YarnCon and Where are you, Robert Mattison

Many years ago, my best friend was Robert Mattison. I have no idea where he is today...let's just say my Google-fu isn't strong, and he might not have choosen to be as active on the internets as I have been/am.

He was a great kid, and I'm wondering what kind of man he grew up into.

And, on to http://www.yarncon.com
YarnCon.

Saturday. 10am-4pm.

I will be there, will you?

Indie-type yarn people...this might be well, probably not your Woodstock, but maybe your Pitchfork?

If anybody is going, and wants to meet up during or after, give a holler.

I'll do it myself

Soooo,

Things were great, and not too crazy, and everything look fine, and then:

Fitted Knits let me down a little.

I'd been whizzing through the Airy Lace Wrap Cardigan, and was down to the cables (yes, cables), when suddenly the pattern stopped making sense. Now, granted, it could very well be that it's because I've never done cables before. And, I understand that my learning curve is, well, pretty steep. Oh, and I know that I'm not a great knitter. I do it for fun. I like knitting and spinning...a whole bunch. I just feel no need to go out and learn how to knit faster, or smarter or better, because, it's not a contest.

I tried it, it looked stupid, because both cables are snuggled up next to each other, and not on opposite sides of the cardigan. I'm I on the crack?

I seriously don't know. I'm setting that puppy aside for a tiny bit, and returning to my old friend, fingerless mitts. Ah, simple tubes with a thumbhole, how sweet you are.

So, if anyone has knit this thing, and you have input, or simply are smarter than me, please, feel free to drop a line, and let me know.

Cheeseworld is opening, and as the date aprroaches, I realize that I simply have a ton to do, because my job got bigger. As much as I love this job (and, I really, really, really do), this comes at a suck time, 'cause now that there's a chill in the air, and the light has changed, I'm ready to spin and knit.

I lost my mojo all summer, and now desperately just want to sit around drinking coffee while I listen to podcasts and surf ravelry, and knit.

Oh, wait, that's what I did last week...oh, and Monday. Oh, and...maybe I should shut up now.

This is where I digress, and talk about how cool Ravelry is. And how nifty it is.

I'm on the 'pro' ravelry team. It's because quite fashionable to hate it in some circles, but, I really think that it's a great knitting resource. I'm always hesitant about 'community' on the internets.

I didn't expect it to take the place of my best friends, and I didn't think I'd meet all these cool people who would usher me inside the velvet rope of 'cool' knitters.

That would be left to me.

That said, because of Ravelry, I've gotten an offer to do some
*gasp*

writing about knitting for something quite large.

No, until that first piece is published, and it's out there, and you all can read it, I'm not telling where or when. Because those things aren't set yet.

I just got a lovely little PM that said that I was articulate, and had good ideas.

Wow. Thanks.

And, that they were wondering if I wanted to write for them?

Yes, yes I would.

As the man burns...

Yup, that's me being clever...it's like "As the world turns", get it?

So while there's a ton of stuff going on here...like packing for the burning man, and working for the Cheeseworld, I'm just going to show off my newest tattoo, now that it's fully healed, and doesn't look all scabby, shiney, skanky.

I got it at Insight Tattoo, here in Chicago.

My tattoo artist is Scott. He's amazing. The shop is fantastic.

And yes, it's a comment on how I broke my arm at this very same time last year.

The crazy, the loud, and the not-so-fast

So,

the crazy: Me. Who was I to think that I could not work at all, so as to spend time with Dan and T., and then have money to go to burning man?

Oh, and also, all the stuff I have to do for the newer, bigger, Cheeseworld2.o. Done by next Wednesday? Not so much. I am insane. Oh, and I'm soooo overextended for when I get back it's not even funny. No, I do not laugh so much.

the loud: My neighbor's friend who drops by every weeknight at 11pm, and honks, and honks, and honks, and honks. I think tonight I maybe might run out in my bathrobe, and pound on his window, and yell "Are you okay? Should I call the police?"


Methinks scary, crazy white lady showing concern might make him stop.


