Tilt-a-whirl

A wonderful Saturday

It is a Goldilocks Day, here in Lafayette...not too hot and not too cold. I thank the stars for this, believe me. How nice to feel human again.

So, on the the wonderful part. I got a call from Tom today. Yeah...he felt well enough to do it. Yes, he sounded a little perky and then as we got about 10 minutes into the call he started to fade but this was a treat to talk to him. Headaches are still the biggest hurdle and man, can they make you feel like crap. I passed along Alison's concerns about air getting into the spinal column and he will check with the doctor on that. His brain took a real hit with this Meningitis and so the fact that the antibiotics are kicking this thing is so wonderful. This is another story about how limiting your lifetime usage of these things is a very good thing because when something like this monster comes along, there are reserves to fight it. He is almost done with the antibiotics and will be on his own with good food and supplements. He says that he is eating like a horse and what with losing 10 pounds on that narrow frame, he could stand to build up his reserves. Lisa K...he was so touched by your card. Craig, I have heard about your wonderful books, which have kept him from going bonkers. Here is the best news to me...he is getting his mom to hold out her arms and they are winding Y A R N from skeins into balls. Yes, the yarn is going into use today. Can you believe it? Talk about a bell whether...we have gone from feeling up the yarn to creating something with the yarn. Can I get an AMEN?

Oh yes and here is another bit of good news. The people attending Stitches Mid-west are in total love with Sheila & Michael's Needles and they are going like hotcakes...got to love those pointy points and everything else about them. This is number two in the AMEN chorus. I feel lucky to have gotten an early pair and look forward to my two that are on order now. Michael is home working while Sheila is charming her public. :o)

Ok, here comes a little bit of Halleluiah. You know that story about Alison and the journey over here for the first skein of the new Baby alpaca/silk. Remember how I mentioned it and she asked me to sling some in a pot and two hours later it was dry and ready to go? Well, I received a package in the mail today. Little Ms Alison has done it again...I like to call her the Shawl Fairy. Look how pretty and flattering this design is! You know that you are going to want to make one but you will have to wait for the book, which is due out next July! So...this is the Julia Shawl knitted with Baby Alpaca/silk in the Agua Fresca. It's just so surprising and fem...light as a feather and yummy. I think that Judy looks faaaabulous. Brava, Alison.

Cross Country SWAG

So, I staggered down the hot driveway yesterday afternoon to see what the Mail delivery guy had brought me (who knows where I can get that mailbox on the Comcast ads...I really really want that and would stand by the hem of the guy in charge and go...c'n I havvit?). I digress... So! I pull in the pile and see this large white envelope with a familiar looking logo on it, under all of the cancellation marks. Ohhhhh, it is Cara. Wazzat? Inside was a dear letter sent to those of us that contributed to her mind-boggling drawing for Heiffer International, which centered around her idea for a day of SIP in NYC. (Spinning In Public) Yay to Cara for this magical internet uprising that raised almost $19,000 to Teach a man to fish, or in this case, teach a woman to raise animals. I feel privileged to have been an early contributor and heck, look what happened...Toni from The Fold contributed a Majacraft wheel. It is all so very cool and here is a picture of my swag...almost like being there. Thanks for the picture of the event, Cara. NYC was drowning but they found a place to gather, inside. Way to go. Read about her adventures on Knitty.

Yummmmm cashmere

I did it. I finished the 20 ounces of two ply cashmere, got it washed and hung to dry and in this low humidity this morning, it is already dry and ready for its close-up. I am totally in love with this stuff...I know that it came through my hands but as in the days of writing songs, you sometimes say...did that come outta me? It is pure luxury and I just want to bury my face in it. Is that so WRONG? :oD

Thanks to Craig for sending on a message from Tom, yesterday. (one gets through and then had better blab to the group...) He has been to the doctor and is going to mend but this will be a long recovery, from what I hear. 3 months was batted around. Yeah, that sick. I look forward to the day when my cell rings at an inappropriate time (hands in dye, stuff like that) and I see his phone number in the display. THEN I will know that he is on the mend. He adores all of the prezzies, you guys. Well done.

Thanks to someone who trolls the site, I have honored the request to put Gingerpeach into the lineup for the sock yarns and now that I see the sunny quality that comes from the way that Superwash accepts color, I say HEY! Thanks. :o) Holly sez that it will be up on the site when my turn rolls around again...perhaps this afternoon if I am really quiet and demure.

