Judging Alpaca

Here I am starting another judging assignment for the AOBA. I judge the Handcrafter's Spin Off contest for the national and a couple of state Alpaca shows and I just LOVE this job. I find this to be absolutely one of the best contests to evaluate the quality and marketing of luxury fiber to handspinners. The way this contest is structured a handspinner could really use the results to choose a great fleece to purchase and a great SHEPHERD to work with.
I'm going to try to post periodic updates about the judging process and what goes into this awesome job of mine. Now, I have to be totally honest here; much of this will probably be about my own neurotic ways and opinions, both of which I have in excess. :)
OK, the first step: Receiving the samples.
This is the first step for ME, but by no means the first step in the process. Before the samples arrive at my doorstep, they are received and processed by the supervisor of this particular contest. She receives the sample from the exhibitor, she checks the information for accuracy and completeness. The exhibitor lists the age of the animal in years and months, they list the number of months the sample fiber has been growing and the date of the last shearing. The color classification is checked against the AOBA show standard and they will attempt to eliminate any really flagrant disqualifications such as infestation. The supervisor will then remove ALL identifying material from the sample so that I - the judge - has no way of knowing who sent in the entry. Entry numbers are assigned, and judging forms are filled out and included in the sample entry bag. Then the entries are sorted into classes, packed into boxes and mailed to me.
Now the Postal Lady delivers them to Me!!!
And here is my first obsession. I have very specific tools I need and I have to have just the right stuff.
*Scale to weigh every sample in ounces (2 oz is the requirement)
*Pencil to record ongoing scores on the judging sheet - I have ONE style of mechanical pencil I'll use. The yellow Bic pencil with the cone that turns. I don't like the clicker style. I tore the house apart before I found ONE pencil to my satisfaction and then it was nearly empty. That required a trip to WalMart.
*felt marker to mark plastic bags
*Paper labels and stapler to re-label bags to my satisfaction
*Highlighter and red pen to remind me of things I need to remember about my scoring.
*Coffee - that doesn't really need explanation does it?
*Bins for sorting classes
*Detail judging score outlines. I literally assign specific score numbers to various traits. This is the best way I know to judge OBJECTIVELY when appropriate.
*Clear ruler to measure staple length of every sample entry.

Now, do I sound like I want things to be 'just so'? That would be correct, so what do I see when I open the boxes?

Now, mind you, the show super already did a great job of organizing and sorting these classes, but..... some are in grocery bags, some in white plastic trash type bags, some of the grocery bags are {GASP} not white! Oh! the humanity!!!

So the first thing that *I* do is re-sort and re-organize. I use white grocery bags, I relabel them with the class number and the number of entries in that class. This helps me to organize my time and keep track of what is supposed to be in that bag.

The advantage is that when I put all these bags back into boxes I can easily see what is what just by looking at the top of the box.

This also gives me the opportunity to eyeball all the entries to do a quick once over and look for infestations. I'm sorry, but it does happen. I have lost some valuable fleeces of my own from taking in fiber samples that didn't 'blossom' their cargo until a week or two later. I have also learned not to leave samples sitting around with the ziplok bags unsealed. If a bag zipper breaks, it gets a new bag. Wanna know the most sturdy brand of sealed plastic bags? just ask!

And this is what I end up with. Orderly, easy to work with, easy on the eyes and ready for the next step. Up to now, NO actual evaluation of the samples has taken place. This has been all about me and making my job easier. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CITH!!!

It's the Cat In The Hat's 50th Birthday!

This is really big stuff. The Cat was created 50 years ago on a dare in an effort to bring life and fun to learning to read. Books of the time were just so dry and "un-fun" and reading was at an all time low among young children. Thanks to Dr Seuss (aka Theodor Seuss Geisel) many children found a whole new reason not only learn to read, but to learn to read with enthusiasm. He introduced creativity, suspense, chaos, cadence and imagination to generations of children through his amazing characters and antics.

