Archives for April 2011

 (I like saying that with a fake French accent — I hope it doesn't actually mean anything offensive.)

There is cool stuff going on right now, dudes. I have to tell you!

First, KnittedWit has done something SO FREAKING AWESOME.

She dyed Cypress Hollow Yarn (with permission, of course). And she dyed it in the colorways of the CHARACTERS.

 
This is, left to right, Cade, Abigail, Eliza (SQUEE!), Lucy and Owen.

 
The lucky 13 characters so far.

How much do you LOVE THAT? I am dying over it. She's using a sport weight 2 ply yarn, 100% Rambouillet. Each skein is 100 grams, 350 yards. She's got tons of info at her website and the store is up for preorders. (Full disclosure: I'm not making money on this, but I *do* get a bit of free yarn. Woot!) Just look at Ruby! ZOMG! And Janet's dark sleekness. Oh!

(I have to insert here that I never thought something like this would happen. Just the fact that people like my books still astonishes and touches me. Yarn, in carefully planned colorways that make sense, knocks me right out of my scuffed-up work boots. I'm honored, and lucky, and happy.)

And for a little more lite pimpage-ness, Wyshwriter and JanetP (whom I've already emailed) just RANDOMLY WON (because they were on my email list) a pattern from my genius friend, Kira, of Kira K Designs. They get to pick whatever they like out of her Library of Awesomeness.

Me, I'd choose this:

 

or this:

 

(In'nt she cute? Our little pocket vegan.)

And you know what? Those two people won the patterns just because they're on my mailing list! They didn't have to do anything else! You should join, too! (I never spam, only email when something BIG is happening, like a new book. Or the end of the world. I'll try to let you know about that, too.)

(Kira's website is here, and her ravelry page is here.)

I finally get to show you this, for reals! In Book Three (Wishes and Stitches: A Cypress Hollow Yarn , out in October), the pattern is a lace shawl. Specifically, it's Eliza Carpenter's Wedding Shawl pattern. (Only, as I'm new at lace, I hired the uber-talented Romi to design what I  wanted, because I didn't want to lead you down the muddled path I'd have taken you on.)

I needed to make a cream prototype for the photo for the book, so I cast on in some gorgeous Verb yarn. That very day, I heard that my agent and friend Susanna was engaged. It immediately became HER shawl, and I loved knitting it, putting good wishes for her marriage into the fiber as I worked it. And it turned out gorgeous, I think.

She gets married on Saturday, and I know it's the beginning of a wonderful married life (I adore the man she's marrying, as well).

And I've been spinning, too! This is from Lisa Souza, and I wanted to throw it on the blog to show HOW DIFFERENTLY colors show up when they're spun together.

Isn't that wild? Can you imagine that the soft colors in the skein came from that roving? (Also, merino and silk, YUM. So soft, and I spun it softly, too. Seemed to want that.)

I want to do more, more, more, but it seems there are so many things grabbing for my attention lately. If I'm lucky, I will get back to spinning the rest of this tonight, though. That would be nice. A little more Veronica Mars (halfway into the first season, LOVING IT), and some spinning before bed. Yep.

It's been forever since I did one of these, and because they always make me laugh, I'm listing a few of my favorite ways people get to this blog. I really love that the first nine searches are my blog, or my name. The tenth? "Dirty sheep." Huh.

Dirty sheep joke   There are several common searches for sheep jokes although I don't remember ever telling any here. (As a half-Kiwi, I know plenty though. I will tell them because I do not like to offend the sheep.)

(Aside – you wanna know my FAVORITE joke? This one can't be beat. I mean it. Try it. You: Say knock knock. Victim: Knock-knock. You: Who's there? *falls over dead laughing*)

I love my Kindle   Yes, I do love my Kindle. I love it on all its platforms: my Kindle, my iPad, and my phone, and I love that they all talk to each other.

Chihuahua jeweled cowboy hat  Nope, I don't know where to get one of those, but if you find out, let me know, mkay?

DIY sweaters look dowdy  EXCUSE ME? You obviously don't know me, nor any of my friends. Humph.

Durrow by Jodi Green   It rocks. One of the best, most worn sweaters I've ever made. Rav link here.

First morning thought  Aww, sugar. I don't know what yours is. But I hope it's nice.

How big is a radish? HAHAHAHA. That is all.

Man a go-go tube  Also, ha. Have fun!

When the stork dials 911 They get me!

In writing news, I'm working on copyedits for Book Three (actually, Wishes and Stitches, the third novel will be out after the memoir, so it's technically my fourth copyedited book! Woot!), so my eyes are crossing. I can't see errors anymore. I actually sent a text earlier that said "your" instead of "you're" and I'm still blushing. Gah.

