Bumps and Loops

Every now and then, a person of some celebrity surprises the heck out of me. This happened yesterday.

Jim and I are both fans of Joseph Finder. We've read all of his books to date (although, I found out a couple of days ago that Jim's been hiding [not really - I just didn't see it] one of his books). Jim joined his Internet fan club - something he never does.

Yesterday, there came in the mail, a (politically correct) New Years card from him. That, in itself, if pretty good. I've received a few flyers from authors to whose sites I belong, but they were just newsy news with the usual numbers of publicity ops and self aggrandizement. This is different, in my opinion, simply because it's signed. Really signed. With a felt tip pen. Joe. Just Joe. BUT - that takes effort.

This is a class act. Good for you Mr. Joseph Finder. You keep cranking them out and we'll keep reading and buying them.

Oh, Christmas is a'come,
Mind ye Robin's ruddy tum,
And ye winde it's a blowin' mighty ruff.
Oh, masters, if ye please,
Give us a moldy cheese
To eat with our figgy figgy duff!

-Singing loudly and with glee!-

I'm hoping that, at least, my English friends will understand this little ditty - my favorite of the more obscure carols.


more animals

Here's the most recent completed home spun yarn: 1910 Fruitgum Company. This is from heathered wool fiber from The Woolery - 8 oz., which made 230 yards of a slightly bulky 2 ply.

Jim bought me the first fiber he's bought for me by himself. He asked to be pointed in the direction of some places to buy fiber and I gave him several.

From Paradise Fibers, he bought me some gorgeous Conjoined Creations Happy Hippie 100% stretched merino wool in the Yasgur's Farm colorway. This is it:

It's kind of compressed in the roving. I spun up a little sample of it with a lot of twist and plied it back on itself. It behaved a great deal like bamboo in that it softened right up and puffed. Here's a short piece of it:




It's really a worsted/light worsted weight. I didn't worry about keeping it really even. I just wanted to see how soft, or not, it was. I'm going to absolutely love spinning this.

From The Woolery, he bought me some more of their kind of generic wool heather in the amethyst colorway. I had some of this and had spun it up in a kind of heavy worsted. I'd wished I had more of it, and now I will.

He also bought me two sampler spinner's packs. One is several kinds of silk fibers, from the whole cocoons to some nice top. The other is six different luxury fibers, like silk/merino, silk/cotton, silk/camel, etc. This'll be fun, too. I'll figure out which of the expensive fibers I really like to spin and won't waste a lot of money on several ounces of it. Both of these came in really pretty little boxes that look like they're covered in handmade paper with windows in the tops. So, when the fiber has been spun, I can use the boxes. A gift in a gift.

Thanks, Jim, for the neat fibers. Now, you'll have to watch that wheel go round and round and round and round and ...

Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn is yummy to touch. It's incredibly soft and the colors are quite lovely. However, it tends to pill when knitted. I entered the December Challenge on the Ashford Knitters Loom group on Ravelry and decided to try my hand at my first real colorwork. As regular readers know, I made my first scarf out of a variety of Noro Silk Garden in a kind of freeform style, but this is the first attempt at a regular pattern.

I decided to do a greige and pink plaid - 5 each way of the greige and 4 each way of the pink. After realizing it's quite interesting to warp odd numbers of warps, I proceeded. It's really hard to keep the edges neat when you're carrying a yarn up the side, especially when it's an odd number, which makes the "bumps" on both sides, but not all the way up.

It did turn out nicely. It was kind of stiff when I took it off the loom, but after a nice hot wash with a cold rinse and about 20 minutes in the dryer on the gentle timed setting, it softened up beautifully. There was no pilling, either.

Everyone loves them, don't they?

Here's my newest:

Peanut Buttercup. Buttercup is the name of my adoptive sheep, from whom I got this lovely fleece. This is the sample swatch of the first of her fleece I've washed, carded, spun and knitted. I knitted with size 6 needles. The yarn is about sport weight. It's taking me forever to get this fleece processed, but it's so much fun to take it from the sheep to the knitted object that I think it might well be worth it.

Here's a photo that shows the color better. It's classified as "black," but is actually more of a very deep mahogany because there's black hair, brown hair, grey hair and the occasional white hair.

moar funny pictures

This is another 100% cashmere scarf. It's plain weave, but made of the nicest turquoise cashmere from Colourmart. It's several plies of cobweb plied together before it was shipped to me. This scarf was woven on the Kromski Harp.

