Mom gets all the credit for this picture. She was out on the lawn on Thursday afternoon, talking to the gutter-man who’s going to replace our rain gutters next week, when she glanced up . . . Against the blue, blue sky and the frilly wisps of clouds . . . a rainbow. She pointed it out to Chris, who was just as enchanted as she was, and then she ran inside for her camera–just in time before it faded. How often does THAT happen, huh?

A couple others, not quite as stunning, but still….

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Tags: Eye-Candy Friday, Sky by Deb
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Okay, here’s option number one for the hooded shawl I want to make. Peruvian Highland Silk in “Tapestry,” a really lovely shade of blue. Practically my very favorite shade of blue, in fact.

But, um, you may have caught the clue in the post title–that, even though I bought this, I’m not 100% sure I want to use it. It’s lovely, and I’ll definitely make a swatch, and yet . . . there’s still a part of me that’s longing for red. There’s just something so nice about wrapping yourself up on a cold day in something that’s not only warm, but a warm color. And so, there’s option number two on its way.

Because you know I like options! And, well, the price was right. I couldn’t justify the $8+ per skein of the recommended yarn (not for 15 skeins), but $3 to $4? Sure. I can do that. You know. Because it’s the responsible thing to do–to make sure the PATTERN gets the best possible (reasonably-priced) yarn . . . right?

Hey, remember when I mentioned that favorite author, and writing her a fan letter? Guess who I got an email from today? Thank heaven I got the right address, huh?? Such a nice, friendly email, too. I wonder if getting my letter made her day as much as getting her email made mine? For the record, here’s a look at my first book of hers, from 1981. It’s still got the B. Dalton price tag in the top corner (only $2.50–boy, did I ever get my money’s worth that day). Not only that, I read it into such a tattered condition, I took it to the school library one day and completely covered it in plastic tape from the book-repair station to protect the cover. It looks like the bottom corner is completely gone, but, in fact, it’s a secure, right-angle of clear plastic. Yes, that’s right. My copy is more or less laminated. (I did that with some other books, too–like my copy of Fellowship of the Ring.) Anyway, it was nifty to hear from her–I just hope I didn’t come across sounding too much like Kathy Bates.

It sure was a pretty day today. Mid-eighties, sunny, blue sky, no humidity to speak of. Refreshing after the hazy, humid heat earlier in the week. Not that I want to rub it in for all the people who are still suffering under massive heat, rain, flooding, and all the rest, but . . . it felt really nice, you know? Chappy even got a walk–his first one since Saturday. My tooth was feeling better, and I didn’t have even a touch of a headache for the first time since early Monday. And WCBS FM is back, even if in a modified way that may or may not be what people want. Still–they sure sounded like they were having a good time over there on the station.

All in all, a good day, you know?

Tags: Knitting/Spinning, Reading by Deb
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Time for the Thursday meme…. Please come over to the Booking Through Thursday page to play along!

1. In your opinion, what is the best translation of a book to a movie?
2. The worst?
3. Had you read the book before seeing the movie, and did that make a
difference? (Personally, all other things being equal, I usually prefer
whichever I was introduced to first.)

And, by all means, expand this to as long a list as you like. I’m
notoriously awful myself at narrowing down to one favorite ANYTHING.
So, feel free to list as many “good” or “bad” movie-from-books as you
like. (Heaven knows that’s what I’ll be doing….)

Last week, when we were talking about great books, “To Kill a Mockingbird” cropped up a lot–justifiably so. And it’s one of the rare instances I can think of where not only the book, but the movie made from it, are both fabulous–an how often does THAT ever happen?

So, let’s see. The best? Other than TKAM, of course . . . “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” with Daniel Day Lewis, based on the book by Milan Kundera. “The Lord of the Rings,” based on the books by JRR Tolkein (of course). “The Secret Garden” with Kate Maberly was absolutely wonderful. (Everything–the look, the acting, the soundtrack–and the modifications to the original quite within reason.) “Sense and Sensibility” as adapted by Emma Thomson was great. “The Age of Innocence” (also with Daniel Day Lewis) was pretty remarkable. “Big Fish,” based on Daniel Wallace’s book. I thought the “Little Women” with Susan Sarandon was pretty good, too. “Holes” was good, too…

The worst? Oh, where to start? The travesty of “The Little Princess” with Shirley Temple? (On which the one with Liesel Matthews was based–that one was beautiful to look at, but, why, oh why did they apparently not bother to read the book?) And then, it was such a shame about “Howl’s Moving Castle“–it was animated, of course, but what a mess they made of that story. Hmm . . . actually, the list of animated travesties could go on for quite a while. Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of NIMH.

As to the last–I believe that you should definitely read the book before you see a movie based on it–although not RIGHT before. I notice enough discrepancies as it is, but if I’ve JUST read the book, I see more of them. So I try to pace it a bit. But, knowing the source material is important, I think. On the rare occasions that I’ve read the book after, I’ve been known to like the movie better . . . Actually, that’s part of the reason I think you should experience the original first. Converting a book to a movie IS an act of translation, and there ARE things that need to change or be condensed. I accept that, but insist that the movie-makers stay true to the sense of the book. It’s one of the reasons that I put “Lord of the Rings” on the list–there were dramatic changes, but there’s really only one or two that I truly object to, and otherwise, it’s remarkably faithful to the FEEL of the story, to the heart of it. They completely changed the ending to The Firm, for reasons I’ve never understood, but since I saw the film before I ever read Grisham’s book, I thought it was a nice tidy ending. Had I read the book first, though, I probably would have been outraged. Go figure.

