Well, there they are. The Kiwi’s new owner and his Mom…. I mean, the Kiwi’s new owner and her son. Or something like that. Frankly, they both seemed so excited by the prospect of having a spinning wheel, it’s hard really to say. (grin)

Kim and Liam couldn’t stay all that long, because he had baseball practice to get to, but still, we had a nice little visit. I showed her how the wheel worked, gave some tips on drafting and such, and then off they went, with me waving good-bye. I might not have used the Kiwi in over a year, but still, we’ve had a nice time together since she moved in at the end of 2004.

She’ll definitely be in good hands, though I would have liked to have been able to have given Kim a more thorough lesson, but what with the time constraints and our silly, over-excited pair of boys, well . . . maybe it’s better that she sit and play on her own for a while…. And anyway, I know for myself that I learn better when I can focus without an audience…. Besides, I told her to let me know if she had any questions . . . and there’s always the S&B at Modern Yarn on Thursday nights, where Risa and Ina could help with questions, too…. But, yes, Kim–let me know if you need help! It’s not like we’re too far away from each other….

Oh! And Kim brought my prize from her 100th-comment contest. Two skeins of Claudia Hand-Painted merino in the “A Walk in the Woods” colorway. So, so pretty–primarily a soft, medium blue, but with hints of greens and browns and reds and . . . oh, it’s just gorgeous. Definitely colors that I love, so it’s a great prize. They even brought a box of treats for Chappy, too, wasn’t that nice of them?? Thank you, both!

Now–I need to go console my Lendrum. It looks a little lonely in its corner without its pal the Kiwi . . . Maybe I’ll have to start storing the Little Gem over there when it’s not being used. You know, so neither will feel too lonely. . . And I could probably bring the Journey Wheel up from the living room now, too, huh?

No specific Saturday Sky picture today, but please feel free to go back and look at those sunset pictures I took last night . . . I mean, how could I top that?

• Tags: Friends, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:New // 4 Comments »

Well, last week it was our turn, today it’s the Kiwi’s turn to pack.

Here she is, with her bag of accessories packed, all ready to go tomorrow. She’s excited and a little nervous, but I showed her Kim’s blog, and told her that Risa has only nice things to say about Kim, and so she’s more excited than nervous. And immensely grateful that this time, she doesn’t have to go in a box.

Other than handing my Kiwi over to Kim, the only thing I have planned for the weekend is going out for coffee with Mom. It’s been weeks since we did that. I mean, we went shoe shopping three weeks ago, but the last time we actually went for coffee together? February 17th. Wowzer. So, yeah, that’s what we’re doing in the morning. Maybe I’ll even make a point of pulling my socks out and working on them . . . I mean, they ARE her birthday present, after all, and here it is, a month and a half later and I haven’t even reached the heels yet. Clearly unacceptable.

I’m so, so glad it’s Friday. It doesn’t matter that I technically had a shorter week, it certainly didn’t feel like it. It was kind of chaotic, in fact.

Oh, and thanks for the compliment on that calendar picture. It’s from a calendar I made for myself on Shutterfly last year. You’ve actually seen that picture before.

One other thing–did you see Angie’s post the other day? She’s dreaming about my posts . . . that’s flattering, right? As in, plagarism is the sincerest form of flattery? (Or something like that.) I think it’s pretty funny–but she’s NOT getting Chappy!

Meanwhile, I’ll leave you with this pretty sunset from tonight. The photo’s colors are completely untouched.

Although I was tempted. Because playing with color is fun.

Speaking of playing with color, check out these great tutorials over at Knitting on Impulse.

• Tags: Friends, General, Knitting/Spinning, Sky • Permalink:(Re)Packing // 6 Comments »

I liked my March calendars so much this year, I decided to share. I mean, how often do you love every single calendar picture you’ve got in a month? So I figured I’d share now, before the month is over.

And, well, you already know that I like calendars….

Brought to you by:

• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday • Permalink:Thirty-one // 7 Comments »

I did get something in the mail today that I can’t show you. Some yarn that will be turned into something that, well, you have to wait to see, because it will be a gift and I don’t want to spoil anything. It’s Cascade 220, I can tell you that. But not how much, or the colors, or the pattern, or when I’ll be able to show you . . . Sorry about that.

The yarn came with (though not to be knitted with) a set of the Addi Turbo Lace needles–US Size 4. Obviously, I haven’t done anything with them yet, but oh, they do look nice! I’m really starting to long to knit lace . . . but, you know, have to finish those pesky sweaters first!

Otherwise, it’s been a rough day here at Chappy’s house. My Mom is joking that she and Dad are falling apart. They’re not, of course. Or, not really. But today, Mom had to go to a retina specialist today because of some weird (and worrying) floaters in her eye. They turned out to be nothing to worry about, although she has a follow up visit in two weeks, but meanwhile they shone all sorts of very bright lights in her dilated eyes for quite a while, and so she was walking around this afternoon like a movie star, wearing her shades. And then Dad had a trip to the dentist today and ended up having a tooth pulled. Very deja vu-ish.

All in all, I think Chappy was glad when I came home, not smelling like a doctor’s office. And, isn’t it nice that I have some new yarn to distract myself with? Although, really, I do need to get those sweaters of mine done….

Booking Through Thursday

Where do you do most of your reading?
Your favorite spot? (And yes, I understand that these might not be the same thing–your
favorite spot could be the beach, but you do most of your reading at
home . . . in which case, tell me about both!)

Well, it should be pretty obvious that I read a lot, all the time. During meals, though not when eating with other people. Well, except breakfast. And, I suppose lunch. But not dinner. Pretty much never during dinner. I read when brushing my teeth, while waiting for web pages to load. I read in the bathroom. While watching television. I pretty much read at every possible minute of the day–if I’m not actually doing something else, like cooking, working, cleaning, walking my dog, knitting–chances are good that I’ve got a book in front of me. And definitely in bed, no question. Reading before going to sleep is a must.

But my favorite spot? That would be this chair. It’s in our dining room window, and is really a love seat. It’s Chappy’s favorite spot–we keep the one back cushion flat to give him a nice perch to oversee the neighborhood. The other side is where Mom or I like to sit. It’s by far my preferred spot to just curl up with a book. Nice light from the window. Comfy place to sit. Handy to the kitchen for making tea. And, well, a great view of Chappy when I need to give my eyes a break. What could be better?

• Tags: Family, General, Reading • Permalink:Rough // 8 Comments »

Mmmm…Yummy mail today.

First, my copy of Stephanie’s book. I pre-ordered this from Amazon a couple of months ago and was starting to think they’d forgotten me! I haven’t had a chance to read it yet . . . (Hey, I only got home from work a little over an hour ago, and I did have some other things to do, you know?)

The other goodie? Corriedale Pencil Roving from Crown Mountain Farms in the Cedar Grove colorway. Ooh, it’s pretty. This is the third bump of this pencil roving I’ve bought (one in “Crown Jewels,” one in “Tibetan Dreams,” and now this) and I love each and every one of them. These colors are so saturated and gorgeous . . . darker, even than the photo led me to believe, but that’s all to the good so far as I’m concerned. These are just beautiful colors.

And, okay, in the “Small World” category . . . listen to this.

• As some of you know, I put my Ashford Kiwi up for sale last September, but was not willing to ship it–and was willing to wait until I found someone within anything like driving distance who was interested.
• In January, I posted a picture of a local lake for Eye-Candy Friday, and got a comment from a local knitter, mentioning that she lived right near there. Turns out that Kim knows Risa because they both go to the weekly S&B nights at Modern Yarn. This was ironic in itself, in that small-world kind of way–that she and Risa knew each other, but she and I, who live only about two miles apart, don’t.
• Then, in February, Kim started her blog, which naturally, I visit and comment on fairly regularly.
• In one of her posts, she mentioned a friend’s Mom who she’d love to get a spinning lesson from, and I commented, that I had a wheel for sale. You know, just in case. Especially once I found out she already had a fiber stash.  (Hey, anything more than a single bag of wool with a beginner’s spindle and learn-to-spin book counts as a stash.)
• A flurry of emails ensued, with the result that . . . she’s giving my Kiwi a new home. Isn’t that wonderful?
• But wait, it gets better!
• She posted yesterday that she was having a contest for her 100th comment.
• Guess who won?
• Talk about a small world, huh? And convenient, too! Not only will she save on postage since, well, you know . . . two miles . . . but we were already getting together on Saturday for the Wheel Adoption. I just love it when a plan comes together!

Hey, so, do I need to tell you that the Cover Art is out? (The British ones, too.) The next 114 days are going to be looooong.

