Look at that … 34.5 inches of knitted goodness.

It’s actually about an inch longer than it should be, according to the pattern–I knitted a few too many rows–but then, my actual waistline is rather larger than it should be, so I’m not too worried.

I pinned it to my blocking board in the guest room (while we have a guest room), and the people coming to look at the house tomorrow afternoon will just have to deal.

In the meantime, Mom’s taken down most of the artwork in the house–which, for us, mostly means embroidered pictures by her or me. Luckily, I couldn’t see most of the ones in my room from where I sit anyway, but the walls look oddly bare.

We’re still waiting to hear about the townhouse rental. (You DO all have your fingers crossed, right?)

Mom and I are feeling superstitious about this one, so unlike the last two houses we were interested in, we haven’t given details about this to anybody. Just that we saw something we liked, but are waiting. Not even my sister knows the details. Mom and I haven’t even looked at the pictures on our cameras from Saturday.

We’re really hoping this one works, though. Third time’s the charm, right? Because if this doesn’t, we’re really not sure what Plan C (D? E?) is.

We’ve had a handful of people come to look at this house. Today, in fact, the realtor who lives next door brought some clients–because that’s not weird at all. “Here, look at this house–and I live right next door!” You’ve got to really like your real estate agent for that to be a selling point. And, if you’re the agent, when, exactly, do you bring that up in the conversation? “Oh, and by the way, once you buy this, we’ll be neighbors!”

There’s going to be an open house on Sunday, so the four of us need to skedaddle, so we’re going up to my sister’s and trying to think of it as an anniversary visit, rather than a “you have to leave your house open to the critical gazes of strangers” visit, because Mom and Dad’s 46th wedding anniversary is on Monday.

Hopefully, by then, we’ll have a new home to go to. You know, assuming there’s no problem with this townhouse we want to rent. The one I’m not telling you about until I have firm information one way or another!

At least I have pretty knitting to look at. And if I’m lucky, it will be dry by tomorrow night so I can start on the actual sweater part.

Although, of course, I really should be packing.

Oh, and Ramble‘s arrived at his first destination! Can’t wait to hear about his adventures.

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Meet Ramble.

This is a little sheep we’ve had sitting on top of our bookcase in the family room for over twenty years. But, in our need to pare things down for our move, he that wasn’t going to work any more. Mom thought about (gasp) throwing him away, but I said, “Wait. He’s so adorable. I bet I could find a home for him.”

So, I posted on Ravelry and asked if anyone wanted to give him a home, and very quickly, there were about three people all clamoring for a chance to have him.  Then four. Five… Then someone got the idea of passing him around so they could ALL enjoy his company.

Well! Who knew that this little sheep toy had been sitting on his shelf all those years, dreaming about travelling?

Because, suddenly, he had an itinerary a mile long, a journal to write down all his travels and a blog. Yes, a blog.

Ramble, The Travelling Ram

The idea is that he will spend two weeks with each person, who will show him around, take pictures, make entries in his journal, and then pass him on to the next person. I’ve kind of lost count of the number of Ravellers (all on the MVFF-fan board) who have begged for a chance to host him, but I think it’s around 15-20 people now.

All those people, eager to have a chance to put this button on their blogs. (Well, if they have blogs.)

The plan is that at the end of his journey–however long a journey it ends up being–he will come back to us.

I can’t wait.

What else? We looked at townhouses for rent this weekend, so that was fun.

We’ve had three families look at our house so far, which makes dealing with Chappy fun. He’s super friendly, you know, but rather loud and overly energetic in his greetings, so it’s really not possible for him to be in the house when people come. So on Saturday, we took him for a walk to the center of town for a while, and then we took him with us when we went to look at the townhouses. (He waited in the car. And no, it was not remotely hot.)

When we got home, though, there was still another family due, so Mom and I took him for a walk around the block and then, since the people were still here looking around, sat in my car to wait them out. We had been planning on going across the street to a neighbor who said we could hang out there, except that, when we called, she mentioned something about, “Chappy will be okay on the patio.” Um … in other words, WE two-legged people were we welcome in her home, but not the four-legged person who we had to bring with us. Grr. So, no, we chose instead to sit in the car.