Tags: Reading by Deb
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I tell you, this is taking forever . . . I’ll just twiddle my thumbs.

No, I don’t mean the photo. I meant the actual sweater.

For those who need a recap, well, I pretty much spelled it all out yesterday, but….

Tatami pattern from Sundara Yarn.
Started in December 2006.
Finished July 2007.
Made in my own, handspun yarn.
Modifications? Well, just two, really.

One is the position of the ties. I’ve mentioned any number of times that my biggest figure flaw is my waistline, and when I wrapped this around as intended, to decide where to place the ties . . . I just wasn’t happy with the way it looked OR felt . . . too clingy. But when I tried just holding it closed at the bust? Perfect. So that’s what I did–I crocheted the two ties right there, at the “V” of my t-shirt. Does it bother me that it’s not so “kimono-ish” this way? Well, maybe a little, but that’s more than outweighed by the fact that I’ll wear it this way a lot more often… (Although, honestly, I’m still second-guessing that decision.)

I also left a little “vent” at the bottom of the side seams–just about 2″–just to allow a little more “give.” (Probably completely unnecessary, now that I’ve decided I don’t want to wear this as a traditional, wrapped, kimono, but it made sense last night when I was planning to.)

Ultimately, though, I’m really, really pleased with the way this came out. I love the way the dropped stitches add to the drape–and the way they make it both warm and breezy to wear. And I really like the way my handspun worked with the pattern, too.

Now, if it would just stop thundering–look how dark those windows are. I took these pictures at about 4:30 in the afternoon! Chappy is NOT a happy camper with those boomers overhead….

Hey, for you NYC-metro Oldies-music fans . . . remember when WCBS FM 101.1 was hijacked by Jack Radio?

Well, as of tomorrow, the 12th, at 1:01 pm, it’s BACK! Woohoo! The format is changing a little–not so much 50′s music, more 80′s–but still. I’m so happy to hear that. I could care less that they’re not going to be using the word “Oldies” any more. (“Heritage,” is the word I heard.) And I will miss some of the 50s doo-wop kind of music (not to mention Elvis) that they’re leaning away from . . . but still. I think it’s great that this radio icon is coming back.

One more picture, just for fun.

Hey, have you seen the TECHknitting blog? Chock full of all sorts of amazingly helpful tips and explanations and things. Like, this explanation of how to join circular knitting to avoid that “jag” at the join–and weave the end in at the same time. Or her brilliant method of kitchener stitch that uses knitting needles rather than a threaded tapestry needle. Or her chart-chart method for lace stitches that’s neither row-by-row text nor stitch charts, but . . . something in between. . . . Hmm . . . I could keep going, but maybe it would just be better for you to look at the topics yourself?

Tags: Finished Knitting by Deb
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Doesn’t look much like a sweater at the moment, does it? But there’s my Tatami, all blocked.

“Closest” to you at the bottom of the picture are the two fronts, then the sleeves, stretched out to either side, and then the back, stretching out toward the top of the frame.

The next step is to fold the whole thing in half and sew the seams up the sides and out the sleeves. Then it will be completely done except for crocheting the ties, which will be fairly quick. Especially since I don’t plan on making them as long as called for in the pattern. If I needed to wrap it multiple times around my waist each time I wore the sweater, it would never get out of the closet–that’s much too much work! So, shorter, more like Carolyn‘s.

But, really, almost completely done. Isn’t it exciting? It’s only been, oh, seven months. Longer, of course, if you include spinning the yarn. Which came from roving (half corriedale, half merino) that I bought at Rhinebeck in October, and which was the very first yarn I spun on my Little Gem last November.

Anyhow, Tatami and I did have one other adventure together last night. It wasn’t clear in the pattern whether the purl-stitch closest to the front openings should be dropped . . . I mean, I thought it should, but I read the instructions five times and still wasn’t sure, so . . . I did NOT drop them. But, of course, I should have–since that stitch runs all the way up the front edge and down to the back edge, which meant there were two rows in the back that were completely wrong. (I should really have gone with my instincts, huh?) So, what did I do? I unpicked the bind-off row . . . not even unknitting it, but just undoing the actual bind-off . . . until I got to the appropriate stitch on both fronts and then dropped it . . . so that all I had to do was re-bind-off. Kind of a pain, but . . . at least the sweater works now. Phew!

Tags: Finished Knitting, Knitting/Spinning, Uncategorized by Deb
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So, you know, I finished the knitting on my Tatami last night . . . at long last, the knitting on my Tatami is done! (Let’s try that one more time, to make sure the fit is right.) My Tatami knitting is finished!

And, did I mention that Tatami is off my needles?

But, here’s the funny thing. Between it and the Celtic Icon, I’ve been slogging away at the same, two sweaters since last autumn. (October for the C.I., and December for the T.) I did sideline them both, briefly, to focus on the Ribby I made for my niece’s graduation present, but otherwise, I’ve been devoted.