I hear tell that a certain little Schnicklefritz has begun making fists and yelling, for fun. I got to listen to him hollering, over the phone the other day and it just cracked me up. I said, what is he doing...oh, he is just lying on his back with his arms straight out in front of him, making fists and yelling. Is this how all of you Sagg's started out? Fess up. I told her that it reminds me of Tank when he is barking at "nothing". I just say to him...no one likes to hear this but YOU and perhaps this is SF's idea of a grand time. You know, like the 45 year old child on Mad TV...hey! Look what I can do"! Being a Grammy is great...I no longer have to lose sleep over this nonsense. :o)

Going to Stitches Midwest?

A few hours after touching base with Tom this past Saturday I got a treat in the mail. Yes I did...something from Orey-gone and those clever people, Sheila and Michael Ernst of Ernst Glass and those of you going to Stitches Midwest will be the first to get a chance to glom onto these beauties. Look here to see what I am talking about. From the point of view of a knitter, these needles are awesome. The points are sharp, which is so fabulous for any kind of intricate work and I can't get over how the needles just warm to your body temperature when you pick them up. No, Helle..no sweaty palms. Consider these non alergenic...perfect for people with nickel/silver allergy problems.

Don't whine because I didn't shoot my beautiful olive needles...go back the the "here" and check them out.

On the Tom front, I got a lovely email from his daughter, Auri. He is overwhelmed with the love and attention that he has been receiving, telling her that he has so many beautiful flowers and plants around him and that they are cheering a man who loves nature and beauty so much. She says that he is still battling the headaches which I certainly remember from my lumbar puncture with my first born...nothing quite like that air bubble pain. Oy. He will begin to contact people when he is feeling that he can converse but in the meantime we will be happy around here to post information and updates so that those of you that are happier just to read the blog can do that. I want to thank Brian for being the person that called that night and a special thank you to Craig for being my new friend and phone number getter. You rock. (He came to me through a 6 Degrees of Separation story that included a Pussy Cap, a friend that had moved to Washington and her colleague, Denise...everyone had to play their part in the cosmic dance to get me that phone number. Thanks to all.)

It is quiet with Tinkerbelle away on her vacation but I have received the word that I was waiting for...the first portion of my sock yarn back order is in a big brown You-puss truck. THANK EWE! Skeining will begin post haste.

Surrounded by creative types

So, yesterday was a quiet day with no picture laden post but today I have received some fun things to show you.
Let me tell you about Barb...she is a muse. I mean it. Just ask Sheila if you don't believe me. I bet that Barb just thinks that she is a nag but when I get an email that says...what if you crossed X with Y, well I pay attention to my Angel. I pay attention. So, Barb spun wonderful 3 ply Biffle in the Emerald City colorway...yes THREE ply. She made her cozy pullover in a modified version of Oat Couture's Port Orford. Fabulous, Barb. It looks really yummy.

So I am going to be Tinkless for the week because although she threw her back out yesterday she is heading out for the family vacation. It will be quiet with no one whipping me into a frenzy around here. :o) She just stopped by with the patterns for her really cute and totally unique "The Long and the Short of it" scarf. This is the third in the one skein series, having been worked with one skein of Sock! Merino in Little Devil.

This pattern will be great for any of the colors dyed in the same manner.

Brenda took better pictures of her Twist & Lace the other day, for her patterns and so here you go...a chance to see how the scarf will adorn your neck, open and folded. It is knitted with Sock! Merino in Berry Poppins. Both of these patterns will be going up on the site this week.

These are both knit until you run out of yarn one skein patterns. :o)

This just in: The Holl-meister has finished the Handspun yarn page for me.
If it is new, it is up there. Whoopee!