The not so fast: My knitting of course. Nothing is done. Nothing. All works in progress, all not so much finished.

What have I been doing? Tasting over 250 wines in increments of about 30 per meetings with various wine reps. Buying about 80 of those. Trying to keep track of what I've bought. Trying to make sure I have a good spread of all countries, and styles. Trying not to just buy the delicious, expensive stuff, but dig for the fun, welll-made everyday wines as well...oh, and make sure they are food-friendly, and they all are small production, handmade, biodynamic, organic or sustainable.

It's really a little more difficult than just sitting around drinking. I swear.

Oh, and the new wine of time?


Viognier.

Stop laughing, it's really a grape.

Say it with me Vee-Ohn-yay. That's it!

What it is:

Tradionally Viognier was only grown in the Rhone Valley in France. It was bottled as a single varital, and was heavily oaked, as to add 'structure' so that it would be ageworthy.

Now? It's grown in California, Washington State, Australia, and most cheaply, in Chile and Argentina.

What it's like:

To me, good Viognier smells like orange blossoms, peaches and ripe apples. Stylistically, the Viognier from France might be oaked, and will have a darker color, less exhuburant fruit profile, and more baking spice and vanilla from the oak.

New world viognier is rarely, if ever oaked. Most viognier is full-bodied (that means, like 14 percent alcohol, which is going to get you shit faced if you drink it on an empty stomache. Ask me how I know), and will have a beautiful mouth-watering acidity.
It loves root vegtables. It loves rich foods and firm cheeses. It's my friend.

Little cash? 10-14 bucks a bottle. Search out Con-0-Sur, from Argentina.

Lots of cash? 25 bucks and up. Search out Westerly, in Santa Barbara...I think all the viognier is sourced from Paradise Vineyard, but I might be wrong.

Also, Witness Tree Vineyard in Orgegon makes a killer viognier.


Middle amount of cash? There actually isn't much out there...Viognier is a hard to grow grape, with only a wine geek following, so there's not much of a market.


Drink on.

Blogging! Now with less photos!

I still can't bring myself to buy batteries for the camera...actually, I can't find time to buy batteries for the damn thing, and the moment I do, the photo-type-deal will resume.

So, onto the eat local thing.

There was a thread on the knittyboards that got a little snarky...what with folks saying that they didn't have a farmer's market, ect, ect...

I went sluthing, just for shits and giggles on LocalHarvest http://www.localharvest.org, and wanted to see what I could get if I lived in Arizona.
See, there was a woman who claimed that she could get nothing but peppers and potholders.
Uh, not so much...

I was curious about why so many had so much hate for this book...seems that people felt it was unnecessarily political, and were turned off by the fact that she left the Southwest because she felt like the climate, the car driven lifestyle, and the non-water-havin' of the area were not condusive to leaving a small carbon footprint.

Well...it's not. Seriously. That's like being upset that someone leaves SouthBeach, Miami because they don't feel intellectually stimulated.

Major urban areas in the southwest can't fill their own water needs. They beg, borrow, or steal water from other parts of the country. If the damns broke, and couldn't be repaired, there wouldn't be enough water for the residents. The Colorado River now trickles into nothingness.

If one decides to live there, one should know. No judgments from me, just stop being deluded.

Now, if you live in Tuscon, you can eat local, maybe take a bus, and stop trying to grow roses, maybe plant some native plants in your yard, and you can reduce your footprint. It's not impossible.

It does take a little work to recycle...and in Chicago, it's really questionable to recycle at all. Our system sucks. However, almost everyone can compost their kitchen waste, and reduce the amount of garbage bags that end up in landfills.

It's maybe a little more work to buy veggies and fruits at the Farmer's Market...you might have to shop when you might like to be sleeping...but, here at the little house in the ghetto, we think it's worth it. If you don't...that's okay.

Not everybody can bike or bus to work, but almost everybody could decide to bike or walk to some small errand once in a while...I know people who take their car everywhere, even if it's close enough to walk.

I still buy wine made all over the world, but I'm trying really hard to drink local beer.

