April 23, 2008

Spinning Saturday

These are the chairs on my deck. They are quite obviously empty in this photo. However, last Saturday they were full of spinners and knitters as I had a small gathering at my house. I was thrilled to have Cheryl, Judy, Kathy, Manise, Martha, Maryse, and Sharon over for a terrific afternoon and evening.

The weather was wonderful. Warm and sunny with just a hint of a breeze. The lunch was terrific. We had macaroni and cheese, homemade salads and sandwiches along with brownies, fruit tarts and strawberries for dessert. Some wine and beer was consumed, too. Oh, and fresh brewed iced tea. The spinning was prolific. Merino and BFL and silk fibers were furiously spun into yarn. The conversation was stimulating. We covered politics, recipes, ravelry, husbands, gardening - you name it, we talked about it.

At the end of the afternoon we took a walk down back to the river. It was really great to go on this walk with everyone. I got to show them the flag pole that nearly killed Dale and the campsite we have in the woods. Its a terrific spot and I'm so lucky to have it right in my backyard and even luckier to have shared it with my friends.

It was a perfect day and I wish we could do it every Saturday. Sigh.

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (30)

September 24, 2007

Utah '07

As I'm sure you've figured out, my trip to Utah was wonderful. There was time for everything, it seemed. Eating and drinking, knitting and spinning, talking and laughing. It seemed to go on for days. And then, all too soon, it was over and I was headed home. But I took a lot of pictures and I'd like to share a handful of them with you.

A wonderful group shot of us at the fiber fair.

The setting for the fair was beautiful. The weather was perfect and the days were warm and sunny. And everywhere you looked there were the mountains.

I just love this photo of Kim up at Silver Lake.

I got to meet Kim! And had more time with Susan than the last time I visited. Of course, I'm going to have even more time with Susan next month. Yay.

Temple Square is not to be missed.

And, of course, no trip to Salt Lake City is complete without the Margene Treatment - a meal at Silver Fork Lodge and a walk around Silver Lake.

The scenery is gorgeous, the friends are genuine, the Stitch 'n Bitch group is terrific, and I can't wait to go back.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (37)

August 1, 2007

Knitter Love

Thank you all so much for your kind comments and caring thoughts for my family. Dale and I really appreciate your support and it honestly does help knowing that you are thinking about us right now. Really. It helps a lot.

So, what's a knitter to do when she's going through a difficult time? Thanks to the creativity of dear Wendy, she throws up the Knitter's Signal.

Since I've been kind of distracted lately I wasn't really paying attention to Dale's concert schedule. So, it wasn't until yesterday morning that I realized that he was going to be playing last night in the neighborhood of some of my very dear blogging friends. So I fired off a few emails and rallied the troops. Despite the last minute notice Kathy and Manise rose to the occasion.

They couldn't make it to the concert but Kathy invited us back to her house for drinks and conversation. And it was wonderful. We talked and laughed and shed a few tears. It felt so good to be in the company of people who get me - and not just about knitting and spinning - they get it all and they love me anyway. So, thank you, Kathy. And thank you, Manise. You made an ordinary night a truly special one.

Even if I didn't get home until two in the morning.

Posted by Carole at 8:00 AM | Comments (30)

June 18, 2007

Saturday Friends

I've been reading my DailyOm Horoscope since Margene first told me about it and that was ages ago. Sometimes I have a hard time applying what it says to what's going on in my life on a given day and then other times it's so accurate it's frightening. And that's what happened on Saturday.

Here's what I got in my inbox:
June 16, 2007
Lively Social Activities
Virgo Daily Horoscope
You may be feeling uplifted by the possibilities of all the social activities available to you today, which could make you feel lively and excited. As you gather your friends to share in the fun, you may feel that the world is one big party and that all in attendance are friends. This outgoing sense of connection puts you at ease in any surrounding and allows you to share your joy with anyone in the vicinity. In truth, your positive energy ripples out into the world, affecting everything and everyone and tipping the balance of the world’s energy toward the positive. It may be difficult to imagine that a party in our neighborhood for no particular higher purpose can have a positive effect on world peace, but it creates an atmosphere of acceptance and camaraderie that uplifts those involved. Their positive energy ripples and joins yours as they enter the atmosphere. By socializing and enjoying life today, you uplift others as you share your light.

Another positive outcome of social gatherings is the forging and strengthening of a sense of connection between strangers. When we are having fun, we are more likely to let down our walls and overlook arbitrary social divisions. As we melt into one group of people sharing a common desire for joy and peace, a vision is planted in our hearts and minds, making it easier for us to envision a world at peace. Being outgoing today is a joyful way to create unity in the world.

And here's what I had planned:
An afternoon of knitting and spinning with Blogless Sharon, Martha and Maryse.

Clearly the universe was working in our favor! We gathered in the early afternoon and sat in my kitchen and chatted and knitted for a while. Once the sun was over the yardarm we indulged in margaritas and various cheeses, breads and crackers. We eventually made our way to the deck and spent the early evening hours spinning. It was wonderful and relaxing and FUN. We made connections and solidified friendships and shared our common interest in all things fibery and it was just as good as my horoscope said it would be. I didn't take any photos, but Maryse took some beauties and you can see them here. Really, go look. It's worth it.

