Best Quote I Heard All Day
Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel.--Homer Simpson

Well, there are times when I'd like to weasel out of folding laundry, changing the cat litter, shaving my legs and pits, cleaning the toilet, and picking up hairballs.

I never weasel out of finishing work. After all, why knit all those pieces and leave 'em lying around? Besides, I find finishing to be a completely different activity and just as enjoyable as knitting the whole thing.

Call me masochistic. But at one time, I did finishing professionally for all of those who couldn't be bothered. Bought my babies clothes, toys, and other good stuff. So to me, finishing is the finer moment of knitting, in many ways.

Here's the Campanula, with front/neck band done and one sleeve set in. I'm not rushing it. That's death to finishing.

The true test of good finishing is this: The garment should look as neat on the wrong side as it does on the right side. That goes for most needlework, actually.

My answer to last week's topic: I would embroider. I spent a lot of years doing embroidery at the same time I honed my knitting skills. I love doing it and haven't done any in a long time. So maybe that's why I like finishing.

Open Mic Thursday
OK, once again I'm cheating and in fact writing this Tuesday night. Tomorrow, I'm mucho busy so I gotta grab the time when I can.

Joe is running a Blog Contest to benefit Year Up, a Philadelphia educational charity that supports inner-city kids. Blogs are powerful fundraising tools.

So this week's topic is:

There's been a lot of talk about readers donating money to bloggers who are asking for financial help. How do you feel about it?

I know that I never have and never will ask for a cent from my readers, not for broadband, not for anything personal, other than a charity, as Joe has done. However, each blogger has their own story, I suppose. Let's not turn this into a flame-o-rama, but discuss it intelligently. Like adults. Be forewarned, I won't tolerate any namecalling. I believe it's a topic that bears some consideration.

Fibrefest 2007
Ya know how hard it is for me to type "fibre"? Anyway, in keeping with my flogging the public domain for my friends, here's an event to consider.

Ted Myatt, aka Knitterguy, has been organizing Fibrefest 2007, to be held September 28-30 in Wiarton, Ontario. You can get all the details here.

Gang, this is a weekend retreat that is very, very reasonably priced, and it looks to be a great time with some very interesting fiber peeps. Knitters, spinners, weavers, crocheters, whatever you do, this will be an ecumenical get-together and an opportunity for us Amurricans to traipse over the border and meet our Canadian friends.

That is, of course, if our dipshit State Department doesn't continue to fuck up the passport situation. I have visions of being stuck at the Canadian border coming back. Forever. I'll be keeping an eye on the situation but as of now, I plan to go.

Because if Ted's running it, it will definitely be a rare and handy event.

Ed. note: Yeah, I'm cheating again and publishing this in advance of Thursday. I need my beauty sleep.