Crazy Aunt Purl posted this meme today and tagged “everyone on the planet” and I just couldn’t resist. I had nothing else planned to post and really, I just wanted an excuse to tell you all that I’m afraid of spiders. Hope you enjoy it! And if you want to answer it for your own self, consider yourself tagged.

TEN random things you might not know about me
1. I bought a Jeep Wrangler this past summer
2. I keep a list of every book I’ve read
3. I love “to do” lists
4. Oh, I just love lists
5. I often forget to water my plants
6. I love gadgets
7. I can read and knit at the same time
8. I am currently on my 4th replacement iPod
9. I think long hair on men is sexy
10. I don’t really like afghans but I do like quilts

NINE places I’ve visited
1. Maine
2. Colorado
3. Florida
4. Indiana
5. Vermont
6. Gettysburg
7. Antietam
8. New Hampshire
9. New York City

EIGHT ways to win my heart
1. Buy me yarn
2. Buy me fiber
3. Compliment my cooking
4. Take me for a drive
5. Make the bed
6. Clean the house
7. Rub my feet

SEVEN things I want to do before I die
1. Take an Alaskan cruise
2. Visit Washington, DC
3. Buy an RV and drive around the country
4. Have all the time I want for knitting
5. Have all the time I want for spinning
6. Live in the mountains
7. Milk a cow

SIX things I’m afraid of
1. Spiders
2. Snakes
3. Burglars
4. Something bad happening to someone I love
5. Cancer
6. Far-right politics

FIVE things I don’t like
1. Lima beans
2. Teal colored fabric
3. My current dress size
4. Driving in the dark
5. Feeling lonely

FOUR ways to turn me off
1. Brag
2. Lie to me
3. Expect me to pick up after you
4. Break a promise

THREE things I do every day
1. Knit
2. Eat
3. Kiss my husband

TWO things that make me happy
1. Knitting
2. Spinning

ONE thing on my mind right now
1. Christmas shopping – ugh!

Aren’t they cute? The hats, not the family, I mean!

This weekend it was all hats, all the time. I was totally enthralled when I saw first this one and then this one. I had to make this hat, too.

The pattern was designed by Amy Boogie and it’s free and available here and what you see is Dale modeling the Man Hat and Hannah modeling the Teen Hat. They knit up so fast and easy! I used one skein of Karaoke for Hannah’s and about 1/2 skein of Lamb’s Pride Worsted for Dale’s. I learned to cable without a cable needle from Grumperina’s instructions and each hat probably took less than 4 hours to finish. You gotta love the fast knits!

And, just because you can never knit too many hats, I finished 2 more rolled brim hats for Knit Unto Others. I have to tell you, it’s done my heart good to knit these items. I find myself thinking about who might wear them and why they might need them and then I count my blessings that I am warm and fed and safe and lucky enough to be able to help someone else. You have until November 30th to knit for charity with this knit along and then we’ll put it away until next November. Please join us if you’re able.

Aaahhhhh. Thanksgiving pies. We have mince, pumpkin, cranberry-walnut and apple. There’s nothing quite like the old-fashioned goodness of a home made pie.

For those of you that asked, here is my pie crust recipe. It comes from The Joy of Cooking: All About Pies & Tarts and it’s never let me down.

Using a rubber spatula, thoroughly mix in a large bowl:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp salt
Add:
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
Break the shortening into large chunks then add it to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut the fat into the dry ingredients. When you are through, some of the fat should remain in pea-sized pieces; the rest should be reduced to the consistency of coarse crumbs. The mixture should seem dry and powdery and not pasty or greasy.
Drizzle over the flour and fat mixture:
1/3 cup plus 1 T ice water
Using rubber spatula, cut with the blade side until the mixture looks evenly moistened and begins to form small balls. Press down on the dough with the side of the spatula. If the balls of dough stick together, you have added enough water; if they do not, drizzle over the top an additional 1 to 2 T of ice water.
Cut in the water, again using the blade of the spatula, then press with your hands until the dough coheres. The dough should look rough, not smooth. Divide the dough in half, press each half into a thick, flat disk, and wrap tightly in plastic.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and preferably for several hours, or for up to 2 days before rolling. The dough can also be wrapped and frozen for up to 6 months.