Update on Tom

Alright people, thanks to a friend of mine I got some spine, called Idaho and talked to a very sweet sounding older lady who is feeding and watering our Tom. I figured that I would have been intruding or a pain or something but I listened to my friend that came at me with a big blow-up baseball bat and just told his mom who I was and how I just really really needed to tell Tom something. When she said, "tell me who this is again" and then responded with "OH...Lisa, let me get another phone to take out to him", I knew that my friend was right. Oh hell, she is always right. :o) He is up and weak as a kitten but is eating fresh veggies and fruit from the farm and sitting in the sun. His brain suffered no damage with the swelling and so although he needs to take time to recover from this Piercing of the Veil, he IS going to come back to do what he is supposed to do...he needs to follow his heart and muse now. He got the yarn and told me today that when he opened the box and saw and felt what I had sent, he knew that he was going to make it. How unbelievably wonderful is that? That was the effect that I was after and it worked. I told him to just keep feeling up the cashmere and meditate on what he would like to do with his new life. We will all see, won't we. I want to tell you people that responded to the call to arms...when I told him what had been wrapped around him, he said that he felt it and is certain that his remarkable recovery is due to this. Thank you. I mean it...thank you. He is so totally worth it.

Humming along

Today is my first born's 33rd birthday. Happy Birthday to The Son! Time to work on the middle portion of your life now. It seems like only yesterday that you were that kid in the kitchen dirtying every bowl in the place...skidding around with melted chocolate everywhere. Now you are much tidier and sling chocolate for a living. Fitting.

So, what is new you ask? Well...I got the car magnets back in AND...the newest kid on the block is this:

Yes, you can find your place in the parking lot and wave your freak flag all at the same time. Yup...antenna toppers are in. They are just too cute and if you don't want to jam them on your antenna there is a little cord to allow you to swing it from your mirror. I have mine flying high on the BAV and I am so sad that there is no antenna on the Red Rocket! Boo!

Ok, so...I see by the USPS tracking, Tom got his box of yarn today. Man, I wish that I could talk to him but he needs his rest. I'll just bug his daughter. :o)

Um...two more new yarn pages are up. Yup, The Baby Alpaca/silk and Merino/angora are up and running. We have shown the standard compliment of colors that I do in Sock! on the merino page because it takes color in the same manner...vibrantly. The Baby alpaca is a little more subtle and so I will be adding shots of dye runs as I do them. In the meantime you can go ahead and request your favorites.

There are a couple of new colorways that have just passed muster in the old Dye-raj. The first one is Slate, a grey/blue wave of values. I really like it and after having to check Audrey's knitting bag for it yesterday...others like it as well.

Second is Graphite...it is like one of my old pencil drawings. Shading in and out of intensity.

These are the prototypes and production will start when the yarn hits the porch next week. SIGH. It's all good...it's all good.

Prezzie Day!

Wow, the past few days have been emotionally draining. The son and his bride took off with their three cats yesterday and landed at JFK last night (yes, wasn't that a shock to get off of the plane full of SF air and then try to inhale fresh steam...fog to steam...physics?) Anyway, I let go and let dog and they got through the flight with two of the cats in the hold and one under the seat. Now, when they have to travel with a baby (no, they are not preggo) it will be a piece of cake.
I have been keeping up with the big circle of friends that Tom has and there is a gathering of the clan around this guy...we have all been exhaling white light and thought bubbles so much that he should be ready to Disco pretty soon! Whew, I'm tired!

This morning was spent taking photos and doing all of that website stuff to send to the Holl-meister, now that she is back from playing with her friends. Her in-box was awash in files this morning and they have just kept rolling in with new stuff. First up was the Alpaca Lace. I took lots of pictures and I think that you will like this stuff...it is super yummy, although not this ham fisted knitter's cup of tea. I still like to pet it! You lace knitters will be in looooooooove.

Get ready for the Baby Alpaca/silk. The swatches have been made and well...there is a gut reaction to this yarn. It is heavenly, really heavenly. You can sneak preview one color...

Ummm, so back to Prezzie Day. I am so excited. First of all, Tink brought cookies...this girl can bake AND design sweaters...a winning combination. We have two swatches of the new Merino/angora and one of the Baby Alpaca/silk as well as some buttons that seem to need to become a colorway. Perhaps.

As I was jamming some new Daylily transplants from here in the prairie bed (hello Omaha), here comes Mr. Mailman. Hmmm, boxes and bags, oh my! The box was from Kerry The Beta Tester and in it was a swatch of the Merino/angora AND stuff from her cauldron...from the past when she was known as Soapy Palms. Oh man, too bad that we do not have feel AND smell-o-computer because there is this delicious and calming minty aroma coming from the blue and white one. Kerry (shhhh) makes the best soap...it lasts forever and does not dry out my skin. I guess that I had better keep buttering her up so that I get some of this every once in awhile. Seriously, thank you SO much, Kerry. I want to hang the mint soap under my nose (not such a good look, I know, but I'm old so who'll notice?) and just do some stress relief exercises. (see, Sheila? I listen, really I do!)

