The Incredible Expanding Stash

Sean is so cute. He just left me the following comment:

"I love finally seeing your stash! You have your own little yarn store right there in your house!"

He was referring to this photo:



The lower left is basically my sock yarn stash. The lower right is my Lopi stash, with some yarn for another pair of kilt socks and some Denim Aran. The upper right is my brand-new mitten stash. (What can I say? I wanted a full palette to work with...)

But, my dear Sean. You are woefully mistaken if you think that that is the extent of my stash. I told you all. I have a real knitting problem. That photo was taken in our tropical-themed guest room. The next photo was taken in our unorganized office. What treasures could await us in there?



The top drawer of the Arts and Crafts Secretary contains my remnants, my swatches, my specialty yarns and a sweater that needs some seam repairs. I have also used the drop-down door as the backdrop for photos of finished projects.



The middle drawer contains all of my knitting needles, crochet needles, and other assorted notions. I need to get Monte to use his woodworking skills and build me a tray to organize this stuff. Note the big-ass needles that found their way into my bag at Woolcott's. I'm always picking up strays; just ask Rocky J. Squirrel and Annabella Donatella.



The bottom cupboard holds various sweater projects, the rest of the Denim Aran and my Noro Silk Garden. I try and keep patterns with the yarn planned for them. In this unfocused shot, you can still see my brown Aran Sweater From Hell started over 12 years ago...



In the living room, we have a gorgeous, yet practical window bench.



I know what y'all are thinking: He can't possibly have more yarn in there! But I do, Blanche, I do. Here is where I hide the acrylics for afghan projects and baby projects and the fabulous Merino I picked up in Auckland, New Zealand.



Let's not forget about my current knitting, stored in the beautiful bag I picked up at Circles.



In this, I transport my hats and scarves that I can pick up at a moment's notice.



And that's the extent of my stash! Hopefully, I won't be adding to it anytime soon, but you know I will...

Very scary until...

I love these mindless quizzes. I am always amused by the results. This one described me so well that I got a little scared until...

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

December 18
You are a cohesive force - able to bring many people together for a common cause.
You tend to excel in work situations, but you also facilitate a lot of social gatherings too.
Beyond being a good leader, you are good at inspiring others.
You also keep your powerful emotions in check - you know when to emote and when to repress.

Your strength: Emotional maturity beyond your years

Your weakness: Wearing yourself down with too many responsibilities

Your power color: Crimson red

Your power symbol: Snowflake

Your power month: September
... until I remembered that I have a twin sister who is the exact opposite of me!

Boston 2006

OK, so I just got back from a wonderful weekend in Beantown. I can't wait to fill you in on all of the details, especially you, Jon. But I have to warn you: this is going to be a long entry. So, do what I do whenever I am sitting down for a night of blogging. Go to Cast-On: A Podcast for Knitters and enjoy the latest episode, hosted this week by the inimitable Franklin. I love this podcast because it sounds just like NPR, but with nothing but stories on knitting. Since I started listening to Brenda, the regular host of Cast-On, I have become a lot more serious about blogging. It forces me to sit down and concentrate and take my time. Kind of like knitting...

So, where do I start?

I was supposed to go up to Boston with my best friend, rugby teammate, and webmaster extraordinaire for the Gotham Knights, Winston. Unfortunately, our schedules just wouldn't mesh, due in no small part to our mutual procrastination. (I was disappointed, especially as I was envisioning 5 hours of uninterrupted knitting while he drove...) Undaunted, I set out on by own and passed the time planning a dream vacation to all of the Scandinavian capitals.

Now, I'm sure that you all want to see some pictures and I don't plan to disappoint. (I took over 100 photos; I told you this would take awhile...)

I stayed at the beautiful and opulent Fairmont Copley Plaza, replete with gold lions at the entrance.



How fancy was the hotel? This photo will give you some idea. (No, I didn't order room service.)



