Now Norma Knits

Speaking of Grandmothers....

....and we were, yesterday, right?

A short while ago, Jennifer A. from Toronto wrote and said she had inherited a bunch of yarn from her grandma, and she has no real interest in knitting it.  She'd like to see it knit up into warm things for Dulaan, so she was wondering if I'd be interested in taking it for my Dulaan knitting. Of course I said yes, and told Jen that I could also pass any surplus around through the blog. Well, this is not quite like Ryan's avalanche of yarn, but it still qualifies as an AVALANCHE.  I could knit this from now to eternity and still not be done!  If anyone is interested in helping me knit this up into warm things for Dulaan or other charity knitting projects, please let me know and I'll send it your way.  There are acrylics and wools and wool blends in a wide range of colors and cream.  There are a lot of baby colors in acrylic, so if you have a preemie charity or such that requires washable yarn, this is the stuff for you.  Just let me know if you're interested.

Notice that bag almost in the center of the photograph?  It's a bag of healthy treats for Vinnie.  He was thrilled. He took one in his mouth when I offered it to him with a look that said, "Pour moi!?  Really?!" I tried hard to get a picture of him with one of them in his mouth, but I couldn't manage. His reaction, though, was precious.  We both thank you, Jennifer. I promise to incorporate the yarn into my Dulaan knitting.

As a matter of fact, look at the wicked cute hat I've already made from your yarn.

It took me all of two and a half hours the other night, using this free pattern and size US 11/8mm DPNs.  (You may have to register to look at the free Lion Brand patterns.  It's the Ear Flap Hat for Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, and it's a great pattern.  There is a crocheted version, but I followed the directions for the knitted one.  It's adorable.)  I'm going to use this pattern often in the future, using 100% wool yarns. Love those earflaps.

And then I took more of your yarn and some lovely soft bright yellow Lovikka yarn, and I used it to soften the edges of some gold razor wire Lopi yarn to make a scarf to complement the hat. Cuteness. Wait, something is missing.

There.  That's better.  Finis.

--------------------

Vincent update:  Vincent seems to be doing very well.  The Bravo raw-food diet, this supplement, plus cod liver oil, and canned pumpkin  (which I learned from the internet is excellent for adding fiber to the diet) -- and milk thistle capsules for his liver -- seem to be keeping him comfortable, perky and happy (dare I hope "healthy"?) for the time being.  He does not like his new doggy sling, though. I take it as a good sign that he is well enough to assert himself in this way.  :)

Coincidentally, in my deposition the day before yesterday, both the deponent and one of the lawyers said they just, within the last month or so, have gone through exactly the same thing with their dogs.  Both of their dogs did not make it -- one withered away; the other didn't make it through the surgery.  In my mind, the evidence is mounting that it is those nasty drugs they encourage us to put on our pets in the spring that is causing this.  Both of those dogs were also 10 years old.  It can't be simple coincidence that all these dogs are getting critically ill, and so rapidly, at the same time of year. To my mind the one common denominator is those nasty, horrible drugs. I am starting to get livid about this. But of course they will deny it left, right, and center.  The "they" I refer to is the pharmaceutical and mainstream medical establishment. Ergh.

Self-Indulgent Ruminations on My Birthday

This community is filled with wonderful friends, even for a grinch like me. I loved it a while back when Beth commented, "The blogosphere is an absolute godsend for recluses, hermits, and curmudgeons. We can all enjoy each other's company without actually enjoying each other's company. ;-) And nobody needs to vacuum beforehand... "

She's so right.  However, even the most hermit-like of us have our moments when we want to be sociable.

Almost every day, I invite you into my world, sharing bits of me big and small -- but I don't have to vacuum, at least not literally. I will admit that there is some figurative vacuuming that must be done in the form of editing. But mostly, my editing is like my housecleaning, to paraphrase wise and wonderful Sandy's words:  "It's not perfect, but it's hygienic enough.  It won't pass a white-glove test, but nobody will catch anything fatal."  I say what I mean and mean what I say.  I strive to be real.  And real is not always perfectly nice -- and it's definitely not perfect. I make mistakes. But mostly you know who I am, and mostly you know where you stand with me.  The highest compliment paid to me when I've met people in blogland is, "You are just like your blog."  When that happens, I feel like I've succeeded. You may not like my blog, and therefore you may not like me; but you may and you may.  (I'm so profound sometimes I think I should put my head in the toilet.  But I think you get my drift.)

