man, it's quiet in our house

Crap. The house is cleaner than it has been in ages, with no hay anywhere and no stray poops [dry, odorless] rolling about. And we hate it.

But as hub keeps reminding me, we had our Noot for longer than most people have their bunnies. Doesn't matter. Still hurts.

Anyway, I want to thank each of those who commented for their kindness and their thoughts. It's very sincerely appreciated. We'll be okay. Hugs to you all.

our baby is gone

She survived the most horrible medical crisis this past May, and made it to her 11th birthday. It was a miracle.

We now know she hung in just to give us three last beautiful months with her. She was more affectionate and cuddly [which is saying something, since she was the kissiest bunny ever] in those last three months than ever. She even tolerated being held for a while. Once she fell asleep in my arms. Twice, actually.

[if you know bunnies, you know that's a huge deal.]

My hub and I are sadder than words can convey. We'll be married 15 years this October. Noot was with us for 11 of those years.

We love you, scooterpie. Rest well.

you should know

...that if you're looking for the darkest possible red-almost-black nailpolish for your toes, this would be it. i know...i looked for months before i found this. brand: zoya. color: casey.

that is all.

Why I want to spin

THIS is why. Jillian's perfect example of the use of energized singles. The damned things look so alive, you can imagine them dancing around her wrist. Can you picture that done in some handspun silk? I can.

I want to thank everyone who commented on the previous post regarding their choice of spinning wheel[s]. I know that it's as personal as the kind of toothpaste you use, but still it's amazing to get a glimpse into the reasons WHY someone likes what they do. It makes you think a little harder about other points of differentiation that you might have gapped before. Like a three-legged wheel vs a four-legged one. Didn't even occur to me. If you didn't comment but want to, please do. The more info I have, the better. And all of this may work its way into Knitty somehow, so you'll be helping more than just lil me.

Meanwhile, fall Knitty is doing what it does when you can't see it. It's collecting itself in private, shaking off any residual confusion in pattern language and gathering clarity under the careful guidance of Mandy, our beloved Tech Ed. Pictures are being cropped and adjusted. Graphics are being made. And the code? People! You should see the code flying around over here. You have to watch where you walk lest it hit you in the head.

As for New York and the knitting cruise and our associated long-overdue vacation [hub's and mine], plans continue to get firmed up. Not sure how many spaces are left on the boat, so if you want to go, I'd call and reserve now. Our little hideaway on the Cape is all booked and deposit paid. The passage on the fast ferry to Rochester is booked, and we've taken care of the last detail -- the hotel in the NY area. It's a Hilton and it has the BEST BEDS of any place I've ever slept in, including my own home.

Yup. Fixating on the vacation. You bet.

Tell me which wheel you like

Now I'm curious. I'd like to know what wheel you'd recommend to someone [that'd be me] with these wishes:

- modern looking wheel
- compact [portability is very good]
- something that I wouldn't have to trade up from [I don't believe in buying beginner equipment; I'd rather get something solid and capable and learn on that]
- of course, I'll be spinning no wool; instead soysilk, silk, cotton, other natural fibers, blends w/synthetics
- double treadle

That's the basic list. On the shortlist [ones to test drive], I have:
- Majacraft Suzie
- Ashford Joy
- Lendrum original/upright DT
- Schacht DT
- anything Robin

??

I'd love to hear what you have used, like, don't like and why. Please share in the comments! I'm not rushing out to buy anything this second, but I am looking forward to hearing what you have to say.

Didja see? more goodies to win!

Courtesy our friends at Interweave, this time from their PieceWork magazine, comes their Goody Giveaway. Knitting stuff and other kinds of stichery bits can be won...and all you have to do is fill out the form.

I love winning stuff. Go get 'em! [Sadly, US residents only. I'm gonna have to talk to somebody about this. Sorry, fellow Canadians, and everyone else.]

Today's the deadline for the calendar contest!

It's been amazing, watching the pictures come in so far, but we're not done till midnight tonight!

If you haven't submitted but you have knitted something from Knitty's pages and can take a great photograph, enter! You have nothing to lose and could gain quite a bit of cool swag. :-)

Contest rules here, for those who are game to give it a shot on the last day.

p.s. WAIT till you see this calendar.

No Need to Click Here - I'm just claiming my feed at Feedster

Enough.

Anonymous rude comments will be deleted.

