I Think..Therefore I Have A Headache

The world may be back to normal. I went to bed at one of my normal times and I got out of bed before Mr. Honey. This means he has to make the bed because the rule is the last one out makes the bed. For the past three years, that has been me but now that he is back, it should be him because I am up in the wee hours. Except that's not how it's been working. He's been getting up because he was still in the work habit and for some reason, I've been staying in bed later. But today, I was up and out and he was still in bed. This leads me to believe that Superman is doing that thing he does where he goes into orbit and reverses the turn of the world.

There are some stories from the road - some cute, some not so much and I will be sharing them over some of the time. I downloaded the photos I took and the first one was this one from the first game we went to on Friday night. Kosuke Fukudome of the Cubs. I did remember to take some photos outside of the stadium to prove which stadium I attended - you know, in case I run for office and have to prove I was there.

Chase Field is the latest in our 'visit every park where the Cubs play' series. It is a little slow going. So far we have Wrigley (which shouldn't even count since it is the home field) Milwaukee - which has the friendliest folks, Cincinnati - which has the best plaza outdoors, Pittsburgh - where the yarn is not taxed. That makes the baseball experience even better and now Chase Field in Phoenix. My brother reminded me that Denver (where he lives) is also a National League Park. Which I needed no reminding of. The way my mind works, I wanted to do the division teams first and then expand and the only reason we did Phoenix was because of the anniversary thing. In truth, on our anniversary the team was in L.A. and we were headed there but decided to spend time la familia.

There are also some new knitting books in the library - did I mention that already? I brought back two from Phoenix and two more made their way home yesterday from Half Price books which was right next door to Tuesday Morning where a friend of mine sent me an email saying they got an alert that Tuesday Morning was having a good yarn sale. I went to check out the yarn sale which was not good. It two shelves with remnants tossed on them. Not that I needed to purchase yarn anyway because I have that resolution thing where I am not purchasing yarn (except for the exceptions to the rule) so I walked out of Tuesday morning fiberless and walked right into the Half Price Books and purchased two books for more than half off. I can put a moratorium on book buying as well since I don't have that many years left on the planet to do all the patterns I want to do and once I leave the planet, I think I will have the capability of knitting whatever I want from memory.

OK, I did kind of break the rules about not purchasing yarn but I did it before I left. And I did come home with 20 skeins of yarn newly purchased in Phoenix - but that wasn't me, that was Mr. Honey - he bought it.

I'm dancing as fast as I can.

Sigh...

There is a new crochet hat sitting on the ottoman waiting to be photographed. In fact, there are several things waiting to be photographed. Yesterday I was logging in my completed items and making a list and I found some finished projects that I knew were somewhere. I also found some yarn.

I am just not in the mood for the photos - wait, I did promise I would show the completed homespun afghan: When I completed the afghan and went to fold it up, I discovered a hole. I think it happened when I was cutting ends and I cut something that should not have been cut. It took some clever mending for me to fix it. The hole was in the light blue section - do you see the hole? No - you don't see the hole. It appears what I did was cut the join when I ran out of yarn - what a dip - and I crochet/knit it all together. After I tried different things like Tunisian crochet and regular crochet. The picture really does not do the colors justice - I've done this afghan maybe three or four times before and this one is the most stunning. It's also the smallest, making it more of a throw than an afghan.

Mr. Honey has given his notice at his job. Working three years after being retired has worn thin. So starting next week he will be home.

Help me, please.

He will be home. When I wake up - he will be there. No more quiet mornings. He will be here. No more leisurely listening to my radio in bed and padding off to the bathroom when I feel like it. He will be here. He will be at my laptop so I will have to fire up the computer in the office so I will have a place to work.

Now, we all know I love me some Mr. Honey - but he's coming back and changing around the calm atmosphere I have developed. I don't quite know how I am going to handle it. This adjustment will be harder on me than it will be on him. Perhaps I will have to visit more knitting places.

I just got a package with my books in it from a craft book club. There's a story there and I can tell it later.

Superstar!

