This just in ...
It's Only Natural Restaurant is forming a stitch 'n' bitch group on Thursdays at 6 p.m., beginning in December.
Co-owner Renana Magee, sporting a hot-pink big knit shell, and my server, who says she's addicted to knitting, told me the good news.
For information, stop by the restaurant at Main Street Market, 386 Main St., rear; to pick up the December menu.

And - happy knitting!

Nov. 28 is the National Day of Listening.
I've been hearing about the StoryCorps project for a while on on NPR radio, so I decided to check out the sample list of questions.
The idea is that you sit down Friday with someone important in your life and record a conversation as you ask questions - any that you'd like to, or the Web site has an extensive list of sample questions at http://www.storycorps.net/record-your-story/question-generator/list
So, I thought it would be a neat idea for me to select some of the questions and give them to my family members and close friends, asking them to answer which every they'd like, since I'm not seeing many of them for the upoming holidays.
I thought it would be more evocative for them to handwrite the responses, and I'll compile them into a binder and give everyone a copy.
Here is a sample if you'd like to try something similar this Friday.
Happy listening!

Great questions for anyone
What was the happiest moment of your life? The saddest?
Who was the most important person in your life? Can you tell me about him or her?
Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did they teach you?
Who has been the kindest to you in your life?
What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?
What is your earliest memory?
Are there any words of wisdom you’d like to pass along to me?
What are you proudest of in your life?
When in life have you felt most alone?
How has your life been different than what you’d imagined?
How would you like to be remembered?
Do you have any regrets?
What does your future hold?
Is there anything that you’ve never told me but want to tell me now?
Is there something about me that you’ve always wanted to know but have never asked?

Ever wish you had all the leisure time in the world to knit?
I wish I could knit a sweater a week and my entire wardrobe would be lovely handknit items — for all seasons.
Alas, I’m still knitting my Tomato short-sleeved sweater — a months-long project, probably because I only have about 20 minutes a day to knit and the needles are a size 8.
So when I was flipping through my InStyle magazine this weekend, I happened along an ad for 525 America sweaters (www.525america.com) and found chunky knit bell-sleeved sweaters, cardigans, dresses, tunics, motorcycle jackets — Help!!!
I am in love.

Oh, but they’re so expensive.
Overstock.com has them cheaper — with a small selection.
My budget can’t justify a $125 sweater. Even for Christmas.
So, I’m on the prowl for patterns that’ll satisfy the 525 America ones whirling around my cranium.

I was beginning a project — a bulky cap hat for my husband, when my mother asked me to make her some fingerless gloves. She’s a diabetic and suffers from cold extremities, so naturally I started her project forthwith.
I chose to make Fingerless Mitts, from a Farmhouse Yarns pattern by Ann Ameling.
I made a pair for myself last year that I’m still using now in Farmhouse Yarns’ Lumpy Bumpy Yarn by Charlene (99 percent Merino, 1 percent nylon).

It calls for bulky yarn and I found a Plymouth Yarn Yukon, which is 35 percent mohair, 35 percent wool and 30 percent acrylic, in pale pink. I am using size 10½ double-pointed needles. The gauge is 3 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch. I am making a size medium for my mother.
Cast on 24 (28, 32) stitches. Join in the round. Place marker for beginning of round. Work K1, P1 ribbing until 4 to 6 inches long. Thumb: Bind off 4 (5, 6) stitches. Continue working in pattern to the end of the round.
Next round: Cast on 1 stitch. Slip cast-on stitch to left needle, knit into front and back of stitch. *Slip last stitch just knit onto left-hand needle, knit into front and back of stitch. Repeat from * 2 (3, 4) times. Work ribbing until end of round.
Continue knitting in round in K1, P1 ribbing until work measures 2 to 4 inches from thumb opening.
Bind off, weave in ends.
Repeat for other mitt.
See www.farmhouseyarns.com and www.yarnandwool.com.

This morning, it was cold. Not bone-chilling, but cold enough for my entire car to be coated frost. My son missed the 7:41 a.m. bus (again), so there I was scraping the windows while he fiddled inside with the radio dial. Forethought kept my fingers warm as I scraped — a couple days ago I pulled out my wool fingerless gloves made with Farmhouse Yarns’ Lumpy Bumpy wool in Rose Garden. My 11-year-old asked me for a pair.
“You want me to knit you some?” I asked.
“Yes. They’re cool,” B. said.
So today, I’m online looking for a suitable pattern for an adolescent boy, thus assuring that he’ll at least wear them once.