Which also means that, other than looking at new patterns as they’ve come out in magazines (online or otherwise), or admiring WIPs on other blogs . . . I haven’t allowed myself to give any thought to other sweater patterns since, well, December. I’m pretty good about resisting the “Shiny Penny” syndrome of being easily distracted from my projects, but usually, when I’m about 3/4 through a project, I’ll start thinking about what’s going to come after . . . if only to make sure that I have the yarn and such ready to go when needed.

But, of course, I’ve never had two projects tie me up for such a long time. Even my Union Square Market Pullover–which at the time I thought was endless–only took five months. These have tied me up for ten months. Ten months when I didn’t dare think about what other sweaters I’d like to do, because, well, that would just be cruel, too tempting.

It honestly didn’t occur to me until last night, after I closed my knitting bag for the night, that . . . I was now free. Free to start something new. Free to browse patterns to my heart’s content. Free.

I tell you, it made me practically giddy.

So, naturally, today, I started browsing through pattern books, magazines . . . and yes, Ravelry, because those Pattern lists are marvelous (when they finally get this up and running for everyone without needing an invitation to “play,” it’s going to be beyond marvelous). . .

But do you know what pattern I keep coming back to? Not a sweater at all, but this cabled, hooded shawl from Nicky Epstein’s “Knitting Beyond the Edge.”

I know, I know. I told myself that I’d make something simple next–and with minimal (if any) cables, and yet, there’s something about this shawl that I think is just fabulous. Granted, it’s got bobbles, which I really don’t like making at all . . . but still it’s stunning. Worn this way, it’s almost like a capelet . . . but not quite. It’s a dense fabric, so it must be really warm–more so than a lace shawl, but still lighter than a jacket, which makes it good for outerwear for cool, autumn days as well as for something to be worn over a coat on bitter, wintry days.

And, well, I’m a sucker for almost anything with a really good hood.

The truly ironic part? Even with my stash of 94 different kinds of yarn (yep, Ravelry’s helpful), I don’t have enough of the right weight in any kind of yarn. The pattern calls for 15 skeins of RYC Cashsoft DK, and I don’t have a whole lot of DK yarn in my stash. I’ve got 10 skeins of Rowan Wool And Cotton (from back when they still used the “and”–it’s been in my stash a LOOONG time) in Chocolate brown–far too little yardage, and too dark a color. I’ve got 10 skeins of Silky Wool in green . . . but again, not enough yardage. I’ve got 13 skeins of Jo Sharp Classic DK Wool in Wine–a beautiful color–but still . . . no comparison for yardage. And even with my screwy gauge issues, I don’t want to take a chance on running out and not having enough for the hood.

Of course, the recommended yarn is kind of expensive in those kinds of quantities. As much as I like this stole, I’m a little reluctant to spend $120 for the privilege, you know? But then I saw Elann’s Peruvian Highland Silk. 80% wool and 20% silk for only $4 a skein. Much more like it. The only drawback is that they only had three skeins of the color I truly wanted (Ruby). I opted for the Tapestry Blue, but really . . . I really wanted that deep red!

The other knitting question I’ve been pondering? I rolled my “Pacific” Blue-Faced Leicester into a ball, fully intending to start it as a pair of socks just as soon as the Claudia Hand-Paint ones were done . . . but the more I look at that skein, the less I want to turn it into socks.

Do you know what I keep thinking of, instead? Lace. Don’t ask me why–I had always intended that for socks–but the colors play together so beautifully, and it’s such a gentle color combination . . . I think it would actually look gorgeous knit into some kind of lace shawl. I’ve got somewhere between 350 (if I counted wraps on the niddy noddy correctly) and 400 (if you believe my McMorran Balance) yards of the stuff, and that’s surely enough to make SOMETHING, huh?? I mean, something in the vicinity of a shawl? I’m so bad at comparing yardage needed to finished results, but . . . it certainly seems possible . . . right?  Any suggestions?

But now, I’ve got to go and actually do some work on my Tatami . . . I’ve got lots of stitches to drop–the handspun doesn’t “run” as well as the smoother yarn called for in the pattern, so every single stitch needs to be encouraged to drop. And there are ends to weave in, too. Then I’ll need to block it before I can sew up the seams . . . I didn’t say it was DONE, you know. Just that it was off the needles!

Tags: Finished Spinning, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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I almost forgot to show you my Saturday Sky picture for today!

And, oh yes, this . . .

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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Well, this is what Chappy looked like this morning, sitting outside a local coffee shop, bowl of water at the ready, some nice sunshine, treats on the table, out with his Mom and Grandma, and a big ‘ol smile on his face.

I mean, really. Could a boy’s 6th birthday start off any better than that?

Add to that the five and a half year old girl who was so enchanted by him and who sang him “Happy Birthday.” And a chance to walk around town and be admired. And, did I mention the treats? Not only bites of Grandma’s scone and Mom’s cinnamon bun, but even some rice pudding from the fancy, new rice pudding store.