Sunday, Mom woke up with a cold and luckily, nobody was coming to see the house. (Well, okay, someone called around 5:00, but they are supposed to give us two hours’ notice and Dad said that his wife was sick upstairs, so …) It was a miserably wet day to be out looking at houses yesterday, anyway. There was somebody looking today, too, who came at 4:00, just as I get home from work … so I detoured to Starbucks and hung out there with some coffee instead of coming straight home. (Mom and Chappy sat in her car in the garage, poor things.) Now I’m just hoping that I don’t catch this cold. My throat feels a little odd, but I’m chalking that up to (1) allergies and (2) my tendencies toward sympathy-symptoms.

Hey, let me ask you… Do you like paper dolls? These lovely ladies have been in my dresser drawer for years and, well, yes … another group of things I really don’t need to keep any more.

Any of you want them? They’re in perfect shape–I never cut any of the clothes out, never bent or tore anything. Some of the pages of dresses are black-and-white and suitable for coloring and, yes, I colored in a couple of them. (Isn’t that part of the fun?) But otherwise? Untouched and suitable for gushing.

Tags: General by --Deb
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10/15/09: Sale is closed. The man from the used bookstore is coming tomorrow, and I can’t keep these around any longer.

So … under duress, you understand, and no reflection at all on the quality of these books … Some knitting books for sale. All the books are in pristine condition. This is a smoke-free home, as you know, although there could be some dog fur involved–Chappy works hard at that–but all the books are kept in my closet, so they’re as clean and perfect as I can possibly make them.

You’ve seen these before, of course, but now I’m breaking up the lots and offering them one by one, though that means the price is higher per book because of the postage. (Sorry about that) Be sure to read the rules at the end!

• Feminine Knits by Lene Holme Samsoe (Review here). List price $22.95. Offered for $17
• Knitted Jackets by Cheryl Oberle (Review here). List price $22.95. Offered for $17
• Knitalong by Larissa Golden Brown and Martin John Brown. List price $22.50. Offered for $14

• Stitch n’ Bitch by Debbie Stoller. List price $13.95. Offered for $13
• Japanese Inspired Knits by Marianne Isager (Review here). List price $22.95. Offered for $17
• Knit Knit by Sabrina Gschwandtner (Review here). List price $29.95. Offered for $22

• Ethnic Knitting Discover: The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and the Andes by Donna Druchunas. List price $21.95. Offered for $17
• Ethnic Knitting Exploration: Lithuania, Iceland, and Ireland by Donna Druchunas (Review here). List price $23.95. Offered for $17
• Knitting America by Susan M. Strawn. List price $35.00. Offered for $27

• Romantic Hand Knits by Annie Modesitt (Review here). Out of print. Offered for $20
• The Knitter’s Guide to Combining Yarns by Kathleen Greco and Nick Greco (Review here). List price $25.95. Offered for $19
• For the Love of Knitting by Kari Cornell (Review here). List price $19.99. Offered for $18

• Arctic Lace by Donna Druchunas (Review here). List price $26.95. Offered for $19
• Strip & Knit with Style by Mark Hordyszynski (Review here). List price $26.95. Offered for $22
• Knitted Comfort for the Sole by Lena Maikon (Review here). List price $21.95, Offered for $18
• Knit it Together by Suzyn Jackson (Review here). List price $24.99. Offered for $19

• Fiber Gathering by Joanne Seiff (Review here). List price $27.99. Offered for $20
• Domino Knitting by Vivian Hoxbro. List price $16.95. Offered for $13
• New Knits on the Block by Vicki Howell (Review here). Out of print. Offered for $10

The rules? The price for U.S. Book Rate postage is included. If you’re outside the U.S., additional postal costs may apply. Payment will be accepted via Paypal, though if you’re local, cash works, too (grin). The first person to claim and pay for each book is the lucky person who gets it. I’m pretty sure I have packaging available for each group, so it shouldn’t take me too long to get things in the mail–no more than a week (although, come to think of it, I need to buy stamps). Please ask questions if you have them! (Note that while I can check basic email from work, I’m limited in what I can do from my desk at the office, so I’ll trust the comments to keep things in sequence for me.)