And, thanks for the suggestions about my Little Gem. The replacement driveband that I’ve already tried actually came from Majacraft in New Zealand, but I haven’t bothered to tell them that I’m still having problems. Maybe partly because, well, it’s New Zealand . . . halfway around the world is a long way to go, and I really don’t want to have to try to ship my baby back, you know? But yeah, really, I need to write to them….

Chappy really just wanted another look at that pretty roving….

• Tags: Friends, General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading • Permalink:Mail, Calling! // 11 Comments »

So, this is the problem I keep having with my otherwise-loved Little Gem.

As I spin, the lower band slips, just a little, coming out of the groove. Sometimes the “slip” is worse than others. Sometimes, I barely notice; other times it slows everything down. And if I let it go too long, it makes a really obnoxious noise (grin).

I’ve tried replacing the drive band, on the chance that it had stretched and was a fraction too large. That worked for about two weeks.

Liz was watching the wheel spin over the weekend and pointed out that the driveband is a little bit off-center, which certainly could make a difference.

Now, it’s not that big a deal. When the driveband slips, all I have to do is stop spinning, lean forward and reach around to nudge the band back where it belongs. Easy enough, it takes all of about 20 seconds, even if it is a bit of a pain, but still . . . a little annoying. Especially for a wheel that’s only five months old.

Any ideas?

Oh, and before I forget–Laura’s giving away a cute little yellow baby sweater . . . go sign up for a chance to win!

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

It’s been a quiet day here. I had taken the day off from work, knowing that I was going to be tired from my fun-filled weekend, so basically, I just hung around.

Well, I did keep myself busy. For example, I washed my two new skeins of yarn. The one of merino-silk that I finished a week or so ago, and the Big Yellow Taxi I finished at Liz’s.

I used my new swift to wind off the bobbin-full of merino-silk. You’ll be pleased to know that it worked fine, although there was a hitch or two. Like, it’s beautifully made, but it’s fairly light, so as I was spinning it around to wind on the yarn, it kept sliding around on my carpet. That made it just a little tricky. But still, it worked just fine.

I’ve got my sweater pieces blocked, too. I actually did this the other day, and they seem much happier, better behaved, and, well, flatter. No more crazy curling on the edges.

I’ve got the sleeves to about, oh, three inches long now. So, you know, we’re just zipping along (grin).

I finally got through my pile of backed-up magazines, too. I mean, I wasn’t that far behind, but I did have two issues of the Smithsonian sitting there, waiting, so I was at least a month behind . . . and you know how I hate that kind of thing. (Speaking of the Smithsonian, did you see that article of the glasswork of Dale Chihuly? Be sure to look at the pictures. I remember when Liz went to see the exhibit in St. Louis last summer, too. Amazing stuff.)

Okay . . . tired now! Work tomorrow . . . Zzzzzz…..

• Tags: Finished Spinning, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:All’s Quiet // 13 Comments »

Chappy had fun playing with his friend Max this weekend.

It helped (from Chappy’s point of view) that it wasn’t quite so chaotic as it was last time we visited. I think that, like me, he prefers smaller, calmer gatherings of friends rather than the larger, more chaotic free-for-all that happens when you put three highly energetic, playful dogs together. With just him and Max, it was a little more to his taste.

(Which isn’t to say, Shelley, that we wouldn’t have loved to have seen you–or that I think three people is “too many,” but that CHAPPY was more relaxed….)

Certainly, Liz and Max were excellent hosts. Not only did Liz cook enormous amounts of yummy food (and yes, Liz, after my waffles this morning, I DID make it all the way home without feeling like I was starving), but Max ran interference each time Ivan the cat ventured out of the bedroom . . . Chappy still has yet to really MEET a cat, and so his first reaction is to shout, “Ohmigod! What’s that!!?” And naturally, cats don’t really take well to being barked at, so . . . we really didn’t see much of Ivan until late on Saturday night. But still, we thought it was very nice of Max to help Chappy out . . . Apparently, Ivan “runs” the household, but Max makes a point of protecting his friends from the cat. Ivan never actually did anything to Chappy–he just tentatively showed his face, was barked at, and had Max bravely chase him off . . . (Ivan? We’re sorry. It’s just that Chappy’s never met a cat, and so he was loud and rude about it. We apologize.) Unfortunately, Liz says that Ivan makes his displeasure about all of this known later on, once the guests have left . . . (Max? On Chappy’s behalf, I apologize. If he’d known Ivan would make your life miserable, I’m sure he would have controlled himself–but he really does appreciate your coming to his rescue.)

It wasn’t all four-legged chaos, though. (We won’t discuss the hurried trip to the petstore to buy a replacement leash.) We also got quite a bit of spinning done–with our helpers, as you can see. Chappy posted himself behind my Little Gem to watch for that pesky, ever-slipping drive band, and Max “helped” Liz with her plying…. (And, I must tell you, that Shetland she’s spinning? So, so gorgeous in person. As is her Celtic Dreams.)

My spinning? I finished one bobbin (that’s 4 oz, half of my 8 oz bump of roving) of my Big Yellow Taxi. It’s not perfect, but it certainly looks pretty. (Two pictures, in slightly different light, for you.) As you can see, I didn’t exactly get the two bobbins even, so far as yardage goes, but, well, what can you do, right?? Next, I’ll spin the other half of the roving, and then, it’s back to the Merino-Silk….

Meanwhile, Chappy is very, very happy to be home. Unfortunately, he got sick in the car again, just like last year. Poor boy. He used to get carsick on a sadly regular basis when he was a puppy, but has since mostly outgrown it . . . but on the way home last year, he got sick at right about the halfway point in Philadelphia. This year, he got sick when we were only about 45 minutes from home . . . although, luckily, at that point we weren’t on the highway anymore, so I was able to pull off into a handy gas station to clean the car. Good thing, too, because it was pretty stinky. Luckily, I’d planned ahead and had some Clorox wipes, paper towels, and a plastic garbage bag in the backseat, so I had everything I needed to get the stink out of the car. (Mental note: Next time, remember hand-cleaning wipes.) But still, this is kind of discouraging. We had made excellent time, too–about 3.25 hours as opposed to the 4.5 hours going down (massive traffic jam just outside Baltimore on Friday), so it’s not like he’d been in the car for such a long time . . . I’m not saying a break to have stretched his legs might not have been helpful, but still!

Poor boy. He enjoyed his visit but he really, really didn’t enjoy the drive. Or the bath when he got home. Like I said, that, um, mess was kind of stinky….

But, let’s not think about that, shall we? Let’s concentrate on what a good time we had! Not to mention how fabulous Chappy looks on the pale, pale green of Liz’s couch. Really, it’s a wonderful color for him….

And, Liz? Thanks again! For the Rowan magazine, the Spin-Off back-issue, the hospitality, the banana for the car–everything! (And, oh, those cannoli chips-and-dip and the Riesling . . . so, so yummy….)

• Tags: Chappy, Friends, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Maxed Out // 12 Comments »

Who “nose” how much fun we’re going to have this weekend?

Chappy might not realize exactly why, yet, but he knows he can smell fun coming!

Brought to you by:

• Tags: Chappy, Eye-Candy Friday • Permalink:Nosy // 16 Comments »

I have remarkably little to talk about tonight. Of course, it’s not like I don’t have things I should be doing.

Like, you know, packing.

Because tomorrow, Chappy and I are heading down to Liz’s. We’re both very excited.

Well, okay, not so much about the drive. Chappy got sick on the way home in July, and I kind of dread the possibility that that could happen again . . . um . . . So, let’s just say that I’m really looking forward to arriving.

Of course, at some point, I really need to actually, you know, pack….

• Tags: Friends • Permalink:I Should be Packing… // 10 Comments »

What’s this?

A shopping bag of yarn??

Plum-colored Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, nonetheless? And in dyelot 25, even??

My Dad’s my hero today. I decided I didn’t want to wait on Fuzzy Mabel . . . and since I haven’t heard from “her” in response to either of my two most recent emails . . .I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt and assuming that she’s busy moving . . . and further assuming that my order hasn’t been shipped yet . . . or at least, I hope not, because if it was, it’s going right back. I sent them an email earlier cancelling the order. (Although to be sure, I should really follow that up tomorrow with a phone call.)

Because I finally did today what I should have done a week ago, and called Stix-n-Stitches to see if they had the yarn in the correct color. Not only did they have the yarn, they still had my original dyelot. I told the woman on the phone, “I don’t even know you, but I love you!” But of course, I was doing all this on my lunch break, and there was no way I’d be able to get to Montclair and back . . . so my Dad volunteered to go for me. Wasn’t that sweet of him?