Of course, wearing my not-even-retro track suit, I walked smack dab into the middle of a high school prom, complete with geeky boys in pimp suits and gaggles of giggling girls, who looked decidely older. I found my way to my upgraded room, which was about as far away from the elevator as it could be, and immediately collapsed on the luxuriously extravagant bed. Normally, or maybe I should say when I was younger, I would spend as little time as possible in hotel rooms. As I have become older and wiser, I have come to appreciate quality time with my accommodations. I fastidiously put my clothes away, watched the end of the college basketball game, took an extended shower, and finally head out into the night.

I went out to the local bear bar and promptly ran into acquaintances from Long Island. (Doesn't that always happen to you? You go miles and miles to get away from home and you end up spending most of your time with people who live nearby.) I passed a thoroughly enjoyable evening with Paul and Drew, whom I got to know much better, and was also thoroughly entertained by our bartender, Rocking Joey, who may have had a mild case of Tourette's Syndrome, but whom I found to be quite endearing, nonetheless. A short cab ride back to the hotel and I was soon fast asleep.

The new dawn brought with it my long-anticipated exploration of the finest LYS that Boston had to offer. And I must say, that the shops did not disappoint! I was ablely assisted in my planning and preparations by The Mafia and Julia. I had my itinerary and I had a mission!

I started my adventure at Newbury Yarns. It is located on THE shopping street in Boston. Think Fifth Avenue in Manhattan or the Miracle Mile in Chicago. The shop, however, was completely unpretentious. It is really nothing more than a small room at the back of a townhouse. I was greeted warmly by the woman behind the counter and we exchanged pleasantries for awhile. I must admit that other people did come into the shop to browse and were not as well received as I was. (I like to think that she could spot the knitting posers.) All in all, a friendly space with some yummy yarn for yuppies. I spent about an hour there before I had to move on if I wanted to visit all of the shops on my list.

I walked out with Knitting Vintage Socks: New Twists on Classic Patterns and Folk Knitting in Estonia: A Garland of Symbolism, Tradition and Technique by Nancy Bush. No yarn purchases yet; I had to pace myself. Blending in with the natives, I picked up a Venti coffee from Starbuck's and made my way to the next stop.

For this expedition, I wore something very special to me. In keeping with the knit blog theme of the week, I present my first sweater. In fact, it was the very first thing that I ever knit. (OK, so it's not the first thing that I knit. It's a replica of the very first thing that I knit; I gave the first one away because it was too small and had unfortunate shoulders.) Please note that I chose to have it photographed from the rear, as I have grown even more since I knit it over 10 years ago...



I wore the cardigan for a couple of reasons: I had to establish my rep as a knitter immediately when meeting strangers and I had to find just the right buttons for it. Hence, my visit to Windsor Button, a store that quite possibly has every button ever made in stock. I found some beautiful horn buttons for my cardigan that approximated the reindeer buttons on the model in the Alafoss Lopi pattern book from the early '90s. Ecstatic from my find, I wandered out onto Boston Commons and boarded the T once more at Park Street, the oldest subway station in the U.S.

(This break brought to you by Guido and his podcast. I just wet my pants listening to the song "Sputnik in live" in Episode 2. My ears pricked up at the Russian word, "Herasho" (which means "good"), and then I lost it with the chorus. I'm surprised I didn't run into him while I was slumming it in Boston yarn shops. Keep up the good work, man!)

Now, I originally came to Boston for quite a different reason. Every March, I compete in the U.S. Masters National Indoor Track and Field Championships. Unfortunately, every time I visit Beantown, I spend all of my time inside of a gym. On this visit, I decided to skip the Shot Put at 1:00 p.m. in order to see more of the city. I crossed the Charles River into Cambridge and finally stepped foot in Harvard Square.