I'm also working on spinning some 100% wool from The Woolery. I don't know what the blend is, but for inexpensive wool, it's lovely. After spending hours and hours trying to learn how to spin thin, thin singles, I'm wanting this to be a textured (bumps and thin spots) of very lightly spun 2-ply. Let's see how it goes. It's a pretty heather blue. I'll post photos after it's finished. We hard to get "better," then want what we used to spin naturally. Go figure!

What's wrong with people? Why would they be so intent on beating each other to save a few dollars that they'd trample a poor man to death? That's exactly what happened yesterday in a Wal-Mart in this great country of the U.S. Why do people become crazy at the expense of their fellow people? In Florida, several years ago, there were a number of cases of people being injured on Black Thursday and the Day after Christmas. Mostly, it was fellow customers, and for them I don't have a whole lot of sympathy. They put them selves there and were probably running over the person in front of them, too. However, a few employees were injured, too. These people had to be there.

And, what's the matter with these stores? I know the economy is in the depths. I know times are hard. I know they're trying to make every dollar they can. After all, that's the purpose of a business. They maximize profit. Fine. However, there are things they could do to prevent these things from happening. They could make people line up in the cattle chutes like things they have at the amusement parks, like Disney and Universal. They could open only one door and let only a few people in at once, first come, first served. They could stop making it such a media event by opening at 4 in the morning. For goodness sake, they're fanning the flame by offering these unbelievably "good deals" to the early birds.

If you were out there pushing and shoving, I don't care who you are. Shame on you. If you're religious, remember WHY you're out there buying these things. If you're a Christian, you're supposed to be celebrating the birth of your savior, not saving dollars at the expense of your fellow man (or woman). If you're not religious, you can still maintain just a bit of decorum and be sure everyone makes it thought the holidays safely, to the best of your ability.

I just can't believe this craziness.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends, family and neighbors.


Thanksgiving Myspace Graphics

I've finished another yarn today. It's 100% merino roving purchased on an Etsy.com shop called "Abstract Designs." The roving was 4" or 5" sections of red, yellow and black intense coloring. As it was spun up into singles (thin singles), the colors remained clear with some nice barberpoling. I 3-plied it into this yarn:

What you see is from top, a small amount of remaining singles, then about 22 yards of 2-ply from leftover singles, and the large skein is about 200 yards of 3 ply light worsted weight. I seem to be going through a period of slightly under plying the yarn. I'll start using a smaller whorl on the wheel from now on.

I named the yarn after a band in the Tampa Bay area called "Rise." I've never been to see the band, but one of the members is a Myspace "friend" I harvested from my niece, JJ. I'm probably more a "friend" to his girlfriend than to him, but I'm naming the yarn after the band, in keeping with my decision to do this. However, I may make a departure from this sometime in the future and name a yarn "Frisky Meow." It would, definitely, be a cute name, don't you think?

Today is our anniversary. We've decided to make it an anniversary weekend which means, mostly, going out to eat a lot of yummy calories.

Tonight, we're going to the Black Rooster here in Marion. The restaurant is in a historic hotel (The Francis Marion) and has the absolute best Tournados ever! No steak knives needed here. Tomorrow, we're thinking we're going to Blacksburg where I'll get to go to Mosaic to fondle yarn balls and, then, to The Hunan. That's the absolute best Chinese food within 100 miles. Sunday, we're planning on going to The Log House for lunch. This is two log cabins dating from around 1776 that have been joined together and where they have, not only excellent food, but a garden (naked this time of year), a rabbit hutch, a pigeon coop and a really fun gift shop.

When we were married, we did it at the courthouse in Polk County, Florida. Now, Polk County is still pretty rural and there's a fair amount of poverty and a large amount of itinerant labor. After the ceremony, they gave us a lovely gift package. Inside, there was information about hygiene, contraception, some soap and some toilet paper. It was a really funny moment when we opened it up. So, also today at lunch, we're going to Wally World to buy paper products. The only difference is, this TP will be frozen!

Well, that's what's happening here. This is Virginia! It's not Michigan or North Dakota or Canada (a tip of the hat to the Harlot - the Yarn Harlot, that is). We're just supposed to have little dustings until mid to late December. So who put in the order for this?