I don't know, it just seems like we don't have to make these grand, sweeping plans, or stop living in a way that makes us comfortable...just be mindful, and do what we can, when we can do it.

Is that really so political?

I guess so. I'm not sure why, but in many people's minds ecology=hippy.
I live with an ecologist, so it's just sorta part of our lives, everyday.
I don't want to destroy habitat, or kill things with noxious chemicals because I will enjoy my life a little more without tumors and with animals and plants.

I remember when I found out that most household cleaning can be done without a ton of chemicals, and that vinegar and salt are a kick-ass tool. I still buy windex and bleach, I just use it really sparingly.

Having had a health crisis when I was younger of the vaguely spooky kind, I'm more willing to embrace things that don't have a proven tumor-growing effect.

Is that political? or personal?

Oh, and i'm not going to say I'm sorry for getting all heavy, or possibly offending someone.
I think that we, as women, are taught to 'be nice', which turns into 'be nice in public, but say and do really nasty things behind people's backs". And I hate that.

Oh, and I might start trading yarn for soap at my farmer's market, and I'm jazzed about that, just jazzed.

What's that? No Photos? Shocked, truely shocked

Ahhh, now to continue onward with my photoless blogging. My batteries are dead, and thus, not so much with the camera. Someday.

Yesterday I cooked down 15 lbs of Roma tomatoes with 4 cups of homemade Syrah (no spices, no nothing...this is a basic starter sauce for this winter. I wanted to be able to have options.)
for about 4 hours on simmer, and made approximately 9 cups of tomatoe sauce. I froze it all in freezer bags in 2 cup portions. I may do this again before summer is over.

I also made a huge batch of 'everything' stock. I had 3 chicken carcasses in the freezer, so I tossed in some beef bones, some onions, some shallots, carrots, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and three fire roasted green peppers, and simmered for about 4-5 hours. Strained, and let sit overnight in the fridge so I can pull the fat off the stop, and package, once again, in 2 cup portions, and freeze.

The kitchen was hot last night with all the simmering, so I decided, what the fuck, let's bake.

So, with the leftover red hen chocolate bread, and some frozen overripe bananas, I made some chocolate bread pudding, and with the zuchinni from the garden I made chocolate zuchinni cake.

I will start freezing blueberries from the farmer's market today,and will be making a batch of freezer jam, as well.

Whoa, you say...that's alot of cooking.

Yup, but when I have frozen organic blueberry jam this winter, it's gonna be worth it. Sooooo worth it.

I read Animal, Vegtable, Miracle last week, and it really changed the way I think about food...I was always for eating seasonally...that's the snooty restaurant training, but I never thought about perserving the food for later...that's the Kingsolver message, and I'm totally down with it.

I'm not sure if I'm going to take the canning plunge, but I'm for sure going to stuff my freezer with the goodness of summer, and my wine cellar is going to have to share with potatoes and onions from the farmer's market.


Now to finish up those slippers for Dan, and to make sure the house is okay for business visitors.
I'm starting the tastings for the new Cheeseworld, and I have reps comming over to taste this afternoon.

I know, it's weird that I'm forced to taste beautiful wines for free in my own home. Sometimes, I have the best job ever.

Summer. Whah. Boom. Crash

So, we've had houseguests. The good kind. The kind where you are all "You guys don't really have to leave in August, right? You can just stay here forever."

However, since I love our houseguests, I haven't been doing much blogging. I have been doing some knitting, and frankly, I'll be taking some pictures, soon, 'cause I know that pictureless blogging, is sooooo, like, uncool and boring.

Knittingwise...Fingerless gloves are almost done. I just have to do a thumb, and then finished.

I started slippers for Dan, and the Fuzzy Feet (from knitty.com) are halfway done.

Socks of Hate? Still one lonely sock. fuck them.


Winewise?
Gruner Veltliner. Wine of the Summer. Oh, and dry reisling.
I can hear you now. "Reisling isn't dry, it's sweet. I know this 'cause I spent one summer in Germany and..." Shut up now. Wine doesn't decide how sweet it is. Winemakers follow their heart. Sometimes, local tradion rules their heart (like in Germany). Sometimes they just want to drink a delicious, aromatic reisling...and they make it dry.

