first, it is necessary to admire the wrapping, and the card - handmade card, with my name on it, and the most beautiful calligraphy - I like to think I can do calligraphy also, but not like this...
check the bow wrapping the package - those are stitch markers, IN MY INITIALS - how absolutely wonderful! And I would be happy with this - handmade card, stitch markers, and tissue paper (yes, I am really that easy to please!) -
but wait, there's more! 
Unwrapping the package revealed a stunning skein of Lorna's Laces - look at those colours... just yummy... a beautiful little bag, in which I shall keep my beautiful little stitch markers, and some wonderful smelling soap. Even my ten-year old appreciates this soap, and he is, well, a ten year old... and a boy, to boot!
I feel spoiled beyond words, truly, and can't thank you enough - what a tremendous week this has been, and what perfectly generous souls y'all are...
no more almonds for the mailman - sigh - but I will have to find some way to thank him - I'd knit socks but his feet are humungous, and I have given myself a whack of family Christmas knitting to do - oh, wait - maybe Socks of Doom? Those were a fast knit... yes, maybe he should get to appreciate first-hand some of the joy he brings me... please note, this is not a full-out committment, just a thought - the sweaters I want to make for my sons, and other assorted smaller gifts for friends and nieces and nephews? Those are committments...
in other news, I was at my younger son's school this afternoon for one of my many volunteer activities (and yes, I feel completely blessed that I can help out), when the doors were locked, and an announcement made that the school was in 'lockdown mode'. Now, there have been drills in the past few weeks, the thought of which made me uncomfortable, and so I assumed this was another one. No, this was in fact a real lockdown - a bank across the street was held up at gunpoint. Now, we live in a small, quiet town. We walk to the bookstore and coffee shop, the kids walk to their neighborhood comic store - real Andy Hardy stuff. School lockdowns? Bank robberies at gunpoint??? Not in our neighborhood, thank you very much. Of course, the kids are excited about the whole thing, but me? I'm just a little bit nervous... oh, they've caught the robber, and everything is back to normal... but now there's just a hint of disquiet in the back of my mind - where did I put those damned rose-coloured glasses of mine??
my favourite, by far (in addition to the wool, of course, which is beautiful!), is the card - you can see the front of it in the pic, lower right corner, the women wearing ammo belts of yarn studded with dpn's - the inside reads: "Swatches? We don't need no stinkin' swatches!" This variation of a quote from Treasure of the Sierra Madre, with Humphrey Bogart and Walter Houston, is one of my favourites, and I use it all the time, for all situations - how absolutely perfect!
(in order of appearance: The Grim Reaper, Boba Fett of Star Wars fame, The Joker, and a skeleton).
Charlie tried to get in on the action, but showed remarkable restraint - more than I did, in fact... 
and Maggie really didn't care 
I have been able to knit, which is truly a saving grace - finished the boys' Moccasin Socks 
Project: Elizabth Zimmermann's Moccasin Socks (Knitting Around)
Yarn: Briggs and Little 'Tuffy'
Needles: 3.5mm
Started: October 15, 2006
Finished: October 25, 2006
made them each an Ear Flap Hat, in colours of their choosing (the white one has not yet been blocked) - I actually made the yellow one in one day (how Tanya of me!) 
Project: Ear Flap Hat
Yarn: Paton's 'Classic Wool', KnitPicks 'Merino' (stash and odds and ends - I am so proud)
Needles: 4mm
Started: October 28, 2006
Finished: October 31, 2006
and now, on with the Wallabies (are you tired of hearing about them yet?) - I am nearing the end of the sleeves, and will then knit them onto the body, whisk right along through the hoods, and voila! My aim is to have them completed before our next get-together, in two or so weeks.
It's in writing now.
And then perhaps something for moi, before the onslaught of Christmas gifts, which I should already be tackling, I guess... but I need something warm and cozy... because baby, it's cold outside...
EQUALS: 
SO professional looking - I can't believe I didn't treat myself to sock blockers years ago!
and working on my Sideways Socks, with Kelly : 
currently on Row 25, and I can finally see how this might one day grow up to be a sock... (note to self: use plain backgrounds to photograph busy yarns);
and taking my sons to Dyment's Farm yesterday in nearby Dundas in the rain and mud and yuck, so we could pick pumpkins and climb through a hay maze and swing off a rope into a huge stack of hay (that is not a royal we - I neither climbed nor swung) 
and eat caramel apples (I did, however, assist with this);
and playing yet another round of Star Wars Monopoly, and noticing very clearly this time the difference in organizational styles, which truly typifies my sons:
This is how Ben "organizes" his money and property -
This is Tanner's area - need I say more?
