Second, several people have asked about making this either an on-going or an annual event. The original intent was a one-time thing, but if people are interested in sending in an occasional pink scarf throughout the year, who am I to discourage that? So… please let me know what you think… enough is enough, let's keep it going or an annual event is great.  Again, thanks to everyone who is helping make this effort a success. I know a lot of women will be blessed by your generosity. “

on Sirius Satellite Radio

Ok, before you get to the photo candy, i had a brainstorm just now while i was posting the photos of last night’s marathon blocking and finishing session.  

Maybe I could lay the shawls out so that the center line of the increases is across the top of the board and each half of the shawl hangs down on its own side.  what do you think?  hmm.  i will have to see – that would mean standing the board up for all the blocking but it might be easier than the other way.  i will have to experiment and since WOM is SO large, hmmm.

Flower Basket Shawl photos (semi finished) – first the sofa shot and then “artistic shots” on my front porch. 

You can see how the bottom center point and two side points on either side need to be blocked – will just pin that out on a towel and let it dry tonight.   This was made from Elann Peruvian Baby Cashmere and is so light and very warm (its a little chilly today and very windy – good shawl trying on weather!).  I LOVE the color and am THRILLED at how it turned out (once i get that point reblocked).

So another FO! (woohoo) and when WOM is blocked that will be another shawl!  Now what’s next for shawl knitting?  Remember this?

The swag I bought at Meg’s Knitting Camp this past July – see that gorgeous RED on the far right (its high up on a shelf so I will get it later) .  I am thinking that might be a beautiful shawl – i really NEED a red shawl now that I have purple and blue and I love those colors.    So to find a pattern!

Other WIPS – i have started JESS (a cardigan type jacket ) by Anna and then ChicKnits came out with a GREAT cardigan ARIANN this week (love her patterns) so after I shop my stash and swatch (i have some ideas … all that peruvian highland wool is not going to go to waste!) so I will have two sweaters to alternate with –

But whoa before i get too excited about another WIP – there is the cable shrug which I really need to finish for a gift (its just a few inches left sigh)  And I should probably take inventory this weekend of my UFOs and figure out whats what!  But I need to cover that sofa and the cushions first!  (remember Scarlett’s philosophy?)

Appreciation By Tim Page

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 26, 2006; Page C01

[edited to add photos]

Wing of the Moth shawl knitting completed!  (this is in unblocked condition)

Early this morning (or very late last night) bound off all stitches for the WOM shawl – ended up using 13 (10 of my own and two plus about 1/3 of a third skein from Liz in Washington and am i EVER grateful for Liz sending me the extra yarn! )

ok.  off to take a little nap (although Tosca is playing on MET Opera channel and its Albanese from 1957and boy does she sound INCREDIBLE – talk about raw passion!)

also blocked the Flower Basket Shawl – during Foreign Correspondent on TCM (it was Hitchcock night last night – Suspicion, then FC then NbyNwest!  all my favs except i reeeeeally would have liked to seen NOTORIOUS – again).  Also there was a broadcast of the Dick Cavett interview from the 70s with Dc and AH – AH said that his most favorite film was SHADOW of A DOUBT (mine too) – such a great film; Teresa Wright (RIP) was incredible in it as in all of her films.

anyway, more on the blocking story – i made a blocking board that folds in three places out of 4 pieces of foamboard ducttaped together.  but the issue is that my apt is REALLY narrow and the rooms are really tiny = so well, there isnt a lot of wiggle room and no open flat surface to lay the whole board – like on a floor or a bed (i have a loft bed) and hah, the widest open floor space is the hallways (three feet).  So it was quite an interesting thing to do – first i pinned out the long top edge with three wires – and then stood the board up and then pinned out the points of the scalloped edges – but I may have to pin out shawls outside in the backyard and then bring the board in and stand it up.

anywho, i was able to pin all of the shawl EXCEPT the bottom four inches including the point ARGH cause it hung off the board. ( i guess i have to get an extra piece to attach across the bottom for these monster shawls)   So I just pinned it up on the board and will block it on its own after the rest is dry – which should be later this morning as i put a fan on it (it rained all night and is still raining). 

ok Tosca is getting ready to give in to Scarpia and i need caffeine! (or a nap)

GEORGIA ROWE: CLASSICAL NOTES
Soprano embraces Gilda role

MARY DUNLEAVY is often praised for her penetrating voice and dramatic intensity, so it’s a little disarming when she arrives for our interview at the War Memorial Opera House looking like an ingenue. Petite and pretty, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, she’s the picture of girl-next-door charm. Is this the singer critics have called “fearless,” “scintillating,” even “terrifying”?