Once we came home, the day just kept getting better, because not only did he get to see his favorite mail-carrier, who came right to the door, but he got to play in his backyard with his Mom. (Grass? Who needs grass? What’s a little dirt??) And then he got to just lie in the grass, with his new-for-his-birthday tennis ball, while Mom and Grandma sat on the deck and read (both) and knitted (Mom). Plus the home-made biscuit from his cousin.

But still, the day got even better. Because he got to go out for dinner to Stewart’s Drive-In with his family. How often does a dog get to go out and be waited on? Because, of course, at Stewart’s Drive-in, you do exactly that. Drive-in and be served by a car-hop. For obvious reasons, this is Chappy’s favorite restaurant.

The only fly in the ointment of this practically-perfect day? (I mean, it wasn’t even too hot!) The fireworks. Various local towns postponed their fireworks because of the rain on Wednesday, and rescheduled for tonight.

Well, I suppose even birthdays can’t be perfect, huh? But, I don’t think he’s complaining. In fact, right this second, he’s sprawled on my bedroom floor, sound asleep, but his tail is wagging. All in all, I’d say he was a happy Chappy–which means I’ve done my job today (grin). My only regret? That I wasn’t up early enough this morning to take a picture of him at 07/07/07 07:07 AM, as he began his seventh year . . .

So, what else did I do today? My Halcyon Equipment catalog came today, and I spent far too much time looking at the looms. I do NOT need another hobby! But, still, it’s not like a rigid heddle loom would take up THAT much room . . . (cough). I also sat and read and knit on the deck this afternoon. I can only do that with hardcover books that stay open well enough that I can let them sit in my lap while my hands are busy. Today, of course, I’m reading “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” as my weekly Harry book as we work toward Book Seven in two weeks.

But that’s not all I’m reading. Along with a biography on Albert Einstein and a book on how English Spelling came to be–not to mention being paused between books two and three in Dorothy Dunnett’s “House of Niccolo” series, I’m in the middle of Susan Dexter’s “The Wind Witch,” which is one of my favorite books of hers. She’s sadly out of print, now, but if you like Fantasy and you get a chance to pick up any of her books, I absolutely encourage you to. And, as fiber-loving people, that particular one would be a great choice. Not only is the story a good one (which it is), but Druyan, the main character is a spinner/weaver. She’s pretty busy doing other things through most of the book, but the few times it comes up–sorting fleeces, spinning, dyeing–you can tell that the author really knows what she’s talking about. She didn’t just do an hour’s research at the library to get the terminology right. You can just tell that she knows how to do that stuff herself. In fact, this is pretty much the only fictional book I can think of that has a character really spinning. Not just a throw-away sentence about “twirling a spindle,” but there’s actually an entire scene talking about carding wool, sorting out the belly wool, judging the staple length. As I say, it’s a very small part out of the book, but I love how it smacks of authenticity.

Obviously, I like the author since I have copies of every one of her books–and they all have that Del Rey “First Time in Print” banner on the back cover, since I snapped them up as they came out. I’ve read her books 33 times since 1996 (statistic courtesy of my newly-computerized reading log), but the 13 years before that? She was definitely a favorite read multiple times all throughout high school and college. In fact, I even wrote her a fan letter, back in high school. 1983, to be exact. I know this because she was nice enough to answer, and I still have the letter where she kindly explains that I can hold off haunting the bookstores because she’d just given the manuscripts for books two and three to her editor, and it would be some time before the second would be out. Which means that, since she only had one book out at the time, I must have been among her first real fans. (Hey, I even tried to figure out how to get a Forensics piece out of the introduction to “The Ring of Allaire,” because I thought the writing was so great.)

All of which got me thinking . . . when I wrote to her the first time, I certainly didn’t know how much I would come to treasure her books–they’re still on the bookcase next to my bed, and there are precious few authors I was reading in high school who still rate that honor. And I certainly couldn’t tell her how much I appreciated those little domestic touches, since, well, she hadn’t written them yet. So . . . last night, I started searching online, trying to see if I could find an address for her. I did find an article about weaving which I think is about her. There’s a page on VisitPA. But they weren’t quite enough. Then, I took a chance and did a White Pages search for her in the town listed as the return address on that old 1983 letter . . . and there she was. Or at least, there was A Susan Dexter. I don’t know for sure if it’s the right one, but how embarrassing it will be if it’s not, because . . . I wrote her another fan letter. I just hope she doesn’t think I’m stalking her, or something . . .

Interestingly, though, if it turns out to be her, she lives not too far (maybe an hour?) from Kittanning, where Chappy was born six years ago. Which tidily brings this post back full circle. (And, oh yes, since it seems as if she’s got fibery-tendencies, I gave her my blog address in the letter . . . because, well, that would make her one of “us,” right, even if she weaves instead of knits? So, um, Susan, if you happened to stop by and are reading this . . . er, welcome!)

One last thing, since this isn’t the first time I’ve been talking about old favorites this week . . . I hadn’t even realized that Susan Cooper’s “The Dark is Rising” series was being turned into a film, but it is, and judging by these posts and articles . . . I’m terrified that they’ve completely ruined one of my very favorite books. They’ve removed the Arthurian influences? Will is no longer the youngest Stanton? And has a twin brother being held by the Dark?? (Oh, please, let that one just be a crazy rumor….)