So, yes, there's a lot I can do when going online is not an option... but it's nice to be back...
I was absolutely blown away by the customer service, which is really a sad commentary on how my expectations as a customer have dropped over time. Really - I should expect great service, but when it happens, I am inevitably surprised and almost too pleased by it.
and I oh, so cleverly am making one for each of them at the same time - that way, no one feels left out or slighted... and as an aside, this yarn is a little hard on the hands to knit and should wear like iron - hopefully it will soften up in the wash, although I am assured that they are, in fact, very cozy on the feet... maybe my feet are more of the delicate flower variety? (If you saw them you would appreciate the humour in that - size 10's, not at all 'pretty' or delicate - in fact, I have two webbed toes on each foot - hmmm, there's the image I want to leave y'all with today)...
I photographed the socks lying on the back of another sweater for which I made all the pieces last year, but for some reason failed to put together. Oh, wait, I know the reason - I HATE putting things together... but it's just gorgeous - a Manos jacket from the Fall 2005 issue of Knitters' - so this week the pieces shall become one, and I'll have another new jacket...
I am back to my nieces' Wonderful Wallabies, and have fused both pouches to the bodies so the fun stuff is over till the sleeves - something almost annoying about kids growing and wearing larger sizes, and liking sweaters with copious amounts of stocking stitch knit in the round...
I am also working on Tanya's socks, making them longer - for some reason I can't pick up the stitches without it being very obvious that I have done so - I have picked up and ripped back 3 or 4 times now, and it's bugging the heck out of me - but I refuse to be defeated by a pair of socks...
we did survive hockey practice on Monday morning, although by 10am I felt that I had put in a full day and was ready for bed - Ben just kept on ticking till 8:30 that night - I don't know how they do it, but I wish I could remember - I must have been like that at some point, too... just like I wish I could remember what it was like to sit in a stroller and be pushed around to shop, or how it felt to be forced to take a nap - when was the last time someone said, "You need a nap, take a couple of hours and sleep"? I would pay for the privilege these days! Although, that being said, I seem to be unable to sleep during the day even when I do get a chance - lapsed Catholic woman guilt or something...
and finally, there was a package in the mail earlier this week that looked distinctly like socks - felt like them, it was the right sized envelope - so I had Tanner open it because I couldn't bear to face my Sock Wars death - big WHEW when we found this instead:
such pretty colours, and Miss Scarlett's fault... so I am still alive, and have no idea whether I'll be getting socks to wear, or socks to finish - oh, the suspense is killing me!
Attached is a totally unrelated, gratuitous shot of Ben with Charlie, for the sake of equal time. If you have kids, or work with kids, or know any kids, you know what I mean...
a flower washcloth in the loveliest shade of yellow, and so-o-o-o soft - I wish you could feel this! And Tan, you know you shouldn't have, but I so appreciate it!
I had previously mentioned Star Wars Monopoly - 
well, my sons are hooked, and I have always loved Monopoly in any form, so we are having a blast - it's been almost a week of playing off and on, and the kids are actually opting to play rather than watch TV or play video games - cool, huh? Although the game is set up on what is usually our 'command central' table - dining table, homework station, paper sorting area - so things are a little unsettled right now, but it's so worth it!
And as if that's not enough, they let me be Yoda...
The Force is strong with them...
I did bring my knitting, but who can knit during a hockey game? Too fast, too exciting, and too cute. So we got home around 11pm, I tucked my young men into their beds for the night and stayed up till 12:30am knitting. I discovered that Saturday Night Live is no longer very funny, and that there isn't a whole lot else on, so I listened to David Sedaris and knit.
Got this far on #2:
This morning, after much discussion, it was decided to postpone our family celebration until Thanksgiving weekend, because a few of us are ill. Whee!!! Free Day, and my house is clean!!! My youngest son suggested that maybe, just for fun, we could go to the Word on the Street Festival in Toronto - a one day literary fair, with book vendors, publishers, organizations, presentations - all to do with books and reading.
