Best Quote I Heard All Day
Maître'd: Would monsieur care for a wafer-thin mint?
Mr Creosote: Nah, fuck off, I’m full.
--Monty Python's Meaning of Life

The new house is ready to pop like a well-fed tick. My car is still full of shit that I haven't had the energy to remove. Like a Crockpot and my scale. Two things I can easily live without for the nonce.

Nonetheless, we are moved. In toto. And Dorothy.

The Rules of the Blog
I'm always shocked and awed when readers seem to think that I am duty-bound to provide them with a forum in the Comments, wherein they can keep yammering even after I've told them they are done. After last week's little brouhaha over Catholicism, I had to kick one reader out because she wouldn't shut the fuck up.

You know I have no problem with dissenting opinions. However, I do have a problem when the reader keeps at it, in effect trying to convince me with a hammer that I'm a miserable human being who doesn't see things their way.

I don't make a habit of deleting comments; however, last week I deleted one reader's comments because she'd used up her 15 minutes with me. And when she continued, I banned her.

In the four years I have been writing this blog, I have banned five people. And I will continue to ban those people who make personal attacks on me, don't stop when I say stop, and generally act like complete morons.

Why? Because this blog is not a democracy. I pay for it, I write it, I maintain it and I say what goes. Any reader who can't handle that concept will be summarily escorted off the premises so they can read one of the knitting blogs written for the RAOK masses.

The Loom Room
As it's been dubbed by me, since it needed some designation when boxes were being assigned with a big honkin' Magic Marker. MOM'S LOOM ROOM.



This picture was taken prior to all boxes of books and stash added. Now you can't walk into it. It's going to take a couple of weeks to set up.

The beauty of moving is finding stuff that you'd totally forgotten you owned.

No, not the barrel of salted cod. That's for Christmas.

I mean shit like a 5-pound bag of cleaned Lincoln wool that needs to be carded. Like an entire container of Lopi that your mother gave you because she didn't want it. And neither did you but you took it anyway. WTF?

I thought I had off-loaded a great deal of junk during the last two moves. Clearly, I have been remiss.

When it's all set up, I'll publish a picture. Until then, I exist in Stash Hell. The books? Thirty-five years of collecting knitting/spinning and now weaving books is a frightening number of volumes. Imagine if I had bought all the recent books on the market as well.

Train to the Zoo in Jersey City
I gotta tell you, I'm just so fucking proficient at knitting on the train that even when it lurches, as it does frequently, I never drop a stitch or miss a beat.

Knitting on the train means one hour and twenty minutes of uninterrupted work. In reality, it means about 20 minutes of work and one hour of dozing with knitting in the lap. So here's the Feather 'n' Fan shawl, which shall be done by Rhinebeck, I think.

I never get tired of knitting this pattern, even though it's incredibly mindless. The first time I ever used it--yes, I do remember--was in a horrifically fugly afghan in five values of pah-yuke avocado green, from dark to light, that I made for my late mother-in-law. This was in 1974. Would that I had had Morehouse then.

Rhinebeck Bingo
There must be something seriously wrong with me. First, it was the Black Bunny Fiber Knitalong. I hate knitalongs but I'm doing it for Carol because I love her stuff and I really want to see her wares sell.

Now it's Stitchy McYarnpants's Rhinebeck Bingo.

But I don't mind being a square on Stitchy's Rhinebeck Bingo board. Hey, it will allow me to meet more readers, hopefully. You can find out about it here.

Joe and Franklin (who designed this button featuring the ever delectable Dolores) are in. Who am I not to join my friends? And if it's fun for Rhinebeck-goers, all the better.

Here's a picture of me, so you can mark your card.

I am sorry to say that my Maybelline mascara just doesn't seem to stay put.

More Books to Buy
The two that I really want this year are both related. I started designing Aran sweaters when I probably was too inexperienced, back in the mid-70s. I have a feeling that if I had owned Janet Szabo's book, Aran Sweater Design, I wouldn't have made such a hash of the first one. But I want this book because I think I can learn a lot from Janet.

You can buy it directly from Janet at Big Sky Knitting Designs. As soon as I buy some needed curtains for this place, I'm going to get this one.

The other book I'm looking forward to getting (good Christmas present, family members) is Melissa Leapman's Cables Untangled.

The Widder Story
I wish I had had the time last week to respond to some of the comments regarding my entry on widowhood. But I did read them all and did very much appreciate the thoughts of my sistahs. I also heard from some of you privately and I'd like to say publicly that if you need support, give me a holler. Chances are extremely good that I've already weathered much of what you're going through. If nothing else, I can tell you that your feelings are probably normal.

Ma always said that she thought divorce was worse than death when losing a spouse, simply because usually when your husband/wife/partner dies, there is still love between you. I suspect that each has its own unique set of issues and I would not say that one was worse than the other. Both are awful, no doubt. But the challenge for both is creating your new normal life. I think I'm there now.

If it weren't for the knitting, the friends, the blog and a few other things, my life certainly wouldn't be so rare and handy.

And now, to the boxes.