So, yeah, it was a really fabulous afternoon and evening. I just love it when the planets align.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (21)

May 24, 2007

Things That Make Me Go Hmmm

~Kristi is editing the next edition of Yarnival. She's looking for entries, particularly ones about fiber festivals, so go on and submit something for her to consider, won't you?

~I spun a few more silk hankies and then wound the singles into a center pull ball and then plyed them on the Lendrum. Is it cheating to ply spindle spun singles on a wheel? It's a very tiny skein but it's my first ever silk and I'm damned proud of it.

~Have you contributed to Claudia's Ride yet? There are some great yarn-y and fiber-y prizes to be had, not to mention the over all good feeling you get by supporting such a worthwhile cause. Go on, you know you've been meaning to get to it.

~Erin has two new colorways inspired by my Eye Candy Friday photos! One is Lilacs:

And the other is Daffodils:

I think they're gorgeous and I'm thrilled to have provided Erin with the inspiration for these yarns. Are you going to buy some? Tell her Carole sent you and you'll get a special discount.

~Remember the Mad Weave socks from Sock Madness that you all liked so much? The pattern is now available for free at Tina's blog. Speaking of Sock Madness, I won't be competing in Round Two. Instead, I'll be co-hosting with Hillary. Squee!

~Speaking of worthwhile causes, I knit four squares for the Rebuilding Greensburg project. Lois knit a square, too, and the five of them are winging their way to Laura as we speak. Err, write. Err, read. Whatever, I've mailed them. There's plenty of time for you to knit and mail a square, too. Just saying.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (44)

January 15, 2007

Yarnival

When I read a magazine, I always read the editor's page first. I like to hear what the person in charge has to say about the issue. I can honestly say, though, that I've never give much thought as to what it would be like to actually be the editor of a publication. Until I volunteered to edit an edition of Yarnival.

Let me tell you, this turned out to be harder than I thought it would! It was hard to be objective, it was hard to exclude entries, it was hard to organize the entries I chose. But I realized, as I read through all the entry posts (and I did read them all) that, while we all have knitting blogs, we actually post to our blogs for many different reasons. Sometimes we post to provide entertainment, sometimes we post to reflect, sometimes we post to celebrate a success or find commiseration over a failure. So, I organized this edition of Yarnival according to what I perceived to be the purpose of the post. Without further editorial comment, here is my edition of Yarnival!

Amusing

Hannah of The Purloined Letter posts No Beans!
~In which the concept of vegetables as knitting needles is pondered.

Marcy of Habetrot posts I Think She Needs a Margarita
~In which we truly learn that a picture is worth a thousand words. Or a thousand margaritas.

Reflecting

Chris of Stumbling Over Chaos posts Cha(o)sing the blues
~In which Chris discusses the relevance and importance of blogging in her life.

Christine of Knitting on Trial posts 2nd Annual Heartland Knitting Retreat................or, way too much fun!
~In which Christine describes the joy of meeting fellow knitters.

Debi of Fluffy Knitter Deb posts F is for Friendship
~In which Debi talks about a very special friendship.

Teyani of The Intrepid Fiberwizard posts Sunday Thoughts
~In which Teyani brilliantly captures the thoughts that wander through our minds while we knit.

Informing

Abigail of 1870 Pearl posts Long Tail Cast on Hints
~In which Abigail shows a remarkably simple method for estimating the yarn you'll need for a long tail cast on.

gale of She Shoots Sheep Shots posts Sock Clubs
~In which Gale gathers sock club information into one extremely useful post. Unless you're on that yarn diet thing. Then you should definitely stay away from this one.

Kristi of Designedly Kristi posts FO: Woven Sachets.
~In which Kristi teaches how to make some beautiful sachets.

Celebrating

Lolly of Lolly Knitting Around posts My Cherie Amour
~In which Lolly models a wonderful (and fast) new red sweater.

Jenniferof pieKnits posts The Littlest Stocking
~In which Jennifer knits a very tiny stocking.

Elspeth of Wry Punster posts Monarch Butterfly
~In which Elspeth finishes an epic project.

Rachel of Lickety Knit posts I've Been Sorted!
~In which Rachel meets Harry Potter.

Monika of Smoking Hot Needles posts Vertigo
~In which Monika knits a scarf that resembles a chameleon.

Heather of Lectio.ca posts Mom's Shawl
~In which Heather finishes a really big and really beautiful shawl.

Vicki of Knitorious posts A Tale of Two Sweaters
~In which Vicki uses leftovers from her sister to make a fabulous Fibonacci sweater.

Lola & Ava of Two Black Sheep post The One I Love
~In which a perfect sweater is finished.

Maryse of Monster Yarn posts Meatheads, Meatheads, Roly Poly Meatheads
~In which a hat is embellished in a very unique way.

Ruth of Wooly Headed posts The Grand Unveiling
~In which Ruth knits a baby sweater.

Bemoaning

Amy of Knit Think posts Deconstructing Einstein
~In which Amy finds a way to end her boredom.

Mary of Virgin Wool posts Torture, thy name is Linen
~In which Mary resents a dishcloth.

Mandy of Zigzag Stitch posts The Control Hat
~In which Mandy knits a very tall hat.