How could I refuse?
There were kids' books, grown-up books, small publishers, big publishers, and my favourite: a religious publisher, nuns and all, right beside Harlequin Books - do you think they did that on purpose? I had my copy of Knitting Rules in my bag, just in case the Yarn Harlot herself was there to autograph it, but I didn't see her. Of course, by the time we got there through ridiculous traffic - people, it's a SUNDAY - where the hell are you all going? And why is it always in the same direction as me?? - the crowds were so thick we could hardly get near anything, so she might have been there, for all I know.
Anyhow, home by 5, and there was dinner to be made, homework to be done (honestly, Mom, I thought I did it already!) and Star Wars Monopoly to be played (more on that later) - so I am hoping to make significant progress tonight. Don't think I'll make the mail tomorrow, unlike Tanya, who actually finished her pair THE FIRST NIGHT, but am hoping for Tuesday at the latest.
So now, I shall breathe heavily, a la Darth Vader, and come to the sock side...
My Lace Wings shawl, using one skein of Handmaiden's Sea Silk in the most delectable shade of brown:
blocking as we speak...
I used Soak rather than the standard Eucalan (Aquae scent - just edible), and I got to use my new blocking wires, which got me to wondering about a few things:
* why was it so hard for me to remove the instructions that came with the wires from the tube? It took me almost 15 minutes - no kids, much cussing - until I resorted to tiny tweezers to pull the damned thing out, all ripped to bits.
* why was it that after I blocked it out that I found the other set of blocking wires, purchased years ago but presumed missing after a couple of moves?
* and finally, where am I going to wear this gorgeous thing? I am not very shawl-y by nature, nor am I typically lacy - any wardrobe suggestions?
Dog Philosophy
And today, some thoughts on why I love dogs so very much. A friend of mine had to put one of hers down today after an unprovoked attack on another friend, and it just got me to thinking...
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue.-Anonymous
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -Ann Landers
If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.-Will Rogers
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.-Ben Williams
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. -Josh Billings
The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.-Andy Rooney
We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made.-M. Acklam
Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, Who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate.-Sigmund Freud
I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult. -Rita Rudner
A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, And to turn around three times before lying down.-Robert Benchley
Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.-Franklin P. Jones
If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known Will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.-James Thurber
If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise. -Unknown
My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can. That's almost $21.00 in dog money.-Joe Weinstein
Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul, Chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!-Anne Tyler
Women and cats will do as they please, And men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.-Robert A. Heinlein
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; That is the principal difference between a dog and a man.-Mark Twain
You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'- Dave Barry
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. -Roger Caras
If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket And then give him only two of them.-Phil Pastoret
My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am (My personal favourite, and, I think, my new credo).
Next OTN: my nieces' Wonderful Wallabies - just cast on the first, in Paton's Decor (my SIL is not a fan of handwashing), Rich Taupe. Think I'll alternate days between them, and maybe be able to make myself a fall-ish cardigan in between... (see? there's that unfounded, unrealistic optimism again, that always ends up biting me in the ass...)
The green blur is my mother rushing off to get herself some alpaca (not really, but it
And this was one aisle of three - we arrived much later than our usual time, and found it to be very crowded indeed, almost off-putting.
Not to worry, dear reader, we, your intrepid yarn shoppers, were not put off. Not in the least.
The booty: 
Oh, where to begin? Well, sock yarn was everywhere, in every form and colour, but I prefer to scout out those items which cannot be bought at regular yarn shops, and I did very well indeed:
(I am can't seem to upload any more pics, for some reason - I am pissed beyond words, but will make do with these)
From Shelridge Farms -
I got the aqua greeny blue sock yarn in the centre upper left;
and Koigu (a colourway I haven't seen before from them) - that would be the pink in the forefront
and a newcomer (again, to me), Lindenhof Wool Mill
lovely, soft wool / mohair blend - a while back, as part of the SP8 exchange, we were asked what sort of yarn we would describe ourselves as? - this, in fact, is me, as a ball of yarn... (the multicoloured cake right at the front - I had a much better picture of me, but again, we will have to make do)
My first purchase was this gorgeous Polwarth/Leicester blend from Rovings -
literally five minutes in the door and I was clutching this to my chest like a drowning woman grasping a life ring - just look at that colour... mmmmmm..... (purpley/blue on the left)
and a kit to make thrummed mittens from alpaca - I wish you could feel it, it is absolutely decadent...these won't be for me, but will make a lovely Christmas gift for some deserving soul - at least, that's how I rationalized it...
