Fiber Raven Soiree

The Two Swans Yarns -- Live at Last!!

My daughter, at the age of 2, used to run breathlessly into whichever room I was in at the time and announce "I'm so exciting!!" whenever something wonderful happened. Her toddler misuse of English underscored her words in a way that caught me up in her excitement. So, may I say, "I'm so exciting!!" because The Two Swans Yarns online shop is finally open for business!

We have the same yarns that Cold Comfort Yarns had, and more-- Jamieson Spindrift, Soft Shetland, DK; Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4-ply, Yorkshire DK Tweed, Yorkshire Aran Tweed, Magpie, Kidsilk Haze and Jamieson & Smith Cobweb lace-- and more is coming soon. All yarns you can use to knit the traditions!

Just take a look at what Linette is doing with some Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4-ply! That is one talented lady, and she does love this yarn.

Karen has some on-line knitalong classes planned, beginning with a simple but elegant basketweave vest from Jamieson's Book #2. As time goes on, we will be filling our online pages with information, tools, and yarns galore.

In the meantime, we'll keep on blogging (look for a knitting blog from Karen soon) and sending you the news from Happy Holler.

Tippie Jane can hardly contain herself. Even Ermadine is surreptitiously checking out the site. Nanny Granny is taking a well-deserved nap. She worked hard to help make this happen. And Madame? Madame Glitchbane is thinking of finishing Saga Rose this weekend.

All is right with the world.

The Gathering

Yesterday all we folk at Happy Holler took our annual tryptophane and back, enjoying every mile along the way. Everyone was present-- Madame, Papa, Sherah and her friend Brendan, Nanny Granny, Tippie Jane Hundheusen, Ermadine Swett, and Nadia Krinkelmeyer.

Confession (shhhh, don't tell my stepmother!)... for the first time in the twenty-odd years I have cooked my own Thanksgiving dinner, I did not bake my own pies or make my own rolls or whip my own cream. And you know what? The heavens did not fall, dinner was delicious, and nobody was there to say any different (well, Ermadine did complain that the marshmallows on the candied yams weren't the right shade of golden brown). The only thing missing was the smell of those pies and rolls baking.

Here is my lovely daughter Sherah and her friend Brendan in their classic pose:

And here is the ol' mom & daughter shot:

Imagine my surprise when Sherah, a very bright young lady, abruptly asked me: "Mom, are you psychotic or something?"!!

Shocked, I said "no, why would you say that?"

Says she "well, every so often I read your blog and you talk about these weird people and I don't know what's going on, and can't put anything together, so I don't read on. I'm worried about you."

Sigh. My daughter, like myself at times, seems to be suffering from Damnesia. Does she not recall her imaginary friends from her childhood? Can she not see that Mom is having fun making up characters that are either altar egos or caricatures of an almagamation of traits from people in her past or present life? This I had to explain to her, and that got me to wondering how many other people might think I'm psychotic due to my stories of Happy Holler and the Malpervides'.

For years I thought I had no imagination and no creativity, partly because a junior high art teacher told me I was not creative, and I believed her. And now that I've discovered I have an imagination, I enjoy using it. Is that psychotic? Naw, that's fun :-)

I've been working on Dusk, and now you can definitely see the colors changing.

Last night I used up my last inch of Atlantic, and now must once again wait for the skies to open up and pour down yarn, or maybe in this case for the Atlantic to spew forth skeins of yarns from its depths.

Yesterday I heard on the news that a small town here in the state of Washington lost power for three hours, delaying their Thanksgiving dinner preparations and causing much stress. The electric company says that an animal damaged one of the control boxes. Personally, I believe it was that rarest of birds-- a smart turkey.

The Surprise

Sandy Blue, a Seattle native and resident, is well known for her knitting and teaching skills, and well-loved for her sweetness and friendliness. In September, Sandy lost her mother to emphysema. We wanted to do something special for her at that time, and so thirty-five knitters from around the world banded together for our Secret Project-- to make something to give Sandy comfort and to let her know how sorry we were for her loss.

