My mood this weekend pretty much depends on the actions of this man.
I will definitely be wearing these socks.
YIKES! Gasoline prices have risen 50% in the past 2 years and there may be more increases to come. Home energy prices are also increasing drastically - our state utility company says that natural gas costs will rise at least 50% this year. Our subdivision water bills will double this year.
The USDA estimates grocery prices will increase at least 3.5% this quarter. Fresh fruits and vegetables, the mainstay of my diet, rose 6%. Real estate prices are rising dramatically - over 20% this past year in some hot markets. And a new law will double many people's monthly credit card payments this year to ensure you are paying off more than just the interest on your debt.
I guess it is time to start knitting from the stash. Fortunately the cost of yarn has stayed the same for me. Sure, there are more fancy frou frou yarns for people who think knitting a $150 fluffy scarf is a good idea. Personally I am grateful for Knitpicks and Elann who often have some basic wool yarns in lots of colors.
My biggest expense has always been books. There are some new knitting books that are $40 plus but I generally live without them. Or wait until I can find them used. Bookfinder is the place to go to find the best used price on a book. If you buy a lot of books like I do, you may be better off checking out a book discounter like Edward Hamilton or Bookcloseouts so you can save on shipping. I buy a few knitting books and a LOT of cookbooks from those two places.
Here are two interesting articles - Ten Things You Should Never Buy New and Ten Things You Should Never Buy Used.
Peaches is not concerned about any increase in cost of her favorite greens. Here she is with her cat friend Bosco. It took her almost 2 years to start hanging out with Bosco although he's always adored rabbits.
The USDA estimates grocery prices will increase at least 3.5% this quarter. Fresh fruits and vegetables, the mainstay of my diet, rose 6%. Real estate prices are rising dramatically - over 20% this past year in some hot markets. And a new law will double many people's monthly credit card payments this year to ensure you are paying off more than just the interest on your debt.
I guess it is time to start knitting from the stash. Fortunately the cost of yarn has stayed the same for me. Sure, there are more fancy frou frou yarns for people who think knitting a $150 fluffy scarf is a good idea. Personally I am grateful for Knitpicks and Elann who often have some basic wool yarns in lots of colors.
My biggest expense has always been books. There are some new knitting books that are $40 plus but I generally live without them. Or wait until I can find them used. Bookfinder is the place to go to find the best used price on a book. If you buy a lot of books like I do, you may be better off checking out a book discounter like Edward Hamilton or Bookcloseouts so you can save on shipping. I buy a few knitting books and a LOT of cookbooks from those two places.
Here are two interesting articles - Ten Things You Should Never Buy New and Ten Things You Should Never Buy Used.
Peaches is not concerned about any increase in cost of her favorite greens. Here she is with her cat friend Bosco. It took her almost 2 years to start hanging out with Bosco although he's always adored rabbits.
I finished the gloves yesterday. Here they are.
My knitting production for 2005 is way down. I don't even think I finished a single project in June. We are 3/4 of the way through 2005 and I've done 12 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of mittens, 2 hats, 2 pairs of gloves, a cloth, a cozy, and some finger puppets. (In 2004 I finished 36 pairs of socks, 14 hats, 9 scarves, 4 pairs of mittens, 4 pairs of gloves, a baby sweater, and some miscellaneous stuff.)
The lack of interesting knitting patterns the past few years finally took its toll on my knitting output. Fortunately there are plenty of new books coming out to get my production back up in 2006. In fact I have to go right now and check to see if Amazon has the new Charlene Schurch sock book available yet.
My knitting production for 2005 is way down. I don't even think I finished a single project in June. We are 3/4 of the way through 2005 and I've done 12 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of mittens, 2 hats, 2 pairs of gloves, a cloth, a cozy, and some finger puppets. (In 2004 I finished 36 pairs of socks, 14 hats, 9 scarves, 4 pairs of mittens, 4 pairs of gloves, a baby sweater, and some miscellaneous stuff.)
The lack of interesting knitting patterns the past few years finally took its toll on my knitting output. Fortunately there are plenty of new books coming out to get my production back up in 2006. In fact I have to go right now and check to see if Amazon has the new Charlene Schurch sock book available yet.
I now doubt the gloves will be finished this week. Every time I predict here I'll have a project finished something comes along and takes my attention away. This weekend isn't looking so good either as it is all about peaches. Not the brown-eyed rabbit Peaches but canning 10 lbs of peaches. This is probably just a start - I could do about 50 lbs of peaches and we'd eat them all. Home-canned peaches in a light syrup are far superior to the stuff at the store.
