also came over for dessert–which was enjoyed by all. (This was the famous “Grandma Cake,” made to my grandmother’s recipe. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like this cake–especially the frosting.)

Cindy was also nice enough to take a family photo for us. (She volunteed, really, we didn’t ASK her to!)

She’s done this before, though, in 2003–also on a day she came over for my birthday. We’re all a little older, and in the case of my niece and nephew, taller. My niece is leaning on the ottoman in this picture, but trust me, she’s the tallest female in the family, just recently passed by her brother . . .

See the older photo?

Yep. I’m definitely feeling older!

Tags: Baking, Family, Friends by Deb
20 Comments »

It’s official–the November Calendar challenge/meme is now officially a contest. I still haven’t had a chance to go through my stash to figure out the prize, but yes, there will be one. And can I just say how much I’m enjoying this?? Cheryl certainly has a good picture this month. And the Knitter’s calendar has cropped up four times so far, too, which isn’t the least bit surprising, really…. This is FUN!

  Chappy looked like this when Mom and I left the house this morning. I don’t think he was particularly happy about our going out without him. (I mean, he’s not smiling at all, and he’s practically got his arms folded. Not a happy camper!) We explained that Starbucks doesn’t allow dogs, but . . . he wasn’t happy about it.

  I stopped at my favorite spot to take a Saturday Sky picture for you. And then, yes, Mom and I went to Starbucks and sat and talked, well, mostly about me. Well, what Mom was doing 40 years ago (on bedrest, but that her Dad took her to a doctor’s appointment “this” morning where the doctor told her that if the baby was born before December, it would only have about an 80% chance to live . . . which means that two days from now, when she went into labor, she was frantic–for more reasons than one!)

  After all that reminiscing, we felt it was only right that we go visit Susan. I told you about her last year, but for those of you who weren’t around, she was my identical twin, but she didn’t stick around for very long. This is the cemetary where she’s buried, but we don’t know exactly where–she doesn’t have a gravestone (my Dad had other things on his mind at the time, understandably!), and her plot number doesn’t appear on any of the gravestone maps . . . I tell myself that she probably wants it that way. Anyway, I know she’s over along that wall somewhere . . .

  I had a real surprise when we got home though . . . flowers! I literally cannot remember the last time someone sent me flowers. These are from my aunt, which is an even greater surprise. They are really lovely.

  I even took another Sky picture with them . . .

  Which reminded me . . . I’d done a picture from our front yard two weeks in a row . . . what would THAT picture look like today?

  I also baked a cake. And worked my way through my huge pile of magazines. (It was all of two magazines as of yesterday morning, but it exploded to six in the last 24 hours.)

Still no sign of my Gem . . . maybe Monday!

Tags: Baking, Family, General, Sky by Deb
15 Comments »

Well, it was mostly a good mail day. I got two back issues of Wild Fibers, from my Yarn Aboard gift subscription from Lorinda. They didn’t just send me the current issue, but the summer issue as well.

And also, my Interweave Knits, which I think is a really nice issue. In particular, I think the cover sweater (The Nantucket Jacket) is beautiful, as is Eunny’s Venezia Pullover. And several other things, too.

I just really like Fall issues so much more than Summer!

The “bad” mail news is that my birthday present still hasn’t come, and time is getting short, you know? And then there’s the mystery factor. When, of course, is it going to arrive, How, and Where? See, when I ordered it, I was told it would be coming direct from Majacraft in New Zealand. Which is great. No problem. And that it would be shipping either last Thursday, or this Thursday . . . but I don’t know which one, though I’m hoping it was last week (grin). But also, since it’s going to need to be signed for, I had them ship it to the office, where there’s always someone to sign for a package. Except, then it occurred to me that, if it gets shipped via the postal system rather than something like UPS or Fedex (or the NZ equivalent), well, there’s a problem.

Because the post office never delivers anything TO our office. We deal with a lot of mail, and so we go to the post office each day to pick it up. Which means that, my box could be sitting there, waiting for our driver to bring it back with him. Or that they might make an exception for an international box and bring it to the office. OR that it might come to the house, regardless of how it’s addressed, because we live in the same town as my office. It’s happened before, that things addressed to either Dad or I has gone to the wrong place. Not often, but it’s happened. And I made a point, last week, of telling our mail carrier (who’s a sweetheart who always pulls her truck over to say hello to Chappy . . . we like her!), so that she could keep an eye out for it . . . just in case she saw it and wanted to drop it off at the house instead of leaving it in the office “pick up” pile. Assuming it’s coming via the post office at all. . . .