I get a hell of a lot in return. I've met some of the most wonderful people in the world, and I expect to meet many more -- people that I am proud to call friend, people whose friendships I hope to keep forever, and that I don't take for granted. Friendship is a two-way street. If a person's idea of friendship is You Give, I Take, or Please Stand Over There, In My Shadow, that's not so much for me.

When people first get involved in the blogosphere and the "knitosphere," they often romanticize it, assuming that everyone is nice (and sane) and everyone will be instant and longstanding pals. In reality, it is like every other community. It's a bit like a Jenga game, and it takes all kinds to achieve balance.  There are people whose friendships you want to cultivate, and people whose friendship you'd just as soon do without. There are people who seem to be one thing, but then you learn they are something else.  (sometimes it is a nice "something else"; other times it is not so nice)

There are polite people and impolite people. There are mean-spirited bullies, and sweet and caring people. There are people who have learned the etiquette of saying please and thank you and how to say thank you - and those who haven't. There are people who are callous, those who are sensitive, and those who are over-sensitive.  There are people who give, give, give; there are people who take, take, take. There are people who are needy and self-absorbed, those who lack humility, and those who are confident enough to be truly humble.

It's a smörgåsbord.  Something for everyone at this table. Sometimes the table looks an awful lot like 7th grade lunchroom, but yeah. Something for everyone.

There are people who seem to balance it all, sensibly and effortlessly, keeping the boundaries in comfortable control. There are judgmental folks. (The most interesting ones are the ones who insist that they are nonjudgmental, when in fact they are terribly judgmental of those who do not share their points of view.) And there are those who are truly nonjudgmental. Same goes with the adjectives inclusive and exclusive.

There are true friends and fair-weather friends and people who are friendly when they want something. There are hypocrites, fawners, and those who demand the fawning. 

I demand the fawning. 

And I get it. 

(haha! gotcha!)

I stopped to take the piss out of myself, because it was starting to read like a frickin' sermon. But I'm not going to go back and vacuum. What you see is what you get. I'm not sermonizing; I'm just extemporizing. I'm saying what I feel and what I have observed.  So sue me.  It's my frickin' birthday, and I'm happy about it. I'm not one to care too much about these Life Events.  But my husband always says, "It beats the alternative," and he's damn right.

There are my friends out there who are dealing with very big, very real life-and-death concerns, living with uncertainty every day about whether they are going to wake up the next day or whether they are going to lose one of their faculties or one of their loved ones. I'm happy to be 47, healthy, vital and in control.

I received a delightful present in the mail yesterday.   Can you see it has "me" written all over it?  A handknit Mason-Dixon washcloth (the upscale one, all fancy with bobbles and a ribbon), in one of my favorite colors, wrapped around delicious handmade soaps, a handmade card, and a gorgeous bamboo cutting board. Bamboo makes an ecologically sound, stunningly beautiful cutting board -- a perfect choice for me on so many levels.  So lovely, so thoughtful, so very Margene.

Thank you, my dear friend. You are a cut above.

My daughter thoughtfully asked the question, "Mom, I would like to make you a cake for your birthday, but will that be upsetting your diet?"  I said, "BRING ON THE CAKE."  So come on in, have a piece. I hope you like lemon. 

More About Martin

Yee HAW!! That felt awfully good. I love seeing all those new names, along with the old favorites, who came out to say they voted -- and even better -- ordered the book, which, by the way, IS available in the U.S. now. Mine is set to arrive today from Amazon.  It's also available -- I checked -- from Barnes & Noble, and therefore must be available, or will be soon, at your independent booksellers. And soon, at Carole's library, and others, as well, according to the comments. And you know, for those who had qualms about voting for a book you haven't read yet....well, as one commenter pointed out, it's not the Presidential election for one thing, and for another, the rules of the page say, and I quote, Vote for the book or author you would like to see win in each category."  We're not voting for the Pulitzer. So, like, chill out, dudes.  ;-)

I promise, this will not become Norma's Advertising Space. However, commenter Samantha said:

I voted. I did it just because you said he was a great boss. Good bosses are very few and far between and thus deserve to be rewarded.