Try 2006 Charles Smith Winery's
"Kung Fu Girl" Reisling, Washington State

It's about 14-16 bucks almost everywhere.

I'll wait.

Okay, now wasn't that amazing? Aren't you like, falling all over yourself? Me too, the first time I tried one.
Think about it, how many other wines have you not tried 'cause you made assumptions?
Get out there and drink.

Maybe it's just that my empathy is off...

So, last summer, I was reading a back issue of the Utne Reader, and there was an article about living in empathy...basically that sympathy is not so useful, but that empathy, that you really take the time to try and 'feel' how someone else feels, is good.

That it can cut down on conflict, make you understand that your own point of view is not the only valid view, ect...

So, I'm walking around, trying do be more mindful and shit.
Day 1.


Morning:
Fine. I'm about a skijillion times less bitchy than I had been, and was feeling all good about how I'm finally a little more in contact with other's feelings and shit.

Afternoon:
Okay, it might have been a slightly trying day at Cheeseworld, but, you know, I'm still into the idea. I sorta wish everybody else was trying too, but wtf, I'm not in it to have others love me, I'm in it to learn how to love others.

5pm:
So, my shift at Cheeseworld is over, and I stop by Apple Bite (the real name of the corner store)
and buy a can of starbuck's frappiwhatever, mocha flavored.
I was caffine-deficient, and it was hot, and even though I never buy those things, sometimes, they just seem like a good idea. Mostly, they just taste like chemicals, and I think they suck, and frankly, this was no exception. But, the caffine calls....

...so, I then figure out that I've left my cellphone at Cheeseworld. I run back to Cheeseworld, and grab my phone.

Back, back towards the bus stop.

There is one problem with Lakeview (just one? well, for the sake of this story, just one. I'll write a full list later), and that is the gross amount of traffic and congestion of said streets. The 'hood just isn't built for that many cars.

Many of the north/south streets get clogged durning rush hour, and I was walking along one of those major arteries.

There are many little one way side streets, and they get clogged as well.


Then I see it.

There is an old, old woman. She is using a walker. She is bent over nearly double, and she wasn't all that tall to begin with. She is trying to cross the one way side street (which has a stop sign).

There is an asshole (I'll call him Todd) who is driving his huge SUV, talking on his phone, or blackberry or whatever, messing with his stereo, and inching out from the one way street into traffic. He hasn't come to a complete stop, because, the car in front of him is trying the same passive-aggressive manuver into the the North/South street. Traffic is not moving in any direction. It's now about 5:30pm. Nobody is going any where any time soon.

Todd, however, just really needs to go...now. Even if it's an inch at a time, Todd is not going to just sit at a stopsign. Noooooooo, Todd is Important. On The Move.

Todd hasn't noticed the woman with the walker, because she is...

Not Taller than Todd's Hood.

Myself, I'm not much taller than Todd's hood, 'cause Todd's got the Big Wheels and the Jacked up, and the Bling, and the Really Big Car.

Todd, living in his bubble, is running this poor woman down an inch at a time.

She is trying to scoot out of his way, and is not moving fast enough, but Todd is moving slowly, and it's scary.

There is an air of quiet desperation to this struggle, and, at the time, it seemed like a metaphor for a lot of things.

I, feeling all empathetic, RUN out in front of Todd's car and jump up and down, waving my arms.

"Hey Stop! STOP!"

Todd's stereo, his blackberry and whatnot, are all taking up all of Todd's brain. He doesn't Stop, because he doesn't see me, and since he's assuming that his low-speed crawl is sooo safe, he's just keeping it up. An inch at a time.

I finally bang on Todd's hood. He looks up, puzzled.
He stops.

I usher the woman past the Hummer of Death, and Todd leans out the window and says,

"What the Fuck" Todd's angry.

I get the woman to the curb, and turn around.
I walk back up to Todd's gas guzzler.

"You were running that woman down. You didn't see her. She almost fell, and you almost ran her down..."