Now you can say THANK YOU and introduce the gift of reading to underprivileged children through the Cat In The Hat. Visit the birthday website HERE and send a FREE birthday card to Mr. Cat. For every e-card sent, Random House Children's Books will donate one book to First Book (up to 1,000,000 books) of any Seuss Random House Children's Book purchased between January 9, 2007 and May 1, 2007. So go send a free card to the Cat and a book and the gift of reading to a child.

Happy Birthday Mr Cat!!!!

Roasted with thyme please...

{sigh} here I am dining on crow....AGAIN.
So I went to a nice rabbit show this weekend in York PA. Good show! Good judges, lots of nice people and a dear friend won BIS with a really GORGEOUS black New Zealand. Not a variety/breed known for such high quality so that was a real accomplishment! Big Congrats Fred!
Things were going just fine and I was having a nice visit with other friends Eric and Michael. They had their dogs with them. First I saw the darling Papillon running around and I just love those guys. They are one of those breeds that don't realize that they are only 18 inches tall. Then out runs Eric's two prize dogs and I exclaimed "Oh, I just LOVE min-pins!" (which I thought I did) A-hem.... they are Manchesters. Lesson #1 in offending your friends down to the heart: Mistake their high quality show dogs for the WRONG BREED. Works every time. I was MORTIFIED! It's ok, I'm accustomed to humiliation as I have a long-standing relationship with it based on familiarity. ugh.
OK, so my new favorite is MANCHESTER TERRIERS! Honestly, they really do have exactly the look I thought I loved about the min-pins and Eric's were fine examples. Very nice dogs.
So if you'll excuse me, I need some whine (sic) to wash down that crow. :)
Oh, I'm not reporting any show wins because I didn't take so much as the first rabbit along with me. Yeah. Imagine that. I went to a rabbit show just to visit, write for judges and study breeds. I really did have a good time!

Make it? Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!

A personal challenge

But when a long train of abuses and usurpation, pursuing invariably the same
Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their
right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards
for their future security.

...Declaration of Independence

Imagine there's no countries.. It isn't hard to do.. Nothing to kill or die
for. And no religion too.. Imagine all the people.. Living life in
peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer.. But I'm not the only one.. I hope someday you'll
join us.. And the world will be as one

....John Lennon

I had cause this weekend to hear both these texts, completely unrelated, but in close enough proximity to get me to thinking. Both texts were overlaying thoughts that I had about this book

The premise of this philosophy is that we create, through our own beliefs, actions, thoughts and personal energy the life we live. WE can change the direction of our lives by owning and accepting the responsibility for those same energies. It's what every religion has ever taught. Faith. Belief. Prayer. Possitive action. Non resistant protest.

The first quote says to me that "when any authority over us imposes abuses upon people, it is not only the right, but the RESPONSIBILITY of those who are able, to take action".

The second quote tells me that reaching for PEACE is an assertive and goal oriented action. Imagine...IMAGINE. What is it to imagine, if not actively creating a reality?

Our country is currently telling us we are in a war against terrorism. I assert to you that if we accept that we must war against them, then they have already won. They have already dictated what our action will be? Really?

Does this mean that I am anti war? yes. Am I anti Military service, anti service in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia... absolutely not. I support our troops more than ever but I choose to pray that they will protect, liberate and open doors of opportunity for the civilians in those areas that they don't even realize are possibilities in their cultures of oppression.

Where will we as a people direct the energy of our actions, beliefs and PRAYERS? Toward fighting, or toward working for PEACE. I will not FEAR - I will practice bravery. I will not HATE - I will practice unconditional love. I will not COMPETE - I will lift up others that I will also rise to their new level. I will not just FORGIVE - I will thank others FOR GIVING me that experience.

What will you do?