Is she right, or WHAT? Here's a story to illustrate what kind of guy Martin is. I may have already told this story - it seems as if I have - but I'll tell it again anyway.

When I worked for the BBC, I was on a one-year contract. I possessed a skill that was rare-to-nonexistent in the then-UK workforce, and that's why I had the wonderful opportunity in the first place. The BBC was a wonderful employer, and the British vacation policy is....uh....GENEROUS. Or at least it was at the time. Although the Europeans will go, "What's the big frickin' deal," Americans, you might want to avert your eyes, because you probably won't want to read this. I had a one-year contract with seven weeks of paid vacation. Jealous? Don't hate me because I was Cinderella for a year. Really. Because although I stayed a bit longer than that because it was so hard to leave and I was truly needed, when the clock figuratively struck midnight, I had to come home. I did it (came home, that is) because I wanted to. My lovely husband and lovely daughter were waiting patiently for me back in the states.

But in the meantime, I used up all my holiday time, coming back across the pond to be with my family, or traveling in the UK. I started my year-plus in May of one year, and in April of the next year, when it was time for my daughter's April school vacation, husband and daughter were going to come spend the week with me. I planned on just doing stuff with them in London when I could, whilst still working my regular shift. So one afternoon I was in the studio practicing my steno, brushing up on the current events of the day, and preparing for the next newscast. We prepared like this before every newscast. At newstime, we went on the air to write our steno, which then produced captions (or subtitles) for the hearing-impaired community to read on the bottom of the television screen.

While I was doing my prep work, Martin walked into the studio and sat next to me, holding a clipboard. I took off my headphones.

"I'm working on the schedule for next week."

"Yes?"

"Your family is coming next week."

"Yes."

"Then why are you on the schedule?"

"Because I've used up all my holiday time."

He looked at me, incredulous. (silly American)

"I'm suuure we could come up with some compassionate leave time."

End of story. Buy his book(s). 

Things That Make You Go Hmmm....and Then Jump Up and Down Like a Crazy Person

First, before you read my post, please go and wish a HAPPY 3RD BLOGIVERSARY TO MY FRIEND SANDY!!!!  Imagine! Three years. She's one of the lights of the blogiverse. She has endured because she is solid and real and constant. Shine on, Sandy!

Okay.  You back?  Thank you!

So, on to the things that make you go hmmm part of this post:  I saw this little thing on AOL. We make no money here -- well, except for a very lucky few, and I do mean few -- and we have long, rotten winters (usually), and we have mud season. But apparently we're as happy as pigs in proverbial...well, you know.

That report really caught me by surprise, although I will admit that I know quite a few people who have left the state for greener pastures, but have come back. So I guess that says something. I'm not sure what. We're gluttons for punishment, maybe?

Anyone whose sensibilities are offended by reading about gifts I have received in the mail, now is the time to leave, because I am about to use my paid space here to publicly say thank you to these lovely people. I think Emily Post would have approved.

.............fold and cut here.......................................................

Still here? Okay, here we go:
Thank you again, Julie! Guaranteed anti-SAD there, I tell you.  Look at those luscious colors. And the flavor and the fragrance and the juiciness.....oh.my.goodness.

And this also:  Pure shower goodness. Thank you, Maggie -- your soaps are just pleasurable. Not showing, because they're already put away near the kitchen sink: Two bars of Gardener's Soap. I can't wait for gardening season!

and then there was this:
Brandy-full Fabulous Fruitcake and homemade ground cherry jam, from Canada, eh?  Billi-Jean, I thank you. My pants' zippers don't, so much. Mmmmmm.