He called me at work about an hour or so later. “I got your yarn,” he told me, “But you forgot to tell me a couple of things.” “Um….what?” “Like that Glen Ridge is a one-way street?” “Oh! I completely forgot! But then, I’ve never actually driven there, I’ve always walked….. What else?” “You told me there was a parking garage nearby, but not that it was metered. I had to park about half a mile away because I didn’t have any change.” (Like it’s my fault he left the house without his money?) “All the parking is metered in Montclair! Are you sure you were in the parking garage I told you about? Which side of Bloomfield Avenue are you on? Because the Crescent garage uses tickets….”

At which point I just kind of gave up and said, “Um, thank you, Daddy” in my best little girl voice, and then asked, “So, what can I make you as a thank you later?” “I don’t know, but it better be good!”

Hopefully, this qualifies. It’s Applesauce Cake from the Joy of Cooking cookbook that I’ve had for about twenty years, and is a family favorite. Luckily!

I did my own good deed though, at lunch.

In addition to calling yarn shops (because I actually started with Nonna’s which does carry that brand of yarn and is a lot more local, but they didn’t have the right color), I not only made and ate my lunch, I took Chappy out for not only a quick walk where he also got to see his favorite mail-carrier, but also for a quick romp in the rapidly-dwindling snow in the backyard.

He loved every minute of it.

The only problem? He’s just a little tired now….

Me, though? Yeah, okay, it was a crazy day at the office, and then I came home and baked, for heaven’s sake, but tonight?

Tonight I get to cast on for my sleeves, so all’s well!

• Tags: Baking, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Good Deeds // 19 Comments »

Well, here I am.

I’ve finished all the pieces of my sweater that I know I have enough yarn for.

I still have the two sleeves to do, but only about a skein and a third of yarn for each of them–not enough.

Now, I blogged about this the other day. I did order more yarn on Wednesday . . . deciding that I won’t worry about the dyelot. Except . . . I haven’t heard about my yarn being shipped. I got the order confirmation with a note that it should “ship within two business days” and that I’d be notified . . . well, it’s been five business days and I haven’t heard a thing.

And so, I’m waiting.

I just wish Fuzzy Mabel would write…. I hate losing what little momentum I have, you know, since it’s taken me five months to get to this point.

(I won’t even go into the fact that the day AFTER I placed my order they posted a “20% off all orders” sale . . . it figures.)

I’ll weave in all my loose ends, which is something, I suppose.

• Tags: Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Stalled // 9 Comments »

Okay, so I plied those two bobbins together this morning, which, finally, puts me exactly at the halfway mark of that massive pile of roving. (Well, three pounds is massive for me, anyway, and considering I’ve been plugging away at it since October 2005, well, it feels never-ending in so many ways.)

But, that’s not the point. I plied the singles this morning . . . and, is it me, or is my Lendrum getting harder to treadle? Or just that it’s harder than my Little Gem to treadle? Because even with just the normal head on it, I really had to work at that plying . . . as if I weren’t wore enough to begin with. But I’m digressing.

The point is that, since I finished that stint of spinning (winding it off the bobbin and soaking it can happen any time), I can now allow myself to spin something else for my weekend visit to Liz.

Some of the options in that pile o’roving are automatically excluded. The merino/alpaca in gray and brown, for example, is too similar (somehow) to what I’ve been working on. The green I’m not in the mood for, and the yellow I’ve been doing in tiny batches on my Journey Wheel.

Which leaves these four.

Top left is Socks That Rock merino in the Carbon colorway that I bought at Rhinebeck last year. It’s lovely and I still think the colors and everything else are beautiful, but it was god-awful expensive, ounce for ounce (twice what what the already-spun sock yarn cost, for heaven’s sake), and I think it’s something I should spin when I can focus on making it as perfectly-spun as I can manage. So, really, it was pretty much out of the running at the very start.

But then, the hard decision….

Top Right is Corriedale pencil roving from Crown Mountain Farms in Tibetan Dreams. It’s beautiful with orange, magenta, pink, gold . . . really vibrant, luscious, saturated colors, and easy to spin, too (since I’ve already spun some of that before, in a different colorway.)

The bottom of the picture is the Sock Hop roving, also from Crown Mountain Farms. Big Yellow Taxi on the left, and Twist and Shout on the right. (Which spin up to look more or less like this and this.) And I already know that their Superwash Merino is a delight to spin, also. So yeah, this part got tricky.

I decided to wait on the Twist & Shout (even if it is one of my favorite of the songs the Beatles covered–nobody sings that song like John sang that song). The colors are lovely–we all know how I love the blue and green thing–but that’s just it. I do blue and green for so many things, so often. And besides, it’s one of the most recent things I’ve added to my spinning stash, so it’s only fair for it to wait a little longer.

Which leaves two. The Tibetan Dreams and the Big Yellow Taxi.

I can tell that I’m excited about the change, though–my fingers are
just itching to get back to the wheel…. It’s been a while since that
happened! I really, really bought way too much of that merino/silk, no
matter how pretty it is….

Anyway, guess which one I picked?

Well, it was only fair.

I mean, the Big Yellow Taxi IS the oldest roving in my closet.

Um. Next to that merino/silk, that is…. But really, we’re just not going to talk about that….

• Tags: Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Variety // 13 Comments »

Hard though it is to believe, Chappy’s had an even better day today than he did yesterday.

This sun is out (kind of, mostly), and he’s had all of us home all day.

And, he got to play in the snow again–with his beloved Flying Squirrel toy–AND didn’t get stuck with a bath afterward because we put his coat on him first.

His coat, incidentally, is an Apache River “dog blanket” and is by far the best winter coat I’ve gotten for any of our dogs. Spandex-lined polar fleece, so it slides on without clinging to his fur, and is still warm. It slides on over his head, and then there’s a “belly band” which goes between the front legs and velcros to the sides for a snug fit. (Or, well, it would be snug fit except that by the time we get to that point, he’s so excited about going outside, he’s spinning in circles, so I just take what I can get.) And, unlike wool, it doesn’t turn into felt when it gets wet and played-in. I love this coat. He only really wears it on bitterly cold days, or for serious playing in the snow, but, well, I’ve never been the least bit tempted to knit him a sweater. There’s no way it could keep him warmer more easily than this!

Really, I could keep posting snowy-Chappy pictures for you . . . I took plenty of them, after all. For a couple of reasons–one, I doubt I’ll have the chance again this winter, and two, he wouldn’t look AT the camera! When I was standing there without my camera, he’d stare right at me, willing me to throw something, anything, for him to chase. But the minute I’d take my mitten off to reach into my pocket for my camera? He’d either look away to where he thought I’d throw it for him (as if!), or stare at my other hand holding the mitten . . . It took a lot of tries before I got one where he was mostly looking AT me.

Luckily, the sky was more than willing to cooperate, so here’s my Saturday Sky picture for you.

Of course, all of this has left me exhausted. I guess I don’t have the snowball-stamina I used to have. Either that, or the additional effort of cleaning off my car wore me out. We ended up with about 6-8 inches of snow with a fine crust on the top. I am so grateful for my Sno Brum. Trying to break through that crust and then sweep the snow off sideways is just too rough on my shoulder, but the snow broom is perfect–it’s a foam rectangle that won’t damage the car, so I could beat at the crust to break it into pieces and then just push everything away. I’ve had this for over ten years now and wouldn’t want to be without it.

I know, I’m sounding like an info-mercial, but I mean it! They’ve even added a telescoping handle which has to be handy if you drive those big SUVs. Oh, and while I’m mentioning nifty things to buy–I saw this very cool diaper bag, which I have no use for, of course, but it doubles as a carrier for a tired child–dispersing their weight across Mom’s shoulders, which has to make life SO much easier.

(And, no, I’m NOT trying to make you spend your hard-earned money, but isn’t it a nice change from yarn p*rn?)

But, well, okay, you talked me into it.

I finished my current hatfull of singles–finally–which means that, as long as I get these plied between now and Thursday, I can bring something else to Liz’s next weekend. And, well, I WILL.

That’ll be good for me, too–I need a break from this anyway. It’s ironic, you know. I really love the fiber, love the yarn, love the feel, the color, the preparation, the results  . . . I’m just tired of the same thing . . . and there’s still more than a pound to go!

One other, random link for you–the folks over at Creating Passionate Users have a slide show about blogging to promote a Microbrand. Now, I can’t say I’m entirely certain what a microbrand is, but still, the tips are good in general, I think. I’m not even remotely in marketing or anything even like it, but this is a blog I enjoy reading–it makes me think about things I wouldn’t otherwise have thought of, and in an informative way.