Shudder. They may have made great movies out of Lord of the Rings (so much better than I had been afraid), but really, movie-makers really need to learn to keep their hands off the really good stuff . . . I still squirm when I think about what they did to “A Little Princess” . . . Just because it’s a kid’s book doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve the same respect for the story as, say, Jane Austen or Dickens or Shakespeare…. <end rant>

Tags: Chappy, Family, Reading by Deb
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Finally!

Yep. You’re seeing what you think you’re seeing.

The new drivewheel is ON the wheel, and the old one is resting, saying its farewells, poor thing.

Really, it’s kind of sad . . . especially since it’s been working very hard lately. I mean, honestly. Believe it or not, ever since the new wheel arrived, the one that was ON the Little Gem has been behaving perfectly.  You know, like it was hoping that I would decide to keep it after all.

Sneaky, huh? Just a couple weeks ago, I literally could not spin for more than a minute or two without the driveband slipping off. And then, the replacement shows up and she starts behaving. Suspicious. Very suspicious.

I haven’t actually SPUN on this new “wheel” yet. After the tension of trying to fit the new wrench (bought on my way home from work) and doing the actual exchange, I really wasn’t up to sitting at a bobbin of laceweight cashmere/silk, you know? I’ll test it later, after it’s had a chance to settle in, or whatever new drivewheels DO.

It sure is pretty, though. I love how the wood grain is almost perfectly symmetrical.

And the wrench? I stopped at the local hardware store on my way home . . . which, really, I should have done in the first place. Not only did the one I buy cost me half of what the one I bought online cost, but there was no shipping. Shipping which, in fact, cost just about the same as the wrench did . . . and which is non-refundable . . . and I’m responsible for paying for sending it back. I admit, I sent a rather snippy email back to them saying, “Well, thanks. How very lovely that I get to pay $15 or so for the privilege of purchasing something from your company that was completely unusable. I’m touched, really. I’ll be telling all my friends. Let me know when youv’e got that return authorization number. I can’t tell you how eager I am to get this expensive transaction over with.”

Do you think that was too harsh? I mean, by my usual, civil standards, that was a little obnoxious, but it’s not like I just decided I didn’t want it. I couldn’t use it for the purpose for which I bought it. I mean, really…

My other purchase of the day? A do-it-myself Lazy Kate for when I do finish those (hopefully) laceweight singles. The Rag Shop is going out of business, and I figured this made a good time to go buy some straight knitting needles. That, and a basket. (And, some tiny, little terracotta pots perfect for baby African Violets, just for good measure.) Because, well, everything was at least 40% off.

And, I’ve got to tell you, that store was hopping! I dashed in at my lunch hour and it took me longer to get through the checkout line than it did to browse almost every aisle in the store. Interestingly, their stock of knitting needles was pretty untouched, but the wall of (cheapish) yarn? Practically completely wiped out. This basket might not be exactly what I was looking for, but for $4, it was worth taking the chance.

Heck, I still paid less on the needles, the basket, and those terra-cotta pots put together than I’m going to end up spending on postage for a wrench I couldn’t even use . . .

Have a good weekend, everyone. I hope everyone enjoys Chappy’s lucky birthday tomorrow!

And for heavens’ sake, stay cool. And dry. But not too dry….

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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Tags: Eye-Candy Friday by Deb
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Well, I thought I’d be able to change my drivewheel today. Because see what I got today? A cd (with a handsome Ram on the cover), and a 13mm wrench.

But, well, there’s a problem . . . The wrench is too wide to fit into the available space. It might be the right size for the nut, but it can’t get in there!

Sheesh.

So now, I need to return this wrench, first of all, to the company I got it from. And, interestingly, of all the details I saw listed about the wrench–the size of the openings, the length, the weight, the quality of the metal that makes up the wrench–nowhere did it say the width of the head. Or the height of it. Whatever dimension that is. And, how frustrating is that?

Now I’m worried I won’t be able to find a wrench that will WORK! I mean, it’s not like this one is unnaturally thick in the head. It’s really quite sleek. But I can’t really imagine that they come much narrower than that . . . I guess I really WILL have to trudge to a hardware store in person to try to find one….

So close, and yet so far!

And–on a completely different subject–how is it possible that “To Kill a Mockingbird” never even occured to me yesterday when I was trying to think of the greatest American novel? Because, well, duh! Not only is it a masterpiece, but it’s a masterpiece that I LOVE. Even the movie is a masterpiece. Sorry, Harper Lee!

And, the only saving grace to a Thursday that completely felt like a Monday all day, is that at least it’s being immediately followed by an honest-to-goodness Friday….

Tags: Uncategorized by Deb
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What with yesterday being the Fourth of July and all, I’m feeling a little patriotic, and so have a simple question: What, in your opinion, is the (mythical) Great American Novel?
At least to date. A “classic,” or a current one–either would be fine. Mark Twain? J.D. Salinger? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Stephen King? Laura Ingalls Wilder? It doesn’t have to be your favorite book, mind you. “Citizen Kane” may be the “best” film, and I concede its merits, but it’s not my favorite. You don’t have to love something to know that it’s good.