This is my backyard. Now, don't get me wrong. I love snow. I'm just amazed that it has already been here twice in quantities that lasted for more than a couple of hours. This snow is about as much as we've had since we moved back to Virginia a little over two years ago. When we lived here before, it would start leaving nice blankets of snow just before Christmas. One year, it even became a bit excessive with layers of snow, ice, freezing rain, sleet, snow, ice, - well, you get the picture. That year I did feel like I had moved to Canada.

The folks around here would like to lynch me, I think, when I say I hope we have an extremely snowy, wintery winter. I am NOT ashamed. Those who do not wish to see snow should move to Georgia or Florida. So there!

For those who like the snow and those who might be related to me and wish to voyeuristically enjoy it, here are a few more pics.

There's a car under there.

And, finally, I wish to let you all know I am dedicated to my critters. The feeder was empty and the birds were looking quite sad. I got two jars of food and dumped them under the feeder. It didn't take this lovely jay more than 90 second to get at it. As I write this, we have a whole flock of titmice, cardinals, and various birds who brave the winter here.



Ah! The truck just went by with salt and cinders. Have you ever slipped and fallen on your knees when there were cinders on the road? That's a story for another day.

I finished this scarf today:

It's made of good old Lion Brand Homespun in the "Harvest" colorway. I love this yarn woven, although warping it's a nightmare. The stupid yarn loses it's wrap thread and you have to tie and untie this wispy mess until the warps are evenly tensioned. It sure was a pain in the neck. This is a BIG scarf.

I started this scarf:




This one's made of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino and is being done in a fairly even plaid. I'm doing this one for a WAL (Weave Along) for the Ashford Knitters' Loom group on Ravelry. We're doing whatever we want and just tracking the progress. Here's a detail of the pattern:




Woven scarves work up really fast!

I'm just going to make a bunch of them and, shortly before Christmas, going to go through and decide who gets what - with a couple of exceptions.

We have some early snow here. There were a few little flakes a week ago, or so, but this is the first substantial stuff that actually stuck to the road. I think the town is taken a bit by surprise. Generally, when there's even a flake of snow, the trucks are around sprinkling cinders and salt all over the place. I hardly ever get a picture of the streets with snow, but here they are:


I've also finished another woven scarf. This was made with a boucle wool from my stash. The yarn was kind of crazy, but I like the completed scarf. I used Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Bulky for the warp.


I'm also knitting the first scarf I've made completely out of my homespun yarn. This is the yarn of my beloved BFL (Bluefaced Leicester) top that I finished recently. I'm making a Sweeney Todd scarf by Vanessa Gribowski that she based on the diagonal garter stitch scarf that was worn by Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower). The diagonal knit makes it a little bit more interesting to knit. I wish you could feel this yarn and this scarf! It's like fluffy whipped butter, only warmer. I must get more of this fiber to spin up. I think I'll get some of the white, which is supposed to be even softer. I may dye it, or I may not - OR, I might get enough so I can dye some of it and not some other. I am totally besotted with this fiber!

It seems to me that California and Florida are moving backwards with the defeat of gay marriage amendments. I think it's too bad.

Now, I know the religious arguments against gay marriage. I'm totally bewildered by the whole issue, though.

I'm not sure I understand where the idea of governmental, secular marriage, fits in here. Why don't we require that other legal contracts require the parties to include both sexes? Also, since the Bible feels that marriage is a blessing on a union between a man and a woman and, since the Bible also says we should procreate, maybe it should be required that all marriages result in offspring - no more of this being married, enjoying the legal benefits thereof, and not having children. Oh, and if one or the other partner isn't able to procreate, the marriage should be banned.

If you're going to mix in the Bible with a legal contract, why should marriage be the only one?

Now, I don't mind religious organizations feeling marriage should be between a man and a woman. I can live with that. What I can't live with is the fact that people seem to think it's up to them to be sure this particular Biblical edict is followed to the letter. The fact that people, many of them good and religious people, are going out every day and screwing over their fellow human beings, sometimes in the name of religion. Some of them are murdering in the name of religion.

I don't think most gay folks give a flip about the Biblical ban on their unions. I know I can't speak for gay people. I'm not even gay. I do find it a travesty that the commitment two people for each other can be discounted in a hospital or in other legal situations. People say a Living Will will mitigate the separations in medical issues and that wills can take the place of a marriage contract in issues of inheritance and other legal matters. The fact is, these documents can and have been challenged and overturned. By the time the legal issues are resolved, it is often too late for the gay partner, even if the courts decide in their favor.