I found the following on Interweave Knits, perfect for the occasion.
http://www.interweaveknits.com/freepatterns/pdf/Hands_Up_Instructions.pdf
There’s also another neat pattern here.
http://knitting.about.com/od/mittenpatterns/p/fingerless.htm
B. couldn’t believe that I’d possibly complete them by Sunday.
It’s really quick knitting in the round.

I’ll just let him believe I’m amazing — a regard he had for me perpetually years ago, but somehow lost toward the end of grammar school.

Recently, I checked out the film, “Capote (2005)” from the library.
I had seen “Infamous (2006)” several months prior and had become fascinated by the character of Truman Capote, even though my first exposure to him was as depicted by the actor Toby Jones. His Capote was wildly unappealing to me, although I loved the movie and watched it two or three times. Sandra Bullock stars as the school marmish Nell Harper Lee.
“Capote” stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as Capote and Catherine Keener as Lee. Hoffman won an Oscar — Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role — an award a long time coming in my opinion, having seen him in countless character roles over the years. As after watching “Infamous,” I made a mental note to get the book, “In Cold Blood.”
Today, Vintage Trade Paperbacks send me the 50th anniversary reissue of Capote’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” the book that inspired the movie starring Audrey Hepburn, and includes three of his short stories.
I can’t wait to read it. The book hits stores Nov. 11.

A couple of the ladies in my Russell Library Russell Knitters group have joined the Nutmeg Knitters Guild. It meets on the third Wednesday of each month except for July and August in the lower level of the Bethany Covenant Church, 785 Mill Street, Berlin, at 7 p.m. There are nominal membership dues, trips, yarn samples, coupons for locally owned yarn stores and many other perks of joining. I’ve yet to make a meeting, but perhaps you can.
Nutmeg Knitters brings together individuals with a mutual interest in knitting who gather in friendship to share knitting ideas, to build on knitting skills, to teach and inspire others and to knit for charity. All skill levels are welcome. For information, see www.NutmegKnitters.org.

This weekend looks terrific for weather — daytime highs hovering around 70 degrees. What could be better than a yarn-inspired family trip? I’m eyeing the Southwind Farms Annual Fall Festival & Open Farm Days on Saturday and Sunday, with new alpaca products, yarns and events from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jim and Penny Mullen run the farm at 223 Morris Town Line Road, Watertown; (860) 274-9001; www.southwindfarms.com.

My husband calls this portrait of me in blue marker by my 5-year-old son, “Mean Mommy.”
He delights in recalling this picture whenever I scold the little guy. Just to bug me.
“Mean Mommy’s at it again,” he’ll say. As if my son doesn’t deserve to have his mouth washed out with liquid Dawn (just a swipe on the gums, mind you) when he calls me, “UR@!&$%$#*”
Saturday’s kiddy terrorism sent mom to new heights of fury.
I had my organic cotton yarn skein set around the back of my rocking chair. I began to roll it into a ball. My cell phone rang, from the kitchen. Usually I am supremely careful of all my projects, each in a plastic zip-lock bag, then inside a shoulder bag at all times. If liquid, food, a child, snow or anything with a remote possibility of stain-ability is near, zip-locks are employed.
Go figure. The one time I innocuously answer a telephone call from my stepmother, certain my little man is occupied with his drumset, mid-conversation I sense an uncanny stillness from the living room.
I cut the call short.
Walk to the other room, to see my craft scissors strangely open on the couch. And my precious yarn cut through six times.
And, the ball I had begun is missing. I sense someone hiding in the other room (mom-dar).
Leading to my husband’s desk is a long string of red yarn, criss-crossing the desk legs like a spider web. I lunge for T and the ball. He scrambles out the front of the desk, with the yarn ball, tangling it around chairs, through the TV room, into the kitchen, lickety-split.
And, gasp! — into the bathroom, around the toilet base.
Well, if there is a silver lining it is that I am fanatical about cleaning the toilets in our house. With three “boys” at home, it’s not uncommon that one or another or ALL miss the toilet substantially.
God must have been smiling down at me that day. At the very least — laughing understandably, because I had just cleaned this one.
I retrieved my ball, SCREAMED at T, then rolled up the remainder of my yarn into six balls of varying size.
And cursed, most likely looking very much like Mean Mommy.