Now, I know that not all of you are American–but you can play, too! What I want from you is to know what you consider to the best novel of YOUR country. It might be someone the rest of us haven’t heard of and, frankly, I think we’d all like to get some new authors to read. In fact, while we’re at it–I’m curious about the geographical make-up of this meme. So, while you’re leaving your link to your post, tell us where in the world you are! (For the record, I’m in New Jersey, USA.)

I find this one pretty interesting, actually. (I mean, of course I do, or would I have bothered to ask it?) But, while yes, there are great “classic” novels (like, yes, Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and so on) . . . and while there are some great modern books (like, say, Laurie Colwin, or Jack Finney’s “Time after Time”) . . . When I think of great, American books, the first thing that springs to mind are the children’s books that I grew up adoring. Like these, for example. Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women.” Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie” series. The Trixie Belden series (and Nancy Drew for that matter). “My Side of the Mountain” by Jean Craighead George. “The Cricket in Times Square” by George Selden. E. L. Konigsberg’s “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.” Elizabeth George Speare’s “Witch of Blackbird Pond.” “Understood Betsy” by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. Madeline L’Engle’s masterful “Wrinkle in Time.” Sydney Taylor’s “All-of-a-Kind Family” series. Lynne Reid Banks’ “Indian in the Cupboard.” The “Cheaper by the Dozen” books by Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey . . .

Should I go on? I know, of course, that the question was to name ONE book, but you see, the thing is, I dont see how there can be ONE. And besides, I’m picking a GENRE here. Because the books you read as a child stick with you forever, help shape your worldview . . . and by influencing generations of children, what can be more culturally relevant? It’s like every American child growing up eating hamburgers, drinking coca cola, eating PB&J at lunch . . . it’s part of who you are. And even if you grow to detest soda and give up eating meat, and end up being allergic to peanuts . . . the fact that they are everywhere still affects your worldview. You can detest Louisa May Alcott for being overly sentimental, or find the Nancy Drew stories incredibly trite, but still. They’re there. Read and loved by thousands upon thousands of your fellow citizens. And helping to shape how you view the world and your country.

As I say, I seriously thought hard to find one book to name. (And, ironically, I could think of several, specific English books that I could have listed immediately, were I British.) But ultimately, the books that kept cropping up were these–children’s books. Really good children’s books. Some in that stack might not be as well-written as others (yes, Trixie Belden was a sentimental favorite), but some of them really are masterpieces. With some great life-lessons built in, and that’s never a bad thing.

Tags: Reading by Deb
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All in all, a good day . . . especially by Chappy’s standards. His entire family was here. He got pot roast (two helpings). He got a new toy–which he got to unwrap himself. He got to play in the back yard with his cousins and uncle. He got a homemade biscuit in a box (along with a ziploc bag full of them for later). He got cake.

He is one happy, tired, almost-six-year-old dog!

Really, the day WAS nice, even if it did just start to rain. (As in, literally, about three minutes ago.) There was the unfortunate reaction when my nephew found out the frosting on the cake was cream cheese frosting (after which he refused to eat any more of it). And he did fall in the yard and had to be sent home with band-aids on his knee. But otherwise? Nice.

Now, we’ll just hope the thunder and fireworks are kept to a minimum so Chappy can get some sleep.

And, really, if you’re not going to spoil your kids–no matter how many legs they have–why bother having them around at all? Now we’re just hoping for decent weather for Chappy’s actual birthday on Saturday.

Tags: Chappy, Family by Deb
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Unlike many Americans, we don’t barbecue/grill on the Fourth of July. (Mostly because we don’t even own a grill.) We do celebrate, though–not only the country’s birthday, but Chappy’s birthday, too. So today, that’s what we’re getting ready for. We’re having my favorite pot roast, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and carrot cake with cream cheese icing (Chappy’s request).

Chappy says that the hardest part is waiting for the family to get here.

If you’re celebrating, happy Fourth of July, everyone! (Well, happy fourth anyway, of course….)

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Tags: Baking, Chappy, Family by Deb
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So, speaking of Singles . . . how about these?

That’s2 ounces of Tussah Silk and Cashmere from Crown Mountain Farms in Opal. Oh, so very soft. Oh, so very pretty.

Such a pleasure to spin.

Now, I don’t really have that much to talk about tonight. I went to work today, where it was practically a ghost-town, what with the holiday tomorrow. Came home, baked a cake for tomorrow’s dinner.

Um…Today would have been my grandfather’s birthday . . . his 103rd, I think, had he not passed on 40 years ago. Still, I hope he’s had a good birthday–I’ve actually thought about him quite a lot today, and regret, as ever, that I never had a chance to get to know him.

And, really? That’s about it. At least I had a pretty picture of these singles for you, providentially taken late this afternoon, when there was some sun shining in my window.

Because, they sure do shine.

So, so pretty.

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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Mmm, such pretty yarn. I’m so very happy with the way this skein turned out.

Balanced, too, I want you to know!

Honestly, it just makes me think of a day at the beach–blue sky, blue water, and sand . . . And it’ll be nice and warm, too, once I’ve turned it into socks!