Yesterday we were able to present her with this afghan. Here it is all ready for her to walk in (on the pretext of a "business meeting"!).

The afghan was loosely based on squares from the Great American Aran Afghan, and the knitters were free to choose their favorite square or make one up. When I pointed to one of the "tree" squares and asked Sandy to guess who knit it, her eyes filled with tears as she said in a tiny voice, "Janet?". And she was right.

The participation was so excellent that we had four squares left over, which Kit and Sam handily made into pillows. Look at that attached I-Cord finish-- isn't it fabulous?

And here is Sandy, happily united with her gift (and Sherlock, who was dutifully licking away her tears).

We were so happy to be able to give this to Sandy before the holidays. She was overwhelmed and it was a most worthwhile and wonderful effort. I wish you could all see each square close up.

As for what else I'm up to, here is my first attempt at knitting with beads, using Zephyr laceweight and size 8 beads with Jackie E-S's pattern. It's very fun!

And thanks to Karen, who brought me another skein of Rosewood, I was able to continue on Dusk.

It's still difficult to see the color changes in photos, but I am just now starting with the color Dusk, which will be a more noticeable change eventually. For now, it all looks gray, doesn't it?

I hope that your Turkey Day is shaping up nicely!
Sherlock is practicing for his Christmas photos. He's thinking of doing a glamour shot.

Return to the Saga

What am I doing up at 6:15?, I ask myself. And the answer is, who cares?! I felt like getting up, I'm more energized and I have lots to do. It's just too bad that we can't stash sleep like Spindrift and pull it out when we really need it!

I feel great empathy towards the Gray One as he rushes around the house trying to get his last-minute things together before dashing off to work. But today is Friday, pizza night and the eve of a weekend and he will survive.

The yarn-eating Dusk has devoured my limited supply of Rosewood, and now I must wait for more before I can continue. Karen instructed me to pick up Saga Rose, and based on Peter's very wise advice, I will knit on it at least 30 minutes per knitting session before wandering off to something else. I managed to get through a whole repeat on the sleeve.

I think the worst part about returning to a project after a period of denying it attention is the fear that it will take some time to a) find all the yarn you thought you left very organized, b) untangle the yarn you thought you left neat and c) figure out where you are in the decreases and/or pattern-- even if I documented where I was, I am always suspicious of myself, and need to double and triple-check before proceeding. But except for a small amount of untangling, none of these were problems, and Saga started singing once again.

With all this time to knit (except for the 8 hours a day I've been putting into building the website!) and not being as stressed as I usually was, things are different. Knitting in the past was my way of unwinding from the stress of the workday. I was tired and knitting was soothing. But now it is harder, actually, to focus on knitting because my mind is more active and my body more energetic-- it seems like I am wasting time by not channeling that energy into something requiring it. So I find myself looking around for something challenging to knit. And aha! I find the Hanne Falkenberg Beret kit that Angela so generously gave me at the last soiree. But by the time I find it, I'm tired and so I spend the rest of the evening winding the balls of yarn by hand, watching the story of the Sphinx on the Discovery Channel, and listening to Papa's newest war stories-- oh! and learning about the self-mummified Tibetan monk.

Good Friday to all!

Dusk Grows

Ah, I remember how this works, now... let the house go to the dogs (almost literally!) and then an hour before DH comes home, rush around like a mad woman to cook dinner, straighten things up and welcome him home with a nice cold martini!

Grazzi has decided that with Papa G absent, she is the Leader of the Pack, and I am merely a pack member. It's hard to argue with an 80-pound German Shepherd. But an interesting byproduct of her misbehaviour was this-- I've been trying to convince Sherlock that he should eat dog-- not cat-- food. I bought some tempting morsels for him yesterday and put them out. Did he eat them? Of course not! Turned up his little nose and looked at me like I was crazy. But when Grazzi came zooming upstairs rather than into her kennel and hastily gobbled down those little morsels, they suddenly became delicious and I have had no problem convincing him to eat them ever since!