And now, not only am I tired, but I’m also stiff–not only from the snowballs, and the digging out my car (thank heaven we have someone who plows our driveway for us!) but also sore because when I was climbing over the pile of plowed-up snow to get INTO my car to move it before, I slipped and fell half into the seat, ramming my spine against the door jam . . . I’m definitely going to be sore tomorrow….

Have a good night every one!

• Tags: Chappy, Knitting/Spinning, Sky, Weather • Permalink:Even Happier Chappy // 8 Comments »

It might be hard to tell in this picture, but this is one, happy dog.

Finally, for the first time all winter . . . and just squeaking it in before the beginning of Spring . . . Chappy got an honest-to-goodness snow storm. Not rain and sleet mixed with a little snow, like on Valentine’s Day. Not a measly little inch of snow, like a couple weeks ago. But actual snow, inches of it. Knee-deep (at least, to Chappy).

He’s ecstatic. You can’t tell in the photo, of course, but his tail did not stop wagging the entire time we were out there.

Not only that, my office closed at 1:00 today, so he got his Mom home early for the weekend. We sat on our chair in the window. We played in the snow. We were together….

What more could a dog ask for? (Yeah, I know, food. But he got an extra biscuit when I made some tea around 3:30, so that’s covered.)

Naturally, of course, this whole thing has made me miserable. Spending extra time with my dog? You can imagine how that makes me feel. A chance to curl up with my book? Ugh. And, good heavens, time to spin?? How boring….

We won’t go into the unfortunate batch of brownies I made. I don’t know if it’s because of the hot chocolate Mom would make for us
after playing in the snow, but I always want something chocolate on a
snowy day . . . I’m just really disappointed with the way the brownies
came out. I was making a half-batch and mentally re-calculating the ingredient measurements as I went, but forgot to halve the flour . . . so even though I added some milk to thin out the batter . . . it’s more like a kind of dry chocolate cake . . . This is going to take some thought to figure out how to fix. It tastes perfectly fine, but it’s not, well, brownies. So, really, this whole afternoon, as you can imagine, has been dreadful…..

Well, okay, I can’t fool you. I loved every minute, too. Well, maybe not the post-snow-romping bath to wash the ice out of his fur (see the photo to the left), but he needed that anyway to combat that recurring staph infection. And a bath is a small price to pay for all the fun.

But, did you catch how I actually found some time to spin? Not a LOT of time, what with all the other stuff, but still. I made a deal with myself. If I can get this current “batch” of merino/silk done–that means getting this hat of roving spun, and the two bobbins of singles plied together–then I can bring something new and different with me next weekend. It’ll be such a treat to spin something else! Working on anything else will be a treat all by itself. So I really want to get this done.

What? Next weekend? Didn’t I say? Chappy and I are going down to visit Liz and Max next weekend–woohoo! It’ll be so great to see them again–especially Max, who I haven’t seen since July. (Liz said she’d see if Shelley could come for Saturday afternoon, which would be fabulous, but I’m trying not to get my hopes up. She’s been completely swamped at work for months now, so I have no idea what the odds are that she’d be able to come–but it would be nice!)

Anyway, originally Liz had suggested either this weekend or next, and I picked next weekend because it wasn’t St. Patrick’s Day. (Even in the middle of the day, those revelers can be hazards on the road you know, and really, why risk it?) Besides, sometimes my office does something for St. Paddy’s Day, and if so, I didn’t want to miss it . . . as it happens, we didn’t this year . . . unless you count the freebie afternoon, which I’m happy to credit to St. Patrick if it makes everyone happy. But. . . that’s actually the point. I’m SO HAPPY that I chose next weekend! Because, even though I know they’re getting more rain than snow down there in Maryland, I would NOT have wanted to drive 200+ miles today with my carsick-prone dog in the backseat. Not in this weather. He wouldn’t have enjoyed it, either, I mean, not only the drive, with the traffic, but…. he’d finally have snow in his own backyard, and we were leaving? It just wouldn’t have happened, and then I would have felt terrible about cancelling, and . . . isn’t it nice that we picked NEXT weekend?

Our timing today was really good, too. I came home, ate lunch, and then relaxed with Chappy and my book for a little while, but at 2:00, figured it was a good time to go romp in the snow. There’d be plenty of time to play, for Chappy to get his bath afterward, and still have time for me to do other things before dinner. Little did I know that the snow was going to be changing over to sleet at around 3:00 . . . it was just shifting when my snowball-throwing arm got tired and we headed inside, and it’s basically been sleeting nonstop ever since. Playing outside while it’s snowing can be fun. Playing outside in sleet or freezing rain? Not so much!

Really, you know, it’s been quite a nice afternoon.

So, thanks St. Patrick’s Day/Mother Nature for getting me the afternoon off–I certainly tried to make the most of it.

Oh, and wish my sister and niece luck for tomorrow–they’re (hopefully) going prom-dress shopping. (We’re all hoping the weather won’t have interfered with that plan, since she’s in the school’s spring musical, and most of her weekends from here on in are pretty full.)

And, I forgot to tell you yesterday, that our neighbor came home yesterday. Mom brought her over some salad and some homemade muffins that I sent along, and said that she’s really sore from the procedure, but feeling fine–we certainly hope so. Thanks for all your good wishes!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! (Not that I’m Irish, but again, I got the afternoon off from work on a Friday, so I’ll credit anyone who might have been responsible. Thanks, again!)

• Tags: Chappy, Friends, Knitting/Spinning, Weather • Permalink:Finally Happy Chappy // 9 Comments »

Well, I will (grudgingly) admit–much as I hate the adjustment to Daylight Savings Time, it WAS kind of nice to catch the tail end of this obviously beautiful sunrise on the way to work the other morning.

I suppose even waking up in the dark has SOME compensations.

Brought to you by:

• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday, Sky • Permalink:Silver Lining // 4 Comments »

Let’s see, there’s not that much to talk about tonight. (Haven’t I babbled enough the last couple of nights?) But I do have a couple interesting links for you:

A roller coaster you need to pedal? Apparently they’ve had these in England, but this is fairly new, over in Japan. Do make a point of clicking on “additional pictures” so you can see the, um, fantastic translation into English…. (grin)

And, this link from Miss Snark’s literary agent blog . . . she gives advice to writers as to how to approach agents and such, and she’s entertaining and informative in her snarky way, but this one “query” letter she blogged about? Oh my, those people have gall. (Maybe you need to know what the querying rules are to appreciate it, but still! Trust me, it’s priceless.)

And, you know, really? That’s about it. Except for the BTT:

Booking Through Thursday

1. Speaking of writing in books, what about writing the entire thing? Do you write? Aspire to write? Dream about writing? Well, yes, actually, kind of all the above. I haven’t actually written lately (other than blogging and emails), but I do have one completed mss that I’d like to get published–though I haven’t sent it out in a couple of years–and I have two others that are about 275 pages each, but not nearly finished. But, yeah, I do at least kind of write (grin).

   I even posted a picture of it in my “Firsts” post back in 2005 . . . come to think of it, that was a ton of fun–feel free to pick that up as a meme, huh?

2. If you do write, do you do it for yourself, or because you hope to be published? (Or because you ARE published?) A little of both. I wrote my first book solely because I wanted to have that story on paper and out of my head. I wrote it because it was a story I wanted to READ, only nobody else was writing it for me, so I bit the bullet and wrote it myself. I really rather love that story. The other two? I did kind of have publication in mind when I wrote them, which I sort of think jinxed them a little. And, well, the idea for that other book did come from an incredibly vivid dream, which was pretty nifty. Otherwise? The occasional poem, but not that often. I usually only write them when I’ve got some strong emotion that needs letting out, and generally I’m a pretty mellow person, so that doesn’t come up that often!

• Tags: General, Reading • Permalink:Not Much // 3 Comments »

What’s wrong with this picture?

I know, it sounds like a trick question, doesn’t it? Well, it might be, but the trick’s on me.

Two lovely little skeins of Elsebeth Lavold’s Silky Wool in color #23, Plum. Isn’t it pretty?

And, you know, little?

Because, imagine my surprise last night when I went into the closet to pull out the next two skeins of yarn for my sweater (you know, the one I’ve been working on since October) and realized they were the last two skeins.

Uh-oh.

Two more skeins? But I’ve still got both arms and half the hood–there’s no way on earth I’m going to make it. Not even if I forego the hood and make 3/4 sleeves (which, really, would look pretty silly on this, I think.)

