moonfrog

At 1:30 today, the Dish Rag Tag box arrived on my porch. What great timing! I had the day off work and was home! That gave me enough time to get it turned around in the same day — at least I hoped so. I really wasn’t sure if I could knit a cloth fast enough.

First I unloaded the box that was sent from Nanc in Texas. What a treat! She sent a great eyelet lace cloth (sorry you can’t see it well) and included the pattern. There were needles for dishcloth knitting and a cancer-awareness stitch marker, knitting pins, a yummy hand lotion bar, a robot notepad and monkey tissues. And besides the cotton yarn for the dishcloth, she included a skein of Vesper Sock Yarn! Whoa! She went way beyond the requirements! I’ve been wanting to try the Vesper yarn and am thrilled with the color, too. All the goodies were so much fun. ThankYou!ThankYou!ThankYou!

The direction sheet that came with the package had a short message from each of the participants. It was so cool! I read quickly — I just loved this personal message and wanted so much to keep it, but it had to go on the rest of the journey. I ran to get my supplies, which had been waiting quietly in a knitting basket.

I had a few patterns ready, waiting for the final decision based on what yarn came my way. I wanted to make a pretty cloth and thought I’d have the box overnight, so my pattern choices reflected that idea. The yarn I received decided me — a solid turquoise blue ball just like the one I made the Dolly the Dolphin cloth with a year ago. My one hesitation — could I finish it in less than three hours? I’m not the fastest knitter, and I’m pretty distractible.

I jumped in with both feet. I had to stop and pack the box because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I went back to the cloth. Husband came home. He brought me a mocha. Good — caffeine. He talked. I told him I was counting but he could talk to me ever other row. He understood. Halfway through the cloth my son came over. I hadn’t told him about the race. He would not understand. He took it as the perfect opportunity to tease and try to distract me. It was fun to have the whole family taking part!

At 4:35 I bound off the cloth. I spread it out, not knowing if it was anything like the pattern or not, even though I had followed it as exactly as possible. (No one will every know about that extra stitch that showed up uninvited.) It looked okay to me. I unpacked the box, took a couple photos, packed the box again, and printed out the label. Sweet husband drove me to the post office — it was safer that way. At 4:55 I walked out of the post office with five minutes to spare. Can you see how I was hurrying? That is one blurry photo!

My part of the race is over, and I can’t help but be proud of how well I did. My only mistake was to send off one of the balls I got in the box that I was supposed to keep. I put in two balls of my yarn, then wanted to include an extra skein, but grabbed the wrong one. No harm, no foul. Not bad considering the rush.

My cloth went out an hour and a half ago and the adrenalin is just now settling down so I can type. My family was great, but I know there will be some major teasing to endure. My team, Rapid Rag Relayers, is still in the lead, but just barely. The box stops one more time in Seattle, Washinton before heading home to Emily in Alabama. Thanks, Emily, for a great race!
This blog will now return to regular posting!

I managed to squeeze a short trip to the county fair into my schedule last Sunday to watch the speed spinning competition. The traditional wheel in the photo is spinning so fast the spokes have disappeared! It was fun to watch the awesome spinners from beginner to advanced work for 20 minutes to see who ended up with the most yards. My friend Connie won second place in her division of the speed spinning contest and this was her first competition. Well done!

Connie also won various ribbons for her knitting, including a best of division for a hat made from her handspun camel/tussah silk blend. She’s an awesome and adventurous spinner. I also owe her a big thank you for hooking me up with another spinner who had a drum carder for sale. After buying a fleece at the Black Sheep Gathering, then ordering one online, I needed to find a way to card my new wool. A drum carder will be much easier than hand cards, which is what I used years ago.

Here’s my awesome new spinning toy tool. I have no idea what I’m doing and will need some lessons. The fleece is from a ram yearling named Duke. He was one dirty boy! I washed that fleece three times and rinsed it twice. It still could use a bit more cleaning. I actually bought it just for the purpose of learning how to take a dirty fleece all the way through the paces. It’s a small (3 pound) fleece, so it’s not too overwhelming.

That little bluish ball of roving was a gift from one of the speed spinners, who passed out samples at the competition. I think about half of the spinners also raised some sheep or goats. It was a congenial small group and a very fun time. I took a hat to knit while I watched.

This is the Elfin Hat from the fall issue of Interweave Knits made in Patons Classic Wool in the Forest colorway. I made it for a woman who has lost her hair and is feeling quite cold. It’s not a pattern I would have chosen, but it was fun and easy to knit. I’m quite glad I had the opportunity to make it. The tapered top of the hat is done in a repetitive, easily memorized lace pattern and the brim is six inches of ribbing. The only part I didn’t like making was the pom pom. I’m just not a good pom maker. I didn’t like the pooling that developed as the hat got bigger, but that is just a personal preference. I know many knitters welcome pooling for its interesting and varied patterns.