Expanding my circle of friends

Thanks to my friend Denny who works at the Sheep, I made a new friend last week... a little gem that really lives up to its name. So far, I've spun on 3 wheels and this one was the most intuitive for me to use. Ees very nice.

Why aren't I saying any more? There wouldn't be much left for the article I'm writing if I blogged it all. :-) But I can tell you that you'll start to see more spinning content in Knitty, starting with the fall issue. Eee!

Thank you, Ruth Reichl

"There is no right and wrong in matters of taste...It's just an opinion. And in the case of restaurants, an extremely subjective one, given that no one has the faintest idea if what you taste when you bite into an apple is the same thing that I do."Ruth Reichl, Garlic and Sapphires, The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

This quote refers to Ms Reichl's theory about food critics [she was the critic for the New York Times for 6 years], but I think it applies to people in general.

We're all stuck in our own heads and we think what we think. Whether it's the spices we put in our spaghetti sauce, the color we paint our bedroom walls or the outfit we pick to wear to a special occasion, we like what we like, and we chose it for a reason. Your choice is no better than mine. It just is. It's really cool when the whole world agrees, but it almost never happens. Why expect it?

Come meet me and celebrate Knitty's 3rd anniversary

One of the best things about running this online-only magazine is meeting the people who read it, all over the world. It's very cool to see someone in a Yarn Ho shirt or shake the hand of a woman wearing her Rosedale. I've been hugged by people wearing Hallowigs!

Recently, I visited The Point, a delicious yarn shop in New York City, where I met some knitbloggers I'd only known by face and words until then, and we had a great time. I also got to meet Helane, who is the owner of The Point, and she and I clicked right away.

So when she asked if I'd be a guest at the shop's upcoming brunch cruise, I was thrilled to accept. We put our heads together and decided we'd combine knitting on the water and noshing on good food with the celebration of Knitty's 3rd anniversary.

And you're invited, too! Come join us!

Place: New York City
Date: Sunday, September 25, 2005
Time: 12-3pm
Cost: $65
Includes: a cruise around the beautiful city of New York [of course!], brunch buffet, complimentary speed knitting lessons for non-knitters, and a coupon for 10% off any purchase at The Point in October.
Special charitable extra: Silent auction, with all proceeds going to Gilda's Club New York. Bid on the original Sweetness sweater and other Knitty-related hand knits, knitting bags and knitting books.

Details are here.

Spaces are limited, so call 212-929-0800 or e-mail info@thepointnyc.com to reserve your spot. Come meet me!

The bonus news for blog readers is this: Hub and I were also clever beans and found an affordable wee cottage to rent in Cape Cod just before the 25th so we could be in the area. This'll be our first vacation together in years. We need it. And the cruise is after our week of kayaking and mellowing out, so I will be happy and rested by then. Good thing.

just another reason I love my job

How can you not like what you do when men you love send you patterns and pictures like this?

Yes, the Knitty summer surprise is up.

NOW we have a sales rank.

Eee! Check it out! Clearly word of blog is powerful, since if you type "Big Girl Knits" into the search box on Amazon, the book doesn't come up. So people have been pre-ordering it based on our blog mentions, then?

WE LOVE YOU. That's so cool, I can't even stand it.

And so it begins again!

How cute are we? This would be Jillian and I at Random House in June. Holding a blowup of the faux cover of our book. The book which is now ON AMAZON.

We're so new, we don't even have a sales rank yet. But we do have an ISBN, and as anyone who listened to the Knitcast knows, I have a thing for ISBNs.

And now we are 6

Welcome and a big hug to Lorena, proprietress of my LYS, The Naked Sheep. I met Lorena just under a year ago when I spotted what looked like yarn things appearing in the window of a formerly vacant shop. It wasn't possible. A yarn shop was opening, not 3 minutes from my house? I had to know! She let me in even though she was nowhere near open, still unpacking stock, and I welcomed her to the hood. It's been a wonderful treat for me, watching her build her clientele over the last year and decide which yarns she wants to carry. There is no better way to enjoy the overcrowded Beach Jazz festival than buying a little Fleece Artist or Blue Heron and sitting in for a night of chat and knit. Way better than getting crushed in the crowds and stepped on.

Anyway, Lorena and her amazing friend Julie, are good peeps and I'm so honored to know them. Lorena is walking with Team Knitty and she needs your pledges, so if you haven't dropped a few bucks in the kitty, please click on her button and help her along.

If you're in the Beach area, you must stop by. Dangit, *I* must stop by. :-)