No, no. This isn’t complicated at all!! Ultimately, though, it’s not here yet, and my birthday is Monday. And I won’t be at work on Monday, either. (And, oh yeah, left instructions with my boss to CALL ME if it shows up by any chance on Monday. Because I WILL come to get it!) Anyway, I know it’s coming, but I don’t know any of the details. I’m trying to convince myself that the mystery is part of the birthday surprise, but I have to admit that, being a bit of a control freak, I really wish I knew a few more details (grin).

  Speaking of the office, I came back from lunch today to find these at my desk, from the president and his wife. He’s known my Dad for 40 years. (One month longer than I have! Every job he’s had since high school, my Dad has hired him for.) And she’s the oldest (longest, that is) employee at our company, hired 25 years ago. It came with a card commenting that she can’t believe she’s known me since I was 15.

Wasn’t that nice? I mean, once you move past the funeral black? (grin)

Now, tomorrow, Mom and I are making a point of keeping it low-key. No long, tiring shenanigans. We need our energy for the family visit on Sunday. No, we’re just going to go out for some coffee, stop at the grocery store if there’s any last-minute things missing for Sunday dinner, and then come back home to rest. Oh yeah, and to bake a cake. (I wonder what that will be for??)

Tags: Family, General by Deb
15 Comments »

Here’s this week’s contribution to Sundara’s Eye Candy Friday.

Brought to you by:

Tags: Eye-Candy Friday by Deb
12 Comments »

So, it occurs to me that I never actually said WHAT sweater I’m making. I just started showing pictures of swatches and of cables, but I never actually told you the actual pattern.

I’m sorry. I’ve been remiss.

The pattern is the Celtic Icon from Fiona Ellis Inspired Cable Knits.

Yes, apparently I have a thing for sweaters with “Celtic” in the name. It’s not a conscious thing, I assure you, although I’ve always been entranced by Celtic knots . . . it’s the intricacy, you see, the interweaving complexity. I just love that.

The yarn is a lovely, deep plum in Elsebeth Lavold’s Silky Wool, which is ironic. I bought the Silky Wool on purpose because I wanted to make one–almost any–of the sweaters from her Viking Knits book, which I adore . . . and yet . . . I’m not. I have a hankering for a cardigan, and the ones in the book just aren’t what I have in mind. This is. So . . . a Viking sweater is just going to have to wait.

See what I got yesterday? A birthday card from Susan! Wasn’t that nice of her? Not counting family, I think this now equals if not exceeds the number of cards I got in the mail last year (grin).

And it’s nice to see Calendars popping up around the web today–keep them coming! I suppose I could extend the parameters to being a photo (scan, whatever) of your actual calendar, even if it’s just a rough print-out from the computer that you use to scribble appointments, but really . . . ideally . . . it should be a picture of some kind. Almost everyone has a picture calendar of some kind somewhere, right? Even if it’s just the one your coworker brought in to hang at work? I suppose it doesn’t have to be YOUR calendar. Just A calendar. From 2006 or 2007. Of the month of November. If it belongs to your Mom, well, no-one really needs to know!

Added: I almost forgot! My brother-in-law is now an uncle. Well, to a two-legged person. (He’s already Chappy’s uncle, of course.) His brother and wife–whose wedding we went to last summer–just had a baby girl. Caitlin Elizabeth. Born yesterday. Six pounds and 14 or 15 ounces. (She was born at either 6:14 or 6:15, so you can see the confusion.) She’s the one I made those baby sweaters for. I’m so happy she’s here!

Hey, if you haven’t yet, go check out the new Yarn Life online magazine, produced by Kat with a K. Who’s attempting the NaNoWriMo challenge to write a novel in a month (so, wish her luck!). Did you know there’s a blogger’s version, too? NaNoBloMo, where you need to post a blog entry every day for the month? And NaNoSweMo for knitting a sweater in a month, too.

Speaking of which:

Booking Through Thursday

1. Yesterday, November 1st, began the annual NaNoWriMo challenge–where lots of marginally crazy people try to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. What do you think about that idea? Crazy? Inspired? Challenging? Insane, but in a good way! I said it last year, and I’ll say it again though . . . why did they pick November? Big holiday weekend here in the U.S., my birthday, preparations for Christmas season, family visits and such . . . NOT a good month. Wouldn’t March, when people are tired of winter and need distractions, have been better?
2. Would you/Have you tried it yourself? In other years? (Or this one, in which case, shouldn’t you be writing and not reading blogs?) I thought about it last year but again–it’s just a really bad month for me.
3. If you took away the time pressure, would you/have you tried writing a novel of your own? I HAVE written a novel. A 124,000 word whopper. And about half of another one that I really need to get back to one of these days because, if I say so myself, the story idea is fabulous. (And a third or so of a sequel to the first one, but it got boring.) Anyway, I haven’t been able to get it published (yet) . . . although, it HAS been a while since I sent it out. Maybe I should try again, huh?