I also treated myself to a set of blocking wires that comes in a 3 foot long tube for storage (so clever!), which should come in handy when it comes time to block my Lace Wings Shawl, which time is fast approaching...
and the purchase of the day?
The basket. For $15.
$15. Yup, you heard me. Picture this poor guy, working alone in a small end booth, completely overrun by rabid knitters, each wanting their own handwoven basket. For $15.
Different colours, different sizes. One of a kind. $15.
He thought perhaps he had underestimated the demand of knitters, and thinks that for next year he will get a bigger booth, and extra hands.
So probably the biggest kick for me, apart from the obvious adrenaline rush that only a great yarn shopping excursion can provide, was seeing so many women toting their purchases in these baskets. I told my mother I would stop buying once my basket was full. I learned that one can cram an astonishing amount of yarn into a basket and still have space. Unfortunately, I also learned that my basket capacity outmeasured my wallet capacity significantly, and so had to leave with a little room in my basket.
Which was okay, really - don't want to be greedy or anything... and I guess my kids do need to eat occasionally...
Now onto other matters - I am still on my shawl, still love it but am surprised at how quickly the stitches have multiplied, and at how much longer each row takes - really lovely yarn, though, so soft... will save pics till the end, as they'll all look pretty much the same...
I have conceded defeat to a ... dishcloth. No, I am not proud, but I finally had to face the fact that I DON'T GET IT. Allow me to backtrack - through my SP's blog I found a dishcloth knitalong - haven't made them for years but always liked them, so thought it might be interesting. The pattern at the time was and is lovely - the Garterlac Cloth -
having done entrelac before, I thought this would be a fun re-introduction to the whole thing. I got this far
10 times.
I asked for help and got helpful comments. Lots of 'em.
I looked at the tutorial - repeatedly - ad naseum, even. Printed it off, studied it, imitated it exactly. Ripped out, started again, each time thinking this is it, this will be the one - I GET IT.
I don't get it.
I still have the pattern and will revisit it again in time - maybe I just need fresh eyes? Or a lobotomy? I am working on the next pattern, Swish with a Twist, and I am pleased to report that we have liftoff.
I feel like a quitter, but I think perhaps I am a realist. I will try it again, but right now I feel like I don't have the brain cells to spare, what with school starting again, and the lunch program I run at school kicking in, and starting some serious household reorganization - I'll just save what I've got, and when I feel brave, I'll step on the plank again.
for my 14 year old nieces' birthday sweaters, in colours of their choosing - they have both asked for Wonderful Wallabies, which is fine - I never get tired of seeing how the pouch gets knitted in to the body, and I've made maybe 10 over the years? - plus a couple of skeins of Paton's Classic Wool in variegated colours for felting (Tanya, those ones are your fault) -
anyhow, I was minding my own business, checking dye lot numbers, when I overheard an employee telling a woman that worsted weight means, and I quote, "You call pull really hard on the yarn and it won't break".
HUH?
I scraped my jaw up from the floor and listened as she asked and he again stated what seemed to him to be perfectly obvious. In a move completely out of character for me, I spoke up and said that no, in fact, in knitting, worsted weight refers to the weight or thickness of the yarn, and explained about gauge - "oh, that's what that little square on the label means", the woman said. We looked at the yarn she had chosen and found it to be bulky, which meant that her sweater would be much larger than shown in the pattern, and so on. By this time, there were 4 other women clustered around us with other questions, and I'm afraid the employee was not looking too happy.
I, on the other hand, was in my element.
So once all questions were answered and everyone was back to choosing yarn, I heard this guy, this employee, pipe up again and tell her that he was trained when he started to work in the yarn department, and so he actually knows what he's talking about, and she had the wrong kind of yarn (WORSTED WEIGHT Paton's Decor, perfect for a kid sweater, and exactly what the pattern was calling for) - I shot him the most venomous look I could muster - and I am pms'ing right now, so am amply supplied with venom - and left before I lost it completely.
