Harry eats yarn, we raise some money for charity, and all is good in our world

That very hairy leg you see belongs to my 17 year old, who has been helping to skein yarn for our effort to raise money for Heifer.  While daydreaming about what ever it is that 17 year olds daydream about, he was attacked by Harry, the Maine Coon cat, who really loves the entire yarn dyeing process.

If you haven’t seen it yet, please take a minute to visit our fundraising effort.  I’m hoping to raise $500 and donate a "Knitter’s Basket" — two sheep and an alpaca that can ultimately help an entire village become self-sufficient through breeding and raising wool and making products for sale.  Pretty cool idea for knitters, no?  If you want to participate but can’t afford a lot, consider buying a raffle ticket or two ($2) and getting a chance to win some great yarn, including silk/cashmere, while helping others.  There will be more yarn starting on Thursday, as well.

Meanwhile, here are more photos of Harry messing with the yarn (click to enlarge).

I got a wonderful note in the mail from my friend Judy about the fundraiser.  She wrote that  one year, her daughter decided to host a big extended family Thanksgiving and do all the cooking.  She told her mom that when people asked what they could bring, she was to suggest they make a contribution to Heifer, instead.  Judy said the idea was a huge hit, they raised enough money to purchase several animals, and several of the family members still contribute to Heifer, as does my family, at the holidays.  Judy also enclosed a very generous check for me to put towards our donation.  I feel incredibly fortunate to have a friend like Judy, invariably a big supporter in all things I do, and I love her dearly.

Also in the mail, I got a cool bag from Crankypants that I ordered for a friend.  Really, I wanted it for me, but it is going to a friend.  Amy knew that, and she tucked in a smaller bag for me to keep for myself.  How cool is that?  Perfect for carrying around the tea cozies I’m knitting for a few friends for Christmas.

Thank you Amy!

The bag, however, forced me to raise a troubling subject.  I have so much holiday knitting to do that I’ve been afraid to even make a list.  There is no way I can do it all.  Really.  I’m totally screwed.  Next year, I’m starting in January.  But for now, I’m going to try and pare down to just a few things and hope that the combination of a little business travel and ballet rehearsals will give me lots of time.  I have this.

• The Be Sweet yarn is all going for tea cozies for friends
• The white is some incredibly soft Blue Sky organic cotton, destined to be a baby bolero
• The pretty multicolored skein on the far right has a mate in back and is going to be felted bowls
• The darker multicolor in the back is some of my own yarn, destined to be hats (I have two more balls of it)
• The two small balls are for Blythe, Ellie’s new doll obsession
• The pale pink is some beaded Tillie Thomas yarn I got on sale along with her baby hat pattern

I’m also knitting a vest for Ollie — he’s been begging for one out of the same yarn I used for my Clapotis.  It’s a very soft Debbie Bliss aran silk/alpaca blend, and I’m terrified I’m going to run out.

The color is the color of his eyes and he is going to look incredibly handsome in it…if I can find more yarn.  What was I thinking?  I’ve emailed the store it came from and may have to go stalk people with it on Ravelry.

I’m also dyeing some yarn.  First up, some silk/merino yarn for a Clapotis.

This is for one of my customers on approval.  I don’t really like doing custom dyeing, because I don’t want anyone to ever end up with yarn they don’t LOVE.  But, I get so many requests for Clapotis yarn (I dye mine on the same core yarn used for the Lorna’s Laces Lion and Lamb yarn that the pattern is written for) that I’ve developed a list for interested people.  They get to tell me the colors they want, I dye a yarn in my interpretation of the colorway and they get to choose whether they want it, or not.  The idea is that if they don’t want it, it goes into the store.  However I’ve never had any luck getting it into the store, so I’ve started dyeing it in batches big enough for two Clapotis, in hopes there will actually be some in stock that y’all can buy. (If you’re interested in getting on the list, drop me an email.)  I’ve also been dyeing lots of roving this weekend.  Here’s the first bit, some Blue Faced Leicester.

I’m off for the rest of the day.  We have leaves to rake, a movie to see (should it be Enchanted or Beowulf?), and a pie to bake.  All year long, through the extreme drought down here, we nursed along our seven year old Meyer Lemon tree.  It has only had fruit the last two years and we were determined.  Last night, with help from Harry, we had the most wonderful lemon meringue pie.

But it disappeared in no time and I’m longing for another slice.  Fortunately, I have just enough lemons on the tree for a second pie.  I love it when a plan comes together!