So I'll sign off, and wish you a happy weekend. (See you Friday night at Verb for Keeping Warm, if you're local….)

You guys! I'm going to be reading in the East Bay next week! Can you come?

I'm going to be at the awesome Verb For Keeping Warm, and if you haven't been to their store, you have to come. It's GORGEOUS, full of delicious yarn that you won't find anywhere else (I'm blocking a shawl right now that I made in their fiber — it's perfect).

When: Friday, April 22 – 6pm

Verb For Keeping Warm,
6328 San Pablo Avenue at Alcatraz Avenue

I think I *might* read from the book of essays coming out in September, so this would be a fun time for a sneak peek.

And in other updates, I'm back from the Romantic Times conference! It was everything a conference should be, and it started like this:

Check out that AWESOME bar set Lala found at the Alameda Antiques Fair — still has the original 60s tag on it. It's zebra print.

Crazy Aunt Purl Laurie Perry and I gave a workshop on memoir writing! It was so fun! To continue the theme of the convention, she brought wine in juice boxes, which is probably why my face is so red in this picture. It was a really fun panel, ackshally. Talked a lot about truth and being brave, and what I learned from it was this: We are never brave on purpose. Usually bravery comes as an OH SHIT I HATE THIS moment, and only later, when someone says, "How brave you were!" do you realize you actually had been. Kind of deep, no? (Also, I am not on her lap. I know it looks like I am.)

Spent good, quality time with awesome Nicole Peeler, and I did her hair this night, which I think looks fabulous like this. Also, I just realized SHE is the reason I dreamed I cut my hair into a short bob and went dark red. I want to copy her. (Oh, I've been growing out the silver for so long! So bored! Feel so old-looking! Nicole is pretty!)

And look how cute this is: My dad and his girlfriend Lola showed up for my signing. They waited in a hella long line (after taking me out to a yummy breakfast) just to pick up a book. That's adorable.

I'd love to tell you about the plotting Sophie Littlefield and Juliet Blackwell and I did in the car there and back, but then I'd have to kill you. Let me just say this: I think we came up with a few bestselling ideas, a couple for each of us. At least. And then some. AND we ate McDonald's.

Came home and did the bed bug dance (Martha Flynn chronicles it better HERE) — our room did not have them, but another room did, so I ran into the house, stripped at the washer, threw all the contents of my suitcase into hot water and then bagged the suitcase.

And (are you ready?), I forgot to take my two precious shawls out:

I can't talk about it. Especially that green cashmere Swallowtail. I was so mad at myself I could not even CRY, that's how mad I was.

But it's good to be home again, with flying fingers, and happy to be working (back to the day job tomorrow, too — it's been nice to have this time off).

And if you're local, I'd love to see you on the 22nd!

 

 

I almost forgot: I'm going to be signing in Los Angeles this Saturday, at the Romantic Times Giant Book Fair (it really is giant, HUNDREDS of authors (all listed on that page), and thousands of book buyers – $5 to get in, worth the fun). If you're in the area, I'd love to say hello.

Westin Bonaventure Hotel, 404 South Figueroa St., LA

Saturday, April 9th, 11am-2pm.

Please forgive me that I'm a little late in doing my drawing for both the grand prize and Catherine's book — I got a bad cold and I'm still kind of laid up by it. I get things like migraines and tonsils growing back. I do NOT get colds or flu, so this has been unpleasant. And I was going to do a little video blog of the drawing, but I'm so green and sneezy, no one needs to see me like this. I'm doing you a favor, I promise.

GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

This was for the scarf, handwoven by yours truly, flaws and all, in the winner's choice of colors (for posting a review of How to Knit a Heart Back Home somewhere, anywhere):

Nancy L.

(I have this thing I like to do with winners: I go back and search through my past emails (god bless gmail) and see what kind of correspondence I've had with them. Nancy emailed me something FUNNY after the first book came out, and I'm tickled she won.)

WINNER OF SHEEPISH

Lee Ann!

Now this: I'm a fanatic when it comes to fairness. If I draw a number, that's the winner. Period. As I stated above, I search my email if I'm not quite sure who a winner is, but even if they've never emailed me, they win. I don't redraw numbers with Random.org to get the "right" result. Even though you all would never know, *I* would know. Besides, I want too many people to win things.

But I'm thrilled that Lee Ann won — it's OUR Lee Ann! Remember Fuzzy Logic? The brain surgery? The running? The charm/wit/beauty/personality/talent? Old skool knitters on the block represent, yo. She's BACK with a new blog, and I'm glad she won the book, and I'm glad she's my friend.

(And hey, I try to send out a little surprise treat every month or so to a random subscriber on my mailing list, just so's you know.)