Most important? If you’re interested, YOU MUST LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST! Emails, posts on Ravelry, instant messages, phone calls … none of those count. If it’s not in the comments, it’s like it never happened. It’s the only way to tell whose request comes in first (if more than one of you want the same book).

Tags: General by --Deb
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Tags: General by --Deb
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Something else Dad found in his dresser … one of my very first yarny creations. At least, I’m pretty sure it’s mine. He doesn’t remember if it was from me or my sister, but I remember that skein of variegated, green, acrylic yarn. It lasted me forever!

Text here

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Tags: Eye-Candy Friday by --Deb
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I got a box from Martha’s Vineyard today!

That’s a pound of Cormo/Kid Mohair blend. Soft as anything, but with a lot more VM than the last two shares of spinning fiber I’ve gotten.

The letter points out that “the mill we use doesn’t use dangerous and toxic chemicals to dissolve the vegetable matter in our fleeces, so you may find the occasional piece of hay or grass in our roving.”  Environmentally, this is a wonderful thing, even if it means more work for the spinning.

The cormo, though? So, so pretty. Half a pound of pin-fed roving. Mmm, mmm, mmm!

What else today? I went to the eye doctor for a checkup for the first time in six years. (Yes, I know, terrible.) The good news is that my prescription has barely changed, which means that I didn’t need new glasses. Particularly because I barely wear them, so spending a few hundred dollars on new ones wasn’t really top on my list of things to do today.

I talked to my friend Cindy, today–the one who had the heart surgery last week. She’s home now and her dog is driving her nuts, barking all the time because they keep getting visitors and flower deliveries, stuff like that.

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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I know. It looks like a swatch but, in fact, it’s the beginning of my new sweater. It starts by knitting the cabled, horizontal waistband first, and then picking up stitches for the waist and working downard, and then on the other side to work upwards toward the shoulders. Such nifty construction!

This, you’ll remember, is my Peace Fleece yarn, my first time working with it. Love the color–such a shame the sport weight doesn’t come in more of them!

Here’s something else going out in the garbage–my one and only high school Forensics trophy. (That’s Forensics as in competitive public speaking, you understand, not the icky kind with dead bodies.)

Speaking of Forensics, I was wondering the other day whatever happened to my old English teacher/Forensics coach, so I did a Google search … one that took some effort, I should tell you, but I eventually tracked her down, working at a performing arts high school in Paterson. I sent her an email asking if she was in fact the teacher I thought she was, and she was! She wrote back and we exchanged a nice couple of emails. It sounds like she’s doing really well. How cool is that? I love getting in touch with people from my past. So, hi Mrs. Neighbor!

Incidentally, my friend Cindy is doing well, post-heart-surgery. She’s home, which is huge, and seems to be doing well. Such a relief!

Unfortunately, we didn’t get the house we bid on on Saturday (sigh). Our real estate agent keeps promising us that things are going to turn around, that Mercury is in retrograde. “I know, I sound crazy, but I swear it’s true.” And the agent who was listing the house we didn’t get said he’s got a couple more “coming up” in that price range and said he’d let Gail know about them before he puts the listing up so we can get a first look, which is very nice, I think. (I mean yes, I know, that means he probably gets some commission, too, but who cares? Not me!) And there are apparently a few rentals just listed that could theoretically work, too (though so many of them won’t accept pets). So, I’m trying to keep my focus. I went back and re-read my “ad” for a new house, and still wouldn’t change a thing.

Chappy’s still confused, though. Gail came to take pictures of THIS house today, for the listing, so Mom took all sorts of things away to hide or stash in the garage (I don’t get to park in the garage anymore) to make things look extra tidy and “neutral.” I couldn’t find the soap to wash my hands at lunch!

The funny story, though? When we got our current family room furniture 9 years ago, Katy hated the ottoman. When it came, it had casters on the bottom, and the first time she jumped on it, it rolled across the room with her clinging for dear life on top. After that, she wouldn’t go near it. So we kept the ottoman to the old set also, and placed it in the living room window for someplace to watch outside.