And, since I’ve got about 350 yards, there should be plenty for that. It’s nice and soft, too. This is the first time I’ve spun with Blue-Faced Leicester, and really enjoyed it. The fact that the roving was so well-prepared helped, too, of course. An easy spin–which probably explains why it’s mostly so very even.

This second picture–because, really, I couldn’t help myself–is right next to my current spinning project–two ounces of 50/50 silk/cashmere from Crown Mountain Farms. Oh, so soft, and oh, so pretty. I bought the  “Opal” color and think it’s just divine. I’ve spun some of this blend before, last August, and enjoyed every minute of it. This time, I’m shooting for lace weight, and even pulled out the lace-kit for my Little Gem. (Maybe it wasn’t necessary, but darn it, I have it, I might as well use it.)

This came today, too. My Singelringen. The idea behind this little fashion statement piece of jewelry is that there are rings to declare that someone is married or engaged–why not Single? And, since I AM single and the ring was cute, I figured . . . why not? Their site says, “We at Singelringen have no opinion on whether the single life is the optimal life to live, or not. We just encourage people to enjoy their single lives,” which sounds pretty reasonable to me. And anyway, apparently this is very trendy. And you know how I love to be trendy! (Cough.) (And, of course, by my ring’s personal registration number, apparently there are 61,000 people who were trendy before I got there . . . that still counts, right?)

Anybody else heard of or have one of these? I hadn’t heard of them until I saw them on one of AOL’s front pages a few weeks ago, but then, I don’t read fashion magazines all that often….

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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Yep. Those two bobbins you saw yesterday?

All plied now.

I used Abby’s method of plying (to the best of my ability, at least). The plying is not perfectly even, but it WAS so much easier than the method I had been using. It took be about an hour to treadle my way through those bobbins, and I literally sat with a book in my lap while I did it, out of sheer boredom. Well, “boredom” might not be the exact, right word, but . . . sitting there, treadling, with my left hand doing absolutely nothing? The poor thing needed something to occupy it.

Anyway, this is 4 oz of Blue-Face Leicester from Vesper, in “Pacific.” I got approximately 350 yds of yarn, at a very-consistent-for-me 22-24 wpi. (I sort of lost count, but it was at least 22 when I got distracted.)

By that time, you see, I was in no mood to re-measure or re-count anything. Because between this bobbin of yarn, and the one from last week, I had quite the adventure in skeining today.

First, I tried using my Majacraft Wheel Skeiner to wind off the “Tibetan Dreams” yarn and ended up with this problem again–the yarn winding on too tightly (despite my best efforts) and forcing all the pegs to lean toward the center so that the yarn kept escaping. Heaven only knows if that skein is ever going to let me wind it into a ball, or if it will just be one, big, tangle from all the times I had to stop and rearrange the strands on the skeiner . .  making them overlap in ways not originaly intended.

Obviously, by the time that skein was wound, I was in no good mood to try using that again for the “Pacific” yarn.

So I got out my back-up skeiner. Being horizontal, it’s a little harder to wind yarn onto, because of the reaching-across thing (which gets wearying after the first couple dozen turns), but I figured it would be fine. . . . But, um, not so much. Apparently–even though the house is air conditioned–the summer heat has caused it to warp or some such thing . . . because I could not get it put together. With the two main pieces crossed at the center, the peg that holds everything together would not fit through the hole. It did when the swift arrived in February, but not any more.

I figured I’d try it anyway, but after twelve rotations, it was obvious that wasn’t going to work . . . since the two pieces weren’t fitting together properly, it wobbled way too much to try to wind yarn with. Of course, I then made the mistake of taking the 12 rotations-worth of yarn off the thing and, since I deliberately over-plied to make it longer-lasting sock yarn, it immediately turned into a nasty tangle. So, that’s about 6 yards of yarn that I won’t be getting back . . . although, I thought I’d try soaking the tangle to see if it relaxed enough to make it possible to untangle. (It’s worth a shot, right?)

Which means that I skeined that bobbin’s worth of yarn on my Kromski niddy-noddy . . . thereby making my shoulder (which was already upset with me about the wheel skeiner thing) that much more unhappy with me. Which is ironic, of course, because I got the wheel skeiner, and the other skeiner/swift, in the first place to help make winding skeins easier. Easier on my shoulders as well as just, well, easier. More efficient. Hah! I wonder if I would have been any happier if I had sprung for the more expensive Will Taylor version, or the Goko?

Oh, and I wasn’t any  happier about my Lendrum’s lazy kate which I was using to hold the bobbins steady for this skeining. (I’d already put away my Katie-a-go-go before realizing I’d still need it.) It just refused to let any of the bobbins rotate easily on their shafts–especially toward the center of the bobbins. I was having to PULL to get that yarn off of there. I mean, really pull, with my foot holding the base in place. Ugh. It was the perfect finish to a perfect skeining experience.

The one bright part of all of this? By the time I’d pulled out the niddy noddy, I was clearly not a happy camper. So what did my sweet boy Chappy do? He maneuvered the obstacle course of wheel, skeiner, other skeiner, skein of yarn, tangle of yarn, and lazy kate just to come over to me and give me a hug. As in, yes, a real hug–wrapping his arms around my neck and giving me a kiss. He just hates it when his Mom’s upset, you know.