Todd squints, "You hit my car"

"You didn't stop when I was yelling"

Todd Rolls his eyes. "Fuck you, I didn't hit anyone"


"Did you see her?"

"Crazy Bitch"

This, pisses me off. I'm way past empathy for Todd.

I do it.

I lob my almost full can of starbucks into his open window, splashing Todd and his Electronics,
scream "Fuck You", and run, as fast as I can.

Todd starts to get out of his car, but then doesn't. I am glad I'm not wearing the Cheeseworld uniform.


My empathy thing didn't go so well.

The more things change...

So, lately, I've come to accept that certain things will never change.
I will always be who I am. Others will be who they are.
But why do the two always have to come into conflict?

I'm thinking of one person in particular, at work.

It is mucho irritating to have someone that believes that their way is the -only- way, it's -right-, and nothing should ever get better, even if it takes a tiny bit of effort on their part to solve a huge, honkin' problem that affects everyone.

I tried something new this week. I spoke up, and alerted the bosses that there might be a problem, and gave them a way to resolve it.

It's like I peed on their Prada.

It's freaky.

I'm not the only person who wants said changes to happen. It's a tiny change. Just a bit of code on a website.

But no.

"People just have to work harder"

They already work really hard, and this tiny bit of code could make them more efficient. It's just about three minutes at the computer. I could fix it.

"Don't you dare."

I get the part about them not wanting to do the fix, but if I'm willing to do the fix, what's the big deal?

Personal Pride.

I am stubborn, and when something really matters, I'll dig my heels in and not let go.
However, right around this time last year, I made a choice to sorta...let go on the little stuff.

I'm happier. Seriously. More people should try it.

Oh, and stop asking me to knit you mittens right after you're a ginormous bitch.

I'll have pictures soon, I promise. My camera has about 15 million photos that don't have anything to do with knitting, and I have to take care of those.

What I'm knitting.

The Socks of Hate (see open letter to Lorna's Laces)
The Sweater of Fuzz
The Sweater that's not going to get done, cause it's freakin' hot here.
Slippers.

What I finished?

Purple socks for my Mom.
in an astounding 2 weeks. That's a sock a week! For me, that's like a personal best.

I'm in love with the Fitted Knits book, and that's the Sweater of Fuzz. I'm using the suggested yarn, which is wool and llama, and it's a loosely spun single, and seriously, I'm sick of picking fuzz out of my nose, which because it's hot, sticks. and itches.

I've begun listening to podcasts. They rock.

I've decided that the more tolerant I am, the more of a Buddhist 'fuck you' it is to those who aren't.

What's a Buddhist 'fuck you'? It's something that started when I waited tables. When there was a guest who was seriously into their own "bitchy for the sake of hating" trip, I'd smile, and jump through hoops to make them happy. I'd love them, in my heart, in all seriousness until they stopped. I didn't take it personally. I didn't get involved...in fact a certain amount of distance was part of it.
Every single person who got this treatment stopped their stupid behavior.
Why?

Well, because most people who behave badly, do so because they want a negative response. It's like the person who's in a bad mood walking in and dissing everyone at the party.
They feel bad, and they want company.

When they were getting what they said they wanted ie...a different glass of wine, no parsley on their plate, a different table, a pepper grinder that met their own personal standards, coffee that wasn't as hot (seriously, wtf? It'll get colder.), with a smile, they got to the point (I think) that
they had a moment of clarity.

"Shit, it's not these things that are making me unhappy. It's me. I'm unhappy. No matter what."

"What a miserable human being I've become."

They didn't leave happier, they just knew where their awful behavior sprang from.

I'm trying to be mindful. I'm trying to be empathetic. Last time I tried this, I ended up throwing a starbucks through the open window of an SUV because they almost ran a little old lady over.

I might write that story down as well.

Blue Wednesday

So, here at the little house in the ghetto we've been having big, big, big fun.

Firstly, a soffet fell off the side of the house. Whee!

We'll fix it, but seriously, this homeowner shit is getting troublesome.