Well, Chappy loves it, too (even if he prefers the chair with the arm to rest his chin), but this morning, Mom wanted it out of the house and started dragging it toward the garage. Only, Chappy kept jumping up on it. (“Ooh, Gram, this is a great new spot!”) Finally, Dad carried it out to go in the garbage pile. …Until Mom sat in the living room this afternoon with Chappy listlessly laying on the bare floor where the footstool had been.

Yep. It’s back in place now. I mean, we still might not have room for it in our new house (wherever that’s going to be), but there’s no reason he can’t use it NOW, right?

And, apparently, he spent most of the afternoon sitting on it, too.

I love it when Chappy wins.

Tags: Chappy, Friends, General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Chappy is so confused, he really has no idea what’s going on.

First, the three of us disappeared again yesterday with Gail … though not for as long as we thought. We looked at one rental in Parsippany, and then at a house for sale … and decided to place a bid on it. I’m not telling you anything about this house because I don’t want to jinx it, but ask that you cross your fingers for us. If … no, WHEN, we get good news, I’ll share details and photos.

Then, we came back here to fill out paperwork–to not only put the bid in on that house, but to list this one for sale. I’m not going into messy details, but we’re hoping that will take a while because we don’t want to leave this one any sooner than we have to. It only helps the bank if it sells quickly, not us.

After all the paperwork, we went back to the house to take some pictures, and then, to completely distract ourselves, we went to the movies to see “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.” Funny (if farfetched), and the bit at the end where Flint was trying to tell his Dad, via cellphone, how to send an email attachment? Absolutely hilarious–it so reminded me of back when Mom was learning to use the computer and she’d call me at work with questions. “I’ve got a blank box.” “You mean a window?” “Okay….” You know, of course, that she’s come a long way, but still!

One of the things we came across today?

The original brochure for THIS house. Only $69,990! A bargain.

And the floorplan. (Am I the only one who just loves poring over floorplans? I find them fascinating.) Our house is actually a mirror image of this one–the garage is on the right, looking at the house, not the left.

Anyway, we’re busily going through things to (1) make the house presentable for when Gail comes back on Wednesday to take pictures for this house’s listing (sniffle) and (2) trying to pare down everything else to fit into a house about half this size. Some stuff is easy, but some stuff is much, much harder. (And, how DO you manage in a house with no front hall closet? Where do you put the winter coats? The boots? The hats/gloves/scarves? Raincoats?) Not to mention 8 tall bookshelves and 9 or 10 short ones … which, no, do not go in a front closet, but which definitely need someplace to go!

I did have a flying visit from Kim, who bought one of my lots of books and decided to pick it up in person, too. And I gave Chappy a much-needed haircut, so his fur isn’t falling in his eyes any more. I even found the time to throw a pound cake together–always good to have around the house.

Really, though? Chappy has no idea of what level of confusion is coming, poor boy…

Tags: Family, General by --Deb
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Well, I can’t remember the last time I had a mail day like this.

A book to review for Knitting Scholar (always a good thing).

A collection of buttons. Yes, I know, I said I didn’t need any for THIS sweater, but I was going to for my next one! So, I went to Etsy and ordered some. The nice thing about ordering from this seller–rather than from one of the many button shops online–is that she sells them in lots and they are almost always cheaper than buying exactly the number I want from somewhere else.

It’s true, though, that while I was ordering, I threw in another set of silver buttons as possibilities for my current sweater. I sewed the sleeves last night, and just have the two side seams left. (Yes, I sewed the sleeves INTO the sweater on Thursday, but last night, they got their seams turning them into actual sleeves.) Obviously, I don’t have much more time for waffling about button choices.

And, oh yes … there’s an iTouch in there, too. I’ve been hoarding my amazon.com “reward certificates” from using my Visa card for months and months and applied them to a new, 32 MB, 3rd generation iTouch. Not, you understand, that there’s anything wrong with my Creative Zen MP3 player which I’ve had for years–but the Kindle App was the deciding factor. This way, I can buy some books without feeling guilty about shelf-space and (unlike the full-size Kindle, which I admit I’d still like), I can still use it for other things, like music.

Before you ask, yes, I’ve added some books to play with–mostly classics that were free or $1. Now, if only I could read Kindle books on my computer screen as well!