Have I mentioned how cold it is here? Yesterday I took the Little One out for a walk, and he tried very hard to only walk on his hind legs! He also begged to be picked up, and so I took pity on him and bought him some winterwear:

He isn't really thrilled with the boots, but he doesn't seem to mind the coat too much.

While looking for the proper attire for him, there was a Muslim gentleman beside me, complete with turban, also looking for dog coats. I asked him if his little guy was freezing on his walk, too, and he replied, "yes! And I took off from work this morning so that I can get him something warm to wear." What we won't do for our pets :-)

Dusk is growing slowly, and I have now passed the first yarn change spot, where instead of knitting with two Oxford and one Rosewood, I now knit with two Rosewood and one Oxford. Can you see the difference?

(I can't yet, but it starts at the middle of the last diamond, the one I'm still working on).

Cabin Fever

The first words that greeted my groggy self this morning were those of Papa G: "It's snowing". Good reason to roll over and sleep until 8:00, successfully avoiding any sight of the white stuff. Of course it later turned to rain, and it seems that the gods are making up for the lack of wetness during the summer. But I shall have faith that the northwest seas shall part and allow me to do my sprint of errands, first time out of the house this week.

Dusk is a Yarn Eater. I have about 3 inches of the body done, and have consumed three balls of yarn. Of course, I'm using three at one time, but still, in terms of ball-winding time, this is an all-time record.

Because I am making the largest size, it is taking a considerable amount of time to produce any noticeable progress on 240 stitches per round.

So far, I can still knit on this in front of the Great Gray One, because it isn't anything more than a bit of greyish stuff. Soon, when it gets big enough for Him to notice it, I will have to begin covert operations.

Did you know that when knitting garter stitch in the round, you create what looks like a seam down the side at the starting point? This is because it is the point at which you switch from knit to purl or vice versa. There seems to be no way to avoid this, for if you try to be clever and knit one half, purl one half, purl one half, knit one half, you just end up with a seam on the other side. So be it.

Another daffy dream....

Did you know that Arnold Schwarzeneggar can hide an entire bottle of wine in his back, in that cleft between his shoulder blades?!? I didn't, either, until my dreams proved it. Why he should be there I don't have a clue. But the wine was welcome, nonetheless.

Dusk Begins at Dawn

Staying home is hard work! Every muscle in my body aches this morning, and I hear the mysterious echo of laughter that reminds me a whole lot of Melvin Teaprattle. Madame Glitchbane is considering engaging the services of the famous detective "Bear" Lee Thayer to determine if her suspicion is true-- that is, that Melvin has once again persuaded little Sherlock to help get Madame into shape.

(Bear has a reputation for eavesdropping without being noticed and some say he has telepathic powers. Years ago he told Aunt Chester that he thought there might be a plot afoot to steal all her Oriental Poppies. She quickly dug them all up and kept them in a safe place, planting plastic poppies in their places. Sure enough, the next day all those plastic poppies were gone!)

The little guy Sherlock is prone to bringing his sheepskin knot toy to the Compurgatory while Mme is working. Trying to entertain him and work at the same time, she plays tug of war and thus it is that her biceps, triceps, concepts and forceps are all very sore today.

I did indeed drag out a few skeins of Spindrift yesterday and commenced with Dusk. Surprisingly, the welt, normally knit in ribbing in 95% of all sweaters, is done in garter stitch. Unfortunately, garter stitch in the round is not as easy/fast as garter stitch back and forth, and so this is as far as I got:

(Note the cute little kitty that dangles from the stitch marker -- this is one that Tami made, and I adore it). I have about seven rounds to go before starting the body. This sweater is knit with three strands of Spindrift (2-ply Shetland jumperweight) held together throughout. The subtle shading is produced by slowly shifting the combination of colors held together.