And, at least I’m happy with the way the yarn looks!

Tags: Finished Spinning, Knitting/Spinning by Deb
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Here’s my reading list from June:

1. STORM WARNING by Mercedes Lackey (428 p.)

2. STORM RISING by Mercedes Lackey (412 p.)
3. STORM BREAKING by Mercedes Lackey (435 p.) These three make up a “Valdemar” trilogy, which tell about the catastophic “Mage Storms” that are heading their way . . .

4. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE (309 p.) Well, it’s the first book–does this story of the boy wizard need any explanation?

5. NICCOLO RISING by Dorothy Dunnett (470 p.) The first, complicated book in her “House of Niccolo” series. It’s not my favorite of the books, but it sets the scene for so much plot to come. And still, she remains my favorite historical-fiction writer. Period. Nobody comes remotely close.

6. LOVE WALKED IN by Marisa de los Santos (307 p.) What a charming first novel. Cornelia is an old-movie fan who runs a coffee shop, and one day, a modern-day Cary Grant walks in and sweeps her off her feet. (One character tells her at one point that, if he were any closer to her dream man, he’d be a copywrite violation. I love that.) The complication? His estanged, 11-year old daughter who comes to him for help when her mother disappears . . . and who immediately strikes up a relationship with Cornelia. I really enjoyed this one.

7. THE GAME by Diana Wynne Jones (179 p.) Haley has been raised by her strict grandparents, but is suddenly sent to live with her relatives in Ireland, where she learns to play The Game with her cousins. Written for children, but an interesting melding of our world to ancient Greek myths. Goes nicely with “Eight Days of Luke” which connects to Scandinavian myths.

8. CART AND CWIDDER by Diana Wynne Jones (193 p.)
9. DROWNED AMMETT by Diana Wynne Jones (312 p.)
10. SPELLCOATS by Diana Wynne Jones (279 p.)
11. CROWN OF DALEMARK by Diana Wynne Jones (408 p.) This quartet of books is kind of hard to describe–YA, again, first of all–and a rather epic kind of story. The first three books tell stories of different people in the history of fictional Dalemark, and then the fourth book ties all of them together–with a bit of time travel to boot. It’s been years since I read these, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed them. Silly me for letting them languish all this time!

12. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (341 p.) Um, you know, book two . . . A secret room far below Hogwarts, which can only be opened by the heir to Slytherin….

13. MASTERHARPER OF PERN by Anne McCaffrey (425 p.) I tend to think of this book as being McCaffrey’s last, good book about Pern, and a clear work of love for a long-time character who clearly was one of her favorites. This tells the story of Robinton, whom we know as the Masterharper in later books, from his early days as a musical prodigy. We see his friendship with the dragonrider F’lon, his relationship with his difficult father (who will become Menolly’s mentor later on) . . . It’s one of those sweeping, lifetime-spanning stories, told with love.

14. YEAR IN THE WORLD by Frances Mayes (417 p.) (Yawn.) Um, what? Oh yes, the book . . . well, let’s see. There’s no question that Mayes can write, but, um . . . this was boring. She and her husband go on a year-long journey around the world, see beautiful things and eat wonderful food, blah, blah . . . because the book feels aimless. And long. And, well . . . she can write. It’s just a shame that she couldn’t have organized it in a fashion that read as if it was going somewhere, or telling any story other than endless reviews of delicious meals….

15. HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN by JK Rowling (435 p.) Book #3, where Harry learns that Sirius Black has escaped from prison and is apparently out to kill . . . him!

16. SPRING OF THE RAM by Dorothy Dunnett (469 p.) Second book of the “House of Niccolo” series–Nicholas heads to Trebizond to try to make a fortune for the Charretty company, but meets with just a few obstacles on the way. Like, say, a competitor who will stop at nothing–not even kidnapping and “marrying” Nicholas’s 12-year old step-daughter. Or an army of Turks bent on taking over the city. And then there’s the small matter of an ongoing feud with the Scottish lord Simon….

17. AUSTENLAND by Shannon Hale (194 p.) Okay, all you Jane Austen fans–this is an enjoyable, fluffy little book. Jane Hayes is a huge Austen fan . . . in particular, a fan of the BBC version of “Pride and Prejudice” with Colin Firth . . . Then her great-aunt leaves her a bequest in her will–a vacation at “Austenland,” a Georgian-themed chance to live like a character from Austen’s books for three weeks. She decides that she’ll get Mr. Darcy out of her system once and for all. The plot was pretty predictable, but fun, so who cares? (grin)

18. HEART OF GOLD by Sharon Shinn (359 p.) One of my very favorite Sharon Shinn books–a world with two races, one matriarchal and powerful, one patriarchal, violent, but less powerful. Now, add in a young man who works in a lab, fighting disease, and a young woman who has been raised to question everything . . . and, oh yes, a terrible, deadly disease . . .

19. BALANCE OF TRADE by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (453 p.) More of a YA book than their usual, still, this is an enjoyable sci-fi book in their “Liaden” world and tells the story of Jethri, taken on as an apprentice trader on a Liaden ship–the first Terran ever to be so honored (if you look at it like that, which some people don’t!)

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by Deb
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