So, um, let’s think. There’s pretty much no chance at all that the store I bought the yarn in is going to have any left in my dye-lot . . . not ten months later. I thought about calling to ask, but really, it seemed pointless so I didn’t bother. An internet search didn’t help that much, either . . . there doesn’t seem to be much of my color (#23 Plum) available (has it been discontinued?)–though I did find some at Fuzzy Mabel’s. But, yeah, I really, really don’t expect to match the dye-lot.

But here’s what occured to me. This sweater is a raglan, and I’ve got the back, the fronts, and most of the side panels done in my original dyelot. Obviously, starting the sleeves in this dyelot and changing mid-way to a different one could be awful–that dreaded horizontal demarcation between old and new. But, I asked myself, what if I knitted the entire sleeves in the same color, different dyelot? There would be a minor discrepancy, I’m sure, but what with the raglan seaming, you could think that it’s your eye, not the yarn . .. right? Theoretically?

And certainly, it couldn’t look worse than the two-color version, courtesy of KnitPicks. (I mean, really, this is a stunning sweater pattern, but in two colors? Ugh. But maybe that’s just me. But at least this picture makes it easy to see the separate pieces….) But, heck, if the knitter of this version could do vertical stripes of color, why can’t I do marginally different versions of the same color?

Again, I’ve got the front, back, most of the sides, and the cabled “hood extension” up from the center back over the top of the head done. The plan is that the sleeves will be knit in the new dyelot in their entirety. And then the sides of the hood? Well, we’ll see where I’m at, how the colors match, how much of each yarn I’ve got, etcetera, etcetera when I get there.

Please tell me that this doesn’t sound like it’s going to look horrible. It makes a certain amount of sense, right? Or, you know, be honest and tell me if you do think it will look horrible–I encourage honesty–but be gentle. Because I ordered more yarn from Fuzzy Mabel. Six skeins, which should be more than enough. And if I have extra? I have some of the same yarn in Green and I love purple and green together, so there’s some potential there, anyway.

Either way, though, wish me luck! Now, if only I could somehow be knitting faster…. It sure would be nice to wear this on vacation in May . . . (Please, let this be done in two more months!!) I wouldn’t have believed it possible, but this is taking even longer than my Union Square Market Pullover. It’s almost enough to make a girl want to knit with bulky yarn.

Now, let’s see, in other news…. It was a beautiful day today. Mid-seventies in March is not something that comes around every year! It was so nice, in fact, that we took Chappy out for not one, but two walks today, so now he’s exhausted, but very, very happy.

Our neighbor’s surgery (that I mentioned yesterday) went well. Her husband called us around 2:30 to say she was in recovery, though we haven’t heard anything since, so we’re assuming all went well. Thank you all for your good wishes! I’m sure they helped, and I KNOW she’ll appreciate it when we tell her later on.

• Tags: Knitting/Spinning, Weather • Permalink:Uh-Oh // 17 Comments »

Well, you knew this book was going to end up in my collection eventually, right? I mean, it was only a matter of time.

I flipped through this at Stix-n-Stitches a couple weeks ago when I was there with Mom, but had met my (somewhat imaginary) book quota for the time being and so didn’t buy it . . . but I liked what I’d seen, so, naturally, got it from Amazon when I placed an order the other day. (And, it’s not like I didn’t buy yarn at the shop or anything, so I’m not feeling guilty about the book. As much as I like to support LYSs and all, I have a book habit to support, and well, discounted books are a good thing.)

So, anyway, this came today and I look forward to browsing more thoroughly through it.

Now, if only one of my knitting projects would pick up some steam so I could maybe make something NEW!

Let’s recap shall we?

I’ve been working on my Tatami cardigan since I got the pattern on December 16th.

I’ve been working on the Celtic Icon sweater since October, for heaven’s sake. FIVE MONTHS ago.

Which means the view inside my knitting bag basically hasn’t changed in months. (Except, you know, the actual bag.)

The fact that I’ve only been working on Mom’s socks since the middle of February feels almost refreshing.

Because, let me tell you, there’s really no comfort in this regard, no variety, on the spinning front.

Because I am still plugging my way along on this mountain of beautiful stuff. Half merino, half silk, bought from the Sheep Shed at Rhinebeck in 2005. Yes, you heard me. Going on a year and a half ago.

Don’t get me wrong. I think this roving is stunning. I think the resulting yarn is beyond fabulous–it’s soft and warm and the color is absolutely gorgeous. Dark gray in dimmer lights, but with these fabulous hints of purple in bright lights. It’s absolutely wonderful. I love it.

But, OMG, look at how much more there is to spin!

That’s still over a pound of roving there. Twenty ounces to be exact. Which means I’ve spun almost twenty-two ounces of it.

As in, barely more than half.

And the worst part?

I’ve got all of this beautiful, tempting stuff just sitting and waiting for me.

Sigh.

If that’s not fortitude, I don’t know what is.

Mind you, I’ve done a couple other things in the time in between. I spun all sorts of other things last summer, to take a break. I knitted a few little things for Christmas presents. But still, my primary projects–knitting and spinning–haven’t changed in months.

So, really, can you blame me for buying new knitting books? At least I can look at new patterns, anyway…. I’ve thought about working on a design or two of my own, but then I’d need to swatch or something, and well, I don’t think I can afford the time away from plodding through these current sweaters . . . you know, if I want them done in time to keep me warm when hell freezes over….

Hey. Did you see, over at JenLa? Chappy got an honorable mention in the Tootsie awards. How nifty is THAT, huh? (And, Kristi, really deserved to win the prize for best picture–hers was pretty impressive.)

And, one last thing. Remember our neighbor, Mom’s good friend who was taken to the hospital on Dad’s birthday? And was then diagnosed with Arrhythmia, yet when the doctors went in to fix it, could find nothing wrong? Well, since then, she hasn’t been feeling well and having panic attacks because, well, she’s scared about what could happen (understandable, I think!). Well, today she was at her cardiologist to discuss one of those heart monitors that you wear for a few weeks to measure your heart activity? While she was there, her heart rate dropped down to 40 beats per minute. . . . Long story short, she’s in the hospital tonight and getting a pace maker tomorrow (which, if nothing else, should give her some peace of mind). But, if you could send some good thoughts her way . . . it certainly helped last time! (grin) At least she “chose” the perfect place to have another “attack” or whatever this is. According to her husband, even now, hours later at the hospital, her pulse hasn’t lifted above 40 . . . scary, but at least she’s in exactly the right place in case something goes wrong. Oh, and spare a thought for her son, too, who has to leave on a business trip tomorrow morning and can’t be there at the hospital like he was the last time…. Thanks, everyone!

• Tags: Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Fortitude // 12 Comments »

We’re sorry, we can’t come to the blog right now, because we’re too tired trying to catch up on our sleep as we adjust to the new, Daylight Savings Time. We hope to be fully awake and functioning tomorrow, but in the meantime, can we direct you to Eunny’s great news? And, on the plus side, Chapter seven of Fledgling is up. Meanwhile, please feel free to leave a message at the beep–we’ll get back to you just as soon as we pull our eyelids open.

Thank you, and have a nice day.

***(beep)***

• Tags: General • Permalink:We’re Sorry…. // 16 Comments »

It was all about doing chores here at chez Chappy today.

Guess which one I was most anxious to address?

No, not dusting my bedroom–not even the ceiling fan blades. Not coming up with a completely new recipe for pot roast that hopefully won’t be bothering Mom’s stomach, which as been . . . cranky . . . since last night. Not doing laundry. Or taking Chappy out for a walk (though that wasn’t really a chore.)

Nope. the one I was most anxious to do was to give him a haircut. I didn’t even take that much off . . . all we ever really do is “trim around the edges.” Me, scissors, Chappy, and a selection of treats. No electric clipper, nothing that’s going to shave too close. Just a trim to cut away the raggedy-edges.

I paid particular attention to his furry little feet. I showed you his fuzzy feet a week or so ago, when La asked, but really, the fur was getting a little too out of control, making him slide around on the floors too much.

This is much better, now.

Except, of course, now his nails sound REALLY long . . . Sigh. I should have had the nail-grinder out days ago, except the fur on his toes was so long I was afraid it would get caught. I find it interesting that he has so much more fur than Katy did. Or at least, needs more trimming. She had feathery bits on her legs and under her belly that needed tidying from time to time, but not like him. Is it because he’s a boy? A different breeder? More curl to his fur? I’ve no idea, but really, I keep thinking that “Hobbit” would have been a great name for him, what with his short stature and furry toes….