Fibery stuff

Remember when I used to post about knitting and spinning and stuff? Yeah, those were the good old days. LOL

Ok, well back a couple of weeks ago I introduced you to a new project of mine, the Sheep Sweater. You might remember that I had a rather unfortunate event with my beloved bunny sweater that involved winged vermin of a nasty variety. Well the sheep sweater is finished and the bunny sweater is all better again and I'm here to introduce you. :)

First, to put Judy's mind to rest, here is the repaired Bunny Sweater. For those who aren't so familiar with this one, the dark is cria (baby) huacaya alpaca and each of the colored stripes is from a special rabbit or alpaca I've owned or worked with. My very first 2 Satin angoras are represented there along with my red SA herd-buck Zahir on the collar. It certainly is a sweater worth repairing to me.

This is the back where the majority of damage was done. I think the re-weaving looks pretty darned good. I couldn't use the exact yarn so there is some color difference but with all that fluff.. Now the alpaca parts match better because I actually did find some leftover yarn. How's that for luck? I have to thank one reader for the excellent idea to full the sweater. I didn't' have to resort to cutting the sweater apart but fulling the entire thing really stabilized it and I think, made it a better sweater. Had I done that in the beginning, it might not have ended up so lonnnnnnnnngggggg. :)

And now the new sweater which I have dubbed the Sheepy Sweater:

I just love this thing. You might notice the different shades of natural white and if you could really see up close you'd see that the textures are quite different too. This was knitted using skeins of yarn spun at demos over the past years. Who knows what breeds of sheep those came from or where or when. Do I care? Not one whit. There is history in that sweater and I love that. I had planned to put more bunny designs and more angora in the yoke but as it progressed, it just didn't' seem right somehow. I really like the bands of color as they are.

Now, that is certainly not to say I didn't include angora. HA! not likely. How is that for an outrageous collar? That is 2 strands of FA yarn held together and just knitted garter stitch. Absolutely NOTHING was done to bring out that fluff either. That is the simple and decadent beauty of French Angora. That particular fiber came from a fantastic doe named Kaboom bred by Nancy Nickols. I never cared for the name 'Kaboom' and renamed her Morghanna...but ya know, the term "Ka-Boom!" sure fits that fiber doesn't it? :)

This is my own charted design though I borrowed the idea from a great sweater I saw at Farm Show. The design is supposed to represent a road next to a fence and the sheep standing behind the fence. Above the sheep is a row of texture work that represents fluffy clouds. OK, so it's stylized, I'm ok with that. The sheep design goes all the way around the back of the sweater and to the other side. I used an angora/alpaca blend handspun for the cuffs to they are soft, soft, soft. I hate scratchy cuffs. {shudder}
So that's my fibery exploits the past couple of weeks. I've also been knitting up some smaller stuff like barn caps and fingerless mitts just to use up more of this demo yarn but they really don't merit photos. They are warm and functional, but not so pretty.
Tomorrow, Photos from the Wool, Skein and Garment contest at the PAngora rabbit show last weekend.

PaSRBA Convention Report

OK, so I've been pretty absent recently, and you all wondered why, right? Most of my local friends know that from December till February I'm so busy I meet myself coming and going. Christmas in December and Farm Show in January. This year was no different. The final jewel to my yearly Triple Crown is the PaSRBA Rabbit Convention the first weekend of February. What a fantastic weekend it was!

The PA Rabbit Breeder's Convention is a HUGE show employing 31+ judges from all over the country to judge over 6 THOUSAND rabbits and 300+ Cavies per DAY in a huge facility encompassing 2 large exhibit halls and 2 smaller exhibit halls plus the kitchen and center hall. The photo at left is a look down the 28 judging tables of the main hall.

I served as Show Superintendant for the Wool Breed showroom. I can say un-equivically that I had NO idea how much decision making, organization, diplomacy and standing firm there was to the job. I have a whole new respect for any person who volunteers for this important position. My first challenge was to arrange the room to make it more functional for the 500+ wool breed entries expected. Now, in the all breed room this means enough space for carriers and people and maybe a few chairs for people who can't stand 8 hours at a time. In the wool room, this means carriers of rabbits, people, grooming tables, blowers, electrical outlets for those blowers, chairs for all the exhibitors and room for tack boxes and grooming equipment. These things are not accessories to wool breed exhibitors; they are essentials. Of course in the wool room I only had 4 judges and 500 or so rabbits and no vendors as opposed to 6000 rabbits, 28 judges and vendors. Brian Bell has my awe as well as my respect!