In my opinion, and I've said it before, the government should stay OUT of marriage. Require a legal contract but, like all other legal contracts, butt out of which sexes enter into them.

For crying out loud. If you believe in God, let him or her sort it out. If you believe in God, surely you believe that God can do the punishing far better than you.

Never Get Me Down.

Remember the song? Well, it was "Rainy Days and Sundays ..." I happen to like snowy days and I especially like them on weekends. I like to be able to sit and watch the snow blow and not feel guilty for being so blasted unproductive.

I really do NOT like winter when it's cold and gray and all the vegetation looks freeze dried (because it is). Anyone who reads this blog knows this already.

Make it snow, though, and I'm happy as a clam. I can turn on the fireplace (gas logs), if I want, until it feels warm enough to bake bread in here. I can try to coax Jasper the Cat inside to sit by the fire. He won't come, but at least I know I've tried. I can knit and spin and weave and feel very analog and "old fashioned." I can eat stews and feel cozy.

Other than hurricanes (naturally, not over category 3 and from a safe place, like our condo), wintery, blustery snowy weather is my favorite of all. I don't even care about going outside in it, although I do like to ride around in the snow. I just want to watch it.

Now, this isn't much snow. It barely dusts the ground and the roofs around here. That's OK, too. It gives the sky an excuse to look threatening.

So, today is a good day, weather wise. I may have to have grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch.

That would be me. The first thing I do in the morning is feed Jasper the Cat. He expects it. It's his due. Anyway, I can throw the smelly cat food can into the trash before I take it to the Big Trash Bag in the Garage.

Today, Jim called down to me that there was one of "those yappy dogs" outside eating Jasper's food. Now, I know these doggies have a nice home where they are fed regularly. They're in great shape. Their owners? Not so great, if I ever get nerve to talk to them.

So, out the door I went to chase the dogs away. Stubborn blokes, too, they were! They were sneaky. They ran around one house and tried to come back. Brats! LOL

Anyway, after I was sure they were gone, I called to Jasper the Cat and he came around the corner of the front porch and looked at me in a way that made me think he knew I was doing it for him. I stood over him while he ate.

Now, I don't mind doing this on a nice morning. What the heck am I going to do when it's 30 degrees F out? I sure wish he'd come in, at least to eat. A couple of days ago, I thought he was going to do that. I had fed him a little cheese and was coming back inside and it looked for all the world like he started to go in first and then remembered who he is! After all, he's a WILD cat.

Anyway, when I can, I'll guard His Royal Highness' food from the nasty little dogs.

I've taken over the basement. It's now a studio (or Santa's Workshop, as my husband calls it). I've always hated the basement. It has old and sagging ceiling tiles, carpet I'd never buy and these photographic, ugly dark wood paneled walls, the panels of which are doing their best to fall off. There are wires running all over the walls and ceilings because a former owner here seemed to think it would be good to have speakers, phones, and crap all over the place.

The best part? It has a fireplace - a gas log fireplace. Nice! And a window.

I've slowly started moving all my craft things down here. I'm keeping one wheel upstairs - my Minstrel. I also have a couple of looms that are portable enough to sit upstairs and weave while "communing."

Here are the pics:

I've completed two scarves. I'm very pleased with both of them.

This one:

is made of a nice Knitpicks yarn. I've knit with this yarn before and the sweater I'd made of it shed all over the place and was kind of itchy. Made up into a woven scarf, though, it's got nice heft and hand and doesn't shed. It's a great yarn to make woven things, especially for young people who might be hard on it.

This one:


is 100% Cashmere from Colourmart. I've knit with this yarn and I love it. These yarns come from a mill in Scotland, by way of Richard Lawn in the UK. When you buy it, it feels somewhat like string. After you wash it in hot water with some nice dishwashing detergent, though, it blooms into this lovely soft and comfy yarn. This is the first time I've woven with it and it looked absolutely TERRIBLE before it was washed. I'm glad I persevered, though, because it fluffed up into a really nice, kind of dense but light scarf. It's a nice brown/black tweed with little flecks of white - very masculine.

I've also been spinning.