Of course, this means I have to convert my entire music library from the Windows Media format to MP3s. And, while iTunes does have a converter, I have discovered that it more or less throws away all the album information, making it … less than ideal, because what a chaotic mess! So, instead, I’m using a free software I found to convert to MP3 first, and then moving everything into iTunes … a delight, as I’m sure you can imagine.

Chappy didn’t sleep well last night. About quarter after four, he woke me up, panting heavily and drooling. I thought he was going to throw up, so … well, I love my dog, but don’t want vomit on my bed … I lifted him off the bed and got a blanket under his chin. But … no vomit. He just panted heavily for about twenty minutes, sitting in my lap. I don’t know WHAT that was. Was it his stomach? A muscle spasm? Sore back? He thumped his tail once when I sat down on the floor with him, and after he’d finally stopped panting and relaxed a little, he wagged it again, and gave me one, little kiss for thank you. Such a sweetie. I just wish I knew what that WAS.

And, please, cross your fingers. We put a bid in on a house today…

Tags: Chappy, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Tags: Chappy, Eye-Candy Friday by --Deb
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Now I just have to choose a button.

Remember the other day, when I told you I had two already to choose from?

Well, one is a scrollwork, silver (-colored) button that I’ve had in my stash for ages. In fact, they used to live on a classic, drop-shouldered Norwegian sweater I’d made, but now, they live in my button collection.

The other ones are little plastic ones that look like stone.

I still like them both, but now that I see them on the sweater (sort of), I’m not sure. Are they maybe too big? Do they take away from the cables and details?

I’m thinking that the metal ones work, but the plastic ones don’t … or at least, not as well.

What do you think?

Oh, and sending good thoughts to my friend Cindy, who had heart surgery yesterday…

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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I figure, my sweater is about 98% done right now. I’ve got the neckband and both button bands done.

All that’s left is sewing in the sleeves, sewing up the side seam, weaving in a couple ends, and then choosing the buttons. That shouldn’t take long at all. Woohoo!

And then I’m all ready to start my next project. The ribbed, cabled cardigan from the current issue of Vogue Knitting. It’s actually been a while since I made anything from VK, but this one? This is a winner. It’s what I bought my Peace Fleece for.

And hey, look at this. I logged in to write this and … just before I click “Publish” on this one … I’ve got exactly 1,800 posts here at Chappysmom. How cool is that? And, yes, you’ll also note that there have been 14,028 comments, which means I’ve passed the fourteen thousandth comment.

The winner? Kristyn!

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Typical. I make him something nice and try to take a picture, and instead, he turns his head and sticks his tongue out…

And acts completely bored by the whole thing.

But at least the blanket cooperated.

I washed this after work and tossed it in the dryer on the “delicate” cycle. One of the reasons I picked this yarn in the first place was because it was a wool/acrylic blend that I’d be able to toss in the dryer. It dried surprisingly quickly, too!

Still … I think he likes it!

Tags: Chappy, Finished Knitting by --Deb
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So, this morning, I got up. Twice. At 6:49, Mom knocked on my door, thinking I was going to be late for work. Except, of course, this is Sunday and I don’t GO to work on Sundays. So I went back to bed, but didn’t really manage to get back to sleep … and since I was up until 1:15 finishing a book last night, I’ve been a little tired today.

Still, I didn’t let it slow me down! First, after eating breakfast (oatmeal with walnuts), I baked a cake. A Nut Cake from Nick Malgieri’s “How to Bake” (a great cookbook, by the way).

While I got that started, I finished a batch of granola. Like Susan (Have you voted for her yet? Time’s running out!), I make mine in batches these days, except that I (1) use a skillet for the nuts and stuff and my crockpot for the oatmeal part, and (2) I cook enough of the nuts, seeds, and coconut for TWO batches of granola, but then do the oatmeal part separately. As in, I cook 6 cups of oatmeal/honey/oil and mix it with HALF the nuts/seeds/coconut. The second half I save until the next time I need granola, and then I cook another batch of just the oatmeal/honey/oil and have a complete, second batch with a lot less work. This is convenient because it takes a lot less storage space for the nut/fruit combination (about 3-4 cups, total) than it does for an entire batch of granola (about 16 cups). So, I make half a batch, stash the other half of the nut-part, and then make the oatmeal part when I need it.