Once the room was set up and breeders started coming in, most of the work was done, right? Not even close! There were the 100+ entries of Lionhead rabbits to account for. As a non-recognized breed one doesn't expect such high numbers but there they were and they were certainly welcome. The challenge for the LHs wasn't just the numbers but the fact that the vast majority of LH owners have no ARBA show experience. We want to make these folks welcome and that includes introducing them to everything we do from what sort of carriers are appropriate to where and how to set up their areas to how to write for the judges. Saturday was a bit hectic but they caught on quickly and Sunday was much more efficient. Thanks to Tori Whitehause for her tremendous help on Saturday teaching writters. Thank you to everyone for welcoming these new friends to our ARBA family. I'm really sorry I didn't get photos of some of those winning rabbits. Very pretty!

The decisions and organizing judges, rabbits, equipment, problem issues, unexpected challenges never ends. Are the judges moving along on time? Do the judges have realistic entry numbers to judge? Do we have writters for each of the judges? Are the exhibitors getting to their classes on time? Is this a DQ? Is this one fixable? Where are the youth cards and folders!?! Holy cow, what a job. The General Show Super Brian Bell said it best; "It's fun, but it's a sick sort of fun." oh yeah. At one point, I was trying to show my SA's, super'ing the show AND teaching a new person to write for the judge. I joked with Judge Paul Jourgelonis that if I had my judging license he would be completely superfluous. LOL

The quality of the wool breed rabbits in general was AMAZING! For those who may not know, the ARBA wool breeds include the 4 Angora breeds; English, French, Giant and Satin. American Fuzzy Lops, Jersey Wooley and our guest breed the LionHeads. Not only were the Open shows in our room but the Youth wool breeds showed with us also. I always encourage the youth to show alongside the Open folks because I find both bring out the best in the other. To demonstrate the outstanding quality of our youth wool breeds, Saturday's Youth Best In Show was an English Angora and Sunday's Youth BIS was a Fuzzy Lop! Go wool!!!! Now, who out there said wool breeds are too much for youth to handle? HA!!! Go YOUTH wool! (I just wish I had photos of those rabbits)

In addition to serving as wool room Super, I also had to oversee the Thrianta Specialty Show on Saturday and the PAngora Specialty on Sunday. Now, don't get too impressed yet. I may be pres of those two clubs but the vast bulk of the show work falls on the efficient shoulders of the club secretary Ellen Anderson. Wowza what a job she did with that AND managing the housing coops for the entire show. I don't know how she does it, but I KNOW she does a better job than I every could. Now for some photos of some amazing rabbits from those shows.

Congratulations to Meg Whitehouse for winning Best of Breed and BEST IN SHOW at our first D9 Konijn Von Thrianta Specialty show with her Sr Buck CCR's Wiska (WI)

Thanks also to Gary Michaud for an excellent job judging and teaching us about our delightful little redheads. The second photo was taken of the senior doe lineup (12 entries in that class alone!!!!) There were around 25 entries for each show. That's FANTASTIC for this new and rare breed! A-hem...we just happened to have more entries than the mini satins. I'm just saying... ;)

Now for the PAngora Specialty Show. There were wonderful entries and winners in all of the angora shows. That included the Open Show Saturday, the UARC Specialty Show on Saturday (Dru Shephard won BIS with a REW EA that had every spinner's hands just ITCHING) and the Open show on Sunday. But it was the BOB winners that judge Eric Stewart raved about on Sunday at the PAngora Show that I want to share with you. Now, let me say a special thank you to our judge Cathy Patrick who judge the individual breeds and did a WONDERFUL job. Eric stepped in to judge BIS and Wooler class after Cathy spent a very long day with a TON of rabbits to handle. Thanks Eric. He didn't look unhappy to judge these guys BTW. :)