Today has been one of those magical days where everything I try in the kitchen turns out well. First I made this delicious Marinated Zucchini. It is a Mario Batali recipe and not low in fat but I love zucchini in all its incarnations. I do think the amount of salt called for in the recipe (2 Tbsp.) is an error.
Then I made this Andrew Weil recipe for Corn, Tomato, and Basil Soup. I was originally thinking I'd have to add some rice or pasta to it to make it heartier but it is plenty hearty all by itself. It is definitely a keeper.
DH just emailed me that he bought me a bread machine (What a guy!) so I'll be making some bread to go with the soup very soon. I used to have an expensive Zojirushi bread machine. It was so huge and my old kitchen was tiny so I donated it to a local wildlife group. Now I have a large kitchen and an oven on the fritz so this is a good thing.
Peaches is very busy this weekend - she plans to make a large mess with her hay, share some wheat grass with her favorite cat Jack, and make a lot of noise in the middle of the night ripping up cardboard.
Today has been one of those magical days where everything I try in the kitchen turns out well. First I made this delicious Marinated Zucchini. It is a Mario Batali recipe and not low in fat but I love zucchini in all its incarnations. I do think the amount of salt called for in the recipe (2 Tbsp.) is an error.
Then I made this Andrew Weil recipe for Corn, Tomato, and Basil Soup. I was originally thinking I'd have to add some rice or pasta to it to make it heartier but it is plenty hearty all by itself. It is definitely a keeper.
DH just emailed me that he bought me a bread machine (What a guy!) so I'll be making some bread to go with the soup very soon. I used to have an expensive Zojirushi bread machine. It was so huge and my old kitchen was tiny so I donated it to a local wildlife group. Now I have a large kitchen and an oven on the fritz so this is a good thing.
Peaches is very busy this weekend - she plans to make a large mess with her hay, share some wheat grass with her favorite cat Jack, and make a lot of noise in the middle of the night ripping up cardboard.
I like these gloves a lot more with the blue fingers. See the original colors and pattern in a PDF file HERE. I may still run out of the medium or dark blue colors but if not I'll have the pair finished this week. These are going to go to a girlfriend who is making me a lovely quilt. Today I started sorting all my finished knitted items into three boxes for Christmas gifts and I'd say I'm about halfway done. DH has also requested a boring plain dark gray vest for Christmas so I'll get started on that in between the more fun projects.
I'm trying not to start a new project when I have two to finish but the Chulo hat from Andean Folk Knits is calling to me. I have to decide whether to try to get her horrifyingly tight gauge with worsted weight or do it in sport weight. I'm a tight knitter and can generally get Marcia Lewandowski's gauge if I use thinner yarn. I'll have to check my color choices but I like the greens and gray in the original.
I've been eagerly searching for rabbit rescue news from Louisiana and Mississippi. In a Humane Society of the United States press release from yesterday they said they have 250 people on the ground in both states who have rescued a total of 1200 animals "including dogs, cats, cows, ferrets, horses, chinchillas, as well as a rabbit, duck, pot-bellied pig, and seal." So at least one lucky rabbit made it.
In other news, the Louisiana State University Veterinary Medicine Department has rescued 90 horses and mules from New Orleans. There are still 300 left in the city from the companies offering carriage rides to tourists. To help the horses, check their web site.
On the lighter side, this photo just cracks me up. One of the local animal people sent me some wacky photos.
I've been eagerly searching for rabbit rescue news from Louisiana and Mississippi. In a Humane Society of the United States press release from yesterday they said they have 250 people on the ground in both states who have rescued a total of 1200 animals "including dogs, cats, cows, ferrets, horses, chinchillas, as well as a rabbit, duck, pot-bellied pig, and seal." So at least one lucky rabbit made it.
In other news, the Louisiana State University Veterinary Medicine Department has rescued 90 horses and mules from New Orleans. There are still 300 left in the city from the companies offering carriage rides to tourists. To help the horses, check their web site.
On the lighter side, this photo just cracks me up. One of the local animal people sent me some wacky photos.
Edit: I was told the larger font made the blog hard to read so we're back to normal.
KNITTING
I'm still working on the Latvian socks. I hope to have them finished by late tomorrow. Then it is back to work on another Christmas present, the Fair Isle gloves. Please go see Julia's beautiful version of these gloves - the colors she is using are so much nicer.
HELPING
Check with your local food bank. Many of them are collecting food to send to evacuees. Also, if you donate money, look into places that are matching donations to make your money go farther. One such place is my local health food store, Vitamin Cottage.
The Give A Little blog was started by knitbloggers extraordinaire Margene and Susan to raise donations for the Red Cross. There are many other terrific prizes for those who donate, including a copy of Stranded Color Knitting.