There will be a cool workshop, an ongoing series, on how to crochet plastic grocery bags Oct. 16 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Hubbard Room at Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. You may have visited the library a couple months ago and saw these colorful eco-sensible creations on the first-floor display case. Library staff advise that crocheting knowledge is necessary. People should bring a large crochet needle (size G or H or over 9 mm). This program is for children over age 9 and all adults. Registration is required and limited to the first 25 people who sign up. To register, call the Information Desk at (860) 347-2520. The event is co-sponsored by the Rockfall Foundation, Russell Library, and the Middletown Resource Recycling Advisory Council.
The City of Middletown Public Works Department featured a pattern in a recent newspaper, courtesy of the Recycling Coordinator, for recyclers to crochet, reprinted here: http://www.knitting-crochet.com/crochet/plabag.html.
There is also a pattern conversion available for knitters.

I actually had gone to the Wadsworth Mansion Open Air Market and Festival in late August and found out from one of the vendors that alpaca is non-allergenic. Since I am very allergic to wool, I was delighted. I touched a soft as rabbit fur purse in green and pink, and was told it was made with Misti Alpaca yarn, baby alpaca. I had to have it. I looked on line and found the Web site, then saw that it was sold in Meriden at The Yarn Garden.
During my visit there last Saturday, the owner had only one type of Misti yarn, baby alpaca, but in lace weight and brown. It was terrific, but I had my eye on a particular scarf that looks like it’s almost woven, in a Crayola box of colors, free from the Misti Web site. It is called “Le Petite Echarpe,” or “little scarf.”
(The pattern is at http://www.mistialpaca.com/downloads/ Misti_Alpaca_FREE_Le_Petite_Echarpe.pdf).
What I did find at the Garden is Classic Elite’s Inca Print in a rustic color, 100 percent alpaca and soft as down. The scarf pattern calls for a chunky yarn (size 11 needles), 1 hank, 109 yards. The Inca is the correct yardage but far from chunky, calling for a size 7 needle. And the scarf pictured is very short to my taste — 4 by 25 inches. So I bought four hanks of the Inca and plan on making it longer and just as thick by doubling the yarn.
I’ll report back as well on what my sneeze-o-meter registers as soon as I undertake the project.

I purchased three skeins of On Line Linie Clip 100 percent Egyptian cotton, which is mercerized — a process that give the yarn a shiny finish. I chose eggplant, royal blue and an emerald green. The pattern I used was from “101 Designer One-Skein Wonders,” edited by Judith Durant, following the not-your-average washcloths pattern. The project took just a few hours and yielded a lovely 7-square-inch purple washcloth that alternates four garter and stockinette stitch squares. The loop called for a crocheted chain, but I modified mine, using much smaller double-pointed needles (size 4) and knit an I-cord loop.
I purchased the yarn from a lovely little yarn shop at 194 Elm St., in Meriden (203-237-6446, www.yarngardenllc.com), The Yarn Garden, which has absolutely every type and brand of yarn you can think of or desire. Next up? Royal blue. Only this time I’m feeling more adventureous and will use the patterns from the book “Knitting With Balls” by Michael Del Vecchio, which offers three types of “utility cloths,” shown in the photo being used to shine up motorcycle chrome (gasp!).

They’re more complicated and the cloths can be made in 8- to 12-inch squares.
You can bet one thing I won’t be doing with them is dusting.
Not if I’m knitting them.

I’m loving the Blue Sky.
As in Blue Sky Alpacas organic cotton, color: Tomato, kind of an orangy crimson.
The pattern is Tomato, designed by Wendy Bernard (www.knittingdaily.com).
Seven inches knit so far!

What’s really interesting is that it is knit from the top down, with a deep square scoop neck, so soon I’ll be knitting in the round, tapering the bust and waist.
Soon I’ll be working on the simple band of herringbone that circles the bust, in Nut.

When I finish it, it’ll be crisp, cool fall; but one of those days, probably in early October, check out the lady with the handmade, short-sleeved sweater on Main.

The colors are, from top, cumin, tomato, thistle and pumpkin.