Incidentally, Chappy wants to thank everyone for their kind comments on yesterday’s post. He’s feeling very chuffed and flattered and appreciated, and really, it’s a testament to his sweet disposition that it hasn’t gone to his head. (Although, it’s possible I may have told him that he needed to look good for his “public” when I pulled out the grooming scissors.) The fact that he wants now to refer to my blog readers as his “fan club,” really, I’m sure, will pass with time….

I had WANTED to catch up on my magazine reading today, but ran out of time. I’ve got an issue of Smithsonian that’s been waiting for over a week, and a copy of Whole Dog Journal (my favorite dog-magazine). And just the other day, my issue of Writers Ask came. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a journal for writers which consists of interviews with writers about various writing topics–their technique, inspiration, how they come up with character and place . . . all that. Interesting, if you’re a writer (which I sometimes like to fool myself that I am, though I’ve yet to get a single thing published, unless you count a dog-training tip in Click for Joy ). Anyway, Writers Ask is a sister publication of Glimmer Train Stories, which is a literary fiction magazine published by two lovely sisters that you may not have heard of, but is excellent, so I thought I’d just mention it in case you were interested.

Anyway, that’s pretty much been my day. No knitting or spinning to speak of, even though I was determined to get some spinning done today . . . Of course the whole Daylight Savings thing has thrown me off . . . I’m dreading tomorrow morning when, not only will it feel like my alarm is going off an hour early, but it will be dark again. I really, really hate waking up in the dark.

Now, I’m off to go back to the Audible.com website to try to figure out how to cancel my membership. I’ve found links on how to upgrade to a more expensive membership level. I’ve easily found locations for updating my credit card information to make it easier for them to bill me. Links for telling friends or giving them gifts? Easy. But I have yet to find a “cancel” button. I’m sure their service is perfectly fine, mind you, but I joined them last April, right after I’d gotten my first MP3 player, and have yet to download a single book. So, really, what’s the point? There IS a guide in the Help screens that will tell me how I “fulfill my financial obligation,” but I’ve got to tell you, if they bill me a single penny for cancelling when I’ve received not a single thing from them in the last 11 months, I will NOT be a happy person….

• Tags: Chappy, Reading • Permalink:Raggedy // 9 Comments »

Hi, Chappy here.

Mommy’s tired today, so I thought I’d take over and let you know what she’s been doing today.

You know, to give her a rest–because that’s the kind of boy I am.

Well, the first thing is that Mommy and slept late this morning because she was up late finishing a book (She says to tell you it was His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik, and that she would have stopped at a bookstore today to buy the see-quill–whatever that is–except she was too tired.) But, anyway, we had a nice, relaxing morning–I love when I get to sleep on the bed–but around 10:30, she and Grandma went out. Without me!


That’s because they were going shoe shopping and said dogs aren’t allowed. Although that’s silly, don’t you think? Because I help Mommy pick out her shoes every day. Of course, I always encourage her to wear the kind that can go for walks, but she doesn’t always listen. But still, I consider myself something of a con-a-ser (or however you spell it). They were gone for hours, but I think they did pretty well, even without my help. And, naturally, I inspected everything when they got home. I don’t think those es-pa-drills are very practical for going for walks, but I guess they’re okay, although Mommy says they’re a little higher than she really wanted but that she loved the color. Well, they are green . . . I like that they match my collar.

But my favorite part of the day came next! We all went to the park! Even Grandpa!

(Sorry about all the excited-marks, I couldn’t help it. Because I was! Excited! I’m still excititated just thinking about it!)

Anyway, I was so happy about it, I made Mommy take a picture of me with both my grandparents. At the park. A chance like that doesn’t come along every day, you know, because usually when it’s nice enough to go to the park, Grandpa’s out playing golf. It really wasn’t that cold–right around 50 degrees Mommy says. She was wearing that pretty Celtic Dreams sweater of hers, too, and she looked just right–all, you know, warm and Mommy-ish.

I just love a chance to show off my family, you know? I think they’re just the nicest people–although I’m sure all of you are quite nice, too. I know I’ve really liked those of you I’ve met. (Hi Risa! Hi Liz! Hi Jessica! Hi Shelley!) But anyway, I got to show them off to a whole BUNCH of other dogs that we meat . . . um . . . meet . . . um . . . met. There was a poodle, and a corgi and a Manchester terrier and a beagle and two pugs and a really friendly terrier named Abby . . . It just made me so happy to get to show them my family, you know?

My least favorite part of the day? When we came home and Mommy gave me a bath. Blech. Though that’s still better than getting my nails trimmed, which she says we need to do really soon. And a haircut . . . I keep telling her that I like my fur nice and long and fluffy, but she says I start looking like a shaggy little sheep. You’d think that, what with the spinning and all, that she’d like that, but, whatever.

Okay, I’m really tired now, too–the fresh air, the greeting other dogs, the showing off my family, the bath, the running around the house to dry off after the bath . . . And blogging. Who knew blogging was so tiring? Although some of that could be the typing. It’s really not that easy with paws instead of fingers, you know. I have a whole new respect for how fast Mommy does this typing-thing. Anyway, I’m pretty sleepy, too.

I’m just glad I get to sleep on the bed again tonight.

I just love weekends.

• Tags: Chappy, Family, General • Permalink:Report by Chappy // 12 Comments »

Good-bye, Islander.

Thanks for the memories, and for blowing your horn for us.
(Click the horn link!)

And, welcome Island Home–I’m sure you’ll be lovely. And big!

(And no, I did not take that stunning, gold-lit photo–it’s a notecard with one of Alison Shaw’s pictures. Most of the rest of these pictures were actually taken by Mom.)

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• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Islander // 8 Comments »

Our driveway obviously had an interesting night last night. When I went out to get the newspapers this morning, not only were there footprints and tire tracks from yesterday, but three different kinds of animal tracks. Small little cloven hooves from, I’m guessing, a deer . . . though it seems awfully small for deer. A line of cat paws along the edge of the driveway, and little, scurrying squirrel prints . . . or something like a squirrel. Rabbit maybe?

Darn, where’s my girl scout manual when I need it?

Although, actually, I never made it to girl scouts. I was a Brownie drop-out . . . I’ve really never been a joiner, you know?

And, um, no, Knit-alongs don’t count.

1. Do you lend your books to other people? If so, any restrictions? I used to, but as a rule, the only ones I lend books to these days is family members.
2. Do you borrow books from other people? (Friends or family—I’m not talking about the public library) Very, very seldom. If someone really wants to insist, I’ll read a book they lend me, but for the most part, if I’m recommended a book, I’m more likely to just get a copy of my own.
3. And, most importantly—do the books you lend/borrow get returned to their rightful owners?? I ALWAYS return books I borrow, but, well, one of the main reasons I don’t lend books out to people I’m not related to anymore is that I’ve had them not returned far too often. So, no, not any more. Not if I can help it.

• Tags: Reading, Weather • Permalink:Tracking // 9 Comments »

I feel just terrible that I don’t have anything truly interesting of a knitting-nature to tell you. All three of my projects are moving on apace, they just don’t seem particularly fascinating to talk about. I’ve got about six of the fourteen inches done on the side panels to my Celtic Icon . . . but, you know, plain stockinette isn’t exactly riveting–to do or to photograph. My Tatami cardigan is slowly working its way through the seemingly-endless sleeve section. I think I’m about half way through them . . . and it’s only taken me, what, a month to get this far? And then the socks for Mom? I’ve got the foot about a third of the way done …

Sigh. At this rate, it’s going to be months before I get a chance to do something, anything new.

You did know that the new Knitty is out, right? I’d say that was just to torment me, stuck with these endless-feeling projects, but there’s not really that much I’m interested in knitting. Isabella is lovely, but not something I’d be likely to wear. And there are some adorable things for little girls, but since I don’t have one of those, they don’t do me any good. A lovely sock pattern or two . . . but still, nothing to really tempt me to throw my sweaters to the bottom of the knitting bag. . .

Unlike, say, this book which arrived in my mailbox today… (for which I blame Susan, in the friendliest, happiest, most grateful kind of way). It’s been months and months since I did any lace knitting . . . October! if only these sweaters weren’t standing in my way.

(Because you all know I’m pretty disciplined about too many WIPs, right? It’s usually one sweater, one lace project, and a pair of socks going. My having two different sweaters being worked on at the same time is highly unusual. And frankly, it’s making me just a little itchy….)