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading by Deb
14 Comments »

Well, here we are in my birthday month, and I wanted to do something to celebrate. So here’s what I came up with.

Now, when I was little, just about every calendar we bought had horrible, dreary, depressing pictures for the month of November, while my sister’s birth-month (June) would be sunny and bright and lovely. The epitome of this came when we both got a “Little House on the Prairie” calendar with photos from the tv show. Her picture? From the episode where Laura thought she’d found gold and was imagining buying her family all sorts of nice things. The family’s all dressed in elegant white clothing, standing in the sun. Just beautiful. The November picture? From the pilot–they’re all pulled over on a hill on a gray, misty, dreary day, hanging laundry to dry.

I ask you, was that fair?

Calendar makers have gotten better, though, and the November pictures are usually pretty decent these days. (Thank goodness.)

But here’s what I want. I want you to take a picture of your November calendar page, post it on your blog, and then leave me a comment here, with a link to that entry.

If I get enough people playing, we’ll make it a contest. I’m not sure what the prize will be, but it will be something worthwhile from my stash, I promise. I’ve got some good stuff in there, and would not pick out the dregs for you. I just haven’t gone to take a look yet. If only a few people decide to play, I’ll just leave this as a meme. (Because, you know you’re tagged just by reading this, right?) I’m not telling you what the magic number is, either!

But come on, I’d love to see this sweeping the blog-world like some other memes I’ve seen. People have photographed their stashes, their favorite place to knit, the cabinets on top of their refrigerators . . . bloggers will photograph anything!

So, come on. Show me your Calendar! It’ll be like a birthday present that doesn’t cost you anything! Wouldn’t you love to force me to give away some free yarn??? I’ll put a deadline of . . . the 15th. Halfway through the month.

How’s that??

Edited to add:
As many pictures as you want, as long as they from a November 2006 calendar . . . unless you actually have that Little House calendar from 1975 (grin).

Oh, okay, or 2007 if you don’t have a calendar from this year. But no OLD ones!

If I get enough people playing to turn it into a contest, I haven’t actually decided how the winner will be chosen. My favorite picture? Random selection? I haven’t decided yet. (Does this seem unfair to you? Hey, it’s my birthday!)

And, my two calendars? The top one is from the Sierra Club, and the bottom one is Peter Simon’s Martha’s Vineyard calendar–which I’ve had on my walls since college. Love his photographs!

Now . . . go take pictures and spread the word!

Tags: General by Deb
120 Comments »

Here’s what I read in October:

1. RINGED CASTLE by Dorothy Dunnett (521 p.) Fifth book in the Lymond series. Francis Crawford is now head of the Tzar’s army in Russia, while Phillipa heads back to England, where she joins Queen Mary’s court. Francis swears he’ll never return to Scotland . . . but will he have to to get his divorce?

2. CHECKMATE by Dorothy Dunnett (581 p.) The finale of the Lymond series. Sweeping and frequently heart-breaking. Lymond has found the woman he loves, but is resolved to keep away for her sake–all while she delves into his past family history, trying to clear the way for him to go home again. Great conclusion to a great series.

3. THE PINHOE EGG by Diana Wynne Jones (515 p.) A young adult fantasy, part of her Chrestomanci series. Cat Chant takes up horseback riding, but the forests around Chrestomanci castle are strangely hard to navigate. And meanwhile, the Pinhoe family–a witch family determined to keep out of Chrestomanci’s notice–is having a feud with another family . . . A charming little book. I’ve been a fan of this author since I was in middle school and still enjoy just about every book she comes out with. Fun and creative as always.

4. MYSTIC AND RIDER by Sharon Shinn (423 p.) The first in a new series by this, one of my very favorite authors. This tells the story of Senneth, a woman who was turned out by her family when her father discovered she had magic powers at the age of 17. She’s on an errand for the king, scouting out hints of rebellion, centered around a religious fanatic, determined to stamp out (or burn) all mystics. This is more of a “standard” fantasy than her usual–definitely a sword-and-sorcery type. And yet, still, her writing is just wonderful.

5. THIRTEENTH HOUSE by Sharon Shinn (423 p.) Second in the series, this one focusing on Kirra, a shape-changer who is also the heir to one of the ruling families in the kingdom. When her father names her sister heir, though, she goes on tour with the kingdom’s princess, to help keep her safe . . . but she’s distracted and captivated by the newly-named regent …

6. DARK MOON DEFENDER by Sharon Shinn (435 p.) Third (and most recent) in the series. Justin, one of the elite King’s Riders, is sent on a spying mission, where he meets a novice from the enemy’s convent, who he believes is herself a mystic . . . and therefore in very grave danger.