I thought I would drop over to my pal, Susie's blog to see what she was up to and she's on a sock run. Looking in her blog list, I picked a new blog to go read and clicked on Thru the Back Loop. The blog belongs to Allyson who is also on a sock run - it appears October is Socktoberfest. And who was the person that turned Allyson on to Socktoberfest...Susie...the sock pusher.

I can imagine how it went. Allyson, all innocent and non-sock obsessed, was going her merry way when she passed by the alley and heard: "Pssst, pssst, hey, you there...wanna knit a sock? C'mon feel my fiber." Just kidding, Sus; you know I love ya baby!

Many have tried to explain to me the lure of sock knitting and how one can become filled with the drunkenness of knitting them. But I cannot drink the Kool-Aid. I just don't get it. Other than learning Kitchener stitch, I can't find much need to even look at a sock pattern. Now, having said that, when Loopy Yarns was giving away patterns during the yarn crawl, I took scored obtained a couple of sock patterns because they were slouch socks and I love slouch socks and cannot find them ready made too easily anymore. So, if the urge hits me and I need to feel some slouch socks on the feet, I can make them. And I can make them out of a little thicker yarn than sock yarn. So, while I haven't completely ruled out the possibility of making socks, it's no where near a top priority and after having made socks before, I don't get the allure of them.

In other news, I was at Mosaic Yarn studio and fell in love with a poncho pattern I saw in a book on how to use your stash. That poncho has been calling my name for the past few weeks so I went back and got the book (50% off) and I am going to use my stash to make it. It's the poncho on the cover. I don't know why, but it wants me to make it and I think I must comply.
It will definitely use a lot of my stash as I can make it in a variety of colors using different weights of yarn. I'm looking forward to it.

I repeat that I have not forgotten about the ugly afghan I said I was going to crochet and it is actually waiting for me to get back to it. I have worked out, in theory, the part that is giving me trouble and if it works, the outcome won't look much like the picture but that's OK cuz the picture is ugly. I am not going to sabotage my own goal. That would be crazy. Besides, I still have a swatch of it that I started and I love the colors together so working out how to make the center pretty will ultimately get me something lovely. And who doesn't need something lovely?

In the meantime, I have the latest granny square afghan (which once I complete, I will go on to the ugly beautiful afghan) and the lace scarf made with the Misti Alpaca. It's 25 days before the Guerin Prep show and I still have lots to do in order to feel secure in what I have to offer. Maybe someone will have socks. Someone. Not me.

Meeting Phyllis A. Collman

One of the perks of running a craft sale or a knitting group is you meet a bunch of great people (you meet some not so great people, too, but you don't count that because they probably feel the same about you.)

The show last Saturday brought out the wonderful Phyllis A. Collmann. Mrs. Collmann is the author of a Pioneer Book series featuring Rose Donlin. Rose is a young woman (think Little House on the Prairie) who finds herself sold off for $50 to a man because her father cannot take care of her after the death of her mother.

Mrs. Collmann has been married for more than 50 years and decided just 8 years ago to become a writer. She is a self-published author and promotes her books both on line and at various shows. She came all the way from Iowa to promote her book and I intend to make the offer for her to come back to Chicago to our sale when we have more steady traffic. She was kind enough to give me some tips and pointers and to answer all the questions I had about being published. She also came with her husband, Conlin, and he was just like the other husbands (Mr. Honey included) who give over some of who he is so his woman can live her dream. He was very kind and I enjoyed them both immensely. I purchased the first of her books, Rose's Betrayal and Survival and sat down to read it.

Mrs. Collmann is a gentle writer and very descriptive. From the very beginning of the book you know Rose is going to a bad situation but we meet someone early on that we hope Rose will manage to be with. She has an easy, elegant style that is relaxing to read.

I purposely put the book down so I wouldn't read it all in one sitting. My intention was to buy the entire series, but I didn't get to Mrs. Collman in time to purchase them before she packed up (odd of me considering she was right next to me!) so I want to make sure I have the others so I don't frustrate myself with not being able to see how she will get on. I mean after betrayal and survival life has to get better, right?

Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Collmann for gracing our sale with your presence. I hope to have you back very soon. And thank you, too, for sharing your information and encouragement.
The link above will take you to Mrs. Collmann's website where you can watch her video and read about her book series.

And We Have Contest Winners!!

Thanks for bearing with me with the delay of announcing the contest winners!
As you know, there was first one prize of the book Knit Fix, some yarn and needles. That was supposed to be the only prize, but then there were so many good tips and I have so much yarn that I thought I would give away some of my workhorse yarns to the person who had the tip that benefits me the most - purely subjective.

So, first, the best tip prize. I read the tip and I said 'wow, that makes sense. I like that and I tested it out to see if it was really a time saver - not so sure about that - but it gives me an option for how I might want to do things. So the prize for the tip:

Instead of doing the original ssk, you can K2Tog through the back loop

Goes to CiCi!! Yeah, CiCi..send me an address and I will send you some yarn from my stash!

The Grand prize was pulled by Mr. Honey and I told him not to just take a name from the top, so he shuffled them all around and he pulled out a piece of paper and the name on it was..


HEATHER!!!

How's about that, babe? You get some of my yarn and the book and needles. So, send me the place you want it shipped and it will be on the way.

There really were some great tips and even though you can go to the post and read them all, I will be featuring them one by one along the way.

Thanks to everyone who posted - Mr. Honey was impressed and that's saying something.
I have to go get dressed for our date night but I will be back quite soon with a new post!

Book Review: Knitting To Go Deck

Win a copy of Knit Fix and other goodies. Contest rules here!

Knitting to Go by Kris Percival and Sherri Giblin

I was not hesitant about giving Kris Percival another shot, after all, she did Knitting Pretty which has a version that like, Knitting on the Go, is done with cards that you can drop in your bag and carry. (Knit Knack Kit) I have both versions (BTW, I will be giving away the card set in another contest down the road.) So buying this set wasn't a hard choice for me to make.

This set is a lot more challenging than the projects in her previous work, and that's a good thing. As I flipped through the cards, I found some projects that I am looking forward to wrapping my yarn around. There's a blanket, wraps and some animal hats that I want to get to (but you know me, could be years...)

The patterns are easy to read and to follow and the authors do a nice job of offering some variations to the pattern in case you're like me and following the rules all the time begins to wear on you. The photographs are certainly big enough (although a problem I have with a lot of books is that they only show one angle or one side. I would take a slightly smaller photo if I could have the front and back and the occasional side of an object just to make sure I know what it's supposed to look like.)

Most of the patterns seem within reach of a beginner/advanced beginner and every once in a while an intermediate pattern shows up. But that's fine. There's nothing wrong with an easy pattern - it opens up your mind to change it around to create something unique or it allows you to enjoy the process of knitting more. At least that's how it works for me.

Overall, I like it. Out of the 25 patterns in the book, I will probably tackle about half and that's a good ratio. If you've a mind to try it out, you can find the book new and used at Amazon and other book websites.


042704

A Return to Normal and A Book Excerpt

I know when I asked what book I should get started on, most of you selected My Father's Son
the story of two men born of the same father but one mother is a slave mistress and the other the mistress of the plantation. I meant to start with that book, but when I sat down at the computer, the first chapter of The Coffee Club came out. That's the story of the five women who have been friends since high school and college. So that's the excerpt I am going to share - a part of the first chapter. But do not fear, the first chapter of My Father's Son is also started. It came out a little later, that's all.

Excerpt from The Coffee Club:
“Hey, Eden! What? Slow down. What about Freddie? No. You’re kidding. When? Yeah, I’m on my way. Is she OK?” She started towards the staircase and climbed. “Gina’s probably in court. I’ll try her. No, I’m at Loopy but I drove. I’ll try her in the car. Is that Halle I hear?” She stepped out into the street and rushed down to her car. “I’m at the car. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
She was halfway to Freddie’s house when the car phone rang. The radio went off. “Gina?”
“I’m already on my way. I was in a deposition but Halle left a very detailed message.”
“Well, then you can let me know what’s going on. I was talking to Eden and couldn’t get much out of her other than Freddie was in a bad way.”
“Isaac left.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean he left her. He didn’t come home last night. Didn’t call. She found an email from him. He left.”
“Email? He left her via email? Good God.”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t see this coming.”
“We weren’t looking for this to come. She didn’t know she was supposed to be unhappy.
How far out are you?”
“At least thirty. Luckily traffic is light on the Ike.”
“I’ll probably beat you. See you when you get there. Bye.”


