Thanks everybody for your nice comments about the yarn I made. I’m very happy with it. As to what I’ll knit with it? I don’t know. I haven’t really spun up that much yarn, and only once did I have a project in mind while I spun. When I was spinning up the yarn that became my Seraphim Shawl, I absolutely KNEW the yarn would be a shawl. It made the spinning much different for me, honestly. But the yarn I just made? It almost feels like it’s finished – I don’t need to knit it up. In fact, when I was done smelling it and loving it, I threw it on the top of this basket:

This lovely basket sits utop my yarn bureau and it’s got mostly handspun in it – not just my handspun, but all of my Sock Hop yarn as well. And maybe a half a skein of STR. It’s a beautiful burst of color in my otherwise neutral bedroom. Eye candy in every sense of the word. I like the idea of yarn as the finished product – yarn as art. Maybe I’ll submit it to The Yarn Museum.

Anyway, I have no plans to knit with it just yet. I will, of course, show it to you if I do. In the meantime, I’m looking for yet ANOTHER sweater project. I think I had a dream last night that I was wearing Short Rows and someone complimented me on it. I’ve had incredible luck of late in picking sweater projects – Ariann, CPH – but I don’t feel like I’m done yet. I’ve been knitting away on the mates to the J-One/G-Rocks socks but I’m not feeling the sock love. I need something to SINK my teeth into. It’s funny – I’ve read like five books since I started Ariann and knit two sweaters – and now I’m on the look out for another book AND another sweater.

I actually started a swatch for Am Kamin. But I haven’t gotten farther than the twisted ribbing. Although I did make beautiful copies of the charts and such. I just need to start knitting the actual cables. Most likely this won’t be my last swatch for this project so I better get going. I just want to be IN THE MIDDLE you know? All this prep work can be so tiring. It’s why I don’t like to cook. I’m too impatient for the prep.

I wouldn’t be surprised if another sweater bites me in the ass before this swatch is off the ground. Just sayin’.

Enough with the knitting drama already, no? I started the CPH sleeves but you don’t really want to see them, do you? I’ll wait until I’m a bit past the ribbing. It’s just ribbing. Thank you all so much for your support of my tutelage. It’s nice to know that I can spread the knitty love. Win one for the blogs – I never would’ve fixed that miss crossed cable the way I did if I wasn’t writing and reading knitting blogs. I hope none of you will ever need the fix – but if you do – it’s there.

Some random tidbits this afternoon:

Blogless Rachel H. has let me know that some librarians with ties to the knitblog world have weighed in on the whole Bridge to Terabithia movie thing. You can go here to find out what they have to say. Apparently the screenplay was written by Katherine Patterson’s son. While that may save the movie, I doubt I’ll ever see it because that book has a very special spot in my brain and I’m not fucking it up. Anyway – thought I should pass that along.

By the way, I just finished reading The Westing Game and I am astounded at how well it’s written – as an adult and a writer. READ IT. And then go read The Goats by Brock Cole. Another fantastic YA book. This one’s really killer. I’m not sure it’s actually appropriate for children to be honest.

Two commercials that make me hot in a cheesy soft porn kind of way:

DUDE. I am a SUCKER for a good kiss. Seriously – ever since I was a young pre-pubescent I have LOVED the kissing scenes. The easiest way to my heart is to make out with me. Craziness. (The pictures on the Rembrandt website are even better than the commercial.) Gotta get me some of that! Toothpaste, I mean.

The second one is for the new personal lubricant – World of Intrigue. (Oh my god – the website is TOTALLY cheesy!) I couldn’t find a YouTube link to this one which surprises me because it’s absolutely porn. Maybe this is saying too much about me? Who cares….

The last thing I want to say today is that tomorrow is the Blogger (Silent) Poetry Reading. I did it last year, and I’m going to do it again tomorrow. Thanks to Julie for reminding me about it. Get out your poetry books and pick a good one!

L, C

But it don’t sing and dance and it don’t walk.

Guess what though? Kay talks and sings and dances and walks. While I’ve long loved Kay for her many talents, she is definitely my new favorite traveling partner. Here are the reasons why:

– On the ride down to Stitches East, Kay indulged me in my spastic adolescent squealing about my love of Bootleg Bruce. She even sang along at times and participated in an almost intellectual discussion about Bruce’s musical merits. This alone makes her one of my favorite people in the entire universe. Some people would have made retching noises the second I put the CD on. Kay may have actually gotten a few spine chills herself. Are YOU ready to Prove It All Night? Kay is.

