Okay, so I'm a lousy blogger

... and I'm not very good with all of the html gizmos and other things. But after sweating through slow internet service and a basic cut-and-paste lesson, I've managed to add a widget that will allow my readers to make a contribution to this year's Red Kettle Campaign. You see, I've become a die-hard "avoid the malls and traffic at any cost" kind of shopper, and the biggest cost in my on-line shopping is that I don't run into any of those wonderful bell ringers.

If you, too, are skipping the mall this year, take a minute to drop some "spare change" into the red kettle in the sidebar. Your contribution is important to the Salvation Army's ongoing good works and the invaluable services they provide to all members of our community.

Thank you for your consideration. If you are going to the mall, though, be sure to fill your pockets with some spare change for the real live bellringer. Or at least stop by to thank the hardworking volunteers who donate their time to help our neighbors.

Quick stats - October 2010

If you are not yet a member of www.ravelry.com, take a minute to join. If you thought it was going to be another one of those here-today-gone-tomorrow great ideas, look how far the site has come since it launched in 2007. Not the same numbers as www.facebook.com, but just the right size to have something for every fiber crafter: Quick stats - October 2010

Twist & Knit [T&K-001]

This is not an advertisement for MimKnits; her knitting sensibility is amazing and her patterns speak for themselves. However, her latest endeavor is a revolution and a revelation in craft books in general.

How many times have you wanted to use a pattern from a beautiful book, then struggled to make a working photocopy without damaging the binding to flatten the pages onto the copier? If you choose to work directly from the book, you have to use another piece of paper for making pattern notes, carry a heavy book in your knitting bag, and then (horrors), you absent-mindedly set your coffee cup smack dab in the middle of the open book? For an extra $2.00, Twist & Knit offers a digital option and will store most of the patterns as PDFs in your Ravelry library. Finally, you can knit from a beautiful book, and the book will remain a beautiful addition to your library.

Twist & Knit [T&K-001] - $20.00 : MimKnits Online Shop, Unique Designs for the Handknitter

Indian Cross Stitch « The Walker Treasury Project

Indian Cross Stitch « The Walker Treasury Project

Take a minute to look at the beautiful new swatch posted at The Walker Treasury Project. I've always loved the look of this stitch (looks complicated, but it isn't); and although I've swatched it two or three times, I've never committed to a larger project. BlueZamia makes it look easy, and in this case, particularly beautiful: an homage to the good yarn and to the skill of the knitter.

Unified Command for the BP Oil Spill | Volunteer Info

Unified Command for the BP Oil Spill Volunteer Info

If you've wanted to know what you can do to help with clean up and recovery efforts following this mis-named oil spill (it was a blowout, continues to be a blowout and will always be a blowout until it is encased in a concrete sarcophagus or safely channeled through the relief wells) ... click the link above to connect to official sites for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

Unskilled and skilled help is needed for all kinds of clean up and rescue; if you have specific administrative or clerical or professional credentials in a number of fields, there are also opportunities.

First Annual Michigan Fiber Fiesta

Weather is going to be perfect today for a trip to mifiberfiesta

Just When You Think There's Nothing New

Sometimes I'll "splurge" on a skein or two of a luxury fiber, just so I can say that I've tried it. And, I'll confess, I even have a stash or two of some rather pricey yarns that are waiting to become an ultimate cardigan or a stunning shawl. In the spirit of recessionistas everywhere, though, I do try to resist temptation to "taste" a new yarn just because it's new. However, that delightful writer, Clara Parkes at http://knittersreview.com/default.asp Knitter's Review, has found the yarn that will probably break my bank:

In-Depth Review of Knitting Yarn

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