Nishanna of Nishanna likes to knit posts I was distracted by something shiny
~In which Nishanna realizes that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Admiring

Kathryn of Kmkat and her Kneedles posts Saturday Sky and Stuff
>In which we see photographic proof of the change of seasons.

Julie of Frick Knits posts 31-40
~In which the hunk of the month is revealed.

Phew, that's a lot of links. I hope you have fun perusing all these great blogs. Are you interested in editing Yarnival? Go here. Are you interested in submitting to Yarnival? Go here! Thanks for reading.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (40)

December 4, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BLOGLAND, USA - December 2, 2006 (Knitting Blogs Press) - Eve of Needle Exchange is pleased to announce that the January 15, 2007 issue of Yarnival is being edited by Ms. Carole of CaroleKnits. The brain child of Ms. Eve herself, this Blog Carnival for knitters has been in existence since the summer of 2006. It has quickly gained popularity within the knitting blog community for its fresh approach to finding new and upcoming blogs. Previous editors include the distinguished January One and the clever and witty Fricknits.

"I'm thrilled to join this team of editors and excited to start reading entries," said Ms. CaroleKnits. She would like to encourage everyone to submit an article for consideration for inclusion in this edition of Yarnival. "We're looking for new bloggers and established bloggers to submit their articles. Don't be shy! The more, the merrier," said the enthusiastic new editor.

Article submissions will be accepted at the Yarnival Site beginning December 3, 2006 and will continue to be accepted until January 2, 2007.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (33)

October 16, 2006

In Stitches With Stitchy

Friday night Dale and Blogless Sharon and I trekked to Porter Square Books in Cambridge to attend a book signing by our dear friend, Stitchy McYarnpants. I knew it would be fun and I was right - Stitchy never disappoints.

We arrived a few minutes late -- just in time to hear Stitchy extoling the virtues of the "Budvisor" which was, coincidentally, named by Dale last April when we were all together in Grafton. In true Stitchy form, she gave Dale complete credit for naming this particular piece of her traveling trunk show. He loved the attention. And then the tables turned. She forced him to model this.

Talk about kitschy! A handknit sweater covered in hunting scenes complete with dogs, pheasants, shotguns and shotgun shells. Want to see the back?

Scary, eh? Actually, the truly scary part is that Dale now wants one of these sweaters. Fat chance, honey.

After the books were signed and the trunk was packed we headed over to Christopher's for dinner. Thanks, Kellee for arranging reservations for all of us! The food was excellent and the beer was cold. I got to pat the Bookish Baby Belly and I got to sit next to my buddy Maryse, who brought me a vintage cable needle to help me overcome my cabling fears. It was a wonderful night and made me realize, once again, how fortunate I am to have made some truly great friends through this here blog.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (38)

September 26, 2006

Boston Knit Out '06

Sandy emailed me last night and asked me how the Knit Out was. Kathy (who I met in person for the first time at last year's Knit Out) emailed first thing yesterday morning with the same question. So I'll tell you guys what I told them. The Knit Out was fun. But the Hanging Out was better.

I went in with Blogless Sharon and her daughter, Heather, so you know the traveling part was fun. We got to the Common a little after Noon and there were lots of knitters although maybe not as many as I remember being there last year. I'm sure the dreaded weather forecast kept many away. Truly, though, the weather was fine. There were a couple of brief showers and that was about it. The sun even broke through for a time. Sadly, it was too warm for the wearing of knitted items! That didn't stop me from dragging Moth along with me, though. I was even persuaded to show it to a handful of people.

Sharon and Heather and I did form a little knitting circle to watch the "Show and Tell" portion of the Fashion Show. In the interest of full disclosure I should tell you that I may have been coerced into bringing out the Moth again. Why do I always feel like I'm showing off when I'm asked to show my handknits? It's hard to be humble with a shawl as gorgeous as this one but all I did was knit it. It's the design that's the brilliant part.

Anyway. We decided we were hungry so we headed in search of food. We bumped into other blogging buddies along the way and wound up all together at Fajitas and Ritas. There was beer and pulled pork and a lot of laughs with some old friends as well as some new ones.

After being fed and watered we went shopping. Of course. At Windsor Button. Of course. But guess what? I didn't buy a thing. Nope. I admired the Sea Silk and some Mistis Alpaca laceweight. I perused a book or two and may have even gotten a bit catty with Adrian (pass the meow mix, please) but I didn't make a purchase. Proud of me, aren't ya?

All in all it was a very fun day. I got to knit and hang with my peeps. It really doesn't get much better than that.

Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (38)

May 11, 2006

Holy Potluck Picnic, Batman!

I'm throwing up the knit signal, courtesy of my buddy, The Bookish Girl, to make sure you all know about the bloggers potluck picnic gathering at New Hampshire Sheep & Wool this coming Saturday.

Remembering what a great time we had when Cate organized one for Connecticut, I asked her if we could do it again. We strong armed Kellee into helping us organize and Julia offered up her advice on a spot. So, if you're interested, please meet up at Noon and bring some food to share with everyone. If the weather is fine we'll gather on the patch of grass between the dog trials area and the main festival. And if the weather is inclement (NO!NO!) then we'll meet at the covered picnic tables by the alpacas. Hope to see many of you there!

And, as further proof that the weather is crap and I can't take picture of flowers or knitting outside or nothing, I'm jumping on the quiz bandwagon.
Take MY Quiz

It was fun creating this, I can't wait to see the results!

