A bunch of blather

Well, OK, fabulously important stuff.

Ha!

First -- Dream in Color takes 8 weeks to get so it's going to be a while since I only placed the order on April 30. Well, the rep did.

Second, the latest issue of Wild Fibers magazine is in now. That is an excellent magazine, and you know how guys say they read certain magazines just for the articles (ahem), well, Wild Fibers really does have fabulous articles, ferinstance:

Busting out of Brooklyn
Contrary to his parents sincerest desires, Francis Chester was determined to shed his Brooklyn upbringing and reconnect with his Italian shepherding roots which go back at least five generations. Confronted with a myriad of obstacles, including a lost horse that ultimately “led” him to his wife, Francis Chester operates one of the oldest cottage mills processing 25,000 pounds a year from his combined herd of Columbian and Merino sheep. Although a lawyer by training, Francis has never regretted his “break-out” from the city life more than fifty years ago.

Transylvania!
As the lore of Dracula continues to quench those with a bloodthirsty desire, the mountains of Romania are still alive with shepherds and their sheep who continue to battle tremendous issues of predation, and now the new regulations imposed by the EU of which they have recently joined. For many, it’s not the fear of vampires, but can shepherds survive the bite of modern times?

Habiba’s Field of Dreams
Surrounded by Tanzania’s Usambaru Mountains and wandering Masaai shepherds, Habiba Bota’s life was transformed when she joined the Katani family of sisal growers and saw her income grow from one or two dollars a day to approximately $400/month. Sisal, one of the most important plant fibers featured in the International Year of Natural Fibres, not only makes durable carpets and rope, but it’s a renewable source of energy using biogas and bringing electricity to some of the most rural parts of the country.

Speaking of reading -- my reorder of CookieA's sock book "Sock Innovation," is on its way along with a few other backordered items. in fact, I missed the UPS man today and for some strange reason the package required a signature, so he didn't leave it next door like usual (which is truly odd because they're OK with signing, but I think the Friday UPS guy is more, um, lazy that the rest-of-the-week UPS guy. This is based on past experience, not just a crystal ball vision, but I digress)

Sadly, the coffee mugs I ordered are out. Not just backordered, but gone entirely! I'm working on an alternate source and I do have an excellent supply of mugs with pictures of knits on them.

While I'm working on an alternate source of beverage dispensers, I'm also working on picking up another line of inexpensive self patterning sock yarns. In fact, I'm doing that today, so I'd better stop blogging shortly. I will say that I've tested one out and the sock I made is yummy and is wearing well.

More needles

Just a quickie, but I got in more circs and DPNs today, including the elusive 16" US6 circs.
Also on a shelf are some rare and unobtainium colors of Lion Cotton Ease -- from the warehouse of House of Marley, these are kid colors (brights) that Lion quit making for whatever reason (and now they only make grownup colors). Oh, and some Nature's Choice organic cotton is here. It's cool stuff and I can get more colors, I'm not sure why I have the colors I do. In my mind there was probably some crazy idea about making myself a sweater. Crazy.