Simple, right? It’s a slightly different version than the pie crust my mom used to make. There’s a bit more flour and she didn’t put in the sugar and she didn’t chill hers before rolling it. But I’ve had great luck with this recipe and would highly recommend it. Besides, if it doesn’t turn out right, all you’ve lost is some flour and Crisco. Relax and start over.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

I’m thankful that you keep coming back to read what I’ve written.

I’m thankful for your comments and advice and jokes.

I’m thankful for the inspiration of bloggers and knitters and spinners everywhere.

Enjoy yourself this Thanksgiving, whatever you do and wherever you go.

You know how there’s all those pre-game football shows? The ones where they tell you who’s going to play and who’s going to win? Well, last night we had the pre-Thanksgiving show. See, we’re sort of mostly going in different directions on Thanksgiving, so we got together last night at my brother-in-law’s house for Chinese food. Plus, our two nieces and their kids are in town, one from Martha’s Vineyard and one from Washington (state) so we had an excuse to gather up the gang.

The kids had a ball! They were running and yelling and playing. At one point they created a marching band but they didn’t make it through their first rehearsal before things fell apart. And the grown ups had an okay time, too. We talked and ate and laughed and reminisced. I, of course, knit. Wanna see the pictures? Okay, I’ll show you anyway!

This is what Chinese take-out looks like for 20 people. Yumm. You name it, we had it. And it was consumed, all of it, by the end of the night.

This is our niece, Becky, and her sons Ian and James. Becky is Dale’s older brother Glen’s daughter and she comes to visit about once a year. And James? He’s the baby and he’s the cutest thing and I taught him to clap last night. Oh yeah, Auntie Carole taught the baby to clap. Woo and also Hoo.

This is our niece and Becky’s sister, Beth with her daughter Delaney. Beth lives on Martha’s Vineyard and was the inspiration for my extreme knitting entry. You may recall Hannah’s visit there last summer. Last night we made plans for Hannah to visit again over Christmas break. Again I say, Woo and also Hoo.

And this! This is Dale’s father, Jack and his namesake and great-grandson, Jack, who is Beth’s son. Notice how their eyes are the same shade of blue? Pretty cool. Perhaps that also deserves a Woo and also Hoo.

I would say that our family’s pre-game show was a success!

As I may have mentioned, our first stop on the way to Gettysburg was The Mannings. We had gone their last year and I was completely overwhelmed at the amount of yarn. The place just seemed to go on and on and on. Books and yarn and notions and needles and more yarn. Needless to say, I was anxious to go back. And, while recalling the place, I was wracking my brain to remember if they had spinning supplies. I remembered that there was a room that I didn’t bother even entering last year, but I couldn’t remember why not. I just recall that I wasn’t interested at all. Things certainly have changed in a year, because, as it turns out, that was The Spinning Room.

The Spinning Room is full of spinning wheels. Full. There are Ashfords and Louets and Schacht and Schacht-Reeves and Kromskis and Lendrums. There are drum carders and hand carders and looms. And next to each wheel is a little basket of roving just waiting to be spun. Of course I just had to try out a couple but I liked this one the best.

That’s the Schacht-Reeves Saxony 24″ in Cherry Finish. It is amazing. Sigh. It is also $1,100.00. Sigh.

So, while I didn’t buy a spinning wheel, I did buy some other stuff. There was roving, naturally.

And, since I’m dyeing to try dyeing, I bought 4 bags of plain white coopworth. I’ll be playing mad scientist with this stuff very soon.

Of course I had to buy something that would have that lovely sheep-y smell. You all know the smell I’m talking about. Here’s a beautiful bag of raw fleece.

I just love it and the color is awesome and the smell makes me swoon. I can say that to you guys because you won’t think I’m crazy. Right? I’m not crazy for loving the smell of a sheep, am I?

They also have loads of sock yarn and I just couldn’t pass up these.