Two other things of note today? Mom got a new digital camera–a Kodak Easy Share. Let’s all welcome her to the 21st century, shall we? And we also got some snow today. Not a lot, only about an inch, but more than enough to completely mess up this morning’s rush hour for a lot of people–I was one of the very few people on time to work this morning, and there were accidents all over the place. But all that’s irrelevant because Chappy and I got to go out after work and play in the snow in the backyard.

I brought his little yellow frisbee with us and then basically stood there and watched him entertaining himself. His favorite way to play with this toy? To brace both front paws on it and then “hike” it backward through his hind legs, spinning around to pounce on it. He can keep him entertained that way for quite a while, and we now have some very interesting “snow art” back there . . . lots of short, firm strokes of cleared snow from the frequent frisbee sliding. Mostly, I stood there and laughed, enjoying seeing him so happy. Mom took some pictures through the window, which I’d share with you, but they’re still on her camera. I’ll show her how to get them on her computer tomorrow . . . one step at a time, you know!

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Status Quo // 8 Comments »

Okay, my next non-knitting project?

As I was transcribing my reading list to the computer, there would be times . . . and those of you who know me will be shocked by this . . . that I couldn’t read my own handwriting, to decipher an author’s name.

This wouldn’t really be that much of a problem–all I needed to do for almost all of them was take a look at my Book List . . . the one I’ve had in excel for something like 15 years now . . . find the right entry, and copy the correct name.

Except, there were some books that I knew that I owned that weren’t on the list. Like, the book on the Boykin Spaniel, for instance. All I had to do was walk into the office and pull my copy off the shelf to get the authors’ names, but  . . . it wasn’t on the list.

You know what that means, don’t you? The list isn’t as up to date as I think it is.

Naturally, I need to address that! So, I printed it out . . . or at least, the relevant columns (Title, Author, Topic, Location). Then, the next step is to compare the list to the reality on my shelves . . . that shouldn’t take me long, right? I mean, I only have (approximately) 2,849 books, and the list is only 56 pages long…. Easy!

I suppose while I’m at it, I could pare out a few more books that I might (just might) be willing to part with. I’ve shown you my library, and I think it’s pretty obvious that I don’t easily let books go. It’s a reasonably safe bet that, once I’ve got my hands on them, they’re not going anywhere.

Don’t get me wrong, though–I’ve come by all of my books honestly–either as purchases or gifts. Not one of those is a book that someone lent me that I neglected to return. (Or at least, not that I can think of!) But still . . . once I own a book, I do not like giving them up. Since starting this list? I’ve removed exactly 136 books from my library. I know this because I moved them to a separate tab on my Excel spreadsheet . . . because you can’t just willy-nilly get rid of a book without cleaning out the catalog, huh? That’s just . . . chaos!

So yes, in my free time over the next however-many days, I’ll be wandering around with pen and paper, comparing reality to to my list  . . . I wonder how far off my actual count will be??

And don’t think that I don’t sometimes think that I did, in fact, miss my calling and should have been a librarian.

Sometimes I think about putting my yarn collection into a similar spreadsheet . . . but really, that would be scary, don’t you think??

And–on a completely unrelated note? I just heard from Planet Dog about this plea for help from the Michael Keenan support fund. This man ran back into a burning building to rescue a friend’s dog that he was pet-sitting, and is now in the hospital with burns over 80% of his body. He also apparently jumped into San Francisco Bay once to rescue to people whose car had gone in. The thing is, he’s an artist and doesn’t have insurance. Planet Dog has made a donation both to his fund and to Pets Unlimited, who is looking after the dog’s veterinary care. It’s certainly the kind of person who deserves a helping hand, so . . . if you feel so moved, head over and make a donation, won’t you? I did. Or at the least, help spread the word.

• Tags: General, Reading • Permalink:Next Project // 8 Comments »

Three thousand thirty-eight.

That’s how many books I read between January 1, 1996 and February 28, 2007.

123 months.

That’s an average of 24.699287 books a month, or an average of .764 books a day.

The month with the most reads? December 1999, with only 9 books.

The month with the most? July 2001, with 42.

The number of months that I equalled or exceeded 30 books? Twenty-one.

The number of months that I read less than 20 books? Forty-four

The number of months that I read less than 10? One

The year with the least reads was 2000, when I read only 182 books.

The year with the most reads was 2005, with 347 books.

The average per month? Remarkably similar, really, in the 20-22 books-per range but with a jump in August, where I apparently average 26 books a month.

Author with the most reads? Anne McCaffrey, with 198. (Mercedes Lackey was second, with 168, then Elizabeth Peters, David Eddings, Sharon Shinn, Diana Wynne Jones, Sharon Lee/Steve Miller, Dick Francis, and JK Rowling and Sean Russell tied for 10th place.)

Book with the most reads? Sharon Shinn’s Archangel, with 14 reads. I read that book for the first time on 5/3/97 (the first book of hers I read) and have read it fourteen times in the ten years since. No wonder she made the top-ten list for favorite authors, huh? Anne McCaffrey’s Freedom’s Landing comes in second, with 13 reads, followed by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (read 12 times, with the very first one being on 9/18/99). Behind that is David Edding’s “Belgariad” series, Sean Russel’s “Moonlight and Magic” duology (read for the first time in October 1996), and Mercedes Lackey’s “Mage Storm” trilogy–all tied with 11 reads apiece. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, incidentally, comes in at 9 reads in the period stated–but I still couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve read it. I lost count at about 13 reads back while I was in high school, and I must have read it at LEAST five times between then and when I started my reading list, so that’s got to be up somewhere around 30. I’d guess that Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern books are right up there, too…

Oh, and I didn’t always track page numbers, but the one with the highest count is Diana Gabaldon’s Voyager (read 6/30/04). Next is Tom Clancy’s Debt of Honor (990 pages, read 6 times since 1996).

The average number of pages per book is 368.21

I’m obviously having a lot of fun here, but just a couple more statistics for you:

Number of people who guessed for my contest? 48

Number of people who waaaaay overestimated my abilities? 16 people who guessed over 3500. (And, really, Amanda? Liz? Eva? I’m flattered that you think I can manage over 40 books a month. I hope you ladies don’t think less of me.) The lowest guess was Jessalu’s at 2,182 (at least she thinks I have a life outside of reading).

The winning guess? Amy, who guessed 3,012, and is therefore closest without going over–only 26 books off from the final total. (Ironically–and I think this is really funny–she was the very first person to guess, which means all the rest of you might not have bothered . . . except that then it would have been a really boring contest . . . I do love the irony, though!)

The closest guess on the high side was Samantha, who guessed 3,056–only 18 off. I’m feeling a little badly about her being so close, though . . . Samantha, would you like a consolation prize?? Speak up, if you do!

Thank all of you who played!!

And yes, before you ask, yes, I do have a full-time job, and I do spend at least an hour or so knitting or spinning each day. And no, I don’t read in the shower, or while blogging, or taking Chappy out for walks…

Now, I know what you’re thinking–Deb clearly has too much time on her hands. But for the record? I just finished my fourth book for the month of March . . . And in addition to all this number-crunching, I even squeezed a walk in for what my sister calls Parade Day.

March forth, everyone! Onward!

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Book Stats // 13 Comments »

So, this morning, I got up and made some coffee.

Took my vitamins.

Cooked for me and Chappy.

Ate my breakfast.

Fed Chappy. (Doesn’t he look pathetic while he’s waiting for permission to eat? I mean, cute. He looks cute, not pathetic!)

Put on some make-up. And then guess who I saw?

Risa! She and I went to the Mall at Short Hills today–the first time she’s ever been there. (Shocking, I know, since she’s so proud of having grown up as a mall-rat.) We shopped for a while and then had lunch at Bloomingdales.

I had a pastrami wrap . . . really, a reuben . . . and it was quite tasty, even if I couldn’t finish all of it.

I’m quite proud of my purchases. A red merino/cashmere relaxed turtleneck from Ann Taylor, a greenish-blue (not that it photographed even a tiny bit green) pullover from JCrew (courtesy of Risa’s employee discount), and a beautiful blue sweater, also from Ann Taylor which was not only on sale and lovely, but is 100% cashmere. When I realized, I almost swooned!

I mean, all this beauty for about $65? Too good to be true!

After all that shopping, of course, we were hungry again, so we stopped at Cafe Beethoven in Chatham for some cappucino and a snack. (The cappucino is excellent there, it really is–lots of foam, like a good cappucino should have. You know, like the way they were before Charbucks came along.)

But, well, Cafe Beethoven is just a couple doors up from the Stitching Bee.

What can I tell you? It’s a sickness. I admit it. I appear to have a sock yarn addiction. They say admitting the problem is the first step….