I was looking forward to this part of my adventure all week, as I was going to get to meet my first fellow blogger, Sean. He was working at Woolcott and Co., a glorious explosion of color and texture in the middle of a sea of academic gray. Sean is one of those guys who makes you feel immediately at ease, as if you have known him for years. It is obvious that this boy knows how to knit: he is a walking library of patterns, yarns, techniques, and some very funny stories. Of course, it helped that he works with some very friendly, if a little eccentric, people. (I mean that in the nicest way possible, really.) We had so much fun in the short amount of time allotted to this visit. Here's a photo to prove that we met each other. Sean is the cute one on the right.



Please note, as well, the riot of color behind us. The entire store is like this, people! Woolcott and Co. has to be my all-time favorite LYS based on selection alone. I walked out of there with 3 books by Elizabeth Zimmerman forced upon me by Sean. (Franklin also swears by her.) I bought yards and yards of yarn, some needles I had to have for projected projects, and some patterns. I also came away with some unexpected knitting needles that were laying on the counter as I was cashing out. (Note to LYS: come up with a way for shoppers to stack their potential purchases, perhaps individual shopping baskets or something.)

And now for the projects that arose out of this shopping spree:

Alchemy Fish Tale Socks in 100% Bamboo (Turquoise Pool).





Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf in Noro Silk Garden (from my stash). The pattern is intentionally illegible in the photo, as I don't want to get sued by anyone. (Just ask at your LYS about this notoriously hard-to-find pattern.)



Hack by Jon in Noro Kochoran. (They didn't have Canna; I asked.)



Brenda Dayne talks about "souvenir" yarn in Episode 11 of Cast-On. No visit to Boston would be complete without some Opal in Red Sox colors for a pair of Jaywalker socks by a famous local, Grumperina.



Plain Jane Purse using the unique Noro Daria.



And, oh yes, how could I forget? I picked up some yarn for my dear, sweet, adorable, tax-evading friend, Jon. And, of course, I just had to get some help from Sean when it came to picking out my selections. Here is a photo of us contemplating our options...



I was holding my sore belly as I was laughing WAY too hard. And Sean really wasn't as disgusted as the look on his face might suggest. The only guidance I got from Jon was "nothing too funky or too frou-frou." Gee, I hope he likes what we picked out for him... Did Jon get a hideous 100% acrylic? How about that pink felting wool I keep hearing him rave about? You'll just have to keep reading this blog to find out. The identity of my generous gift will have to remain a secret until the poor boy receives it in the mail. It went out today, so it shouldn't be long. Don't worry, I'll be sure to let everyone know what we thought best represented Jon and his taste in knitting.

(The moral of the story: Never let a vicious queen and an evil bitch (we'll let you decide who is who) pick out your yarn. It can get ugly.) The absolute highlight of my weekend! I love you both! Kisses!

Back to my narrative. I caught the T back into Boston. I was in a hurry. I waited on the train for a few minutes. Then a few more. Finally, I decided to cut my losses, took a cab back to the hotel, got changed for my event, took another cab to Roxbury Community College, and competed in the Men's 35-39 Weight Throw. Weight as in 35lbs. All of my training in the Fall paid off as I felt very comfortable in the circle. I was completely balanced and centered in my spins and came very close to a personal best. I didn't medal, but I was very happy with my effort.

I went back to the hotel and immediately got to work on my Hack hat in Noro Kochoran. I had made the decision to try and finish a hat overnight for a fellow thrower. That's a 25lb blur in the picture.



Jim and his wife, Kathy, are two of my favorite people in the world, mainly because they have always supported me in my throwing efforts. Jim is arguably the best thrower for his age and I am proud to call him my friend, mentor, and role model. (He is so good that they had to create a special throwing area just for him, as he now throws too far for the old one!) I was inspired to knit him something in order to pay him back for all of the advice that he has given me over the years, so I spent 3 hours working on the hat before heading out for bear night at the bar (Alley Bar in Boston: great crowd full of nice people, in more ways than one).

I then woke up early on Sunday to finish it. Less than 6 hours in and I was done. (Nice finish with the decreasing rounds, Jon, even if they didn't make sense to me while I was working them. I just trusted that you knew what you were doing and they came out great!) Here are some photos of the finished product.