– Kay thinks it’s perfectly normal when you pull over at a rest stop on the highway to demonstrate knitting techniques.

– When you actually get to Stitches East, Kay thinks it’s okay that you think peeing is a priority over meeting THE Fiona Ellis in the ladies room. Swear to god. We walk into the bathroom and I hear Kay going Cara, Cara come here and I was already peeing. Dude. When nature calls. Fiona Ellis was super charming and when I gushed she didn’t seem flustered at all. I’m still on that Short Rows high.

– When you go to drop off your superfabulous blanket at the Blue Moon Booth, Kay doesn’t make fun of you when you bury your face in the blanket to smell it just one more time. Or when you end up buying more Socks That Rock, because, you know, you might not have enough.

STR Lightweight: Sherbert, Lover’s Leap and 24 Karat

STR Bambu in Banded Agate

– When you buy a couple of shawl closures at the Moving Mud booth because you can’t decide which one is more beautiful than the other, Kay voices an opinion but doesn’t judge. She also doesn’t judge when you walk away just a little bit smitten with the beautiful Sarina, glass maker extraordinaire. Man that is one gorgeous woman.

Shawl pins that end up being too big for my shawls. But oh so pretty!

– Kay is the kind of friend that buys you french fries to share. And when you come back for said fries after checking one more booth, she tells you that she had to throw them away because they were really really awful. 😉

– When you go to buy a really cool Lexie Barnes knitting bag only to find out it’s really a diaper bag, Kay calms you when you get all superstitious about buying baby stuff before there’s actually a baby and offers to take the diaper pad for you, so, you know, you’re not tempting any fates.

Lexie Barnes Superstar bag in the Makiko print
T-shirt from Modern Yarn

– Kay thinks you’re kind of cute and not annoying in any way when she listens to your spiel about Spin Out for the 100th time.

And finally, when you consider going for the Nesquik Milk Shake from the vending machine at the rest stop on 95, Kay stops you and says when it comes to chocolate milk, you gotta go with the original. Oh how right she was!

Thanks Kay! Next time I end up driving 6 hours to spend 3, You’re THE One!

PS – If you haven’t already – make sure you go over and wish my favorite Cheesehead a Happy Birthday! GO! NOW!

All weekend long my throat was tickly and I started losing my voice. I thought it was from all the laughing and screaming and the perpetual draft I was feeling from the AC cranking. (That’s what happens when you travel with three peri-menopausal women – I’m sitting in the backseat with every article of clothing I own wrapped around me shivering to death and the three of them are fanning themselves in their bras and underpants complaining about how stuffy it is in the car. You think I’m kidding?!)

Anyway. I’m sick. My throat no longer tickles, it flat out hurts. This is the worst time for me to get sick, as my weekends are booked through November with multiple photography jobs. Parents don’t like it when you’re sick. Hopefully I won’t be a drippy mess by the weekend when I have to work again.

And I feel like I should be in full Hazmat suit around my husband. We’ve finally scheduled his surgery for late November and god help me if I get him sick. Can you imagine the guilt? So we’re staying away from each other. Which is kind of sad because I’m really missing him.

I haven’t taken any pictures of my haul yet – but I will for tomorrow. Tomorrow is sort of a kind of maybe special day and I will finally take pictures of all that I bought to celebrate. It really wasn’t that much and I pretty much like it all and am happy about my purchases.

On the knitting front, I’ve been feeling guilty about the fact that I might not actually finish a pair of socks for Socktoberfest. I’m just about to the heel on my second green Koigu knee high and yet I’m completely infatuated with my Pomatomus sock. Even though I hate ribbing and purling in socks – I’m loving this pattern. I finally figured out the yo purl on the first stitch and I wonder how I ever had trouble with it – the pattern’s memorized and I’m sailing along. I’ve got half a repeat left before I get to the heel flap. But I really should finish the knee highs before October is over.