Posted by Carole at 6:55 AM | Comments (29)

May 2, 2006

Connecticut Sheep & Wool

On Saturday Blogless Sharon, the Evil Spawn of Blogless Sharon (aka her daughter, Heather) and I headed to Connecticut Sheep and Wool. This was only my second fiber festival, my first being New Hampshire Sheep and Wool last year. Of course, I wasn't a spinner last year, so I really did feel like a fiber festival virgin this time around.

CS$W is a small venue and I think that's a good thing. It's not overwhelming and it's not overly crowded. And yet it's full of all the things that matter. Like sheep. And alpacas. And fiber. Lots and lots of fiber. Wanna see my haul?

I actually showed great restraint, I think. In the top photo there is some merino/silk roving in a color called "garnet," a really nice circular needle holder, and some merino/tencel roving that's charcoal grey - and very slick and soft. In the other photo there are two skeins of laceweight alpaca, colorway eggplant, some Navajo Churro roving and a beautiful shawl pin. And that's it. I came home fleeceless.

While the shopping was fun, honestly, the best part of the day was meeting up with other bloggers. Isn't it always? I actually had three bloggers that I had never met before recognize me. As in, "Aren't you Carole? From Carole Knits?" I have to say, I thought that was really cool. Especially considering that last year, when I went to New Hampshire, I knew no one. And no one knew me. I literally introduced myself to Norma and said, "I'm Carole from Carole Knits. No one knows me." Now Norma and I are friends. Real life, honest to goodness friends. Isn't blogging amazing?

My dear friend Cate had a brilliant idea and organized a Blogger's Potluck Picnic. There were people I consider to be real life, honest to goodness friends at this picnic as well as people I'd never met before.

And we had a fantastic time! As always, when bloggers gather there is lots and lots of really good food. There was also lots of talking and laughing and knitting! I'm not even going to attempt to link to everyone - because I'd leave people out. If you were there, sing out in the comments so people can find you.

I know many of you are gathering at Maryland Sheep $ Wool this weekend. I hope you have a wonderful time and meet up with like minded folks, just as I did in Connecticut. And somebody buy me a fleece fer cryin' out loud.

Posted by Carole at 6:55 AM | Comments (36)

April 24, 2006

Wallpaper? What Wallpaper?

Well, well, well. All that advice about ditching the wallpaper and going to WEBS? Nice. Very nice. Too bad WEBS was already sold out. However, after reading the post and the comments, Dale offered to drive me out to Grafton on Friday night. Who knew the blog could be a tool for marital communication?

So, off we went to Grafton. We arrived at Classic Yarns at almost the same time as Judy and Cindy. Dale doesn't know either of them but they were both waving to him from their car. He turned to me and said, "Ummm, I think those might be friends of yours over there." And Judy told him, when I introduced them, that they recognized him from the blog. It always cracks me up how we "know" each other before we actually meet face to face. Laurie was also already at the shop - she snuck up behind me and gave me a big ole hug. Sandy and Claudia arrived shortly and we all ducked out for a quick visit with Stephanie, Linda Roghaar and her mister, before Steph had to give her talk.

The yarn shop was exceedingly small and packed to the gills with knitters and bloggers.

I hung in the back, allowing those who didn't know the guest of honor, to move to the front to hear her speak. Besides, there was too much knitting and gossiping and planning going on in the back of the store. I didn't want to miss out on any of that! While I was hanging out, Cece told me that the plug I gave for sponsoring here in the Breast Cancer 3 Day had gotten her some sponsors. But, she could always use more. Just saying.

I was so happy to see Mamacate and Marcy! I know we've discussed Cate's status as my spinning wheel pimp, and it's still true. But all I can say is that I'd better stay away from Marcy. I'll have to move to a bigger house to make room for all the wheels she wants me to buy.

After the yarn shop there was dinner with a whole gaggle of knit bloggers.

left to right, Cate, Stitchy, Wendy, Jackie

The Boston girls were there in full force - Stitchy, Wendy, Jackie, Maryse and Kellee. Both Kate and Kristen had driven down from Maine and Kat had driven down from New Hampshire. Theresa was there, too. And Maryse's husband Joe really does exist because he was there. Until we scared him off, anyway. Special thanks go out to Amy Sue who hooked us up with a fantastic spot for dinner! I understand the margaritas were excellent but I stick to my usual martinis.

We didn't get home until after midnight but it was worth it! The rest of the weekend was all about painting and wallpapering but letting those things slide for a gathering of friends was definitely the right thing to do.

Posted by Carole at 7:10 AM | Comments (39)

February 28, 2006

Better Pal: Final Destination

It's been said by others but I have the best better pal for sure. And now that I know who she is, I can tell you guys, too. The person spoiling me was Liz and when I say spoiling, I mean spoiling. As in rotten.

Just check out this last package.

Isn't it great? Liz picked stuff to represent her state of Texas and she did a fine job. There's chili and chocolate and homespun from angora goats. Can you say soft? I had to immediately run to my patterns and start searching for something worthy of this gorgeous yarn.

Look! Here's a close up.

I wish I had feel-o-vision for the blog so you could touch this stuff. It's truly amazing. And clearly, Liz is doing a much better job of promoting the glories of Texas than that certain someone currently inhabiting the White House. I'm just saying.