(Someone should knit a hat, steek some eyeholes, and say you designed something for the kid from Fat Albert! Knitty.com might even include it in their next Men's Issue!)



(How the hat should look when worn.)



I made it to the competition just in time for the 56lb Superweight Throw. Once again, I did very well and this time, I did get up a personal best. I had one thrower, who I don't really chat with all that much, come up to me and say that I was the most improved thrower at the meet. He remembered just how sad my throwing was when I started 6 years ago and he said that I now look like a thrower. It was the nicest thing a fellow athlete has ever said to me, completely unsolicited, and it will carry me through my Spring training for the Gay Games in Chicago (Hey, Franklin...) and the OutGames in Montreal this Summer.

After saying my farewells (and being invited to future competitions!), I made my way to the last stop on my knitting odyssey, Circles. There, I met Allison, who was recommended by Julia (ask Allison about your 10% referral!) to be my guide in the wonderful world of Latvian Mittens. What a nice lady and what a fabulous space! Imagine a day care center, a classroom, a boutique, and a lounge all rolled up into one and you will begin to imagine what Circles is all about. This was knitting heaven for me. A drop-in center for knitters! Plans for going co-op and commissioning designs! Exactly the kind of place that I would like to open when I retire. I just had to buy some stuff here, so I picked up Magnificent Mittens by Anna Zilboorg, a primer on Magic Loop Knitting, and 1 skein of every color available of Frog Tree Alpaca (top right in the photo):



I thought I had made it out safely, until I noticed a huge, sage green knitting bag in the window, walked back in and bought one, last souvenir from Boston. Let's just say I had a great time!

Unfortunately, I fear that I now may have to curtail my stash spending for the rest of the year. I came home and updated my knitting journal and was shocked to discover that I have spent over $1,000.00 at various LYS during the month of March alone. And that's not even counting the gift for Jon! Guess I'm going to have to work my way through my stash for awhile...

I leave you, dear reader, with a parting shot of the carpet from my hotel room. The inspiration for new knitting patterns can strike you from the most unlikely of sources...



And what did you do this weekend?

Rocky J. Squirrel

I leave you this weekend with a gratuitous photo of The Squirrel. Off to Boston to compete in the United States Masters Indoor National Track and Field Championships. Of course, I will be hitting several LYS in Boston and hope to meet up with Sean tomorrow while he's working. It will be my first foray into meeting a fellow blogger.

BTW, I finished another hat.



Same colorway as my mysterious Menknit submission. Had to use up the gorgeous wool. Will give it to a bar acquaintance of mine who is celebrating a birthday tomorrow. Already have a scarf on the big needles for the ride up...

I may have a knitting problem...

This is what happens anytime I go into a LYS. It's not like I am even monogamous or anything. I admit it. I'm a yarn slut. I am having an affair with 3 different shops, depending on whether I am near my home (sneaking out of work early to get there before they close) or in the city (for some not-so-cheap, anonymous shopping) or up at the cabin (when I need an immediate fix). I'm even planning on checking out a few shops that I met online on my trip to Boston this weekend. Sad, I know.

I found out that I am getting even more money back from my state tax return. (Sorry, Jon!) That was all the justification I needed to go crazy for about an hour or so. I picked up some Debbie Bliss Soho for a hat:


I picked up some amazing Easter yarn that had just arrived for a baby poncho:


I picked up some Firenze to satisfy my new scarf fetish:


I picked up some mohair for the first time (scarf for the mother-in-law):


I picked up even more foreign sock yarn. This portion of my stash is now so large that it is stored in a separate room out of necessity:


Finally, I picked up some hand painted merino to try my hand at another tie in a smaller gauge:


Of course, I also had to add to my addiTurbo collection, my new bamboo collection, and my knitting library. Maybe someone should think about an intervention...

I was inspired by Project Runway!