Koigu and Mountain Colors Bearfoot and Opal Handpaint. Good stuff, that. And I needed more sock yarn, I really did.

Here’s the kicker, though. We were in and out of The Mannings in 20 minutes. Yup, twenty minutes. I tried 3 spinning wheels, bought 5 bags of roving and 5 skeins of yarn in twenty minutes. This is what you do when you have a husband chomping at the bit to get to Gettysburg. I figured I was lucky that he agreed to stop there at all and I wasn’t about to push my luck by dawdling. But, really? He could have left me there for the weekend in the room full of wheels and I’d have been a happy girl.

I know you all know what I’m talking about.

For those of you asking, here’s a photo of me in my Civil War clothing.

Yes, I’m wearing a corset. It’s custom made so it’s not too horrible. Just don’t ask me to run up a flight of stairs or I might get the vapors. And, yes, that’s the Kiri shawl. Dale and I both thought it looked pretty good with my new dress.

Here’s a list of what a woman in the 1860s put on, from first to last: pantaloons (mine were flannel this weekend, thank goodness), chemise, corset, corset cover, under-the-hoop petticoat, hoop, over-the-hoop petticoat, dress. If you’re smart you remember to put your shoes on first because it’s difficult to bend over once the corset is on. It’s a lot of clothing to wear and it takes a bit of time to get dressed!

And, for all you readers who want to show the men in your life the uniform, here’s Dale, dressed in his finest and ready to participate in the luminary on Saturday night. My friend Kathy and I walked through the National Cemetery to view this while our men were in the Honor Guard and it was really moving. Every Civil War soldier’s grave had a luminary candle on it. Thousands of them glowing in the night made for a beautiful, but sad, sight. I didn’t take pictures because I didn’t want to spoil the reverence and solemnity of the moment so you’ll just have to use your imagination.

On the way out yesterday we briefly stopped at the Visitor’s Center because Dale wanted me to see this spinning wheel.

It was in the home where Jennie Wade was shot and killed. Jennie was the only civilian to be killed in the Battle of Gettysburg, which is pretty remarkable when you realize that the fighting completely engulfed the town.

I was in awe of this wheel and its beauty. I took a close up of the flyer to show you how small the hooks are! Neat, huh?

So, we are home, safe and sound. I’ll tell you all about The Mannings tomorrow!

Greetings from Gettysburg! Dale and I are here in sunny, but cold, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to celebrate Remembrance Day. I thought I’d give you all a quick update with some photos of what we’ve been doing so far.

Dale is, of course, wearing his new socks.

The parade overflows with flags and soldiers. It’s a spectacular sight and the music is really rousing.

Dale and Matt both bought new “period correct” pipes. Here they are enjoying their first smoke.

Our dear friends, Prussian Ambassador and Mrs. Wilhelm Runk. Oh, and their dog, Buford.

So far we’ve shopped here and here and here and here. We’ve eaten here and here. And tonight we’re eating here. And we’ve had lots of this to drink.

More rousing adventures in my next post!

Spinning Wheel: $435
Roving: $12
Spinning lessons: $75
Making fingerless mitts for Dale with my own handspun yarn: priceless

Really, who else would be worthy of receiving my very first project knit with my very own handspun yarn? Only Dale. He has been so supportive of this new part of my life that I knew, as soon as I saw I had yarn I would actually be willing to knit with, that it had to be something for my man. Just so you know, I wasn’t being lazy by knitting him mitts instead of mittens, Sandy. He insisted that he wanted mitts because it’s easier to drive the bus and handle the paperwork with his fingers exposed. When it comes to Dale, I always do what he says. You guys believe that, right?

Knitting with my own handspun yarn was pretty cool, I have to tell you. I kept thinking, I made this. I made this. I made this. I can’t wait to spin more so I can knit more with my own yarn. As Cate would say, Woo and also Hoo.

Finally, because it’s Thursday and it’s my turn, everybody go say hi to Ann, please!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. I love the food, of course, but it’s more than that. I love the graciousness of this holiday and the fact that it’s simply about being with the people you love and being thankful. No gifts, no hype, no hoopla.