***********************************************************************************

Yesterday was a fluke.
And thank God for it. After ranting on about how I called acrylic yarn fake yarn and how it wasn't fake and I was in love with the stuff - trying to convince myself it was true-I started yet another hat last night and I am happy to report:

I am so back.

The hat was knit with Norville's Chunky Weight yarn in Forest. The hat is a simple done hat with an cast off edge done in brown suede. Hat and camera downstairs - writer and computer upstairs. You'll just have to wait for the picture.

But while I was creating the cuteness, I was saying to myself: 'This yarn is so soft. It feels so good." See, the acrylic fairies (who are real and not fake fairies) are smiling down on me and welcoming me back to the fold. Of course, I also had to admit the softness was not the same feel as the natural fibers, but that's OK. It doesn't have to be the same - it just has to be soft. And it is dreamy soft. So instead of moving from one horizon to the other, I have brought those horizons together.

So, will I incorporate some natural fiber in the knitting as I suggested I might? Well, considering the yarn I got in St. Louis is natural fiber, I've already started. I actually pulled out a skein yesterday and thought it would make a great hat but decided it would make an even better scarf.
So there you go. Nor will I abandon the acrylic yarn - that stuff is good and it provides more variety for my knitting and the items I make and sell.

Whew, I am glad we can all get along.

041004

The Infamous Afghan and A Book Review (Kind of)

Infamous. Yes, I have given the afghan wip the title of infamous. You recall I told you there was a problem with skein and the afghan was a, let me see if I can quote myself: 'a friggin' lot of work.'

I admit I did not spend as much time knitting yesterday as I normally do - I don't know what I did between hour 23 and 24 of the day - oh wait, I sold an afghan yesterday and I had to ship it off to New York! Yeah, me!!) But even so, I know I spent some time knitting and it doesn't look much longer than when I took this picture. So I didn't bother taking another picture so as not to give witness to the progress I did not make. I believe I have only three color changes about the blue (that's really purple - what is it with digital cameras not photographing purple - can someone tell me?)

The good news is I got so tired dealing with the messed up skein that I finally took the (great deal of) time to pull the end out of the skein. I found the end that supposed to be on the outside and I pulled it to the outside and now I can't find the end that goes on the inside but I can unroll the skein from the outside - just like I used to do. I put the skein in a bag and now I'm a happier knitter.

(By the way, this is the afghan that sold. I was thinking it would never leave me to go to another home, but it's going to the Big Apple and from there, I have no idea. But you see the panel to the right? That's actually purple - it looks blue and the second panel from the left is deeper purple - geez!)

Anyway, the infamous afghan is reminding me of one of the ski sweaters which is why I am continuing work on it. I believe it will be stunning when complete - and since it calls for 30 different color changes, it will be quite the stash buster. I am pulling out another skein with each color change - and because black is tying them all together, color matching is pretty easy because almost anything will go. That's a fun aspect.

Don't want you to think I'm not having a good time - I am. Sometimes this kind of impatience is a knitting tool!

Remember I told you about Lori's Reading Corner and how it moved me to want to pick up a book? I picked one up: The True Darcy Spirit by Elizabeth Aston. She 'specializes' in writing novels about the relatives of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pride and Prejudice. The first novel of hers I attempted to read was Mr. Darcy's Daughters. I couldn't get through it. Because she seemed so far off base of what their daughters would be like and what Elizabeth and Darcy would be like that it made no sense for me.