Saturday my friends Wei and Holly Tao treated the Glitchbanes to a Chinese lunch, and them came over for a bit. One more person is convinced they should have a toy poodle. Way to go, Sherlock!

Angela, I'll get started on that scarf, just for you :-)

SheilaSlacker!

Oh wow, is it 11:00 already?! This is really my first real day off, and what am I doing? Cleaning. It's springtime in Australia, right? So it's spring cleaning time here at Happy Holler.

I can't show you my completed Item because it is a Surprise, but yes, Beth, I will show it to you eventually :o)

The Two Swans website is progressing nicely but there are a few loose ends to tie up before we'll be ready to go live. In the meantime, all Cold Comfort Yarn orders will be filled by Two Swans. It is fun having a real yarn shop to play with, and Karen plays fun Yarn Shop!

Realizing that for the first time ever I can actually knit something that Papa G doesn't know about, I am lusting to start Dusk. Although some of the yarn is still on backorder, there is enough to start, and if I can knit it before Christmas it would be the ultimate surprise gift.

The other thing I am lusting to start is the beaded scarf from Heartstrings which calls for Zephyr. And I am hankering to finish the Saga, which has indeed turned into a Saga. Oh my, what to do first? It feels like I'm slacking off, daring to knit during the middle of a weekday!

If you haven't seen Caroline's finished Faroese shawl, hurry on over to Pink Tea, it's a beautiful work of art!

Table Talk

I'm sure you're wondering what 25 engineers talk about at a going-away party for one of two women present. Occam's Razor. The Death of COM. Moore's Law. Overnight FedEx being faster than sending a disk's worth of data online (because disk capacity is soon going to be in the terabytes). How much Todd can eat (but still keep his slender figure). Whether Jim will be able to resist talking about conspiracies and Iraq (amazingly, he did). All the former employees now at Microsoft. The science of groundwater movement and prediction. The infamous 63C build.

And so forth. It was delightful.

To demonstrate what lengths I would go to motivate my team to close out bugs, bear witness to the following. During the first major project I was involved in, everyone was struggling. Nothing seemed to hang together, the build process wasn't gelled, and morale was low. So I promised that if they had a zero bug count by a specific day and time, I would go blonde and Eric (the UI/front end lead) would go green.

Here is a shot of our hair before the experience began.

Eric used a temporary dye, which wasn't exactly what was planned, but he looked substantially different:

But my experience involved sitting in a salon for hours bleaching all the color out of my dark locks. It was... er.... transfiguring.

This is the first and only time I have ever been a platinum blonde, and you will see why it really doesn't work! After three weeks, I sat in the salon for another few hours while they applied different layers of color to approximate real hair. It took weeks for my hair to feel healthy again. But would I do the same thing again if it motivated the troops? You bet!

Last night my boss treated me to a fabulous Italian dinner and Amarone wine. I didn't bring my knitting.

Maybe it was the wine, maybe just an overactive imagination, but I dreamt last night that Vanessa mentioned to me that she had decided she needed a puppy so I should keep my eyes open just in case one happened along-- I wasn't to look for one, specifically, but if an opportunity presented itself, she would like a puppy that looked sort of like a teddy bear (in my dream it was a pink terrycloth teddy bear). Lo and behold, I soon found three stray Aussie Shepherd pups that seemed to have no home, and one of them was pink and bear-like, so I took it to Vanessa, who lived down the hall, across from the boss's office. She loved the puppy immediately and was playing with it when the phone rang, so I playfully answered it with "Vanessa's Pink Poodle Parlor!".

I think I've lost it.

Have a wonderful Friday, everyone!

Fog, not Frog

Sullivan O'Donavan correctly predicted this morning's eerie fog on the Late News last night. The trees are missing half their leaves, and it is now possible to see the Cascades through their screen. But with the fog, the mountains look like a sleeping giant.