I decided to make another hat to send off to my new friend. This one has been in my pattern folder for a long while, the Nubby Brim Cloche Crochet Pattern. I crocheted it with Patons Shetland Chunky Tweeds, Deep Red. I enjoyed this quick pattern, too. The stitch pattern is very easy to create and gave some interest to the work.

Then there’s the Hat Gone Wrong (aka the Hat Bag.) All of our knits can’t be just what we had hoped, so this is my quota to that end. I crocheted this from the “crown” down, then switched to knitted ribbing. No head could possible fit into this hat, so it became a bag. My iPod took up residence in it. That’s quite a switcheroo!

I used Bernat Satin for this, which is 100% acrylic. It’s soft and shiny, but there’s really no stretch to it. For hats it will need a nice rib to keep things tight. Acceptable yarn, but not in my favorites.

AudioBook Blurb

Let’s save the book update for next week, shall we?  I’m hurrying around washing and packing my things for a motorcycle camping trip to Oregon. I’ll have more reading done after the trip. Have a great weekend!

Have you been following the big summer race? Dish Rag Tag! Each participant receives a box with two balls of cotton — one to keep and one to knit into a dishcloth and pass on to the next relayer, along with a couple goodies. The first box back to where they started wins. The box will be heading my way before too long. Emily at Yarn Miracle has a great web site for us, with team forums, automatic tracking, and widgets!

What widgets? Check it out on the sidebar! The status of each of the teams is automatically updated when the shipping label is printed. Too cool! My team, the Rapid Rag Relayers, is doing great! Our box has been from Minnesota to Indiana, Kentucky, New Hamshire, New York and is now headed to Alabama.
I’ve had my supplies ready for a month now and have been checking the progress almost daily since the race officially began on August 1st. I can’t wait to get the box, but I’m nervous, too. I’d hate to be the weak link in the relay! Susan (who is not on my team) shows just how tough this competition is in her two-hour turnaround. Amazing! My husband is prepared to be abandoned when the box arrives on my porch.

Speaking of my DH, thank you all for your kind comments regarding his latest adventure. It’s like getting a big ol’ cyber-hug! Much appreciated.

I figure it is time to offer a bit of evidence of knitting. Rose/Soleil really is progressing in between hats. The fronts are split for the V-neck and waiting on stitch holders. The back is about an inch from — well, from the next step. What? I’m supposed to read ahead? Be right back . . . . Ah! That’s an inch from binding off. Oh yea!

I’m to the stage where I wonder if the yarn will hold out to the end. I can always make shorter sleeves if it runs low. The sleeves will be a break from straight stockinette, having a bit of lace at the bottoms, too. I’m trying to keep focused on this project so I can start EZ’s Rib Warmer without UFO guilt.

AudioBook Blurb

Middlesex started out a little rocky for me. I didn’t really like the narrator’s voice at first. It grew on me, though, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else reading this story. The story also started out with a bit more of a history slant than I usually like, and then there was the unusual sexual subject matter. I was wondering if this book would work for me for a short time. That discomfort passed quickly and I sank into a wonderful story. Three generations were covered in detail, each adding to the outcome, each making a difference in the next generation, and each finding a place to settle in my psyche.

Greek culture and immigrant status lent their twists to the story, as did some interesting bits of Americana. The mix of old-fashioned customs and attitudes with modern genetics was a delicious contrast. There were some sexual scenes, but I thought they were tasteful, never gaudy, and always added to the point of the story. There were some raw parts, but nothing that offended me.

I know this was a story — a novel — a fiction, but I kept wondering why the protagonist’s last name was different from the author’s. I listened as if the author was telling his own story. It was real to me. I had to remind myself that it was fiction. I told my husband about some parts as if it were a true story. It pulled me into the heart of the story until I couldn’t tell what was real and what was not. I cried and I laughed. My heart ached for the characters. In the end, I wanted to believe that this was a true story . . . I still want to believe it.

Life has been stressful lately. In the grand scheme of things, my troubles have been small, but in the personal perspective, they have set me back a pace. The past month has brought a couple extra doctor appointments to deal with a small skin cancer on DH’s arm. Ordinarily, these things are just a check, a little biopsy and the ordeal is over. This time, the biopsy was done and no call from the doctor left us worry-free that nothing was wrong. A couple months later, we found out that the biopsy had gone to the wrong department and there was indeed a cancerous growth. Then there was the waiting for the next appointment — never soon enough for the taut nerves. In the end, all is well. No surgery is required, just a cream that will cause the cancer to peel away. A few more growths were frozen off and we are moving back to normal. In the mean time, I’ve been a bit distracted from blogging and knitting and other quiet pleasures.

So I’ve been picking up easy knits and leaving the more interesting projects for when there is more time for concentrating. Rose/Soleil is split for the V-neck, requiring me to learn new things. I still haven’t gotten over the major ripping that Shedir required, but it is back in my travel knitting bag. Soon I’ll pick it up again.