I often wondered what happened to the characters. Were Elizabeth/Darcy and Jane/Bingley happy? Who married that bi-ach Miss Bingley (I would love to read the exit of Miss Bingley from the house where Jane would now be the mistress.) What would have changed had Mary married Mr. Collins?

I was interested in reading about the characters but it didn't sit comfortably with me in that particular book and also the style of writing tried to hard to capture how Austen wrote. The thing about Austen's writing was she was writing in the style of the day so it's completely natural for her. Not so much for Aston. But what about The True Darcy Spirit?

So far, I'm liking it. The style of writing has changed to that of a historical novel and not one so much trying to be a novel written back then. So the tone is lighter and more natural and that makes her characters easier to breathe in. I'm not completely done with it, but I'm liking how much easier this book is. I am glad I gave her a second chance. And I'm thankful to Lori for inspiring me to take up a book again - somehow it's not a stretch that a knitter also likes to read. In fact, a lot of knitters I know also like to read.

This has caused the creative juices to flow - two weeks from today I will be having another contest that combines reading and knitting. In other words, I will be putting together a prize package that includes a book, yarn and needles. I need the two weeks to decide which book, yarn and needles to give away.

Now, if you will excuse me - I have the next five hours free before I have to do my second workout of the day - I am going to knit and read!





040704

Blog review: Lori's Reading Corner

One of my favorite professors in college (Aurora College 1980) was Donald Fuller. He was one of my literature professors and he was the guy with the glasses and bow tie and pushed out teeth who was adroit and supportive and wonderful. I remember a while back after I graduated from college, I was in Aurora for a visit and I saw him at the train station and we chatted.

I told him I was working at Encyclopedia Britannica and they had a collection of books called The Great Books and I was just itching to have that collection of books. Dr. Fuller said to me that he knew I loved reading (after all, I majored in Lit) but I was one of those people who liked to be surrounded by books even if I didn't read them.

I did not take offense because he's right. I do love having books around me. Just as I love having yarn around me. When I love something, I tend to do a little compulsive hoarding. But I do love reading (just as I love knitting) and though knitting has usurped some of my reading time, I still love to pick up a book. I love the feel of a book in my hands so a Kindle would not be a good gift for me - a gift certificate to Borders or Barnes & Noble would send me into spasms - good spasms!

I was thrilled when I ran across Lori's Reading Corner. Girl makes me want to pick up a book right now. And I would have, except I had to write about her blog before I got lost in a book. There are books on my shelf I have never even cracked open (giving credence to Dr. Fuller's observation) and I admit to loving romance novels, even though I also like contemporary fiction. I don't do too well with the high brow fiction and I touch Science Fiction every now and then and historical fiction is a close second to the romances.

Lori has a Teaser Tuesday, where you right an excerpt from the current book you're reading. It's a great thing - that's why I almost went to pick up my book - the book I'm currently reading is The Friday Night Knit Club. I just started it - still in the first chapter - so I wanted to go upstairs and get it and participate. I can still do it as long as there's a Tuesday, but I thought what a great idea to get teasers of books.

The entire blog is corner to corner books and I'm thinking she'll be a great resource when I get ready to put my own books out there in the atmosphere. I need to get her in my corner - or I need to sit more in her corner. I did sign up to follow her blog - OK, I entered her contest, too, she's giving away the next book in the Friday Night Knit Club series. You still have a couple of days to enter.

I love this blog because it reminds me of a library: books everywhere with room to explore each one at your leisure while you decide which one you want to take home. I also love it because it's clear she loves books and she makes me miss reading. Where can i fit it in? Do I dare let reading take back some of the time knitting took from it? Can I read something unrelated to knitting?
Oh dear, the choices.

Isn't that great? Stop by Lori's Reading Corner and see for yourself.

The Boring and the Beautiful

I could place a photo of the WIP sequined beautiful but boring afghan here. I could. Except the laziness that I am currently operating under will not let me get more dressed, go downstairs, load the camera, place the afghan wip outdoors, take a photo (or five) come back in, attach the camera to the PC and download the photo.