I know I haven't posted for a few days, but I have been busy. Monte and I went up to the cabin for the weekend, where I was working on a submission for Menknit. In a flurry of creativity, I came up with something that really reflects who I am and how I like to approach my knitting. I still can't believe that I essentially finished it overnight (7 movies). Last month, it was my first pair of socks. This month, it's my first design. Nothing like a little, healthy obsession. Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed and keep you all in a shroud of mystery for now. I can tell that you are all so intrigued...

From Prague With Love

Every year for my birthday (Dec. 18 if you must know; mark your calendars now.) I travel to a new European capital. This tradition started in 2004, with an unbelievable $99 round-trip ticket to Stockholm from Newark on Malaysian Airlines. (Very cool to be able to say you went to Europe for the weekend!) Last year, it was Prague for a week and I will be posting selected photos of our trip from time to time, as well as pics from other recent destinations. What can I say? I LOVE to travel! Besides, Christmas shopping is so much more enjoyable somewhere else...



Prague really is the City of a Thousand Spires



Christmas in the Old Town Square



Remnants of the Czech Secret Police? Very funny story as this very intoxicated man approached us in a nearby park as we were purchasing some Becherovka (think ginger vodka) and 3D architectural models.



"John lives!" and some homophonic political humor



I met Dolores' shy Slavonic cousin, Ivanka, at a petting zoo in the Old Town Square. She wanted to defect with us, but she didn't fit in my backpack.



(Yes, I want one too!)

"It's not you; it's me."

This weekend was fun-filled and productive. I went to The Point for the first time on Saturday, as I was interested in taking their Tunisian Crochet class. There is a Southwestern cushion pattern in the Fall '95 issue of Family Circle Knitting that I have wanted to do since, well, forever. So, I arrived promptly at 10:00 a.m. and was confronted with the dreaded, "Your name?" Turns out there was actually a waiting list for this class and seeing as I hadn't even thought about registering, I did the only thing that I could do to assuage my disappointment: I went shopping. I had a cafe au lait. I worked a few rows on my new baby Aran sweater. I went shopping some more. I compared colorways and textures. In the end, after the three hours of the class had passed, I was still there contemplating my purchases. I came home with a couple balls each of Debbie Bliss Alpaca DK and Reynolds Lopi in blood orange for a hat for a softball teammate, 4 balls of Jo Sharp Aran Tweed in LAVENDER!!! (socks for ME!), a skein each of Tahki Donegal Tweed in blood orange and dark green, an Addi crochet hook for laddering, the last two issues of Interweave Knits and the recent Men's issue of Vogue Knitting (all from memory, so forgive me if I'm not precise; more to show the extent of my madness). Oh, and I almost forgot. I purchased the most exquisite skein of yarn that I have ever seen. It's a Noro Transitions with shades of pink and green and at, $25 for 100 yds, also my most extravagant single-item purchase to date.

I brought it home and on Sunday, I just couldn't resist it anymore. I had to make something with it. Now, my choices were limited by the single skein. I thought about getting 10 more to make a sweater for myself, but I wouldn't be able to afford to eat this month. (I still might do it; it seems a fair trade-off.) Anyway, I found a pattern for a men's tie in the Vogue Knitting magazine and I remember having some Alexander Julian handknit ties back in the day when they were the poo, so I was set. I got out my 5mm needles and got to work. I started with a double moss stitch pattern on 10st and ripped it out when I kept forgetting what row I was on. (I blamed it on the gorgeous wool distracting me.) I tried stocking stitch and thought I could just block the curl out of it later (I wondered which color was going to come out next!) I frogged it back and went back to my beloved double moss stitch and got into a groove (cast-on tail on the left? L=Like the row before. Mnemonics are my friends.)

By the end of the night, especially with decreases to 6st, I had finished both Walk The Line and my tie. I tried it on and discovered, to my horror, that it just didn't work. I heard Tim Gunn's voice in my head ("Lars, there's something wrong with your tie....Lars, where's Andre?") and I thought about ripping the whole thing out right then and there. It was too thick to fit under the collar; the knot just wouldn't sit well; the resulting color patterns looked drab and dirty to me; and worst of all, I didn't love my gorgeous wool anymore. It had lost its appeal.