And there's also other chocolate and Mountain Colors Bearfoot in red, of course. Because red is my favorite color and Liz pays attention. Turns out, Liz and I also share similar educational backgrounds, as we both have MLIS degrees. Rock Chick and Shobhanna hit the nail on the head when they matched up Liz and I.

So, my heartfelt thanks to Liz the wonder pal! Dude, it's been a pleasure.

Posted by Carole at 12:25 PM | Comments (22)

February 27, 2006

Team Boston Rocks!

The Team Boston Closing Ceremonies Party hosted by Cara was a blast! Like so many of these gatherings, there was knitting and laughing and eating and drinking. And, you know what? You'll just have to take my word for it because I didn't take a single picture. Nope. Not one.

I thought about the camera during the fashion show. I thought about it some more when Cara dumped her whole bag of Jaywalker socks on the floor for everyone to admire. I thought about it when I was admiring Lucia's beautiful Trellis. I even thought about it when Maryse and Stitchy and Grumperina and Wendy and Teresa and Dale and I were still hanging around bugging Cara at the end of the night. But the beer and the chocolate took over my brain and that was the end of all thoughts of the camera.

So, I sat around and gabbed and ate. I didn't knit a single stitch but I had a blast. And so did Dale, who was in tow mostly because I was leary of driving into an unfamiliar part of the city on my own. But Dale's a sport and he had fun putting faces with names he recognized from comments on this here blog. On the way home he sheepishly (get it? sheepishly? because we're all about the sheep here at Carole Knits) admitted that he almost nodded off when we were swapping blog stories, but I'm not sure any of us would have noticed even if he had fallen asleep, we were so busy talking!

To make up for my camnesia yesterday, I do have pictures of the finished Olympic socks. Real pictures, that is, not photoshopped images of various athletes wearing my socks.

I wore them for the first time yesterday and the fit is perfect. I'd knit these again in a heart beat.

Posted by Carole at 12:55 PM | Comments (41)

February 22, 2006

SPA People

I've told you about the wheel. I've told you about the fiber and roving. I haven't told you about the people -- and that was the most amazing part of all!

Blogless Sharon and I arrived on Friday afternoon, checked in, got our warm chocolate chip cookie, and got settled. There were spinners and knitters everywhere. Scattered throughout the lobby, in every nook and cranny and hallway. We felt a little shy at first but bumped into Laurie and Chris right away and that was the end of being shy. We quickly settled into a spinning circle with Laurie and that was our spot for the weekend.

Dinner Friday night was a quest for margaritas for Cate. We wound up at a place called, not surprisingly, Margaritas! And that's what we drank. I think we ate, too. And I had a brief moment where I actually hauled out the camera!

Back at the hotel there was spinning and knitting until the wee hours. Our cicle of knitters and spinners included Julia, Cate, Juno, Stephanie, Laurie, Judy, Kate, Jackie, Kellee, Wendy, Elisa, and Chris.

Saturday involved more of the same. There was the previously mentioned shopping. There was lunch at a place downtown with Martha and Sharon and Chris and Cate. There were drinks back at the hotel and the fashion show and a hilarious talk from Stephanie. There was dinner in the bar which also included Lisa. I got to meet PumpkinMama and Cheryl and Monica and That Laurie. I chatted with Maggie and Kristen. Once again we found ourselves spinning the late evening/early morning hours away.

It was over all too quickly and Sunday we packed up to head home. We lingered for a while and hung out with our buds. There was talk of religion and parenting and politics. It was probably the most relaxing time of the weekend and then it was time to go.

All in all, I had a fantastic time. New spinners were born (sorry I'm not a better teacher, Wendy, despite my excellent analogies) and experienced spinners got better. I got compliments all weekend on the various shawls that I wore and that's pretty damn cool. I made new friends and got closer to old ones. I drank martinis and ate good food and tried to learn all I could from the collective knitters and spinners around me. I'd love to see those of you in other parts of the country follow NETA's example and create regional gatherings like this in your area. You won't regret it!

Posted by Carole at 10:30 AM | Comments (22)

October 19, 2005

Who Needs Rhinebeck?

There were no sheep, llamas or alpacas at Willow Books in Acton last night. There wasn't any festival food or fiber booths or fleece tents. But there were bloggers galore and when Kathy declared that it was our Rhinebeck and that we had to make the most of it, she was right. So we did.

My friend Sharon (who is, sadly, blogless, but I'm thinking not for long) and I drove out together and met up with Kathy and Julie for dinner. We then headed to the bookstore and started seeing tons of bloggers, some we had met before, and some we were meeting for the first time. We also saw the one thing that Rhinebeck didn't have that I'm willing to bet everyone missed the most. Our dear Steph.

This is Stephanie with Laurie. I was so excited to meet Laurie in person for the first time. Laurie, you rock!

The readings from Knit Lit the 3rd ranged from touching to hysterical and the line for the book signing was long. Steph braved her way through it (it just might have had something to do with the promise of beer with bloggers afterwards) and even made a snarky comment or two to the cranky man who kept telling us: move along, there's no time for conversation and only generic signatures are available. Here's a picture of Mr. Cranky Pants.

I think he's counting up the money he's making by selling all those copies of Stephanie's books. Which you would think would have made him nicer to all those bloggers there to buy the books, but I digress.