I'm fatigued just writing about doing it. As an aside, I visited the Julie/Julia website; you know the one that inspired the movie about the woman who made all the recipes in Julia Child's cookbook? Not one picture. I went there thinking I would see photos of those creations. Nope. Nada. Rien. Nuthin'. Just saying.

I am on the third skein of yarn and the second bag of sequins. I did a little count of the sequins already in place and the count was approx. 350. I am about halfway through the project so there will be lots of bling. I have to say that is the most fun part - seeing the light hit the pailettes and they just sparkle like crazy. And since I vented yesterday, I have to say the project seems to be moving more smoothly so I expect I will be taking the photos of the finished object in a very short time.

To completely change the subject: I need your input.
I am a writer by profession - though I guess I am no also a knitter by profession, but first came the writing. Well, the knitting came first way back in grade school - no, matter, not important to what I need your input on.

I have three books crowding my brain saying they need to be written. I trust them when they say they need to be written; I just don't know which needs to be written first. I need you to read the synopsis of each and tell me which one I should work on.

My Father's Son is a historical novel about two boys: one born of a slave, one born of the slave owner's wife, both sons of the slave owner and how their lives take different paths as they both fight for freedom.

The Coffee Club is a novel about five friends (three black, two white) and the strong bond that gets them through a painful divorce, the death of a spouse, a surprising new love and living the single life.

Short Rows is a book about the connection of knitting and life. Short little musings about this craft we all love so much.

What do you think? Which one of these babies should be pushed through the creative canal first? Let me know your thoughts. In the meantime, I'm gonna throw some laundry in the machine and get back to the afghan.
031004

Cross The Line

I had to go to Joann today. I needed a snap for the new purse I made (pic is coming) and I needed fabric to do some linings of other purses I have in mind. I also have my big 40% off coupon.

Now, we know Hobby Lobby is my place for yarn - like I need more yarn - but Joann has the bigger book collection so I decided I would treat myself to a new pattern book. I had some books in mind - and lo and behold - if both of them weren't sitting there on the shelf just looking at me.

I wasn't going to get both. I didn't want to appear greedy. Besides, I have a 50% off coupon that's good next week so I can come back and get the other one if I am so inclined. So there they were:

A book on learning to knit socks
A book that's a bible of knitted bags.

What to do? What to do?

We know I had that socks jones going on for a while and the book would certainly get me going in that direction and I would have a huge amount of patterns that go from really easy to challenging.

And I have obviously been on a purse jag for the past few weeks because I've done most bags - I threw in a scarflette just to mix it up. And I love doing the bags because they are quick, creative and don't cost a lot of money.

Good reasons to go for either book - so which one did I choose?
It wasn't that I didn't want the book on socks. I touched it and talked to it. It's just that I love bags more than I love socks and I've been looking at that book for a longer period of time.

It's earned entry into the inner sanctum. Besides, it has a very short and simple guide to lining bags and I actually followed the instructions this evening and created a lining for a bag that doesn't really need it.
I won't use the lining in the bag (I also made it a little small) but I was pleased with how it came out so when I do line a bag, I will be all ready to go.

I'll do another sock one day. I am almost certain of it, Just not today. And wait until you see the cute little bag I made. I would show it to you now, but that would mean pulling out the camera, taking the photo, uploading and all that jazz and I have to get to be because I didn't go to bed until...get this..8 this morning. I stayed up all night making the little bag...and I have an meeting at 8 tomorrow morning. So, I am off to take a shower and get into bed so I can sleep quick and wake up early!

Only Love Can Break Your Heart

OK, so the sock thing is bugging me.

Marilyn brought a book called Baby Feet to StitchCraft last night and there was a pattern for a pair of socks. You make seven pair and put them in a box and it's called Socks In a Box, one pair of socks for every day of the week. And the darn things were soooooo cute. It was then the sock started laughing at me though it was five miles away sitting on the sofa.

I don't think I've ever been the competitive sort. OK, that's not entirely true. I have been known to be competitive, but only with myself. I won't knock little old ladies down in a rush to get to the free samples in the drug store. (Unless it's chocolate then, sorry Granny, but youth has its perks.)