Last but not least...you know that I told you how I was going to kit Sivia's sock patterns? Well, not only did she send me beads to go nutty counting out for you lot but she sent me The Socks! How did I get so lucky? I dunno...I just am. You folks that are coming to Stitches East will be able to check these beauties out in person and in the meantime you can feast your eyes on them here. Practical AND delicate. I'll begin taking orders for the kits so that by the time my long awaited box of yarn gets here (we are on severe rationing, people) the dyeing and shipping will be seamless.

That's enough for a day. Time to go haul the St Valentine Petal out of its dyebath...

This Just In...Alpaca Lace is up on the site. Yippee!

Sitting Vigil with Cashmere

You know...the day before yesterday I was just antsy. I was antsy and told Sheila that my stomach was bothering me in that gut feeling sort of way that makes us intuitive types say...hmmm, what's coming? Now that I know that it was Tom and that I needed to be a part of getting the word out to his scattered friends, letting them know of his illness. I heard from his daughter this morning and within one day, just knowing that people are sending him love and energy, his spirits are lifting and he feels more like he can beat this thing. He is still very very weak and this is going to be a long recovery process but kids...I tell you...I am searching the handspun bin and finding the most wonderful stuff that I can put my hands on. This is going to Idaho for hand squeezing exercises. It is time for my lovely narrow friend to have something in his hands to help him to remember who he is and what he has to come back to. His mom can feed him soup and supplements and I can feed him fiber. :o) Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. He is so totally worth it, you know...as a photographer he can capture light and as a photographer of people...he is unsurpassed. I mean it.

Now then, on to some fun. I got an email the other day from Ginny Turner that included a shot of an awesome sock...so much fun. Little Devil.

I think that it is fascinating to see what happens when you stop drop and wham that heel in there...it looks positively exotic.

You know that I have been working with my new yarns and while Alison Hyde scooped up the first of the Baby Alpaca/silk for the last project for her book, Kerry became the Beta tester for the new Merino/angora yarn. This is my kind of Beta tester, baby...she gets the yarn, does a little swatch, takes it to a yarn store for feedback and then knits a sock, all in one day. She decided that she wanted to try out Jonquil and so that was the first of the colors that went on the yarn. I just love this. There is a little haloing but not anything that will obscure the lace pattern. The consensus is that while this is not Superwash, it will be lovely for luxury socks (you know...bed socks), mittens, scarves, sweaters, hats...Minnesota loves this stuff, people. :o) Really, this yarn and the Baby alpaca are going into the dyepots right now on a regular rotation and photos are being taken ASAP.

I told you that Tinkerbelle has been getting high on yarn around here (kid in a candy store, I guess) and here is a sneak preview of the oh so wonderful and creative scarf pattern that will be ready on the site very soon. This is knitted with Sock! Merino in the wonderful new colorway Berry Poppins. You are going to love it. She is knitting the sample as quick as she can but the pattern is just about ready.

My buddy Tom

I know that you guys have read a lot of posts where I blah blah blah on about my lovely friend Tom Clark and so I am going to ask you guys that believe in the power of whatever you would like to call it...prayer, intentions, white light...you know the drill...please put Tom into your thoughts today. I got a call from a worried friend of his last night, wondering if I had heard from Tom and that there was a rumor that he had been in the hospital in Utah. I got on it today and contacted his daughter, Auri, and sure enough...Tom has been to the brink but is trying to recuperate from a horrific bout of bacterial menangitis and a blood infection. This thing just crept on him while he was battling a plain old crappy sinus infection while in Italy and he went from feeling a bit off to being taken to the ER, being put on a ventilator and treated with massive antibiotics for this scary thing. This takes most people OUT...to the other side with you, buhbye. Our Tom decided to fight and has been taken to Idaho with his mother to do home health care and recuperative work in her house, so that he can avoid being in a hospital or nursing center to get this taken care of. He is not out of the woods, people. Will you please, those of you that have read his blog and know him and those of you that just know him through me, will you please send out a zap of thought every now and again. I want my wonderful and talented friend to get better.