And do these look at all familiar?
Thank you, Steph. They are well loved, and they have been well admired by many already. They made their debut at Claudia's party, and I've worn them six out of seven days so far since. Time to wash them, I know.

Tired of Hearing About Better Pals?

Ok, I won't tell you about my latest package, then.  NOT!

I apologize to those of you who are damn sick of hearing about this, but I'm about to gush about my Better Pal. I'm literally DROWNING in work and I really don't have time to do this. (btw, I did not get to answer most of my comments yesterday, but I got a huge chuckle about all the people who said they are going to move to New England. Yay, come on up! Make the stash swaps even bigger!)

I wrote my pal and told her I wouldn't be able to blog about her package goodness until Friday. But I sat down at my work computer after eating leftovers for dinner last night, and I just couldn't concentrate until I took a photo and got this down on the blogpage.

So, we start with a picture:

And we give a little tour. (I wish I had Photoshop, so I could do one of those fancy labeled or numbered photos for you, but I don't.)

I love my BP. She (or it could be a he. I use "she" as the default.) really has done her research, and oh, how I love that. There are people who give gifts because they have to, and then there are people who give GIFTS -- the ones who really try to get to know their recipient and give the gift to match the person. Such a wonderful quality in a person!

In my package (which came at the perfect time -- after I'd had a really rough day at work and driven home in a sleet storm -- I promise I did not just recycle that line. It truly seems that I've written that a lot lately, but it's only because it's true. Gack.) was a full pound of gorgeously soft South African wool top (from Great Britain, my favourite place in the whole wide world. So in other words, I take it that "South African" is a sheep breed? Anyone know the answer to that?); a book on Lichen Dyes; several packets of Kool-Aid in my favorite reds and oranges; a huge skein of dye-your-own sock yarn from Knit Picks; a fragrant sachet (yum!); and a lovely card with a nice note from my pal.

You KNOW how I love my Kool-Aid dyeing, and I have lots of lichen around my home. I can't wait to study up on it, do some nature-friendly collecting and make some dyes. I already thumbed through the book and see that it advocates tread-lightly collection techniques, which makes me all the more happy. And that South African wool????  Absolutely BEAUTIFUL. So, so soft. I know that is going to spin up wonderfully. I'm planning on making the sock yarn my favorite shade of tomato red.

Thank you for another lovely, lovely package, Better Pal! I am one happy camper.

Now, all gushing aside, I don't think we've said this enough:  A big thank you should go out to Rock Chick and Shobhana for coming up with the Better Pals idea. Many people don't know what the program is about, I realize now, and perhaps it would be helpful to explain, so people understand what we're going on about all the time.

There have been several iterations of secret pal programs around the knitblogs. Many of us have taken part in them. For the most part the experiences have been just fine.  But some of us felt that they had grown too big and that they had developed some problems because of their bloated size. There were too many cases of what I call "drive-by" signups. People who signed up, and then the matches were made, they might (or might not) have sent a package, and then they were never heard from again, not fulfilling their end of the bargain, and someone would end up very disappointed. Why would someone sign up for a thing like this and then not follow through? It's a mystery. And let's be honest: It's annoying as all hell.

The Better Pal program was specifically designed to alleviate many of those problems. It's deliberately kept small, and it's by invitation only, the idea being that we invite a few people we know we can trust to follow through and follow the rules. The emphasis is less on "getting stuff" (although, let's face it, that is always nice) and more on developing or strengthening relationships. It's been 99.577% fabulous.  But guess what: It's still not perfect. Nothing ever is, I guess. There are still some people who don't "get it." There are like four simple rules to this thing, and some people still can't seem to follow them. (it's very, very few -- don't worry, it's not you, or you, or YOU, EITHER! But maybe it's you.) That's ok. That's what sieves, strainers, and weeders are for. And we know how to use 'em. Keeping it small helps everyone keep wraps on what's happening, rather than some thing with 600 people in it. Something that size is just not possible for any poor blogger-admin to keep tabs on.