Also, Florida!

Both Miami, and Key West.

Someday I'll blog about the trip, but right now, let's just talk about the snow here in Chicago.

Snow. After Easter.

Why?

It's beautiful, frankly. The kind of wet spring snow that we used to get in South Dakota around this time of year.

I'm not pissed, because frankly, I don't pack away the winter clothes until oh, about July. Because of the South Dakota in me. One year we had the fireplace buring on the 4th of July, it was so cold. The fireplace was our main source of heat. Cold hard butter in the mornings. Cold, cold floors.

A Day Off, and and what the fuck is up with Knitty?

So, I finally have a day off. And I'm doing absolutely nothin' with it. Which was my plan. After kind of getting roped into to too much work, and missing things I wanted to do....like knitting and book club stuff, and not being able to just hang out, I'm at a dead stop. For a day. Then, I get back on.
Don't think that I'm not grateful for the money...I know that I will need money for Burning Man and Miami. I just don't like to work all that much.
Don't think that I'm too good to wait tables...with my title and all...I'm not. It's just funny to me when some second-rate wine snob lips off to me like I'm a moron because I'm taking their order. It's hilarious.
Jerk, in two weeks you'll pay good money to hear me talk (I know, because you were bragging to your asshole friends about it. Oh, I'll kill you with kindness then.)

There will be a Knittin' and Drinkin' or Poundin' and Purlin' at Bin Wine Cafe (Wicker Park)

Monday, March 19th

6pm to whenever

Non-smoking. We do have a small selection of Beers. There is a full bar.


So, now on to the non-knitting crap. (this does have knitting content...it's mostly about what I'm not knitting)

I haven't been knitting because everything I touch seems to turn to crap. Maybe, after a long bath, I might start on the neck of the Loop D Loop Sweater that I started. Teva, seriously, you are kicking my ass with your lack of stitch counts on the increase rows.
Are you to good to give them out? Too busy because of your vast fame and general Englishness? Well, I've frogged and reknit about 11 times now, only to have the lace leaf become wonky, and I'm sick of it.

Oh, and the socks for me? Not so much. However much I like to look at sock books, the next time I drop 80 skizillion stitches off size 2 needles, remind me why I said I was going to just frog that shit and be done.

Feather and Fan Triangle shawl from Folk Shawls. yesh. It languishes.
Mostly because of my lack of stitch markers that aren't really heavy.

And now to the meat of the matter.

What the fuck is up with Knitty.com? This latest batch of patterns is weak. Weeeeeeeeak.
Oh, my a skilzillion sock patterns, and one good sweater? A 'manly' reworking of an already exsisting pattern? Oh, and the seriously un-shaped cardigan. Ick. Double Ick. I expect more, especially now that Amy R. Singer is doing this full time. When this was just a serious hobby, I was okay with a few small missteps. Not anymore. The 2006 summer issue was bad enough, but now this. Jeez. Maybe the book took away some time from your online mag, huh? Oh, and the Spinknitty section, with the clever tie-in to your book. Very subtle.


How about the serious lack of articles?

What the Fuck?

I'm a little dissapointed, to say the least. Oh, and just do a kids issue already, okay? I'm okay with it. It's just that, well, there are a lot of kids patterns out there already. But just stop slipping them in...and if you do, make sure they are seriously different than the ones you already published. Thanks

Oh, and moving on to other betrayals. The new issue of IK. Thanks for making it just like Vogue Knits. Awsome Idea.

Good thing you drastically cut back on editoral content and articles, because that means if I don't like most of the patterns, I can't even fall back on that. Really. Great job.

Freakin' Finally

Okay,

So, this is what I've been doing lately.

And yeah, that is commercially made rayon ribbon. I think it's pretty. It's not fun to work with, however, so, we'll probably never use it again.

So, just a holiday hint:

Stay on your meds. Please.

Not for you. I really don't care how you feel. For us.

Thanks.

Out Damned Spot, Out.

My hands are stained with wine.
My bra is stained with wine.
My sweater was stained with wine.

Just another big night out?

I think not.