When I stop and think of all I have to be thankful for it really amazes me. I have so much. My life is full and rewarding with family and friends and work. And I have knitting and spinning and all you people who read my blog.

I don’t want to get too preachy but you all know that there are loads of people who don’t have the full lives that many of us do. Many people don’t even have the basic things they need. There are hurricane victims and tornado victims and people who live in poverty. And you know what? A lot of those people are cold. They’re cold right now and we all knit. That means that we can make them warm!

I’m telling you all this because Margene came up with a brilliant idea to create a charity Knit Along for the last two weeks in November. She dubbed it “Knit Unto Others” and then she asked me to make a button and co-host it with her. So, here’s your button and here’s your chance to do something for someone else during this time of Thanksgiving.

You all know how much I love Oprah, right? And last week she aired a fantastic episode which was all about doing things for others. I stole this directly from her website:

What Oprah knows for sure, she says, is that your proudest moments are almost always about what you can do for someone else. “When you give, it creates a circle,” Oprah says. “And it comes back to you, and you get even more in return.”

I believe Oprah’s right. I know I always feel great when I do something for someone else. So, I’ve got a freakin’ long ride to Gettysburg coming up this weekend and I won’t be knitting socks for myself like I usually do when I’m in the car. I’ll be knitting mittens and hats for someone who is cold and needs to get warm.

Won’t you join Margene and I and Knit Unto Others?

Number 24 on my 100 things about me list says that I make my own pie crust. This is true, I do make my own pie crust. I’ve tried the store bought kind and, frankly, I think it sucks. So I make my own because I can and because it tastes better. And also because I might just feel a little smug about the whole thing. But, really, it’s not rocket science, people, it’s just a recipe to follow and anybody can do it.

I’ve discovered that making yarn is like making pie crust. I make it because I can and because homemade is better than store bought. Well, better at least in theory because my yarn ain’t nearly as good as store bought yarn like, say, Koigu or Cherry Tree Hill or even Cascade 220. But it’s homemade by me and that means that there’s love and care and part of my life spun into every fiber of the stuff. Corny? Most definitely. But it makes me feel happy to think of it this way so shut up.

It also makes me feel happy to show you some pictures of my homespun yarn. It really doesn’t look like crap anymore!

This is 3 skeins of Indigo Coopworth from Kendig Cottage hanging to dry in my bathroom. I had a pretty hard time spinning this at first. It needed a lot of twist to hold together and it took some adjustments to get the tension right. I thought I had spun it pretty fine but it really fluffed up a lot when I washed it and set the twist. I guess I have to remember that when I’m spinning and compensate for the fluff factor.

And, see that rack that it’s drying on? There’s a funny story about that. A few years ago, right after Dale lost his 32 year job with the evil empire supermarket chain, he started working for the Boston Museum of Fine Arts Shop in their warehouse. They offered a fantastic discount of 40% off to their employees and when they had their big warehouse sale employees were offered 50% off any purchases. So, they had this warehouse sale and I went to shop and fell in love with this rack. I pulled it off the shelf and exclaimed over it’s beauty and remarked how great it would look in the bathroom. And, with the markdown at the sale and then Dale’s discount, I think it was only about $45. Dale looked at me with incredulity and told me there was no way I could buy the rack. I told him he was nuts, of course I was buying the rack, it was totally cool and funky and perfect for the bathroom. And, since when did he care what I bought for decorating the house, anyway? He pulled me aside and, in a low voice, said I couldn’t buy the rack because all the employees had been making fun of it and calling it over-priced and hideous and wondering who the hell would ever pay that kind of money for such an ugly piece of crap. He told me he’d never be able to hold his head up in the warehouse again. I told him to get over it and I bought the rack, which says a lot about the dynamics of our marriage, I suppose.

But ya know what? Not only is it perfect in the bathroom but now it’s got a real purpose for drying skeins of yarn. I guess that means I was right about it all along. Hunh. Who’d have guessed?