Papa G skipped merrily off to work this morning for the first time in many months. Like a child going to kindergarten for the first time, I do believe he was a bit nervous. But he is a natural charmer and I have no doubt he will be just fine. I gave him his milk money and his pillow for naptime, wrote his name on his Flintstones lunch bag, and wished him a good day while I stole a few more minutes of sleep.

My sock is growing, but I won't bore you with another picture of it. I'm working on another Secret Project that I can't show you, so I am actually knitting a bit more than it appears. but you just wait until next week and after!!

The 13th has always been my lucky day, and I am expecting today to be a very good one. I hope yours is great, too!

Catching Up

In my knitting life it seems that nothing is progressing very rapidly. My brain is on overdrive as I am learning several new things all at one time in order to get the new website for Two Swans Yarns up before too long. This is fun, but exhausting. If you had asked me four months ago if I would be up to this, I would have laughed. But the proper miracle of modern medicine for me has finally been identified and the dastardly demon of depression is held at bay so that I can now be me.

So, as I was saying, knitting isn't progressing very rapidly. Here we see the single finger of Sanquhar.

I'm not happy with the tip, because as I was decreasing I wasn't considering the fact that even though the white was "in pattern", it would stick out like a sore... finger? if I didn't alternate the colors vertically. So I intend to take out the last three or four rows and reknit it. Here's a closeup of the finger gusset, much easier to take a photo of it now before the next finger is knit.

Here is the glittery sock, which is a bit too big for me, so maybe it will be perfect for my sister, who is 6 feet tall and larger boned than I.

And, because I didn't want to do anything but the most mindless of knitting the last couple of nights, I started another sock using the new Opal I bought the other day, and size 0 needles.

I look at Saga Rose every night, but it requires concentration for the sleeve decreases, so it will have to wait until I'm free from work... only 4 more days! I will have a going away lunch at a Chinese restaurant (alas, Angela, no dim sum at this one) and a going-away dinner at a great Italian restaurant (think wine and osso bucco, mmmmm).

Brad and I went to the office on Sunday and took all my things home. I am the only one at work who actually decorated their office with paintings and plants and objets d'art, so now it looks clinical and sterile, and sad.

Sometimes things truly do work together for good, as Brad has landed a job after 10 months of being laid off, just in time! The ironic thing is that he will be working on floor 43 of Two Union Square, the infamous downtown building where Ryan and I met and worked together years ago!

And finally, I signed up for the Gig Harbor Retreat for the first time ever! This is an annual event always held in February and is purported to be a wonderful thing for a knitter to attend.

Now, this is what I saw when Karen and I were working on Saturday....

It's Jojo the Guard Cat!

A few weeks ago Vanessa asked if I would take photos of my NM Arts 12 days of Christmas needlepoint ornaments. Nancy, who is the artist, is in her 70's and her hands are twisted with arthritis, but she knits, needlepoints and paints daily and has the sweetest disposition of anyone I've ever met. Here is the 1st day of Christmas, which is the only one I've completed so far, the Partridge in a Pear Tree:

Click on the link to "read more" to see the rest of the series!

Ok, must get the brain going full strength again. Y'all be good now, ya hear?

Two Turtle-Doves

Three French Hens

Four Birds A-Singing

Five Golden Rings

Six Geese A-Laying

Seven Swans A-Swimming

Eight Maids A-Milking

Nine Drummers Drumming

Ten Pipers Piping

Eleven Ladies Dancing

Twelve Lords A-Leaping

Classifications

I am a Bad Blogger. No, wait. I am a bad Riser... that's it. These cold mornings I like to huddle under my comforter as long as possible before I launch my toasty toes onto the cold hardwood floors, pursued frantically by a small dog who thinks that my chief responsibility upon arising is to pick him up and recite love poems for 15 minutes.

I loved all the wonderful suggestions in the last entry's comments! I would never have thought of the baby hand mold kit!