Be honest:  That's what you like (or hate) about me: I'm about as subtle as a rock up 'side your head.  ;-)

Anyway, I want to give a big shout-out and public thanks to Rock Chick and Shobhana for coming up with the original idea, for staying on top of things, and for keeping it fun. Rock Chick just has to touch the keyboard and I start laughing. Even before she's pressed "send" on an email or "post" on her blog, I'm laughing. She just does that to me. And I had not "met" Shobhana before the first round of Better Pals. There are so many blogs, I just can't find them all. But I'm so glad to know her. She was my giftee in that first round. (we're now two-thirds through the second round)

Small swaps are a lot of fun -- regional ones, or between people who have certain things in common, or whatever. I recommend it. It's been a blast for me to choose just the right gifts for my spoilee, and I certainly have loved getting things specially chosen for me.  Many of us have had a great time with subterfuge and mystery, too.  And we love spoiling our gifter in return, who has put a lot of time and effort into putting together just the right package for us, by giving him or her proper appreciation and public thanks in the blog, with full, detailed disclosure of the contents of the package. So bear with us. 

Swap on!

P.S. As a reward for sticking it through to the end of this post, which probably bored the pants right off you, you're in luck: My, what a big needle he has.

I'm Not Worthy

Lately some wonderful little elves have been busy making my holiday more festive. I feel at a loss for words, and you know that really means something big. (Me? At a loss for words?)

From Dear Reader and "commenter extraordinaire," as Stephanie calls her, Rachel H, I received the following bowl-me-over-generous gifts:

Two antique child-size wooden sock stretchers (which I mentioned in a blog entry once that I had been searching for for a long time, even before I started knitting, and had not been able to find around here), and two humongo skeins of hemp and wool sock yarn. As you can see, one (sunflower is the color -- how sweet is that?) is already rolled up into a ball. I have so many conflicting yarns calling out for my attention to cast.on.NOW! I am tempted to make this yarn into a lace shawl rather than socks. I'm still debating that question.

I have wanted to try knitting with a hemp/wool blend forever, and now I will have the chance. The sock stretchers are now a permanent part of my decor, as well as being useful. My husband greatly approves!

Rachel, you are a light in my sky, so very thoughtful and such an uplifting presence on the internet. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Yes, by hook or by crook, you must attend a festival in the next year! Also, I will work on getting to Toronto.

Next on my doorstep arrived this box:

S. Kate, another Dear Reader Extraordinaire, used some very clever padding (ahem, some more of the same gorgeous roving I got and was raving about recently from Ronnie's Handspun) for a box of her killer homemade biscotti. It was all tied up with her handspun alpaca with beads. (I'm only guessing on the alpaca, but it looks like it to me) and included this adorable handmade card (see his spindle?) and a cleverly wrapped (in some more roving) box of red food coloring. Apparently the roving wants to be red. Of course, I will be only too happy to oblige.

Thank you, S.Kate. You are so talented and thoughtful and sweet!

People are just so kind and generous, and I am so privileged to have met, virtually and in real life, so many positive souls through this blogging thing. I brought the biscotti to our family Christmas get-together yesterday and reminded my sister of the package of chocolates that S. Kate ordered and I just happened to pack, and told her the story and shared the biscotti. Warm smiles were shared by all. Such an amazing world this has turned out to be.

I have been a busy little bee.

My daughter chose a pattern for her replacement Snow Queen hat. It will be a fraternal, not an identical, twin.   And this time it's being made out of my own handspun, carried along with the Furz that Isela helped me find and the Lazer FX. And oh, how I love it. It's a simple garter-stitch hat from Homespun Handknit, and since she adores her scarf in that set, and it's done in garter, this makes it even better. I will be making one of these for me, too, since it is an anti-pinhead type of style.

My mom acted as my swift at the get-together yesterday as I rolled the handspun into a ball, and I cast on and knitted almost the entire hat at the party. The only thing that stopped me from completing it is I ran out of the sparkly crap. (aka Lazer FX) So it's on hold 'til I can get down to Kaleidoscope to get some. Please let them have it in stock in white/silver! I'm tres excited to be using the handspun that I made a few weeks ago. I was all set to cast it on using Cascade 220 when I got the brainstorm, and it couldn't be more perfect and more magical.