I have spun 8 ounces of lovely brown BFL (Bluefaced Leicester) wool I bought from The Woolery. I'm in love with this fiber. I intended to spin "manly" yarn for a guy scarf. It's, maybe, the best 2-ply yarn I've spun, yet. I can't decide whether to knit the scarf or weave it. It'll stay more like its nice, lofty self if I knit it, so I'll probably go that way. I have 350 yards of it. In keeping with my goal to name all my hand spun yarns after musical groups, this one is "Empty Hats." They're a Celtic/Folk group located in Gulfport Florida. Check 'em out. I'm starting to get a lot more yardage out of fiber, now. I'm not sure what that means, but I'll need to be finding out!!!



After plying the yarn, I had about 35 yards of the BFL singles left. On a lark, I pulled it off and set the twist on it. This is my very first single that could be knitted as is, without any movement characteristic of overtwisted singles. This is a good singles, ladies and gentlemen! I'm most happy. What this means is I can spin lace weight singles, at least with nice BFL fiber.

I did! I even took a picture of it. This guy was across the street on a tree at the edge of the woods. He was peckin' his way to breakfast, I guess, which is why he's blurry. He was moving fast. This is the biggest woodpecker I've seen - ever! A squirrel chased him away just a minute after I took this picture (from a pretty hefty distance) and the woodpecker was bigger than the squirrel. Oh, and by the way, they grow squirrels BIG up here, too.

I am so totally besotted by fiber. I love fiber in any form. I love it on the critter. I love it off the critter, in the form of fleece or down or fur. I love it dirty with tons of oils and lanolin in it. I love it clean and kind of stuck together. I love it fluffed up a bit by being run through evil machines with hundreds of little teeth. I love it combed into clouds of clean, fluffy stuff. I love it twisted into curly "singles." I love it plied into beautiful yarn. I love it knit or crocheted into warm, cuddly garments. I love it knit or crocheted into lacy, gossamer things. I love it woven into drapey or funky things.

What's worse is that I love to DO all these things. AND I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME!!!!!!!!

What's a fiber whore to do?

Finally, it is done. The election is over and we have a new President-Elect. Two fine men ran. Two flawed men ran. One is victorious. That's the way it works in any race and it is hoped the results will be accepted with grace, humor and humility.

I'm hopeful, far more so than I have been in many years. I've never been fond of the current President Bush. It has saddened me to feel this way. In the past, regardless of who was in the White House, I've not felt the disdain I've felt these past eight years. I've never once felt that George W. Bush was in touch with the middle class of this country. The change of power can't happen fast enough for me.

The thing is, I'd have felt this way if the winner of this election had been John McCain, as well. Mr. McCain appears to me to be a fine man. He's, certainly, a patriotic man. While I don't agree with his selection of a running mate, primarily because I don't feel she was good Presidential material, I felt he'd make a fine President. I'm sure that, should he have been elected, and should he (sadly) have died while in office, she would be surrounded by a multitude of smart and competent people who would quickly bring her up to speed. I'm sure the country would not have fallen apart because Sarah Palin suddenly became President.

I'm willing, regardless of the outcome of any Presidential election, with the exception of the past two, to feel confident with the outcome. That's why we have elections. The idea is that the people, as a body, are smart enough to have a pretty good chance of picking the best person for the job.

I'm also of the belief that a President does NOT run this country on his or her own. That's why this government is set up the way it is. The idea is that no one person or group can have such overwhelming power. It's also why candidates are not always successful in keeping all the promises they make during their campaigns. Good intentions to the contrary, they still have to work within the framework of the government.

I do think some new ideas in the White House might be a good thing. Mr. Obama is from a whole different world than the past several Presidents, Democratic or Republican.

I don't really consider him black or white, or at least, I don't really care.

I think Mr. Obama will be well accepted by the world. I think there may well be a kind of "peace" in this country, simply because he does have a slightly different skin color. He may well be able to sooth some factions that have been historically divisive. At least, I hope so.

I'm tired of hearing that African Americans voted for him just because he was black. I daresay there are white people who voted for McCain just because he's white. I suspect some people voted for McCain because a woman was his running mate. They're all fools, in my opinion.

I'm sitting here listening to C-Span callin shows about the election. I'm impressed by the anger and sorrow I hear expressed by SOME McCain voters. I'm sorry to hear some of the misplaced pride I hear from some Obama supporters. It's over, folks. It's done. For the next four years, at least, we have Mr. Obama as President.

So, buckle down. Get on with life. Do your best to support him. DO let your feelings be known, as far as the issues go.

BUT - IT'S OVER! IT IS DONE! For better or for worse, this it it. Be a true citizen.