I did pretty early, too, so that I could then get my batch of yogurt started. I’ve been doing that in the crockpot, too. I heat the milk in a pot on the stove (much faster than the crockpot) while warming the empty crockpot–then pour the milk into the crock and turn it off, and let it cool down to about 105-109 degrees. Stir in about 1/4 cup of starter yogurt, cover with a warm towel, and let sit for 6-8 hours.

Then, we got the news that that house adamantly does not accept pets, which made Mom cry, and made Chappy feel guilty.

Luckily, we had a distraction!

A pair of wild monkeys.

Risa (whose picture I somehow managed NOT to take) had called on their way down to the NJ Sheep and Wool festival (or whatever it’s called), to ask if I wanted to join them, but I really couldn’t … but I suggested that, if on their way home they weren’t too tired and it wasn’t too late, maybe they could stop by and say hello.

They had so much FUN!

Especially once I pulled the flying squirrel toys out. (The look on Chappy’s face in this picture just cracks me up.)

The good news was that I had two Flying Squirrel toys. The bad news was that Chappy tends to focus on only one at a time, so Alex had to work a little harder for his attention.

But then, there was jumping…

Because who doesn’t love jumping?

Oh, and Risa got quite a kick out of this.

While the kids were jumping, Chappy was sitting right in front of me, looking up and smiling. “I’m having so much fun, Mom!” But every, single time I would lift my camera to take his picture, he would look away. I’d lower the camera, and he’d smile. I’d lift the camera, and he’d turn his head. We must have tried at least five to seven times! This was the best shot I got.

And, right now? He’s sound asleep … all that romping wore him out–in a good way!

Thanks so much for the laughs, Risa–we needed that!

So, we’re back to looking for something I can afford that’s nice, and big enough for the four of us. The really sad part is that the house we found yesterday was perfect–3/4 miles from work, lots of space, an incredible price, and so, so gorgeous with newly-finished floors, new kitchen appliances, everything. Gorgeous. It almost feels that finding anything else at all is going to feel like a letdown. So, please, don’t stop crossing those fingers for us! (Please.)

In the meantime …

At least we have cake. (Nut cake, with maple frosting–because, yes, it really is beige. And yummy!)

Tags: Baking, Chappy, Friends by --Deb
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Look at all those nice sweater pieces!

They don’t quite all fit on my blocking board, so they’re overlapping a bit. They’re not officially “blocking,” either, since I didn’t bother to measure or pin anything. But I did wash the pieces and lay them flat to dry. (Well, flat, except for the overlapping parts.)

The next step is to sew the shoulder seams and do the neckband. Then the two button bands.

The best part about the buttons?

I won’t have to do a crazy button hunt this time. I have two great possibilities already in my button stash. Eight each, same size buttons. One is metal with some scrollwork, one is resin/plastic that looks rather like stone. Either would look fabulous on a gray cardigan. And the best part? They’re the same diameter (give or take a millimeter or two), which means that I can make the buttonholes and THEN decide. So, yay for me!

While those sweater pieces were drying, of course, I couldn’t knit on them, so I pulled out Chappy’s blanket tonight. (He’s in his crate, watching me take this photo.) I’ve got the border done around three of the four sides, but … am not going to have enough yarn to do that border around two more corners and one more side. So, the fourth side is just going to look a little different, that’s all! I picked up stitches all along the edge and figure I’ll do a series of 4-stitch cables perpindicular to the edge until I run out of yarn. It’s not perfect for my boy, of course, but he says he doesn’t care what it looks like. He said the fact that I made it just for him is what really matters.

Now, if I can ask you one more favor? We saw a rental house today that is just lovely. I don’t want to jinx it by telling you too many details or anything, but we asked our realtor to find out for us for sure whether they accept pets (it doesn’t say that they don’t), and if so … we’d like it. It’s a great house, and while we were looking to buy rather than rent, this suits our needs better than anything I can afford to get a mortgage on, so …

Cross your fingers for us, please? If we get it and sign the lease, I promise to show lots of photos!

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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You already know how we love Susan at the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm.