I am now contemplating writing a letter to the management of this store, to inform them that their staff is ill-informed and therefore not much help to customers who need advice. I am just fuming. And I feel so sorry for this woman who has been misinformed - I mean, what if this leads to a bad knitting experience for her and she gives it up altogether? So thoroughly frustrating!
Vent over, resume normal programming -
in other news, my silk/sea cell "Lace Wings" shawl is lovely and I am looking forward to figuring out how and when to wear it...
I had to put sheets of paper underneath, because brown shawl + brown couch = no details
I also forgot to mention that on Friday I received a lovely package from my SP8 hostess, Tammy 
-
I answered some questions for extra credit, and won myself a beautiful skein of blue Regia Loop Colour yarn - as Tammy said, you can never have enough sock yarn...
so there we are - another day in the life...
Hard to find the words to describe the last three days, which were spent at Sandbanks Provincial Park with my sons - humbling? Amazing? Inspiring? According to the website,
"Giant sand dunes and golden beaches form two of the largest freshwater baymouth sandbars in the world here, on the shores of Lake Ontario" - the beaches are staggeringly beautiful, and the dunes... oh, the dunes... for a sand head, hard core, dyed in the wool beach bum such as myself, they were beyond breathtaking, and I know my photos won't do justice to the views, but I'll try 
This is one of those things where you keep taking pictures of what are amazing views at the time, and then when you get home you look at your photos and they all look the same, in this case, hills of sand.
We stayed in an excellent little hotel just minutes away from the park - our room had a screened in porch and stairs leading down to the beach - heavenly! But the main attraction was definitely the dunes - extending up and out, hills of white, powdery sand rolling away and toward and behind us - lots of work to climb to the top of a hill, but then so much fun to come barreling down at breakneck speed, knowing that you had a soft landing at the bottom...
This part of Ontario is absolutely cute, picturesque to the point of gagging, with lots of antique shops and craft stores and beautifully maintained century-type homes, so the drive was a lovely part of the whole trip. There are also several wineries along the way, but my children were less than supportive of my attempts to drag them through at least a couple, so I shall have to return unencumbered by smaller, opinionated people.
We did make one stop, one which I have wanted to make for years, and this one there was no talking me out of - the Big Apple. No, not NYC, the "World's Biggest Apple" outside of Coburg, Ontario.
Yup, it's a big one.
We went in and bought a pie and a 'dish' of ice cream for Tanner. Turns out their idea of a 'dish' is a full carton of ice cream! Took both the boys to get through it, and they both felt sick afterwards. Also bought a pie, and as we were paying I asked for a spoon (for the ice cream), and was informed that they no longer give out cutlery with the pies. I'm afraid this got me giggling, and I had to ask if a lot of people wanted spoons for their pies. The sales clerk assured me that it happens all the time, people would actually eat a whole pie at a sitting in the restaurant, and as if that's not bad enough, they will now do so WITH THEIR HANDS. Can you picture this?
This put me near the brink of hysteria, so I fought to calm myself as we sat and ate the ice cream. Then the boys started looking at the photos gracing the walls, which were all of other 'World's Biggest' things - world's biggest kiwi. World's biggest banana. World's largest chair. Biggest orange in the world.
I lost my thin veil of composure, put my head on the table and wept with laughter. Sure, people were looking at me. Sure, my sons were embarassed. Could I stop? I could not.
All of which helped with my mood when we hit dead-stopped traffic in Toronto - remind me never to drive the 401 in Toronto on a Friday at rush hour...
nice to be home now, the dogs are settling down and allowing me to go to the bathroom alone, finally - and our thoughts turn to school, and fall, and, ummmm... fall knitting...
I learned that the socks I made for my secret pal, Tanya, 
do NOT fit - through a typo, I thought her feet were 6.5" long when they are in fact 9.5" long - so I have asked her to send them back and I will hopefully be able to add to the length with the leftover yarn - or die trying...
my shawl is coming along quite nicely - once my camera starts to cooperate again I will post a pic - and I have moved to fall in my mind, and am thinking cozy sweaters and wool socks - so fickle, am I not? But I am looking out my window at a cold, rainy, windy day, cuddled into cozy pants and a sweatsuit - hard to believe that just yesterday we were basking in the sunshine at one of the nicest beaches in the province... it's in the air, I'm afraid...