And while Stephanie was signing, a large group of bloggers gathered to wait for her to finish so we could go get beer. There was Wendy, Kellee, Stitchy, Sandy, Laurie, Kathy, Julie, Chris, Ruth, Kristen, and, and, oh, if I left you out, I'm sorry and please leave me a comment so I can find you again.

And ya know what? This is the part that I think was just like Rhinebeck. Because it was all about friends and knitting and talking and laughing. We told our stories and shared our knitting triumphs and disasters. We ate (there was cake!) and drank and connected in ways that I've seen bloggers connect before. It should no longer surprise me and yet it still does. For example:

Linda Roghaar lived in the area of Maine where my mother's family comes from.

Sandy and I were knitting socks from the very same colorway of Trekking.

Sharon and Stitchy have a shared interest in beekeeping.

Kathy and Kristen and I all went to women's colleges.

I could go on with this but you guys all know exactly what I'm talking about. Meeting other bloggers might not be why any of us started blogging but, for me at least, it's turned out to be coolest benefit of the whole blogging thing. We called Cassie and we talked about calling Margene but, alas, no one had her number. If you weren't there, you can rest assured that you were missed.

It may not have been Rhinebeck but it was good enough for me.

Posted by Carole at 7:58 AM | Comments (26)

October 6, 2005

Not Rhinebeck Bound

Okay, so I have accepted the fact that everyone in the blogging universe is going to Rhinebeck except me. Really, I'm okay with it. Remember Lois? Well, her youngest son is getting married that weekend and I'm going to be here instead of at the biggest fiber festival of the year. It's okay, though. Really, I'm good. Yup, just fine.

But you know what's frying my ass about the whole thing? Having to tell eleventy-million people that I'm not going to Rhinebeck. Because everyone assumes that I will be. Or should be. Or something like that. So they keep asking, "you're going to Rhinebeck, aren't you?" Sigh. Just saying, "nope, not me," over and over again is tearing my heart out. Heavy Sigh.

So, on the off chance that there might be one or two other bloggers out there who also aren't going to Rhinebeck, I made us a button. It's my first button. Be kind.

If you're not going to Rhinebeck feel free to snag that baby up (but on your own server, please) and put it on your blog. It just might save you the agony of having to repeat, over and over again . . .

You're. Not. Going. To. Rhinebeck.

Posted by Carole at 11:38 AM | Comments (15)

October 3, 2005

Confession of a Bad Blogger

Hello. My name is Carole and I am a bad blogger. I went to the Boston Knit Out and didn't take any pictures. Nope, not one. So sorry!

I did have a great time, however. I went in with my friend Sharon and we met up with Kathy and her friend Shane. We visited the exhibits, watched the Fashion Show, talked to some spinners, shopped at Windsor Button, and sat and knitted on Boston Common for a while. It was a beautiful day and really cool to see all those knitters just hanging around!

Sharon and I headed to Faneuil Hall in search of food, drink, and the score to the Red Sox game. We found all 3 (Yay Sox!) and then headed home. A successful day of knitting and hanging around with friends.

But no pictures.

So, I will leave you with this one. A picture of the sock in Vermont last weekend visiting Quechee Gorge. It's a long way down but the sock and I weren't scared. Dale wouldn't even look over the edge. He's a bit chicken about heights. It's not so bad. See?

Posted by Carole at 8:00 AM | Comments (13)

September 27, 2005

Out And About

Meeting knitbloggers, both online and in person, is wicked fun! Last week I not only had the opportunity to shop and hang out with Norma but I also got to go to a book signing for Stephanie's latest book, The Yarn Harlot.

Being the over-achiever that I am, I arrived at The Sheep Shack at 5:30 for a 7:00 appearance from the Queen of Knitbloggers. It was all good, though, because I got to hang out with Christina, the shop owner, and I did some shopping. Yeah, I know, you're shocked. Once my shopping was done, I sat and knitted and waited for the crowd.

Our dear Stephanie arrived with Cate and Julia in tow. I was very excited to meet them but managed to contain myself until Stephanie was done with her talk - which was excellently funny and charming. Once Stephanie started signing books, I was all about meeting Cate and Julia and I plopped down on the floor with them and we just started gabbing like old friends.

I was working on socks and complaining about ladders and Julia offered to show me the "magic loop" technique. I have wanted to try this for some time but was worried that the learning curve would slow me down. Cate and Julia assured me that wouldn't be the case and were they ever right! I caught on pretty quickly and just love knitting socks this way. Stephanie did call me a traitor and said I was turning away from the one true calling of knitters everywhere - to knit socks with teeny dpns, I guess - but she'll just have to get over it because I'm loving me the magic loop.

If you've read Stephanie's entry about this particular night (and I'm certain you all have) then you know that we bought out all the Trekking. Good stuff, that Trekking. Here we all are and Stephanie is holding MY Trekking. Slick, eh?

from left to right: Stephanie, Julia, Cate, Kat and Christina

There was an excursion for beer after the shop closed. We might have missed a turn or two trying to find the restaurant, but I'm not telling. We talked about everything and drank beer and laughed until our jaws ached and it was good. As I said to Cate, the cool part about reading blogs is that we already know so much about each other that when we meet in person it feels like meeting up with old friends.