I slept on it (not literally). I brought it to work with me. I received tepid reviews. Finally, I asked my husband, Monte, if he liked it and if he would wear it. At least he was honest. I couldn't even give it away. I'm going to rip it out (only 2,000 stitches and a night's worth of work; I guess it is all about the process. Hey, I tried something and grew from the experience.) and return it to the stash until I can either come up with a new idea for it or just save it for inspiration. (I still fantasize about creating a knitted landscape painting.)

So, for posterity, I would like to present my first attempt at Men's neckwear. I hope that I can one day fall in love with its sumptious colors again. I never knew that I could feel bad about breaking up with a ball of yarn.

How do I look as a blonde?

And I don't think I EVER had a waist that tiny...


You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting

and do it all the time. While finishing a

piece is the plan, you still love the

process, and can't imagine a day going by

without giving some time to your yarn.

Packing for vacation involves leaving ample

space for the stash and supplies. It can be

hard to tell where the yarn ends and you

begin.
http://marniemaclean.com


What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Ten Things That I Learned From The Knitting Olympics

1. Socks really aren’t that scary.

I am so happy that I added them to my knitting repertoire. In fact, I am going to start a new pair of kilt socks for another friend of mine who plays the bagpipes! Normal-sized socks also shouldn’t take all that long to work up, so I am looking forward to making a lot of them in the future. (If you don’t believe me, just check out my stash!) Besides, knitting a right angle into anything is pretty darn cool!

2. A project doesn’t have to linger around unfinished and unloved for months.

All it takes is some discipline and a little obsessive-compulsive behavior to get it done. I can't wait to get back to my orphans, especially the Aran Sweater From Hell that I started for an ex of mine almost 12 years ago. Of course, I’m inspired to cast on some new projects as well, because I know that they will all come off the needles, eventually.

3. Write everything down.

This is especially important when you want two items to look alike. I realized halfway through my second sock that when I said that I would remember what I did on the first sock, I was lying to myself. I’ve bought a knitting journal in which I record the contents of my stash, my needle inventory, and the details of every project on which I am working. I have also become much more anal-retentive about crossing off rows as they are completed, as well as prepping for projects by taking notes before I start.

4. Knitters are really nice people.

As a male knitter, I tend to feel a little isolated from the knitting hegemony. I mean, I still get overwhelmed every time I walk into a yarn shop and I’m always afraid that I am going to ask a stupid question and someone is going to revoke my knitting credentials. (E.g., Does DK yarn mean that you use two strands at a time? Seriously, what does DK mean and what do you use it for?) My fellow competitors welcomed me with open arms and showered me with tons of advice and support.

5. There is a whole universe of yarn out there for me to discover.

I always considered myself to be a Lopi guy, but this experience has opened my eyes to all of the fabulous alternatives available to me. Consider this: my socks were 75% Acrylic and they still turned out great! I will always be a wool snob, but I never in my life envisioned myself knitting up a frilly pink scarf out of viscose and nylon. Anyway, it’s not the size of the needles that matter, but how you use them. God, I’m even thinking of trying my hand at lace! (Thanks, Franklin!)

6. I am a much better knitter than I ever thought I was.

I have always been an overachiever, so attempting knee-high kilt socks on my first attempt in that particular event is nothing new. After all, my first knitting project was an Icelandic Lopi cardigan with an interlocking triangle pattern worked in two colors stranded along the wrong side, complete with buttonholes. But, I have also always had an inferiority complex that precluded me from straying too far from my comfort zone. This experience has made me feel like I can knit anything now!

7. Never lose the joy of learning something new.

We all have to start somewhere. Some of us are knitting royalty, like Steph. (How she ever finished a Dale of Norway in two weeks is beyond me.) Most of us, however, toil away in obscurity, cursing and screaming at something as simple as a picot cast-on. As long as we all never lose that desire to acquire new skills or to take our knitting in new directions, we will never get tired of cranking out one more hat or another pair of socks for our friends. Now, I just have to get my nerve up to try my hand at steeking.