June of Two Sheep Journal is selling off some of her incredibly beautiful handspun yarn - all money from the sales to Mercy Corps.
A knitblogger in Houston is collecting handknit baby items to give to evacuees.
Donate your miles via email through Delta, Continental, or United Airlines.
Here in Albuquerque we're seeing some heartwarming stories of people helping the evacuees that have come here. A group of beauticians got together to do the hair and makeup of hurricane victims and others got the red carpet treatment and a standing ovation at a UNM Lobos game.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and his wife are providing housing in Boston for a year for a large family of hurricane evacuees. As it turned out, the father of the family was a baseball fan and was flabbergasted when Curt met him at the hotel.
You may have seen some of the sad stories of animals in the hurricane on the news. Snowball the little dog who was left behind by a hysterical boy and kept trying to get on the evacuation bus may have been found - now they need to find the boy in the Astrodome. Other stories such as Chucky the dog left at the interstate with a can of dog food and a note, the man with 3 dogs who swam with them for 8 hours straight because he couldn't leave them, and the doctor who stayed behind at the hospital and wouldn't evacuate because he was caring for all the staff pets may all have happy endings. Check the ASPCA web site daily for updates on these stories and donate to help make more happy endings for victims of this tragedy.
CELEBRATING
Peaches celebrated her 3rd birthday this weekend with a dried banana treat and much singing. I'm not positive about her birthday but it was some time in fall so I chose Labor Day. I've always felt that Peaches managed to find the perfect house for her to blossom. She used to be more of a wallflower with the rabbit rescuer who felt bad she wasn't getting more attention. Now she is always the center of attention and she loves finally having her own house. Happy Birthday Bunny Diva!
KNITTING
I'm still working on the Latvian socks. I hope to have them finished by late tomorrow. Then it is back to work on another Christmas present, the Fair Isle gloves. Please go see Julia's beautiful version of these gloves - the colors she is using are so much nicer.
HELPING
Check with your local food bank. Many of them are collecting food to send to evacuees. Also, if you donate money, look into places that are matching donations to make your money go farther. One such place is my local health food store, Vitamin Cottage.
The Give A Little blog was started by knitbloggers extraordinaire Margene and Susan to raise donations for the Red Cross. There are many other terrific prizes for those who donate, including a copy of Stranded Color Knitting.
June of Two Sheep Journal is selling off some of her incredibly beautiful handspun yarn - all money from the sales to Mercy Corps.
A knitblogger in Houston is collecting handknit baby items to give to evacuees.
Donate your miles via email through Delta, Continental, or United Airlines.
Here in Albuquerque we're seeing some heartwarming stories of people helping the evacuees that have come here. A group of beauticians got together to do the hair and makeup of hurricane victims and others got the red carpet treatment and a standing ovation at a UNM Lobos game.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and his wife are providing housing in Boston for a year for a large family of hurricane evacuees. As it turned out, the father of the family was a baseball fan and was flabbergasted when Curt met him at the hotel.
You may have seen some of the sad stories of animals in the hurricane on the news. Snowball the little dog who was left behind by a hysterical boy and kept trying to get on the evacuation bus may have been found - now they need to find the boy in the Astrodome. Other stories such as Chucky the dog left at the interstate with a can of dog food and a note, the man with 3 dogs who swam with them for 8 hours straight because he couldn't leave them, and the doctor who stayed behind at the hospital and wouldn't evacuate because he was caring for all the staff pets may all have happy endings. Check the ASPCA web site daily for updates on these stories and donate to help make more happy endings for victims of this tragedy.
CELEBRATING
Peaches celebrated her 3rd birthday this weekend with a dried banana treat and much singing. I'm not positive about her birthday but it was some time in fall so I chose Labor Day. I've always felt that Peaches managed to find the perfect house for her to blossom. She used to be more of a wallflower with the rabbit rescuer who felt bad she wasn't getting more attention. Now she is always the center of attention and she loves finally having her own house. Happy Birthday Bunny Diva!
The first 90 hurricane Katrina evacuees have arrived here in Albuquerque. They are staying at the convention center in downtown and were met by applause and our mayor Marty Chavez. The children were given stuffed animals and so far 150 offers of housing by local private citizens have been received. Most of the evacuees have swollen feet from standing in water so long.
Our governor has declared a state of emergency and released 1 million dollars for the victims. We are expecting about 6000 victims throughout the state. NM just sent 300 National Guardsmen and 21 state policemen to the Gulf as well. The local National Guard spokeswoman/major interviewed for the story is one of our NM rabbit rescuers as well.
