Library Thing is a wonderful web site that helps you quickly catalog your book collection. Today I made a list of my knitting books which you can see HERE. I have only one book that isn't in Library Thing's database (Jade Starmore's A Collector's Item).

You simply type in knitting and they'll show you a list with photos of thousands of books from Amazon and US libraries. Click to add them to your catalog. There are some errors - especially in the author's name for some listings but it is so simple to use I highly recommend it. I have learned about several new books I want to check into and I remain perplexed why I have so many kid's knitting books.

Although it is still cold outside, at least it feels like spring inside.

Peaches is seen here looking very guilty. That is because she is attempting to illegally open her Craisin container (you can see some dents in the lid where she tried to chew through) and help herself. She gets treats twice a day - in very limited quantities - but always feels she doesn't get enough.

The Best Friends Great Bunny Rescue in Nevada is turning out to be bigger than they originally thought. They rented a 68 acre spread and have already rescued 1000 domestic rabbits from one woman's yard. At least 50 are being born every day because they can't get the females spayed quickly enough and they estimate this rescue, their second largest of all time, will cost them up to a million dollars. They are looking for adopters and funds at this point. I will donate half of the check I receive in May (the checks are issued quarterly) for the knitting booklet and pattern sales from Lulu.

I asked Peaches how she'd feel about several hundred rabbit brothers and sisters but she refuses to share her Craisins with anyone.

Here are the Aran Sandal Socks from Socks, Socks, Socks done in my favorite yarn, some beautiful and softer than soft Cormo from Elsa Sheep & Wool. This yarn is only available at Taos Wool Festival as far as I can tell.



This is my own design for a sock with a ruffled top here. Pattern is available HERE with all proceeds going to nonprofit rabbit rescue.

Here are the two pairs of socks inspired by pairs sold in a mail-order catalog.

Thanks to the digital camera this week I'm going to show various socks I've knit on my actual feet. It really is harder to show socks via the scanner and I've long wanted to show my socks "in action."

Here are the New England socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road knit in some old Pingouin La Laine sock yarn.




And here are the Poetry Socks from Socks, Socks, Socks knit in Nature Spun sport weight. As you can see this yarn does pill.

I've been working on knitting a Project Runway contest submission. I doubt I'll have it ready to show you until next month. The socks and the bobblicious afghan square won't be done until next week.

In the meantime I'll show you one of my African violets. I used to have much larger plants but had to give them to a neighbor when I moved. My African violet secret is lots of rabbit fertilizer. Thanks again Natalie for the digital camera which allows me to take such photos.




Anne in CA asked in the comments about the DNA cabled afghan. I think you could definitely use the Hanna Burns square from the Great American Aran Afghan the length of the afghan. So far it is my favorite square and quite easy to do. June also has a free DNA cabled scarf pattern available HERE which you could use for your afghan.

I'm working on the Moc Croc socks in Knitpicks Essentials yarn and size 1 dpns. Thanks Susan for the terrific pattern! I'm using the smallest size because I have narrow feet and these will still be quite stretchy. The pattern is quite fun to do and I really am imagining crocodiles.

All together now. Awwww.







These three characters were found in a field in a rural area outside Espanola and are looking for a good indoor home. They're all very friendly and I'll get the adoption info on the Four Corners Bunnies web site very soon.

With my new digital camera I took a photo of the Sandia Mountains from our front yard. If you squint you can see a dusting of snow on top.

Natalie thoughtfully offered to send me her former digital camera and I've been having fun figuring out how to use it. Here's the latest Greatest American Aran Afghan square; this one is the Burns DNA-inspired square.



And here are all the finished squares so far:

HERE's a link to a free lecture from the Teaching Company on the real St. Patrick and his accomplishments.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

I'll have the DNA Aran square for you tomorrow. I'm also working on a weird knitting project for a contest. I'm getting more knitting done than usual because of baseball.

I never in a million years thought Korea would be undefeated in the WBC with the US and Dominican Republic struggling. Baseball is my favorite viewing choice when I'm doing serious knitting. Even the pets love the relaxing sounds of baseball.

Bosco with his flame-point paws is obviously a Red Sox fan.



Jack with his pinstripes roots for the Yankees.



What about Peaches? That's easy - she completely relates to the Giants.

I want to knit a butterfly. Surprisingly Nicky Epstein's books don't have any butterflies so I'm working on coming up with one. Here's my first effort which doesn't even look like a butterfly.




I've learned I'm going to have to knit both wings separately and shape them. Also the I-cord section will be done in a finer gauge.

I can finally read my own comments and I'm keeping my fingers crossed they stay that way.

