Happy Holidays!

The blog will be on hold until the new year. Hope you all enjoy the holidays--and get plenty of time to knit and cook and catch up on all the blogs you haven't read in months. (Oh--those are my wishes for myself....)

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BTW: My cowriter and I got a YouTube review!

Time for Champagne!

Susan and I were interviewed on NPR radio today. While my cowriter can say beautiful things totally spontaneously, I have a great deal of trouble talking off the cuff. (I don't talk--only write.)

We sat in a the NPR studio in DC--apart from our interviewer, the phenomenal Frank Stasio. It takes a great deal of effort to follow purely verbal discussions because hearing takes so much effort. I really can't hear and think at the same time. (Stasio did have to call on me to make me talk.)

I told my partner and son that the interview would be a success if I managed to make it home tonight alive. It would be a smashing success if I had not thrown up.

I survived. Hearing the interview now, I know that my beating heart does not even show up on the soundtrack...

Review

I woke up this morning to the first review of the book--in the Washington Post! And it is really a fabulous review, too.

Then, on my way to my knitting group, I stopped by the local Borders. Here's what they have on the shelf (and look carefully at the three black books with the little tiny title):



I'm bouncing off the walls!

A year of books and knitting

Last year on this date I was thinking about books--especially about my own academic history book (in the works at the time):

And now I am totally crazy, unable to think about anything but the future of the book. I spent five hours without breathing this afternoon trying to do final edits. Then I hopped up and down for three minutes, knit a single purl row on Swallowtail (which, in its brand new incarnation, is behaving well), finally regained my ability to speak coherently, and then started craving spicy food.

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Knit knit knit. I cannot imagine sleeping. Knit knit knit.

But today I am celebrating the recent publication of that book. My cowriter and I gave a presentation early this afternoon about the issues of justice raised by the book. The audience offered fascinating insights. What a great experience. (Even though, due to my incredibly introverted personality, I almost fainted from nervousness before things got started.)

It looks like we may have more engagements soon. Next month we're going to be interviewed by an NPR affiliate in the location where the book's story took place. Very exciting.

Now off to relax. Glass of wine. Knit, knit, knit.... Knitting (and wine) is the serve-all-needs response, isn't it?

Finished Objects

Right before we left for our week in Chicago (more details soon), I finished knitting the purple silk Swallowtail shawl. My first Swallowtail took forever and was absolutely cursed. Once it was actually finished, I could see that its very fine silk yarn made it stunningly gorgeous. This one, with slightly thicker yarn, flew off the needles within a week, without incident. While not as delicate, it is lovely as well. Fantastic pattern.

Here it is on display at Chicago's Millennium Park:









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And I came home to an advanced copy of my book! While no needles were involved, it is quite a sense of accomplishment to have one's oldest WIP (Work In Progress, for you non-knitters) come into life.








Celebration all around!