Well, she’s up for a $100,000 small business grant from American Express that would SO help her out–but she needs votes, or “spotlights” to be eligible for the final judging, and time is of the essence!

Now, the website is a little complicated, and you have to register for your vote to count (which is good for keeping down spammers and robot-votes and all). But this is SUCH a good cause!

She’s got full instructions on how to maneuver the site up at her blog.

Time is of the essence–all votes for this round must be in by the end of the weekend!

Tags: General by --Deb
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September 11, 2001
Never Forget.

It’s hard to believe it’s been eight years.

Where were you on September 11, 2001? Sadly, it’s one of “those” days–the kind that you forever more remember where you were, what you were doing, when you  heard the news.

• I remember what an incredibly gorgeous day it was. Perfect temperature, perfectly blue sky. Just a stunning, almost-autumn day.

• I remember one of my co-workers running up the hallway. “A plane hit the World Trade Center!”

• I remember thinking that she must mean one of those little, commuter planes, and wondering how that could happen on such a clear day when you could see for miles.

• I remember the total disbelief when I heard there were TWO. And another one at the Pentagon. And in the fields of Pennsylvania.

• I remember calling my parents. “Do you have the television on?”

• I remember not being able to do anything at work, because not a single one of us could concentrate on anything, and with an office television, we spent the day sharing news gleaned from various radios.

• I remember having the hardest time getting through to my mother on the phone.

• I remember being on the phone with her, listening to her tell me the first tower had fallen. “What do you mean, fell? The whole thing?” “YES, it’s GONE.” And then hearing her when the second tower came down.

• I remember driving home at lunch and looking at everything with extra clarity–if anything, it was clearer and more stunning a day than it had been.

• I remember that there were suddenly American flags everywhere.

• I remember walking up the road with my mom and my baby-puppy Chappy to see where the towers used to be–about 35 miles from here–because I couldn’t believe they were gone until I saw it myself.

• I remember the size of the plume of smoke, which spread halfway across the horizon.

• I remember thinking that life was about to change.

For so many reasons, it’s important that it DOES change. We cannot let that day be forgotten. Not just for the horror, and for all the pointless loss of life … and we should never, ever forget the loss of life (both that day, and from soldiers in war, and civilians to health complications since).

But we also need to remember that that was a day when we all stood together. United, one nation under God. Knowing that we had to show a united front, that incidental political and social differences were insignificant compared to what had just happened.

Remember how good that felt? Knowing that we could depend on each other? That we had friends all over the world who were on our side? That feeling that, with that kind of moral support, that kind of stand-together strength, there was nothing we could not do?

Always, always remember.

Photo from here and just too, eerily perfect, since it looks like the sun is shining straight through.

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Tags: Eye-Candy Friday by --Deb
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Well, you KNOW how much I love my books. You know how big my library is, and how much I absolutely hate getting rid of books … and yet. I really have no choice but to get rid of some.

So … under duress, you understand, and no reflection at all on the quality of these books … Some knitting books for sale.

All the books are in pristine condition, with the sole exception of the History of Knitting, which I got from the Interweave Hurt Books sale (and its only “hurt” is that it’s missing the paper cover). This is a smoke-free home, as you know, although there could be some dog fur involved–Chappy works hard at that–but all the books are kept in my closet, so they’re as clean and perfect as I can possibly make them.

Lot 1. $45.

• Feminine Knits by Lene Holme Samsoe (Review here). List price $22.95
• Knitted Jackets by Cheryl Oberle (Review here). List price $22.95
• Knitalong by Larissa Golden Brown and Martin John Brown. List price $22.50

Lot 2. $50

• Stitch n’ Bitch by Debbie Stoller. List price $13.95
• Japanese Inspired Knits by Marianne Isager (Review here). List price $22.95
• Knit Knit by Sabrina Gschwandtner (Review here). List price $29.95

Lot 3. $55 (Probably Taken)

• Ethnic Knitting Discover: The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and the Andes by Donna Druchunas. List price $21.95
• Ethnic Knitting Exploration: Lithuania, Iceland, and Ireland by Donna Druchunas (Review here). List price $23.95
• Knitting America by Susan M. Strawn. List price $35.00