And I’m LOVING knitting with STR again. You know, a lot of people said stuff to me at the festival about the lines at The Fold and when/if it was rumored they sold out. I’m not feeling the least bit guilty about it. I LOVE THIS YARN and will make no apologies about how I feel about it or how much I happen to have in my house. (By the way, the new alarm system will be installed next week so don’t get any ideas.) I thought the line was GREAT!!! FANTASTIC! AMAZING! How many of you met new people and had a lovely time talking about knitting and the festival and blogging while in that line? I know I met quite a few of you just walking by – it was great! I didn’t see anyone pissed off in that line. Really I think everyone should knit with this yarn. And I was totally heartened to see so many people trying it out. Do I think you should all wait to buy it at Rhinebeck or another fiber festival? Not at all. That’s why I told you I buy directly from Blue Moon. I understand wanting to see it in person before you buy it – I really do. But sometimes that’s just not possible in this fantastic world of yarn we live in. There are a number of yarns I’d love to try that I can’t get anywhere around here. So I decide to trust my knitting friends and jump in. Or I don’t. Most yarn sellers are incredibly easy going – if you buy it and hate it they will usually take it back or exchange it. And for all of you that emailed me and told me they sold out of lightweight by 10AM – that’s just a rumor. Toni never had lightweight for sale. Trust me on this. She only sells mediumweight and heavyweight. Another reason I buy directly from Tina. Although I did pick up a little something from Toni on my way out the door Sunday. But that will wait for tomorrow.

Just my two cents. You can hate this yarn or that yarn – you can love this yarn or that yarn. That’s ultimately the beauty of our community. Free will and an open pocketbook keeps EVERYONE happy.

Okay. I’m crotchety and sickly and I’d really just like to jump back into bed but unfortunately stuff has to get done today. So have a good one. I promise pictures and fun and HAPPY tomorrow.

A yarn store I’ve frequented, The Knit With, located in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, sent out a notice today of a Yarn Recall. They are recalling the following yarns:

Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
KFI Cashmereno DK
Noro Amagi
Noro Cash Iroha
Noro Lotus

The Knit With states in their letter that after expert analysis of these yarns, it was found that they do not have the stated cashmere content. It should be noted that KFI, the distributor of the above listed yarns, does not agree with their findings. The Knit With is accepting returns of the yarns listed above, regardless of when you bought the yarn or if you’ve used it or not. A store credit will be issued for the net price paid plus 10% of the purchase price on top of that. The letter they attached is very heartfelt – they seem deeply disturbed by their findings.

The letter and recall are available here.

I’ve closed and deleted all of the comments on this post. I hate to do it, but honestly, I don’t really want my blog to become a debate arena. I posted the recall because it came to my inbox and I thought it was important to pass along to my readers. Clearly there are two sides to every story and it’s up to all involved to do what’s best for their businesses and purchases. Personally, I’ve knit with and don’t like the yarns listed, so it doesn’t matter to me whether you sell it, buy it or make it. Thank you for reading.

I’m bored again. No. That’s not really true – I’m more like…disinterested. Yeah. That’s it. Snow was talking the other day about blogging becoming a chore and while I don’t feel like the blogging has become a chore, I do feel like I’m completely off my rhythm. I like to blog. I like it a lot. I like waking up in the morning and reading my emails and a few blogs and all the while churning up a post in my head. Some days are easier than others, but there’s always something to say.

Breaks are nice too. Don’t get me wrong. When I’m in my routine, I’m a M-F blogger and that can get tiresome (not just for me, I’m sure) so it’s nice when I get a few days during the week to ignore bloglines and emails and just not worry about writing something smart and pithy. But it’s been too long since I’ve been out of the routine. I feel like I lost my blog mojo a bit. I’m determined to get it back though.

And the knitting. Oh god don’t get me started on the knitting. I am so freaking bored I don’t know what to do with myself. And dissatisfied. I’m thisclose to finishing a project I started a long long time ago and it’s anti-climactic to say the least. I’m fatter than I was when I started it (which is a whole other issue and one that I’m very very upset about. Do I get off my fat ass? NO.) and it doesn’t fit as well as I’d like it to and well, I’m just not feeling the love. Which is sad.

Knee socks progress and I still love them, but stockinette is finally getting to me a bit. But I really don’t feel like making a different kind of sock and I like these and I want them finished. And there are like fourteen more to finish as well. Blah.