7. LOOKING FOR CLASS by Bruce Feiler (330 p.) Nonfiction account of his year at Cambridge, working for his Master’s Degree. Although well-written and interesting enough, I didn’t enjoy this as much as his book about his stay in Japan. Good book, mind you, but I liked the other better. (And, the oddest thing, the whole time I was reading it, and about the daily life of students in Cambridge, I kept thinking of the old (mediocre, really) movie, Oxford Blues. (Remember that one with Rob Lowe?) Ironic, of course, since Oxford and Cambridge have a certain amount of rivalry going on . . .

8. ODDS AGAINST by Dick Francis (239 p.) One of his early mysteries, telling the story of Sid Halley, a former champion jockey whose career came to a crashing end when his hand was disabled in a bad fall. Since then, he’s been lounging around a detective agency . . . right up until he gets shot during a stake-out. That’s when things get interesting–his father-in-law sets him up against an unscrupulous land-grabber trying to buy a nearby racecourse, and suddenly, Sid is forced to act like the detective he’s been hired to be.

9. WHIP HAND by Dick Francis (315 p.) The second Sid Halley book. Now a full-time private investigator, Sid is asked to look into the sudden failure of some sparkling racehorses, as well as trying to help his ex-wife out of the legal ramifications of a con. In the course of the book, he’ll be forced to face his deepest fear . . . and come to realize why he’s the kind of man he is.

10. COME TO GRIEF by Dick Francis (308 p.) The third Sid Halley book. (Incidentally, the first three have since been republished in one volume.) Here, Sid is investigating the mutilation of a series of horses, and comes up, for the first time, against the ill powers of the press as his reputation for honesty takes a massive hit when he finds the criminal–a vastly popular person, who no-one believes is capable of such savagery . . . and so, they blame Sid….

11. UNDER ORDERS by Dick Francis (308 p.) Finally, after a 6-year break, Dick Francis has published a new book–and he has once again picked Sid to be his go-to-guy. Sid is asked to investigate the murder of a jockey at the races, as well as to investigate a gambling organization . . . but this time, his enemies aren’t going to attack him to try to deter him. This time, they’re going to go after his girlfriend . . .  (How am I doing, by the way, with the juicy, enticing teasers? I feel like I’m writing commercials . . . I just need the thrilling music behind the words….)

12. BORROWER OF THE NIGHT by Elizabeth Peters (244 p.) Vicky Bliss and her quasi-boyfriend try to solve an ancient mystery in Bavaria…. She’s not my favorite E.P. heroine, but…

13. STREET OF THE FIVE MOONS by Elizabeth Peters (258 p.) In this, the second book, Vicky Bliss meets Sir John Smythe, a blonde criminal said to be roughly based on Francis Crawford of Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond series (see the beginning of the month). I figured that since I was on vacation, I’d revisit these characters.

14. SILHOUETTE IN SCARLET by Elizabeth Peters (212 p.) Third. Vicky Bliss and John Smythe in Sweden…

15. TROJAN GOLD by Elizabeth Peters (407 p.) Fourth. Rumors of Helen of Troy’s jewelry surface in Germany, right at Christmas.

16. NIGHT TRAIN TO MEMPHIS by Elizabeth Peters (347 p.) Fifth. On a cruise along the Nile, Vicky Bliss comes across John Smythe yet again . . . with his new bride (gasp). I will say that he’s an entertaining character, and I could see a resemblance to Francis Crawford, but . . . yeah, Vicky’s still not exactly a favorite . . . Elizabeth Peters still writes a reasonably entertaining mystery, though.

17. VIRGIN IN THE GARDEN by A.S. Byatt (428 p.) Taking place in 1952, when Alexander writes a play about the first Queen Elizabeth (virgin of the title) just in time for the second’s coronation. I still have to say, though, that I’ve liked Possession more than any of her other books–by a huge lead. The rest just . . . bore me. It kept reminding me of Robertson Davies, only more pretentious.

18. DRAGON’S FIRE by Todd McCaffrey (366 p.) Well, I’ve given him a fair shot–three books now–but he just simply isn’t anywhere near as good as his mother. I’ve adored Anne McCaffrey’s “Pern” series since high school, but now that her son has taken over? Blah . . . And worse, this is really a YA-level book, yet marketed to adults. Huge disappointment.