8. I will never do (K3tog, M1) cuffs ever again.

Seriously. I will just say that I am expanding my design skills and substitute it with a double moss stitch pattern or something else that doesn’t take years off of my life. Part of becoming a better knitter is acknowledging your limitations and frankly, it is just not worth the effort. I would rather knit acrylic for the rest of the life. OK, so it wasn’t that bad, especially on the second sock, after I realized that I was too tight on my first sock. (God, I never thought that I would ever say that about myself!)

9. There is nothing better than a Local Yarn Shop (LYS).

I learned to knit from Wendy at The Wool Mill in Toronto and when I moved to Long Island, I feared that I would have to make do with my neighborhood Michael’s. Imagine my bliss when I discovered Granny’s Yarn Shoppe in Islip and found myself surrounded by so many exquisite colors and textures. Also, it didn’t hurt that Kathleen was on hand to decipher my treatise on the mysteries of the heel turn to me. Besides, nothing makes me happier than buying more wool!

10. I have made so many new friends.

For me, the best part of the Knitting Olympics was meeting such great people! I am inspired by all of the diverse projects that they are working on and I know that I will become a better knitter as a result. Travelling has also taken on a new dimension for me, as I am looking forward to getting to learn more about them from their blogs and eventually hooking up with them in real life (figuratively speaking, of course!). I have already made plans to attend Stitches East (me, going to a knitting convention!).

Hope to see you there!

How annoying is Blogger?

So, I've just spent the last hour trying to play with my template (I think the current one is too "dark") and I really can't stand the Blogger NavBar. To begin with, it's hideous to look at. Then, I can't figure out where it is in my template to move it or adapt it, if I knew how to do even that. Finally, it doesn't work with the new template that I like. It just covers up the header of any new post and appears under my title.

I would like to figure out how to create my own template. I really enjoy looking at other people's blogs, envisioning the better components each appearing on my own. For example, I really like Jon's blog, particularly the custom image in his header. I have a few ideas about what I want to do up there for mine, as well as creating a button for the blog before my trial version of Fireworks expires in 5 days, but I feel like an idiot.

Does it take everybody else this long to make simple changes to their blogs?

And finally...

 

Lucky, our old boy, looking like he is distinctly not amused by the paparazzi. He's almost 14 and annoyed by the young pups anyway, so we can hardly blame him. 

They all want to be in pictures!

After seeing Annie on my blog, Rocky J. Squirrel let it be known that he also wanted to be famous, even if it meant posing in pink. He's looking rather nonchalant...

I also had to post this because my blogfriend Lanie posted a pic of her dog and she kinda looked like Rocky. I rescued him from the rough streets of Queens and have yet to figure out his lineage. He's got the Rottweiler markings, but not the size; maybe he's part Dachshund?

He's a handful, whatever he is!

Ready for her closeup!

 

Here we have a candid shot of Annabella Donnatella (Annie for short) modeling my first ever scarf. I bought a couple of balls of Skacel Fiore on sale for $7.50 each after seeing this scarf knit up at my LYS. 12 st garter stitch on 10mm needles until the yarn ran out. It took only two movies at home and a ride into the city on the Long Island Rail Road to finish it. I never knew how easy scarves were; now I know why most people start with them. Of course, my first piece ever was a complicated Lopi cardigan in two colors: classic Type A overachiever.

And the best part is that I have my first Christmas present finished in March! 

You can cue the Copland now...

 

Yes, it's true! I finally finished my Knitting Olympics project. I am still very happy with my decision to enjoy the process and take my time. Once I got going, the second sock was much easier to work up. And I learned a few things along the way which I will share at a later time. Just wanted to get a picture up for the world to see. (The hockey motif is a tribute to Team Canada; I received my jersey on Saturday and wore it proudly to the bar the next day.)