A View from Sierra County

Blog Gorp and Internet Menace

OK, this is going to be a 'sucky' post, as I spent an hour working on a lovely one, complete with pictures, arrows and diagrams... but opening somebody else's blog triggered massive Internet Explorer windows opening, one after the other (this has happened to me before, usually in the evening) leading to a quick ditch of everything.  Now, Typepad has been pretty good about backing up as you go... more than I even thought I needed till now... this time, though, nothing.  Zip. Nada.  Just this little paragraph I had saved as a draft yesterday, following up from my CSM post yesterday... sorry folks.  Maybe those of us in rural areas with crappy internet connections just aren't destined to be the heroines of knitblogland.  I just blew throught the dinner hour, cut into the knitting time and have nothing left to give... see ya

My post about our CSM gathering generated a lot of interest and questions, so I wanted to share links to two CSM bloggers who actually routinely finish socks (a goal I hope to meet very soon).  The first one is Soxophone Player Doug, who lives up in Ontario, where he has sheep... he describes himself as a soxoholic, and makes so many socks using his CSM that he sells many at the local Farmers Market, and is a great resource on the wide array of sock yarns out there.  One example is a yarn from a small company that I had never seen featured on a blog before, the Apple Laine yarns from Ottawa.  The other one is Maria, the Knackful Knitter, who has been so lovely in sending me words of encouragement that I will get through my first pair of CSM socks and be flying along in no time.  She makes CSM socks for Socks for Soldiers and is also doing the Mystery Stole 3, so drop by for a look.

The Burro Awards

I loved JenLa's annual awards, truly I did, but then I was a bit bummed to realize that I hadn't even found most of those listed (although a few were my very favorite people, and you know who you are).  I just don't have the kind of life that leaves much room for blog reading, and my pool of fellow knitbloggers isn't all that big in the giant scheme of things.

One positive thing I did realize while reading through their list of awards is that, while I thought I wanted to blog for fame back when I started just over two years ago, and used to hope for lots of comments, I found something different and far more valuable to me and that was friendship.  I have met several of the people I read regularly, and a few have become amongst my dearest friends.  What more could I ask for, right?

So, I decided to create the Burro Awards, my own version of a "Best of 2006" List:

Best Photos - its a tie between Kristi and (Mary)Sheepshepherdess.  They both have the artistic eye needed for this award.  Take a look, and you will see what I mean!

Best Attitude - Margene, she just keeps on knitting and spinning, minimizes the obstacles and trips to the frog pond, etc.  So Zen of her.

Charity Knitter of the Year - I didn't go and take an object count or anything, but these two are always working on a charity knitting piece whenever I drop by: Marguerite and Norma.  I aspire to be them when I grow up.

Best Lace - Mim, of course.  With two of her designs on the needles right now, that one was pretty simple.  That said, Donna Druchunus, author of Artic Lace, is already a contender for next year, and I have Susan's interview with her to thank.

Best Fashionista Designer - Amelia.  I love everything she makes, even when I don't have the right figure (or lifestyle, for that matter) to wear it.  Sometimes life with burros isn't all that glam, but it doesn't mean I don't know glam when I see it.

Best Tutorials - Eunny for knitting and Jenny for spinning.

Best Technical Consultant - This has to be Sylvia (Beadlizard).. if ever I can't figure something out or remember how to do something, she's the grrl.

Best Fiber Enabler - Carole, the grrl who is always up for something new, loves a party and wants us all to come along and try it with her.

Best All-Around Fiberholic - Sara, who not only knits, but spins, dyes, weaves and even finds the time to blog about it and share her vast knowledge with the rest of us.

Best Non-Knitting Blog - Bakerina, because she loves food more than I do and I can live vicariously thorugh her cooking adventures.  Ask her about eggs sometime...

Well, that's all the categories I have come up with for 2006, but I expect that this new tradition will expand by next year.   And, remember these are just the selections of a country grrl, living and knitting in a sleepy little backwater of the California Sierras.