19. WIZARD OF LONDON by Mercedes Lackey (377 p.) The most recent of her “Elemental Masters” fantasy series, which retells various fairy tales in a Victorian (usually England) world, where magicians are commonplace. This one tells the story of the Snow Queen, more or less, focusing on two young girls in a boarding school, who have remarkable gifts. Pleasant enough light reading.

20. KNIT 2 TOGETHER by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark (168 p.) Knitting patterns more than anything, but good ones–a nice change from “celebrity” knitting books that are just a waste of paper and selling only because of the “name” on the front. The patterns are all by Mel Clark, ones she’s designed for her yarn shop–it’s possible the book wouldn’t have gotten published if it weren’t for the famous knitting enthusiast’s endorsement, but it’s a good book. And, the pattern I get the biggest kick out of? The big, two-person sweater on the front cover. It just tickles me to no end that they actually have the pattern for it at the back.

21. LOCKED ROOMS by Laurie R. King (485 p.) The most recent Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes mystery, and the best one, I think, in a while. Returning from the last book’s (mediocre) trip to India, they go to San Francisco, where Mary lived until her family was killed in a car accident when she was 14. It’s her first trip back to the city since, and suddenly, rational, intelligent Mary is a bundle of nerves, having nightmares, and just not being herself. So much more entertaining a read than the last two or three of this series. I liked this one.

22. BOOK OF BRIGHT IDEAS by Sandra Kring (307 p.) Set in 1961, Winnalee and her sister Freeda breeze into this small, southern town, where Winnalee becomes best friends with the narrator . . . this book was okay, but I don’t think I was entirely in the right mood for it. I think I would have liked it better if I had read it at another time. As it is, I thought it was decent enough, but didn’t love it . . .

23. SPIN TO KNIT by Shannon Okey (128 p.) A perfectly adequate beginner’s book on spinning yarn to knit with–exactly what the title calls for. It’s definitely beginner level, though, and while my spinning skills aren’t incredibly advanced, well . . . I’ll just say that I would have LOVED this book a year ago.

24. JOUST by Mercedes Lackey (442 p.) Fantasy, a reread of the first book in her “Joust” series–young Vetch is a serf picked to become a “dragon boy”–to care for the dragon of a jouster named Ari. It’s still my favorite of the series.

25. ALTA by Mercedes Lackey (434 p.) Second “Joust” book–Vetch (now known by his real name of Kiron) has escaped to his own country and teaches them how to raise tame dragons. But then there are the Magi to worry about, who clearly have evil intent….

26. SANCTUARY by Mercedes Lackey (306 p.) Third book. Kiron and his fellow dragonriders have escaped the Magi but have to find a way to defeat them.

27. AERIE by Mercedes Lackey (291 p.) Fourth and newest of the series–the Magi are defeated, but now there’s a new danger . . . you know how some authors don’t know when to stop when they’re ahead? Overall, this is a decent series, but the quality kind of goes downhill with each one. Not horrible, but mediocre at best….

28. LAMMAS NIGHT by Katherine Kurtz (438 p.) A sadly out-of-print book. Normally, she writes fantasy books, which I suppose this technically is, but it takes place in England in 1940, during WWII, when British mages did what they could to protect their country. I’ve read this periodically since it was published in 1983 and always enjoy it. Sad, sad ending though . . . well, bittersweet. But one which usually requires tissues. (Really, so many of her books do!) This is wholly unique, and well worth looking up, if you’re minded to.

29. CABLES UNTANGLED by Melissa Leapman (188 p.) A perfectly nice knitting book that explains how cables work and then provides patterns . . . not only for finished objects like sweaters, but also a collection of cable patterns at the back of the book. I didn’t really find any of the patterns to be anything I’d like to make (though the cover afghan is lovely), but . . . decent book.

30. RIDDLE-MASTER OF HED by Patricia McKillip (222 p.) Fantasy, first of a trilogy. Morgon of Hed, born with three stars on his forehead, learns that he, the Star-bearer was foretold thousands of years ago . . . and that someone is trying to kill him, and so he goes to ask the mysterious High One why.

31. HEIR OF SEA AND FIRE by Patricia McKillip (207 p.) Second in the trilogy, this focusing on Raederle, Morgon’s bride-to-be, who appears to have a gift for shape-shifting, and is determined to discover what happened to Morgon–missing for a year, since he went to find the High One.

32. HARPIST IN THE WIND by Patricia McKillip (257 p.) Third in the trilogy, where the answers are finally answered–who the Star-bearer is, who the High One is, why his harpist betrayed Morgon . . . all of it. This is an old trilogy, but a good one.

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by Deb
10 Comments »