I was making custom wine blends for the Hospitality Mines with the Boss in California.

The Stats:
In two days:

I hand-corked 810 bottles of wine.

I drank 5 glasses of wine.

I had 4 Amazing Meals. (breakfast is breakfast everywhere you go)

I got no knitting done.

I drank 6 beers.

I handled over 120 gallons of wine.

I watched two cute guys stomp grapes.

I watched 10 tons of grapes get made into wine.

I had over 5 gallons of wine spilled on me.

I met one great dog.

I stayed in one amazing house.

My hands will never be clean. They are stained with wine.

Go big, or go home

So, in The Knit/Spin Blogosphere this was a Big Weekend.

Why?

Rhinebeck.

Rhinebeck, is the New York Sheep and Wool Festival, and it's a Big Deal.

You -must- make a Rhinebeck sweater, and perhaps some Rhinebeck socks to wear at Rhinebeck. I think it's because this is a cool weather festival, unlike the spring/summer ones.

You must take part in blogger meet ups, and cool little games, and meet other knitters, and well, become A Part Of the Action.

Sometimes this stuff pisses me off a little.

I mean, people brag about how much they bought. They show you all sorts of yarn and wool you didn't even know that you needed. They talk about their shame. But they don't mean it.

It's like calling your girlfriend and talking about how great the body was on that guy that you banged when you were drunk.

"I didn't even know his name when I woke up. I'm so ashamed"

"Really? Were you careful?"

"Yeah..."

"And?"

"He was fucking hot. And, um, though I don't know his name, I've got the imprint of his chin on my inner thigh...you know what I mean?"

Envious sigh from friend. "Yeah.....Bitch."


That, in a nutshell is what Rhinebeck is like for me. I didn't bang some stranger last night. I'm just hearing it second hand. So. Blog on about the wool, and the sheep, and your new sweater.

I'll admit it. I'm green. That's what envy does.

So onto other, happier things.

I bought an entire fleece.

From here http://www.cormo.us

If you look under 2006 Fleece, there is a sample of my wool.

It's got the romantic name of 562. I know, there's all these names, like Karma and Hippie and stuff, I go for the most unromantic name ever. However it's Hogget.

A Hogget fleece is a fleece that was shorn when the sheep just past lambdom...thus the ends of the fleece are lamb's wool (which is super duper soft). Cormo are a cross breed of Merino and um, they are supposedly the cat's meow when it comes to spinning.

Three pounds of dirty fleece are on the way.

I have a feeling I'll be washing that bitch in stages. I don't want to risk using the washing machine method because Merino and related breeds felt easily. So, while I could have used the washing machine for that Romney, all bets are off for 562.

Oh, and yes, my arm is getting better, in little ways, every day.

New Yarns, upcomming Craft Fair, and Fiber time

Okay, so I had a great time with Sarah, who came over and did some fibery stuff the other day.

We spun, and fondled fiber, and she crocheted. The picture is the finished yarn that I was spinning...I'm calling it 'Grape Jelly' and it's super soft, shiny and delovely. It's in the shop.

Sarah took some hand spun to make into a sample.

People who love fiber are cool.

My right hand (whom I call Mr. Burns), won't let me knit all that well yet. The funky way my hand now sits on my arm is probably at fault...that, and the fact that I can't really bend it, and I have no strength in it. But. No Cast. Groovy.

I'm now experimenting with some royal purple for her, to pay her in trade.

There are some new yarns up in the shop. I am doing the Handmade Market on the 29th of October, right before I fly to California. Cali. Wine. Groovy. Beckmen Vineyards. Hitching Post. Santa Inez. Groovy.

Wine. Yum. -insert Homer Simpson sound of food happiness here-

The new job type thing that I'm doing for the Hospitality Mines is fun. I am the voice of all wine education, which is cool. I just go in, talk about wine, and leave. Pretty fucking ideal, I have to say. I can't beleive that I'm getting paid just to do that.

Cheese world is edging up onto crunch time, and we've had some amazing wine sales...we're already ahead of where we were last season...

So, off to teach about wine.