“Knit One, Save One,” launched by the global humanitarian organization, Save the Children, and the Warm Up America Foundation, seeks to engage knitters and crocheters to take action for the 4 million babies who die each year within the first month of life in poor countries.
Save the Children’s Knit One, Save One initiative is asking knitters and crocheters by Dec. 318 to knit or crochet one baby cap; and to write a personal note to the President-elect asking him to lead the way to save millions of babies globally.
In November 2006, I knit four caps and mailed them to Warm Up America, and received a personal postcard in response, thanking me.
I think I’ll start tonight knitting up a few quick caps with all the warm wool and alpaca I have at home.
To see the story I wrote for the Middletown Press, “Knitters join national cause,” at http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=17533425&BRD=1645&PAG=461&dept_id=665536&rfi=8
To download the action kit, or to learn other ways to support the initiative as a non-knitter, go to savethechildren.org/knitonesaveone or call (800) 728-3843. To join the online community and share experience, visit savethechildren.org/friends.
To find a local knitting or crocheting group or to learn tips, go to www.warmupamerica.org.
Happy knitting!

I peeked into our mailbox the other day and found a most wonderful surprise.
The fall Webs catalogue.
The Holy Grail of knitting.
Every page is filled with luscious yarns and gorgous sweaters, shawls and blankets knit up in dazzling colors.
I'm almost afraid to crack open the cover.
Afraid that I'll lust after each and every item - and even worse, buy yet more yarn, far too much yarn for one woman to ever knit in a lifetime.
Perhaps ...
... there's a way to knit 24 hours a day.
I've been bitten ....
... and it aches.
(Get your own at www.yarn.com or 800-367-9327 - if you dare!)

I’ve been working on the same shawl since February.
You’d think it would be measured in feet, or tens of feet, by now, but the length from tip to working edge is a mere 25 inches.
It’s embarrassing to admit that I finished my last project in the first days of July.
“Why are you making a shawl,” my older boy chides me. “Aren’t they for grannies?”
Well, X, I might just be a grandma when I finish this thing and at last can drape it over my shoulders.
The time has come to diverge, dear shawl.
Not for lack of interest, or amour, but for dignity’s sake.
My own — this pattern is so difficult that I often knit three rows and tear back two because I made a mistake.
Which are very difficult to catch.
Another reason I have soldiered on is that it is easier to knit what you already know so well than get into a new pattern’s stitching. I don’t have to think as I watch the movies “Frida” or “Hotel Rwanda,” my fingers just move along in the established way.
Loop over, slip, knit, knit, slip slipped stitch over ...
Alas, dear shawl, it’s time to bid you adieu.



Momma’s found a short-sleeved sweater earlier in the summer that I must confess I long to begin.
It’s called Tomato, designed by Wendy Bernard, and uses worsted-weight Dyed Cotton in #619 tomato and Organic Cotton in #82 nut.
Interweave Press published the book "No Sheep For You," where it is found.
Find the free pattern at http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/patterns/archive/2007/06/19/tomato.aspx.
I ordered the yarn online from Blue Sky Alpacas (www.blueskyalpacas.com) on a Sunday afternoon and it was in my mailbox the next day — at no extra charge.
My knitting bag was snug this morning as I packed both projects together in my carrying bag.
I’m sure the brown shawl felt jilted.
Breaking up — it’s so hard to do.

If you want to hear some great local music, check out Terry Woolard's latest CD, "Black President: White House Under New Management."
I wrote a story about him last week (Aug. 21) for the cover of my Weekend section in the Middletown Press.
The title track is superb.

Yesterday, I visited the Open Air Market and Festival at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown. This annual event attracts vendors of all types selling garden fruits and vegetables, honey, artisan breads and cheeses, handicrafts, jewelry, artwork, milk and so much more. I was particularly drawn to the heirloom vegetables — fat and ugly tomatoes, eggplant, beans, radishes, all of vibrant hue — and fiber arts, alpaca, goat and sheep yarn hand spun and dyed colors of the natural world.
Vivienne McGarry of Cold Goats Farm of Haddam Neck was there with two bleating sheep, showing off her felted pumpkins, apples, purses and knit shawls, scarves and sweaters. Laurie Sanford of Twin Gate Farm in Killingworth had some of the softest yarn I’ve ever felt — baby alpaca, she said, from Misti Alpaca (www.mistialpaca.com) and her own handspun alpaca and angora goat yarn. She, too had needle-felted items (pet rocks with silly eyes), short scarves in a rainbow of colors, children’s vests and sweaters, felted and recycled sweater purses and bags and necklaces from felt. Patricia Fortinsky of Old Lyme’s Tidal Yarns (www.tidalyarns.com) sat barefoot, spinning some purple roving into yarn, surrounded by skeins of her naturally dyed and handspun yarns in lemon yellow, mustard, crimson, salmon, chocolate colors.
As I fingered each item and skein, I kept thinking, “my stash, my stash,” keeping the image of that mass of yarn at home which only seems to grow fatter, then peeled myself away from each booth, buying only a knit wool pocket pouch in evergreen, punch and rustic browns, marked down in the sale bin.
Too bad this only happens once a year.
But good thing it’s now the start of Connecticut’s fair season, beginning with last weekend’s Chester Fair and continuing this weekend with the Haddam Neck Fair Aug. 29, 30, 31 and Sept. 1; the Durham Fair Sept. 26, 27 and 28; and Portland Fair Oct. 10, 11 and 12.