OK, I was trying to get a better photo of the Sable FA and the EA but I got Eric's hindquarter instead. We decided to name him BIS hindquarter. hehehehehehhe Eric was totally impressed by all the BOB winners and actually stepped aside to suggest that anyone with a camera take photos of these outstanding examples of their breeds. I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. the Satin Angora. Kathy has done a wonderful job with that rabbits breeding and care. But I have to profess a serious lust for that Sable French Angora bred and owned by Amy Spang. The color is gorgous and the coat is MAGNIFICENT. The texture and density are to die for.

And the winner is....

Best of Breed / BEST IN SHOW

Satin Angora Colored Sr Doe

Bred and Owned by Kathy Kenworthy of PA

Judged by Cathy Patrick D8 District Director and Eric Stewart D9 District Director

Ups and Downs...and damn m*ths

Disclaimer... Judy, SIT DOWN! Look at the sweet sheepy face and breath deeply.







Those of you who know me well have seen my beloved 'Barn Jacket' sweater handknit from handspun alpaca cria and numerous bands of angora (rabbit) yarn. The angora used in the sweater is all from original animals I have owned, bred and loved so it really is a special keepsake sweater to me. Well, it wasn't quite as 'precious' to the damn m*ths this last year.


Take a deep breath and sit down before veiwing the next photos.























Mind you, I have already fixed the worst of the holes in the back left shoulder. It's not pretty. Lesson learned: WASH every sweater every couple of months unless it's packed in a 100% airtight container. Lesson #2 - store your most valuable sweaters in the freezer no matter how clean. {SIGH}

So this is what I did to make myself feel better:

It's another barn sweater. I decided to use all that less than ideal yarns that I've spun at demo's and Farm Shows over the years to make myself a nice strong sweater. I love the goofy sheep all in a row at the fence. You know there will also be bunnies but they will be farther up.
Right now I'm working on a 'Gansey style' texture band that will carry me up to the arm scye and then I'll start on the sleeves.

If anyone wants to check out the Sheep To Shawl blog where the photos are, you can go here: http://www.pasheeptoshawl.blogspot.com/ There are some great pictures in the collection.

Take action NOW

Every pet owner in the United States should be taking note of this offensive and intrusive legislation in Louisville KY. Think this can't happen to you? Check out your own locality for legislation approaching and fast.
WRITE AND CALL the Mayor's office in Louisville. WRITE AND CALL your ARBA, AKC or other species organization and demand the attention of it's Officers. WRITE AND CALL your local legislators and let them know that you will not tolerate such imposition in your area.

To the Officers and Directors of ARBA:
While it is reassuring to know that those coming to Louisville for Convention will not necessarily be affected directly, this ordinance will still apply to those breeders and pet owners (both of whom you represent if they are members of ARBA) who are in that area--and they, no matter how few, deserve the full support of ARBA as much as any other member or area.
In Ashland, Oregon, a single person who is an ardent activist has managed to get nearly the entire city council to consider a downright draconian animal control ordinance, including barring the use of crates for cats or dogs.This measure would be enforced by volunteers. Can you imagine the average PETA member's response to a rabbitry setup, or, heaven forbid, carry cages?
The stated intent is to use the passage of this legislation as a stepping stone, a precedent, to expansion. The Louisville ordinance is very likely to be used as a template for other areas of the country--and if we are to fight this type of restriction, we MUST fight now, and not let it become any further entrenched than it is. As a result of the attention paid to theLouisville ordinance, there is also now growing concern about similar efforts in New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, as well as Oregon. If you read further in depth, you will find the following issues within the Louisville ordinance, as listed below.
The ordinance as currently written:http://www.louisville-pets.com/Chapter91Ordinance_outofcommittee.pdf