I started the gift mittens before I started the hat. I got about halfway through the first mitten when it started to look like I would not have enough yarn to complete two man-sized mittens from the handspun Coopworth roving that was a gift from Carole*. This is a prime example of my poor ability to estimate how far yardage of my handspun will go. When I was spinning this, I planned on making TWO PAIRS - his and hers - of thrummed mittens from this yarn. I was positive I had enough for two.

No way. I now believe I will have to cut the cuff off this one and replace it with something, and then I might have enough for both mittens. I searched through my teeny stash of handspun and found absolutely nothing appropriate. The Jacob handspun I have would be appropriate colorwise, but the gauge is way off. After much searching and wondering WTF I was going to do, I dug deep in one of my bins and found several skeins of Lamb's Pride Worsted that look just right. And I decided on a muted neutral color that will complement the madder-dyed Coopworth and will be the right gauge. Have I mentioned I have never cut my knitting and knitted down from the live stitches before? But I think I'm up for the challenge and it will give me practice in a new skill. 

But once I had to stop the hat, I continued on with the mitten, and I'm now at the point of starting the decreases of the first one. I'm using the stunningly luscious Polworth fleece (see the locks of it there in the photo?) received as another gift from Kim** as the thrums. Once again, I'm doing tone-on-tone thrums, and the color of the Polworth matches the color of the madder-dyed Coop almost perfectly, but it is much, MUCH softer. I'm knitting on with confidence that the reclaimed yarn from the cuff will give me enough to finish the hand of the 2nd mitt.  And for the 2nd mitten, I will just go ahead and start with the contrast cuff made of the LP Worsted.

*Not worthy; I know

**Not worthy, not worthy. I know, I KNOW!

A Very Happy Season - To ME

Well, not that I wasn't going to have a very nice holiday anyway, but now, here is the icing on the cake. I received my package from my Better Pal today, on Christmas Eve and Hanukkah Eve, and oh, yes, it is as sweet as sugar plums and latkes - not that latkes are sweet, but the applesauce on top is.

Can you believe the colors of that yarn??? Oh, just so beautiful. Reminds me of wine and chocolate in the sunset. I sure am glad Sandy's not nearby. She'd probably try to steal it from me.  But Sandy, it's MINE, ALL MINE! Paws off.

Anyway, back to the scrumptious sock yarn, it is 100% merino, and it is so, so soft and wonderful. On the BP questionnaire is a question:  What is one yarn or fiber you've never tried, but are dying to, and Fleece Artist is what I wrote. So now, thanks to my lovely Better Pal, my life is complete. Except I have not yet knit with it, so I'm not quite ready to push up roses. I'm using all my strength to resist casting on immediately, since I'm working on some gift mittens that need to get done.

And then there's a package of some really delicious-looking chocolates. Dark and rich. Can't wait to break into those. I'm sure I won't wait too long.

And my camera - I just don't "get" my camera sometimes.  It did a really wonderful job of capturing the colors of the yarn, but a lousy one of capturing the colors and the cuteness of the stitch markers in the package. They're green and red, and just adorable. I'm going to get lots of use out of those. 

Thank you, Better Pal! You're wonderful.

O' Bountiful Day

My Better Pal was Missa. With every item in every package, she showed thoughtful consideration, attention to detail, and creativity. She was the very definition of a better pal.

The final package looked like this:

A lovely Thanksgiving card; a really cool tea canister filled with fragrant Earl Grey tea; a bag of wonderful Lemon Women's Tea with Nettle and More (I've had a whole pot already); a bottle of peppermint essential oil; a scrumptiously soft skein of Blue Sky Alpacas alpaca in a gorgeous neutral fawn color; a cuter-than-hell Xmas ornament; and a really cute Fossil pillbox in which to keep the pretty stitch markers that I have a tendency to lose. Thank you, Missa! I love each and every gift. You spoiled me rotten. Rotten, I tell ya - ROTTEN!  (and I love you for it)  Color me fortunate. I am, in so many ways.