Oh, and incidentally, if it makes those of you who were feeling teased and taunted by yesterday’s post feel any better, I want you to know that when I got home from work yesterday, they were all gone–so I couldn’t have any, either!

Really, it was a lovely day. Mom and I even got Chappy–still deliriously happy over getting to truly greet Risa without the monkeys cringing away–out for a walk. Nice. And now I’ve got to go–he’s looking for his supper!

• Tags: Friends, General • Permalink:It’s a Sickness // 14 Comments »

Yes, I know. I’m making myself hungry, too.

Brought to you by:

• Tags: Baking, Eye-Candy Friday • Permalink:Cookies // 21 Comments »

Here’s the list of books finished in February:

1. TEAM OF RIVALS by Doris Kearns Goodwin. (754 p.) Incredibly good history book, about Abraham Lincoln and the four powerful, well-known men who were his main rivals for the Presidential nomination in 1860 . . . and who he convinced to be on his cabinet once he–a relative unknown–was elected. Great story, well-told, and just fascinating. Well worth the effort to carry it around the house while reading–it’s not a small book, but I really loved it.

2. SUMMERS AT CASTLE AUBURN by Sharon Shinn  (355 p.) Fantasy book. Coriel usually lives with her grandmother, learning herblore to be a wise woman, but she spends her summers with her half-sister, who is betrothed to the dashing Prince Bryan  . . but as the years go on, she becomes disillusioned . . . A nice, gentle, beautifully-written book by a favorite author.

3. SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION by Lauren Willig (449 p.) You have heard of the Secret Pimpernel, right? The fictional British hero who saved hundreds of Frenchmen from the guilliotine during the French Revolution? Well, apparently, there was also a (even-more fictional) hero named the Pink Carnation, and this is the story of a modern-day graduate student finding his true identity . . . This book falls closer to the “romance” genre than I usually read, but it was pretty entertaining and fun . . . and now I’m going to have to pick up the sequel….

4. WORLDLY GOODS by Lisa Jardine (436 p.) History book, a bit dry, about the new importance of the merchant class during the Renaissance. Interesting topic, and the writing was certainly capable enough, and yet . . . it read like a series of short, disjointed sections that seemed as if they should have been connected. This is the second of her books that I’ve read, and this seems to be just her writing style, but it was a little too disconnected for me to really be able to enjoy.

5. THE EYRE AFFAIR by Jasper Fforde (374 p.) Pure, fun nonsense set in an alternate world where literature is a national obsession. They have “Will-Speak” machines on the corner which spout great Shakespeare soliloquies for a coin. Riots over artistic styles. And, oh yes, a lot of weird, weird things like vampires, and arch-villains who are bulletproof, preternaturally convincing, and purely evil. Enter Thursday Next, a Special-Ops operative for literary offenses, whose uncle Mycroft has just invented a Prose Portal which allows anyone to enter the fictional world  . . . just at the same time that Acheron Hades steals the original manuscript of Jane Eyre . . . and kidnaps Jane! (Yes, it’s weird, but oh, it’s so much fun.)

6. LOST IN A GOOD BOOK by Jasper Fforde (399 p.) Thursday Next, book two–newly-married, and finishing up a publicity tour on her involvement in the Eyre Affair, the multi-national corporation Goliath is trying to convince her to rescue its employee, trapped in Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven.” And to convince her, they “eradicate” her husband–going back in time to have him die as a child, so nobody remembers him . . . except her. All while she’s discovered a way inside of fiction on her own . . . and becomes apprenticed to the Jurisfiction ranks, with Miss Havisham as her mentor….

7. WELL OF LOST PLOTS by Jasper Fforde (360 p.) My least favorite of the Thursday Next books, mostly because it entirely takes place inside of fiction, where Thursday is taking refuge from Goliath’s low-blow tactics. Thursday is not only on her way to becoming a full-fledged member of Jurisfiction, but helping vet the new “Ultra-Word” operating system, which will make old, ordinary books obsolete, all while fighting off a “mindworm” that threatens to steal away her memories of her husband . . .

8. SOMETHING ROTTEN by Jasper Fforde (393 p.) Thursday Next number four–two years later, Thursday emerges back into (her) real world with her two-year old son in tow, determined to do whatever it takes to get her husband back, her job back, her life back . . . except she’s brought along Hamlet, only to find that a crooked (and fictional) politician has declared that all Danes are the enemy . . . but of course, Shakespeare wouldn’t be the same without Hamlet. And then there’s the formidable assassin who’s been hired to kill her. On the plus side, she’s got her own, officially-registered stalker, Millon de Floss, who proves rather useful…. This series, as you can tell, is completely wacky, but it makes me laugh out loud every time.

9. FITTED KNITS by Stephanie Japel (137 p.) Exactly what it sounds like–a book of patterns for fitted knitwear.

10. PHOENIX AND ASHES by Mercedes Lackey (405 p.) A re-telling of Cinderella in a Victorian England that has magic–all part of the author’s “Elemental Mage” series. Eleanor is bespelled by her wicked stepmother to her house . . . until her own magical abilities awake . . .

11. SERPENT’S SHADOW by Mercedes Lackey (394 p.) The “Elemental Mage” version of Snow White–Maya is a half-English, half-Indian woman doctor trying to make a life for herself in England–not easy for a half-caste woman doctor–all while staying hidden from her mother’s evil sister, who has left India to try to find her . . .

12. WIZARD OF LONDON by Mercedes Lackey (377 p.) And this one is the story of the Snow Queen . . . although I think it’s the least recognizable of the series. This is told from the point of view of Sarah Jane and Nan–students of a London boarding school.

13. BLAME IT ON THE RAIN by Laura Lee (295 p.) A series of entertaining little anecdotes–each chapter is only 2-5 pages long–of how weather events have had major affects on history. Noah’s flood, the storm that blew away the Armada invading England, and, oh yes, the multiple attempts to invade Russia only to be defeated by the winter. (These chapters–scattered through the somewhat-chronological book–are titled “Gee, it’s Cold in Russia,” “Gee, it’s Cold in Russia, Part II,” and then parts three and four . . . which are separated by the chapter on Russia’s invasion of Finland, titled “Gee, it’s Cold in Finland.” Little touches like these amuse me, what can I say? Entertaining, informative, pleasantly-written, easy to pick up at a moment’s notice thanks to the short, breezy chapters…. nice.

14. AN ASSEMBLY SUCH AS THIS by Pamela Aidan (218 p.) The first book of her “Fitzwilliam Darcy” trilogy, which tells the story of Pride & Prejudice
from Mr. Darcy’s point of view. Hers isn’t the first to do this, by any
means, but I think it’s one of the best. I’ve read the entire trilogy
twice so far . . . um, give me a couple weeks and I can give you exact
counts . . . and think it’s entirely enjoyable. Definitely recommended.

15. KATZ ON DOGS by Jon Katz (228 p.) General guide to raising and training a dog–not so much about the training specifics as the mentality necessary–or at least helpful–to having a dog in your life. His “A Dog Year” is still my favorite, but this was generally enjoyable.

16. DUTY AND DESIRE by Pamela Aidan (238 p.) The second of the “Fitzwilliam Darcy” trilogy, and definitely the weakest of the three–this covers what he did between leaving Netherfield and seeing Elizabeth again at Rosings . . . but, frankly, it’s all just a little strange. A little too “occult” for Jane Austen, I think. Not horrible, and the scenes with his sister and friend Dy are charming, but . . . not the best of the series.

17. IMPOSSIBLE THINGS by Connie Willis (461 p.) Short stories by a wonderful sci-fi writer–some serious, some funny, some downright depressing. (I couldn’t even bring myself to read the first story about a not-too-distant future where all dogs have been wiped out by a fast-moving disease . . . unthinkable! Chappy thinks so, too.) Her writing is wonderful as always, but still . . . I’m ot really a short-story fan.

18. THESE THREE REMAIN by Pamela Aidan (335 p.) The grand finale of the Fitzwilliam Darcy trilogy and excellent. Not least because it contains some of my favorite scenes from the original–the infamous Proposal, the unexpected meeting at Pemberley–but plenty of other good, juicy stuff, too, like how he tracked down Wickham. You really can’t compare to the original because Jane Austen is too perfect in her own right, but still . . . these are excellent compliments.

19. PERFECT CAKES by Nick Malgieri (311 p.) A beautiful cookbook that I’ve had my eye on for a while . . . well, I do love cake. I haven’t made anything yet, but there are a number of things in here to tempt me!

• Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading • Permalink:Reads from February // 8 Comments »