• Makes rabbit show vendors of rabbits 'animal dealers' by definition;
• Defines all rabbit scratches and bites as 'attacks';
• Defines rabbits solely as 'domestic pets';
• By omission, prevents definition of rabbits as 'livestock';
• Places a pet limit of four ALTERED pets kept primarily for companionship;
• Defines 'occasional sale' as ONE animal OR ONE litter in a 12-month period;
• (Those selling more than this are defined as ANIMAL DEALERS)
• Defines any breeding and sales with any intent of profit as 'Pet Shop';
• Requires licensure for Pet Shops, Animal Dealers
• Requires all advertisements to carry the license number of the seller if seller requires a license;
• Upon conviction of a second violation (for impoundment? Not clear), the person may not own animals for two years;
• Upon impoundment, pre-emptive fees are charged for care and anticipated veterinary expenses, for all animals, in full, in advance--every 30 days until either the animals are signed over to the animal department or until the judicial system has determined guilt or innocence;
• ANY animal which has bitten or scratched a human being shall bequarantined for ten days, and failure to do so is a violation;
• in addition, ALL quarantined animals must be implanted with a microchip;
• Defines 'abandonment' as leaving any animal for more than 24 hours without care or oversight by a caretaker or owner;
• Sales or transfers may not take place anywhere but at your home or business or designated area;
• By prohibiting the 'mutilation' of animals dead or alive, the use of rabbits for meat or fur in private hands is outlawed;
• in addition, no one but a veterinarian may perform any sort of necropsy, or even a tatoo.

******************
Contact information for the Louisville mayor and council may be found at:http://www.louisville-pets.com/ at the bottom of the page.
Please fulfill your duties as ARBA officers and directors, and ensure that ARBA lets Louisville know that this type of legislation is not only unwelcome, but is, and will be, actively opposed.
Sincerely concerned,
Pamela Alley, RVTARBA Member
Director, Rabbit Industry Council
Editor, http://www.ShowBunny.com

Don't Mess with my kid!

My oldest son Nik Harvey recieved his 3rd Degree Black Belt Saturday December 9, 2006 Big Congrats Nik!

Sexiest Man Alive..

Move over George...

JOHNNY DEPP
Age: 43 Status: In a relationship with French actress Vanessa Paradis See Him In: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (in '07) Why He's Sexy: He's a great dad, having bought an island (yep, an island) to raise their kids, Lily-Rose, 7, and Jack, 4. "The only thing money means to me is the freedom it buys me. Living in the islands is heaven. It'll be easier to give [my kids] a normal upbringing there."

Johnny Depp...an island...oh YEAH!

Without comment....

No explanation...no editorial. The judges I know probably won't even disagree...in fact, it was a judge that sent this to me!

One day in heaven, Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint John were standing around near the barns, watching the rabbits play.

"I am certainly bored", stated John. "Me too," Paul chimed in. Peter stood and watched the rabbits. "I know!" Peter began. "Why don't we have a rabbit show?"

Paul and John thought that the idea was great except for one small detail that Paul pointed out - "Who are we to compete against, Peter?" Paul asked. The trio pondered a moment when Peter realized the answer.

"We will call up Satan and invite him to the rabbit show. I mean, we have all of the finest rabbits here in heaven, all of the Champions are here. His rabbit barn is ridden with the spoiled, difficult and mean rabbits. We are certain to win at the show!"

And so the trio calls up Satan on the other realm communication lines and invited him to their rabbit show.
Satan laughed and asked why they would want to be humiliated like that, because he would certainly beat them.

Peter, Paul and John did not understand. "What do you mean, Satan?" Peter asked. "We have all of the Champion rabbits in our barn in heaven, how could you possibly beat us?"

Satan paused a moment and then laughed. "Have you forgotten so soon, gentlemen? I have all the judges!"