Today is my next to last Friday at work, yippee! Only five more working days (and I use that term loosely, as most short-timers do, as duties are wrapping up). It is very interesting to observe how the Others (the folks not laid off) treat me during this time.

First, there are the Avoiders-- these seem to be convinced that I was laid off for some nefarious Reason, and therefore they might be guilty by association if they meet my eyes. Or perhaps they feel guilty that I got laid off and they did not. I would say about 20% of the employees are Avoiders.

Next, there are the Vultures. Vultures are happy that I am leaving because it means there will be a Real Office available. Even if formerly anti-cooperative, they pretend they have been a Real Friend for the last four years in hopes that I have some influence in determining who gets the office. Not true, of course. Vultures account for only about 5%.

Then, there are the Sympathizers. These are true friends who will be genuinely sorry to see me go. They smile and say hello, ask me how it's going, suggest ways of networking for jobs and are very helpful. Some of the Sympathizers are folks I've never even officially met. 30% or so fall into this category.

Finally, there are the Involved. The Involved are those who were in on the decisions about who was to get laid off. These include HR, my boss, the executive management, etc. At first, they acted much like the Avoiders. Then, when they learned I wasn't all that much upset about being laid off, they greet me with Joy, for I have made their job easier, and they don't feel as bad about it. 10% are in this category.

The others in the company I either have no contact with or do not display any of these characteristics.

What does this have to do with knitting? Oh, I was afraid you'd notice that. I came home last night and played word games on my computer. I was feeling pressured to knit (by myself) and just needed a break. I will try to post a picture of my progress on the glove and the sock before I leave this morning.

Have a great Friday!

Hand in Glove

I was thinking this morning of whether it would be possible to make a duct-tape hand model. I quickly disposed of that idea. But then I wondered if it would be difficult to make a plaster of Paris mold and then make your own hand. Of course it's possible. But then, would you be able to get a glove to go on the hand? I mean, wouldn't the thumb be problematic?

Oh, the things I worry about.

I should be more worried about the Creature that inhabits our back yard. Not the beaver that chews up our rhodies and young maple trees and in whom we are placing our hopes that we will soon acquire a pond-- no, he doesn't appear to enjoy dog food. The Creature comes up on the back deck at night and is able to take a 30-pound plastic canister of dog food and carry it to the back of the yard. Fortunately, the container seals tightly and the Creature has not yet perfected the act of unscrewing lids.

Papa G theorizes it is either a huge raccoon or a small bear. Whatever it is, it has developed a craving for Nature's Recipe Lamb & Rice Mix. Sherlock says, "Let me at 'em!"

Thank you all for your kind words and excitement about Two Swans! I for one am greatly encouraged and even more excited because of you.

Last night I completed (almost) the heel of the Not-A-Sock-Because-I-Don't-Knit-Socks. Maybe tonight I will finish it!!

And here is your Tip Of The Day. Do you know what this is?

If you said "Holder-Thingy That Blank CDs Come Packaged In" you are correct! But, if you look carefully you will also see that it is A Yarn Cone Holder And Protector. Save these, or ask your friends to save these for you. Some are tall like this one and are perfect for putting a cone of yarn in. Cut a hole in the top of the lid for the yarn to come through and you have a perfect solution for keeping the yarn clean and stable while the cone can still rotate around the black "stem" of the holder. Some are short, and these are perfect for lace threads like DMC.

The Two Swans

My launch into my current knitting frenzy began three years ago. I had been on the Knit List for a while and was knitting a little here and there, but hadn't quite gone over the edge. In November of 2000 I sent a little note to the knitlist, basically saying "I need a knitting buddy. Is anyone out there who also wants a knitting buddy?" And Karen Campbell replied.