Here's a close-up of the Selesnick square which is inspired by a heart-shaped locket. It is smaller than the others and not even square so I'm going to rig up a system to try to block the squares to the same size. If that doesn't work I'll take the weirdest sized squares and make pillows from them.



Now I'm working on the DNA afghan square. I'm getting a lot of knitting done while watching the World Baseball Classic. I'm surprised how much fun the WBC is to watch especially with the differences in the way the various countries play baseball. I should knock off a few more afghan squares before it ends.

Rabbit rescue is different from other types of animal rescue because sometimes rescuers become involved in helping out in situations where there are really large numbers of rabbits that need help at one time. The Colorado HRS became involved in one large rescue where they took in dozens of rabbits from animal control and they were still dealing with this financially a few years later.

Best Friends and rabbit rescuer extraordinaire Debby Widolf (I adopted Peaches from her) are now involved in a case in a woman's backyard in Nevada where a thousand rabbits are in need of rescue. Yes, that's right - a thousand! Fortunately most of the rabbits are healthy but there will still be massive expenses for spay/neuter, housing, etc. Here's a photo of some of the rabbits and Debby (the blonde) holding some of the rabbits in need.



Debby is in Nevada now dealing with all this and Best Friends estimates this will take them at least four months to deal with. They are seeking donations and other assistance - more info on what you can do is HERE.

I've already donated some money and I'm going to give half of the money made from the proceeds from all sales of knitting pattern booklets at the Lulu store to Best Friends to deal with this situation. The other half will continue to go to Colorado HRS (where I met Debby and adopted several rabbits).

I better go get busy doing another pattern booklet to sell! It will have the mittens and hat shown earlier this week along with a pair of socks I need to finish.

I still can't open the comments for March 7 (although I can read the comments for every other day) so if you sent in a question for me, please try again.

Today Julie was discussing the books she owns that are autographed. Here is my most prized possession - check out the $19.95 price on the top right hand. If only...

The comments seem to be screwed up and I'll see what I can do tomorrow. I'm anxiously awaiting the Season Finale of Project Runway. I liked the dresses from last season better but at least there was less sobbing this year. I hope to finish another afghan square while watching it.

Here's your weekly Peaches photo. DH is sharing an apple with her. She isn't very good at sharing though and tends to rip the apple out of his hand and hop away with it.

I really need to stop procrastinating and buy myself a digital camera. This hat is really fun because of the 3-dimensional aspect with the dark blue bobbles but it is hard to see in the scan. I promise to get a photo of DH wearing it soon.

Today was the first day I felt actual heat. It has been a balmy and unusually dry winter but it seems too early to be getting hot. I better work harder on my afghan because I'm not sure I'm going to be as interested in working on it in warm weather.

I'm working on another pattern booklet for rabbit rescue. This one will focus on very bright knitted accessories like the mittens below.




It will also have a hat pattern shown in two sizes and color combos, a pair of socks, and some legwarmers. I'll show the hats tomorrow. My other knitting goal this week is to finish another Aran afghan block

PURLING WITH TWO COLORS

A few days ago Debra asked me to discuss purling with two colors. My recommendation is DON'T. Just kidding, I know there are times you have to do it. I would avoid at all cost an entire colorwork project that was knit flat. That is just insane. Not only do you have to deal with working a color pattern chart from both directions but you also have to deal with making sure the same yarn is held above the other yarn to keep your project looking good. (Some folks call this yarn dominance.)

Many Dale of Norway stranded sweaters instruct you to knit back and forth after you start the neck opening when you get near the shoulders. Some knitters will try to avoid this by adding neck steeks. Honestly the only time I purl with two colors is if I'm doing a striped sock heel.

You hold the yarns for purling with two colors just as you do with knitting with two colors. You either hold both yarns in your right hand, one yarn in each hand, or both yarns in your left hand. Even though I'm a two-handed two-color knitter, I prefer to purl with two colors with both yarns in my right hand. It is just faster that way for me. I hold the background color wrapped around my index finger and the foreground/contrast color wrapped around my middle finger. Then I just kind of flick the appropriate finger when it is time to purl. Here's a photo from Stranded Color Knitting that shows the finger position I use when purling with 2 colors. (Thanks again for the photo Chris!)

I really need to get a digital camera soon to do the Aran blocks justice. Here is an extremely poor scan of the Georgia Vincent square from the Great American Aran Afghan which is knit in the round and is inspired by Old World architecture.

I finally finished uploading two sock patterns - the ruffled socks and the men's winter socks. All profits go to rabbit rescue and the price for each pattern is $8.12 for a print version or $2.99 (US) for the .PDF download. Go HERE for more info and HERE to order.

Here's another version of the ruffled socks.