Roadrunner Food Bank is collecting food to send to the Gulf Coast and I'm going to assume the evacuees are going to need clothing so I'm off to clean out the pantry and closet.
Our governor has declared a state of emergency and released 1 million dollars for the victims. We are expecting about 6000 victims throughout the state. NM just sent 300 National Guardsmen and 21 state policemen to the Gulf as well. The local National Guard spokeswoman/major interviewed for the story is one of our NM rabbit rescuers as well.
Roadrunner Food Bank is collecting food to send to the Gulf Coast and I'm going to assume the evacuees are going to need clothing so I'm off to clean out the pantry and closet.
The Houston SPCA has taken in a whopping 663 animals since Thursday (most from evacuees at the Houston Astrodome and Reliant Arena) and they are expecting hundreds more in the days ahead. They have a list of supplies needed on their web site and monetary donations are also important to help them continue to offer free boarding and care to the pets of victims of hurricane Katrina.
North Shore Animal League now has an animal rescue blog which details their efforts to help out in the south. Like the other groups, they're having problems finding gasoline for transport activities.
If you have supplies to donate, here's a current list of what Best Friends hurricane relief is seeking. The items should be sent to the top address in MS, not the bottom one in UT.
Dear Members and Friends,
We now have a shipping address! Please send your donations of supplies to:
Best Friends Hurricane Relief
c/o Leigh Breland
1635 Misty Lane
Terry, MS 39170
Hurricane-related inquiries, including offers to donate supplies or funds or to volunteer, may be directed to: 435.644.2001 x398 or hurricane@bestfriends.org.
We’ve reprinted the list of most needed supplies below.
People needs:
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Vegetarian people food that won’t spoil or need refrigeration
Portable toilets and sanitizer
Insect repellent
Sun showers
Sunscreen
First aid kits for relief workers
Hand sanitizer
Pet needs
Pet Food
Animal bedding
Crates (all sizes)
Collars/leads
Veterinary supplies
Puppy and kitten formula
Canopy tents for the animals
Large cat tower/cage (for kittens)
Portable water bowls for animals
Microchip scanners
General needs
RVs, SUV’s & Trucks (4x4), ATV’s (loaned or donated)
Tarps
Two way radios
Generators
Rope
Duct tape
Cable ties
Fencing, both temporary and permanent
Heavy work gloves and welding gloves
Carpentry supplies
Gas cans
Gas for vehicles
Flashlights
Batteries (AA, AAA, C & D)
Water
Water tanks
Clorox bleach
Warehouse facilities near Tylertown, MS
Garbage cans
Garbage bags
Tents
Camping Gear
Towels
Blankets
Collapsible wire cages (extra large size)
Extension cords (heavy duty outdoor approved - 100 foot long)
Grooming clippers (electric)
Zip Lock bags (extra large size)
Important note: Please contact us at the number above before you buy large quantities of any of these items.
Again, thank you so very much for all offers of help. We’ll keep you updated on developments.
Best Friends Animal Society
5001 Angel Canyon Road
Kanab, UT 84741
aileenw@bestfriends.org
http://www.bestfriends.org/
(435)644-3965 ext. 4165
A better world through kindness to animals.
North Shore Animal League now has an animal rescue blog which details their efforts to help out in the south. Like the other groups, they're having problems finding gasoline for transport activities.
If you have supplies to donate, here's a current list of what Best Friends hurricane relief is seeking. The items should be sent to the top address in MS, not the bottom one in UT.
Dear Members and Friends,
We now have a shipping address! Please send your donations of supplies to:
Best Friends Hurricane Relief
c/o Leigh Breland
1635 Misty Lane
Terry, MS 39170
Hurricane-related inquiries, including offers to donate supplies or funds or to volunteer, may be directed to: 435.644.2001 x398 or hurricane@bestfriends.org.
We’ve reprinted the list of most needed supplies below.
People needs:
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Vegetarian people food that won’t spoil or need refrigeration
Portable toilets and sanitizer
Insect repellent
Sun showers
Sunscreen
First aid kits for relief workers
Hand sanitizer
Pet needs
Pet Food
Animal bedding
Crates (all sizes)
Collars/leads
Veterinary supplies
Puppy and kitten formula
Canopy tents for the animals
Large cat tower/cage (for kittens)
Portable water bowls for animals
Microchip scanners
General needs
RVs, SUV’s & Trucks (4x4), ATV’s (loaned or donated)
Tarps
Two way radios
Generators
Rope
Duct tape
Cable ties
Fencing, both temporary and permanent
Heavy work gloves and welding gloves
Carpentry supplies
Gas cans
Gas for vehicles
Flashlights
Batteries (AA, AAA, C & D)
Water
Water tanks
Clorox bleach
Warehouse facilities near Tylertown, MS
Garbage cans
Garbage bags
Tents
Camping Gear
Towels
Blankets
Collapsible wire cages (extra large size)
Extension cords (heavy duty outdoor approved - 100 foot long)
Grooming clippers (electric)
Zip Lock bags (extra large size)
Important note: Please contact us at the number above before you buy large quantities of any of these items.