What I really want to do is finally make the Am Kamin* sweater. BUT, that will require some major swatching because I don’t know what yarn I’m going to use and I just want to jump in and DO IT but I have to have patience and then I have to order yarn and I just pulled a piece of skin off of my cuticle and it freaking hurts and is bleeding and when I think about all the work I have to do just get STARTED with this sweater it makes me exasperated and I go back to knitting knee highs. And then I get bored. Fucking circle of crap.

This is supposed to be my favorite time of year and I’m tired and I have a lot of work to do (the busy season has started for work) and all I want to do is crawl in to bed and watch 87 hours of Another World (which my DVR decided to stop taping for two days – that and Gilmore Girls. Is my DVR judging me? It didn’t have any problem taping Grey’s Anatomy or Studio 60.)

I want my routine back. I want to wake up and sit at the computer, blog a bit, go out for a nice run, come home and eat my NEW FAVORITE BREAKFAST (thank you forever Annie!) and get my work done and end the day next to my favorite boy knitting away on a fabulous project.

And to top it all off? They stopped making my favorite tampons. Tell me that doesn’t fucking suck.

Happy Friday the 13th. Sorry for the rant. Better day tomorrow.

* The Crossed In Translation blog is still down. I inadvertently deleted it from the server and I have yet to get it back and running. One of these days I’ll get it back up. I’m sorry. Please be patient.

I’m home. This time for good. Or as good as five days. We’ll see.

In those five days, I hope to blog about the following:

— An ode to the socks I have knit and will knit and are knitting in honor of Socktoberfest 2006. (Although that seems redundant already, no? What’s there like 80 million people knitting socks? It’s all good though.)

— Annouce the winners of the Haiku contest. I’m so sorry I’m so behind. I’ll add extra winners because of the guilt. Promise.

— Talk about Shannon Okey’s new book, Spin to Knit! This will actually happen on October 7. I’m part of a BLOG TOUR!

— Show you FO pictures from Seraphim.

There may be some other stuff thrown in there too, but I’m feeling like I have no time for any of this and I want to do all of it and bear with me please. There is more dirty laundry in my house than I’ve seen in my life. (Where have all these clothes come from and who are the people wearing them?! Only two of us live here – last I checked.) There are errands to run and a house run amok (didn’t I just clean this place?) and I’m still freaking tired. Who knew jetlag from the left coast could be so bad.

Oh and for the record: I do NOT feel bad about not knitting for charity. It’s my time, my decision and I’m more than willing to hand over money to a cause I believe in. What I do feel slightly bad about is the handknits for the niece and nephews. I’d absolutely hate for one of them to think I loved them less because I didn’t knit anything for them. That would make me sad.

I’ve got some good news and some bad news. Which do you want first?

Okay – the bad news is that starting tomorrow I’m going to be scarce for the next week and a half. I go to Philly tomorrow for Rosh Hashanah at the end of the week and then G and I are taking a little vacation and then I’m back to Philly for Yom Kippur. So I have no idea when and if I’ll be posting during that time. I know. You are so so sad. 😉

BUT!! Here’s the good news!! To kick off the New Year, the New Season and the New Socktoberfest, I’m going to hold a nice big CONTEST! SOCK YARN FOR EVERYONE!!! (Well, not everyone, maybe like three or four of you? Gotta check the stash.)

Look for the contest – and it will be a good one – I’m trying to think of ways to make you work for this – sometime between today and tomorrow. Mwahahahahahaha!

Time to get random….

See this boy? Is he not the cutest boy in the universe? Today this sweet boy had tubes put in his ears. He’s on his way home now, everything went fine, but think good thoughts for one of my favorite kids in the whole wide world. THANK YOU!

The inaugural YARNIVAL is here!!!

Eve did a FANTASTIC job with the first issue – I encourage you all to head over and read it. Really nicely done. AND she’s accepting submissions for issue 2. So see what you’ve got and SUBMIT!

Crazy Stitchy not only has a new crazy book, but she’s come up with BLOGGER BINGO!!!

Are you going to Rhinebeck? Then you NEED to know about this. And what better way to fill up your squares then at the BLOGGER MEET-UP! That’s right. I’ll be organizing my now infamous (move to the other side of the grass damnit!) blogger meet up. Same time, same place as last year. Details to come, but keep it in mind. Saturday. 1ish. Side of the main barn.