Posted by Carole at 7:26 AM | Comments (11)

September 24, 2005

Now Norma Navigates?

Listen up, gang, because I have some fun stuff to share! I know you're all dying to hear about Thursday night at The Sheep Shack with Stephanie (and other and bloggers!) but that's just going to have to wait because today was such a great day and I'm bursting to tell you guys about it.

So, here I am in Vermont and I spent the afternoon with Norma. I had met Norma back in May at NH Sheep and Wool and I've been pestering her for weeks about trying to get together today. She finally conceded agreed to meet up. And we did. At Kaleidoscope Yarns in Essex Junction. Sigh. It was wonderful. They have Koigu. They have Cherry Tree Hill. They have Mountain Colors. They have Lorna's Laces. (No, Norma didn't buy the Gold Hill color way but she might have bought a different one. I'm not telling, you'll have to ask her yourself.) So we shopped and talked about knitting and laughed and talked about blogging and shopped some more. Did I mention they have Koigu?

After we ran out of money finished shopping we headed for lunch. We figured it made sense to let Norma pick the place since she's familiar with the area and we are visitors. Sure, Norma says, follow me. So we did. We traveled West and East. We turned around in a parking lot. We turned around in another parking lot. We went straight in a right hand only lane. You wanna know the sad part? The whole time we were doing this round-about we could see where we wanted to go- we just couldn't figure out how to get there! Norma was laughing so hard that I honestly don't know why she didn't crash. The woman is a talented knitter and a terrific shopper but as a path finder? Maybe not so good.

Anyway. After lunch we went to Northeast Fiber Arts Center for a little more shopping. Just a little. Because we were out of money all shopped out. We might have bought a book but only because of Margene. I mean, after all, when you see a book in a store and you know your friend knitted some of the socks that are in it, shouldn't you buy it to be supportive? I'm just asking, is all.

When Norma dropped me back at my hotel (which is lovely and we have a king sized bed!) we took a couple of photos for the blog. Here ya go, people:

That would be my haul. There might be some Koigu. And some books. And some Cascade 220 and Mountain Colors. Maybe even some Cherry Tree Hill. And possibly an Addi Turbo and some chocolate.

That would be Norma's haul. There might be some Mission Falls 1824 Wool. It's being discontinued so of course you have to get it while the getting's good. And maybe a pattern or two for things that Norma really needs. Right now.

That would be me and Norma happily knitting in the parking lot of the Courtyard Marriott. Who says knitbloggers are strange?

Oh, and one other thing. Before meeting up with Norma we drove out Route 2 to Grand Isle. There were sheep. I took pictures of the sheep but the pictures are crap so you're just going to have to trust me on this one. And we visited Norma's sister's chocolate shop. Oh boy, was it worth the trip! You need chocolate? They do mail order. Just a little public service announcement for all you chocolate fiends.

And one last thing and then I really will shut up. Right now there are fireworks outside my hotel room window. How nice of them to put this together in honor of my birthday. Vermont is truly a great state. I'm coming back as soon as I can.

Posted by Carole at 8:23 PM | Comments (16)

August 29, 2005

A Shameless Plea

You guys understand how a blog works, right? There's a sequence of events that goes something, but not exactly, like this:

1. I write an entry and post some pretty pictures.
2. You read the entry.
3. You comment on said entry.

Right. So that's how its done. And yet. We seem to be having an issue getting from #2 to #3. See, I know I have readers. I have a site meter that tells me I average 38 visits per day. And, there are actually 20+ people who subscribe to my blog with Bloglines. (Oh, and Bloglines? The best freakin' invention since the blog. You can keep track of, like, eleventy million blogs with minimal effort. If you haven't tried it yet, you really need to do so. Right now.) Anyway, so, yeah, my blog has a community. But, listen up, gentle reader. You're falling down on the job because you just aren't leaving comments. Oh, I do manage to get a comment or two with every post now, which is an improvement since the bleak commentless early days of the blog. But some people? They get loads of comments with every post.

So, what's their secret? Their witty and scintillating style? Their inclusion of knitting content with every post? The fact that they write (and knit) better than me? Maybe. But you know what? I think it's the contests. Up until recently I had vowed never to resort to bribing you with contests. I thought my readers were above such cheap and shameless antics just to increase commenting. Oh, I know it's done. Margene held a contest last week on her blog and offered up a prize to the 6500th commenter. 6500th. I had to go have a lie down after imagining what it would be like to have 6500 comments on my blog. Nevertheless, if it takes a prize to get you all to comment, then a prize it shall be. Anything for comments the sake of the blog.

So. Ahem. I am nearing a small milestone regarding comments. At the rate you guys comment, I might hit it in the next week or two. Might. And the 213th (a random number - how out of character is that?) commenter is going to get this.

That's two skeins of Art Yarns Supermerino reclining in the hostas, the only plant worthy of photographing in my dry, dry garden.

Oh, and just so you know? I answer (and thank) every commenter. I figure it's the least I can do.

Posted by Carole at 10:00 AM | Comments (25)

August 18, 2005

We Are the (Knit)World

If I write a post about the knitblogging community will it distract you from the lack of knitting content? I hope so.