But I have been known to get an idea in my head and work towards it. The single sock is laughing at me. I will not put a photo of it laughing at me, but I have looked at it and it looks like it's having a giggle at me for not redoing it. Of course, I know I could unravel it and that would solve the problem, but I think it would come to me in a dream like I was Alison DuBois, the medium of all dead socks.

Death would be too good for the sock. I must make it swallow its own instep and shut up. I'm on the hunt for a simple sock pattern.

Knitting Books - Or How The HB is an Enabler!

As much as the HB sighs over the yarn, needles and the time I spend knitting; he is not very good at pulling me away from my passion. In fact, he enables the addiction by purchasing knitting related items every time I ask.

So, sometime in October I was surfing the web when I came across Knit-Picks 40% book sale. Not being one to pass up the opportunity, I made a list of the books I wanted and put them on the HB's desk with a note saying: for my birthday and Christmas.

My birthday was the day after Thanksgiving and he handed a box.
A small box.

I didn't get all the books on the list obviously, but I did say birthday and Christmas so I imagine he split the list in two.(Well, there were about a dozen books on the list, so I'm expecting Christmas to be really big!) Here's what I got for my birthday:


The Prayer Shawl Companion is full of knit only prayer shawls and is a lovely book with some interesting patterns that go from beginner to intermediate. I didn't see anything in there that was scary.

Color Sense is a really good book for learning how to pull colors together. I am not very good at combining colors and this comes with a nice color wheel that explains it all nicely.

Natural Dyeing wasn't anything I expected. It talks about making dyes out of natural substances (well, that I expected) but some of those substances are: rhubarb, onions, cabbage and avocados. Who knew? It really got me thinking. I didn't have much luck dyeing with Kool-Aid; everything came out orange. But dyeing with fruits, veggies and herbs/spices may prove to be great fun. I am going to start experimenting.

The other books on the list are all pattern related so I am hoping has ordered them and has them stashed away for Christmas morning.

The Main Floor Stash

Yes, the yarn is climbing out of the box trying to escape.
This is the main floor stash - this is most of the main floor stash because some of it has escaped and is running around the living room.

Is it any wonder why the HB wanted me to give away more yarn? To the left of the box is a big carry on bag the HB got me to hold my FOs to the right is a bag with yarn scraplets -that's right, I formed a word.

You can't see the bottom of the box, but it is a big box and it is filled to the brim with yarn. I admit it, I tend to be compulsive when I am in to something and I'm into knitting. Which is why I won't show you my needle collection.

It's not as neat as the upstairs stash because the upstairs stash and the basement stash are feeder stashes for the main floor stash because this is where I do most of my knitting - heck, it's the only place I knit now - and with as many as eight projects going, there was a lot of yarn that needed to be fed - and now the beast is gorging and threatening to eat the dog.

I am doing my best to get through the box. I have two afghans which are made of blocks and I am using some main colors but the rest are a hodge-podge and I'm using as many colors as I can. - Which reminds me, I have to tell you the books I got for my birthday present. Later.

The Last Lecture

I just finished bawling like a baby. I just finished ready 'The Last Lecture' by Randy Pausch.
It's so simple and makes so much sense. And the reason it's a popular book is because we know it makes sense and yet we don't do what he says.

The tips on how to live your life are so breathtakingly simple and we don't give ourselves permission to follow them when we instinctively know what they are. I've always said for every new technology we create that brings us one step forward; it also comes with two steps back. We've created ourselves into too busy lives that leave little room for communication even though it supposed to give us greater contact.

I loved this book and right after I finished it and dried my tears, I got an email from someone I think is truly one of the most gentle, kindest souls I've ever met and I told myself to tell her that and I shook my head saying to myself I could never be that vulnerable. Then before I did this post, I made myself answer her email and tell her just that.

I'm going to take note of those tips and see how I can use them in whatever time I have left. Now that I am of a 'certain age' I know there are far less years ahead of me than there are behind and if I am aware of that, then I should be aware that I can make them wonderful for myself, my family and my community.

At the very least, I should give it a shot.