Lot 4. $55

• Romantic Hand Knits by Annie Modesitt (Review here). Out of print.
• The Knitter’s Guide to Combining Yarns by Kathleen Greco and Nick Greco (Review here). List price $25.95
• For the Love of Knitting by Kari Cornell (Review here). List price $19.99

Lot 5. $65

• Arctic Lace by Donna Druchunas (Review here). List price $26.95
• Strip & Knit with Style by Mark Hordyszynski (Review here). List price $26.95
• Knitted Comfort for the Sole by Lena Maikon (Review here). List price $21.95
• Knit it Together by Suzyn Jackson (Review here). List price $24.99

Lot 6. $45

• Fiber Gathering by Joanne Seiff (Review here). List price $27.99
• Domino Knitting by Vivian Hoxbro. List price $16.95
• New Knits on the Block by Vicki Howell (Review here). Out of print.

Lot 7. $45 (Taken)

• One Ball Knits: Purses by Fatema, Khadija, and Hajera Habibur-Rahman (Review here). List price $18.95
• A History of Hand Knitting by Richard Rutt. Out of print.
• Classic Elite Knits by Classic Elite Yarns (Review here). List price $24.95.

The rules? They’re being sold as groups because otherwise trying to coordinate this is insane. The price for U.S. Book Rate postage is included. If you’re outside the U.S., additional postal costs may apply. Payment will be accepted via Paypal, though if you’re local, cash works, too (grin). The first person to claim and pay for each lot is the lucky person who gets it. I’m pretty sure I have packaging available for each group, so it shouldn’t take me too long to get things in the mail–no more than a week (although, come to think of it, I need to buy stamps). Please ask questions if you  have them! (Note that while I can check basic email from work, I’m limited in what I can do from my desk at the office, so I’ll trust the comments to keep things in sequence for me.)

Now, in the event that any of these are left standing after, say, a week or so, I’ll break them up or mix them around some more, or something. It really kills me to get rid of these, but … I keep telling myself that if I make enough money selling some of the books that I need to  weed out, I’ll buy myself a Kindle–so I can buy some more books without feeling guilty about the space!

(Next up? Cookbooks and some other craft-type books. You people like to cook, right?)

Tags: General by --Deb
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First–here’s a great opportunity for you animal lovers. Did you know that Susan at MVFF needs to thin out her flock of Angora goats? She is looking for a GOOD home for some of them, and … it could be YOU! The instructions are here on this post, all you need to do is tell her why you deserve them. How easy is that?

I mean, you’ve SEEN how adorable they are, right?

My sweater sleeves are coming along nicely, don’t you think? In fact, I’m ready to start the sleeve cap shaping–starting tomorrow night, each row is going to get shorter. Woohoo! I do so love when that happens.

And, even better news? I’m nearing the end of one of these skeins and have two, whole skeins to go, which means that I should have no trouble in terms of yardage.

Of course, I haven’t really measured or checked my gauge lately. I’m kind of afraid to. I’ve been trying very  hard to keep it under control.

And, yes, I know I haven’t talked about the houses we looked at last week. Kind of depressing. Of the six we saw, one was absolutely dreadful. One was next-thing to dreadful (though without the mold, and on a less busy street, could have been okay, I guess). One was dismal. One was a perfectly nice townhouse, but really two small for the three of us. One was a cute 1939 cape that was also way too small for us (but that I thought was adorable). There was only one remotely possible, and, well, it was okay, I guess–which is about the best that can be said for it. Some nice features, a finished basement which would be handy for extra space, but only one bathroom (which worries Mom a lot).

Incidentally, this is the first picture I took of my sleeves tonight. This happens to me ALL the time when I take pictures at night with the flash–my hair falls in front of the flash and causes these funky shadows. Silly! But I try not to tuck my hair behind my ear when it’s wet–it pulls the curl out–so it falls in front of the flash. Oh well!

And, would you believe? I’ve gotten so few comments on my last several posts–a sad, blogging trend I’ve been noticing–that I still haven’t hit 14,000? I was sure I would have done this days ago!

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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How is it possible that my little Katy would have been TEN years old today?

Tags: Katy, Jilly, Muppy by --Deb
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