Thank you, blog friends, for adding to my vast fortune by being there, being supportive, being funny and creative, giving me ideas, making me laugh. This blog thing -- it's just awesome. Really awesome. *sniff* Oh, stop it. You're gonna make me cry!

Anyway, *cough,* not to change the subject or anything, but Knitting Unto Others continues:

Thanksgiving 2005 Cloud Hat. (Cloud Hat pattern from Mossy Cottage Knits -- 1 strand Magallanes/1 strand Patons Divine)

I must admit, I considered keeping this one myself. But I won't. I'm making myself a hat, though. I think it's going to be quite nice. Details later. First, there is an expedited transcript to take care of, and perhaps a visit to the chiropractor. My back is hurting a little bit, and I want to catch it before it really goes south. I think it was all that turkey-wrestling. 

Mail Call!

This has been a busy week for my postal lady. She's been highly amused and impressed, too. I got a package from RUSSIA! I think she'll be talking about this for a while to come.

Russian cobwebs laceweight, in ORANGE! And bars of chocolate from the Red October chocolate factory. Sweet! (So THAT'S what they were hunting for! snork)

Thank you, Kristen. I can't wait to find the right pattern and cast on. There is something about that color that makes my brain so HAPPY. Actually, in doing research, (and from what Kristen told me) this IS lighter than laceweight -- it's, I guess, gossamer weight. It's the same weight they use for Orenburg shawls. Perhaps, as Kristen suggests, I'll use it doubled so I'll have some chance of finishing it in my lifetime.

And then I got my small Maple Leaf quilt piece from Dave. It is beautiful.

I'm going to have this matted and framed and it'll go on my wall. I'm enchanted by the maple leaf. I have a collection of antique botanical prints on my walls, and this carries along the botanical theme.

I want to give a big shout out to Isela for directing me to her yarn shop, and to the shop Yarn Today, for such terrific personal and fast service. I received my five balls of Furz for Abigail's replacement hat (and extra for future requests) almost before I placed the order. I also got a personal email saying the package had been put in the mail the very same day I ordered it. They included a tub of vanilla-scented hand cream (I keep it here by the computer, and I just put some on. It is lovely!) and strawberries-and-cream lip balm. Wonderful.

Uh-ohhhhh! What is this?  Do your eyes deceive you... 

.....or is that an orange CHIBI?

No, your eyes do not deceive. Thank you to Julia for alerting me to these new doodly-bobs! I ordered them at the shop where she works* and received them, FAST -- ALSO with a lovely personalized email to say they were on the way. I dunno, if I can think of an idea for a contest, maybe one of them will be given away here in the blog.

*alas, no website, but I can attest that they have great mail order service.  YARNS UNLIMITED, 412-741-8894

Is there a new, fresh scent in the air? A new trend in really great, personalized service at yarn shops?  Let's hope other shops get the message and start acting like these shops. This one knows how to do it. And this one. I'm sure there are lots of others. I also know there are lots of The Other Kind, too - the kind that would get "Needs Improvement" on their report cards.

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And we have mittens! Oh, ye of little faith, I beseech ye: Ye must lay down your pride and believe in the Church of Felt! Behold the power.... and the glory.... forever and ever..... Amen!

Now, if you look really, really closely and take out your measuring tape and your microscope, you will notice that the right mitten is about 1/4 inch longer than the left. And you will also notice, if you are really, really anal-retentive picky a perfectionist, that the right mitten has been felted longer than the left, giving a.....yes, wait for it....more felted appearance, with a teensy-weensy bit less remaining stitch definition to the fabric than the left. But I don't expect to be subjecting these to that kind of scrutiny on a daily basis. So they're good enough for me. And warm? And thick? And cushy? And comfy? And nicely fitted? Oh, yeahhhhhhh.

Pattern: Snow Country Felt Mittens by Fiber Trends

Yarn:  One strand Manos, One strand Magallanes

At the time of the photo, they were not yet 100% dry. When they fully dry, I will attempt sewing on the leather palms. I was unhappy with my sewing-on-leather-palm ability on Abigail's mittens last winter. I hope I can do a better job this time.