I played tennis again with G and kicked his ass. Okay, really only on like two or three points but they were legitimate winners. REAL WINNERS. Not him half-assed running to the ball and saying “good shot babe.” He ran to the ball and tried to get it back and couldn’t. There was cursing. DUDES. I was FORCING ERRORS. I also twisted the same goddamn ankle again, but it’s okay and we won’t be playing at all this weekend. Although there will still be tennis: we’re going to the Open tonight. Oh and boo hoo hoo Gagassi. Never ever liked him. I’m a Pistol Pete girl. (C’mon! It’s well known I’ve got a thing for Greeks!) I’ve seen Agassi play a million times. Been thisclose to him when he was practicing at the hotel I was staying at out in Palm Springs. Eh. I don’t know who we’re seeing tonight, but I know I’ll be wishing I was playing instead of watching. Kind of new for me.

Remember those movies when the rats or bunnies or hamsters would mutate and become giants and take over the world? I SAW ONE OF THESE MUTANT RATS IN PERSON!

This picture doesn’t do it justice. We were at a small local zoo with the kids last week and we turned a corner and THERE WAS THIS GIANT FREAKING RAT! Scared the hell out of me. My nephew said look at the cute giant hamster, but this baby had RAT written all over it. It was one of those things that fascinates and terrifies all at the same time – you know? It’s technically called a Capybara and it’s the largest rodent in the world. They can get up to 175 pounds!!!!! Giving me nightmares.

Speaking of nightmares, last night G and I watched the first two acts of Spike Lee’s When The Levees Broke. You should all see it if you can. It’s heartbreaking and shameful. And so far I don’t feel an agenda being played out. Only once has Spike made his presence known and it was actually kind of funny. I’m not a big Spike Lee fan, but this is very well done – honest, stark, brutal. G and I are going to New Orleans tomorrow night for a three day weekend. I feel like I want to DO SOMETHING while I’m there, but I’m afraid being a tourist may be all I can do. Very scary stuff.

Thanks to everyone who purchased yarn yesterday in my stash sale!! I’m going to leave the few items left up for the day – if they don’t sell by tomorrow I’m taking them down and I’ll rethink the kit. If anyone is interested in any part of what’s left – send me an email (address at bottom of this page) and I’ll figure something out with you. THANK YOU!

Have a GREAT day!

PS – My site STILL looks like crap in IE. Anyone know a whole lot about CSS and IE compatibility? I tried changing the font codes to px instead of small, x-small, which I have now and it helped with the font size, but IE is still not recognizing the padding on my img borders and it messes up the fonts regardless when it appears after the image. Any and all help is appreciated. I generally use Firefox to view my site, but it bothers me to no end to know that it’s out there not looking how I wanted it to look. THANKS!

NOT!

I woke up this morning from a bad, bad dream. I was writing bad checks all over the place. Fun times. Add that to the list of things I hate. I immediately went and paid all my bills.

Oh yeah and I found something even more boring than spinning the second 4oz of singles. PLYING the second 4oz of singles. But I know now that spinning really IS zen if you can get past the monkey brain. Have you ever tried meditation? I’ve only done it a few times, but I could never get past the spot where all the thoughts good bad and uglier than ugly just run around in your “empty” mind willy nilly causing trouble. I think I did it twice and realized NOT.FOR.ME! I need to be active in some way or else I’ll go crazy. My mind can never be empty – or emptiness leads to OCD which leads to insanity. Spinning is like meditation – not quite as bad because at least you are doing something physical, but once I hit that groove – right tension, right treadle speed, etc. I got the monkey mind. I think if I was able to get PAST that it might actually be zen like but for the time being it was a bit too much and I stopped.

And then I started to knit. I managed to knit the short row shoulders on the back of my BW Top Down Sweater and looking on in the directions I can visualize what I will have to do for the front as well. I’m quite excited about it. It only took me three tries to get the short rows right which is nothing short of embarrassing since not that long ago I was Short Row QUEEN. But alas, it is true: USE IT OR LOSE IT.

Today there will be LOTS of knitting. Mostly on the knee high which I hope to have finished by the weekend. Pictures tomorrow. I’m excited to see how the pooling does or does not match up.

Boring I know. Thanks for all the comments yesterday. I found it funny that a lot the comments were about the people who let their dogs off leash AND that those comments were mostly from dog owners. They say all you need is love but I’m not so sure about that. I think all you need is RESPECT. We’re sorely lacking that in today’s world. So go on out and respect someone today. Go ahead. I dare you!