Carroll Co. MD Rabbit Show

As usual, the Angora corner was the fun place to be! Since the show did something unusual and split the Angora breeds over 3 judges at the same time - and the French Angoras were in a whole different BUILDING!- I didn't get to see as much of the judging as I'd like to have.
Generally, the Angora breeders tend to camp out in one spot to minimize the flying wool from grooming and because we enjoy each other's company. In fact, I didnt' have any Angoras I really wanted to take this week, so I brought the easy-peasy Thriantas and rode along for the visiting.

That didn't stop us from cutting it up in the Angora corner though. At left is Kathy Kenworthy knitting and laughing and me drop spindling some rainbow dyed silk...and talking of course.

At right is Phil Osborn and the FA junior buck wooler that I have for sale (HINT: He's still for sale and he is the sweetest little guy any spinner could hope for - email me!) and Nancy joined him with her 'French Angora' baby. Nancy's 'baby' is actually a gorgeous 100% French Angora crocheted mitten made by Judy Osborn.


When all the grooming is done, you just have to have that little Pep Talk. Dru has a meaningful discussion with her darling Tort English Angora before hitting the show table.








Two breeders getting ready for Best In Show 4 class judging. Dru grooms her English to a picture perfect finish while Kathy Kenworthy knits. Both rabbits looked wonderful on the table. Therein lies the fundamental difference in showing English vs the other Angora breeds. LOL English take lots more work to keep that coat in great condition.




Dru with her gorgeous EA junior doe and Kathy with her beautiful SA junior doe waiting for judge Owen Yates (at right). I really wish I had a properly posed photo of Kathy's Satin angora. She was just beautiful with a fantastic body. You can also see Ellen standing next to Kathy trying to figure out her new camera.
Dru's English and my Thrianta doe both made it into the top 5 for Best 4 Class judging.
More photos from Ellen:

Kathy and that beautiful Satin doe. Ain't she sweet!?


Dru Shephard and her EA junior doe. Ohhhh the crimp on that coat!

Yummmmmmm....

Finished Object report: This is the scarf I knitted from the wonderful Angora/Merino yarn I purchased at Stitches East. The pattern is documented back on the previous post. What I thought of the Pattern: Ok, the back part with the shaping and the stitch pattern is clever and lays very nicely, I would certainly repeat that again. The part I don't care for is the length and lack of shaping of the long front parts. As a scarf front, it's too bulky and too long. That can be fixed. :) The yarn...OH THE YARN! The Angora/Merino (blue) tended to want to split a little while knitting but wasn't really problematic. You want to use care with Angora anyway so I wouldn't say I used any more care than I would with any other exotic yarn. The fabric it forms is sooooooooooooo worthwhile! I'm just itching to make something in a stockinette with this stuff. The light band in the middle is a 50/50% Angora/Silk that is just scrumptious. It used to be white. A-hem. We seem to have a bit of a bleeding issue with the blue dye now don't we? Fortunately, this worked out very nicely but it's an important thing to know in the future. If I have this yarn spun for me, it will be un-dyed. I have such an idea for the colored Angora. ;)

GoodBYE Rick!

Death to PAWS!

Santorum was defeated by a wide margin for re-election in the 2006 U.S. Senate election by Democratic candidate Bob Casey, Jr.. His defeat shows a widespread rejection of his policies which mirrors George W. Bush.

The jerk doesn't even bother to LIVE in the state of Pennsylvania.

Think about it...

If they know of him at all, many folks think Ben Stein is just a quirky actor/comedian who talks in a monotone. He's also a very intelligent attorney who knows how to put ideas and words together in such a way as to sway juries and make people think clearly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.
Here with a few confessions from my beating heart: I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important? I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife. Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive? Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are. If this is what it means to be no longer young. It's not so bad.

Next confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.

I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this Happen?" (regarding Katrina)Amy Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?" (She said the same thing when interviewed after 9-11)
In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.
Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school . The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.

Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards .. honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

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Please feel free to forward this to others via link or email. If you want to read more by Ben Stein, go HERE

Stitches East 2006

On Friday, I gassed up the 'burban and met Jane in York to head on down to Baltimore's Inner Harbor for the XRX publishing knitter's market known as Stitches East. I'd love to share some photos with you of the highlights - and there were many - but alas, photos are not permitted. Why? well, one big reason is that there is a whole group of bloggers whose pleasure derives from photographing people at fiber events, vendors booths and ticketed and copyrighted shows and then posting their pics on blogs and making fun of them. Not good natured opinion sharing mind you...no, viscious character assassination based on their choice of clothes, yarn, knitting ability or style. Nice huh? Well, we can thank them for the lack of photo journalism of the various Stitches events. Fortunately, the vast majority of people attending such events are sooooooooooooooo much nicer than that. OK, I saw my share of things I'd not choose to knit or wear myself, but then not one such person actually asked me to do so. We all shopped in peace and had some good laughs along the way.
What did we see? How about the funnest (it's MY word - shut up) space age lighted drop spindle ever. Did I buy one? No and I'm kicking myself for it too. By the time I got back to that booth, they were pushing us out the door to close. Apparently, these folks opperate from an eBay store so go check them out. This is too much fun for $24.95.
I also saw lots and lots of great wool and wool blend yarns.WAY more than years past and WAY more wool than novelty and ACK-crylic stuff. Things are definitely looking up for lovers of GOOD yarns.
I have been known to speak of 'plastic yarn' in a most derogatory fashion in the past. I was always referring to ACK-crylic. Now I can't do that anymore. I have met a true plastic yarn and it's tons of fun! Actually, I've known about Jelly Yarn for some time but never really explored it's possibilities. Folks, this stuff is HILARIOUS! The latest deal in Jelly yarn is to string cool buttons on and knit them into a bracelet or belt. Fun, fun, fun. Can you really go wrong with a yarn that requires the use of WD-40 in the knitting? BTW, the couple who sell the stuff are some really funloving folks too...from PA no less. :)
I did have a "run in" with one vendor who shall remain nameless in order to both protect her identity (from attack) and so as to not send customers her way innadvertently. It's not that she was nasty or mean, she was just criminally STUPID. She sells a product billed as 'Irish Yarn'. OK, peaks my interest, so I check it out. It makes coarse rug yarn feel like angora. YUCK. Then I check the label hoping I've misunderstood the stated purpose or something. Maybe this is supposed to be sisal rope for Irish fishing boats or something. Nope, it's labeled as 'Aran weight' sweater yarn. Um, huh? What was in my hand is a bulky weight 3 ply rope. Aran weight is generally at least 5 ply and roughly DK weight! Doesn't bode well. So in my further effort to justify a wool product I ask the proprietress if she had it spun herself. "No, it was spun at a 300 year old mill in Ireland." I see. Not real likely, but could be. I ask for clarification; "What type of sheep is used?" the answer.... "Irish sheep"..."um, no, I mean what BREED of sheep?" she looks me dead in the eye as if I'd just crawled out from under an acrylic rock and said "IRISH sheep...you know, from IRELAND." I think I blacked out at that point cause it all goes fuzzy until Jane was sorta slapping me back with a skein of scrumptious Angora/Merino...
THIS Angora/Merino to be exact. Now doesn't that just make you say 'ahhhhhh' and forget all about stupid people who don't understand their own stuff? :) Actually, this is spun by a lady who I hope to do some more and wonderful work with in the future. Take it from me, this is roll-around-in-nekkid good! This is one of about 12 colorways that she had and the dying is just as good as the spinning. This skein is one of only Three things I actually bought all day. The second was this pattern from Strickwear to use with the Angora. Check the site out for the color blend kits too. They were all the rage at Stitches and they really are pretty awesome.
The other thing I bought was a skein of Trekking. Boring, whatever, I wanted it. I really like Trekking colorways.
So that's my exciting report from Stitches. Next stop...to stop. Completely stop. Done. Fini. Tired.
Laters!