As fate would have it, we met on the very day that Skeins Ltd. in Bellevue opened. First we met at a Starbucks to knit and get to know each other, then (of course!) we went to Skeins. I liked her right away. She was knitting a purple and gold swatch, having been inspired by the fall colors. I was knitting a Lorna's Laces sampler vest. I don't believe either of us ever finished those projects ;-)

As time went on, we became better friends and better knitters, challenging each other and demonstrating a remarkable likeness of mind. We would dream of opening up a shop together; we'd fill in at Skeins and "play yarn shop". Karen then started teaching English and Drama at a local high school, and I was immersed in my software job and we didn't see each other much for a while.

Apparently Other Forces have been at work now. Now, Karen and I find ourselves both with more free time and with a common vision of a store specializing in yarns for traditional knitting. After much thought and preparation, we have pitched our fates together, and so it is that I will be closing Cold Comfort Yarn and Karen and I will be opening The Two Swans Yarns!! The same yarn lines, expanding in the future, are to be carried and we are very very excited.

Last night I completed the glove up to where I will be starting the fingers. I really look forward to wearing these.

The back:

The palm:

The outer thumb and gusset:

The inner thumb:

And in the I-Don't-Knit-Socks news, I have started the heel of the sparkly stripey sock.

And here is the beautiful rose that Brad grew for me. It smells divine!

Knitting For Dummies

Apparently Papa G got the mammalian signals for "snow" mixed up with those for "earthquake" for there was no shakin' goin' on down in Happy Holler this weekend, but there was, incredibly enough for this area, especially in early November-- snow.

Now if I had been as productive as Nanette or Lisa, I might have been able to put my hand in a toasty glove and wander out into the winterlands comfortably. But alas, my glove has only a thumb, with which I can do little but hitchhike.

In former years when I was engaged to/living with my Swedish pojke in the countryside 100 miles north of my present abode, I commuted from there to Microsoft, a 140-minute commute each way. I got rather used to the drive and especially loved taking back roads whenever I could.

Over time I became familiar with certain curiosities that I would look forward to, one being the Dummy Family.

The Dummy Family lived in the front yard of one of the houses along a small highway, and just stood there with dummy smiles on their dummy faces. But every day they were attired in different outfits, suitable for the weather or the most imminent occasion. In July they would wear bikinis or shorts or just a towel, in December they were bundled up in Parka and gloves or sweaters or blazers.

I never knew why this family of dummies stood out there all the time, nor who coordinated their wardrobe, but it certainly made my drive more enjoyable!

If you ever get discouraged about your knitting, why don't you get a dummy and put it somewhere that you see every day? Dress it in your handknits and let yourself admire your handiwork. See? You *do* knit well! Better yet, get a dressmaker's dummy the same size as you are, put a head on it, and use it to measure the fit of your handknits. If your budget doesn't allow for the expense of a real dummy, make yourself a duct-tape dummy.

Now, I don't have pictures for you yet, but you'll have to trust me on the thumb of my raspberry glove. But also, I once again got sucked in by the SockWitch, who hovers over shelves of sock yarn in yarn stores and casts spells on you to make you buy sock yarn even though you never knit socks, or at least hardly ever. So she cackled into my cerebellum that I could knit socks for my women family members for Christmas, and pointed out about 5 yarns for my socking pleasure. One is a new yarn, I think it is Regia, that has a small filament of metallic thread running through the self-patterning yarn. I cast on gaily and knit down to the ankle, and will knit the heel tonight, depending on whether the fingers win or the ankle wins.

Although the sparkle is cute and I'm sure one of my sisters-in-law will like it, it doesn't add that much to the yarn and I'll probably pass on any for myself.

I'll show you pictures of both projects tomorrow!

And for all you patient, patient people who have been waiting for Madame to receive her order of Spindrift, rejoice! For most of it has arrived and shall be mailed out by the glory of the US Postal Service today and tomorrow so that all may partake of the knitting of Saga Rose and Mossbank and Dusk and and and...

Stay tuned tomorrow for a Special Announcement. heehee