It's That Time of Year Again!

Yes, it's time to cram all your fiber friends and your spinning wheels into the car and take a road trip to the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene, Oregon:

This year is going to be a first for me. Instead of teaching, I'm going to help out in the marketplace! Friends of the Blog Abstract Fiber invited me to join in on the retail side of the house and work in the booth. Hmmm...spend the weekend surrounded by the glory of all the Abstract yarn and fiber? I had to think it over for almost a whole second. I'm bringing Lindsay, too!

Abstract is having a contest, I'll bring along the advance copy of my new book to show you, and I solemnly swear to enable all your fiber arts purchases. Come find me in booth #R9 (map available at the event), where the big fun will be happening.

Join us, Do!

Number Five

One of the very best parts of book-writing is when you're all done, and have moved on to other projects, and almost forgotten all about the frustrations and the deadlines (I call this "Author-nesia"). It's a similar phenomenon to the way mothers forget about childbirth, and ensures the continuation of the species.

And then one fine day, you open the mailbox, and there's this surprise inside:

This is my fifth book. It's for kids and adults who want to learn to knit together, and I'm really proud of it. Some things I included that I think make it special:

• Projects that progress from super-simple to more challenging
• Clear and concise photos for every single step
• The tools you need to get started
• How and why to create swatches
• Measuring your knitting
• How to read a knitting pattern
• Yarn substitutions
• Blocking
• How and where to engage in the knitting community

And of course, the projects are super-fun. My personal favorite is the Dog Sweater, modeled by our very own Bailey, who is a complete ham for the camera. Phillip felt it was important to show him how nice he looks:

I'm also one of the models in the photos (yikes!) All of the knitting hands are mine, and there are a few shots of the rest of me having fun knitting with kids. I think you can tell that we really did have fun.

Of course, the book isn't only for kids. I wanted it to be an accessible jumping-off point for new knitters of any age. If anyone has ever asked you to teach them how to knit, please point them HERE, or better yet, haul them into your LYS/living room/lap, help them hold the string, and make a new knitter. We'll all be better for it.

Does This Thursday Make my Butt Look Big?

Ever get the feeling your whole life is just one long non-sequitur? Lately I can't shake the sense that I've walked in on the middle of a conversation, and I just don't understand what's happening.

Campbell tore open the side seam of his vest. He presented it to me for repair, but when I didn't get to it right away, he took matters into his own hands. I should state for the record here that my son is an unconventional thinker. Way beyond thinking outside of the box, he is completely unaware of the existence of the box. Which leads to some pretty original problem-solving:

Yep. He duct taped it. With red duct tape, because...of reasons. And that tape residue will be there for all of eternity, or until I re-line the vest, whichever comes first. Seized by a bout of reckless optimism, I actually re-sewed the seam, gummy tape residue and all, and took the vest to the dry cleaner. I got all the way there and up to the counter before I realized I was on a fool's errand. To her credit, the nice lady there managed not to laugh out loud before turning me away. 

And when, other than a day when the temperature is 95 degrees, will your 17-year old freezer stop working? Yes! There I was, ankle-deep in melted popsicles, trying to identify/salvage the mysteries of the freezer. Can you make smoothies out of fish sticks? You know how I loathe cooking, but even by my standards the dinner menus this week have been, um, eclectic.  Note to self: Stop buying frozen meatballs. Just stop. 

The refrigerator half of the thing still works (please do not smite me, O Major Appliance Gods), so for now, we're just treating the freezer like a big empty cupboard. This may be a tactical error, because I have a husband who is quick to acclimate when something is broken. He will completely forget about it within a day or two, and just work around whatever damage there is, indefinitely. He was raised by a woman who, when her furnace broke down, heated her home by turning on the oven and leaving its door open. For TWO YEARS. There is a very strong chance that I will have to argue long and hard to justify throwing money at this problem. In retrospect, I think it would have served my case better to have left the popsicle puddle on the floor. Cleaning up the mess before Phillip came home totally belied the severity of the situation. But it was, after all, 95 degrees, and I was unable to overcome my fear of the impending stench. 

Oh well, I can always use another yarn storage area.