A representative of Lyman Orchards stopped by the office this morning to drop off a sample of its Apple and Bumbleberry pies. Also included in the package was a sample of Applesauce and Corn Relish. Ever-eager to taste test items for my readers, I sampled the Bumbleberry Pie immediately.
What is Bumbleberry Pie, I wondered, as did my son — who was more than happy to sample a generous slice of high-top apple pie.
A little research on the Web led me to discover that “bumbleberry” isn’t a berry at all, but a term for the melange of berries currently at hand for a cook about to make a pie. Whatever is in season is the best to start with, although I am certain frozen berries will suffice.
Lyman makes its pie with apples, raspberries, cherries, blackberries and blueberries.
The result is a thick, jammy crescendo of flavor balanced by Lyman’s famous browned and crackled crust.
Head over to the Apple Barrel at 32 Reeds Gap Road, Middlefield, yourself for a slice of heaven.

If you want to replicate the taste at home, I found this recipe from Good Housekeeping online:
Deep-Dish Bumbleberry Pie
Pastry
2¼ cup(s) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon(s) salt
½ cup(s) (1 stick) butter or margarine, cold, cut into pieces
¼ cup(s) vegetable shortening
5 tablespoon(s) (more as needed) ice water
Berry Filling
¾ cup(s) sugar
¼ cup(s) cornstarch
2 large (1 pound) Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¾-inch chunks
5 cup(s) assorted berries such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon(s) milk or cream
2 teaspoon(s) sugar
Prepare Pastry: In large bowl, combine flour and salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissors-fashion, cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with fork after each addition until dough is just moist enough to hold together.
Shape dough into 2 disks, 1 slightly larger than the other. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight. (If chilled overnight, let dough stand 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling.)
Prepare Berry Filling: In large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add apples and berries; gently toss to combine.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to lowest position in bottom of oven. Line large cookie sheet with foil; place in oven while oven preheats.
On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll larger disk of dough into 13-inch round. Ease round into 9½-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim edge, leaving 1-inch overhang. Spoon filling into crust.
Roll remaining disk of dough into 12-inch round. With floured pastry wheel or knife, cut dough into 1-inch-wide strips. Brush edge of bottom crust with some milk. Place half of strips, about ¾inch apart, across top of pie. Place remaining strips perpendicular to first strips or use to weave a lattice. Trim ends, leaving 1-inch overhang. Press strip ends onto edge of bottom crust to seal. Turn overhang up and over ends of strips; pinch to seal and make a high fluted edge. Brush lattice with remaining milk; sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar.
Place pie plate on hot foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake pie 20 minutes. Reset oven control to 375 degrees F. Bake pie 1 hour and 30 minutes longer or until filling bubbles and crust is deep golden brown. Cover pie loosely with foil after first hour of total baking time to prevent overbrowning. Cool pie on wire rack about 2 hours to serve warm, or cool completely to serve later.

It's probably absurd to be thinking about wool in August, but I came upon this photo today and couldn't resist daydreaming ... and surfing the Web.
Below are a few fun facts I discovered while visiting a Web site designed to show you how you got that wool sweater.

How to Care for Wool
Wool should be hung on padded hangers.
You should always give wool 24 hours between each wearing.
Spots and stains should always be removed promptly.
You should always clean your wool products before packing them away for storage.
Wool clothing should always be brushed before and after each wearing.

How to Remove Common Stains
To remove ink you should submerge the garment in cold water.
To remove red wine, you should submerge the garment in cold water.
To remove butter or grease, you should sponge the spot with a dry cleaning solvent.
To remove blood the garment should be blotted with starch paste, and then rinsed with soapy water.
To remove lipstick, a piece of white bread should be rubbed firmly over the spot.

Other Wool Facts
Wool is comparatively stronger than steel.
Wool is fire resistant
Wool can absorb up to 30 percent of its weight in moisture

(Source: http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/ansc442/Semprojs/wool/index.htm).