Hats are filling the knitting spaces for now. I finally made the Star of the Day Hat. I used Cottontots yarn and it turned out very nice — a much richer yellow that it shows in the picture. I even did the I-cord bind off, which was really quite easy after I got over thinking it would be too hard. It adds a nice finishing touch to the hat.

The pink hat is crocheted with Esprit yarn to make it stretchy. I didn’t use a pattern, it’s single crochet with a shell stitch border. These two little hats will go to a children’s cancer center.

I’ve also decided which vest to make with the Manos Wildflowers yarn that I swatched with last year. I’m itching to start Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Rib Warmer. When I saw Peggy’s Rib Warmer I knew this was the one. I wanted something simple that would work well with the busy yarn. I also wanted to use the pink Manos for an accent. Peggy used single crochet on the edges of her vest — perfect! This couples with my desire to continue in EZ’s Knitters’ Workshop to make this an easy choice. Now I just have to finish up one of my WIPs to make room for a new project.

And just a little more Harry Potter: I was reading some of the background information that JK Rowling has provided and came across this tidbit about one of her characters. Very sweet.

In Goblet of Fire (American hardcover edition, pg. 180), a girl named Natalie McDonald was sorted into Gryffindor House. She was a real girl who was suffering from a terminal illness. She wrote J.K. Rowling a letter. J.K. Rowling wrote back to Natalie and her letter included an outline of Goblet of Fire so if Natalie died, she would know how the book went. Unfortunately, the letter was too late. In memory of Natalie McDonald, J.K. Rowling included her name in Goblet of Fire.

And I ran across this pattern for HP House Fair Isle Pouch Bags. There’s a chart for each of the four houses. Awesome!

AudioBook Blurb
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield will appeal to book-lovers who tend toward classic novels in the vein of Jane Eyre, which has a prominent place in the plot. The protagonist is a book seller and a bit of a loner. This story is her adventure with an eccentric and mysterious author.

This is Setterfield’s debut novel, and she does an excellent job creating a complex tale with secrets and surprises throughout. A mystery/ghost story, the story unravels slowly, weaving the past with the present through storytelling.

Once or twice, an aspect of the story seemed slightly out of place, but very briefly. I enjoyed the slow revelations and the psychological teasers this book used to weave an intriguing story.

My knitting is coming along nicely, but I’m too lazy to take a picture since there’s nothing really interesting to see. Rose/Soleil is up to her armpits, and another hat is halfway done. I’m hankering to cast on some socks, but that will wait a few more days.

What’s really on my mind is reading. The last few days I’ve been “reading” the last of the Harry Potter books. Don’t worry — no spoilers here! I was able to continue with the UK audio version with Stephen Fry. Sheer pleasure.

As I struggled with having little to say this week (it’s my mood, really) I read a post on a yahoo audible group that shared a link to a NY Times article called Your Cheatin’ Listenin’ Ways. (I was able to read the article a couple times, then was asked to register. Hope you can see it with this link.)

I was surprised at how guilty audiobook listeners felt about not physically reading books. It’s no wonder with attitudes like this art teacher’s, who was quoted in the article regarding what she told someone in her book group:

. . . listening to a book was a copout,” Ms. Altman said. “I’m not like a hardcore book group person — a lot of times I don’t even finish the book. But my point was that she is a librarian and I thought it was pretty ridiculous. I’m a painter and it would be like me painting by numbers.

Here’s my reply to the post on the yahoo audible group:

As a semi-retired English teacher, I have felt small pangs of guilt about listening vs. reading, but the guilt of not reading at all because of time constraints overpowered the guilt of audiobooks. My ongoing argument has always been that I already read well and don’t really need to practice anymore. I am reading for pleasure. After many years of reading to teach, this is a delightful change. I also am coming away from my “reading” experiences with new ideas, which is the best part for me.

I do think that the way the narrator reads the text can influence my perceptions of the story. Small shifts in tone and cadence might give me a different sense of the story than I would have taken away from reading. So I guess some of the imagination and creativity is diminished with an audiobook.

My final answer to any of these concerns is always: At least I’m reading again!

I guess you could even say I’ve gone into my second childhood. I love having someone else read me a story. I certainly feel that I’ve earned it after reading aloud to my own children for hours a day (literally hours — we were very fortunate to have the time) and then reading aloud to school children when mine had settled into reading their own books.

Where do you stand on audiobooks? I don’t suppose I can really expect honest answers after already giving my opinion on it. Feel free to say what you feel, though. Should I turn on the application that reads the computer out loud for me to read your answers? Ha! (That’s meant to be a lighthearted joke. Please do feel free to express your feelings on the topic, even if they differ from mine.)

Happy reading (and listening.) Next week there will be knitting — and more reading. I’ll skip my AudioBook Blurb this week, since the subject has rather taken up the whole post. Next week I’ll review The Thirteenth Tale.