If you want to view a video, here's a link for a good source.

If you wish to view Mr. McCain's classy concession, here it is.

Here's the text of Mr. Obama's speech:

PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

Its the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

Its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

Its the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

Its been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and hes fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nations promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nations next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy thats coming with us to the White House. And while shes no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what youve sacrificed to get it done. But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didnt start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didnt do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how theyll make the mortgage, or pay their doctors bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, its that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one thats on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. Shes a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldnt vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that shes seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we cant, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when womens voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

I am absolutely sick of this campaign.

Every single day, for the past two weeks, we've had a minimum of 5 calls from each of the two major candidates singing the virtues of each respective one and vilifying the other. As a result, 10 times a day, I stop whatever I'm doing and check the phone in case it's an important call.

To you candidates: I am NOT interested in hearing for the 200th time how wonderful so-and-so is and how terrible such-and-such is. I've already figured out who I'm voting for and all your gabbing and backstabbing isn't going to change that.

I've decided I'm going to start answering these calls and I'm going to tell the person on the phone how I feel about it.

Now, I've spoken to the door-to-door folks for each candidate at least twice. I've told both who I'm voting for and why. Your calling me is doing nothing but irritating me.

LEAVE ME ALONE!

Call me again and get an ear full.

A friend of mine in England started my brain cells to pondering this morning. His discussion of the United States presidential election hit some sore spots for me.

One of these was the repeated poking by, particularly, Ms. Palin of the opinion that Obama is muslim. While I think he probably has had some contact with the Muslim community, I don't find that to be sinister. I also don't believe he's Muslim in the true sense of the word.

Be that as it may, I'm not sure why that is such an issue. I cannot and will not paint all Muslims with the same brush I would paint Osama bin Laden's obsessed and maniacal followers. There are some pretty bad apples in that "bin," but there are some pretty fanatical Christians out there, too. Abortion clinics don't bomb themselves, and the killing of innocent people who don't agree with your beliefs is just as abhorrent to me, regardless of the crazy religious fanaticism that's behind it. If you're truly a Christian, believe your God is, indeed, powerful to take care of his own business. You don't have to punish the "sinners." After all, doesn't the Bible say the vengeance belongs to God?

So, I don't think all of any particular religion are evil. I don't think every muslim I see is going to kill me if he or she gets a chance. I know most of the Christians I know won't bomb a clinic.

I find the religious angle the Republicans are taking to be particularly obnoxious because it's, in my opinion, NOT the premise on which this country was founded.

The thoughts above led me to other considerations.

Why is it we continue to expect the government to bail us out? The large corporations expect it, and in some respects, I can understand the need for it. If the large corporations go under, then jobs are lost and there's a snowballing where the "trickle down" really does happen. I'm not happy with the bailout, but ... What gets to me, big time, is the amount of $$$ CEO's of these companies continue to make. Whatever happened to "the buck stops here?" If the captain isn't running the ship, he damned well ought to go down with it!

But, we're a country of entitlement. I live ten yards from the ocean. Hurricane X blows my house down and covers it up with water. What the heck did I expect? But, don't worry, FEMA will come in (eventually) and give me a place to live. My fellow homeowners' insurance buyers will pay for a new house for me. They may not be able to GET homeowners' insurance, eventually, because it costs so much to rebuild my house, but what the hell. I got mine.

I'll build my house on the side of a mountain, right next to the forest that has forest fires every other year or where the mudslide will take it into the Pacific every few years, but don't worry. Ditto above.

We think every little problem is the government's. It's not. It's ours. Once we know we're going to have natural disasters wiping us out every few years, it's our responsibility if we live there. I have no sympathy. There's this human kind of arrogance that thinks we should live where it's dangerous just because we "can" and it's "beautiful" and we should "own" that beauty. That's OK. Go ahead and do it. Just don't ask me to pay for it.

Look below. See them? See the photos? It's snow. It's the first snow of 2008 for us. Last year, it didn't snow for the first time until the middle of November and we had a pretty mild winter. I'm hoping this early snow will bring us a LOT more this year.

My justification for this is this: Since it's going to be cold and gray anyway, it may as well snow and give me something pretty to look at. Anyway, I like to drive in the snow and I love to find animal tracks in it.

Sorry, local folks! I know a lot of you, including my dear mail carrier, don't like the snow - AT ALL! If I get my wish, we'll get lots of it!

