Author: JulieD

Help me! I have startitis! Current projects include a black cardigan made from a pattern in Rebecca (sort of) from Jo Sharp Silk Road Tweed, which is lovely, but getting bigger as I knit down to the bottom hem and increase several times every tenth row; the end of a pair of socks for me… Continue reading Startitis

My  new healthy lifestyle faltered a bit over the weekend as I hadn’t been shopping and there was no good food to eat. So I ate a meatball sub and crisps and anything else I could lay my hands on. I think my brain goes into starvation-panic if there isn’t lots of nice food around,… Continue reading Health

I’d lost track of the date — in any context that wasn’t related to “Starting School” — so I was taken completely by surprise this morning when I turned on the radio to hear them talking about memorials in New York and elsewhere. I looked out of the window, and it seemed totally wrong that… Continue reading 9/11

I’ve been neglecting this blog a bit, in favour of recording the boys’ antics, but it’s time for an update. After the non-boyish dyeing project, I dived deeper in to the stash and discovered some variegated purple/brown wool that would be perfect for a boy sweater for the New England Fall. Ruefully, I cast on… Continue reading Quicky Baby Sweater

Julie Clone Originally uploaded by jwordsmith This one’s for fifona  who keeps freaking me out by posting pictures of her daughter Julie looking exactly like herself. This one actually IS fifona , leading her almost-15 year old and carrying her 10 year old. The 12-year old clone is not in this picture. fifona

So, I heard from someone anonymous the other day, informing me that she is my Secret Pal and that she was off to read my questionnaire and think of ways to spoil me. I had not, until this point, thoroughly thought through the mechanics of the Secret Pal Swap. Obviously your pal spoils you and… Continue reading Secret Pal Addendum

Yesterday was great. Number One Son suddenly decided that he needed to find pictures of cars from an old favourite movie of his, print them out, cut them out and stick them together in a book. With very little input from me (beyond stapling together some pages of construction paper for the book, finding a… Continue reading Dyeing To Knit (Sorry)

Later than it should have been (sorry, organizers!), but here’s my questionnaire for the Secret Pal 11 knitting swaparoo: 1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love natural fabrics, and have been exploring tencel and bamboo, which feel great. I like small guages for stuff… Continue reading Secret Pal 11 Questionnaire

About sixteen years ago I read a book by one of my all-time favourite writers, Douglas Adams. He and a naturalist (and a team of BBC radio producers and sound folks) had headed off to find examples of some of the most threatened creatures on the endangered species’ lists. Adams’ title was not lightly chosen:… Continue reading No Chance To See

So, I’ve signed up for Secret Pal 11, a knitting goodies swap. I keep reading about this all over the Internet and envying the packages of goodies people get the sense of camaradarie, yes, that’s what it is. I should know who my secret pal is by about the middle of this month. So expect… Continue reading Secret Pal