Again, thank you so very much for all offers of help. We’ll keep you updated on developments.
Best Friends Animal Society
5001 Angel Canyon Road
Kanab, UT 84741
aileenw@bestfriends.org
http://www.bestfriends.org/
(435)644-3965 ext. 4165
A better world through kindness to animals.
The next knitting project I have to show you will be Nancy Bush's Latvian Socks from Folk Socks. This has been a good simple project to go with all the news I've been watching. So far I've managed not to throw my knitting at the tv as well although I've certainly had some choice words along the way.
Today I was going to put up some info on all the groups dealing with all the animals but Petfinder has already done it HERE with daily updates. USA Today also had a good article on the animal rescue efforts HERE. And another article from CNN on the emotional toll of evacuees leaving their pets behind. Best Friends is also publishing a series of articles daily on the whole process.
I saw a guy on tv saying that we need to become a Donation Nation. Not just right now but for many months ahead. In addition to money needed right now there will be so many other things we can do in the weeks ahead - help a family find housing, buy a kid that was evacuated some school supplies, send people food and pet food and supplies, adopting one of the thousands of rescued animals, etc.
I think we can all come up with some great ways to help and help and help some more.
Today I was going to put up some info on all the groups dealing with all the animals but Petfinder has already done it HERE with daily updates. USA Today also had a good article on the animal rescue efforts HERE. And another article from CNN on the emotional toll of evacuees leaving their pets behind. Best Friends is also publishing a series of articles daily on the whole process.
I saw a guy on tv saying that we need to become a Donation Nation. Not just right now but for many months ahead. In addition to money needed right now there will be so many other things we can do in the weeks ahead - help a family find housing, buy a kid that was evacuated some school supplies, send people food and pet food and supplies, adopting one of the thousands of rescued animals, etc.
I think we can all come up with some great ways to help and help and help some more.
I've gone from being very sad this week to being very very angry about the situation in the gulf coast. I should probably stop watching the news, eh?
I do have a few related links to share. HERE is a satellite photo of New Orleans before Katrina - click on it and you can see it after Katrina. And HERE is a really really good in-depth photo of New Orleans after Katrina. Once you locate the Superdome you can see the Convention Center below it. You can also see just how much of the city is flooded.
If all this Katrina misery is becoming too much for you, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (their director is currently down in New Orleans helping transport shelter animals out of there) has started posted a daily Good News journal in their news reports HERE. Also, this blog also posts good news about families being reunited, human and animal rescues, corporate donations, etc. I've learned from animal rescue stuff that it often helps your mental health to focus on the small good things when there are so many bad things going on.
I've decided to stop buying yarn and books until after Christmas and use my monthly yarn money to donate to human and animal charities providing hurricane relief the next few months instead. With that schedule I should still have time to make the Torino sweater before the Olympics which I believe are in February?? HERE is a photo of the next Dale Olympic sweater. I may make it for myself in the dark colorway.
Peaches has been gaining weight which isn't surprising as she is a total loaf bun (aka couch potato). My Labor Day weekend plans are to crawl around the floor encouraging her to do some bunny aerobics.
I do have a few related links to share. HERE is a satellite photo of New Orleans before Katrina - click on it and you can see it after Katrina. And HERE is a really really good in-depth photo of New Orleans after Katrina. Once you locate the Superdome you can see the Convention Center below it. You can also see just how much of the city is flooded.
If all this Katrina misery is becoming too much for you, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (their director is currently down in New Orleans helping transport shelter animals out of there) has started posted a daily Good News journal in their news reports HERE. Also, this blog also posts good news about families being reunited, human and animal rescues, corporate donations, etc. I've learned from animal rescue stuff that it often helps your mental health to focus on the small good things when there are so many bad things going on.
I've decided to stop buying yarn and books until after Christmas and use my monthly yarn money to donate to human and animal charities providing hurricane relief the next few months instead. With that schedule I should still have time to make the Torino sweater before the Olympics which I believe are in February?? HERE is a photo of the next Dale Olympic sweater. I may make it for myself in the dark colorway.
Peaches has been gaining weight which isn't surprising as she is a total loaf bun (aka couch potato). My Labor Day weekend plans are to crawl around the floor encouraging her to do some bunny aerobics.
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