We were in Staunton yesterday. Staunton is the home of On the Lamb Yarns, one of my favorite yarn shops in the whole world, partly because of its owner, Joe Zachry. I've yet to meet to lovely Angel, with whom I have had delightful correspondence and who I am dying to meet! Poor Angel was dealing with trying to get some dental work done that seems to have dragged on forever. I'll catch you next time, Angel.

Joe's shop is in a older house near downtown Staunton. It's almost like going home.

Here's what I bought:

First, some lovely fiber to spin. It's bamboo and wool. Joe had spun some of it up in a kind of semi-art yarn - 2 ply with thick and thin texture. It sold me on this fiber. I'm going to try to do something similar for a nice scarf. Four ounces by Creatively Dyed Yarn , RMB9.

In a previous blog post, I showed the 2 ply yarn I had made from Ashland Bay's heather merino in Cranberry. Here it is with a blue/gray yarn to mix it with for a scarf. The blue is more gray than it shows up and looks really nice with the Cranberry. It picks up some of the blue in the red yarn and the red yarn has just a bit of blue. The yarn is 2 ply baby Alpaca Miski from Mirasol in Peru.



Here's a photo of the hand spun Cranberry (This pic is a little to bright red. It's a true cranberry):

I purchased three balls of Jojoland Melody Superwash for a woven scarf for a Christmas gift.



Finally, I bought one ball of this Universal Yarn, Inc.'s Heathers boucle in a kind of bulky weight. I'm also going to weave this yarn into a scarf for a holiday gift. It's 95% wool and polymide.



Now, I gotta get crackin' on that knitting and weaving!

The scarf below is my second weaving project of any size. I used a bunch of different yarns I bought when I first started knitting. At that time, all the crazy funky yarns appealed to me. After you've been knitting for awhile, you lose the love for these yarns and start looking at fibers and different kinds of spins and plies, more than the zaniness.

So, these yarns have been languishing away in my stash.

Now, I'm aware that, as I start to get more into the weaving technicalities, I'll probably go through the same transformation in yarn tastes for weaving. For now, though, it uses up some of the things I was loathe to just throw away. I'll wear these things, even if no one else would.

It truly is fall up here, now. These were taken about 2 weeks ago on a trip through the mountains. They were all taken at the North Carolina rest stop about an hour from our house.

I recently started teaching myself to weave. I did take a class about 30 years ago in which I made a sack-like thing out of rug yarn on a big loom. This, at least, gave me the courage to figure I could learn to warp a simple rigid treadle loom.

I bought a Kromski Harp from The Woolery and spent a frustrating couple of days figuring out the warping. I, naturally, messed it up the first time and had a tangled mess to fix. Being stubborn, I wasn't about to start over. Thus, my warping job certainly was NOT optimum.

This is the result, though:




The warp is a machine knitting yarn, turquoise rayon and the weft is about four different balls and colorways of Noro Silk Garden that have been padding my stash for a couple of years. I, obviously, didn't have a pattern or plan for this scarf, but just kept changing colors and techniques as I went. I learned a lot from this.

The selvedges are very uneven and the scarf itself is a little "wonky," thanks to my lousy warping job, but I'm pleased with it. This little scarf will be a great jumping off point for some other projects.

I did get a little tiny loom to try out some smaller projects. I wove a couple of cotton washcloths on that one and am convinced a narrower loom than what I currently have is also in my future. My Harp is 32" wide.

Here's a pic of the Harp:

I'm impressed. Go Mr. Greg Kinnear! You made hundreds of knitters happy and delighted.

Are you interested in knowing what I'm talking about? Go here.

For those of you who need a little background, The Yarn Harlot writes fabulous books and blogs about knitting. She also travels around the country promoting said books and, in her travels, she always carries around a sock which she attempts to get all kinds of people to hold her sock in progress so she can take a picture of them holding said sock so she can post it on her blog. Now, Stephanie was chicken to ask him to hold her sock, but ...

I've finished three different yarns. One of them has been posted before, but without a name and the other is brand new.

This one was posted below. Its name is Moody Blues:



This one is New Riders of the Purple Sage:

This one is Foggy Mountain Boys because it reminds me of the foggy fall sky in the Appalachian Mountains:





And, here's a close up of this one:

This could have been from The Lincoln Theater in downtown Marion (my home town). It's a bit more country and western than our usual bluegrass, but it really fits right in. Now, we need them singing a spinning song.