By the way, I did not determine exactly what happened and why the second one ended up so much smaller than the first. I checked the needles -- they were the same. I don't think I forgot any rows (or inadvertently added any in the first mitten), but I did not count them. I was too lazy. I personally think it was that my tension got much tighter. I am a tight knitter, and the faster I get going, the tighter I often get. I think that's what happened -- or it could also have been a function of the thick-and-thin aspect of the Magallanes yarn.  It really does vary a lot, and it might be that it was mostly THIN for the second mitten. Or it could have been The FLIES. I'm just not sure. But felting really does cover lots of sins. It's a good church. I approve.

I also might take Tish of the comments' idea and make a fine-gauge knitted cuff to sew inside the felted cuff, to make it snug-fitting, air-proof and snow-resistant around the wrist. I think that is a wonderful idea.

One pair down and at least one more to come for the Warm Hands knitalong.

This Post Is All About My Better Pal. And Okay, Maybe One or Two Other Things

My Better Pal is wicked awesome. She IS truly a better pal! When I got home from the lovely Rhinebeck weekend, as if that hadn't been enough happiness for one week month year, a fancy striped yellow box was awaiting me.  Inside, it had: Additions to my vintage utensil collection and four balls of super-scrumptious Aurora 8.  I just LOVE it. I told my Better Pal I would show her what's already on my kitchen pegs, so she could get an idea of how on the money she was, so here is a little photo just for her. Does that not give you a kick?! Sweet. Now I'm deciding on what to use the Aurora 8. And believe me, I'll think of something - but quick! I've been DYING to try that stuff.

Thank you, Better Pal, THANK YOU! Once again, you are a gift-giver extraordinaire.

Now, blog, WHO'S YOUR MAMA?!  Huh?  Who's.your. momma!?

Exhibit A:

The first Vineyard Sock for Soctoberfest, she is done.

(pattern: Ann Norling Adult Socks II, for worsted-weight yarn - [the pattern is printed for three different weights of yarn]. Size 7 US dpns. Viney stranded pattern from a mitten in Magnificent Mittens.) The colors aren't really true there. The green is the most magnificent olive, and the purple is more deep plummy-aubergine and less magenta than appears in the photo. Really fantastic. And so warm, I can't wait to start the other one. I cast on for this Sunday night after arriving home from Rhinebeck, finished it prior to 3:30 yesterday afternoon.

I know, I know. You might need a lie-down now. Okay. Go do it, because after you see Exhibit B, you might just faint dead away.

Are you ready?

Ready?

Exhibit B:

Jen, how's the Portland lookin'?  Eh?

I have no idea what came over me. But I started spinning that incredible red Portland wool that I got at Spirit Trail at Rhinebeck this weekend on my larger Golding spindle, and oh, it was GOOOOOOOOOD....... That Golding just spins and spins and spins. I wish I was 7 feet tall and could stand over a bannister, that's how long it spins. And it was coming out so welllllllll, but I said to myself, this is going to take a LONNNNG time to make enough for mittens. Here, let me give this wheel a try. That was at 3:30 p.m. At 4:30 p.m. I got an email from Laurie. I wrote her right back and said, "Are you still online? I want to show you something. A little preview, if you will." She was. I sent a picture of my spool as it then existed to her. I won't reprint the exclamation she wrote back. You know. I wouldn't want to shatter her squeaky-clean image and divulge that she has a mouth something like mine or anything. But at 5:30, I had completely filled the bobbin. I've used up most of the three ounces I bought.

Now I have a leetle plying anxiety going on. And I want to order MORE MORE MORE. I hope Jen has not sold out of that stuff. Damn, that's good shit. 

And then, it wasn't yet bedtime.  And the lovely seafoam green Island Raised Romney that Cate brought me when she visited was looking so lonely over there on the daybed.

Exhibit C

Now I really do need a lie-down. Identity crisis going on here. It's more than I can take. Plus, my leg.....I can't stop my leg!

Oh, wait! Before I go, looky at one of the cool buttons Sandy has for her Warm Hands-Along. Go join and make some mittens. You know you wanna.