Dunleavy’s in town to sing the role of Gilda in San Francisco Opera’s revival of “Rigoletto,” and it quickly becomes clear that she is quite passionate about Verdi’s opera. “Gilda is definitely one of my favorite roles,” the soprano says. “She’s such an innocent character, and that’s a challenge, finding that kind of light youth and innocence in the vocal line and maturing along with her.

“I see her as very isolated, very secluded. She doesn’t have a feel for real life and relationships. She doesn’t know her father very well, she didn’t know her mother, and if she’s been in the convent, as we’re told, I’m sure that wasn’t a very loving, nurturing place either. So I think she’s not very worldly, not very aware of human nature and the tricks and evil manipulations people play on her.”

For Dunleavy, who is also a leading exponent of the title role of Verdi’s “La Traviata,” getting inside the character is as important as mastering the opera’s vocal demands. She has a dramatic coach who works with her on every role.

ContraCostaTimes.com | 09/28/2006 | Soprano embraces Gilda role.

The Heiress Out Back

This looks like fun – how can it NOT be with this first rule!

You must design and knit a Halloween costume or Halloween wig for either a pet or for a completely inanimate object — a toaster, birdfeeder, or mailbox, for example.

Mambocat's Knitting Asylum.

ok so I've been away a bit.    here's one reason why….

The Metropolitan Opera Channel on Sirius Satellite Radio

All Opera All the Time = so one question – when do i sleep?  It was opening night on Monday – so I was glued to my computer– and what did I do to justify that seattime – created a database for my dvd collection – which i am finally getting in order (yes, MO strikes again).  I got thru the entire box of Mysteries (I love a good British Mystery or even a bad one.)  I will not embarrass myself by saying how many are in the box … but – ahem its less than 200 and more than 50.

Besides that –yesterday, continuing in the last laps of the Mission Organization project, sorted thru the chest of drawers (need to go  thru again to clear out a drawer for my “everyday/play clothes”) and pulled all the sweaters and boxes of sweaters from the overthecloset shelves – the closet is built into the wall, all along one end of the bedroom (don’t get excited its only about 8 feet long but it is about 10 feet tall).  And all the sweaters are in various piles in the music room – and a huge load in the wash (just finished).  Spent an hour or so de-piling a very favorite sweater – boy those Sweater Stones really work!   Of course, i was not paying attention and ended up with enough fuzz to … well anyway – next time I will do this de–piling chore OUTside. But MAN it worked  – sweater restored! yeah!

So now I am washing and cleaning all the sweaters and then they get packed in nice new sweater bags (with zippers and lavender chips) and then stacked on the shelves – and for the first time ever I will be able to SEE my sweaters and have a nice clean place to put them.  Yeah!

And then, well, the dreaded basement storage area – but we are being blessed with really GREAT weather this week – really cool and chilly at night – and so except for my blasted allergies (grass and ragweed really do me in and that’s what’s around right now) Its a good time to do some more clearing out.  ok I am going to pull a Scarlet on that one for tonight.

In other news …look what arrived today!

New CUSHIONS for the sofa!  YAHOO.  and well, they are firm but I.LIKE.THEM. (and they will last longer).

Here’s a staged photo with all the pillows, shawls, throws etc.

So today I will attempt a slipcover/throw of some kind – ideas have been percolating on the back burners of my brain – so we will see what we will see .

My nephew has started SCHOOL (OMIGOD) they are having shorter classes this week to let everyone get used to it.  SO today he will be coming by after (this is the SECOND day) to have a little snack and tell me all about it – i live around the corner – yes, about one and a half blocks – from the school.  So I will make some banana blueberry bread for us to eat on the patio.  Can’t wait to hear all about it!  Next week they have a full morning (two days a week).

knitting news.

not much progress on WOM – Tuesday I blocked out a lace poncho – this is the first blocking I have done in this new apt.  I had had my carpenter get me some foam board last winter – i had cut it up into storable pieces – so yesterday was the first time i had tried to use them.

I started out pinning and blocking on the patio table:

But then I got worried that maybe birdies or other little critters would do things to it over night.  So I carried it inside and well… it didnt really work leaning it up against the bookcases in the hallway.  So I cleared off the clothes from the piano (see beginning of email). and then realized that I really should use Blocking Wires for the long edge.  So I reblocked all the edges.

and for nothing here is another shot – i just love how it looks!

oh uh just went to check on the status and found one of my cats ‘helping’ the blocking – but i didn’t have my camera.  but here is a shot of her in her basket in the den. (Katie is her name).