I need to tell you that I am awestruck at how connected this community of knitbloggers is and I've only been part of it since January. I have met great people and been inspired by their knitting projects. I have read posts that have made me laugh and made me cry and made me want to be just like that knitter when I grow up. Risa and I had a discussion about our connectivity a couple of weeks ago -- we confided in each other just how much we think about all y'all as we go about our daily business. It's pretty cool to think that knitters in California and Utah and Canada and Wisconsin are all thinking about each other, isn't it?

And part of thinking about each other is being there for each other and helping out. When Claudia was seeking pledges for her MS Ride many of us responded. Stephanie has used her blog to inspire knitters to pledge thousands of dollars to MSF. It has recently come to our attention, thanks to Claudia, that Emma needs to raise funds for her son Oliver's care and comfort. Oliver's Button is really cute! Go click on it over at Emma's blog to make a donation.

There are ways to connect without donating money, too. Many of us were saddened by the tragic accident that claimed the life of Kerstin's brother-in-law. Annie took inspiration from that sadness and set up the John Glick Afghan Project. She's accepting afghan squares until October 15, 2005 and there's even yarn available if you don't have your own. There might be prizes, too, if you need a little inspiration!

The thing I've realized is that knitters are amazing and friendly people. I guess people that love wool can't help but love other people who love wool. Just look at this group. (you knew I couldn't post an entry without at least one picture, even if it is from 3 months ago!)

These grrls had known me for about 30 seconds and treated me like a long lost friend. I was too overwhelmed and shy to appreciate it then, but just wait until next time!

Posted by Carole at 8:26 AM | Comments (8)

May 16, 2005

Slick, Eh!

Our venture to NH Sheep and Wool was a success in every way. Dale finally got his arse out of bed and we headed north. The drive was pleasant. I was knitting. Duh. I also read several passages of Stephanie's book aloud to Dale, just to get him in the mood to meet my hero.

We arrived and immediately started scouring the vendors. I had my eyes peeled for Stephanie (our beloved harlot) but it was Dale who spied her first. He called me over to where he was standing and pointed to her and said, "Isn't that the woman you want to meet?" I looked over and it was her!

I have to admit that I felt a little shy but I got up my courage and approached her and just said, "Stephanie?" I introduced myself (Hi, I'm Carole from Carole Knits - nobody knows me) and she actually thanked me for calling her by her real name first! I soon realized that she had other bloggers with her - Norma and Teresa and Cassie. It was just so cool to meet all of them! Here we all are:

I'm holding my sock and Stephanie(!!) is holding my knitted camera case. It's just too much, I'm telling you. It was fantastic to put faces and voices with the names of other bloggers. And, as Stephanie says, to realize that all your imaginary friends are actually real people is pretty slick.

Dale and I wandered around for the next couple of hours. Had some lunch - lobster rolls (In New Hampshire? They must have swum down from Maine) checked out the sheep and the llamas and did some shopping. At 2:00 I headed over to have Stephanie sign 2 copies of At Knit's End. One for me and one for the library. She was charming and funny and I not only admire this woman for her talent and personality - I geniunely like her. Just to show how much I do in fact admire her, here I am genuflecting as she signs my book.

Of course she would have none of that and very happily stood up for this photo. (I'm not really an amazon, but I felt a bit like one standing next to Stephanie. she's quite tiny.)

So, at the end of the day I had met my knitting and blogging hero. I also managed to make a couple of purchases, although, frankly, I was so overwhelmed at meeting Stephanie that it was difficult to concentrate. I did manage to rise to the occasion somewhat and bought this.

I love the bag, it's a great size for portable knitting and the yarn is going to be the Branching Out Scarf from the Spring issue of Knitty. This falls into the category of "You Know You're a Knitter When" because I actually noticed that the woman at the Green Mountain Spinnery booth was wearing a branching out scarf and asked for her recommendation for yarn to make this scarf.

I also found this. It might want to be socks. Then again, it might want to be something else. I know there are lots of patterns for things to do with 2 skeins of Koigu. Anyone have ideas for me? The shawl pin is for wearing with the clapotis and it's really lovely.

Knit blogging is a fantastic way to meet other knitters and become inspired. I am so happy to have new friends that it's actually a bit pathetic. But I'll get over it. Pretty slick, eh?

Posted by Carole at 8:22 AM | Comments (3)

April 26, 2005

Real Blogs

I feel inadequate. Do you people (and I know you're out there reading this, even if you don't leave comments) realize that there are real blogs you could be reading? I shouldn't even tell you this because once you get a load of this one or this one or this one, you may never come back. But, please, go ahead and look at them. I'll wait.
Amazing, huh?
When I grow up, I want to be Yarn Harlot! I have spent the last week reading her archives as I only started reading her blog right after I started my blog. Believe me, if I had been reading her blog before I began my own, it probably never would have happened. This is what a real blog looks like, my friends. Stephanie manages to not only knit amazing works of art but she also works, raises her family and writes a blog entry the equivalent of a New Yorker piece every freakin' day. She has published a bookbookbook and another one is one the way. Sigh. I will never measure up. When the Yarn Harlot makes a mistake, it's on an amazing pair of Latvian mittens. When I make a mistake, it's on a simple baby cardigan. Heavy sigh.
On the other hand, I don't think the woman sleeps. There, I feel better now.

Posted by Carole at 7:48 AM | Comments (2)